Walking the path of icons.
By Garth Wattley (Express).
In the office on Monday, a discussion started about icons; who is and who is not worthy of the description. Some names were bandied about and the talk got me thinking about the labels we place on people. Especially in sports.
It has been no minor source of irritation to me to hear the word “great” being used every two or three sentences on talk shows or in the midst of games to describe anything from a fancy pass to a slightly above average performance.
These days there are so many “experts,” the ex-players whose opinions are now must-haves for television commentary.
Many of their pronouncements, whether from a Michael Holding or a Shane Warne are helpful, even insightful. But there are others, too many others, whose bias—depending on the team or country they played for—is obvious. That is one of the downsides of 24-hour cable TV. The time has to be filled with something, and often, it is with too much talk.
And where there is too much talk, there is likely to be exaggeration. For some, it is asking too much to be measured and dispassionate when commenting on the success of ex-teammates after a big win. Especially in something like the Ashes.
As I was saying at the beginning, certain words tend to be abused.
So out of curiosity and for the sake of professional accuracy, I looked up some of them.
Here is what I found.
Icon: A conventional religious image typically painted on a small wooden panel and used in the devotions of Eastern Christians.
-A person who is very successful and admired.
-A person or thing that is revered or idolised.
-A person or thing regarded as a symbol of a belief, nation, community, or cultural movement.
Great: Notable; remarkable; exceptionally outstanding.
-A person who has achieved importance or distinction in a field.
Hero: A man of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his brave deeds and noble qualities.
-A person who, in the opinion of others, has heroic qualities or has performed a heroic act and is regarded as a model or ideal.
So from those descriptions reader, who is an icon? Which have been iconic teams? Who are the great players of our time? Who are the heroes?
I can see a discussion like this going on for hours at elevated decibel levels and with much waving of the arms. The numbers of icons, heroes and greats will vary depending on the number of people engaging in the ole talk. But today, I will throw out a few names, just to start things rolling.
Icon: In West Indies cricket try, George Headley, Sir Frank Worrell, Sir Everton Weekes, Sir Clyde Walcott, Sir Garfield Sobers, Sir Wes Hall, Sir Viv Richards, Brian Lara and Clive Lloyd's West Indies teams from 1979-85.
In the Trinidad and Tobago football context I would go for the 2006 “Soca Warriors”—the country's only World Cup representatives led by Dwight Yorke and Clayton Morris' 1989 “Strike Squad” as iconic teams.
As far as individuals go, from all the accounts I've heard, 1960s midfield maestro Leroy De Leon would seem to qualify for being “exceptionally outstanding” and “revered.” So I would say is Everald “Gally” Cummings as both player and the “Strike Squad” mastermind. And just so that there are no misunderstandings, “The Little Magician” Russell Latapy and Yorke would get icon status on their own.
I can almost hear the protests now about who has not been mentioned: No Sedley Joseph, no Alvin Corneal, no Warren Archibald.
There is a distinction between an icon, a great and a hero. Outstanding displays of skill would be the benchmark for one to even enter any of those categories. But to be an icon requires a little more than just being a top athlete.
I like the definition: A person or thing regarded as a symbol of a belief, nation, community, or cultural movement. In other words, icons mean something to people, deep down. Yorke and Latapy reached you deep down when they were on the ball.
The icons' feats often become the stuff of their people's dreams, and fuel for their ambition.
For that reason, Hasely Crawford would be a track and field icon, because in 10.06 seconds at Montreal 1976, he became the national benchmark for sporting excellence. The late weightlifter Rodney Wilkes, the country's first Olympic medalist (silver) way back in 1948 and a bronze winner in 1952, should fit the bill also. And while like Wilkes, Ato Boldon did not add Olympic gold to his slew of international medals, his collective body of work was not only outstanding in the late 1990s but also paved the way for the golden era local track and field is currently enjoying. Ato was the willing poster boy for this golden period. And perhaps when his career is over, Keshorn Walcott, the second man in T&T's Olympic gold club may also become an icon. But not yet.
Icons are not made by numbers only.
