'Don' Leo was looking ahead
Opinion by David Nakhid in war-torn Lebanon
Thursday, July 20th 2006
Source: Trinidad Express[/color]
Trinidad and Tobago's coach Leo Beenhakker listens to the national anthems before their World Cup match against England in Nuremberg, Germany on June 15. PHOTOS: AP
It must be an intrinsic part of the Trinbagonian psyche to find something to laugh or smile about in the most despairing of times, me finding this self evident as I've tried most times to distance myself from things reflective of that same psyche that cultivates apathy, cronyism, pettiness and plain ole corruption.
Allow me some philosophical leeway as I remain confined in relative safety for the moment, compared to the close to 100 innocents who have already passed on to a place surely better than this one.
I smile as I remember the joy of watching in Germany and then from my house in Greece the participation of my country at the world's premier sporting event.
I smiled again albeit with a different motivation as I read the subsequent articles describing our performances by our supposed football experts, most of them inclined to go with the flow of the expected Trinbagonian euphoria, and catering unashamedly to the popular sentiment or the dictatorial mandate.
Our boys fought with heart, grit, determination and discipline, all of which made us proud and the rest of the world surprised, but let's not be cowards. Although these qualities are part of football, they should serve football and not negate it, and Trinbago in all honesty played little or no football of any sustainable measure.
This is no criticism of the players, but surely of the coaching philosophy. It became apparent to quite a few of my colleagues, many of them who I played with in Europe and now aspiring coaches, all of them European, that by the end of the first half of our second game ,that "Don" Leo was coaching for a future contract, and assuredly not with the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation.
Not to be embarrassed was the obvious philosophy. God forbid that any self respecting international footballer should reach the pinnacle of football aspirations, only to be not embarrassed.
I'm not talking about wanton offensive forays, but the chance to show the world that we too can play football...football. What a cowardly philosophy, exposed ever moreso by allowing "Latas" to play the last 26 minutes of our last game.
How he regrets that decision, believe me as I know Leo much better than you proselytes.
I smiled again (different motivation), as I think of all these idealistic people I had known whom time had withered not only in appearance but in their principles, that I had tried to make the core of my existence.
I thought of the white Trinbagonian from St. Mary's to the National youth team, who once told me that football mirrors life, the generous player on the field will more often than not be the same off of it. The same would apply to the selfish player.
Well, nothing could be more applicable as I later realised, this man of "principle" who defied authority, in his own charismatic way, turning out to be with the passage of time (how I respect you), just another crony albeit of a lighter shade.
He was not alone, so many of my "mentors" falling by the wayside, some for World Cup tickets or access, eh Doc or Baino, or some just wanting that chance to belong or truly help football and end up helping themselves, betraying the ideals they instilled in me as a young or indeed an older footballer. Eh Tiger or Big A. I hope you listen without prejudice and humour me somewhat, for I have been in difficult situations before, but this one has the feel of death, maybe not for me, but certainly those around me.
Evil as I have concluded in my now 42 years of life, does not always take the form of a tyrant or tyrannical behaviour, though there is that, were I to use Israeli actions as an example.
The real evil subtlety induces us to lower our standards, our principles, our morality, where after we no longer seek the excellence in ourselves but we are used to promote the agenda of someone or an organisation for that matter.
We invariably find ourselves doing mediocre things and revelling in mediocrity, convinced that the "ideal" this person or organisation promotes is what really matters.
I know what I have said will fall on deaf ears and open to ridicule...He vex he get fired...blah blah, yeh right! So if that's the case, I thank all of you who instilled in me the ideals that I pray to pass on to my three sons, before time got a hold of you all and made you afraid to remain courageous in spite of the hardships that may bring.
I too may become like you all as time marches on me as well, so I pray that one of the bombs from the Israeli planes falling near my house finds it way to me before I do.
