Argentina, Messi and greatness unappreciated
As the author of what The New York Times hailed as the definitive biography of Mickey Mantle, no one is more of a romantic of the athletic…
Argentina’s Lionel Messi looks back as he goes up to get his runner-up medal after the World Cup final soccer match between Germany and Argentina at the Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Sunday, July 13, 2014. Germany won the match 1-0. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)
As the author of what The New York Times hailed as the definitive biography of Mickey Mantle, no one is more of a romantic of the athletic glories of the sports greats of the 20th Century than I am.
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Ruth, DiMaggio, Jackie Robinson, the fabulous Boston Celtics teams, Pancho Gonzalez, Vince Lombardis Green Bay Packers of the 1960s, Ali and Pele and Gretzky and, of course, Maradona.
Those are immortals of sports and of sports of a different time.
But much has changed since the 20th Century, and even the sports romantic in me has to admit, grudgingly perhaps, that the great athletes of today would easily whip those of the past and that there is no comparison between the sports immortals of the past and those in the making today, for any number of reasons.
What all this means, I suppose, is that I am not crying for Argentina and Lionel Messi because, while they may not have won the World Cup Sunday, they showed us over the past month that we may have been watching one of the greatest soccer teams of all time second, in fact, only to champion Germany.
Argentina’s Lionel Messi celebrates after scoring his side’s second goal during the group F World Cup soccer match against Argentina at the Estadio Beira-Rio in Porto Alegre, Brazil, Wednesday, June 25, 2014. (AP Photo/Jon Super)
And quite possibly, Messi’s Argentine team was an even better team than Maradonas that won the 1986 World Cup over West Germany.
So enough of this pooh-poohing of Messis edition of La Albiceleste.
Also put Diego Maradona and his criticism of Messi being named the World Cups most outstanding player in the same poor sportsmanship doghouse with those sad, pathetic surviving members of the undefeated 1972 Miami Dolphins who often get together to celebrate late into a season the first loss by any still unbeaten NFL team.
Does anyone except those old Dolphins and their loved ones seriously think there is any comparison between the NFLs Pillsbury Doughboys of that era and todays Adonis-like NFL players?
There isnt, any more than the Univac computer of the 1950s has any resemblance to the MacBook Pro with Retina Display. Want to go back to those days? Seriously?
Innovation in sports, the democratization of sport and the spread to new bodies and new populations have conspired to make athletes stronger, bolder and better than ever, says author David Epstein in his book The Sports Gene.
That is the reality of todays sports world, in which athletes are superior to their predecessors with improved performances that can be attributed to better diet and training, technologically improved equipment, growing prosperity that allows more athletes to concentrate on their sports, and competitors who are just bigger and stronger than their ancestors.
Todays sports world is one in which Usain Bolt runs a 9.69 100-meter dash while in 1972 the fastest time was the USSRs Valery Borzovs 10.14.
To belabor the point even more: Bolt’s 9.69 beat Jesse Owens’ 1936 world record by 14 feet.
Theres no denying that Wilt Chamberlain and Ted Williams would still be good players today, most likely though different because they would be competing against taller, bigger, stronger, better opponents who know how to keep themselves in shape down to a science, literally.
Even Maradona a few years back told the BBC:
I have seen the player who will inherit my place in Argentinian football, and his name is Messi.
Of course, no one is ever going to convince Maradona lovers that Messi has replaced Diego as the best soccer player in Argentina history, especially since he could not win the World Cup for his nation. Chances are he never would have, even if Argentina had beaten Germany Sunday.
But in todays world, not only of improved athletes but also of a technological media revolution, the image and reputation of Messi is greater than anything Maradona ever knew.
Not to mention that a large portion of soccers ever-increasing fan base wasnt alive when Argentina won the 1986 World Cup and, if at all, know of Maradonas two famous quarterfinals game goals including the controversial, unpenalized handball Hand of God only through legend and the occasional TV replay.
Messi? He earned $65 million last year, likely is in line for bigger earning this year, and hes all over the place on American television with Pepsi commercials.
Lionel Messis legacy is already secure, Ian Darke, the veteran ESPN analyst, said and this was before the championship game. Hes been world player of the year four times, hes broken all kinds of records. We know hes a great player. I think this would just be the final gloss of paint, if you like, on a wonderful reputation.
It hasnt been easy, but I have come to grips with my romantic notion of old sports teams and heroes.
I imagine The Netherlands in this World Cup was likely the No. 3 team in all soccer history, just as the great NBA teams of today would easily outclass those Celtics of the 1950s and 1960s or even the great Chicago Bulls.
Derek Jeters Yankees this year, who may not even make the playoffs, likely would have beaten any of Mickey Mantles teams, and Rafael Nadal would probably rout Pancho, 6-1, 6-1, 6-1.
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