Entertainment over character
Published: 21 Feb. 2024, 20:28
Lee Sang-eon
The author is an editorial writer of the JoongAng Ilbo.
Football enthusiasts would know the name: Eric Daniel Pierre Cantona. The French player enjoyed his professional football heyday at Manchester United in the Premier League. He wore the iconic No. 7 jersey, reserved for the best man in the football club, which was also worn by legendary names like David Beckham and Cristiano Ronaldo. Cantona, who later became an actor and singer, was versatile on the field, playing as the second striker and attacking midfielder. Upon his joining in 1992, Manchester United won the Premier League titles for two seasons, which earned him the title “King Eric” from United fans.
The fortune for the football player and his club suddenly reversed when they were looking for a successive league title in the 1994-95 season. During an away match against Crystal Palace on Jan. 25, 1995, Cantona was sent off by the referee for kicking a Palace defender who had been closely marking him throughout the game. As he was walking toward the tunnel, Cantona launched a “kung fu kick” into the crowd. Though Cantona was infamous for being rough on the field, he had never turned violent on the British crowd until then. The shocking moment was caught on TV and made headlines the following morning for the kung fu kick. It was later revealed that what triggered the infamous kick was insults from the crowd about his family.
The British Football Association (FA) slapped him with a nine-month suspension from games, but the public demanded a heavier penalty for him. Manchester United’s manager Alex Ferguson stood by his star player, saying a football player is just like anyone else who would get angry at offending words directed at his mother. Cantona repaid the trust of his manager by contributing to the team’s ultimate victory later that year. During his five years in the club, he made United a four-time champion.
In the sports community, there are many athletes who earn the moniker of brat even though they are adults. Tennis players often get upset during tournaments, unleashing their fury on their precious rackets. American player John McEnroe, who often won trophies at Wimbledon and U.S. Open matches in the 1980s, was famous for throwing temper tantrums on the tennis courts. He would often snarl at the umpires with fiery outbursts.
Tiger Woods, irrefutably one of the best golf players of all time, is no exception. But he loses points for his character. Woods did not recognize others as his competitors. He was self-indulgent and spoiled. Then came the scandals with his affair and womanizing, followed up by drug abuse. He appears to be a changed, matured player these days after surviving the epic rise and fall of his reputation. Even at his worst behavior, the golf legend was always surrounded and followed by hundreds of fans.
Woods is worshipped not because of his character but because of his spectacular talent. It would be great if famous entertainers or sports stars all had good character. But they cannot all be Son Heung-min or singer Lim Young-woong, whom everyone loves.
A week has passed since the reports surfaced about a brawl among the star players the night before Team Korea’s Asian Cup semifinal defeat to Jordan. When The Sun, a British tabloid, first reported Son’s finger injury from a fight before the semifinal game, there was no mention of Paris Saint-Germain star Lee Kang-in, who allegedly took a swing at his elder Son Heung-min, captain of Team Korea and Tottenham. But the punch came up in the follow-up reports by local media, citing sources from the Korea Football Association. The association did not officially clarify what happened nor intend to do so. It should have taken a disciplinary action if there had been physical clashes among national team members. There was also talk that Lee’s violent response was provoked by a nasty comment from another member. That also demands disciplinary action. By avoiding its duty to clarify the accountability, the football association is abandoning the players to the court of public opinion rather than protecting them.
The press also went too far. Over a thousand articles on Lee Kang-in poured out from their websites every day. They dug into his past and even went after his family. The 23-year-old suddenly became the country’s most hated person. Columnist Noh Jung-tae recently wrote on Facebook, “Actors and sports players are all entertainers. We should enjoy their entertainment and not make them our entertainment.” I cannot agree more.
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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