A couple of weeks ago, Muhammad Ali celebrated his 70th birthday and numerous media outlets across the globe devoted their pages to honour the great man and his exploits that spanned an illustrious career in boxing.
Such was his influence and self-belief as a spokesman for civil rights campaigning amongst other things that Ali’s sporting achievements can sometimes be overshadowed by his capability to produce unforgettable quotes.
That same week, two young managers in the Football League were causing headlines – though, to a lesser extent than that bestowed upon Ali – for courting controversy by belittling their opponents and claiming that their respective sides would end up victorious in their upcoming fixtures.
In the world of boxing, pre-match belief in one’s own ability is commonplace and leads to ever-more grandiose statements of hyperbole that very rarely live up to the expectations the competitors impose upon themselves and the mass media that graciously laps up the titbits provided by the often deluded sportsmen. Ali’s words captivated millions of people and introduced a psychological trait that has remained a large part of boxing culture.
Professionals in football rarely tread the line of arrogance that boxers gladly skip over but when they do present an over-confident appraisal of their team’s chances before engaging in battle it usually denotes genuine belief in their efforts or panicky defiance when results are not going in their favour. On a scale of arrogance-to-success ratio through to public humiliation when talking up their teams’ chances, Jose Mourinho would probably fit the requirement for replicating the Ali-esque formula while Kevin Keegan is a candidate for the other end of the spectrum when looking at the history of the Premier League.
Which is why I read and watched the comments made by Crystal Palace manager, Dougie Freedman, and Swindon’s enigmatic gaffer, Paulo Di Canio, with great interest as they tipped the balance of decency ahead of the Eagles’ Carling Cup Semi-Final clash at Cardiff and the Robins’ promotion challenge respectively.