The cult of the confused
Monday, February 28, 2011 at 8:49PM At what point does a players inability to be above average consistently elevate him from being a bit rubbish to a cult hero? What is a cult hero exactly? I've always associated the term with someone that wasn't great and bullish enough to tap into the mainstream as a recognised top drawer player. Although you could tag a highly skilled luxury player or someone who played out of their skin and above their grade (even if they were blatantly out of their depth in doing so) for the shirt with the same backhanded compliment.
In modern times you might look no further than Steffen Freund as the perfect example. Plenty of posturing and screaming to make up for his distinct lack of anything. But legend they call him because he played with his heart on his sleeve. And sometimes his inane battle cries worked. But you can't help but love the blokes love for THFC and thus it doesn't matter how average a player he was, even though the fundamental crux of the matter is the football and how well you can play it.
Zokora is another player that had very little footballing astuteness. Loved his rampaging runs forward, single direction, forward in a straight line, no stopping, just forward until he either fell over or blasted the ball to the moon. He too had tenacity. Fantastic athlete just no grey matter.
Maybe cult isn't the right terminology here, but when exactly does a player become much maligned/hated/abused and when does he find categorisation as said 'cult' and thus excused for his failings because, well, he just wont make the grade so may as well accept him for what he is and love him unconditionally for at least giving something back, be it, in spurts of joy rather prolonged sessions of love.
Jenas is hardly cult. But much maligned he is. Why? Is it because we expect so much more from him? Or because he doesn't do a zany dance when we win games? Is cult simply a tolerable level of acceptance? A standard that can sometimes exist outside other standards because there's a necessity for this middle ground of footballers?
When we sat just above mid-table we sort of tolerated the likes of Zoko until we worked out he was not the answer to our defensive midfield frailties. But now we sit Top 4, contenders (we aspire to be) there is no room for this ilk of footballing 'star'. We need finished articles. Not random pages stripped out of comic books.
I find it humorous that one or two Spurs fans have suddenly labelled Wilson Palacios as a cult player because of the over excitable commitment he has shown in recent games, when not too long ago he was a 'destroyer', commanding as the stop-gap in midfield before personal issues consumed his confidence. Some of us are stretching the boundaries a little it seems.
Or say a player like Alfie Conn (if we choose to go back to the past) who was hardly rubbish but had a short yet memorable stay at the Lane and endeared himself to many whether it was ball at feet or sitting on top of it. A good type of cult? Talented but not a world beater.
The other end of the spectrum, you'll find Gary Doherty who was not good enough for the top flight, yet he tried bless him, boy did he try. His awarkdness, his lack of elegance, his ginger hair. A cult followers wet dream. But when you strip away the t-shirts what are you left with? Just a lad who was over-rated by those who signed him and over-used because of the lack of depth at the club at the time.
Would cult befit someone like John White? I don't think so. White is tinged with legend, a life cut short by a freak accident, a storming presence in our greatest ever side.
I've seen the phrase tagged onto the likes of van der Vaart, who is hardly someone benefiting from the vocal support of a minority. Hardly. Bit like calling Dimitar cult for the Berbarotic he subjected to us that had so many blinded for a season. But say vdV left us this summer, would that warrant cult status because his Lilywhite days would be nothing more than a pocket of appearances?
Is BAE cult? What with the two distinctive groups of support, one that rates him the other that is perpetually unsure?
Okay, so let's return to the first sentence of this article. At what point does a players inability to be above average consistently elevate him from being a bit rubbish to a cult hero? Do they simply require an occasional fire in the belly or marauding run and skill or perhaps something side splitting funny (row z again) to gain notoriety? One game or a glut of goals? Or inconsistency tinged with genius?
Is it in the eye of the beholder or is it a polite way of saying, you weren't that good, not great enough to be a legend but you did something that will not be forgotten. A gentle, respectful nod. Nothing more nothing less.
Thoughts?
Reader Comments (69)
Sol is a confused cult.
Opologies for the bad spelling.
haha
I've always thought of cult heroes as being inconsistent but with that touch of genius.
Step forward Heurelho Gomes.
Freund was pish. He thought that the way to get through a game was to be angry, more angry the more involved he looked. Cult hero? Sure for the comic value but why this man is labelled a legend is beyond me.
I think you hit the nail on the head in attributing cult status to Steffen and Didier. You never doubted their commitment to the cause, and for this, you forgave their other failings.
I think Jamie O'Hara would have achieved this status. That is not to say that he was poor player, only that we have several better than him who can't get a regular game. But if commitment alone could win games, Jamie would have been in every starting line-up.
Cult players are those that do split supporters but are mostly fringe players favoured by the minority who might give the majority something to smile about every so often. Sometimes for good reasons sometimes (Ginger Pele) not so good. Jensen over at Arsenal was a cult to them because he never scored until he finally did. Cult heros are never fully fledged brilliant first teamers, not for me.
I don't know if you've noticed, Spooky, but Niko Kranjcar has become the ultimate cult hero over at CFC.
Niko is a good shout for cult.
Kevin - CFC??
Ive always thought that to be a cult hero someone will have to love you while the majority hates you. Krancjar can't be put in that category. Seriusly, who hates Krancjar? Pav and Crouch on the other hand...
disagree. i think a cult hero is player who from his teams supporters (part or whole) is appreciated to a much greater extent by those fans than he would be appreciated by any common football loving folk. obviously this gap is there for any fan's players. but the extent to the discrepancy in appreciation is the key, somewhere in that gap a line is above which are cult heros. BAE could fit this bill in the future. BTW saw him in trafalgar square about a week ago. driving in his smartcar (hes put some money into it, not stock), he was stopped at the light and happened to look in the window (noticing blatantly nice wheels for a smartcar) he looked at me and i prob started acting like a fool. but he gave me a thumbs up and smile and waved when he drove past. good lad. allegedly he doesnt get noticed alot, says he rides the tube.
BAE is one cool motherfucker.
Back in the day.
Cult Hero - Phil Beal
Cult Zero - John Pratt
Ralph Coates?
A cult hero is a player who wins the cup like Woody Hoddle Smith Wins the ball like Makay, and grabs the ball out of the sky with one hand like Jennings. Doing something that lives in the memory gives you cult status. So Sppoky does this mean Davspurs fight against Teams putting energy shields in front of there goals and snatching three points of us mean that i am a cult figure or a cunt either way you wont forget me Gllllllllllllllooooooooooorrrrrrryyy nights are coming who will rise to Cult status i cant wait to find out Coys
Ronny Rosenthal?
Ronny defo fits the bill.
"Sol is a confused cult. Opologies for the bad spelling."
LemonadeMoney, you are genious! :)
Haven't seen anything funnier in a long time.
John Chiedozie
Pat van den Hauwe
Mickey Hazard
Did I dream it or did Hazard make a comeback for us a few years back? Surreal. How old was he at the time and yet unless my mind is playing tricks he was superb.
Depends what kind of cult you'd like to follow. I'd add Taricco, simply because I have a soft spot for rubbish left backs that I could have got picked ahead of. An unloved and, until BAE, a position in which we've enjoyed some special failures and some real cult potential. Mitchell Thomas, Van den Hauwe, Atouba and more. A nice cult to follow from the front of gangway 26.
I think cult is someone you believe in despite the fact that it's somewhat irrational to do so.
BAE is beyond cult if that's possible.
I think Pav is more cult.
I do love the guy even though he's lazy, slow and often useless.
BAE is a state of mind.
"Cool… quiet… and true!"
...how BAE describes himself in a recent BBC interview. Smart Car and an oyster card. Agree with nycyid: BAE transcends cult!
BAE is one fellow that is loved for being simple, he transcends cult no doubt! BAE is one bastard i love to love!
If the radiance of a thousand suns were to burst at once into the sky, that would be like the splendor of the mighty one... Now, I am become BAE, the destroyer of worlds.
Ledley - his yoyo career from the operating table, un ability to train, constant injury problems to some amazing world class performances. and a true spur
Klinsmann - what can i say and absolute legend in his brief spells
David Ginola - true spur in style and inconsistancy. A joy to watch at times
To qualify for cult status the player needs to attract an irrational amount of adoration from a minority. Irrational because the majority either can't see or refuse to admit or acknowledge the brilliance, often because it is absurd or irritating to the majority who feel they have a form of ownership over what is right or wrong, good and bad, useful and Jenas.
It's why players with cult following are often left footed - to the majority of people who are right footed, anything left seems cooler, unusual and more difficult.
Add to that some other attraction like a freak hairstyle, non conformist attitude and a unique if not necessarily useful physical skill and for me, there's your recipe. And BAE ticks a lot of boxes.
I think the term "cult" is applied to two specific, and very different, groups of players. In both cases though, they will only become "cult" if they give something back to the fans. If they appreciate and love the fans for the support they get and show that appreciation and love visually.
1) The Warriors - This is the reason that so many of us love Freund. He would always leave his heart out on that pitch. He would throw himself into everything, and try his absolute hardest with the tools he was given. It's just a shame that the tools he was given weren't very sharp. Warriors are often also prone to moments of lunacy, clumsiness, and occasionally outright thuggery. But they give everything for the cause. Sometimes they also become "cult" because the fans of every other club hate them. I remember talking to a Wolves fan a few years ago about about Kevin Muscat, who had a tendency for getting himself carded (either shade) for vicious tackles and was really unpopular with other clubs. The fan just said "Yes, he's a nutter. But he's OUR nutter."
2) The Mercurial - Players get referred to as having "mercurial" skills, if they're inconsistent. Nobody ever describes Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi as mercurial. They're just bloody good. Mercurial players are players who occasionally show moments of incredible skill and do something utterly brilliant, but usually... well, they're a bit rubbish, really. The aforementioned Ronny Rosenthal falls into this category, at least for anyone who remembers his 94/95 FA Cup hat-trick against Southampton. An example from other clubs would be Paolo Wanchope. And the reason we have this love for the mercurial player? Because nothing makes your heart soar more than seeing someone who's frankly mediocre at best do something completely outstanding. They lift you from despair to the highest heights in a second. Consistently good players can't achieve that.
Nayim
Doing something that lives in the memory gives you cult status. Davspurs is spot on , a cult hero is exactly that. He brings more to the game than just talent (or the lack of it) , he does something special.
And Lemonademoney , that was classic , very funny indeed.
Beadle , Gattuso would be the absolute Warrior Cult hero then :)
Jose Dominguez
Talking of Beadle...Peter Beadle anybody??
reading through the comments there are so many i would agree with.
I think there can be many definitions of a "cult hero" player. Beadles "Warrior" and "Mercurial" are definitely high up. Munkeyjims "rubbish leftbacks" i also agree with as i always had a soft spot for Edinburgh!
Shanghai_spur - I definitely wouldnt class ledley, klinsmann or ginola as "cult", for me they are "legends"
Some of my top "Cult heroes":
Edinburgh - everyone thinks he's rubbish but i quite liked him
Freund - my kind of player, all the other clubs fans hated him cos he wound people up and liked to go in hard, but we appreciated it
BAE - he is BAE, say no more
I could add more: Ruel Fox, Ronny Rosenthal, Alan Nielsen, Gica Popescu..............................
Interesting topic this... Someone should write a book on it...
BAE is definitely a special case. From my earlier definitions, he's almost an Anti-Mercurial. He's generally a really good left-back, but every so often he has a mercurial moment of incompetence, and does something so bafflingly stupid that you can't believe you've just watched it. Also, my requirement for a cult player to love the fans etc just doesn't work with him, because he's admitted he's only in it for the money. It's a job.
So yeah, Anti-Mercurial. Nobody let him ever come into contact with Ronny Ronsenthal, unless they're safely in the confines of the Large Hadronn Collider at CERN - I think there might be an explosion that would end life as we know it.
"Would cult befit someone like John White? I don't think so. White is tinged with legend, a life cut short by a freak accident, a storming presence in our greatest ever side."
prose spooky, pure, honest prose... respect!
But "legend"? John White Legend? Don't t'ink so. John White deserves/get the title Genius !!
PS. cult: a misplaced or excessive admiration for a particular person or thing | a person or thing that is popular or fashionable, esp. among a particular section of society.
legend: an extremely famous or notorious person, esp. in a particular field | a traditional story sometimes popularly regarded as historical but unauthenticated.
I think the very definition of 'legend' and it's usage within football is another similar type of debate.
Vinny Samays. A cultish rogue crab.
Vinny Samways too
A cultish rogue crab.
hahaha
For me - and I could be completely wrong - a cult hero is someone who a group of people lionise, despite no real evidence that they should have. Obvious examples for me would be Jesus or the prophet Mohamed, for instance. The intelligent, rationale person knows that such believers are sacrificsing their lives to a load of nonsense, but the believers stil believe. That is what a cult is. In the past we called cults 'religion'.
So by that defnition Freund was a cult hero for some. Not for me, thats for sure. I thought he was a useless clown, although I did like the fact that he used to go shopping with his family wearing his Spurs shirt, with his own name and number on the back (true stroy)! He also sat with the Spurs fans on the Shelf to watch one game against Arsenal that he was suspended for. I really liked him as a person for those odd things, but did it make me groan less whenever his name appeared on the team sheet? No, it didnt.
Maybe I am part of a cult myself, albeit a very small one. I think Jenas is a good player, and that we are usually a better side when he is involved. Odd I know, and definitely in the minority, but there we go. But I certainly dont see him as a hero. Not by any means. There's precious few of those - and thats how it should be. My last real hero at Spurs - someone I truly admired and looked up to - was probably Ginola. Before that, Glenda
For me, a Cult hero is a fatally flawed but committed player
"I think the very definition of 'legend' and it's usage within football is another similar type of debate."
Ergo... The cult OF. The Legend IS.
I saw BAE on the tube with full afro and headphones on, cool as you like.
Would Shaggy be considered a cult hero? I know fans of other clubs just couldn't see what he brought to Spurs, to England or anything. And the "Sicknote" tag that's applied to him always makes me laugh. I remember reading a stat that during the time that hoth he was at WHL and Roy Keane was at OT, Shaggy played more league games than Keane did.
Here in Canada on Setanta (yes it still exists) they're sometimes too cheap to pay pundits for half time commentary so instead they show a load of short films/clips called "Cult Heroes". When Spurs are playing they always show Sir Les and Klinsmann as our cult heroes. I'm not sure I agree with their definition but it makes for good TV (and is better than hearing Alan Curbishley talk bollocks).
For other clubs they show players like Shearer, Cantona etc who are probably more legends than Cult.
They also continuously include Ledley's 10 second goal as a defining premiership record.
Just thought I'd share that.
how about...mariccio taricco *not sure if spelt right. cba to check.
now thats cult....becuase of the things you remembered him for i.e the way he used to tuck his socks into his shin pads...wtf? To the long floppy hair, the poorly timed tackles. (correction, poorly timed HARD tackles) and the fact that every other club absolutely hated the bloke.
Thats a hero to me!