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THE INSPIRATION OF ‘THE COMEBACK KID’!
Few stories in life move us more than those which have a redemptive
quality about them, and sport is no exception.
ROD NAWN
In fact the games we love and enjoy often feed off
the emotional aspects of human behaviour and
responses.
There are extremes of course, where the genius
has been toppled from his tower through his or her
own frailty, and George Best, that wondrous son
of Belfast, was ever welcomed back from each
misdemeanour or fall from grace because his talent
and personality were so winning.
Again in sport Muhammad Ali’s refusal to be
drafted by the US Army on religious grounds saw
him not just lose his prized world heavyweight
championship and a ban from boxing, but in a
nation mired in the Vietnam War great swathes of
public opinion scorned and spurned him.
When the judicial system finally allowed him to
return to the ring, where he ultimately regained his
crown, attitudes were slowly changing and the
former Cassius Clay was to go on and embellish
his reputation with awesome bouts with Frazier
and Foreman. Now he is genuinely loved and
regarded all over the world, and sadly stricken with
Parkinson’s.
Redemption can come in many forms, not as
spectacularly colourful or partisan as in the cases
of Best and Ali, and each day the sports pages
– and news pages too! - will be filled with stories
of men and women who have, against the odds,
returned to the pinnacle after setbacks, public or
private.
England expects that its new captain can find a
road back into the affections of rugby followers and
of the ethical community, and new coach Eddie
Jones has taken the high-risk route by appointing
Northampton’s frequently unavailable hooker Dylan
Hartley!
But here at Kingspan Stadium over nearly two
years a plethora of players have suffered serious
downturns in fortune with injuries. The medical
staff, the sports science support systems, the
Strength and Conditioning team at Ulster is
second-to-none, and very often, without fuss,
players with quite serious injuries are carefully
brought back to full health.
Those will long-terms injuries – perhaps even
career-threatening – tend to keep their emotions
under wrap, ‘play a good game’ in the public eye,
and work tirelessly to regain the fire of old, the
athleticism and fire which brought them into the
spotlight.
Tommy Bowe has endured some really long
periods of injury and the buoyant winger’s
character is such that – in public at least – he sees
and determines to realise the future in a jersey of
white, of green and of Lions!
Iain Henderson’s heroics with Ireland over the last
year brought serious injury at the World Cup in the
autumn but, like Bowe, he focuses only on a full
and committed return to action.
Stephen Ferris, as we all know, lost his courageous
battle to overcome chronic problems with his body,
but how he fought to save his career, to continue to
thrill and create awe for his club and country. Even
as we all feared the flanker’s wonderful personality
and resilient character wasn’t going to emerge
triumphant this time, he went out in a manner we’ll
never forget: coming off the bench, and within
seconds thunderously smashing the opposition
ball-carrier back twenty yards and more!
Ferris remains in our memories for his derring-
do, his great rugby talents and his wondrous
athleticism, but also because of an engaging
relationship which each supporter who recognised
in him a spirit they would have coveted, but instead
admired, respected and embraced him.
Stephen has those elements to bulwark him as
his young life continues, so ultimate sporting
redemption – storming through Ulster, Irish and
Lions’ opposition! - was perhaps denied him, but,
hey, did he have a ‘go’!
Of course being restored to the shelf of previous
celebrity, adoration and admiration comes in all
sorts of ways, by all manner of paths. Those who
have made mistakes in their lives sometimes
pay more heavily because they have been in the
limelight, been that strange beast: ’a role model’. A
few drinks too many in full view of a disappointed
observer can spark a rumour, an unfortunate
headline.
More heinous breaches obviously need harder
work to be forgiven and placed back on the
pedestal earned through great deeds and previous
unblemished character.
But in sport, injury is an insidious threat which the
best amongst us never worry about, but when