Stop sport's sanitisation, give us back the characters

Are sports administrators around the world all missing the same point?

Liverpool's German manager Jurgen Klopp. Picture: PAUL ELLIS

OPINION:

ARE sports administrators around the world all missing the point?

As more and more competitions become sanitised through the increased influence of money, the fans cry out louder for characters to connect with.

I'm a huge English Premier League fan.

This week, in the Merseyside derby, Liverpool won with basically the last kick of the game.

In a match which divides families, the passion of the moment took hold and Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp raced onto the field to celebrate with one of his players.

He scored himself an 8000 pound penalty for his moment of unbridled joy.

What a shame.

Any young kid watching that game would've had goosebumps.

It's moments like those that make people fall in love with sport.

So why do sporting codes seem so hell-bent on eradicating them?

Australia's major sporting codes have become more and more bleak as the years go on.

Where players once were workers as well as players, who knew how to sink plenty of beers and not make a mess, they're now highly-tuned athletic machines cut off from the public and less competent in handling their grog.

Post-game chats have become so mundane, from coaches and players.

Part of that is the fear of copping a financial hit if they do speak out.

Think about your favourite players of any code.

Were they necessarily the greatest, or was there something more than just their playing talent that drew you to them?

I'm always partial to a good niggler and a schemer in rugby league.

The blokes with smarts, with niggle, who were cunning and not afraid to get in anyone's face.

The ones who could leave it on the field and have a laugh about it.

Think James Maloney or Michael Ennis.

I'm a huge Patrick Dangerfield fan in Aussie Rules.

He's quirky, outspoken and a mercurial talent.

Why don't the sporting codes better understand the power their talents have and harness those to boost the profile of the sport?

Humanise these guys, don't water them down.

It's the biggest difference I've noticed in men's and women's elite sport.

The women are so much more accessible, knowing they need to be in order to try and garner anywhere near the support top-tier men's sport enjoys.

Cricket used to be a sport absolutely brimming with characters.

Love him or hate him, Warney got people engaging with the sport.

There are so many good news stories in sport, but it's the negatives that grab so many headlines.

Perhaps it's time administrators loosened the leash on players and coaches, let them speak their minds and give us more insight into who they are, not just what they do.