Nick should be hailed as one of dying breed for having a bit of fun
The accent was Aussie but the attitude was pure gallus Garngad.
You can’t help but love Nick Kyrgios. Apart from our Andy, he makes tennis just about watchable.
The big man was on top form this week – boozing in the Dog and Fox pub until 11.30pm the night before facing Rafa Nadal, then going full Glasgow wideo during his match.
Kyrgios tried to wind up the Spaniard, chucking in a couple of cheeky underarm serves, rifling the ball right at bum-twitching Rafa, then making the SW19 crowd choke on their Pimm’s when he refused to back down in his postmatch press conference.
He admitted not taking the game too serious and probably could train more, if he could be bothered. Fair play to him. There’s a fine line between being a bit of a character and just being an a****** but the Aussie treads it perfectly.
And you know what, it’s FUN – something most modern sports people seem to have forgotten.
The more money they make, the more professional sport has become. Standards are higher than ever – but it makes sport all the more boring. Everyone is so nice. So blooming bland.
Take it from someone who’s job it is to try to find something interesting to talk about when interviewing sports folk.
There are times it feels like narcolepsy and you need matchsticks to keep the eyes open.
It’s bizarre. A lot of them are interesting characters but they get hooked up to a 100W portable battery by PR folk and if they stray in to interesting territory they get the electric shock routine.
Boxers are the only ones who ignore it, as they really appreciate that what they do hurts a heck of a lot more than a few ropey headlines.
But the rest? Blimey, some make Coldplay look like The Who.
The problem is we were brought up on heroes who had more rough edges than a sandpaper sandwich.
There were Baxters, Bests and Johnstones, just about everyone who played football in the 1970s, big Brian Barnes the golfer who occasionally marked his ball with a beer can, right up to the likes of Frank McAvennie and Chic Charnley.
All sportsmen with talent and, don’t forget, a fierce work ethic, but they also had their f laws. They were just like us. Sometimes they were too much like us but that’s why they were loved.
Athletes are a different breed these days but it doesn’t half make sport sound serious.
Celtic’s Kristopher Ajer got asked once if he still liked to ski like he did as a kid.
Yo u ’ d ha v e thought they’d wondered if he took part in drugfuelled orgies. The big man wouldn’t dare risk it these days.
Some of our beloved bampots would have gone head first down a toboggan run after 12 pints.
Andy Murray is a legend for giving us so many thrills on court but bless him, when he hangs up the racquet for good he could have a career hiring himself out to parents to come around and talk to the kids at bed time.
Kyrgios took pelters for his carry on this week but he should be hailed as one of the last of a dying breed.
We need our sports stars to have flaws, or even just personalities, otherwise we’d be just as well watching robots.
There’s a fine line between being bit of a character and being an a******