and not prats or egotistical monsters or ugly as sin so nothing to dislike about them
In cycling we have Chris Hoy - never hear a bad word about him, got a sense of humour, seems to have good values, not butt ugly and seems like a genuine good all round guy.
Cricket we have Jimmy Anderson - same applies as Hoy
I used to think the Same about Dan Carter - but then I found out he is terminally dull in company so I no longer have to kill him for being too perfect!
Most top sports folk seem flawed in one way or another - its hard of course to get to the top without drive and ego which can make you unlikable - Wiggins is one example that splits the crowd and Farrell in rugby another
So who do you think are the good guys you would like as friends and who are the arses you would rather not meet?
Wilko
Ennis
Ennis is a good call. Is Wilkinson not a bit dull?
Kriss Akabusi
I've got a Kelloggs Bran Flakes polo short signed by Chris Hoy on the wall in my downstairs loo. True fact, fact fans.
Rob McElnea
Joe Root
Mark Wood
Lando Norris is really impressing me at the moment as well.
or ugly as sin
Actually, just to get a quick hand-wring in, and to state what I'd hope would be bleedin' obvious, what they look like should have absolutely no bearing on your opinion of them as a person. This is especially a problem for female sportsfolk, and is just bullshit.
I'd honestly expect better of you Teej.
Michael Johnson and Colin Jackson
Many of the top DH'ers seem to be pretty good folk. Minnaar, Gwinn, the Athertons, all the Frenchies...they all appear to be "good folk" and the ones that I've met over the years bears that out.
I worked in a pub in the late 80s/ early 90s in Manchester
Niall Quinn was an absolute star. Most of the other city players weren't. Peter Reid was okay but Tony Coton was an utter, utter arse.
Goran Ivanisevic. Top bloke.
Nick Craig. As above.
Jason Leonard. You get the idea by now.
Simon Shaw
Justin Tipuric. Often found coaching kids at his club.
IHN
this is only a flippant post! the point is if they are good looking, good at their sport, nice all round folk then I have to hate them. Being ugly ( or a character flaw) means I don't 😉
I'm a bit biased here, and I know it's not a sport associated with lack of ego and good eggs, but Jordan Henderson's conduct over the last few years has done him great credit. Unfashionable & underrated footballer, seemingly very good bloke, humble, socially aware (and a vital part of the Liverpool team).
You're skirting perilously close to the Edinburgh defence there TJ...
Many of the top DH’ers seem to be pretty good folk. Minnaar, Gwinn, the Athertons, all the Frenchies…they all appear to be “good folk” and the ones that I’ve met over the years bears that out.
Would agree. I've only met (and I use met loosely) them in a biking context.
E.g. In Morzine, at Dyfi BP, Descend BP and so on. They are still very much "on" or "at work" given the way the sport works, with their income coming from sponsorship, not race results.
Hasanyone got experience of seeing them in regular life?
Laura Kenny - one of the greatest British sportspeople of this century and amazingly down-to-earth with it.
Some good names mentioned already, but to add.
Sir Alistair Cook, Stuart Broad.
Geraint Thomas, Luke Rowe as well.
Chris Froome, ruthless on a bike, lovely fella off.
Shauna Coxsey.
Ben Foster, goalkeepers are normally nuts, he appears not to be.
Dina Asher-Smith
I met Peaty on his tour last year, he was pleasant enough. He was clearly really nervous at the start of his talk, which helped bring him more down to earth.
Nick Craig well deserved his nickname of "The Nicest Guy in Mountain Biking". He once stopped on a descent of Jacobs Ladder for a chat!
Mark Webber always seemed pretty normal for an F1 driver, most of whom seem like spoiled brats. I think a few people on here ran into him at MTB races and everyone seemed to have good things to say about him. Dan Ricciardo also seems like not an arsehole, not sure about the drinking champagne out of his boot trick though, that's a bit low rent.
Hard to say with the younger drivers though. I remember when Michael Schumacher started winning races and Nigel Roebuck commented about how strange it was to see someone on the podium looking joyous to be there, after years of Prost/Senna/Piquet/Mansell sulking and whining. I was a big fan of Shumacher at first, but changed my mind pretty quickly. I hope Lando Norris/Charles Leclerc/George Russell can avoid that.
Jessica Ennis.
Yer not having Stuart Broad - ok he has grown up a bit now but some really unpleasant behaviour in the past real total git territory
Most of the top hill / fell runners I've met have been nice people. Nicky Spinks, Jasmine Paris, Findlay Wild all seemed really sound. In fact the whole scene is pretty mellow.
Liam Phillips, great ambassador for BMX always will to give time to little rippers at the tracks he turned up at.
The Syndicate crew, met them all before Greg's talk in Buxton last year and they were ace with my star struck son.
Andrew Strauss continues to be an impressive human after retiring from cricket.
And I have a lot of time for Carl Froch, boxing doesn't tend to produce a lot of likeable characters for good reason, Carl's always kept the arrogance required to be a top flight boxer in check IMHO.
Damon Hill, comes across as a decent chap.
Des Walker was always brilliant when I met him as his paperboy 🙂
I'm going to stop there as this list could just keep growing...
Ben Stokes.
I present to you Mister Christopher Boardman.
Ben Stokes. - are you being serious? Temper like a volcano and literally kicked a man on the ground many times
Yer not having Stuart Broad – ok he has grown up a bit now but some really unpleasant behaviour in the past real total git territory
He's had some on pitch dickishness, but even the great Jimmy has done that. Seems to come with the fast bowling territory.
Both of them seem able to turn it off when they step off the pitch though. What have I missed from Broad's past?
To the good guys, I’ll add Barry McGuigan
Chris Hoy was once the emeny of the people! Been wracking my brains to recall what it was, all I can remember is ‘shopping a photo of him for this forum when it happened! Anyone recall what vile deed he did??
Moeen Ali, I admit I do have a bit of a man crush on him
Both of them seem able to turn it off when they step off the pitch though. What have I missed from Broad’s past?
Bullying in the changing room - 5 ish years ago? He was part of a clique that basically bullied new folk into the team and made it a very unwelcoming place
If we're talking man crushes @Houns then I can't leave the page without mentioning Chris Woakes. Lovely fella too.
Valentino Rossi, cool as
Ben Stokes. – are you being serious?
Not really no. Although I'd rather have him on my side!!
I was out once in Leicester years ago and saw a few Tigers players out on the lash. Richard Cockerill look like he'd be fun to go out for a few beers with.
May have been this Dez
No, not that. Gonna find the pic for a clue.
I hate Valentino Rossi! Nobody is allowed to be that bloody happy! 😉
Depends how you define "good guys"
Never really liked Rashford, but what he has done with the platform afforded to him in making sure children from poor families are properly fed is so far magnificent. He has remembered his roots, the struggles his family had before he made it and tried to do something about it.
As Sterling has pointed out, it can be really difficult for good guys to be recognised when the media sell advertising by creating caricatures for the public to lap up, rather than reality. Who knew about Rashfords work, he had been getting on with it quietly for quite a while, it was really Government stupidity that made it news (not that that should take away anything from rashford).
Then you have the likes of David Silva, great talent, quiet unassuming family man with apparently little ego, seems to be loved by everybody. Doesn't seem to have harmed anyone, but also doesn't seem to have gone out of his way to do anything other than play football, he could do loads of stuff but he doesn't publicise it so we don't know.
Marcus Radford. If I was his age with his talent and money I'd be a right idiot. Whereas he's taking on the government and feeding the needy. Knighthood incoming.
I’ll add Jade Jones and Bianca Walden - both have been wonderful with our kids
I hate Valentino Rossi! Nobody is allowed to be that bloody happy!
Thats my point - folk like Rossi or Hoy have to be hated for being too perfect. someone like Broad I can look down my nose at and think - "well at least I am not that level of git" or Carter - "at least I am not terminally dull!"
Robby Naish.
Tony Hawk.
Definitely Rashford for his work this summer . Also Raheem Stirling for the way he has stood up to sections of the press and called out racist reporting .
He was part of a clique that basically bullied new folk into the team and made it a very unwelcoming place
So was Anderson and you nominated him.
Listened to Louis Theroux podcast last week, Troy Deeney came across very well, not what I was expecting at all.
Paul Gascoigne. Has done some pretty shameful things under the influence, allegedly, but just seems the nicest of guys.
Recall a story of Ally McCoists of him getting a letter from a young lad from stateside who had leukaemia, McCoist claimed it was a begging letter from someone at it, Gazza drove from Glasgow in his training gear to the NE and have the boys family 5 grand towards their treatment costs.
Graeme Obree is a pretty amazing fella, met him a few times, won't hear a bad word against him.