Janet Silvera, Staff Reporter- Norman Grindley
Fans show their love for 'Shorty' Malcolm.WESTERN BUREAU:
JAMAICANS ARE now wearing, unashamedly, their hearts on their sleeves. It is no secret that they have fallen passionately for the national football team in a way that is no mere infatuation. This is true love.
In between the overwhelming national display of grief with 'Shorty' Malcolm's death and the chanting at Ash Wednesday's World Cup qualifier against Trinidad and Tobago at the National Stadium of a crowd 35,000 strong, the love has shone through.
The Reggae Boyz have become Jamaica's idols.
The love is one with old roots, as the story of 94-year-old Edward Anderson will show you this week.
In this issue, we also ask the question: How much of this fame and fortune has gone to our national players' heads? Are they able to cope with the amorous attention of the public at home and abroad?
Tales of indiscipline are also heard.
"I am sure that will get to their heads. I know that fame has changed a lot of the players," said former National player Altimont Butler, who has played 69 times for the country and up until the team qualified for the World Cup.
Undeniably, several have made it into the news for the wrong reasons. Walter Boyd is said to have a problem with authority.
Coach Carl Brown's response to this was, "all of us have problems with authority, once something bothers Boyd, he speaks out. We have no angels in this squad."
Onandi Lowe is described as 'pompous and nuff'. "He has become very difficult to get an interview with nowadays as he has taken on a new sense of importance," said one sports journalist.
"If you see Lowe in camp when he is relaxed he is a totally different person. If you should get him into a school, the largest crowd will be the children. He is great with children," said Mr. Brown.
According to the coach, sometimes we tend to harp on the history of the players even after they have made changes in their lives.
Yet, with their fortunes drastically reversed their lovers and other temptations are coming out of the woodwork. The Boyz now appear larger than life and may be overestimating their strength.
Once they could not speak to the neighbourhood girls. Now they are driving nice cars and the girls cannot keep away. Who among their number can resist temptation's lure?
