Gazza’s Cry for Help

By: salvatore | February 21st, 2008

Gazza

Have you ever wondered why certain people seem hell-bent on self-destruction? Why true talents can’t quite get their heads in the right place? Are they, like Antonio Cassano, products of difficult circumstance and background? The type of people who need the right sort of environment, luck and support to avoid disaster.

Or is it simply a matter of being crazy? Flames that burn brightly, but ultimately destroy every bridge they cross before finally hurting themselves. As a fan of calcio, music and movies, I always seem to be drawn in by these sorts of people, the types that push the extremes, show their faults to the world, and walk that oft-quoted line between genius and insanity. One of these people is Paul “Gazza” Gascoigne.

Every Lazio fan of a certain age has fond recollections of Gazza, even if his time at the club was anything but a triumph. Let’s see, two serious injuries, 39 league appearances over two years, 6 goals scored and at least one televised belch that saw him fined 9 thousand pounds.

The thing is, Gazza’s appeal stretched further than mere numbers, as when he was healthy, he was a player capable of displaying sheer genius, complete emotional investment in the colors he wore, and his body weight in heart. Oh, and he was funny as hell too.

On the night he first arrived in Rome, Lazio assigned someone to check up on Gazza, make sure he had everything, and generally see that he didn’t get into too much trouble. What did Gazza do? He decided to get away from the man by putting his shoes near an open window and then hiding. The poor bastard assigned to be Gazza’s shadow took one look at this, and thought Lazio’s newest star had committed suicide.

It’s stories like that, (and goals like the one below vs Pescara) that make it very sad to hear news reports like the one issued today.

If you haven’t heard it already, Gascoigne was arrested under a law in England‘s Mental Health Act, which basically states that if you’re acting like a psychopath, they can detain you for up to 72 hours until you are examined by a doctor and treated.

What caused all this is still unclear, but apparently he’d been quietly recuperating from surgery at a hotel in Newcastle when he suddenly snapped, and started “behaving in a disorderly manner towards other guests.”

If I was naturally cynical, I would tell you that all this is just another sad example of Gazza’s wasted life, a downward spiral filled with alcohol and substance abuse problems. But I don’t think I am, and whether or not it makes me an idealist or a naive romantic, I still hope the best for these self-destructive talented types. I still admire those bright flames, and I don’t like seeing them extinguished.

His family has come out and said that this latest incident is a “cry for help”. For the Gazza who once scored an 89th minute tying goal against Merda, and then ran around with tears of joy in his eyes, I hope he gets it.

The beauty against Pescara: