Why the Greatest Ego in Sports Excites the American People
As sports fans in this era, we are witnessing the performance of many potential G.O.A.T.s. LeBron James, Tom Brady, Mike Trout, Tiger Woods, Novak Djokovic, and Cristiano Ronaldo. All make a super strong case to be considered the best to ever do it in their sport. All possess incredible work ethic, but none have the charisma and swagger of Cristiano Ronaldo. Cristiano Ronaldo is a total success story — a man who grew up in the slums and ascended to the top. The Portuguese soccer star has captivated the world for almost 20 years now, and he’s done it in more ways than just his performance on the field. Ronaldo’s unorthodox behavior captivates fans because he wears it like a badge of honor, wanting people to question his ways to garner attention for himself. This characteristic helps the soccer star translate incredibly well into a country where pop culture thrives, and people flock to those unconventional icons, such as Kanye West or Jennifer Lopez, even when soccer takes a backseat role behind football, basketball, and baseball. Despite being a phenomenal soccer player, Cristiano Ronaldo’s egotistical behavior on and off the field helps him translate well to the United State’s because of Americans’ attractiveness to such behavior in other people as they constantly yearn to be entertained.
While Cristiano Ronaldo might be Portuguese, he might as well be an American because of the way he lives, going directly against Portuguese culture. A western European country with Catholicism as its backbone, one can only imagine the level of intensity Portugal’s culture resembles. Fooling around isn’t exactly celebrated. Hofstede Insights, a culture consulting organization, gives us some insight on this so-called intensity when it comes to Uncertainty Avoidance, a category Portugal scores a 99 in. They claim countries like these “maintain rigid codes of belief and behavior and are intolerant of unorthodox behaviour and ideas” (Hofstede Insights). As I dig deeper, you’ll realize how Ronaldo directly goes against Portuguese culture through his behavior, as Portuguese values consist of modesty and formality (Cultural Atlas). A chain reaction takes place, as his pride ultimately leads to a possession of “bad boy” attitude, drawing Americans to him. While some may wonder why Portuguese people love him, it’s pretty simple: he’s the best soccer player in the world. He can do whatever he pleases, which brings me to why Ronaldo translates so well into the culture of the United States. The United States built itself off of unconventional behavior. I wouldn’t necessarily call Samuel Adams a conventional dude. As The First Echo puts it, “all America cares about is the here-and-now” (The First Echo). This naive approach creates a sense of unconventionality because what Americans see and hear presents itself as attractive, especially in popular culture. Ronaldo’s success paired with his behavior compels Americans to accept the behavior he presents.
Ronaldo’s main catalyst for his unorthodox behavior is his pride because it is the root of what drives such behavior. It is natural to be prideful when you are a decorated star like himself, but the extent to which his pride flows from his world-class, perfect physique appears far greater than what’s expected. Some would argue Ronaldo’s excessive pride would deter fans away, but I argue this makes Ronaldo attractive amongst the American population. In an article about Ronaldo’s ego, Ryan Bailey from Bleacher Report cites Ronaldo in a quote when asked about Portugal’s national team: “If we had two or three Cristiano Ronaldos in the team, I would feel more comfortable. But we don’t” (Bailey). Ronaldo’s pride stems from believing he is the best, something Americans thrive on. Americans love to boast about how they live in the best country with the best jobs, schools, government, etc. Not all Americans can get on board with someone so arrogant, but many find it attractive. His excessive pride directly counters the value of modesty in Portuguese culture, as his pride begins to drag him into such unorthodox behavior. Ronaldo’s pride fits very well into American culture because of the role such a trait plays in the foundation and everyday life of its citizens. Because of this pride, it has led to his own self-obsession, the catalyst of a domino effect that shapes the star’s persona.
While many view Ronaldo’s self-obsession as a negative, I believe it makes him fit perfectly into American culture because of the interest Americans take in those peoples’ lives. While Americans are quite prideful, they tend to not glorify themselves, but are quite entertained by those who do so, like Kanye West, the richest rapper in the world. Ronaldo’s professional career began at 16, and obviously took off from there, and he’s got a lot to celebrate, and he definitely does not hold back. Back in his home of Madeira, Ronaldo built himself his own museum, flashing his many accolades, including his own wax statue. Aside from boasting his on the field accolades, Ronaldo sure does love his appearance. In an interview with CBS back in 2011, Ronaldo claimed that he is “handsome” (CBS). Sure this may be a one small quote about how Ronaldo loves his appearance. But go check out the Instagram, homies. Ronaldo has his own underwear brand, CR7, and models all of the underwear. His gelled hair paired with his incredibly ripped body is all over his social media. But also tune into a game if you wanna that body chiseled from marble. After a goal, you can likely spot Ronaldo ripping his shirt off, running over to the fans to give off a nice little flex. Quite modest and formal, huh? This kind of behavior is something Americans, especially women, can jump right on because of the confidence such people present. Americans love people who see themselves as the best, because it allows the people to put their faith in the person because of their confidence. This “here-and-now” attitude Americans live in allows them to get so caught up in the moment and not realize the bigger implications of what this kind of harm these actions could do to himself and his career. Ronaldo’s self-obsession stemming from his pride centers all of his focus on himself, resulting in a “bad boy” mentality because he thinks he is above the rules.
Even though Ronaldo’s “bad boy” or “don’t care” attitude is a character trait many fans see as maybe his biggest flaw, I argue this helps him translate to America because the confidence derived from the self-obsession brings energy, a trait all Americans want to see in stars. Both on and off the field, Ronaldo can be seen as shrugging off the “correct” way to do things, garnering him a lot of attention because of the way he believes he is too good for the rules. Ronaldo’s mentality that he is the greatest player on the planet, stemming from his pride and self-obsession, leads him to believe he can do whatever he pleases. When watching Ronaldo’s games, he will simply walk on the field after a turnover, walk off the field without shaking hands, and desolate referees for calls he doesn’t care for, all of which neglect the value of formality in Portugal. Off the field, Ronaldo views himself as too good for society. In an article written by John Nicholson for Football365, he cites Ronaldo’s “unproven Las Vegas-based rape allegations” as well as his tax evasion, receiving a fine 15 million euros (Nicholson). This kind of behavior has no other explanation except for the fact that Ronaldo’s pride and self-obsession lead him to believe he is above everyone else, and simply just better than people and doesn’t need to conform to the rules because of who he is. Laura Jacobs writes in an article about Hollywood stars that “America has always loved its bad boys” (Jacobs). Why? She says it’s because he’s the one with the “energy” (Jacobs). The confidence generated by self-obsession is escalated to this energy in a “bad boy,” suggesting a sense of security that Americans value in others.
But is this a good thing? Is it a good thing for the youth, watching a star act in such an egotistical way? I argue the “bad boy” mentality is positive for the awareness of the sports culture, something that is so rich throughout the world. However, I argue it is quite negative for the youth because of the way they look up to such prominent figures, and this kind of attitude does not teach sportsmanship and even determination, a trait that radiates throughout the world in many situations, like the workplace. What happens when a kid learns from Ronaldo, his childhood hero, that it’s ok to throw a fit when something doesn’t go your way? It’s not gonna go over well with your boss one day when he tells you to restart a project. While this may be important, the energy and entertainment bad boys provide far usurp the traditional values at play. It’s the here-and-now, y’all. Ronaldo’s pride, self-obsession, and bad boy mentality all equate to a perfect translation into American culture because of the media attention it attracts, leading him to become incredibly popular.
If Ronaldo wasn’t such a legend in Portugal for his performance on the field, he would never fit in because Portugal doesn’t value a single thing he brings to the table in his behavior. However, he fits into the American culture because this unorthodox behavior attracts media attention and makes him grow popular through the thrill of what people might see next. In this day and age, the media loves wild things. You never see anything normal on the news anymore, but that’s why people watch and listen. Americans, living in the “here-and-now” love the media because it produces such attractive stories through this unconventional behavior from others, which entertains Americans. The media always wants to speak with Ronaldo, wondering what might come out of his mouth next. “There are people out there who hate me and who say I’m arrogant, vain, and whatever. That’s all part of my success. I am made to be the best” (Quote Catalog). This is confidence. This is why Americans will love Ronaldo. The swagger he brings to the table is so attractive and keeps people on the edge of their seat, wondering what is coming from him next. This characteristic of confidence circles back to the “here-and-now” attitude Americans thrive on. When someone presents themselves in such a confident manner, Americans quickly cling to it because it feels right.
In comparison, Marcus Rashford, an extremely similar player to Ronaldo, would not translate well into the United States because of his modesty and reserved personality. Rashford, a 24-year old forward for Manchester United, is one of the best in the sport right now. He, like Ronaldo, began playing professionally for Manchester United at just 18, and had a lot of success early on. However, he is quite humble when it comes to his accolades. Man U’s former manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, told BBC News that Rashford is “humble” and “a young man who embodies everything which this club stands for” (BBC). While many Americans might find this trait attractive, as do I, Rashford would not translate very well to America because he is so modest, and such behavior does not attract attention from fans. Even though Rashford’s behavior attracts more respectful people and he plays the right way, Ronaldo’s egotistical attitude attracts more attention and more fans because of the enjoyment people find in not knowing what crazy thing he’s going to do next. This behavior keeps the fans on their toes, something Americans love when it comes to pop culture.
To make this more clear, let’s take a look at an American example. Kobe Bryant and Tim Duncan are arguably two top ten players of all time in the history of the NBA. However, so much attention goes to Kobe, and very little goes to Duncan. Why? Kobe’s splashy behavior on the court — fancy dribbles, trash talking, chippiness, attitude towards his teammates — grabbed the attention of the American people because they enjoyed watching it, whereas Duncan thrived off of fundamentals and a very reserved attitude. Another prime example is Dennis Rodman. The hair, the piercings, number 91, skipping two Finals games to go to Vegas because he needed a “break.” Heck, the man goes to North Korea regularly now. Americans love this behavior. Ronaldo fits that, and that’s what makes him translate so well. He’s entertaining, confident, and energetic.
Cristiano Ronaldo is quite the character. The star receives praise by many media outlets as the world’s best athlete, but that’s not why he translates well to the United States. His ego builds on itself to create this dazzling attractiveness to the media and the American people because of how much they love such behavior. Ronaldo’s confidence that stems from his ego attracts attention as well because fans want to see him live up to his word, which, so far, he’s done a pretty solid job of doing. In the end, the biggest thing it comes down to is the entertainment factor. The American people, living in the “here-and-now,” yearn for entertainment, and it’s extremely easy for them to find it in someone so unconventional who believes he can more than most world leaders. Amongst the G.O.A.T.s in the world of sports, Cristiano Ronaldo is unlike any other, and it’s quite fun to watch him do what he does, both on and off the field.
Sources:
Portugal — Hofstede Insights (hofstede-insights.com)
America is a Cocky, Unruly Teenager (thefirstecho.com)
Soccer star explains jeers: I’m “rich, handsome” — CBS News
The Evolution of the Hollywood Bad Boy | Vanity Fair
The Evolution of the Hollywood Bad Boy | Vanity Fair
20+ Best Cristiano Ronaldo Quotes | Quote Catalog
Marcus Rashford: Child poverty may rise as universal credit top-up ends — BBC News
Portuguese Culture — Core Concepts — Cultural Atlas (sbs.com.au)
