Jerry Maguire is one of my favourite films. Being in sales myself I guess that I identify with the main character of the same name as the title. For those who haven’t seen it I’d describe the movie as a good insight in to the ups and downs of a sales professional. Maguire, himself, is a sports agent. I love the film for it’s humour and honest depiction of how those who appear super confident use a front to transmit a self-assuredness as well as how those in sales can go from hero to zero in a single moment. Very much like sports people in that respect – one minute they can be on top of their game and the next they consider themselves as a ‘Cautionary Tale’.
For those who might think that you’ve accidentally logged on to a film review site – fear not. There are many parallels between our very own Marko Aranautovic, and his brother, to some characters in Jerry Maguire. Cuba Gooding’s character, Rod Tidwell, coins the phrase “Show me the money” during a phone conversation with Jerry Maguire in which he ends up confirming that he is going to remain Jerry’s client when all his others are leaving him to sign with the firm that have just fired Maguire. In fact “Show me the money,” and “You had me at hello,” have become two of hollywood’s best known film lines since the picture’s release.
Maguire is later described by Tidwell as “hanging on by a very thin thread.” Recent comments to the press about West Ham paying peanuts could be seen in the same light. Earlier in the same scene Maguire encourages Tidwell to “get back to the guy who first started playing this game,” before continuing “remember – way back when, when you were a kid, it wasn’t just about the money was it? – was it?” I don’t think there’s much doubt about Marko’s reasons for wanting to go to China and it doesn’t have anything to do with achieving things in the game or playing for the joy of it.
Another interesting dynamic of Tidwell’s situation during the film is that he is exposed to a high risk of losing his livelihood if he gets injured before the end of the season. Admittedly this is a risk that is driving MA to making his ‘big money’ move. He appears to have been playing while carrying an injury in recent weeks anyway. Who is to say that our striker won’t break down at some point before the end of this season. At the end of Jerry Maguire Tidwell gets his life changing contract. It’s my guess that MA will get his however the difference, in Arnautovic’s case, is that he’d be off to a, comparatively, uncompetitive league to achieve his ‘earner’.
Other parallels exist. Tidwell is a moody, uncompromising player who proves challenging to his head coach. He’s also trying to secure his family’s financial security by signing a money-spinning deal. Two dynamics that exist, or, at least, have existed, during Arnie’s time at West Ham.
The plot of the movie centres around a ‘mission statement’ that Maguire shares with all of his colleagues at his sports agency company. In this document an ethical approach to ‘the future of our business’ is mapped out and a ‘less is more’, sustainable, MO should be adopted by agents. For me the current business practices of many player’s agents is unsustainable and the millions that end up in the pockets of those agents simply can’t continue. On this occasion, however, it looks like the agent will get his way and we’ll lose our player to a league where once great players go for their final pay off.
All boiled down none of us want another Payet situation. It’s hard to believe that Marko’s brother is his ‘Ambassador of Kwan’. I guess you have to respect that Marko can earn far more money, in China, than West Ham are currently able to pay . Best the owners get as much out of the deal as possible and re-invest in a good, new striker. Let’s hope it ends up working in our favour.
COYI! West Ham 4 The Cup!