Friday, May 21, 2010

Maradona good; Pele better; George Best

There has always been a debaucherous nature associated with athletes, but Georgie Best took it to the extreme. He was as famous for his three main vices (booze, women and gambling) as he was for his soccer. And this is someone who Pele once called "the greatest player in the world."

After making his name at Manchester United, Best left at the age of 27 and was never able to reclaim the same level of glory again. The man from Northern Ireland, known as the Fifth Beatle, continued to play the game, bouncing all around the globe, including a long stay in the United States playing in the NASL. His demons would come and go, but the stories were always there. Here are some of the more interesting tidbits of Best's life:

- Debuted at Manchester United at 17
- Was the 1968 European footballer of the year
- Opened two Manchester night clubs in the 1960s and eventually owned a bar in Hermosa
- Ran numerous clothing boutiques in Manchester
- Womanizing included relations with seven Miss Worlds
- Served three month prison sentence for drunk driving
- Allegedly involved in abusive relationships, with reports of him hitting a girlfriend and a waitress
- The husband of one of his mistresses put out a hit to have his legs broken
- Was once waived from his club for a famous drinking bender with the French Rugby Team
- Once stole money from a woman to continue a drinking session
- Stabbed by his wife


Best, not surprisingly, drank himself to death. /End scene.

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