Do you have any sympathy for George Best?

BigEejit · 28-10-2005 12:10am

I voted saying I have no sympathy for him ... but that is only if his current problems are drink related ... and I am not positive they are, I have heard that he had many things wrong with him (internal bleeding being the most serious) but is this all down to his new liver falling to bits because of drink???

FX Meister · 28-10-2005 12:15am

No sympathy really. He got a second chance and literally pissed it away. I do agree to some degree that it is a disease. I had an ex who's father was an alco and he regularly had to take time off from work because of his addiction and he was covered by doctors certs. It's easy to see what an alco does as just selfish behaviour.

Rb · 28-10-2005 12:15am

Stekelly wrote:

To all the people who say thay have no sympathy and he brought it on himself etc etc, do you or anyone close to you smoke? If so if your father/mother/brother/sister etc got cancer, would you have any sympathy for them or when they announce it would you say "ahh sure thats you own fault, stop whinging"? Whats the difference.
.

If they got lung cancer and then got a transplant and continued to smoke, yes I would say "its your own fault, you should of learnt the first time".

Canis Lupus · 28-10-2005 12:15am

Necromomicon wrote:

Yeah, alcohol addiction is a disease. Have you ever had an addiction? I'm guessing not by the ignorant tone of your posts. You speak as if someone can just click their fingers and be over it.
Secondly, the man is a legend. You may not have any interest in soccer, or even sport for that matter, but George Best is a sport legend and always will be. I'm not saying that should earn him extra sympathy, but you seem angry that the man has a huge fan-base. Grow up.

As for my own opinion, I was pretty disappointed when he went back on the drink after his liver transplant, and I understand where people are coming from when they talk about his apparent disregard for life, but the man is a human being. Celebraties aren't invulnerable, they are just as prone to error as the rest of us. I think any person who struggles all their life with any kind of addiction, be it alcohol, smoking, whatever, deserves sympathy.
And if you can't feel sympathy for Best, at least spare a thought for his family before you go off on a rant about how he brought it on himself.

Hows about people stop making excuses for the fact he couldn't stay out of the pub. I have little respect for alcoholics. Even less for those who are in the public eye and even less for alcoholics who drink themselves through 2 livers.

BigEejit · 28-10-2005 12:18am

Stekelly wrote:

To all the people who say thay have no sympathy and he brought it on himself etc etc, do you or anyone close to you smoke? If so if your father/mother/brother/sister etc got cancer, would you have any sympathy for them or when they announce it would you say "ahh sure thats you own fault, stop whinging"? Whats the difference.

But in Georges case he got a new liver .... if someone got cancer from smoking and got a new heart/lungs etc and then went off and smoked again until they got lung cancer again would you still feel the same ... and stop personalising it saying "your father/mother/brother/sister" ... that is not the case here (hands up any of George Bests family on Boards.ie... no-one? .. no-one)

I'm sure people with an alcoholic in the family or among the people they know will be able to see that its not a deliberate thing, its a disease at worst, an addiction at best.

I'm sure people with an alcoholic in the family will try ot help their family member to give the damn stuff up. Diseases come from outside the body, addictions from inside, if I gave up fags after 20+ years smoking with no real incentive i cant see why he cant give up drink with the incentive that if he continues he will die.

nesf · 28-10-2005 12:31am

BigEejit wrote:

Diseases come from outside the body, addictions from inside, if I gave up fags after 20+ years smoking with no real incentive i cant see why he cant give up drink with the incentive that if he continues he will die.

What you have gone through is not a guide that everyone else can follow. We're not all dealt the same hand and for some their addictions (in this case) might be an awful lot stronger than your's was.

Fags, as bad as they are, don't effect your mind anywhere near as much as alcohol does. You know this.

Guy:Incognito · 28-10-2005 1:03am

BigEejit wrote:

But in Georges case he got a new liver .... if someone got cancer from smoking and got a new heart/lungs etc and then went off and smoked again until they got lung cancer again would you still feel the same ... and stop personalising it saying "your father/mother/brother/sister" ... that is not the case here (hands up any of George Bests family on Boards.ie... no-one? .. no-one).

So if you smoke your way to cancer once its ok, but if you do it again, its your own fault? Surely its the same, because you knew the danger the first time but chose to ignore it.

Paddy20 · 28-10-2005 1:34am

George Best has my sympathy, even though 'he' did not ask for it. He is a confirmed alcoholic, and alcoholism is an 'incurable' killer disease which effects the mind, spirit and body.

IMHO he is/was a football genius. It is acknowledged by many alcoholics, that in order for someone to become an alcoholic. They must first 'want to self destruct' and I am sure George is only too aware of this.

Without going into detail, I believe he knows all about physical, mental and spiritual suffering, and I truly wish those who do not sympathise with him, could be given the grace of true understanding of the human condition.

His fate is in the hands of a higher power, and should he pass away.

May he rest in peace.

P.

Jimi-Spandex · 28-10-2005 3:06am

I have sympathy for him.

The man is a footballing legend.

Besides the point, his self destruction has been the result of alcoholism. It is easy for someone who has not carried the burden of addiction to sit there and judge him for what he has done. I'm not saying that there's no element of personal responsibility in this and it is a shame that he hasn't been able to quit booze despite numerous attempts.

And just because he has brought this on himself doesn't mean that you can't feel sympathy for him.

Cabaal · 28-10-2005 8:01am

rb_ie wrote:

no I don't have any sympathy for him tbh, he brought it on himself and is now paying the price.

he deserves everything he gets for the way his treated his body

Silverfish · 28-10-2005 8:13am

Not a bit of sympathy. I pity him, but I do not feel sorry for him.

I lost a close family member to leukaemia, she didn't bring it on herself. She had to wait for a transplant, and spent 19 months taking care of her diet, giving up all the food she liked because it would increase her chances of recovery, taking all her medication, and not complaining. She had to give up everything she liked - but did it.
She was in no way responsible for what happened, she did everything she could to prevent it.

George Best was given a liver, and did everything he could to ruin it. He doesn't appreciate life, in my opinion.

If someone bought me a car, and I crashed it, and bought me a second one, and I crashed that, should they feel sorry for me? Don't think so.

Guy:Incognito · 28-10-2005 9:08am

BBC wrote:

.The ex-Manchester United and Northern Ireland star was admitted to Cromwell Hospital in London four weeks ago, suffering flu-like symptoms.

Best, who had a liver transplant in 2002, remains unconscious.

'Nasty complication'

Professor Williams said on Thursday evening: "His condition is stable but he does have a particularly nasty complication with bleeding from his bowel

"It is a complication that we don't fully understand, we don't know why this is happening and have, this afternoon, changed all of his antibiotics to try to get on top of it."

He said microbiologists had confirmed that the infection was not linked to MRSA and added: "I can't say how serious the infection is and the bleeding comes and goes

He said the problems were not directly linked to Best's replacement liver, which was functioning well.

But he has previously said Best is more susceptible to illness due to medication to suppress the immune system and prevent his body rejecting the liver.

There you are folks. He wasnt out getting locked.

The fact that he's been in hospital and (you would presume) away from alcohol for 4 weeks means it is not really related to drinking. Anyone can get an infection, especially someone that has gone through transplants and the like.

28-10-2005 9:16am

I like the way he drank his way through one liver.

Then proceeded to go back on the batter when he got a new one.

If I knew I was dying I would sign something saying
"Give this liver to anyone but George Best"

joejoem · 28-10-2005 9:17am

I feel sorry for him, just because its sad and its a waste.

28-10-2005 9:19am

Stekelly wrote:

There you are folks. He wasnt out getting locked.

The fact that he's been in hospital and (you would presume) away from alcohol for 4 weeks means it is not really related to drinking. Anyone can get an infection, especially someone that has gone through transplants and the like.

You are kidding yourself if you think it has nothing to do with alcohol.

That is a very expensive private doctor talking in that peice. He is going to say the sky is green for the money he is getting off of george best.

Sposs · 28-10-2005 10:30am

Im sure the family who donated the Liver to Best are delighted that the death of a member of their family helped an alcoholic to drink for a few years longer.

Dimitri · 28-10-2005 10:45am

By no means am i an expert on additction but i'm led to believe for an alcoholic to quit they must hit rock bottom. How can a man who lived for applause like Best did, hit rock bottom when no matter how badly he behaves he still gets the attention and worship(and livers) he craves?

Canis Lupus · 28-10-2005 11:14am

Dimitri wrote:

(and livers) he craves?

lol... Like that guy from the early days of the xfiles who could crawl through tiny spaces.

CombatCow · 28-10-2005 11:24am

Sposs wrote:

Im sure the family who donated the Liver to Best are delighted that the death of a member of their family helped an alcoholic to drink for a few years longer.

Very true.

I think the liver should have been given to a more deserving person with some resepect for life.Iv no sympathy

*good topic, pighead

CC

scuba steve · 28-10-2005 2:51pm

i have sympathy but if the doctors told him one more drink could kill him, then wtf was he doing drinking again lik?

rugbug86 · 28-10-2005 4:32pm

i do, it wasn't alcohol related this time. he caught a bug cos of the anti rejection drugs he was taking after his transplant, and that bug has turned into what seems like MRSA.

Plankmonkey · 28-10-2005 4:43pm

Long live Bestie!! The man is a legend and his life long battle with alcohol addiction is a very sad story imo. The man deserves respect and he deserves sympathy. Livers go to alcoholics all the time, if you have a problem with that do not donate your liver. Best has done very well after the transplant and has tried very hard to kick the habit. This is a complication common to all liver transplant patients, whether they be alcoholics or not, it's not brought on by his drinking after the transplant.

Sposs · 28-10-2005 4:48pm

Plankmonkey wrote:

. Livers go to alcoholics all the time, if you have a problem with that do not donate your liver.

Stop talking crap your not suppose to Drink up to five years before you get a liver ,most people get thrown off the waiting list if the hospital supects even one drink.

Most people donate to give someone the chance to extend their lives not for some dipso to get pissed and beat his wife around.

George Best didnt even have the balls to meet the family that donated him the liver.

Royale with Cheese · 28-10-2005 4:52pm

Personally I've got no sympathy for the man, but would anybody have any sympathy for him if he wasn't a footballing legend and was just another drunk? I suspect not.

Red Alert · 28-10-2005 5:02pm

i'd still donate any bits of me that anyone could do with; obviously i'd prefer an alcoholic to get my liver or a smoker to get my lungs rather than have them unused at all.

george best however has acted in the most selfish way i ever saw anyone do. my grandfather died in his 80's, and smoked all his life until he got heart trouble the year before he died. he gave up in a week, don't ask me how, even though he knew well he was too old for a new heart. i admire him for doing it anyway, whereas best and his publican-cronies who seemed to take delight in serving him just throw that type of goodwill back in people's faces.

he seemed to not want to give up the drink at all, and as such deserves no sympathy at all. he's no example to anyone young or old.

Nala · 28-10-2005 6:59pm

I have no sympathy for the man whatsoever.
Someone else probably died so he could have a new liver.
And what does he do? He destroys it.
There's thousands of people who have lost someone dear to them because a liver transplant could not be found in time. And they have to listen to people going on about what a "legend" good ol' Bestie is, and how awful it is that he is probably dying. The man brought it on himself. He could have got the best treatment money can buy, but what did he do?
He ruined it. He got a transplant simply because he is rich and famous. It makes me sick that he's referred to as a "legend".
What exactly has he contributed to society? He used to be a good footballer. Maybe a great footballer. Marvellous. He's hardly a Nobel Prize winner. He was given every chance and he blew it.
There are plenty of famous people who have overcome addictions.

I'm sorry, but it really annoys me that there's probably someone much more deserving of a transplant than that ungrateful ****e, that is dead now because he got special treatment, just because he is famous.

Dave! · 28-10-2005 7:16pm

I agree somewhat... He abused his life, and he was given another chance (which probably took away someone else's second chance), and then he did the same thing again.