Cathal Dervan, Editor
Jerry Maguire turns 40 later this year. Hard to believe that one of the most iconic sporting movies was released four decades ago as it opened the public’s eyes to the world of sports agents and their fragile relationships with their clients through the good times and the bad.
It was of its time of course and it was pretty brilliant to be fair, matching as it did the harsh realities of professional sport in one of the cruellest arenas of all, the NFL, with the romance between Tom Cruise and Renee Zellweger, aka Jerry and Dorothy Boyd.
Made on a budget of $50million, long repaid by box office takings of over $273million, It was also factual and well written, on both sides of the story.
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New beginnings
There’s not a sports agent alive since then who hasn’t had the ‘show me the money’ line thrown at them at least once in their relationship with any client, signed or secured.
Nor is there an agent out there who hasn’t been led up the garden path like Jerry was with the family of Frank Cushman or found loyalty for life as Jerry did, eventually, with Rod Tidwell. And Rod’s eventual fairytale success does indeed show them all the money.
The Jerry Maguire story is as relevant today as it was back in 1996. And it should be on the ‘must watch’ list at every academy in Ireland now that we are a nation overdosing on producing players via a ‘one size fits all’ system for clubs - and for our best young talent by default.
Young players and their families can learn from Jerry Maguire. So can anyone thinking of a career in the sports industry. And so can we, as members of the Irish media.
In the past week, I have seen glowing praise heaped on the shoulders of Jack Moylan, Troy Parrott, Jacob Devaney and Rory Finneran to name just four - none of whom, of course, were born when Jerry Maguire was filling cinemas.
Jack and Troy are home produced, Jack more so than Troy given that he found his feet in the League of Ireland. Jacob and Rory, like so many of our recent recruits, are products of the English academy system.
All are young players at the crossroads of their football careers so how we refer to them, how we regard them, is important.
Troy is the most successful of the four as of now with his transfer value already at half the Jerry Maguire budget. But Troy is still learning the game and still has to prove himself in La Liga which is exactly why we should pay no heed to some of the negative Spanish reviews of his 57 minute full debut in the 5-2 defeat for Real Betis at Levante on Saturday.
Jack Moylan fared better the same day, scoring with a well finished strike after two minutes in the 2-2 home draw with Sheffield United. That goal saw him compared to Wayne Rooney in some quarters but again, the comparisons need to be taken with a pinch of salt. After his unusual route to professional football in the UK, Jack will know that better than anyone.
Troy is there or thereabouts in football terms and his career is definitely there in terms of setting him up for life. He is to be congratulated on that after being brave enough to reinvent himself in Holland.
Jack is getting there and is to be congratulated for the sheer determination that has seen him progress from Tolka Park to Ireland caps and the Championship.
Rory Finneran, on loan at Notts County from Newcastle, and Jacob Devaney, on loan at Hibs from Manchester United, are still in the development stages of their careers. They haven’t made it yet - they are showing positive signs - so we need to be careful with branding them as the great young hopes of Irish football before they have delivered at the highest levels or earned the right to deliver at the top of the game.
As a viewing of Jerry Maguire will prove, anything can happen in professional sport so let’s take it easy with the superlatives. The fairytale end isn’t always guaranteed.
AROUND THE HEADLINES
The transfers to watch before window closes - BBC Sport
Reynolds praises ‘top class’ Devoy as Bohs make it back-to-back wins - extratime.com
Stephen Bradley: How people can question this group is beyond me - RTE Sport
FAI National League round-up: Former Paraguay international watches on as CK United defeat Newbridge Town - Irish Examiner
Footage emerges allegedly showing Waterford goalscorer being struck by St Patrick’s Athletic fan - Irish Mirror
In-form quartet win to snap at the heels of Coleraine - BBC Sport
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