Wednesday 1 September 2010

BBC remembers Hurricane Higgins

Paying tribute to a legend is the most difficult assignment a journalist can ever be given.

It is one of the rare moments when a writer can clammer up, and worry about whether their words are great enough for the person they're describing.

Alex Higgins was such an iconic figure within snooker that as people pen his tributes, they wonder if they really are doing this great man justice.

A writer can only write about what he knows, or what he has seen.

The danger in this is that not everyone remembered Higgins in the same way, and you only have a set number of words or minutes to capture this all.

In essence, this job of paying tribute to Higgins is a greater task than that for just one man.

While Clive Everton penned one of the most moving obituaries I've ever read in the Observer newspaper, the only way of really remembering Higgins and all the different sides to his character, is to ask people to tell their own stories about him.

And this is exactly what the BBC did in their documentary, Alex Higgins: The People's Champion.

The result was a perfectly fitting tribute to one of snooker's greatest greats.

There was no shortage of emotion. This tale definitely pulled at the heart strings, but also showcased some of his greatest moments on the baize, with his wonderful talents there for all to see.

And for all his shortcomings, you cannot deny his legendary status within the game.

Even some of Higgins' fiercest rivals could find nothing but heart-warming words about what he did for snooker.

From a tired old professional sport, Higgins took snooker on a journey from the doldrums, and left it somewhere close to Hollywood.

His exploits on the colour television show Pot Black were massive, but his effects on the sport itself even greater, as he transformed the way it was both played and watched.

This BBC show mapped his rise, celebrated the height of his success in the 1982 World Championships, but maybe most importantly, didn't gloss over his dramatic fall.

Alex had many dark days in snooker. No-one is denying that. Both on and off the table, he faced troubles.

The documentary didn't try to mask that. That's what made this reportage so frank, and therefore compelling.

It was honest, and to the point, just like Higgins himself. Its assessment was full, sometimes even damning.

You could come away from this show knowing exactly what made him great, what stopped him achieving more, but more importantly what made him different, and what made him Alex Higgins.

The game gave him plenty, but he gave the game more.

Inside just 60 minutes of intriguing coverage, Higgins was given the kind of considered report, his vast talent and dedication to the sport deserved.

Hurricane, R.I.P.

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