Champion branded Sartre a drunk (8-6)

I believe the answer is:

standard-bearer

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'champion' is the definition.
The definition and answer can be both people as well as being singular nouns.
Perhaps you can see an association between them that I don't see?

'branded sartre a drunk' is the wordplay.
'drunk' is an anagram indicator.
'branded'+'sartre'+'a'='brandedsartrea'
'brandedsartrea' anagrammed gives 'STANDARD-BEARER'.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for standard-bearer that I've seen before include "Leading figure in a cause" , "Leading figure in a movement" , "Leader of a cause" , "Flag-carrying soldier" .)

I've seen this clue in The Guardian.

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