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[Drygioni]

I think the Italian must have said something incredibly filthy to get him to do that. This man could have been insulting Zidane's family and what-not. It doesn't excuse what he did, but I have a feeling Zidane would be the kind of man who would defend his family's honour.

Just... not with physical violence next time?

OK Judy considering the Italian guys would not leave this girl I was with when I was there alone and they are probably drunk and very excited right now is my blonde-haired blue-eyed girlfriend going to have a problem?

*intake of breath*

I just worry because seriously, those guys are so persistent. They followed us around for like 20 minutes trying to get the girl I was hanging out with to go with them to their apartment. In the end i had to pretend to be her boyfriend.

so yeah. Italy is awesome.

and I am 90% kidding about worrying about this.

A girl I think is awesome went to Italy this evening! Stop scaring me!

[wombat]

So, you can butt someone so hard with just your head that it counts as physical violence?  I guess if you have spent years hitting a ball with it?

[Drygioni]

So, you can butt someone so hard with just your head that it counts as physical violence?  I guess if you have spent years hitting a ball with it?

Dude hit the guy so hard he swung off his feet! I think you underestimate how hard the human skull is. I have knocked people out with my head before without years of football.

[Mite]

Wombat, that was the hardest headbutt I'd ever seen. The Italian dude just crumpled. I really wanna know what words were exchanged there. You'd think that these guys would be desensitized to regular "Your sister is a prostitute" style trash talk.

Hooray for abc broadcasting the game! I'm borrowing a friend's tv (since I've been sick and bored for weeks now), and I finally got to see a game at home!

[Drygioni]

You'd think that these guys would be desensitized to regular "Your sister is a prostitute" style trash talk.

I've heard rumours Materazzi insulted Zidane's own kids. That is really fuck*ng low. It's just a rumour, but it doesn't seem unlikely; I don't think anything would more effective in incensing a man more than personal insults on his own children. Zidane seems so cool that I reckon only the most hurtful of jibes could set him off.

And interestingly:

Earlier in the competition he received a red card and a two-game suspension in a 4-0 win over Saudi Arabia for stomping on an opposing player for no apparent reason. Reports from people close to Zidane state that the Saudi player in question had provoked him verbally

- Wikipedia

I guess today wasn't unprecedented, then. It's just a shame that there will be some people who will remember him for his occasional temper rather than his awesome skills.

[theauthors]

You've missed the most important part of that wiki paragraph though!

...One such display occurred in a 2000/2001 Champions League match between Juventus Turin and Hamburger SV, in which Zidane headbutted Jochen Kientz; he received a red card for this action.

There was also precedent for STRAIGHT UP HEADBUTTING A GUY IN THE HEART

[Drygioni]

You've missed the most important part of that wiki paragraph though!
There was also precedent for STRAIGHT UP HEADBUTTING A GUY IN THE HEART

I'd make a joke about Zidane being a man who uses his head, but... too late.

[theinevitable]

dude I can imagine myself head-butting a man who had insulted my Personal Children.

like fo' real.

[CortJstr]

So, you can butt someone so hard with just your head that it counts as physical violence?  I guess if you have spent years hitting a ball with it?

If you do it right. If you headbutt somebody in on the top of their head or forehead it'll basically hurt both of the equally. But if you headbutt them in the bridge of the nose they'll just crumple.

[AlohaDawg]

This particular headbutt was to the solar plexus, which I can tell you is a very effective way to crumple someone temporarily.

There have been a few cases in recent years of kids hit in the chest with baseballs or softballs actually going into arrest and dying within minutes.

[Lister]

I did not make this.  But I found it amusing.  There are others about.

[KeithHernandez]

I just wanted to say that their are many factors here that no one has mentioned.

Zidane is a first generation Frenchmen from Algerian (Muslim) decent (He describes himself as a non-practicing Muslim).  After the last World Cup he won, he was referred to as an Algerian Frenchmen in the French press, which I understand to be a racial slur of sorts.  Also,  a politician in France had already said early in the Cup that the French team did not represent France, as 16 of the 23 members were non-Whites.  Add to this that the Spanish and Italian leagues are known for racism.  Like, when a black person is taking corners the crowd will make monkey noises and throw bananas at the player, for instance.  Also, Zidane has had previous episodes of violence on the pitch because of racial slurs. 

Pretty much, the Italian said something racist.  Well, probably.


Personally, I think it is a cool way to end a career if it was a racial slur.  I doubt he is too hot on France, especially because of how they treated him last time.  Plus, he already has won a World Cup, which is more reason to stand up for yourself, etc.  If it was a non-racist statement I guess he just lost his head.  I would literally bet all of my posessions on it being a racial slur though.

[slink]

If it was a non-racist statement I guess he just lost his head.  I would literally bet all of my posessions on it being a racial slur though.

I would by and large, although it's also true that he is a bit ego-driven, and was apparently furious at the French press saying he was useless and too old, and shouldn't have been picked. That and Gatusso was pwning him throughout that game, so it is also conceivable that Matarazzi said something along the lines of 'I know I grabbed your nipple there, buy boy do you suck like the easiest cheerleader tonight'.
Just a hunch.

[KeithHernandez]

According to the Sun (famous for Page 3 boobs, not news) Materazzi called him the "son of a terrorist whore."  According to Materazzi, " 'I did insult him, it’s true,' Materazzi said in Tuesday’s Gazzetta dello Sport. 'But I categorically did not call him a terrorist. I’m not cultured and I don’t even know what an Islamic terrorist is.' "

So there you go.  Obviously Materazzi is not going to say he said a racial slur, and the sun is not reliable.  I am sure Zidane will sell his story for loads of cash, then Materazzi will deny it.

Oh yeah, the SUn is using "lip reading experts" to determine what he said.  So whatever you make of that, I guess.


Edit:Here is that Sun article, if you want to read it:  http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2006310771,00.html


I ahve been thinking about it, and that is an awesomely lame excuse by Materazzi.

[AlohaDawg]

It was a classless move that possibly cost his team and country the World Cup. The other (also classless) guy wins because he got the reaction that may have led to Italy winning.

Not being able to keep your head when it's important, when the cost goes way beyond you, is a personal failure. Zidane's reaction was self-gratification through violence, common thuggery. He has a fairly long history of  thuggery (16 career red card sendoffs??) and he was very possibly played by the Italian. It's better it get decided on the field by superior play and if the Italian guy intended to get that kind of rise out of Zidane, he's a dick too. People need to act like adults and be about their business.