World Cup Soccer

[spence]

Originally Posted by Surfcastinglife

zidane is a thug, glad he's gone for good

A thug? While his actions were certainly ugly it hardley makes one of the best an most respected players in the history of the game a thug.

Materazzi had been pinching his nipple the entire game, and it would look as if his attempts to distract were quite successful And Materazzi sold it pretty well!

Perhaps the Italian team can use their winnings to pay their upcomgin legal bills

-spence

[Bigcat]

Italy rules the soccer world

[Surfcastinglife]

Originally Posted by spence

A thug? While his actions were certainly ugly it hardley makes one of the best an most respected players in the history of the game a thug.

Materazzi had been pinching his nipple the entire game, and it would look as if his attempts to distract were quite successful And Materazzi sold it pretty well!

Perhaps the Italian team can use their winnings to pay their upcomgin legal bills

-spence

ok then, let's go back in time to 98 when he was suspended for 2 games for stomping on a saudi player, or the countless times he's pulled stunts like this at real and juventus he is a thug, no less of a thug then bertuzzi is or mcsorley. good riddance to him

[spence]

Thug?

GOLDEN BALL



-spence

[Vermonter]

I dont see him as a thug, simply an idiot. He's been a targeted player for years, that happens when 3 times in your career your picked as the best player on the planet for a given year. But he should have learned years ago to put up with the extra little holds the great players get when the refs arent looking, and more importantly in light of yesterday, he should have long ago learned to tune out any verbal insults designed to get under his skin. I dont care what the italian defender said to him, his team needed him in a final, even more than normally once Thierry went off with cramps.

[spence]

On that I'd agree

Rumor has it he called him a "dirty terrorist"

-spence

[Vermonter]

Originally Posted by spence

On that I'd agree

Rumor has it he called him a "dirty terrorist"

-spence

Yeah thats ESPN sportscenter was surmising tonight also. I have trouble believing that this is the first time an opponent or fan has taunted him for being a terrorist, given the passion/hysteria soccer causes in Europe. Given his background/ethnicity, I'd say he's heard similar taunts before.

[Clogston29]

Whatever the insult or actions the Italians and Materazzi in particular used they got the reaction that they wanted (Materazzi claims that he made a comment about Zindane's wife and that he does not even know what a terrorist is). If Zidane had it to do over I'm sure he would have waited until after the game and then laid Materazzi out and flipped off the FIFA brass on the way off the field but he reacted to the moment. To play at that level (he may very well be the best player to come along in several generations) requires so much intensity and a personality that is a little off (look a Maradon - he's wacked). Just look at some of the greatest players ever and alot of them were always right on the edge of control. My favorite player, Eric Cantona, drop kicked a fan for a racial insult as an extreme example. Zidane is not a thug. He's an emotional player who got pushed over the edge. Razor Neil Ruddock is an example of a thug, and and entertaining one at that.