<p>haha…that was funny</p>
<p>FIFA had banned racism by the players, coaches, officials, etc. They were gonna ban it for the fans as well but they didn’t because they predicted that fans might use the situation to their advantage (i.e. get the other team in trouble). If Materazzi did use a racist slur, I think it would present a very difficult situation for FIFA, given the huge “NO RACISM” campaign. </p>
<p>The idea that “players get a lot of racist remarks, especially on the French team” so Zidane need to just “deal with it” is atrocious. It’s like saying many wrongs excuse this wrong…I don’t know where people get this idea. It’s as if I were to say “Wow! A guy’s wife and kids just got shot in Iraq for no reason and he went off and killed the US soldier who did that!” And you responding, “Well, that happens all the time in Iraq. He should’ve just taken it. I mean, why aren’t the Iraqi’s used to it by now, anyway?”</p>
<p>Furthermore, I agree with the analysis on a lot of sport websites - and also analysis by BOTH coaches, of BOTH the French and the Italian teams, so don’t accuse me of bias here - that the Fourth and Fifth officials both consulted the video replay before telling the referee, who then issued the red card. No one actually saw it - the Italian referee is quoted to have said (search this on NY times or ESPN) that he saw the fourth and fifth officials watch the video replay before speaking w/ ref - and so FIFA officials relied on the video replay to issue the red card. That’s a really bad double standard because they absolutely refuse to use video replays, even in major situations (one guy in a final match of a previous WC get knocked out into a coma, but nobody got any card at all b/c the ref didn’t see it? - don’t have the specifics on this, but it did happen and I think it did involve France) that can prove decisive to the entire game or severely injure a player. Thus, according to the sports commentators, if FIFA didn’t break their own rules, Zidane wouldn’t have gotten anything during the match, and after the game, if the officials watched the video replays, he would’ve been suspended for several matches on the basis of the video, but that wouldn’t have mattered as he’s already retiring…</p>
<p>Thus they thought he did it when he knew nobody (that mattered) was looking and so wouldn’t incur a penalty that would affect him. Now, that’s bad, and merits punsihment, but that punishment needs to take into account the verbal (no doubt highly-inflammatory, if not racist) remarks that themselves could merit disciplinary action, and needs to follow FIFA rules. </p>
<p>I agree that the headbutt was really bad and merited disciplinarly action. I also agree however that professional soccer is a very dirty game (hence, why the Italians won, they know how to take advantage of the system in faking fouls and such) and that similar actions happen all the time, w/ some of the players doing exactly what Zidane did, fouling someone when they thought nobody would see. It’s also dirty verbally. </p>
<p>So I just think Zidane highlights the regular failure of the system in dealing with physical and verbal abuse. Maybe he should be villified, but no more than any other player on the pitch and no more than the FIFA officials and no more than FIFA itself, which passively allows this to happen through its inane rules.</p>
<p>I mean, lots of people now forget that Maradona infamously used pot and cocaine regularly and was kicked out of a major tournament (a WC) for doping. That is no doubt as bad as this situation, if not worse.</p>
<p><a href=“http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/writers/dr_z/07/10/zidane/?cnn=yes[/url]”>http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/writers/dr_z/07/10/zidane/?cnn=yes</a></p>
<p>good article…I think thats how pretty much everyone feels</p>
<p>what a pile of steaming stuff all those lead up commercials on US TV about racism and covering every hooligan. The real steaming was on the turf.</p>
<p>How bitterly ironic for FIFA that a tournament dedicated to anti-racism ends this way. Somebody find me a picture of the Italians standing behind that Say No To Racism banner so we can all collectively spit on it.</p>
<p>If my sources are right, then what Zidane had to put up with was inhumane. </p>
<p>1) Insult to his heritage
2) Insult to his religion
3) Death wishes upon his family (including his ailing mother)
4) Insult to his sister
5) Insult to a beloved coach who had recently passed away</p>
<p>We don’t condone outrageous physical violence in sports, so why should extremely prejudiced and personal verbal abuse be tolerated? Are we fooling ourselves into thinking that only “sticks and stones” hurt, and not words? If you harass a black or Jewish or Asian person on the street, you’re likely to get arrested for hate crimes or something. But do it in the World Cup and you’ll get rewarded with a red card against your opponent!</p>