Zizou, why, why, why??????!!!

[gardenista]

:cry:

Why did you go out like that, why did you mar a relatively sportsmanlike record and cap your legendary career like this?

Was it the pressure?

Did they give you waloo meds for your shoulder pain?

You didn't fall for a "yo-mamma" bait, did you?

What the hell would make you act like such an asshole at the pinacle of your triumphant rise toward winning your last World Cup?

Will we ever know?

Zidane, I still love you, but today I lost respect for you.

:cry:

[mark414]

1. i am still trying to figure that out

with that much on the line at that stage in the game...what on earth could materazzi have said that would've made him do that...???

[gardenista]

2. Just sitting here shaking my head.

My hub thinks it might have been the meds. Just eliminated some kind of filter in his head.

It doesn't matter, though. He deserved the red card.

[kryckis]

3. I read

somewhere about Italian media (?) speculating that it was about his children, in a sexual way.

That is also the only thing I can think of that would make Zidane loose his shit at that crucial point.

But I guess we will never know.

[gardenista]

4. well, if that was it, I guess that's the only thing I can think of, myself

still just shaking my head.

I do hope we find out.

[NewJeffCT]

5. I missed the game, but only saw the highlight once

I had heard Zidane got tossed & figured it was a controversial call... but, when I saw the replay, I was like WTF??? And, it was certainly a deserved red card.

[Ravenseye]

6. Yeah no real controversy

The only controversy is whether the refs saw it live, or whether they saw the replay in the stadium. It was a real "WTF" moment.

[gardenista]

9. Makes no difference. He deserved it.

We were watching with about 30 other people. Everyone went slack-jawed.

[Ravenseye]

10. Oh totally

I doubt there is ANYONE who watched that and didn't

a) Immediately know he'd get a red card
b) Say or do some version of "What the fuck?"

[Bassic]

37. I think it was quite clear that the ref didn't see it live.

The red card came quite a long moment after the incident, the ref relied either on what the Italians told him happen, or on the big-screen replay. Considering this is a sport that wont even allow replays to decide wether a goal was good or not, I find that annoying. The whole game was like that. The refs decisions were always slanted towars the interests of Italy.

[gardenista]

8. No controversy at all. He deserved it. That's the sad part.

Shit, I hate having heros.

Should teach me a lesson...

[Ekirh]

7. That completely caught me off guard. . .

100 YTMNDS, youtube replays.. and a fark.com thread later I still can't believe that he did it and/or why he did it.

Had to be something REALLY nasty I would think.

[HuckleB]

11. It's odd. I was absolutely surprised.

I kept asking myself, "Was that really Zidane?"

And rumor had it that he was thinking about taking the millions offered to him by the Red Bulls to play in the US, where the pressure is non-existent. I suspect those millions are no longer on the table. But then again, this is the US, where we seem to adore chatter about such acts in sports, so there may be more of them there.

[gardenista]

12. Been reading a couple of articles written before this game

some of them very prescient:

http://www.dailynews.com/sports/ci_4029440

[HuckleB]

19. Thanks.

Interesting piece. Indeed, a bit too prophetic.

[Telly Savalas]

13. Real Madrid isn't paying him enough?

No offense to MLS (I'll be going to Toronto FC games next year), but wouldn't that be a huge step down for the guy?

[HuckleB]

14. Exactly.

Similar money. No pressure. Perfect for him at this time in life.

[judaspriestess]

17. Actually he still has one more year with Madrid

that would have been some bad ass shit, if he would have came to the MLS. Sure he is at the end of his career but he would bring so much more popularity to soccer in the US.

Personally, I suspect a racial slur of some sort was said to him, I can't think of anything else that would stir that much emotion.

This is only ONE act. This does not personify his brilliant career. France is not making a big deal about it.
He had his reasons.

[HuckleB]

18. Yes, but his contract is over afterward.

Making him eligible to move to MLS next summer with no transfer fee necessary.

[progmom]

15. I missed it, but just read a recap

Has video been posted online yet...does anyone know?

[ContraBass Black]

16. It's floating around DU somewhere.

[gardenista]

20. It was shocking.

But my lesson learned was one which needed reinforcement.

No heros.

Everyone is human and vulnerable.

It's funny, my husband said just before the game that it was hard to find Zidane's flaw. We found it today, but it had always been there.

We all have flaws.

We are all human.

He was goaded into a violent, but human reaction. Unsportsmanlike, yes, but human, and he certainly didn't behave as if he was proud of what he did.

It reminded me of the way I felt when I figured out that one of my other heros set himself up for a fall from grace from our highest office. Human. Stupid. Still beloved.

[gardenista]

21. Here's the video. Looks like Materazzi grabbed his nipple hard

and twisted it. I can't believe this. Now I don't know how shocked I am about Zidane's reaction if that is what happened.

Hope we learn more in the coming days.

[alcibiades_mystery]

22. Are you going to link the video, or is it in ethereal space?

:shrug:

[HuckleB]

23. Nice imagination.

I guess that's what always happens when a player puts his arm around another like that. So those guys must have very sore nipples after games.

[blondeatlast]

25. Here's the video--Materazzi DEFINITELY grabbed his chest.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=NBV52GPhNjw&feature=Views&page=1&t=t&f=b

OF that there can be no doubt.

Zizou was a fool to respond to it, though.

[HuckleB]

26. I saw the video.

What happened happens hundreds of times a game.

[blondeatlast]

27. Agreed--but a pro like him should have shaken it off.

It's a sad end to a pretty spectacular career.

[HuckleB]

28. Yes.

Alas, it's not the first head-butting incident of his career. And he stomped on player during the '98 World Cup, earning a two game suspension. Zidane's had trouble with his temper, despite his talent, his entire career.

[Nailzberg]

31. It looks like he was going to shake it off, until whatever was said next

The purple nurple appears to only instigate the exchange of words.

[progmom]

33. yep

Still doesn't excuse his behavior, but certainly helps explain it.

[gardenista]

35. thanks for posting the video.

[gardenista]

32. I guess we'll find out what happened in the next days.

I don't think it's imagination.

Did you look at the link?

[gardenista]

34. OOps! I'm sorry, here is the video.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=NBV52GPhNjw&feature=Views&page=1&t=t&f=b

[Squatch]

24. I loved it!

Reminded me of a Stanley Cup playoff game.

[northzax]

29. he's always walked a fine line

between thug and genius. Yes, he's the best midfielder since Maradona, but his more violent instincts will always keep him one rung below the pantheon of greats on the international stage.

[AngryAmish]

30. I read on the internets that the other guy said

"Why don't you play for your own country?"

[Bassic]

36. That game was crap from beginning to end.

The ref gave it to Italy on a silver platter. Zidane's breakdown was very hard to watch as well.