The religion of sportsmanship

[RadioFan]

It was no more than a garden variety 15-yard personal foul in an NFL game...not even ejection-worthy.

A better analogy would be crossing the line of scrimmage, in between plays, and tackling a defensive back at the knees in American football.

Not only would it be ejection worthy, it would be multiple-game ejection worthy.

[MgoBlue-LightSpecial]

What's funny is that nobody (outside of Mr. Soccer, Zy, of course) is talking about how "great" the Italians were ... i.e., not that Italy won this game, but that Zidane and the French lost it.

Exactly.

Italy's the champ, they're the story here, regardless of how many fat, pasty, balding white men want to complain about it on the internet. If you want to suckoff the cock of a whiny loser who couldn't handle playground smack so went and melted down when his team needed him the most, then have at it. More power to you on that one.

[OCmike]

Going at someone's knees could easily end their career. This hit didn't have that type of capability. Hell, it didn't even knock the wind out of the dude, so it's not even as bad as laying out a defenseless receiver in the secondary on an uncatchable ball.

[BSmack]

If soccer wasn't such a pansy sport, it wouldn't have been a big deal.

Rack.

It was no more than a garden variety 15-yard personal foul in an NFL game...not even ejection-worthy.

Rack that.

If an NFL player ever tried that kind of a move after the whistle, he'd be laughed at. Maybe if he went head to head it might get some respect. But head to chest? Not fucking likely. And if he did that during live game action, he's probably be joining Daryl Stingley and Mike Utley in a wheelchair.

[Mississippi Neck]

I'm just stunned a French man would fight.

[MgoBlue-LightSpecial]

If soccer wasn't such a pansy sport, it wouldn't have been a big deal.

Rack.

It was no more than a garden variety 15-yard personal foul in an NFL game...not even ejection-worthy.

The alleged "pansiness" of soccer rules, and how they're contrasted to the NFL is completely meaningless...strawman at best.

Oh, and last I checked those guys wear things called "pads" and "helmets".

You're sort of allowed to get away with more when you have all that protection on.

[Y2K]

This thread has convinced me to hate soccer again.

[Nishlord]

If soccer wasn't such a pansy sport, it wouldn't have been a big deal.

Rack.

It was no more than a garden variety 15-yard personal foul in an NFL game...not even ejection-worthy.

If mvscal wasn't such a clueless cunt when it comes to anything that doesn't involve licking the testes of his GOP masters, his comments might have been interesting and worthwhile.

OCminion might want to look at the footage again and note that no-one was wearing helmets or pads.

[MgoBlue-LightSpecial]

The football takes need to stop, regardless of how much more we (and I) love the game. They have no relevance to this discussion.

Oh, and mv...

Had he already been carded earlier in the game? I can't see how this was anything more than a yellow card.

If you watched more than just the Sportscenter highlights throughout the WC, you would've realized Zidane's hit was going to be an automatic red card from the refs...despite the fact there was a slight delay in pulling it out. The bottom line is, if you don't want the red card tossed, don't pull cheap-ass shots that will get you red-carded. It's that simple. There's this thing called "accountability".

And you yourself even asked earlier in this thread, "what was he trying to acccomplish with that move?"

[PSUFAN]

It was a retaliatory move, though...wasn't it? Even though it was ill-advised?

[MgoBlue-LightSpecial]

If everyone deserved a full-on blow to the sternum everytime a little smack was run, then players would be spending more time in the trainer's room instead of the field.

[MgoBlue-LightSpecial]

I didn't even watch that much.

I stopped here.

If you don't have anything of value to contribute, then get the fuck out.

[Tom In VA]

I didn't even watch that much.

I stopped here.

If you don't have anything of value to contribute, then get the fuck out.

Outside objective opinions are valuable. Furthermore, on one hand you're crying about the fact that everyone is making Zidane the story. No, my premise as an outsider is, okay a legend fucked up let it go and let him basque in the glory of a career that outshines this lone fuck up.

YOU, my friend, seem to be the one obsessed with reeling people into YOUR point of view on this matter.

I respect the athleticism of soccer, but I don't follow the game much. You apparently hold it with more reverence than most, wonderful.

But on a message board filled with Americans whose typical interests are our football, baseball, and maybe hockey and basketball .....

This sports fan doesn't understand why YOU aren't willing to let Zidane's actions go and focus on the fact the guy ended a great career and hey ....

The Wops, as you said, have bode and won the World Cup.

Might have been an illegal move, but it was still ... a good hit. Either that or the greaser played it up and deserves an emmy.

[Dinsdale]

Had he already been carded earlier in the game? I can't see how this was anything more than a yellow card.

In soccer, any instance of a player striking another player away from the play is an automatic ejection...just like American sports.

[MgoBlue-LightSpecial]

Dins, facts are going to ruin mv's agenda. No need for that shit in here.

Remember, this guy is buddies with the tards at that other place where a "you're melting" one-liner is sufficient.

[Tom In VA]

"you're melting" one-liner is sufficient.

But YOU are indeed melting over this issue.

[MgoBlue-LightSpecial]

Outside objective opinions are valuable.

They are when the opinion is coming from someone who has actually experienced some of what he's spewing on about. Mv has admitted in this very thread to not knowing dick about what has been going on by not even so much as paying attention to the 30 second Sportscenter clips. Hell, he probably wouldn't even know who was in the WC if he didn't read this board. In my book, such an "outside objective opinion" doesn't mean much.

Furthermore, on one hand you're crying about the fact that everyone is making Zidane the story. No, my premise as an outsider is, okay a legend fucked up let it go and let him basque in the glory of a career that outshines this lone fuck up.

In "real life" I don't have as much disdain for the guy as I'm showing on this board, and have "gotten over it". I wasn't rooting real hard for one team or another, I just wanted to see a quality game. You see, this type of stuff makes for good message board smack material...and well, I've got time to kill at work. I do, however, think it was one of the worst decisions I've ever seen committed by any player in organized sports considering the circumstance and importance of the game, and that this should be viewed as a blight on his career, regardless of whether others see it that way or not. I'm not going to let a bunch of frenchmen think for me on this matter.

Whether it's "fair" or not, great players often are remembered for how they exit the game. I think a lot of fans of the game, European or otherwise, will remember this epic meltdown, and how he wasn't there for his team in the end for a chance to possibly win in OT or off a PK. Remember, this wasn't any game. This was the biggest game in the world, in the biggest moment possible, which only comes around once every four years. This was a VERY, VERY big deal. Anyone attempting to downplay it either doesn't give a crap about the game (which is easy to do) or isn't being honest with themselves. Not to mention, France isn't exactly Germany, Brazil, or even Italy. They had a chance to pull off epic world history-type stuff.

Might have been an illegal move, but it was still ... a good hit.

I don't rule out the idea there was a bit of a fallback after the blow, but what's obvious is that the blow was still a BIG HIT, and it was well timed and calculated, robotic almost, with the way Zidane strolled up from behind, squared his body, and went Street Fighter II on him.

If you don't want someone to flop on a head butt, then don't head butt them. This isn't complicated stuff.

[MgoBlue-LightSpecial]

"you're melting" one-liner is sufficient.

But YOU are indeed melting over this issue.

That's fine if that's how it's perceived. I don't put any stock into the whole idea of "melting" on smack boards.

I view it as a weak bailout by the poster screaming "melt" because they can't stick to the subject matter.

[Dinsdale]

he wasn't there for his team in the end for a chance to possibly win in OT or off a PK.

Let us not forget -- for the last several minutes before that, the guy was playing with his arm dangling at his side. When he went down earlier, it sure looked like the top of his arm bones were visible through his tricep. From that point on, he didn't handle the ball for more than a couple of seconds, dishing it off to the nearest teammate. Tough spot for his coach -- if Michael Jordan gets an owie in the 4th quarter of game 7, do you take him out?


Dude "left it on the field." He just chose a very odd way to leave.

I think anyone who thinks that had any effect on the outcome, needs their head examined. It could have WillisReeded his team(it didn't), which would have made him a genius.

[MgoBlue-LightSpecial]

If you're feeling well enough to drop the Zangief-style head butt, you're healthy enough to kick a PK.