>>>>It's not different. Any player in a professional sport who can be taunted into causing his own eviction will be. It's part of every professional contact sport. After all these years, I'd have thought he'd learned that. Whether it's a punch, a kick, or a head butt, it is a stupid and, especially in such a crucial situation, inexcusable act.
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>>>It was not long ago that insulting another's honor, family, city or country would lead to a duel. Such insults should also be inexcusable.
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>>Yeah, but come on Mike. This is professional sports where large dollars are involved. In pro sports, whatever you can get away with treated as part of the game. Doing something so obviously stupid and getting yourself ejected in a tied world championship game is way beyond unacceptable. He wasn't just hurting himself, but also all of his teammates, and that's truly where it goes over the line.
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>To err is human. To get angry and lash out is human. Especially under the pressure you describe. It's not an excuse, but it puts things in perspective. Besides, it's a game. I can't take any of it that seriously.

As I said to Thomas, think Jackie Robinson and the insults he had to endure. Now there is a class act. He took it all and beat the hell out of all his tormentors by beating them on the field and the bases, not by beating them with his knuckles. Same goes for Hank Greenberg.

The guys who lose it on the field are the ones with little control. The truly class guys rarely do, at least just because of an insult, and from what I understand, Zidane was not a guy in control throughout his career.

But to do it in the 2nd half of the world cup championship game with the game tied 1-1? Stupid to say the least.

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>>>>>How was this different than a player throwing a punch and breaking a jaw? I saw it, and it definately looked very violent, but are headbutts by players of this level more lethal than an elbow to the face?
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>>>>>>Come on! When you were a kid probably some other kid insulted you or your mother. The answer is generally a fight. When you are an adult, a professional player and in front of *many* cameras in the most watched sports event on the planet, you are supposed to react like an adult.