>>>>>>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.
>>>>>
>>>>>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.
>>>>
>>>>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.
>>>
>>>A couple of things to ponder:
>>>a) [just as a fact to keep in mind] ZZ had a history of short temper and head butts.
>>>b) he had already resigned to end his pro career after the game. Less worries for his pro career...
>>>c) When you are pushing yourself physically over your body limits, sometimes strange things happen to your mind
>>>d) He probably *would* have gotten away with it if rules had been strictly followed, as no referee did call it right after happening! The call happened later, and some suspect it was made after watching a rerun, which is against the rules for referee decision AFAIK.
>>>
>>>The checks and balances of football have a large dosage of random elements, which can decide the game if the teams are almost equal as the last 4 were. Assuming a strategically taunted ZZ and breaking the referee rules by watching a rerun after the fact, I don't know which decision would have been better.
>>>
>>>regards
>>>
>>>thomas
>>
>>That's a good point, Thomas, and one I've been wondering about. The refs certainly didn't see it themselves so I thought that they had no right to do anything about it. Frankly, I think that long after Zidane's head butt is forgotten, this world cup will be remembered for all red cards.
>>
>>Regards,
>
>Never mind who saw it first or whatever, he was lucky not to have been arrested for assault and, but for the strength of his victim's rib cage/heart, maybe murder or manslaughter.
>
>Would he have been afforded the same leniency if, for the sake of argument, he'd slipped off the touchline to snort a line of coke?

Ah, you're use of the word 'lucky' reminded me of something one of the British announcers said. In the 2nd half. One of the Italian players just missed a goal by hitting the crossbar. The announcer said, "Italy is lucky not to have taken the lead for the first time in the game". Does 'lucky' mean something different over there? Or (you knowing more about soccer than I do), is it unlucky in Soccer to take the lead in the second half of a game? ;)