Too Harsh On Zidane?
Judy Ramsook
July 12, 2006
Sometimes watching a professional sporting event can seem more like a battle than what it was originally intended to be; a game or match. Or as some prefer to call it, a friendly contest between opposing players or teams.
In today’s much advanced world, the term friendly contest seems to have lost its place in the sporting arenas of the globe. Now there are things like trash talking, and or the pushing and shoving of a rival player. One does not have to look far for such displays of unsportsmanlike conduct either.
Just tune in before, during and after some NBA playoff games, you are sure to find at least one disgruntled or frustrated player who is lashing out at a player from the team he is playing against.
Or better yet, tune in to a hockey game. It is certainly not unusual to see a fight between rival players break out there.
All done in an effort to distract and break the afflicted player’s concentration so he would not perform as well. In light of the recent World Cup finals match between France and Italy, were some members of the media being a bit too harsh on French star player, Zinedine Zidane for head butting Italian soccer player, Marco Materazzi?
It seems like the old high school bully method was employed here. The one who reacted to being insulted or taunted is the one, in this case, Zidane, who was penalized and ejected from the soccer match.
All Zidane did was what any person would have done, given the situation. He lost his cool and reacted aggressively.
It seems no matter how professional one might be, there are still a few things that will get to him. Such as an insult or insults that were hurled his way by a player from the rival team
As we all know, that is exactly what Italian soccer player, Marco Materazzi did to Zidane. He had some unkind words to say to him.
About what? At the time of this writing, no one is quite certain yet. There are many theories floating around. This writer does not know of anyone who would not react after being insulted by anyone, be him or her a friend, foe or rival team member.
The only thing Zinedine Zidane did wrong was lose his cool and react to such form of ‘trash talking.’ A tactic which seemed to have worked. For had Zidane not lost his temper and head butt Materazzi, World Cup 2006 might have had a different outcome.
It is often times difficult to keep one’s temper in check when some one is saying unkind things to him or her about something or some one he or she loves or cherishes. Zidane did not do anything that has not been done before, but the way some forms of the media treated the situation made it seem as if he had.
So the head butt incident may have been uncalled for, but keep in mind this unsportsmanlike conduct is a two way street. You have the one who intiated the insult and the one at whom the insult was meant for. If Zidane is being so harshly criticized for reacting to being insulted, so should Materazzi be for insulting him.
In today’s much advanced world, the term friendly contest seems to have lost its place in the sporting arenas of the globe. Now there are things like trash talking, and or the pushing and shoving of a rival player. One does not have to look far for such displays of unsportsmanlike conduct either.
Just tune in before, during and after some NBA playoff games, you are sure to find at least one disgruntled or frustrated player who is lashing out at a player from the team he is playing against.
Or better yet, tune in to a hockey game. It is certainly not unusual to see a fight between rival players break out there.
All done in an effort to distract and break the afflicted player’s concentration so he would not perform as well. In light of the recent World Cup finals match between France and Italy, were some members of the media being a bit too harsh on French star player, Zinedine Zidane for head butting Italian soccer player, Marco Materazzi?
It seems like the old high school bully method was employed here. The one who reacted to being insulted or taunted is the one, in this case, Zidane, who was penalized and ejected from the soccer match.
All Zidane did was what any person would have done, given the situation. He lost his cool and reacted aggressively.
It seems no matter how professional one might be, there are still a few things that will get to him. Such as an insult or insults that were hurled his way by a player from the rival team
As we all know, that is exactly what Italian soccer player, Marco Materazzi did to Zidane. He had some unkind words to say to him.
About what? At the time of this writing, no one is quite certain yet. There are many theories floating around. This writer does not know of anyone who would not react after being insulted by anyone, be him or her a friend, foe or rival team member.
The only thing Zinedine Zidane did wrong was lose his cool and react to such form of ‘trash talking.’ A tactic which seemed to have worked. For had Zidane not lost his temper and head butt Materazzi, World Cup 2006 might have had a different outcome.
It is often times difficult to keep one’s temper in check when some one is saying unkind things to him or her about something or some one he or she loves or cherishes. Zidane did not do anything that has not been done before, but the way some forms of the media treated the situation made it seem as if he had.
So the head butt incident may have been uncalled for, but keep in mind this unsportsmanlike conduct is a two way street. You have the one who intiated the insult and the one at whom the insult was meant for. If Zidane is being so harshly criticized for reacting to being insulted, so should Materazzi be for insulting him.
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