Bull Rush

Yes, Mattarazi admits to trash-talking Zidane. I don't like even the phrase trash talking, it seems to take the edge off the viciousness that it contains. If you doubt that, you've likely never been trash-talked. Mattarazi should be fined. I mean this isn't (American) football or Hockey.

HOWEVER (note the raw size of that however), Zidane should be Heavily fined. Thanks for the apologies and all, especially to the kids, that's hunky dory, dude.

Really? Some people theorized that Zidane sensed the game tanking and didn't want to be part of the loss. This is unlikely. Frankly, the longer it went, the more chance France had. I am Amazed that Italy won shootouts, given the fact that France seems to get by on penalty kicks. It was even less likely given Italy's tragic love affair with the crossbar. I was going to yell "Don't pull a Baggio!" but I was at Caruso Club and wanted to leave in one piece.

So what made a normally gentlemanly player lose his mind in the face of an insult? Cuz you must realize it is Not the only time this has occured (i.e. trash-talk).

I think it derives from the fact that France (again) pulled it's only goal off a penalty kick and the Italians, who are only supposed to win if they score early, managed to come back with their own Earned goal. This, combined with the fact that France simply couldn't beat Buffon in regular play must have been an influence, if not a reason.

I never had anything against Zidane. He always seemed likeable,for the Most part (this isn't the first time he's been Ignorantly violent), but that really took the shine off his career. And that made me angry at first, but now it just makes me sad to see someone go out like that.