Oh I totally agree.
What Zidane did was completely and totally out of the realm of acceptable competition. Certainly he deserved and received that red card.
But the fall was a flop.
Oh, I, totally agree. In fact, it wasn't even a particularly elegant flop. In order for me to give Materazzi top marks, I would have expected to see a least 30 seconds of feigned unconsciousness, or perhaps temporary blindness.
Had the ref been a bit slower with the red card, I sure he could have done it. What this so-called sport (which is a lot like watching epoxy cure) needs, perhaps, is American judges on the sidelines, holding up those score placards they use for olympic diving, or gymnastics. Whether he was actually hurt or not, Materazzi's acting would get no more than a 4.5