[TexasCajun]

The Mike Tyson of soccer?

[keithtoo]

I think what was probably most offensive to Zidane is when the Italian defender told him: "You are a 'star' in a sport where there is almost no offense, not much defense, and where a 1-0 ending after 90 to 120 minutes of play is considered 'exciting'"

"You are the equivalent of the most exciting blade of grass that one could watch grow, or the quickest to dry of a section of a painted wall that a person could be made to watch dry, or the least dull of the most dull thing to be forced to observe."

"On top of all of that, you are a 'less-than-completely-French' person on a team representing a country that has defeatism as a natural character. I fart in your general direction. Leave me or I will taunt you another time!"

[dirtboy]

The Paris-based anti-racism advocacy group SOS-Racism issued a statement Monday quoting "several very well informed sources from the world of football" as saying Materazzi called Zidane a "dirty terrorist."

If that were the case, the ref could have given him a green, blue, yellow, orange OR red card.

[Dominic Harr]

This guy wouldn't have made it thru a High-school football summer 2-a-days.

Comments about your mother and sister make 'dirty terrorist' seem like a kiss on the cheek.

That's just good strategy. Esp if you have a hothead star you can "get to". Not just to make him do something like this -- but to get under his skin, to throw his game off.

[dfwgator]

Now if Materazzi had called Zidane a "Frenchman," then the attack would have been completely justified. :)

[Defiant]

Materazzi called Zidane a "dirty terrorist."

Did he say it in English so they both could understand it?

[MotleyGirl70]

Video-Ouch!

[soccer_maniac]

It doesn't matter what was said.

There is no excuse for what he did.

[weegie]

Zidane is no more a moslem than I am. He is 3rd generation French.

The Italian (Materazzi) has a woefull reputation for dirty play. He called Zidanes mother a nigger prostitute and wished her an early death. Zidanes mother has been taken into hospital that morning.

Whilst what he did was stupid I ask anyone here how they would have reacted under the same provocation

[dead]

I'm sure Frenchie's got an image consulting firm conducting focus groups right now, to find out what combination of insults will garner him the most sympathy from the French people so as to preserve some marketability for him. Then he'll claim that's what the Italian guy said before he headbutted him.

Look for something involving race, his mother, and a besmirching of the glory that is France.

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

I've been told by people who recorded the game that Materazzi gave Zidane a hard pinch on his nipple when he grabbed the shirt.
True or not...dunno. But it would put me in a head buttin' mood.

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

Yep. Just watched the video and that's what it looks like. The Italian had his hand in a sensitive area and Zidane got p!$$3d .

[ncountylee]

what set him off?

He's a punk.

[JRios1968]

What set him off?

Maybe the realization hit him...he's a thirty-odd year old "man," who wasted his youth playing a game normally reserved for pre-teenage kids.

[aruanan]

The Zidane mystery: what set him off?

He's just a prick?