World Cup, cry baby athletes, and poor sportsmanship

[SzczerbiakManiac]

This topic reminds me of the discussions I had with friends (both on-line and off) after Columbine. Specifically, that we could empathise to a certain degree with Eric and Dylan's reactions to years of taunting. Many of my friends are considered geeks (a badge I now wear proudly) and most of us were taunted in high school. Some of us, relentlessly. In reacting to the actions of Eric and Dylan, the universal response among us was "I don't condone what they did, but I sure can understand it."

I'm not a fan of fütbol, but everything I've ever seen on TV about it suggests that it's more than just a pastime for most countries. To say passions run high is an understatement. (English Hooligans, anyone?) So when I see an incident like this, it seems pretty mundane when compared to the crap I've heard about before.

Isn't trash-talking pretty much part of every team sport? Why is this particular dust-up getting so much attention? Is it because it may have been a deciding factor in the outcome of the final game? Is it because he used the word "terrorist"?