World Cup, cry baby athletes, and poor sportsmanship

[scaeagles]

I understand various peoples from various cultures would find various things from various others offensive that I may not.

To me it isn't whether words spoken are/were offensive to anyone. It is an issue of responding to words with violence, specifically looking at this context, no in terms of responding to specific verbal threats. If someone threatens my kid and is in position to do it, I'll take action, no doubt. Someone calls me....whatever it may be....a toaster whore, perhaps....I'm not going to respond violently.

I wonder if there are people who would find it understandable that Zidane took violent action in response to ebing offended that have a hard time with military responses to miliary action. For example, with the newest kidnappings in Israel, this time of two soldiers by Hizbollah (sp?), how many would urge restraint to this violent action? Violence for violence to some is not understandable. Violence words is understandable, though?

It is not my intention to say that anyone here finds what happened acceptable. I am just thinking aloud.

[Alex]

I find both understandable. I don't find both appropriate.

[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"?

[CoasterMatt]

Make It Like Zidane

[Gemini Cricket]

Originally Posted by CoasterMatt

Make It Like Zidane

You beat me to it! 1.1 million views. Wow, that's a lot.


Re: Columbine

What’s missing from this litany is any sense of how the culture on the ground contributed to the massacre at Columbine High School. It’s easier to crack down on nose rings than to confront a system that assigns status in proportion to gender conformity, relegating boys who can’t meet the standard to the ranks of America’s most despised minority: that legion of failed men known as "faggots." That’s what the ruling jocks called members of the Trench Coat Mafia. If they’d been out and proud, no doubt the treatment would have been even more severe; a gay student from a nearby school told one reporter he had been pelted with rocks by his peers. But at Columbine no one dared to be openly gay. So the "fag" treatment was reserved for kids like Harris and Klebold who didn’t make the macho grade.

Source

[Moonliner]

Here is what CNN claims Materazzi said which caused Zidane to headbutt him

Originally Posted by CNN News

"We both spoke and I wasn't the first. I held his shirt but don't you think it is a provocation to say that 'if you want my shirt I will give it you afterwards'?

"I replied to Zidane that I would prefer his sister, that is true. I brought up his sister and that wasn't a nice thing, that is true," said Materazzi.

I can't see where that rates tanking a World Cup game.

[Eliza Hodgkins 1812]

Originally Posted by Moonliner

I can't see where that rates tanking a World Cup game.

One would have to consider his cultural background to understand that, I think. In certain cultures, an "I'll f**k your sister" comment goes a very, very long way. Born and raised in the U.S., not so much?