Well, that ended on a sour note.

[hackthis_archive]

People suck.

Time and time again this sentiment is brought home to me, and yet I still keep on believing, and I tell you, it’s like beating my head against the wall or running smack into an Italian midlfielder.




I have been into football since before some of you were born. I've supported Italy and England and Scotland (who doesn't support Scotland, really?) and Ghana, and before they got so far up their own arse, the U.S., and I have what the Americans call a "zero tolerance policy" regarding racism.

Naturally, every sport has its problems, anyone who‘s ever played sport will tell you this; anybody‘s who‘s spent anytime observing or following a sport will know this. The 2006 FIFA World Cup motto has been 'Say No to Racism,' which my best mate and I have been discussing ad nauseum since the opening match, if only because of how shocked she was that they even had to have such a thing. For my part, I’ve just been eyeing them warily and saying, “We’ll see." People start to lose and they lose their minds, they revert to their basest most primal states, and what you should or shouldn't do seems to disappear into the ether.

So when that thing happened today something twigged for me, but I let it go, because I was happy for Italy. I remember 1994. I remember they killed someone's DOG after the penalty fiasco. I wanted Italy to win. And yet, the Zidane thing was just so fucking off kilter that it was like the Twilight Zone.

Zinedine Ziane is one of the most loved and respected footballers playing today. He's no Vinnie Jones. He's an ambassador for the sport. Headbutting Materazzi made no sense. It was Zidane’s last match. The man has retired. He was in the finals at the World Cup! He was the golden child! Of course my first instinct was to holler red card, which kattiya will attest to, but if Marco Matarezzi did what they're saying he did by casting racial slurs at Zidane, then not only to I renounce all my support of Italy, but I say good on Zidane for knocking Materazzi on his ass. Personally, I think Materazzi should be happy Zidane didn't punch him in the throat, because I certainly would've given it a go if it'd been me.

There's no call for racial slurs or sexist slurs or any of the other shit that seems to plague society in general when people can’t get what they want through skill and intelligence and playing on the level. I suppose if you’ve never been the victim of racism or sexism or blatant homophobia you can’t know what it’s like: the sheer anger and hatred, the blood curdling rage, the shame of being just that little bit different that you're being singled out, the sense of ‘what the fuck did I ever do to you?’ that pervades everything in your mind.

If you’ve never been the uncomfortable minority just trying to make your way, then what Zidane did might seem like “unsportsman-like conduct”, but if you’ve been there, you would probably condone -- nay support -- him too. I do. It may not have been nice, but I think it was pretty necessary.

And on that note the World Cup is over. Maybe something will change in the next four years, and we won't have to have incidents like this, but I won't hold my breath.


For further thoughts see what adrasteia said

Comments

[hackthis.livejournal.com]

*re-reads*

Wait. THEY KILLED A PLAYER?!

[hackthis.livejournal.com]

Well I have experienced racism up close and personal in very disturbing ways, but my own reaction is usually personal hurt/sadness rather than anger/violence to the other person. And after a while you just learn to deal... :\


I've been on the receiving end too, and yes, I agree with the hurt/sadness aspect, but I've also felt blinding rage and anger, because how DARE someone treat me this way. I am a person. I bleed and shit and breathe too, just like everybody else. How DARE they belittle me in the name of their ignorance and small-mindedness and what they think they know about me. How stupidly shallow and callous do you have to be to judge someone based on how much melanin they have in their skin? Very.

[hackthis.livejournal.com]

I *do* think it was a very sad way to end a fabulous career, that I very much agree with.

[hackthis.livejournal.com]

also, some caller on five live said Zidane should be used to this kind of abuse by now, enough to ignore it. WTF is that shit?!

It's like I mentioned above to trinityofone, people are always talking about what they *should* have done, and how you *should* rise above it, but if you're not there being insulted, then yeah, shut up.

[hackthis.livejournal.com]

BTW, doing karate most of my life, I'd say that Materassi pretended quite a bit (again) - being butted in the chest doesn't hurt that much, I know that from experience. I say, Materassi should be officially reprimanded for behaving like this. And Zidane should be remembered for the truly beautiful and majestic way of playing football instead of his temper.

Yes, I highly doubt that Materassi was hurt as much as he claimed to be, but the Italians are quite dramatic, like the Argentinians. And I do feel bad for the Frenchman who missed that penalty, that's the sort of thing that haunts you for an age.

[hackthis.livejournal.com]

Yeah, okay, Zidane’s action makes a lot more sense now and, maybe I should think he should have "taken the high road", but honestly? Fuck that. Racism is inexcusable and should always be, well, punished and I totally understand and condone what Zizou did. Hell, I would have done the exact same thing. And sure, France might have won if he didn't do it and he should have known (and probably did) that Materassi was trying to provoke him and get him off the field (shows how much faith he has in his team) but it's understandable that he snapped. So yeah, you go Zizou.

WORD.

[goss.livejournal.com]

*nods* The stupidity, it's quite mind-boggling really. I will never understand it.

I'm currently trying to teach the kids ways of handling such situations in more positive ways, otherwise... *cringes*

[goss.livejournal.com]

Yeah. Fucking insane.

"Colombia’s most infamous soccer killing occurred after the 1994 World Cup. Andres Escobar was shot outside a Colombian bar days after scoring an own-goal in a first-round match against the United States."

[lilith20godrich.livejournal.com]

Yes, they killed a player - Escobar, if I am not mistaken.
He scored a goal in his team's gate, and Colombia lost after that.
So football fan killed him when he returned to Colombia.

[ladyvyola.livejournal.com]

Let me weigh in as a nice white girl. It always bugs me a bit when the talk turns to "should have taken the high road/should have risen above it/etc". I don't like the knee-jerk reaction that somebody is obligated to take abuse as the price of the position they've reached. Jackie Robinson might have had the most even-tempered and gracious public persona ever but surely even he might have wanted to smack a bitch with his bat once in a while.

[hackthis.livejournal.com]

I'm currently trying to teach the kids ways of handling such situations in more positive ways, otherwise... *cringes*

See, that's just it though, because I've tried letting it slide, or ignoring it, or turning the other cheek and then people just see it as leave to behave like shits. You ignore it, it gets worse; you respond, it gets worse. It's a horrible Catch-22. I hope your children succeed though, for the sake the next generation, I really hope so.

[hackthis.livejournal.com]

As someone who *has* been a target of racial slurs, though not many, I certainly understand what Zidane did, but that doesn't mean I condone it. He let his instincts take over and it got him thrown out and possibly cost him a World Cup. Some things *are* more important, and other people who have been targets of racial attacks have been able to hold their temper. Materassi was certainly in the wrong, but I'm not supporting Zidane either.

I think this comes down simply to a matter of personal pride and what you believe is more important: the World Cup or being insulted.

[fivil.livejournal.com]

The icon is by virginia_bell, who has a bunch of awesome football icons at subjunctively. Shorts-grabbingly good. Lucky Vieira.

In a Swedish newspaper (Expressen, I think), they said that Materazzi called Zizou a terrorist. Which is like, wow, not just racist but ignorant and racist. But I don't know if it's true.

[veryshortlist.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure if Zidane's exit was a turning point in the game, because Henry came off the field around the same time. Zidane's a fantastic player, but there are other men who play too. They could have picked up the slack. That's how teams work.


I didn't hear that Materassi was swearing at Zidane. The announcers didn't mention it, and I didn't watch the closing ceremony. If he was, then things make more sense. And I'd say that Zidane did what he thought was right. His choice, really. I'm not sure what I'd do in the same situation, so I can't judge.

[rozza.livejournal.com]

I heart you too, Zaz, and I'm so glad you brought this up. I didn't know what the nature of the comment was. Now I'm hearing that he was called a dirty terrorist. I find it disappointing that people are putting on airs and saying, I don't condone what he did, I can't believe it, he should have known better. I personally see it as a matter of honor. Football isn't everything. Losing the World Cup completely sucks, but I'd rather a man defend himself against horrible, ignorant slurs than give in to them just to win a game.

I don't see this as a horrible end of his career. I see it as him asserting himself as a human being above all else, as saying no to racism.

[hackthis.livejournal.com]

I personally see it as a matter of honor. Football isn't everything. Losing the World Cup completely sucks, but I'd rather a man defend himself against horrible, ignorant slurs than give in to them just to win a game.

That's what I've been trying to get across; there is no shame in standing up for yourself, despite whatever people may think about that. The World Cup is nice, it is not more important than your self respect.

[elzed.livejournal.com]

Ah, I feel for Zizou, man, I do. And although we don't know what Materazzi said to him, I bet you anything it was racist - I don't think much else would've got that reaction. But I think it's a shame he reacted that way - partly because the grim truth is that there are racist fuckers in football, and sadly he's had to deal with them before, and must have had to control his temper; but also because then it allowed all those po-faced commentators to bang on about whether he sullied his reputation forever with his gesture. And that annoys me more.

He has, however, kept the support of most of his fans, who were ready to defend his action (and dude, it was a brutal headbutt). And I don't think in the end it made much of a difference to the game - it looked like it was headed for penalties anyhow, and Trezeguet would've been one of the ealry takers, and presumably would've missed, even if Zidane had played.

The funny thing about Zizou is that he is both capable of serenity and grace, and of losing his rag (he has been sent off before). It's a crying shame that it should have been his last moment on the international footballing stage. But balanced out by his award as best player of the tournament (which was voted on before the final game, amusingly enough).

Still. Materazzi almost certainly deserved it, and Zidane has never been the kind of arrogant fuck that footballers can be. I'm with the bald guy in the number 10 shirt.

[poopins.livejournal.com]

I think him winning the Golden Ball was a great testament to him as a player, regardless of the headbutting incident. I'm already mourning the end of the Cup because, despite things like this and the ginormous amounts of cards thrown up, it really is the only time I feel like the whole world's in tune. Except you know, most of the USA.

[hms-yowling.livejournal.com]

You also can't discount the fact that they were playing soccer (football) at the time. Have played sports -- soccer and lacrosse -- I know that even ::gasp:: girls get agressive during games. Shoving, pushing, etc. (If you know what you're doing you can be vicious with a lacrosse stick. Until the refs catch you at it, that is.) Soccer isn't like hockey where the body slamming is acceptable (you have to be directing your action at the ball, not at the opposing player). But, especially in men's soccer, it's a game of "what you can get away with by making it look accidental."

Zidane's wasn't a tactical move, it was a visceral reaction. But when your blood is up, you're less likely to be ABLE TO step back and content yourself with vicious stares.

Alas, the outcome was a win for the fucker who made the racist comment to begin with, but I can't fault Zidane for his response. It must have been satisfying, at least in the moment.

[hms-yowling.livejournal.com]

I also, another "nice white girl" in the US, have to say that I liked what adresteia had to say. Frankly, one of the things the fuckers in the US have been pulling in terms of their opposition to gay marriage, reproductive choice, etc, is that we HAVE to tolerate their intolerance. If we don't agree, and are vocal about it, well then we're not respecting their... religion, usually.

It's become a weapon AGAINST intolerance, this idea that you have to respect the opinions of others, no matter what.

Um, no I don't. If you're a racist fuck, I'm going to call you a racist fuck and tell you that I don't think your opinions are appropriate for expression anywhere outside the confines of your tiny little mind.

Wow, this topic is better than coffee for waking you up and getting your blood going.

[maroonraven.livejournal.com]

I was waiting for Materazzi to stand up and admit he said something that was over the line. Yeah, he might be sore over getting headbutted and may not want to admit he deserved to get knocked on his ass, but the game is over and you got what you wanted. You won. So, stand up and say what you said. But, no. He only admits that he gave a "common insult" but absolutely did not call him a terrorist, because, guess what? He doesn't know what a terrorist is! Christ, I've heard better excuses lies from my five-year old sister.

[moonystone.livejournal.com]

Yep, drama queens, that's what they are. And I do feel for this poor guy who missed. He definitely has to win a game for France next World Cup to get rid of this.

[flyingtapes.livejournal.com]

hey there. unrelated to the post above, I'm trying to find a link to your fic “wishful thinking,” which was HP. The entry is protected & it's not listed on your website. Do you have another URL? thanks!

[hackthis.livejournal.com]

The day the US is in tune with the rest of the world, everyone will roll over and die from shock.

[hackthis.livejournal.com]

Jackie Robinson might have had the most even-tempered and gracious public persona ever but surely even he might have wanted to smack a bitch with his bat once in a while.

Well said.