Well, that ended on a sour note.

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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

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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.