The Pride of Europe
I watched the last 30 minutes of the World Cup final yesterday, about like when I annually watch the last three laps of the Daytona 500 or the Kentucky Derby. Sports I generally don't spend too much time following. So I guess I fall into the general category of "American Sports Watcher", which places football at the top, followed by baseball, basketball (college for me), and golf. Soccer is nowhere on the map. This hierarchy is looked at with much disdain around the world, particularly in Europe. After all, soccer is the more evolved sport, more universal, technical, revered for its elegance and grace than anything those silly Americans follow. Therefore, those who love and follow soccer must be more evolved, intelligent, or shall we say...enlightened.
Well, to use an enlightened British phrase...bullocks!
The last moments of the world championship for this supposed "highly enlightened sport" left me with hollow taste in my mouth, much like a cheap American beer. Sure, there was drama and a showcase of skill under pressure, but one moment spoiled the whole match, the World Cup in general, and why I have zero tolerance for soccer elitism.
Zidane's head butt was the single worst display of sportsmanship or discipline (and you could say maturity) I have ever witnessed in all my years of watching sports. You could name instances of equally shocking behavior on the field of play, but none that I can think of that were as devastating to both team and individual athlete. He lost the World Cup for France, period. France had Italy on the ropes and may have scored before the end of overtime had he not been ejected. According to the announcers, he was also one of their best penalty kickers which would have replaced the one guy for France who missed his kick. But the fact that he was playing in his last game seals the deal for me. What an incredibly selfish, childish act.
Hey, guess what Europe! Just because you sit at the top of the "world's sport" and look down your noses at us stupid Americans watching our football and baseball, don't think for a second you are immune from the ruin of the human soul, the self-absorbed infancy that comes through the worship of sport, talent, or any other human achievement.
Well, to use an enlightened British phrase...bullocks!
The last moments of the world championship for this supposed "highly enlightened sport" left me with hollow taste in my mouth, much like a cheap American beer. Sure, there was drama and a showcase of skill under pressure, but one moment spoiled the whole match, the World Cup in general, and why I have zero tolerance for soccer elitism.
Zidane's head butt was the single worst display of sportsmanship or discipline (and you could say maturity) I have ever witnessed in all my years of watching sports. You could name instances of equally shocking behavior on the field of play, but none that I can think of that were as devastating to both team and individual athlete. He lost the World Cup for France, period. France had Italy on the ropes and may have scored before the end of overtime had he not been ejected. According to the announcers, he was also one of their best penalty kickers which would have replaced the one guy for France who missed his kick. But the fact that he was playing in his last game seals the deal for me. What an incredibly selfish, childish act.Hey, guess what Europe! Just because you sit at the top of the "world's sport" and look down your noses at us stupid Americans watching our football and baseball, don't think for a second you are immune from the ruin of the human soul, the self-absorbed infancy that comes through the worship of sport, talent, or any other human achievement.
posted by Mike Bishop at 1:36 PM
9 Comments:
Some compare this to Mike Tyson's meltdown, but Zedane, or however it's spelled, sank all his teammates, too.
I'm thinking it's like John Elway, in his going-away Super Bowl, walking over and kicking the opposing coach in the groin, in O.T. But this was on a bigger stage.
...and then imagine: They give Elway the MVP, just like they did now, amazingly, for Zedane. Player of the Cup.
Now, back to Albert Pujols...
Brant
a scathing review from so. Florida! nice!
What I want to know is, what was the Italian player saying to him before the headbutt? I'm bookmarking your blog.
Here's what was supposedly said - http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,28783-2263995,00.html
In my opinion, this actually bolsters my argument. If that is what was in fact said to him, I can understand the anger and disgust. But, #1, African American athletes have been called much worse on the playing fields of the U.S. and what has been the typical (and admirable) response - to kick ass on the field. Consider Jackie Robinson for one.
#2, the Italian player demonstrates why I maintain that participation in soccer doesn't make you any more "enlightened" than your typical college football freak from the south.
Before the World Cup I saw a special on ESPN about racism in soccer. It was appalling what happens on a regular basis. And not just isolated fans or players...whole sections of a crowd chanting racial slurs.
There is plenty of racism in America and racial tension still in sports. But can you imagine what would happen if a US Senator said that a football team won the Super Bowl because it "beat a team which, in the quest for results, sacrificed its own identity by selecting blacks, Muslims and communists." (A direct quote from an Italian senator - see article - http://za.today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=sportsNews&storyID=2006-07-11T105059Z_01_BAN139037_RTRIDST_0_OZASP-SOCCER-WORLD-ITALY-RACISM-20060711.XML).
Ways to handle racism in Berlin:
a) Zidane
b) Jesse Owens
Brant
Ah, the headbutt that was felt around the world! Ironically, Zidane's sensational act probably will result in more western interest in the game. A week ago only a minority of Americans even knew who Zidane was. Now he's appraoching the household word catagory. My stomach churned when I saw that too, regardless of how 'deserved' it may have been in some people's minds. Horribly juvenile. I'm no better of a man. I've done at least that bad in my mind to people who've hurt me with their words. But what pains me the most is to see a respected role model fall to such miserable depths in one asinine emotional moment. What a great model for millions of youth that look up to these "heroes." Violent retribution against racism ironically reinforces racism.
I read this on CNN.com
--The France captain said, however, that he felt no regret for his act, "because that would mean (Materazzi) was right to say all that."--
--"But they must also punish the true guilty party, and the guilty party is the one who provokes."--
If Jesus proposed the "Golden" Rule this must be the "Black Death" Rule or the "Blood Red" Rule
Football is the only sport to have stopped a civil war, a ww1 if only for a night, and joined shite kurdish and sunni's together all on one pitch working together take your stupid end zone celebrations along with your western idea of what a Christian is and shove em up your pin hole sized sphincter cause if thats the Christianity your selling I'm happily not buying.
hit the wrong button my name is Alex
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