I'll repeat the question here that's circulating on sports radio this morning: was Zinedine Zidane's takedown of Marco Materazzi on Sunday the stupidest thing a star player has ever done in a championship game?
The only comparable thing I can think of is Chris Webber's infamous time-out in the 1993 national championship game against UNC ... but that was just a mistake, which may have been the coaches' fault as much as Webber's. Zidane, on the other hand, acted alone and with premeditation, knowing exactly what he was doing and what the consequences would be.
You're the best player on your team in the final game of your career, the game is headed towards penalty kicks, and oh yeah--it's only the g-ddamn World Cup Final! Is this really the time for a Ron Artest moment?
I've never seen anything so stupid. Nonetheless, congrats to the paesans!
By the way, what happened to all our World Cup enthusiasts? Things have come to a sad state on this blog if I've become the soccer correspondent.
for sheer stupidity the only thing I can compare it to is Tyson-Holyfield when Iron Mike confused Holyfield's ear with beef jerky.
ReplyDeleteThat was just plain weird too.
Of course he did not hurt a team by doing that.
Also, there are the two Leon Lett plays. The one against Miami on Thanksgiving when it snowed in Dallas is even funnier than the Super Bowl fumble. Dallas Blocks the field goal and Miami has lost the game, all Dallas has todo is NOT touch the ball and Miami cannot advance it. Lett to the rescue! He dives knees-first right at the ball, all the while you can see his teammates behind him flailing their arms "NO LEON!!!". But he slides on the snow right into the ball, it caroms off his thigh and Miami recovers and advances the ball for a first down. LMAO.
I'd forgotten about Leon. He was actually a very good player, wasn't he? But history won't record that.
ReplyDeleteI guess Zidane has joined the ranks of players like Lett, Webber, Artest, Sprewell, Bill Buckner, and Thurman Thomas--who were excellent players but will be remembered primarily for one momentary lapse. (Tyson doesn't quite fit the category since he had many glorious moments in the '80s before he turned into Col. Kurtz).
Still, considering the stage and the stakes, I'm inclined to say Zidane tops them all.
In other news, Hinrich is set to play on the U.S.A. basketball team now that J.J. Redick has dropped out.
(Redick shouldn't have been there in the first place, frankly, but Coach K is at the helm this time).