Monday, July 10, 2006
ITALIA!!
If I could manage to type out a series of nonsensical laughter so that it read coherently, I would. But I can't. Finally, the World Cup trophy has come back to Italy! And in a penalty shootout, no less, which has been the Italians' undoing in three of the last four Cups. The monkey, the gorilla, the ape, the baboon, the gibbon -- all off their back, now. Fabio Gross, once again, with the kick that sent Italy into raptures. Sweet irony: the last time Germany won the World Cup was in 1990 when it was hosted by Italy. How delicious that it comes back full circle. Technically, Italy should've won this game 1-0, as the call for a penalty inside the first ten minutes wasn't a penalty at all. Materazzi never touched Malouda. All the sweeter that the Italians won, then. What a game for Materazzi. Gets whistled for a phantom penalty, scores the equalising goal off a perfect corner kick, and gets head-butted in the chest by France's great hero.
The MVP of the tournament was also it's biggest disgrace. I'm sure Zidane will be remembered for all of the positive accomplishments throughout his career in years to come. But for now, his legacy is being a selfish moron who perhaps cost his team a chance at the ultimate prize. A coward and a cheater. Oh, but there is precedent for Zizou's idiocy, my friends. This is not an anomaly. Let me take you back to World Cup '98 in a group stage game between France and Saudi Arabia. A Saudi player is down on the ground. The play is dead. Zidane is about to walk over the fallen player, but decides to viciously stomp him in the chest. He gets suspended for just one game. That is Zinedine Zidane.
This is my favorite sporting event in the world. There are no doubts. The first two days of NCAA March Madness rival it (and in terms of condensed, wall-to-wall sports, probably top it), but there's no beating the World Cup. Great that it ended on such a high note (for me, anyway). Now, I can go back to not watching summer sports. You heard me, baseball (go A's!).
I'm going to spend the rest of the week on YouTube looking up celebrations for Italy's fourth Cup.
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The MVP of the tournament was also it's biggest disgrace. I'm sure Zidane will be remembered for all of the positive accomplishments throughout his career in years to come. But for now, his legacy is being a selfish moron who perhaps cost his team a chance at the ultimate prize. A coward and a cheater. Oh, but there is precedent for Zizou's idiocy, my friends. This is not an anomaly. Let me take you back to World Cup '98 in a group stage game between France and Saudi Arabia. A Saudi player is down on the ground. The play is dead. Zidane is about to walk over the fallen player, but decides to viciously stomp him in the chest. He gets suspended for just one game. That is Zinedine Zidane.
This is my favorite sporting event in the world. There are no doubts. The first two days of NCAA March Madness rival it (and in terms of condensed, wall-to-wall sports, probably top it), but there's no beating the World Cup. Great that it ended on such a high note (for me, anyway). Now, I can go back to not watching summer sports. You heard me, baseball (go A's!).
I'm going to spend the rest of the week on YouTube looking up celebrations for Italy's fourth Cup.
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