What's your take on the final game? There a discussion brewing on alibi's website

Zidane has a temper. He was suspended a few games in '98 World Cup for stepping on a Saudi player's back. He has had outbursts before. He is widely known to be difficult to play with and difficult to coach. Sure, Materazzi probably said something nasty, but Italy arguably won the game because Zidane let him get into his head. Zidane got pissed and reacted in a stupid way. He still has a World Cup under his belt and is arguably the best midfielder to ever play the game.

My take on it is pretty simple: Trash talk is a deliberate attempt to get a rise out of the opponent. As a player, one needs to resist the temptation to respond to it - matter of fact, the best players filter it out, so they don't have to.

By responding, Zidane is clearly in the wrong.

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something nasty, but Italy arguably won the game because Zidane let him get into his head. Zidane got pissed and reacted

I think anyone would have a temper if your mother was just put in the hospital and some asshole is wishing her a terrible death.

But Zidane shoulda controled himself. He generally plays clean and keeps his mouth shut. Materazzi on the other hand is very dirty shit-talking player.

Its just ashame he had to end his career this way.

Maybe more details will surface in coming days.

I agree mostly w/what RX said. On the other hand, I've played a lot of soccer myself,(it's exhausting and brutal) and after 110 minutes of world-cup level soccer and 110 minutes of constant trash talking, plus the nipple pinch on top of it all, I can understand where he was coming from. I probably would've kicked him in the nuts...

I agree with some of you on here, but trash talking is a part of sports whether it's from your teammates, opponents, or the fans. If I reacted to ever little insult on the pitch or the diamond then I would've been expelled from sports in grammar school. That's something as player you have to deal with. It's very clear that Materazzi said something but if you watch that game, the Italians beat up Zidane the entire game, plus they knew they were going into penalty kicks. So in my opinion, Materazzi made the intelligent move by eliminating France's best penalty kicker. Sure it's dirty but every champion team does it. The final game pretty much summed up the World Cup: Moments of greatest followed by flops to cheap shots.

--Third Hour
www.myspace.com/3rdhour

p.s. You wanna hear some rough trash talking go to Fenway Park as a Yankee just days after your mother died and listen to the heckling that some of those guys get.

For those of you that love soccer, here's what Materazzi supposedly said to Zidane.

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=373706&cc=5901

Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me.

'I did not call him a terrorist. I am not a cultured person and I don't even know what an Islamist terrorist is.'

.....ahhhhh yeah, sure

Zidane is supposed to hold a press conference sometime today

Zidane speaks http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/world_cup_2006/5169342.stm

Speaking of soccer, does anyone here know of regular pick-up games and where and when? Just wondering...

i have a few friends who play and i've kinda wanted to play too even though im outta shape. i'll find out

There used to be pick up games over at Johnson field on Thursday evenings and on weekends.

I was playing men's league up until about two years ago. If you're out of shape, but were conditioned before, you will be absolutely shocked by how fast it comes back. It's really cool.

That's about $22 million.

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Originally posted by WebMonkey:
i have a few friends who play and i've kinda wanted to play too even though im outta shape. i'll find out

Cool. Let me know. Hey Foodstamps, did you happen to know of any approx. times on the weekend?

I thought it was around 11. I can make a call and find out.

We should just get a pickup game going with us bands. At least two of the giranimals would be down.

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We should just get a pickup game going with us bands

great idea. our whole band is down!!!

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Originally posted by animal:
Hey Foodstamps, did you happen to know of any approx. times on the weekend?

Supposedly 5:30 until 8:30 thurs and fri, and 4:30 on Saturday.