With Italy winners of the 2006 World Cup, there are a lot of people out there rejoicing. As they should. Italy’s soccer needs an image boost, and perhaps there can be something started as the Azzuri take the stage as champions of the next four years. Good. Yay.

That said, I’m not sure that their win is going to overshadow the story of Zidane getting himself red-carded out of the game for verbally-provoked headbutt on Materazzi’s chest away from play in overtime.

Racial slur or no, I’m disgusted with what the man did. Wouldn’t it have been a much more fitting retaliation to use his anger for the game? Score a goal? Nail the tying French penalty kick? Attacking Materazzi was not an option. Not for a player with the reputation of Zidane. Not today when so much is at stake for team and country.