World Cup Footie Seedings

The whole truth:

<img src="http://img146.imageshack.us/img146/748/5402a6fb6901674307fcbc5e44a908.gif" alt=" - " />

<img src="http://img140.imageshack.us/img140/2098/56go0pw.gif" alt=" - " />

<img src="http://img146.imageshack.us/img146/4176/43uy5sa.gif" alt=" - " />

<img src="http://img146.imageshack.us/img146/5693/440a4a26c091a599b292f4ad0e389b.gif" alt=" - " />

that last one is great

the third is highly unlikley

i like the first one the best.

Materazzi is a complete tool: "I'm not cultured and I don't even know what an Islamic terrorist is."

And what's even funnier, Zidane, while of Algerian descent, is actually Christian, and not Muslim, if I'm not mistaken.

*********************************************

Materazzi admits insulting Zidane By ANDREW ROBERTS, Associated Press Writer


Marco Materazzi admits he insulted Zinedine Zidane before the France captain head-butted him in the World Cup final. Materazzi denies calling him a "terrorist."

"I did insult him, it's true," Materazzi said in Tuesday's Gazzetta dello Sport. "But I categorically did not call him a terrorist. I'm not cultured and I don't even know what an Islamic terrorist is."

Zidane and Materazzi exchanged words after Italy broke up a French attack in extra-time of Sunday's final in Berlin. Seconds later, Zidane lowered his head and rammed Materazzi in the chest, knocking him to the ground.

Zidane was sent off, reducing France to 10 men. Italy won the game in a penalty shootout.

"I held his shirt for a few seconds only, then he turned round and spoke to me, sneering," the Italian defender said. "He looked me up and down, arrogantly and said: 'If you really want my shirt, I'll give it to you afterwards.'"

The 32-year-old Inter Milan player did not elaborate exactly on what he said to Zidane.

"It was one of those insults you're told tens of times and that always fly around the pitch," he said.

Media reports, based on interpretations by lip-readers, have suggested that Materazzi called Zidane a terrorist or insulted his mother or sister. Materazzi denies these claims, too.

"For me, the mother is sacred, you know that," Materazzi told the newspaper.

Materazzi is no stranger to controversy. He was suspended for two months for punching Siena defender Bruno Cirillo after a Serie A game in February 2004, and earned condemnation following a brutal tackle on Sweden and Juventus striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic in October 2005.

Materazzi was also sent off three times while playing for Everton in the 1998-99 season.

One Italian senator even suggested that Materazzi â?? also sent off three times while playing for Everton in the 1998-99 season â?? didn't merit selection for the Italian team because of his physical style.

Zidane also is known for having a temper. He was sent off for stomping on a Saudi Arabian opponent at the 1998 World Cup, while at Germany 2006 he was banned for France's group match against Togo.

Five years ago with Juventus, Zidane head-butted an opponent in a Champions League match against Hamburger SV after being tackled from behind.

Meanwhile, Rome Mayor Walter Veltroni accused FIFA of double standards, noting that soccer's governing body named Zidane as the tournament's best player after his head-butt, while Italy forward Francesco Totti was kicked out of the 2004 European Championship for spitting in an opponent's face.

"I notice a difference in the way in which Totti was treated after the spit and the way in which Zinedine Zidane has been lauded as a champion of soccer, even though he is held responsible for such a violent blow that it could even have had devastating effects," Veltroni said.

FIFA announced Tuesday it will open a disciplinary investigation into Zidane's conduct.

FIFA also said that the ballot box for the tournament's top player â?? voted by journalists â?? was open until after the final had ended, making it impossible to know how many ballots were cast before the match and during it.

___

Originally posted by lily1:
Materazzi is a complete tool: "I'm not cultured and I don't even know what an Islamic terrorist is."

"But I categorically did not call him a terrorist. I'm not cultured and I don't even know what an Islamic terrorist is."

Maseratti also claimed not to know that "…that big ball of fire in the sky" was called Sol, and claimed that to make instant H²O all one needed to do was "…just add tomato paste".

Insults provoked Zidane to head butt Italian
Associated Press


French soccer star Zinedine Zidane apologized for head-butting an Italian opponent during the World Cup final, saying Wednesday that he was provoked by harsh insults about his mother and sister


"I apologize, to all the children" who watched the match Sunday, Zidane said in his first, highly-awaited comments about the brutal act of violence that marked the end of his career.

The 34-year-old midfielder, soft-spoken and relaxed in the interview with Canal-Plus, did not specify exactly what Italian defender Marco Materazzi said that enraged him, but he said it was about his family.

"I would rather have taken a punch in the jaw than have heard that," Zidane said, stressing that Materazzi's language was "very harsh," and that he repeated the insults several times.

Zidane and Materazzi exchanged words after Italy broke up a French attack in extra-time. Seconds later, Zidane lowered his head and rammed Materazzi in the chest, knocking him to the ground. Zidane was sent off, reducing France to 10 men. Italy went on to win in a penalty shootout.

The abrupt act of aggression marred the end of the World Cup, with many warning it would tarnish Zidane's formidable legacy.

The France captain said, however, that he felt no regret for his act, "because that would mean (Materazzi) was right to say all that."

"There was a serious provocation," said Zidane, who said he had never had tensions with Materazzi before.

"My act is not forgivable," Zidane said. "But they must also punish the true guilty party, and the guilty party is the one who provokes."

"I tell myself that if things happened this way, it's because somewhere up there it was decided that way," he said in a later interview on TF1 television. "And I don't regret anything that happened, I accept it."

For days, sports fans around the world have been riveted by the question: What could Materazzi have said to set Zidane off? Media from Brazil to Britain hired lip readers to try to figure it out, then came up with different answers.

Materazzi has acknowledged he insulted Zidane, without giving specifics. At nearly the same moment Zidane was on TV, excerpts from an interview that Materazzi gave were posted on an Italian paper's Web site. He denied insulting Zidane's mother.

"I didn't say anything to him about racism, religion or politics," Materazzi told the Gazzetta dello Sport. "I didn't talk about his mother either. I lost my mother when I was 15 and even now I still get emotional talking about her."

Zidane "has always been my hero," Materazzi said. "I admire him a lot."

Despite the head-butt, Zidane was awarded the Golden Ball award for best player at the World Cup - though FIFA president Sepp Blatter has suggested Zidane could be stripped of the honor.

"The winner of the award is not decided by FIFA, but by an international commission of journalists," Blatter said in Italian newspaper La Repubblica. "That said, FIFA's executive committee has the right, and the duty, to intervene when faced with behavior contrary to the ethics of the sport."

In France, many have already pardoned Zidane, even without his explanation. A poll published Tuesday in Le Parisien newspaper showed that 61 percent of the 802 people questioned forgave Zidane.

Zidane said many people have asked him not to retire, but he said he would not change his mind.

"I won't go back on it, at least I hope so … (the decision) it's definitive," he said.

In a later interview with TF1 television, Zidane said he was "going to rest, and then move on to something else."

Are people actually still caring about this?

Check out the new Zizou Video Game!

Originally posted by lbcardoni:

"I would rather have taken a punch in the jaw than have heard that," Zidane said, stressing that Materazzi's language was "very harsh," and that he repeated the insults several times.

Must have called them cocksuckers.

Originally posted by Buck Satan:
Are people actually still caring about this?

Nope!

Originally posted by Buck Satan:
Are people actually still caring about this?

No one but 0930 hipsters gives a hoot anymore.

you know, if soccer wasnt such a damn pussy sport we wouldnt have to be still talking about this.


you know how long we'd be talking about this if a hockey player headbutted another player? not 30 seconds after it happened.

Originally posted by corporal clegg:
you know how long we'd be talking about this if a hockey player headbutted another player? not 30 seconds after it happened.

If this were mark messier (hey, they're both bald) and he got a 10 minute major for instigating in OT of game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals, then his team lost and he retired the next day … Yes, we'd still be talking about this

Originally posted by HoyaSaxa08:

Originally posted by corporal clegg:
you know how long we'd be talking about this if a hockey player headbutted another player? not 30 seconds after it happened.

If this were mark messier (hey, they're both bald) and he got a 10 minute major for instigating in OT of game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals, then his team lost and he retired the next day … Yes, we'd still be talking about this

no way a penalty would have been called in a game 7. :)

thats my point. not that its unimportant, but headbutting another player like that in hockey wouldnt warrant such a penalty.

so no, we wouldnt be talking about it.

Messier would have to cut off a hand to get a 10min misconduct in OT of Game 7!

Originally posted by HoyaSaxa08:

Originally posted by corporal clegg:
you know how long we'd be talking about this if a hockey player headbutted another player? not 30 seconds after it happened.

If this were mark messier (hey, they're both bald) and he got a 10 minute major for instigating in OT of game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals, then his team lost and he retired the next day … Yes, we'd still be talking about this

Don't try to debate Hoya. He has all of the pertinent facts at hand. And, just like Star Jones…he IS a lawyer.

Originally posted by corporal clegg:
thats my point. not that its unimportant, but headbutting another player like that in hockey wouldnt warrant such a penalty.

so no, we wouldnt be talking about it.

Messier would have to cut off a hand to get a 10min misconduct in OT of Game 7!

agreed 100%, it would be next to impossible to pick up a game misconduct in OT of game 7

Originally posted by corporal clegg:
you know, if soccer wasnt such a damn pussy sport we wouldnt have to be still talking about this.

i forgot about one thing: these last two days may have been the worst sports days in the year (at least in the US), absolutely nothing of consequence has happened (played-out baseball all-star game is about it) … did anyone watch sportscenter today? they showed the AAA all-star game highlights!

with a vacuum like this, things just keep getting re-chewed over and over and over