Head-Butt No Shocker Even in Soccer

No, the red-haired Italian (25% by blood if you're scoring at home) is not here to gloat about Italy's World Cup win on the weekend. Like everyone else, I'm talkin' Zizou.

There's plenty of uproar this week about the Head-Butt Seen 'Round the World. Finding someone who condones Zinedane Zidane's violent decision to bulldoze Marco Materazzi is tougher than finding an NBA player without a tattoo. But for all of those saying, "I can't believe such a thing could happen!", give me a break. Sorry, but I'm just not surprised.

Before you rattle off Zidane's jaw-dropping resume of accommplishments (which includes a history of emotionally induced cards and suspensions, I might add), hear me out. If you look at the nature of professional sports on this planet, it's hardly surprising that this occurred. From Todd Bertuzzi's punch on Steve Moore to Ron Artest's foray into the crowd in Detroit to Bill Romanowski's facial assault on teammate Marcus Williams in training camp, sports is filled with appalling, violent transgressions.

Why? Pretty simple if you ask me. Most pro sports allow athletes to engage in actions that would land them in jail or at least significant trouble if they committed those actions in everyday life. A helmet and pads pretty much pass for a license to abuse an opponent. Don't believe me? Try facewashing the guy who budded in line at the bar and see what happens to you. Yet if a defenceman employs similar treatment to a forward deemed too close to the goalie, it doesn't even constitute a penalty in hockey. Or perhaps you want to pancake the dude holding an empty parking spot on a busy street while his pal pulls a u-turn to grab it. An assault charge in real life is a great block on a weak side toss.

The point is that pro sports already permit their players to cross lines that exist in the real world, so it's hard to gauge how these athletes will react in times of heightened agression. A guy makes a crude remark about your 10 year old daughter? You run him so hard into the boards that you take a 2 minute charging penalty. Try that on Granville street and you'd better call a lawyer. Is it any wonder that players who've been coached to physically impose themselves on one another end up pushing past the level of accepted violence on occasion?

That doesn't mean I condone Zidane ramming his noggin into Materazzi's chest. I'd like to think that an adult can shrug off any verbal ammunition fired his way. But I'm a realist, not an idealist. Sports is no different than any other walk of life. You've got your even-keeled folks mixed in with an element of hot-tempered individuals. So if you want to wave your finger at Zidane for his unforgettable melon-missile on Materazzi, go ahead. Just wipe the shocked expression off your face.