Nike Materazzi ad

[Elias]

It's pretty cheesy, but sort of funny. Nike should have done a better job.

One article said he got paid $50,000 for the ad.

The caption at the end supposedly reads: "Every athlete has their secret weapon".

See, if you play soccer, you create a chest of steel.

[morrison]

i think it's funny since he fell like he'd been shot...

(not saying it couldn't of potentially hurt since Zinédine played a textbook headbutt)

cheesy yes, guess it works up in Italy though

[River City]

I love the one on Shevchencko.....classic. How this guy hasn't been suspended is beyond belief....oh, hold on - he plays in Italy!

[Grizzly]

I think this is a really stupid ad that plays to some stereotype that Materazzi is a tough guy instead of the total p-u-s-s-y he is. Zidane didn't even head butt him that hard and he went down like he had been shot by a rifle. I could understand such an ad if Materazzi had taken Zidane's headbutt like a man and stood up. Materazzi is a dirty but also extremely cowardly player, the type of guy who will fight someone when he has three friends with him but would never fight one on one. This whole ad campaign is about Italian denial about how this player disgraced their team and the World Cup (and yes Zidane was equally disgraceful).

[L.T.]

That little qualifier at the end doesn't vindicate your obvious bias against italians.

At the risk of rehashing this issue, I have to say that this has been so ridiculously spun out of whack (can anyone say 'weapons of mass destruction') it is almost comical.

Classic example, we had customers in from Houston for a review a few weeks after the cup. They were definitely not followers of soccer, but where from NASA, so relatively intelligent.

Some of them knew I was a soccer fan and of italian background, so he congratulated the italians on winning the cup. Then another one piped up - "but how about that italian guy who head-butted the frenchmen?"

I think that pretty much sums it up. Ask 100 people to guess who hit who based on the public reaction, and I'll bet they'll say Materazzi was the agressor more often than not. Pathetic... lucky we have the Cup to help soften the pain

[morrison]

quote:Originally posted by River City

I love the one on Shevchencko.....classic. How this guy hasn't been suspended is beyond belief....oh, hold on - he plays in Italy!

minus that last comment, I think it's be hard to even disagree, it's not as if he's aiming for the ball or anything...

He's not even looking at the ball for 4 of those top 5 Materazzi moments.

[Grizzly]

quote:Originally posted by L.T.

That little qualifier at the end doesn't vindicate your obvious bias against italians.

At the risk of rehashing this issue, I have to say that this has been so ridiculously spun out of whack (can anyone say 'weapons of mass destruction') it is almost comical.

Classic example, we had customers in from Houston for a review a few weeks after the cup. They were definitely not followers of soccer, but where from NASA, so relatively intelligent.

Some of them knew I was a soccer fan and of italian background, so he congratulated the italians on winning the cup. Then another one piped up - "but how about that italian guy who head-butted the frenchmen?"

I think that pretty much sums it up. Ask 100 people to guess who hit who based on the public reaction, and I'll bet they'll say Materazzi was the agressor more often than not. Pathetic... lucky we have the Cup to help soften the pain

Yeah, you got me LT, I hate Italians, it was me who set up Gagliano and Volpe. Stop being stupid, you or your ethnic ancestors with whom you identify with won the Cup but it was not in an honourable way nor were the French honourable either, not only Zidane but they like Italy dived for some goals to get to the final and even dived for their first goal in the final. In fact most of the European teams behaved disgracefully in this WC aided by a European FIFA directorship and biased referreeing that let it all go. Included in the European divers is the Germans, the country where I was born and lived for 10 years but obviously by your logic I must hate them as well if I state they played dishonourably (in fact this is the first time in a while I have seen Germany play attractive soccer but also the first time that I have seen them dive regularly). We finally get a World Cup where the South American and Mexico behaved (probably because they knew the refs were against them) and the Europeans are more disgraceful than the South Americans ever were. You can deny it all you want. What does a bunch of ignorant Americans who don't know who did what have to do with this. Everyone saw Zidane headbutt Materazzi in a manner that probably wouldn't knock a 12 year old to the ground and saw how this guy dropped like a ton of bricks. Probably if he didn't drop like this Zidane wouldn't have gotten a red card (which he still would have deserved in my opinion) and Italy may or may not have won. He helped Italy win the Cup but did so in a dishonourable way and you or Nike Italy can colour it how you like but it is still cowardly and dishonourable.

[loyola]

What??? How can Materrazzi have disgrace Italy??? By making a sister joke? He received a headbutt in the chest and it was serious enough for him to fall no doubt, I think that the headbutt (Materazzi falling on the ground) isn,t the best example to use to prove your point Grizzly (that european teams were disgracefull).

"Italy dived for some goals"

which ones? Maybe Grosso, but I felt that wasn,t a clear dive nor that was a clear PK but the mistake was made by Neil to go on the ground like that, something he should'nt done, even the Australians didn,t complained that much after the game. But I want to know which goals Italy dove for because you're stating that they're more than one.

Who are those everyone who saw the ZZ headbutt in a manner that wouldn't knock a 12 yrs old on the ground? Honestly, the reaction of the commentator says it all when he sees it for the first time, he's shocked, all the frenchmen with who I was on that moment were shocked, on that instant no one suggested that Materazzi embelished the reaction. It's only here that I,ve read about it from a few posters (most of them clearly stating that they were somewhat anti-italians, I'm not saying you are).

BTW, if a player headbutt you, as a coach I would tell you to go down even if you can stay up, especially if the ref can't see the headbutt so he'll know that something happpened. I'm against diving during the flow of the game but on a cheap shot that deserves a red card I would advise any player to go on the ground. But in the case of Materazzi I don't think he could've stay up after that charge.

[Grizzly]

The Italy goal against Australia was on a dive and it won them the game but I have to admit that is the only Italian dive I remember that led directly to a goal. They certainly did dive in other matches though in particular against the US although they were by no means the worst offender in the tournament (in fact I thought the worst diving team was surprisingly Sweden with Larsen and Ibrahmovic falling all over themselves). I am not a fan of Italy but I did think they played very well in this tournament and much more attractive soccer than usual which is why I don't think they had to result to tactics like those employed by Materrazzi.

As far as the headbutt goes, the announcers reacted that way because it was surprising to see Zidane do that and Materrazzi plays it well. The first time one sees it one thinks that it is a real headbutt. Once one watches the replay one thinks how did he get knocked over by that. It was in fact very similar to the Figo headbutt which was not that hard but which knocked the Dutch player flat. Call me old fashioned but I just don't think it is honourable for a grown man to fake falling down. I agree that in both the Zidane and Figo cases that a red card may not have been issued had the player not fallen down. I also agree that in both cases a red was deserved whether or not the player fell down. Zidane should have known better than to do what he did but in my opinion if you are going to insult someone in life or soccer then you should stand up and take what is coming to you like a man. What Materrazzi did was effective but also extremely cowardly especially for someone who seems to view himself as a tough guy. Maybe as a coach you would advise your players to do the same but that is winning at all costs and playing dirty or in other words winning with dishonour.

[loyola]

Sadly I saw dives by almost all teams in this tournament and I don't know why people are pointing the finger to the Italians??? As for the Australia PK it's debatable but I don't see it as a dive, more like some embelishment from Grosso who was obstruct by a player who didn't touch the ball at all.

"Maybe as a coach you would advise your players to do the same but that is winning at all costs and playing dirty or in other words winning with dishonour."

How is a player who was subject to cheap shot (who should be punish by a red card) is playing dirty by going to the ground to advise the ref that something went wrong? The one who's playing dirty is the offender (the one who waits until the ref doesn't watch to commit a red card offence).

Of course I don,t understand this commercial since Materazzi felt on the ground but I can't see how he disgrace Italy by going to the ground after ZZ textbook headbutt???

I think you have a bias against Italy and Materazzi (who's a crazy and dangerous player) to say that he could've a stay up on his feet after that headbutt. Maybe the rolling on the ground and stuff wasn't necessary but going to the ground was just normal in this case.