The Zidane mystery

It's been 24 hours and still no official word on what Italian defender Marco Materazzi said to make Zinedine Zidane flip, cock and fire his shaven lid at Materazzi.

There is speculation Materazzi called Zidane "a dirty terrorist," in reference to Zidane's Muslim and Algerian background. Materazzi denies making the terrorist comment and, so far, Zindane remains mum on what he heard.

I know soccer has struggled with issues of race in the past, and has been embarrassed recently by racist chants and signs from crowds in Spain and Italy.

But what happened did not come from the stands. It was a conversation between two players. I've never played soccer on a world class level (or since I was ten) but I've seen things done and heard things said in a low-division high school rugby scrum that would get you marked as an outcast and probably arrested on the street.

Bottom line, there are different rules when you are competing on the pitch than when you are in "polite" society.

If it turns out Materazzi did call Zidane a terrorist, or something to that effect, it shouldn't cheapen Italy's victory, or allow Zidane off the hook one bit.

Ugly in a certain context? Of course. But let's not forgot Materazzi was able to get the best player in the world thrown out of the biggest match in the world.

Zidane, 34, has surely heard every racist taunt about Algerians and Muslims imaginable. That Materazzi knew he could still get to Zidane with that, if true, borders on being commendable. In fact, I'd ask Materazzi why he didn't taunt Zidane earlier in the match.

Anyway, being called a "dirty terrorist" in the heat of battle (assuming Zidane knows he isn't a dirty terrorist) is nothing compared to the far-harder-to-dismiss insults the German tabloids directed at David Beckham's mother and sister during the World Cup, or what JJ Redick and his family had to deal with on a regular basis when he was popping treys for Duke.

Zidane has been great player and a great champion at every level, and I don't think his getting ejected late in the game was what cost France -- that would be Italy's superior defense and excellent penalty kicking.

There is a still a classy way out of this for Zizou. He shouldn't reveal what Materazzi said for at least a few days. Keep it between world class competitors for now, and let the focus remain on Italy's deserved victory.

That was really fun. I've just become envious of Jay Marrioti and Stephen A. Smith.