Kerre Woodham: Zidane not the first sportsman to lose his rag

There were a number of burning questions in the world of sport this week. They all relate to Zinedine Zidane and his brain explosion that saw him red carded in his final game for France against Italy in the World Cup final.

The first question is easy to answer. In response to the incredulous commentator, who asked: "What was he thinking?" - the simple answer is, he wasn't. There was no thought, no plan of action. After being goaded by Marco Materazzi, Zidane butted the Italian in the chest with his head. Surely, if he'd been thinking he would have made a better job of sorting out the Italian, who looks like just the sort of boy you wouldn't have wanted in your classroom.

Given all the strife Zidane got into, he might just as well have been hung for a sheep as for a lamb, and knocked the bugger out cold.

The second is far harder to answer: What did Materazzi say? No-one, it appears, knows. Lip readers have enjoyed their Warholesque five minutes of fame, but I doubt their evidence could ever be used in court because every one of them came up with a different interpretation, ranging from Zidane being the son of a terrorist whore, to hoping Zidane's family die miserable deaths. Materazzi's not saying and all Zidane will say is that there were hard words directed against his mother and sister, and he's not sorry for taking on Materazzi.

Surely, the best revenge would have been staying on the field, and ensuring France were the cup holders for the next four years, not Italy. But then, we know Zidane wasn't thinking long-term objectives. He's not the first sportsman to lose his rag - Eric Cantona famously karate kicked a spectator who was taunting him resulting in one of the all time great headlines: Shit Hits Fan. And of course, our own All Blacks have had moments of madness. But whatever Materazzi said, the French football fans are standing behind Zidane and so is his mum. Mama Zidane thinks her boy was quite right to defend her honour, even at the expense of losing the final and she'd like to see Materazzi's balls on a platter. With that sort of feistiness running in the Zidane genes, Materazzi's lucky to escape with a bruised chest.