It is ironic how small acts in one’s life sometimes tend to change the whole image one has cultivated over a lifetime. One of such acts in recent times was the ‘head-butt’ that Zinedine Zidane unleashed on Materazzi in the World cup Finals leading to his expulsion from the field. It would be hard to think about Zidane without referring to that infamous incident that marked his last appearance in the arena and which occurred at the biggest level in front of millions of viewers.
That single act inspired many things- outrage, defence of his actions, public debates about refereeing decisions in the game and even sms jokes. One such joke goes:
Q: Zidane ne Materazzi ko dhakka kyon mara?
A: Kyonki Materazzi ne poocha tha: Hum Chlor-mint kyon khate hain?
(Referring to the chlor-mint ad on TV)
Few people probably know that this act by Zidane gave birth to a legend in AMC(Assam Medical College-the college where i studied) itself. The legend that we know by his nick-name of Zidane.
He is probably four feet in height. Muscular and stockily built, with his red gleaming eyes, dark skin and a very short temper, he comes across as a very ferocious being. And his actions match his image. On last count, his head-butts had accounted for three cases to be sent to the casualty. Fair-play is just not his cup of tea. The head-butts were what gave him the nick-name.
Slowly, his reputation has grown while his actions have become more and more violent. Many were the times when students, specially first and second years changed their paths on their way to classes, risking being late in class than crossing paths with Zidane. Even those who knew him tended to avoid him. Jokes made by the seniors on him were met with an angry glance and sometimes intended physical assault. Luckily, no one was hurt.
One night we decided that enough was enough. After all, we couldn’t spend our whole lives in terror. We decided on confrontation as being the best policy to deal with him. We drew chits to decide who would go on to confront him. Ultimately, the task fell on the shoulders of me and three others- Borkal, Havoc and Body (their nicknames).
Our search began from the hostel corridors. Armed with rods and sticks, should the need arise, we searched for him. Ultimately, we cornered him near the hostel gates. He seemed to be in a really foul mood that night. He stopped in his tracks and gave us that spine-chilling stare of his. I could feel Goosebumps all over my body. Judging by the looks, others weren’t in too good a condition either. Gathering his courage, Borkal called out to him. He formally asked him to leave the hostel and not to trouble us again. Zidane remained silent. Taking heart from this display all of us joined in and started berating him for his actions. It was only then that I realized that he was getting restless and impatient. Without saying a word, he conveyed what he thought. The only sound that came from his throat was a deep guttural sound.
Realizing that words were not enough, we positioned ourselves for action. Borkal moved for the kill swiftly and aimed a blow with his stick on Zidane’s midriff. This was followed by Havoc’s and Body’s blows that got him on the head. The others were smart enough to get back to safety quickly before I had even moved an inch. That left me alone with the devil. Humiliated and angry, he looked directly into my eyes, bowed his head and stamped his feet on the ground. I knew what was coming. I was going to be the fourth victim of the infamous head-butt to be admitted to the casualty. Luckily, for me the others had rallied and started throwing bricks on Zidane and exhorted me to run. And run I did. I think at that pace, I would have broken the college 100 m records. I stopped only after reaching the safety of the hostel corridors and my friends. We quickly retreated to our rooms and discussed the matter. We agreed on one thing- This had been an amazing adventure worthy of retelling our Grandchildren.
After all it is not everyday that you get to fight a big black mad bull in India!
That single act inspired many things- outrage, defence of his actions, public debates about refereeing decisions in the game and even sms jokes. One such joke goes:
Q: Zidane ne Materazzi ko dhakka kyon mara?
A: Kyonki Materazzi ne poocha tha: Hum Chlor-mint kyon khate hain?
(Referring to the chlor-mint ad on TV)
Few people probably know that this act by Zidane gave birth to a legend in AMC(Assam Medical College-the college where i studied) itself. The legend that we know by his nick-name of Zidane.
He is probably four feet in height. Muscular and stockily built, with his red gleaming eyes, dark skin and a very short temper, he comes across as a very ferocious being. And his actions match his image. On last count, his head-butts had accounted for three cases to be sent to the casualty. Fair-play is just not his cup of tea. The head-butts were what gave him the nick-name.
Slowly, his reputation has grown while his actions have become more and more violent. Many were the times when students, specially first and second years changed their paths on their way to classes, risking being late in class than crossing paths with Zidane. Even those who knew him tended to avoid him. Jokes made by the seniors on him were met with an angry glance and sometimes intended physical assault. Luckily, no one was hurt.
One night we decided that enough was enough. After all, we couldn’t spend our whole lives in terror. We decided on confrontation as being the best policy to deal with him. We drew chits to decide who would go on to confront him. Ultimately, the task fell on the shoulders of me and three others- Borkal, Havoc and Body (their nicknames).
Our search began from the hostel corridors. Armed with rods and sticks, should the need arise, we searched for him. Ultimately, we cornered him near the hostel gates. He seemed to be in a really foul mood that night. He stopped in his tracks and gave us that spine-chilling stare of his. I could feel Goosebumps all over my body. Judging by the looks, others weren’t in too good a condition either. Gathering his courage, Borkal called out to him. He formally asked him to leave the hostel and not to trouble us again. Zidane remained silent. Taking heart from this display all of us joined in and started berating him for his actions. It was only then that I realized that he was getting restless and impatient. Without saying a word, he conveyed what he thought. The only sound that came from his throat was a deep guttural sound.
Realizing that words were not enough, we positioned ourselves for action. Borkal moved for the kill swiftly and aimed a blow with his stick on Zidane’s midriff. This was followed by Havoc’s and Body’s blows that got him on the head. The others were smart enough to get back to safety quickly before I had even moved an inch. That left me alone with the devil. Humiliated and angry, he looked directly into my eyes, bowed his head and stamped his feet on the ground. I knew what was coming. I was going to be the fourth victim of the infamous head-butt to be admitted to the casualty. Luckily, for me the others had rallied and started throwing bricks on Zidane and exhorted me to run. And run I did. I think at that pace, I would have broken the college 100 m records. I stopped only after reaching the safety of the hostel corridors and my friends. We quickly retreated to our rooms and discussed the matter. We agreed on one thing- This had been an amazing adventure worthy of retelling our Grandchildren.
After all it is not everyday that you get to fight a big black mad bull in India!
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