Zidane – You Are No Jackie Robinson!

“I can’t regret what I did because it would mean that he was right to say all that.” Commented French soccer star Zinedane Zidane in a ridiculous attempt at an apology after getting thrown out of the World Cup final against Italy for angrily head-butting Italian soccer star Marco Materazzi in the chest.

According to ChronWatch.com, Frenchman Zinedine Zidane, the 34-year-old superstar of international soccer, claims to have been goaded into the vicious head-butt of his opponent’s sternum because of insults his Italian foe leveled at his mother. His impulsive act – which disbarred him from the closing minutes of a tied game – probably cost his team the World Cup, his country a degree of pride absent for years, and the chance to heal the racial divide that recently saw various communities in France rioting in the streets.

In short, Zidane could have healed that divide by uniting France under the banner of a world championship, but he blew it. It was no isolated incident: Zidane had been kicked out of a Champion’s League match for head-butting another player in 2001, as well as stamping an opponent in the 1998 World Cup in response to an “insult”. Altogether, he’s been kicked out of 14 games in his career.

Zadine’s immature and extremely violent reaction to the words – mere words – of his opponents recalls another world-class athlete and his very different response to provocations far worse than anything the pampered, multimillionaire European soccer star faced last week.

Jackie Robinson, as everyone knows, was Major League Baseball’s first black player and, unlike Zadine, a man of great integrity. Robinson, by dint of his character, refused to be goaded into losing his head, even as he faced indignities and provocations that were far more egregious than those Zadine ever encountered. In fact, Robinson, against all odds, kept his eye on the prize, i.e., his country, his race and his sense of personal dignity.

Today, sadly, “the prize” seems to be – Zidane is a good example – utter self-interest. Robinson didn’t lose his head because he appreciated that not only did his Brooklyn Dodger teammates need his talents to help them get to the World Series (which they played in 6 times in Robinson’s 10-year career) but that millions of black Americans depended on him to help forge a new future for them in the United States. Jackie knew that their hopes depended on his behavior.

One can only imagine Mr. Robinson laughing an ironic laugh at the excuse Zadine offered: “You mean someone said something mean about his mother? That would have been a good day for me!”

And, of course, it would have been, for a couple of not nice words were the least of what Jackie Robinson faced every day he put on his Dodgers uniform — words so vile that today we only describe them with their first letter (the “n” word).

But Robinson faced more than mere words. More than once, opposing managers ordered their pitchers to throw 100-mile-per-hour fastballs at his head. Many players slid into second base, cleats high, in order to injure or intimidate him. Death threats were not uncommon.

But Jackie Robinson, unlike Zidane, was an uncommon man. In spite of treatment never endured to that extent – before or since – by any other major sports figure, he persevered, winning Baseball’s highest honors: the Rookie of the Year award in 1947, the Most Valuable Player award in 1949, a world’s championship in 1955 and election to the Hall of Fame in 1962. All this while winning the hearts and minds of Americans and changing the world in doing so.

Jackie Robinson once said that an individual life is not important, except in its impact on the lives of others. If only Zidane had understood these words before he chose to resort to violence in front of a billion people, many millions of them children who considered him a hero.

Zidane chose to hit the man who taunted him. Jackie Robinson chose to ignore the men who taunted him. Instead, he hit a baseball.

A few comments from the Reputation Doctor regarding Zidane vs. Jackie Robinson:

Zidane’s false pride would not allow him to give a true apology.

As I’ve said many times, a true apology has no ifs or buts. Zidane tried to justify his actions instead of taking full responsibility for his actions.

One’s character and reputation are built in the verbal line of fire.

Trash talking in sports worldwide is as old as sports itself. How do you handle both the pressure of the game and the pressure of insults from others, including trash talking of all kinds in the game? You do so like a champion with great patience and the ability to block out anything in the way of reaching your goal. Obviously Zidane failed miserable in handling the pressure. As a result, it will affect his reputation for life. He let down his team, he let down his family, he let down his country and, most importantly, he let down himself, and his pride still stands in the gap of reality/humility and stupidity.

Zidane didn’t have a worst-case scenario plan for his reputation, but Jackie Robinson did.

Branch Rickey chose Jackie Robinson to be the first African-American player in Major League Baseball for not only his excellent playing ability, but also for his great character. Jackie Robinson had to handle racism and death threats on a daily basis from baseball fans, players on other teams and even fellow team members. Rickey helped Robinson to expect the worst and think of something greater than himself to overcome the pain of the daily threats. Rickey worked personally with Jackie Robinson to handle the verbal and physical threats both on the field and in life off the field. Robinson had a plan and Zidane didn’t. As a result, Zidane’s legacy and reputation will be forever tarnished.

I am proud to say I have done some PR work over the years for with the Jackie Robinson Foundation and I am privileged to know Jackie Robinson’s wife Rachel and her daughter Sharon Robinson, who now works for Major League Baseball, as friends. Jackie Robinson’s reputation is in safe hands because of the legacy he left for his family. His character lives on within the entire Robinson family and is an excellent example for us all.

Remember, do the right thing when your reputation is in crisis and seek the counsel of an experienced reputation management expert. It will be a major challenge, but ultimately the rewards of repairing your reputation will be great. Why? Because Your Reputation Is Everything!™

Jackie Robinson, Zidane

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