Date:18/07/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/07/18/stories/2006071804202100.htm

Sport - Sports : General

Tyson beats Zidane in poll

New York: Zinedine Zidane may have head-butted his way to ignominy, but the disgraced French talisman was beaten hands-down by Mike Tyson, who topped a poll on poor sportsmanship.

A poll conducted by The San Francisco Chronicle showed Tyson garnering 77 per cent votes for chewing part of Evander Holyfield's right ear in what was billed as ``The Sound and the Fury'' show, later referred as ``The Bite Fight''. Interestingly, problem started during the initial bouts when Tyson complained Holyfield head-butted him more than once.

On the contrary, only four per cent of the readers voted for Zidane's assault on Italian defender Marco Materazzi in the ill-fated World Cup football final in Berlin.

A distant second, with just 10 per cent vote, was Giants pitcher Juan Marichal who hit Dodgers catcher John Roseboro with a bat, while Ohio State football coach Woody Hayes stood third with six per cent for clobbering a Clemson player.

Tied with Zidane was Orioles second baseman Roberto Alomar for spitting on an umpire's face. — UNI