The following is an excerpt from OpinionJournal.com’s “Best of the Web” written by the editor, James Taranto.
Bottom Story of the Day
“Currency Rise Helps Canadian N.H.L. Teams”–headline, New York Times, Dec. 2
It’s Always in the Last Place You Look
“Russian Police Find Car With Explosives Next to Railroad Station”–headline, Bloomberg, Dec. 3
Peace, Soccer Style
“The United Nations says retired international soccer star Zinedine Zidane will visit Gaza in March to promote Mideast peace,” the Associated Press reports from Jerusalem:
The United Nations Children’s Fund, known as UNICEF, made the announcement Thursday. Zidane, a French Muslim, will tour Gaza as a goodwill ambassador.
Do you remember Zidane? Neither do we, but the AP notes that he is “infamous for his head butt of Italy defender Marco Materazzi at the 2006 World Cup.” A contemporaneous report from London’s Daily Mail explains that Zidane, born in France to Algerian immigrant parents, “was responding to being called ‘a terrorist.’ ” by the Italian player.
If true, it was certainly bad form for Materazzi to call him that. Still, maybe someone with a thicker skin would have been a better fit for the role of “goodwill ambassador.”
For more “Best of the Web” click here and look for the “Best of the Web Today” link in the middle column below “Today’s Columnists.
