Ouch

Right flanker Juan Smith(R) of South Africa is tackled by scrum half Mike Blair of Scotland during their World Cup warm up match at Murrayfield in Edinburgh, Scotland. South Africa ran in three first-half tries on their way to a morale-boosting 27-3 World Cup warm-up win over Scotland.(AFP/Peter Muhly)

Is someone torturing his puppy?

Sweden's Jonas Bjorkman watches a shot from Spain's Fernando Vicente, during their Men's Singles, first round match at Wimbledon, Tuesday, June 26, 2007. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

New technique

After being frustrated by her earlier attempts, Sharapova decides to return volley with her ass.

Maria Sharapova of Russia returns a shot from Taiwan's Yung-Jan Chan, during their Women's Singles, first round match on the Number One Court at Wimbledon, Tuesday June 26, 2007. (AP Photo/Anja Niedringhaus)

"Never do that again!"

France's President Jacques Chirac speaks with France national soccer team captain Zinedine Zidane (L) at the Elysee Palace in Paris July 10, 2006. REUTERS/Philippe Wojazer (FRANCE)

BERLIN, July 10 (NYTIMES)- While Italy welcomed home its triumphant World Cup champions on Monday, France awaited a full explanation of why its national team captain, Zinédine Zidane, head-butted an opponent in the chest and was ejected from Sunday’s championship match here.

Zidane has yet to say anything publicly about the incident. But family members, in telephone interviews, said they believed the Italian defender Marco Materazzi had called Zidane, the son of Algerian immigrants, a “terrorist.”

“We think he either called him a terrorist or a son of Harkis,’’ said Mokhtar Haddad, one of Zidane’s cousins, who with friends and family studied the pivotal scene on a big screen in the family’s home village Aguemoune, 160 miles east of Algiers.

Klinsmann hearts Merkel

AP Photo/Daniel Maurer; REUTERS/Thomas Bohlen; AP Photo/Frank Augstein

July 9 (Bloomberg) -- German soccer fans, who were braced for World Cup humiliation, clogged central Berlin to celebrate the team's third-place finish as coach Juergen Klinsmann reflected on his embrace by Chancellor Angela Merkel.

``I was very proud to be hugged,'' Klinsmann, mulling the offer of a new contract, told reporters after beating Portugal 3- 1 in a playoff yesterday. ``She was at our side when times were hard and supported us when the critics were all over us. I'd like to thank her.''

Klinsmann's impact was international. Mexico's El Universal newspaper said the proliferation of flags on display across Germany hadn't been seen since World War II.

``The collective penance lasted 61 years,'' said the paper. ``It took the World Cup to put an end to it.''

"Come to Mama"

REUTERS/Thomas Bohlen (GERMANY) ; REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach

Better watch out wearing this shirt

An England supporter is arrested by German riot police after England played Trinidad and Tobago during the World Cup in the centre of Nuremberg, June 15, 2006. REUTERS/Fabrizio Bensch (GERMANY)

Old man can still box

Oscar De La Hoya (R) of Los Angeles has Ricardo Mayorga of Managua, Nicaragua against the ropes during the sixth round at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada May 6, 2006. De La Hoya won the WBC Super Welterweight title fight by TKO in the sixth round. REUTERS/Steve Marcus

Funny Sign

San Francisco Giants' Barry Bonds (25) is greeted by a sign while playing against the Philadelphia Phillies in the fourth inning of their baseball game Friday, May 5, 2006, in Philadelphia.(AP Photo/Rusty Kennedy)