When the World Cup started a month ago, I was a devoted follower of the Italy games, but trying not to get my hopes up, since it might not be that long a commitment. After all they were in what was predicted to a tough group, with the #2-ranked Czechs, the #5-ranked Americans, who were reportedly better than ever, and Ghana, who could be feisty and were not to be discounted.

I certainly never expected to see the Azzurri hoist the cup for the second time in my life (and first in my adult life). So, the victory was sweet, even if I was on the wrong side of the Atlantic to take part in the post-game celebrations. Luckily, friends filled my in box this morning with photos of the revelry, like the one above, in Turin.

Meanwhile, my son watched the game in his Italy replica onesie and because I'm a bit superstitious when it comes to sports, every four years I'm going to have to make sure he has some azzurro gear in just his size.

Although I never felt conflicted about which team to support, I cherish my memory of trying to order a beer at the Stade de France during a Paris St. Germaine match (because the bartender was proof that the American myth about the rude French is just that, a myth). So, I wasn't happy to see the French lose, being a fan of that country and its team. That is, until Zinedine Zidane's shameful head butt, which resulted in the 34-year-old being sent off. Now, I still love the country and the food, but I have a whole lot less respect for one famed (and thankfully retired) Bleu footballer.

So ended a glorious career is a pitiful moment of frustration and temper. Amazingly, Zizou, as the French call him, was still honored by the media as the player of the tournament. That such a poor sport is heralded in this way is an embarassment.

Besides the victory, the best thing about the World Cup final in America is that it (hopefully) signals an end to columnists and TV commentators blathering on about their dislike of the beautiful game. Apparently they're so bored by the sports they claim to love that they've got the time and inclination to try and convince us that the entire world outside U.S. is wrong when it comes to soccer.

Tell that to the more than 1 billion people that watched the final.

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