Dissing Suarez?

Sepp Blatter and a couple of other FIFA executives shook hands with all of the starters from Germany and Uruguay prior to the 3rd place match. I might be imagining it but I could swear that Blatter basically dissed Suarez. He shook his hand and immediately looked toward Lugano. I think Blatter even stopped smiling. After the exchange, Suarez definitely looked toward Blatter with a less than pleased expression.

The crowd definitely dissed Suarez, booing him every time he touched the ball. ESPN's commentator Ian Darke seemed particularly upset by this treatment. He stated that "any professional" in the same situation would do exactly the same thing. I'd like to believe that isn't true. There are "professional fouls" that are deliberate attempts to take down a player prior to scoring. Michael Ballack missed the 2002 World Cup final match because of a professional foul. And it's true that defenders are instructed to make such fouls if the goal seems imminent. But pushing the boundaries of fouls -- a natural part of the game-- is different from deliberating handling the ball.

There are many instances where defenders do not actually follow through with professional fouls. There are many instances where players in the same situation as Suarez actually try to head the ball instead of becoming a volleyball player. And then there's Suarez's reaction. I have not read or heart a single account of him actually apologizing. Instead here's a quote from a Guardian article:

"The Hand of God now belongs to me. Mine is the real Hand Of God," said Suárez. "I made the best save of the tournament. Sometimes in training I play as a goalkeeper so it was worth it. There was no alternative but for me to do that and when they missed the penalty I thought 'It is a miracle and we are alive in the tournament'."

Does this sound like a guy who even feels a bit of remorse or guilt for what he did?

Darke seems to believe that egregious acts are excused when the circumstances are intense and the stakes are high. I wonder what he thinks of the original Hand of God goal? Maradona would almost certainly use the same line of "reasoning" that Suarez used with his act. Perhaps Darke (and others) believe that players are justified using their hands only when preventing goals?