Beauty of the Beast

Gennaro Gattuso cracks me up. I love him, and he's a great player. He's a midfielder whose resume can boast a couple of Champions League wins with his club, AC Milan, along with a couple of wins in surly slapfights. He is fierce. (and I don't mean that in the trendy Tyra runway way. I mean that in that near-animal kind of way.) And it's not just me who thinks so. After all, Rino is nicknamed "the snarler". So for those who like the rough-and-tumble kind of player, this is your guy. Especially because, for as intimidating as he is on the field, off the field, he's about as humble and fun-loving as they come. And, naturally, he's a hottie who can pull out the trendy-Tyra fierce when need be.


Think he gives good face? It's not nearly as impressive as the body. He, along with four of his teammates, were tapped by Dolce & Gabbana to do an underwear promotion. There is plenty to love in the series of resulting shots, not least of which is Rino's savage stance in each and every picture.


I love him up there, holding down the center, just like on the field, with that look of nearly-simmering rage, almost as though he's ready to bitch-slap the photographer. But you just know he's also secretly loving it. I love the next shot even more. While the other guys feign relaxation, he's elevated and taut, still looking ready to bite someone's head off if they make one wise crack about his purple panties.


If you think for one-second he felt self-conscious about being photographed in the nearly-nude and that's what produced that aggressive body language, think again. Gattuso was also the one who, to celebrate Italy's win in the 2006 World Cup, once again stripped down to his skivvies and ran around the field until the officials chased him down and forced him to put his pants back on. Dumb-fuck officials.

And oh yeah, there's plenty more to comment on in those pictures, and there are more pictures from the series. Perhaps we can talk about how his teammate, Andrea Pirlo, hangs his head and seems just slightly embarrassed as he slinks to the side and back in every shot. But more of those pictures and more analysis of the other guys in them after Italy's match against Romania on Friday.