Luis Suarez Defense of Bite: "I lost my balance"

Luis Suarez appears to live by the old George Costanza adage of, “It’s not a lie if you believe it.” Earlier this week the entire world watched the talented (and troubled) Uruguayan striker bite into the shoulder of Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini during their Group D match at the 2014 World Cup. In turn Suarez received a nine-match international suspension and a four-month worldwide ban.

Suarez, it seems, is playing the victim card in a letter he wrote to FIFA about the incident, calling it unintentional. Via the AP:

"“After the impact … I lost my balance, making my body unstable and falling on top of my opponent,” Suarez wrote in his submission to the panel which met Wednesday, one day after Uruguay beat Italy 1-0 in a decisive group-stage match. “At that moment I hit my face against the player leaving a small bruise on my cheek and a strong pain in my teeth,” Suarez said."

Of course this is the third incident of Suarez biting an opponent during a match. Not the first. Not the second. The third.

A Suarez-less Uruguay faces Colombia later today in the Round of 16.