Here’s to the crazy ones, the rebels, the troublemakers … so began an Apple advertising campaign from last century.

It was an ode to non-conformity, a celebration of people who went their own way, and featured images of people like Albert Einstein, Bob Dylan, Martin Luther King Jr and John Lennon.

“Retaliate first”: Giorgio Chiellini clatters into Luis Suarez. Photo: Getty

In sport, as in other pursuits, it’s the crazy ones who get people through the turnstiles. Give me Maradona, Best and Gascoigne any day of the week. Luis Suarez is another tainted genius, another crazy one.

• Suarez faces another bite ban
• Hall of shame: Infamous sporting acts

They say ‘dog bites man’ isn’t news, but ‘man bites dog’ most certainly is. And when that man is Suarez, and it’s his third time charged with the same offence, then you’ve got a juggernaut on your hands.

What Suarez did against Italy – biting an opponent – was very, very poor form.

It was the latest in a long line of indiscretions from the Uruguayan, including a hand-ball on the goal line in a World Cup quarter-final four years ago and a race row with Patrice Evra.

Incredibly it was his third strike, after he sunk his teeth into Otman Bakkal while playing for Ajax, and his chomp on Chelsea’s Branislav Ivanovic.

His bite on Italy’s Giorgio Chiellini caused a wave of revulsion across the globe.

Memes featuring Suarez as Hannibal Lecter, or his head mounted on one of the dinosaurs from Jurassic Park chasing the Italian through the jungle, and hilarious videos, popped up within hours.

Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water…

Biting is an offence that generates a fierce blast wave of outrage. People go right off the deep end.

Biting is a primal response, indicative of the unevolved.

Perhaps the issue is medical – human bites have been shown to transmit diseases like hepatitis B and C, herpes, syphilis, tuberculosis and tetanus.

I dare say these instances would be rare, and Chiellini would have been fit for Italy’s next game had they made it through to the next phase.

Mike Tyson generated headlines and jokes around the globe for taking a chunk out of Evander Holyfield’s ear, and I remember the flak Chris Lewis copped for biting Todd Viney’s finger.

In Tyson’s case, the outrage was warranted – he left Holyfield’s ear permanently disfigured – but let’s stop for a moment. Breathe.

Remember Zinedine Zidane’s headbutt on Marco Materazzi?

Crossing sports, what about Chris Judd’s ‘chicken wing’ tackle on Leigh Adams that damaged his shoulder? Or his crude elbow to the head of Steven Baker? Joel Selwoods’s hit on Andrew Raines? Even the god-fearing Gary Ablett threw a poorly aimed elbow of the direction of Liam Picken’s head a few weeks back.

Leigh Matthews is considered the greatest footy player of all time by some, yet he broke the jaw of Neville Bruns and found himself in court charged with assault.

These are all examples of brilliant players, being impeded or frustrated by a lesser player, whose sole instruction is to put them off their game.

Great players are targeted. Great players react.

Punching, headbutting, kicking – actions that could result in broken noses, jaws or legs. And the reaction isn’t anywhere near as vociferous as that levelled at Suarez for his bite.

Zidane reacted with violence. So have many others. Photo: Getty

Suarez left a bite mark on Chiellini’s shoulder. He didn’t appear to break the skin. It was the kind of manoeuvre that, had it occurred in the heat of passion and between consenting adults of a particular inclination, wouldn’t have raised an eyebrow.

Of course, Chiellini should be able to go into his workplace and not be bitten by an opposition player – the aim of this column is not to excuse Suarez, rather to call for some perspective.

I dare say the Italians had committed indiscretions as well in trying to keep Suarez in check. Shirt-pulling, a bit of verbal, stamping on his toes – yet none of these were beamed around the globe in brilliant Technicolor.

Suarez, who grew up poor in Montevideo and once had to turn down an invitation to a football camp because he couldn’t afford it, has some issues in controlling himself – especially under the intense pressure he encounters playing football at the highest level.

From all accounts he is a model citizen around Anfield, who works harder than anyone to be his very best as well as helping the young players realise their potential.

Suarez is unfortunate in that his losses of control are highly visible and, thanks to the world wide web, able to be reviewed ad infinitum.

But this is not a monster. This is a man who has trouble controlling his emotions, and his reactions are unusual and disturbing.

He has made the same mistake now three times, which does not bode well.

But he needs help, not derision.