When you fall, over do you do a John Cleese and scrape the sole of your foot down a passer by?
Nothing to do with rivalries - when you take into account the state of play in the match, the frustration, the raised studs, the abnormal leg action, and then add in who it was - a player with form for being unsporting, acting out of frustration and a serial cheat - you get a clearer picture.
You seem intent on being overly willing to side with his excuse - as for the other pundits? There's quite a few that think it was a red - hell, even Goldbridge thought it was.