Don't Sing Happy Birthday

In a convergance of two blogsites, the Blogfather points out a birthday, and the Volokh Conspiracy explains why you might not want to sing your greetings.

Good Sports, Bad Sports

Tonight the NBC Nightly News had a heartwarming story of good sportsmanship. I couldn't find the NBC story on-line, but here is an ESPN account of the game. In a critical league softball game between Western Oregon University and Central Washington University, Sara Tucholsky, a Western Oregon player (who had been hitting .088) hit a home run with two runners on base in the top of the second inning. As she rounded first base, she stumbled, tore ligaments in her knee and collapsed in pain, unable to continue. By the time anyone realized something was wrong, the two runners had crossed the plate and Sara was the only WOU player still on the field of play. Umpires ruled (incorrectly as it turned out) that if Sara could make it back to first base the team could substitute for her and she would be credited with a two-run single, but if a WOU coach, trainer or player touched her before she got to the base, she would be called out.

As WOU coach Pam Knox was preparing to make the substitution that would wipe out the home run but save the two runs, Mallory Holtman, one of the CWU players and a star of the team, asked if she could help Sara. Umpires agreed she could, so Mallory and other CWU players carried Sara around to touch all the bases and complete her home run.

How was Mallory rewarded for her good sportsmanship--did her team come back to win? Read the ESPN account to find out how the game turned out.

This contrasts to a game that took place much closer to here. Read the account of a different approach to sportsmanship here.

Some people seem to believe that any actions are justified in order to win a game, and some people don't. Mallory Holtman has her idea of sportsmanship and Duke Coach Sean McNally has his.

Worst Case Scenario

Here is another case for the Worst Case Scenario folks. Who'da thunk you could send an innocent text message to your wife and you end up a suicide in jail.

"She showed the message to her father, who angrily called Ramazan and accused him of calling his daughter a prostitute. Ramazan went to his wife’s home to apologize, only to be attacked by his wife, her father, and two sisters. He was stabbed in the chest but succeeded in grabbing a knife, stabbing his wife, and getting away. Emine died of her wounds; Ramazan killed himself in jail.

Texting can be dangerous.