Never apologise, never explain
April 20, 2009
A German football club will refund the tickets of 600 fans in an unusual apology for a “pitiful performance” that ended in a 4-0 loss at Schalke.
Energie Cottbus supporters travelled some 610km (380 miles) to Gelsenkirchen on Friday only to see their team suffer the sixth loss in seven games. The club made the offer in a web statement headed “Sorry, Energie Fans!”.
Cottbus are second from bottom of the Bundesliga table and in danger of being relegated at the end of the season.
- BBC News
Welcome to the home of Rolf
April 15, 2009
China’s one million golfers have been urged to try out the sport at ‘the home of golf’.
First Minister Alex Salmond is in China where he has launched the Scottish Prestige Golf Club.
For an annual fee of about £2,650, Chinese players will get membership of a Scottish course, priority tee times and travel agency services. Venues already signed up include Gleneagles, in Perthshire, Carnoustie, in Angus, and Turnberry, in Ayrshire.
Mr Salmond said: “Golf is the growth sport in China, a country which now boasts well over 200 courses with a further 100 now under construction.
“There are now more than a million golf club members in China who are no different to golfers the world over in wanting to experience their favourite sport in its natural home of Scotland, to test their skills at the ‘home of golf’.
- BBC News
The answer my friend, is blowing in the wind…
April 6, 2009
A referee ordered a penalty to be retaken in a Sunday league football game when an opposition player broke wind as the ball was kicked.
The Chorlton Villa player got a yellow card for the noise which was classed as “ungentlemanly conduct”.
The team, who conceded a goal on the second take, went on to win the match 6-4 against International Manchester FC at Turn Moss in Stretford, Manchester.
Villa manager Ian Treadwell said their conduct was “normally exemplary”…
“We are not a dirty team and we like to play football.”
- BBC News
Stop it, you’ll go blind
April 5, 2009
Katie Price hates her muscly legs she has developed from training to run the London Marathon.
The glamour model – formerly known as Jordan – is training with her husband Peter Andre to run 26 miles in the marathon on April 26 and has vowed never to do it again.
Katie told New magazine: “I don’t like my legs – it’s not that I feel manly or unsexy – it’s just that I am not used to seeing muscles.”
She continued: “They are normally quite slender, so I have noticed a difference. But I don’t care – it’s all for charity.
“I am never, ever doing another marathon again! I am finding it really tough at the moment. Exercise is boring. I am only doing it for charity, but never again…
Katie will be running the London Marathon to raise funds for The Vision Charity, a charity for the blind and visually impaired.
To sponsor her, go to http://www.justgiving.com/teamkatieprice
He’s one
March 21, 2009
US President Barack Obama has apologised for joking on a TV chat show that a poor bowling performance was “like the Special Olympics”.
He made the comment during an appearance on Jay Leno’s Tonight Show, and later phoned the chairman of the Special Olympics to apologise.
Responding, Tim Shriver said Mr Obama’s remarks could be seen as “humiliating” to people with special needs…
Reacting to Mr Obama’s comments, Mr Shriver said the president had apologised for his remark.
“He expressed that he did not intend to humiliate [the disabled] population,” said Mr Shriver. But he stressed that the president’s comments should not be dismissed out of hand.
“I think it’s important to see that words hurt and words do matter,” he added. “And these words that in some respect can be seen as humiliating or a put down to people with special needs do cause pain and they do result in stereotypes.”
- BBC News
I’d say that qualifies as a foul…
March 17, 2009
An Iraqi football player has been shot dead by a spectator as he was about to score an equalising goal.
The shooting happened in the last minute of a game between two local rivals on Sunday, police say.
The striker was shot in the head during the match in the city of Hilla, according to local security officials.
- BBC News
For those not familiar with Scottish soccer, ‘old firm’ supporters are followers of Glasgow-based football clubs Rangers and Celtic. Usually they’re too busy shooting each other to go for the players.
You don’t have to outswim the shark…
March 16, 2009
…you just have to outswim the other competitors!
Swimmers competing in a race in Sydney, Australia have had a close encounter with two sharks, one of which is believed to have swam directly beneath them.
The 700 swimmers were competing in a Surf Lifesaving race off Cronulla Beach when the two sharks, a hammerhead and a smaller shark, were spotted.
Lifeboats chased the hammerhead in an effort to force it out to sea. It is thought the smaller shark swam away.
This close encounter follows three other shark attacks that have taken place in Sydney waters over the recent weeks.
- BBC News
More power to ‘em
March 11, 2009
A rugby club in the sport’s Scottish heartland is aiming to become the most eco-friendly in the world.
Hawick Rugby Club hopes to live up to its nickname “the Greens” with a new environmental strategy. It is carrying out a study with a view to meeting all its energy needs by harnessing the nearby River Teviot.
Club president Donnie McLeod said they hoped to cut their carbon emissions and generate extra income by selling surplus energy to the national grid.
The environmental plans are being launched at a “Green Day” being held in Hawick.
- BBC News
Pakistani ducks are different
March 5, 2009
Chris Broad has said he is extremely angrily about the lack of security in Pakistan after witnessing Tuesday’s terror attack in Lahore.
The former England batsman was match referee for the Pakistan-Sri Lanka third Test and was in a vehicle with other officials when they came under fire.
In a press conference Mr Broad described being shocked, saddened and angry shortly after arriving in Manchester.
The ICC official said he had been promised high-level security but officials were left like ‘sitting ducks’.
BBC News has the full press conference online.
Pakistan shits in cricketing nest
March 3, 2009
Gunmen have attacked a bus carrying the Sri Lankan cricket team on its way to play in the Pakistani city of Lahore.
At least five Pakistani policemen escorting the team bus were killed, while seven cricketers, and their assistant coach, were injured.
Pakistani officials said about 12 gunmen were involved and grenades and rocket launchers have been recovered.
Officials said the incident bore similarities to deadly attacks in Mumbai in India last November.
The Mumbai attacks were blamed on Pakistan-based Islamic militants.
- BBC News
Skepticlawyer’s post is here.
