Getting their kicks for Democracy

Press Release November 3, 2008 Contact: Larry Evans 412-445-2951

At Chatham University’s Athletic Field all day Saturday, November 1^st, 45 girls from three under 14 girls soccer teams from Mount Lebanon, West Mifflin and West Virginia competed in friendly round robin games at the second Citizen Athlete SoccerFest of 2008 (the first occurred at Robert Morris University’s Island Sports Center last August). The SoccerFest is a celebration of the historic upcoming presidential election mixing soccer play with voter education games promoting participatory citizenship and sportsmanship.

The Chatham SoccerFest was organized around the University’s Womens Soccer Team’s final home game of the season versus Westminster College during an annual Family and Friends Weekend Celebration held on Chatham’s elegant Shadyside campus. The SoccerFest benefited “EveryBody Vote”, a local coalition of non-partisan and non-profit voter education organizations.

The day of continuous soccer action began with an inspired group “Warm-up like a collegian” aerobic for the three youth teams led by Chatham star players. The University’s players and U14 girls also traded sideline ball hawking services on the plush new fieldturf synthetic grass surface on a beautiful autumn day.

In breaks between soccer games, teams participated in both athletic and academic skills contests, showing off their finely-tuned American Civics and Sports Trivia knowledge as well as their kicking and goal scoring abilities. Medals and ribbons for both physical and mental game winners were awarded. Additionally for all - mock voting and voter registration was available. In the Mock Election, Barack Obama edged John McCain by a mere 6 votes.

In the soccer friendlies, West Mifflin won the day going undefeated. The games were officiated by very capable referees from the Dynamo Soccer Association (Bob Shreve, Frank Correnti, Erik Schmidt, Alex Brown and Josh Axelrod). Participating coaches Girish Thakar (Westminister Titans), Jaime Retersdorf, (Chatham Cougars), Frank Sullivan (Mount Lebanon Kickers), Greg Bourke (West Mifflin Titans) and Cornelius Adamah and Doug Sharpe (West Virginia Fusion) - remained true to the event’s good sportsmanship theme through the 7 games played where not one yellow or red card was issued.

Winners of the Sports Skills Contests included:

Soccer Target: 1^stPlace: Nichole Hammack (West Mifflin); 2^nd Place: Jenny Evans (Mount Lebanon); 3^rd Place: Alyssa Battaglia (Mount Lebanon); 4^th Place: Chanel Burner (West Virginia) 5^th Place: Sara Allas (West Mifflin); 6^th Place: Emma Wise (West Virginia).

Radar Velocity: 1^st Place: Chanel Burner (West Virginia); 2^nd Place: Sujorden Miller (West Virginia); 3^rd Place: Andrea Racic (Mount Lebanon); 4^th Place: Nichole Hammack (West Mifflin); 5^th Place: Gabrielle Mooney (West Mifflin); 6^th Place: Lauren Allas (West Mifflin).

Sportsmanship/Citizenship Quiz: 1^st Place: Kathryn Sharpe (West Virginia); 2^nd Place: Cheyenne Smith (West Mifflin); 3^rd Place: Morgan Rubosky (West Mifflin); 4^th Place: Charlotte Vester (West Virginia); 5^th Place: Kristina Faupel (West Mifflin); 6^th Place Sara Mundell (West Virginia).

Finally, invitations to attend the games were delivered to John McCain and Barack Obama in the hope that they would drop by to show Pittsburgh and the world just who got game. Unfortunately they didn’t make it. Hopefully they will realize, as the late Senator Eugene McCarthy aptly quipped – that...“Coaches and Politicians have a lot in common. They both have to be smart enough to know the game and dumb enough to think it’s important”.

Below is the kid-friendly Citizen Athlete Quiz to rack you and/or your family’s brain over on Election Night (see answer key in comments of this blog.)

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Who is the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of the USA?

A) General Mills B) General Store C) President Bush D) Joe Paterno E) Major Harris

2. How old do citizens of the United States have to be to vote?

A) 21 B) 32 C) 16 D) 18 E) 25 F) 10

3. What is the highest Court in the United States?

A) The Mitchell Committee B) The Supreme Court C) Judge Judy D) Randy, Paula and Simon

4. What is NOT a right of all United States Citizens?

A) freedom of speech B) freedom of worship C) the right to drive a car D) the right to bear arms

5. Who decides who becomes President?

A) The Electoral College B) Penn State University C) The Popular Vote D) The Supreme Court

6. What National Hockey league team has gone the longest without winning a Stanley Cup?

A) Pittsburgh Penguins B) Chicago Blackhawks C) Montreal Canadians D)Anaheim Mighty Ducks

7. What NFL team was caught spying on other teams including the Steelers?

A) Denver Broncos B) Duluth Bulldogs C) New England Patriots D) McKeesport Little Tigers

8. What is the name of the current President of the United States?

A) Sidney Crosby B) Luke Ravenstahl C) Bill Clinton D) George W. Bush

9. If President Bush can no longer serve, who would become President?

A) Charlie Batch B) Dick Chainey C) Laura Bush D) Al Gore E) Simon Cowell

10. Who said to a Congressional Drugs Committee “I’m not here to talk about the past” ?

A) Jose Conseco B) Barry Bonds C) O J Simpson D) Mark McGuire E) Pacman Jones

11. Who has a tattoo on his arm of his wife’s name in Hindu but it is spelled wrong?

A) David Beckham B) Jason Bay C) Barack Obama D) Troy Polamalu

12. What NY Yankee player has his own cologne brand?

A) Reggie Jackson B) Derek Jeter C) Andy Pettite D) Yogi Berra

13. A Presidential term runs for how many years?

A) four years B) two years C) six years D) for life

14. When asked by a reporter how he felt about making more money than the President of the United States what baseball player answered: “Well, I guess I had a better year!”?

A) Lou Gehrig B) Barry Bonds C) Honus Wagner D) Babe Ruth E) Alex Rodriguez

15. A Senator’s term runs for how many years?

A) 8 years B) 6 years C) 4 years D) for life

16. In what sport does the referee have the absolute say even over the rules of the game?

A) Baseball B) Football C) Soccer E) Basketball F) Ice Hockey

17. Who is buried in Grant’s Tomb?

A) Longfellow Deeds B) Robert E Lee C) Ben Franklin D) U. S. Grant E) Lou Gehrig

18. What Pennsylvanian did NOT sign the Declaration of Independence?

A) Ben Franklin B) Robert Morris C) George Clymer D) Westin William Penn E) James Wilson

19. What was the first National Holiday declared by George Washington in 1789?

A) Thanksgiving B) July 4^th C) Columbus Day D) Veterans Day E) Labor Day F) Mother’s Day

20. Where is the Constitution and Declaration of Independence safely stored?

A) Nicolas Cage’s basement B) FBI Building C) Capitol Building D) National Archives Building

21. The Library of Congress contains:

A) Books you can take out about US History B) The President’s Book of Secrets

C) Every published piece of literature in the world D) Sticky candy vending machines

22. When do we celebrate Independence Day?

A) Memorial Day Weekend B) January 1^st C) Anytime the Movie comes on D) July 4^th

23. If there were no professional sports diehard fans would

A) Be forced to talk to our families B) become responsible citizens and maybe even vote

C) Have to pay reasonable prices for a hot dog and nachos D) all of the above

24. In what city were the 1936 Olympics held when Jesse Owens sprinted past Adolf Hitler’s notions of genetic superiority?

A) Athens, Greece B) Munich, Germany C) Berlin, Germany D) Tokyo, Japan

25. When fans booed Jackie Robinson’s appearance in Major League baseball, what Dodger teammate put his arm around him?

A) Duke Snider B) Pee Wee Reese C) Willie Mays D) Gil Hodges E) Ty Cobb

26. Michael Jordon was NOT one of these things

A) An underwear Salesman B) A professional baseball player C) The greatest basketball player D) President of the Charlotte Bobcats E) an American Idol contestant

27. Legendary college basketball coach Bobby Knight is known for his

A) Bad Temper B) Winning teams C) Charitable Giving D) all of the above

28. St Louis Cardinal baseball manager Tony LaRussa is NOT one of these things:

A) Vegetarian B) World Series Champion C) a lawyer D) sunglasses salesman

29. Jim Leyland, once our Pittsburgh Pirate’s winning manager, is NOT

A) Crusty and weathered B) a cigarette smoker C) a brilliant baseball manager

D) Available to come back to Pittsburgh

30. Who is the Governor of Pennsylvania?

A) Lynn Swann B) Matt Smith C) Ed Rendell D) Vince Gastgeb E) Bob Casey

31. What city has NOT been the Capitol of the United States?

A) Hershey B) New York C) Philadelphia D) Washington DC E) Annapolis

32. How old do you have to be to run for President?

A) 18 B) 21 C) 35 D) 45 E) 55

33. How old do you have to be to run for one of the US Senate’s 100 jobs?

A) 18 B) 21 C) 30 D) 40 E) 50

34. How old do you have to be to run for one of the US House of Representatives 435 jobs?

A) 18 B) 21 C) 25 D) 30 E) 40

35. Who is the President of the US Senate and its 101^st member and tie-breaker?

A) The Speaker of the House B) Supreme Court Chief Justice C) The Vice President

D) The First Lady

36. If you are “on the band wagon” you are

A) Riding in a parade B) Voting for whoever is ahead in the polls C) Playing the tuba

D) playing the lottery

37. What was George W Bush’s occupation from 1989-94?

A) Teacher at Harvard University B) Managing General Partner of the Texas Rangers C) Rodeo Clown D) Ambassador to Saudi Arabia E) Gas Station Attendant

38. What was Bill Clinton’s occupation before he became President in 1992?

A) Governor of Arkansas B) Saxaphone Player C) Playboy Magazine Editor D) Teacher at Princeton University E) Peanut Farmer

39. Approximately how many people live in the United States?

A) 50 million B) 100 million C) 200 Million D) 300 million E) a gazillion

40. A comedian once said that what you have in Pennsylvania is Philadelphia in the east, Pittsburgh in the west, and what in between?

A) Potholes B) Alabama C) The Steagles D) Breezewood E) The Amish

41. The supreme law of the our land is

A) Declaration of Independence B) The Constitution C) Gettysburg address D) Wives E) Pittsburgh Steeler Playbook

42. The idea of self government is expressed in the first three words of the Constitution, which are

A) Liberty and justice B) Four score and C) We the People D) It’s a Heartache

E) Strawberry Fields Forever

43. Who makes Laws?

A) Supreme Court B) Congress C) The President D) Homer Simpson E) Bud Selig

44. What former NFL QB ran for vice president on Bob Dole’s Republican ticket in 1992?

A) Dan Marino B) Jack Kemp C) Kordell Stewart D) Johnny Unitas E) Joe Namath

45. What former NY Knicks basketball superstar challenged Al Gore for the 2000 democratic presidential nomination?

A) Walt Frazier B) Wilt Chamberlain C) Bill Walton D) Bill Bradley E) Julius Erving

46. Who was the first Jewish major party VP nominee in American history?

A) Sammy Davis Jr B) Joe Lieberman C) Hank Greenberg D) Billy Crystal E) Jon Stewart

47. Who was the first First Lady to ever run for the U.S. Senate from the White House?

A) Hillary Clinton B) Sarah Palin C) Nancy Reagan D) Barbara Bush E) Betty Boop

48. Who said “Age is mind over matter. If you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter”

A) Sachel Paige B) Abe Lincoln C) John McCain D) John Franco E) Willie Mays

49. Who said “Domestic policy can only lose elections. Foreign policy can kill us all”?

A) Richard Nixon B) John Kennedy C) Ronald Reagan D) Barack Obama

50. What coach said “Good teams become great ones when the members trust each other enough to surrender the ‘me’ for the ‘we’”?

A) Knute Rockne B) Chuck Noll C) Phil Jackson D) Casey Stengel E) Gene Klein

51. Who said “We must scrunch or be scrunched”?

A) Charles Dickens B) Bill Bellicheck C) Sarah Palin D) Teddy Roosevelt E) Vince Lombardi

52. Who said “Don’t look back. Something might be gaining on you?

A) Sachel Paige B) John McCain C) Roger Clemens D) Barry Bonds E) Bonnie and Clyde

53. Who said “the trouble with the rat race is that even if you win, you’re still a rat.”

A) Richard Nixon B) Lily Tomlin C) George Carlin D) Jimmy Carter E) Blaze Starr

54. Who said “Ninety per cent of the game is half mental”?

A) Yogi Berra B) George W Bush C) Bill Clinton D) Andy Van Slyke E) Bud Selik

55. What celebrity in Cincinnati has not been an embarrassment?

A) Bengals player Chris Henry B) Reds former owner Marge Schott C) former Mayor Jerry Springer D) Outfielder Ken Griffey Jr. E) Reds former player Pete Rose

56. About what basketball player and aspiring future Governor of Alabama did Danny Ainge once remark “I’ve known a lot of bad guys pretending to be good guys, but he is the only good guy pretending to be a bad guy I’ve ever known”

A) Michael Jordon B) Charles Barkley C) Larry Bird D) Allen Iverson

57. What former Baseball Commissioner said “ Unlike war, sex, religion and politics, baseball was within a young boys reach. He could read the newspaper and listen to the radio and know that this game was important and that these men were great men, and then he could go out in the afternoon and emulate their acts”

A) Bart Giamatti B) Casey Stengel C) Bud Selig D) Ford Frick

58. About what baseball player did author David Halberstam write “the timing in 1947 was impeccable. It was the perfect moment to create a broader, more inclusive definition of American Democracy. For it took place right after the victory over Nazi Germany and authoritarian Japan in a great war which was viewed all over the world as good over evil”

A) Willie Mays B) Joe DiMaggio C) Mickey Mantle D) Jackie Robinson

59. What movie star celebrity did not become an elected politician?

A) Shirley Temple B) Ronald Reagan C) Clint Eastwood D) George Clooney

60. Which celebrity athlete did not become an elected politician?

A) Jim Bunning B) Jesse Ventura C) Bill Bradley D) Jack Kemp E) Terry Bradshaw

61. What team threw (purposely lost) the 1919 World Series?

A) St Louis Browns B) Chicago White Sox C) New York Yankees D) Brooklyn Dodgers

62. Senator Hillary Clinton is returning to her “day job”. What is her “day job?”

A) Cooking dinner for Bill B) Writing a book C) Fundraising for Obama

D) Being a US Senator representing New York

63. Who said “He who slings mud looses ground”

A) Confucius B) Bill Clinton C) Bo Diddy D) Chris Rock E) Mean Joe Greene

64. PNC Park’s right field wall is 21 feet high in honor of what former Pirate player?

A) Dave Parker B) Roberto Clemente C) Paul Waner D) Ki Ki Cuyler E) Xavier Nady

65. Who was the only sitting U.S. President to attend a pirate game?

A) William Taft B) Bill Clinton C) George Bush Jr D) Herbert Hoover

66. Which Pittsburgh athlete has appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated 13 tmes?

A) Dan Marino B) Tony Dorsett C) Hines Ward D) Arnold Palmer E) Barry Bonds

67. Why is having synthetic turf installed at Heinz field an improbability?

A) Global warming B) expensive geothermal heating system below field

C) The Rooneys love natural grass D) Steelers love to play in mud

68. Who was not an owner of the Pittsburgh Pirates?

A) Kevin McClatchy B) Barney Dreyfuss C) John Galbreath D) Bob Nutting E) Mark Cuban

69. What kind of balls does singer Rod Stewart routinely kick out to his concert fans?

A) Footballs B) Soccer balls C) Volleyballs D) Rugby balls

70. In what song are the words “From California to the New York Island, this land was made for you and me”?

A) America the Beautiful B) Land before Time C) This Land is your Land D) Yankee Doodle

71. In what song are the words “Beat the drum and hold the phone, the sun came out today. We’re born again, there’s new grass on the field.”?

A) Centerfield B) Take me out to the ballgame C) Who’s on First? D) Glory Days

72. In the movie “A League of their Own” what actor said “there’s no crying in baseball!”?

A) John Wayne B) Tom Hanks C) Geena Davis D) Robert Redford E) Kevin Costner

73. What dying NY Yankee player said” I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth”?

A) Babe Ruth B) Mickey Mantle C) Lou Gehrig D) Billy Martin E) Joe DiMaggio

74. When going for a foul ball in the stands you may knock over

A) kids B) elderly C) disabled D) women E) any grown man wearing a glove

75. Who wrote “For when the Great Scorekeeper comes to write against your name

He marks – not that you won or lost – But how you played the game.”

A) Mark Twain B) Bob Prince C) Harry Carey D) Grandland Rice E) Rick Reilly

True or False Questions

1. T or F Our American flag has 13 stripes because they represent the 13 original colonies

2. T or F When playing a sport becomes a job it is probably not as much fun

3. T or F Richard Nixon was the first President to witness a triple play while at a game.

4. T or F When a NY Yankees home game concludes, “New York, New York “ is played

5. T or F At 47, Barack Obama is the youngest presidential candidate since JFK

6. T or F At 72, Republican Candidate John McCain is the oldest presidential candidate

7. T or F George W Bush has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.

8. T or F Vice President Martin van Buren was the last VP to bring loaded pistols to work with him while presiding over the U. S. Senate.

9. T or F When Lincoln was accused of being two-faced, he replied “Now I ask you, if I had another face, would I be using this one?”

10. T or F 1912 in America, the Titanic went down, the Boston Red Sox opened Fenway Park, the fourth down was added to football, Suffragettes marched on New York’s Fifth Avenue demanding women’s vote and there was no personal income tax. It was also the year which saw a sitting president (Taft), a past president (Teddy Roosevelt) and a future president (Wilson) in a three way battle for the White House.

11. T or F Robert Taft was the last President to keep a cow in Washington.

12. T or F In 1960, Americans chose the youngest man ever elected president – Jack Kennedy – to succeed the oldest man at that time to ever hold the office – Dwight Eisenhower

13. T or F In 1964, Ben Hur was the Best Picture, the new 50-state flag was unfurled to include Alaska and Hawaii, Red Sox Ted Williams homered in his last at bat, Yankee Casey Stengel was fired after winning ten pennants in twelve years and “The Great Debates” between Nixon and Kennedy brought presidential politics into the TV era.

14. T or F In the 1988 presidential election, all three candidates (Bush, Clinton and Gore) were left handed.

15. T or F Because of WWII, in 1943 the Steelers joined with the Eagles to become the Steagles

16. T or F Most of the Founding Fathers were actually smugglers who opposed British taxes and tariffs

17. T or F “Yankee Doodle” was an insulting term used by the British to describe American colonists

18. T or F During the American Revolutionary War, George Washington fought nine battles, winning only three.

19. T or F “Old Hickory” Andrew Jackson defeat of the British in the Battle of New Orleans in 1814 was unique because the battle was fought after the war was already over.

20. T or F In 1492, Christopher Columbus made his America-discovering voyage partly to prove that the Earth was round.

21. T or F Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Mark McGuire, Marian Jones and Sammy Sosa probably took performance enhancing drugs

22. T or F Ted Williams not only was the last baseball player to hit over .400 but he also was the last to serve in two wars sacrificing 5 years of his career

23. T or F Soccer’s World Cup is the most watched sporting event on earth

24. T or F The Pittsburgh Pirates earned their name by stealing players from other clubs

25. T or F It doesn’t matter if you win or lose, it’s how you place the blame

(see key within the comments)

Going to vote for a few Libertarians.

Women with L by their names = Betsy and Marakay = in PA races.

Mobile post sent by Rauterkus using Utterli.  Replies.

The Moral Hazard of Regulation

Congressman Ron Paul - The Moral Hazard of Regulation - Texas Straight Talk: "The Moral Hazard of Regulation

Since the bailout bill passed, I have been frequently disturbed to hear “experts” wrongly blaming the free market for our recent economic problems and calling for more regulation. In fact, further regulation can only make things worse.

On election eve, I'm going to quote Dr. Ron Paul on this blog. Go figure.

Wonder what would have happened if we were voting with a race of Ds and Rs in the Obama and Paul choice.

That story would make for a great novel.

Obama Wants To Bankrupt Coal; What's Next? Your Job?

This is Change we certainly can do without.

Now, Obama has earned the right to be rebuffed on November 4.
As they say in the movies: “Now, it’s personal.”

Barrack Hussein Obama. First off, allow me to express condolences on the loss of your grandmother. I’m sure your minions will find this blog and pass along my thoughts and prayers.

Now it’s time to go back to Chicago.

All of un-American lunatics Mr. Obama decides to associate himself with, have until this point, been character flaws at the least. At the most extreme, Mr. Obama’s choice to associate himself with reprehensible villains is dangerous to our country.

Mr. Obama would rather harm Joe the Plumber’s American dream, so Bluetooth-wearing (yet big government lovin’), snack-rationing, free gas loving, misanthropes can frolic their lives away. Even Michelle Obama’s frustrated hate of America (until votes were cast her husband’s way that is) remains quaint.

It seems that Mr. Obama would now like to crush the coal mining industry. He wants to bankrupt it because it’s not “P.C.” enough. Instead, if elected, he will wage war on the industry. Are you listening Jack Murtha?

You see, Western Pennsylvania is coal country. West Virginia is coal country. Ohio is coal country.

Did I mention that Western Pennsylvania is coal country? George Martin Leturgey, Sr., my Grandfather, worked in coal mines outside of my hometown of Portage, Pennsylvania, for 40 years. “Pap” died of “black lung” in the early 1990’s. My uncle, George Martin Leturgey, Jr., worked in the same coal mines. It took cancer three times to get “Tiny.” He passed in 2004. In pictures, people say we look alike. I’m proud of that.

My father, Thomas Richard Leturgey, worked in coal mines when I was a small child. He was lucky to get out of it and move onto construction work in the mid 1980’s. Many of my older cousins, as well as their fathers, worked in the “hole.”

Coal mining in Western Pennsylvania really dried up around the same time as the Steel Industry in and around Pittsburgh. I would have been “in the hole” as well.
That being said, there are still pockets of working coal mines in Western Pennsylvania. Every so often, someone will get trapped in a mine in West Virginia or the Midwest. It makes International news.

My cousin Justin, not long out of high school, worked a heartbeat in an area mine. While the pay was exceptional for a high school graduate (or a college graduate for that matter) the darkness, the dank and perhaps the rats were just too much for him to withstand. He got out while he could.

Regardless, it remains a great way of life for many, many people.

Barack Obama says he will bankrupt the mining industry because he just doesn’t care for it. That must be because he hates Western Pennsylvania so much. Its bible thumpers, gun-loving hunters and coal miners just aren’t the sophisticates’ cup of tea.

In a San Francisco newspaper interview that has been completely buried by the pandering left, Obama says:

“Let me sort of describe my overall policy.
What I've said is that we would put a cap and trade system in place that is as aggressive, if not more aggressive, than anybody else's out there.
I was the first to call for a 100% auction on the cap and trade system, which means that every unit of carbon or greenhouse gases emitted would be charged to the polluter. That will create a market in which whatever technologies are out there that are being presented, whatever power plants that are being built, that they would have to meet the rigors of that market and the ratcheted down caps that are being placed, imposed every year.
So if somebody wants to build a coal-powered plant, they can; it's just that it will bankrupt them because they're going to be charged a huge sum for all that greenhouse gas that's being emitted.
That will also generate billions of dollars that we can invest in solar, wind, biodiesel and other alternative energy approaches.
The only thing I've said with respect to coal, I haven't been some coal booster. What I have said is that for us to take coal off the table as a (sic) ideological matter as opposed to saying if technology allows us to use coal in a clean way, we should pursue it.”

Of course we should pursue clean technology, but to wipe out an entire industry is unfathomable. Liberal Democrats have already indicated that they’d like to reinstate the “Fairness Doctrine” because conservatives are successful on radio, while lefties can’t keep Air America afloat. Industry driven by “markets” is of no concern to lefties. Talk radio would be destroyed.

I’m not sure if there’s been a more economically obtuse candidate for Presidency in the history of this great nation. Only if I ran would I be worse, but at least I know you cannot shut down multi-billion-dollar industries because I don’t like the bells and whistles. If that was the case, I’d shut down Interior Decorating stores.

I agree with Sara Palin. We should encourage clean coal and better coal. That idea got great response at her rally in Johnstown, mere miles from operating coal mines. Heck, folks could work in coal mines for 40 years and not get sick. But you don’t shut it down because you don’t understand it. I would have shut down the Rap Industry had that been the case.

The bigger story is why wasn’t this January, 2008 interview made public until recently? The fix is in, folks. The fix is in.

Respect the American work force, whether you like the industry or not. Vote McCain.

My oh my. Lots of people are playing goalie these days.

Here, the USA Men's Water Polo team sets up on defense as the dark caps (China) set up to shoot. This was from the first game of the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. Pool play.

Political Tips through the lense of a water polo game:

Play goalie -- turn off your phone. I'm hearing of some friends that are turning off their phones, or did so for much of the weekend. The auto-dialer and volunteer calls are pouring in. The election ads are washing over us all, here in PA, a battleground state.

Some tips for playing a good defense -- teamwork.

Put up one arm when approached.

Keep to the center (of the cage).

Keep your feet moving (kicking).

Keep your eye on the ball. What matters most?

Mark your man.

One vote, like one goal, doesn't make the whole outcome of the tournament (nor campaign).

Keep your head above water -- as in don't burn out. It is okay to get a break and turn to the bench for replacements.

Communicate among those on your team.

When you see something interesting, take a photo of it. Carry your camera. Witness. Document. Cross your legs when doing so. See the guy in the foreground of the photo.

Get some giggles

Pointers from Jon Delano.

Fall High School sports playoffs

Tell us what you know about the playoffs of the fall sports.

Girls' Volleyball:
Pittsburgh Schenley H.S. vs. North Allegheny at North Hills High School, Tuesday, Nov. 4 at 7 pm.

Girls Soccer:
Pittsburgh Schenley HS vs. Hampton at Cupples Stadium, Tuesday, Nov. 4 at 7 pm.

Boys Soccer:
Allderdice takes on Peter's Township at Chartiers Valley High School on Tuesday Nov 4th at 7 pm.
(Thanks to the comments.)

Net is nothing but bricks.

Time for some ping-pong politics. Our own Forrest Gump story.

 

Check out the net: bricks. The tables are made of slate (I think). They are outdoors all the time and don't warp or flake like plywood would. People arrive with their own balls and bats (paddles). And, some bring their own nets too. Otherwise, just line up the bricks, often slipped under the table.

Some parks are more geared to table tennis. Others are more for badminton. In this park the one's with shuttlecocks were relegated to the open area, without courts.