IN THIS ISSUE:

FRONT ROW

• Youth- and School-Based Sports: Cheers or Jeers for Anti-Booing Guideline?
• Professional Sports:
  • NFL to Follow NBA's Lead on Player Misconduct
  • Angry Fans Demand That Knuckleheads Go
• Googling With: Pete Rose
• Jocks Behaving Badly:
  • All Serbians With Tractors Can Play ...
  • Bloody Cricket – Who Knew? ...
  • Boon for Hockey: Cheap Shots Can Save Lives ...
• Jocks Behaving Exceptionally:
  • Golfer Wins Despite Penalizing Self ...
  • Sportsmanship Decided This Match ...
  • Coach's Gesture Wins Victors' Respect ...
  • A Few Sportsmanship Lessons From the CIF ...
• Michael Josephson Commentary: Two Kinds of Coaching
  

SIDELINES

• Announcements
• Trivia Test: What Famous Sportsmanship Gesture Was a Telegram?
• Sportsmanship User's Guide: 10 Character Secrets From Major Leaguers
• You Make the Call: Should High Schools Curb Booing and Heckling?
• Principle of the Month: Respect Your Opponents, Don't Hate Them
• Say What?
• Upcoming Seminars
  
  

FRONT ROW

YOUTH- AND SCHOOL-BASED SPORTS

Cheers or Jeers for Anti-Booing Guideline?

Everybody talks about unruly fans, but nobody does anything about them.

Well, now people are. The question is, are they the right things?

In Italy, after a policeman died in a soccer riot, the government declared matches would be played in empty stadiums until security standards were improved.

In Edinburgh, Scotland, verbal and physical abuse against youth-club referees have caused so many officials to quit that coaches and parents now officiate games.

And in Washington State, negative fan conduct has made it so difficult to hire high school coaches and officials that the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association launched a campaign to discourage booing, heckling, foot stomping, and derogatory yells, chants, songs, and gestures.

Boos Get the Bird
The decision has elicited a lot of...well, boos. Because high schools are allowed to regulate student expression on campus (unlike at colleges or professional sports events), some fear such a crackdown could put high school sports under the control of Boo Brother.

"I wouldn't know what to do if I were at a sporting event and no one booed," USA Today sports columnist Christine Brennan told ABC News.

At Sports-law.blogspot, Howard Wasserman wrote that restricting negative or offensive comments would not only violate freedom of speech ("Government cannot require people to keep things positive") but would be unenforceable ("Offensive to whom – the usher? The school administrator? The most sensitive/least tolerant person in the audience?").

Wasserman cited the "Salad tosser!" chant that Kansas students heaped upon Texas Tech basketball coach Bobby Knight a few years ago following his altercation with his chancellor at a salad bar.

Praising the students afterward for their clever, nonabusive serenade, the Kansas coach and administration did not realize what the term means in slang.

Ah, the Sweet Boo Birds of Youth
Although some hecklers are obscene and violent and can ruin a sporting experience for others, some are the stuff of legend. Columnist Steve Kelley of The Seattle Times wrote that booing is part of the fun. "I grew up in Philadelphia, where booing is as much an art form as an aria by Handel. The fans were as mean as Donald Trump at a Rosie O'Donnell roast.

"We even booed the booers if we felt they were booing the wrong player. Eagles fans get ripped because they once booed Santa Claus. But I was there. The guy was skinny and his suit looked cheap. So we booed him."

[www.abcnews.go.com, 3/4/07; The Seattle Times, 3/5/07; www.sports-law.blogspot.com, 3/6/07; Los Angeles Times, 3/6/07; www.sport.scotsman.com, 3/12/07]

PROFESSIONAL SPORTS

+

=

NFL to Follow NBA's Lead on Player Misconduct

Ever since Ron Artest of the Indiana Pacers triggered perhaps the worst brawl in pro basketball history by charging into the crowd at The Palace of Auburn Hills in 2004, NBA Commissioner David Stern's iron rule became an iron fist.

This season officials call more technical fouls, rough play warrants lengthy suspensions, players adhere to a strict dress code, league spotters cite players for on-court infractions, certain nightclubs in major cities are off-limits. The NBA has undergone an image makeover.

Although nothing of the magnitude of the Detroit-Indiana brawl has occurred in an NFL game, off-field incidents certainly have. More than 50 players ran afoul of the law last year, culminating in Tennessee titans cornerback Adam "Pacman" Jones's involvement in a brawl and shooting at a Las Vegas strip club (his tenth brush with the law in two years) that left one person paralyzed.

When a co-owner of a strip club says the NFL is "starting to look like an organized crime family," the league has a problem.

Football Summit Tackles Image Problem
At a recent NFL conduct advisory committee meeting dealing with the issue, one of the participants, T.J. Houshmandzadeh of the Cincinnati Bengals, said pro players are fed up with the bad apples who are poisoning the league. "That isn't how the majority of guys carry themselves," he told ESPN.com.

He said often the best way to handle problem players is to let the veterans deal with them. But they don't stay around long because teams release so many of them each year. "Without those guys, it's the blind leading the blind."

Former player and NFL players union president Troy Vincent concurred. "When I walked into the locker room, I shut up when John Offerdahl walked in," he told ESPN. "Today, there's no respect."

The key, many say, is character. More and more teams are dropping promising college prospects into lower draft rounds if their character is questionable.

It's about "preserving our game," Vincent told ESPN after the meeting.

[www.sports.espn.go.com, 3/13/07]

PROFESSIONAL SPORTS

Angry Fans Demand That Knuckleheads Go

Frustrated at players humiliating their NFL team and city by off-field incidents, some fans have taken the matter into their own hands.

Tennessee Titan fans, irate over Pacman Jones's 10 brushes with the law in the last two years, launched Nopacman.com. The site says, the "time as come for the Titans to sever ties with this unruly character."

Visitors are asked to sign a petition for his ouster, enter a contest to guess when he will be arrested again, and purchase NOPACMAN stickers to help the paralyzed victim of the Las Vegas shooting that Jones's party was involved in.

Coaches aren't immune either. At Redshirted.com, fans can buy fireyourcoach domain names. There they can host online message boards, sell branded merchandise, and rally support for their cause. They can even target other coaches by destabilizing them (if they're good) or supporting them (if they're inept).

In an attempt to turn this questionable practice on its ear, the University of Iowa bought up seven of the site's domain names that pertained to its coaches and administrators. The URLs now redirect people to HawkeyeSports.com, the main site of Iowa athletics.

Just one problem with that. There are endless domain-name possibilities for any subject. Shortly after Iowa bought the rights to firekirkferentz.com, anonymous individuals purchased Fire-Kirk-Ferentz.com and FireFerentz.com.

Mike Hlas of the Cedar Rapids Gazette wrote: "If you're trying to sleep in the Puerto Rican rain forest, will snuffing one of the thousands of chirping frogs make it a quiet night?"

Others aren't that concerned with what fans think. They question the wisdom of individuals who paint the sides of their face different colors and wear giant cheese triangles on their heads.

As Coach Marv Levy said, "If you listen too much to the fans, you'll soon find yourself sitting with them."

[Associated Press, 3/11/07; http://packers.aolsportsblog.com, 3/14/07; http://jets.aolsportsblog.com , 3/15/07; www.nopacman.com; http://blog.sportscolumn.com, 3/19/07; http://thewizardofodds.blogspot.com]

JOCKS BEHAVING BADLY

All Serbians With Tractors Can Play ...

The soccer coach for Football Club Mramor in southern Serbia probably regrets his decision to leave midfielder Slavomir Milnovic off his starting lineup.

The player stormed off the field, went to his family's farm, drove his tractor back to the field, and plowed it up.

We assume he's now starting for the local jail team.

[www.montereyherald.com, 3/2/07]

Bloody Cricket – Who Knew? ...

For 800 years, nary a peep out of the noble, genteel sport. Then Scorcese's brought in to direct.

Scene 1: Match-fixing, doping, and illegal bowling-action scandals.

Scene 2: Rumors of organized crime, bookmaking rings, and shadowy deaths.

Scene 3: Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer is strangled to death hours after 1) galleys of a book he'd been writing, rumored to expose match fixing, mysteriously disappear and 2) Ireland, a "rank outsider," routs his heavily favored team and eliminates Pakistan from the Cricket World Cup.

Final Scene: After injuring a finger prior to the World Cup, New Zealand player Jacob Oram declares he'll do whatever it takes to play in the tournament. "If it means cutting the finger off, I'll do that. There's no way I'm missing this."

Movie tagline suggestion: "Cricket. We're bigger than U.S. Steel."

[www.montereyherald.com, 3/2/07; www.time.com, 3/23/07]

Boon for Hockey: Cheap Shots Can Save Lives ...

During a recreation-league game in Meadow Lake, Saskatoon, a local goon named Nolan Crighton intentionally cross-checked referee Dale Neudorf in the face. The ref was taken to a hospital and treated for a broken nose and split lip.

During the examination, x-rays and a CAT scan revealed a tumor in Neudorf's brain, which may have saved his life. He is scheduled to have surgery to remove it.

Police are still looking for Crighton. Whether they intend to arrest him or thank him has yet to be determined.

[www.montereyherald.com, 3/2/07]

If you want to share any videos, photos, or stories like this, e-mail us at CharacterCountssports@jiethics.org and put "Jocks Behaving Badly" in the subject box.

To report acts of poor sportsmanship to the NCAA's Committee on Sportsmanship and Ethical Conduct, click here.

JOCKS BEHAVING EXCEPTIONALLY

Golfer Wins Despite Penalizing Self ...

When you're ranked 265 on the professional golf tour, have had to go to qualifying school ten straight times to remain on the tour, and have never won a pro tournament, the desire to win can be all-consuming.

Which is why what Mark Wilson did last month at the Honda Classic tournament all the more remarkable and exemplifies why golf is still the most honorable of sports.

After Wilson teed off on the fifth hole in the second round, his playing partner, Camilo Villegas, asked his own caddy what club Wilson had hit. Without thinking, Wilson's caddy, Chris Jones, answered for him: "Oh, it's an 18-degree [hybrid]."

Players and their caddies are prohibited from giving "advice" to anyone but each other, but Jones's comment was borderline because golfers are allowed to look in competitors' bags to see what they've used. Nevertheless, Wilson promptly contacted an official, who agreed that a violation had occurred.

Wilson was assessed a two-shot penalty. Instead of shooting the low round of the tournament and being one shot off the lead, Wilson dropped three shots back. His caddy broke down and wept. "I felt so bad about what I had done to him, our team, his wife, and family," Jones told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

Despite the setback, Wilson finished in a four-way tie. On the third playoff hole, he rolled in a ten-foot putt for the win, earning $990,000 and catapulting him to number 86 in the rankings.

He had no second thoughts about calling the penalty on himself. "If I had not, every time I looked at that trophy it would be tarnished," he said.

[South Florida Sun-Sentinel, 3/6/07]

Sportsmanship Decided This Match ...

It was match point between Mission Viejo and Newport Harbor high schools at the Orange County Volleyball Tournament last month. The serve bounded off a number of players and went out of bounds. Did a Newport Harbor player touch the ball last?

The referee said she was blocked from view. The two linesmen hadn't seen it either. According to the rules, the point would be played over.

Newport Harbor coach Dan Glenn slowly walked over to the ref and informed her that he had seen the play, and the ball had gone off one of his players. She changed her call and awarded the point, game, and match to Mission Viejo.

Scott Truman, a Mission Viejo parent at the game, sent a letter to Newport Harbor's principal afterward. It read, in part:

I can't tell you how impressed I was with your coach's action. Yes, it was the right thing to do, but in the heat of competition not all coaches would live up to such a high standard. My simple thought was, "Wow, that's class."

It occurred to me later how important teachers like Coach Glen are to all of us. For about 30 seconds, that court became his classroom, and all of us got the same lesson in ethics. My son and I discussed it on the drive home. Frankly, I was more pleased by Coach Glen's lesson than Mission winning the match.

I went to your school's website, and I noticed [Michael] Josephson's words on the Pillars of Character. Your volleyball coach is walking the talk.

Coach's Gesture Wins Victors' Respect ...

It was a heartbreaking loss for the Greater Houlton Christian Academy in the Eastern Maine Class D girl's basketball semifinals in February. Washburn had eliminated them by the narrowest of margins, 49-47.

As Coach Terry Cummings led his teary-eyed players out of the locker room, he spotted the winners in the hallway. He called Washburn's coach and players over for a moment.

"It's easy to say something before a game, but can you say the same thing after?" he asked them. "I can tell you, yes I can. There's not a team I would have rather lost to, as hard as it is. I believe we motivated you guys to get where you're going, and we wish you the best."

[Bangor Daily News, 2/22/07]

A Few Sportsmanship Lessons From the CIF ...

Got sportsmanship? Rarely have we seen sportsmanship permeate an organization or region more than in the California Interscholastic Federation. Below is just a taste of what's happening around the CIF on a daily basis. For more examples, click here.

It is not often a school wishes another school good luck, but in the case of Menlo-Atherton, Gunn High School wishes them the best of luck in their game tonight at Mitty High School.

As you all know, M-A defeated [us] two weeks ago in the quarterfinals to end the Titans' season.

In this day and age where it seems the only schools that win in basketball are private schools or public schools with transfers, M-A is a refreshing reminder that a school with homegrown talent can go far.

– Gunn High School website editorial

* * *

After a long drive, we were greeted at the door of the King City gym with a sign stating WELCOME HALF MOON BAY. This display of good sportsmanship didn't stop there.

King City's coaches, players, and fans were welcoming and supportive. Throughout the match, their fans cheered for the many outstanding plays, regardless of which team won the point.

After the game, a King City parent stopped to compliment us, stating, "Now that's what playoffs are all about!"

One of the refs also approached us and said in all the games he has officiated, our game was the best display of sportsmanship he had ever seen.

– Deanna Rocha, Half Moon Bay volleyball coach

* * *

I happened to find myself next to Seta Pohahau and Martin Taualo when leaving the stadium. I congratulated both on their extraordinary performances but was not sure it was fair to say anything after such a gut-wrenching loss.

To my surprise, they both shook my hand, engaged me in conversation, and closed by encouraging us to keep going and win the whole thing. I was so impressed by their poise and character at a time when most can't shake the immediacy of their disappointment.

You lead a great football program but also, if Seta and Martin are any measure, an exemplary group of young men.

– Parent of Palo Alto quarterback to Aragon High School football coach Steve Sell

* * *

As the clock was ticking down to the final minutes of [Pioneer's] football game against Los Gatos, their running back scored a touchdown to make the score 19-0. Our players began getting ready for the extra point when they noticed one player was not getting up.

Trainers came onto the field to attend him. After 15 minutes the coaches decided to let the clock run down and not have Los Gatos kick the extra point. Despite their victory, their players did not celebrate.

Another 15 minutes went by. The Los Gatos team quietly went to their locker room. After a few minutes, we looked up to see the team coming back.

They formed a circle of solidarity, a message to all that what really mattered was this young man's health, not who won or lost.

Many were greatly moved by the actions of the Los Gatos team. They truly showed the meaning of Honor the Game

– Parent Coleen Montesano to Pioneer High School football coach Mark Krail

Many thanks for the above submissions to CIF assistant executive director Roger Blake, CIF Central Coast Section commissioner Nancy Blaser, and all the tipsters. They truly illustrate how an ethical environment can encourage more of the same.

Want a Free Sportsmanship Patch?
We sent each of the above contributors a free Pursuing Victory With Honor patch for telling us about honorable deeds on and off the field of play.

We'll send you one, too, if you send us your stories at CharacterCountssports@jiethics.org. Put "Jocks Behaving Exceptionally" in the subject box.

You can also report acts of good sportsmanship to the NCAA's Committee on Sportsmanship and Ethical Conduct by clicking here.

COMMENTARY BY
MICHAEL JOSEPHSON

Two Kinds of Coaching

What do you think? Do competitive sports build character? I think the fair answer is: It depends on the coach.

Great coaches, ones who care about their athletes as people and honor the traditional spirit of sport as the pursuit of team and individual excellence, are inevitably character builders. They are, first and foremost, teachers who measure their success not in victories or records but in their ability to help youngsters reach their highest potential.

Sure they teach techniques and strategies, but their words and actions also teach vital life skills and virtues like integrity, fairness, perseverance, courage, self-discipline, and all the graces associated with good sportsmanship. The people they coach not only become better performers, they become better human beings -- individuals you'd feel comfortable dating your own children.

On the other hand, coaches who have a more narrow view of their role measure success in terms of their won/lost record or in the number of all-star athletes they produce. Such persons often do more harm than good. Under these coaches, athletes often become more selfish, self-absorbed, arrogant, and unscrupulous in the pursuit of personal glory and achievements. Even such a coach wouldn't want to hang out with them.

It's no small danger to the future of our society and the welfare of our children that so many coaches fall into the second category. The recreational and educational goals of youth sports are too often undermined by volunteer as well as professional coaches who live out their fantasies or advance their careers at the cost of character.

Our children deserve better, and it's the job of parents and school principals to see that they get it.

This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.

For an archive of Mr. Josephson's commentaries with audio files, go to: www.CharacterCounts.org/knxtoc.htm

To receive free weekly e-mail, including all five of Mr. Josephson's commentaries from that week, please sign up at: www.CharacterCounts.org/newsletters.htm

CHARACTER COUNTS! Sports, a project of the nonprofit Josephson Institute, leads the Pursuing Victory With Honor sports campaign, which is endorsed by the country's leading amateur athletic organizations.

The campaign's purpose is to help administrators, athletes, coaches, legislators, officials, and parents improve personal and organizational decision making and behavior in sports.

Archives of Past Issues

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Tee Up for Sportsmanship at the CIF Champions for Character Golf Tourney

On June 25 at the Rancho San Joaquin Golf Club in Irvine, the California Interscholastic Federation Southern Section will hold its third annual golf tournament to benefit its Champions for Character recognition program.

The awards are presented annually to individual schools, students, administrators, coaches, officials, and members of the media for demonstrating the highest standards of sportsmanship.

The CIF is the governing body for high school sports in the state of California and embraces Josephson Institute's Six Pillars of Character and Pursuing Victory With Honor sportsmanship initiative.

Entry fee for the 18-hole tournament is $150 and includes cart, lunch, dinner, raffle, and numerous awards and prizes. Deadline for entries is June 11.

For more information and entry forms, call 562-493-9500 or click here.

CHARACTER COUNTS! Honors
Former Iowa Coach Hayden Fry

Drake University's Institute for Character Development celebrated its tenth year of service to Iowa and its relationship with CHARACTER COUNTS! last month by presenting former Iowa football coach Hayden Fry with the Robert D. Ray Pillar of Character Award to honor his lifetime achievements and commitment to civility and character development.

More than 30 athletes and coaches were on hand to honor Fry, sign autographs, and discuss good character with parents and youth.

Throughout his career, Fry was known for demonstrating character both on and off the field. As a young coach at Southern Methodist University, he made the historic decision to integrate the Southwest Conference for the first time, forging a legacy of pursuing victory with honor.

Michael Josephson, founder of CC!, spoke at the event. "However far we have come, there is still so much more to do. I ask you to imagine how much better things could be if we continue to strengthen our individual and collective character. I ask you to imagine a society where civility, honor, and selfless service prevailed in every corner of every community."

[ICD e-newsletter, 3/16/07]

CC! Week Materials Available Soon

Each year our national office offers free downloadable and reproducible resources (to those who register for them) to help organize school and community activities for National CHARACTER COUNTS! Week, held the third full week of every October.

The celebration is a powerful way to build schools, sports programs, and communities around enduring ethical values. More than 4 million kids took part in 2006.

Our first packet of materials will be available later this month so you can register and get a jumpstart on this year's event (October 21-27). The free resources include:

• Activity ideas
• Handouts
• Posters
• Lesson plans
• Writing prompts
• Parenting tips
• PSAs
• And much more!

We will send you an e-mail announcement when the resources are ready. Stay tuned.

10 Character Secrets From Major Leaguers

In his new book, Stepping Up to the Plate (www.loveyourlife.com), coach and speaker David Kloser asked more than 300 Major League baseball players to define character on and off the field. Here are our favorites:

1. When I was 17, I was the Yankees number one draft pick. They flew me to New York to meet George Steinbrenner. I wore a suit, looked him in the eye, and shook his hand firmly. He loved that. Years later he told me he liked me the first time I shook his hand. That told me about respect. -- Rex Hudler, Cleveland Indians

2. When God measures a man, He puts a tape around his heart, not his head. Having heart allows you to persevere through adversity, not only in your career but in life. -- Chipper Jones, Atlanta Braves

3. A guy got on me the other night; he had a few drinks. Instead of being mean back, I brought him a glass of water. "You might want this so you feel better tomorrow morning." I kill them with kindness. -- Sean Casey, Detroit Tigers

4. Be happy with yourself. A lot of people base their self-worth on what other people think. Mine is based on the type of person I am, not what I do on the field. -- Tim Wakefield, Boston Red Sox

5. A.C.E. – Attitude, Concentration, Effort. Those are the things you can control every game. Put others before yourself, concentrate on your game plan, and give your best effort. -- Josh Bard, San Diego Padres

6. Never leave yourself with the question, What if? What if I had tried harder? What if I had spent more time studying? What if I had gotten along better with others? It's pretty important stuff. -- Trevor Hoffman, San Diego Padres

7. It's not what you do when you walk in the door; it's what you do when you leave. It's the lasting impression you give and how you handle bad times. It's similar to life. -- Jim Thome, Chicago White Sox

8. Win or lose, a champion stands up for his actions. If you lose, don't throw an excuse out. If you win, do the same. Spread the wealth and face the blame. -- Chase Utley, Philadelphia Phillies

9. Your mind has a way of putting limitations on your goals. When you persevere, you develop character. Nobody knows their ceiling. -- Paul Molitor, Hall of Famer

10. The hardest person to know is yourself. Your character is your shadow. Once you establish that, it will be with you forever. -- Bob Feller, Hall of Famer

• Yes. Spectators, especially at youth sports, have become too abusive. Time to rein in bad behavior and encourage respect.

• No. Mandating what people can and cannot say in public violates one of our fundamental rights.

• It depends. It hinges on what's said, how it's said, the context, the person saying it, etc.

• I'm not sure.

Click here to vote

Results of Last Month's Poll

Is It Okay for Coaches to Teach Players How to Deceptively Foul or Bend the Rules? Yes. No. It depends. I'm not sure. Previous polls

PRINCIPLE OF THE MONTH

Michael Lee/Flickr

Principle Eleven: Respect Your Opponents, Don't Hate Them

"I never saw a football player make a tackle with a smile on his face," the late Ohio State coach Woody Hayes said.

Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade was so insulted by the attention paid to LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony at the 2004 All-Star rookie game that he played "angry" the rest of that season.

Last year, at the intersection of Field Drive and Football Drive on the way toward Halas Hall on the outskirts of the Chicago Bears practice facility, fans posted a PLAY ANGRY sign.

Others would disagree with this tactic. Principle Four of the Arizona Sports Summit Accord states that "Everyone has a duty to treat the traditions of the sport and other participants with respect" and to refrain from "verbal abuse, profane or belligerent trash-talking, and taunting."

Win or Lose, It's Not Personal
The two Super Bowl head coaches, the Bears' Lovie Smith and the Indianapolis Colts' Tony Dungy, were lauded for exuding class, decency, and soft-spoken determination rather than traditional in-your-face, intimidating behavior.

Tennis player Andy Roddick once told his nemesis, Roger Federer, "I'd love to hate you, but you're too nice."

Sports psychologist John Murray told Newsday that elite athletes "don't like to think too much about who they're playing. If you're angry, you're impaired."

Ethicist Michael Josephson of Josephson Institute says hatred on the playing field is "a cheap synthetic. It doesn't make you smart. It doesn't help your strategy. Even in war, great opposing generals had respect for each other. Think of Robert E. Lee and Grant."

As for that PLAY ANGRY sign, Josephson said he'd rather see one that says PLAY PROUD. "It's far more sustainable. Hate and anger aren't life skills."

[Newsday, 2/4/07]

Nearly 50 influential leaders in sports issued the Arizona Sports Summit Accord in 1999 to encourage greater emphasis on the ethical and character-building aspects of athletic competition.

There are youth/interscholastic and collegiate/Olympic versions. Read the full texts here.

"I didn't bet on my team four nights a week – I bet on my team every night."
-- Former baseball player Pete Rose clarifying to ESPN what he claimed to have confessed to Commissioner Bud Selig

"Hey kids, do drugs."
-- Cleveland Cavaliers center Scot Pollard to a TV camera during a game against the Indiana Pacers

"I could be Dannielynn's dad. I don't want Fred Goldman trying to seize her money – or the baby herself."
-- O.J. Simpson on the possibility he could be the father of Anna Nicole Smith's baby because he knew her "pretty well" and has "slow-moving" sperm

"I don't hate gay people."
-- Former NBA player Tim Hardaway one month after telling a Miami radio station "I hate gay people," which got him barred from the NBA All-Star weekend festivities and killed at least one endorsement deal

"Four years at USC: $168,000. Plane ticket from New York to California: $1,000. Goalie equipment: $1,500. Mooning refs and making national headlines: Priceless."
-- Notice on a Facebook.com group devoted to University of Southern California hockey goalie Mickey Meyer after he dropped his pants during a match and was replaced by backup goalie (we're not making this up) Matt Buttweiler

"We have not entertained the idea of throwing a driver or a complete team out."
-- NASCAR vice president of competition Robin Pemberton (who was once suspended for using an illegal engine part) after throwing out six crew members and officials for violating rules prior to the Daytona 500

"I was going to write myself in, but I was afraid I'd get shot."
-- Former Oakland Raiders player Lincoln Kennedy on why he didn't vote in the last election

~ Classic From the Past ~

"I asked a ref if he could give me a technical foul for thinking bad things about him. He said of course not. I said, ‘I think you stink.' He gave me a technical."
-- College basketball coach Jim Valvano

"Cornell relinquishes claim to victory and extends congratulations to Dartmouth."

In 1939, Cornell's football team finished 8-0. The following year, it began 6-0, was ranked number one, and was heading for its second consecutive undefeated season when it met Dartmouth in one of the most famous games in college history.

With two seconds left, Cornell was on Dartmouth's five-yard line, trailing 3-0. On the final play of the game, Cornell's quarterback threw a touchdown pass and won the game. Dartmouth, however, claimed the referee had inadvertently given Cornell a fifth down. Its protest was ignored.

Upon reviewing game films afterward, Cornell officials determined that the referee had indeed erred and given Cornell an extra down – the one on which they scored the winning touchdown.

Its athletic director promptly sent the above telegram, marking the only time a college game has been decided off the field.

[http://cornellbigred.cstv.com]

Please let us know what you are doing -- or what you see others doing -- so we can share your stories to strengthen character-building efforts everywhere. Go to: CharacterCountsSports@jiethics.org

Josephson Institute
9841 Airport Blvd., Suite 300
Los Angeles, CA 90045
(310) 846-4800
( 800) 711-2670
(310) 846-4857 (JI fax)
(310) 846-4858 (CC! fax)
www.CharacterCounts.org
www.JosephsonInstitute.org

Show your support -- link to CHARACTER COUNTS! Sports. Find out how.

Please forward this e-newsletter to others and let us know if you have any problems viewing it.To view a text version of this newsletter, select "Plain Text" in your View preferences.To begin or cease receiving this newsletter, click here.