Iowa wrestler defaults rather than face girl in state tournament

Cedar Falls freshman Cassy Herkelman made Iowa wrestling history Thursday when she became the first female wrestler to win a match at the state tournament. She did so when her opponent, Joel Northrup, defaulted on their first-round match rather than face a girl.

Northrup, a home-schooled sophomore wrestling for Linn-Mar, was considered one of the favorites to win the 112-pound weight class. After defaulting his first match, however, he now must wrestle in the consolation bracket.

“I have a tremendous amount of respect for Cassy and Megan and their accomplishments. However, wrestling is a combat sport and it can get violent at times,” Northrup said in a statement, referring to Herkelman and Ottumwa sophomore Megan Black, the first girls ever to qualify for the state tournament.

“As a matter of conscience and my faith I do not believe that it is appropriate for a boy to engage a girl in this manner. It is unfortunate that I have been placed in a situation not seen in most other high school sports in Iowa.”

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It would be hard enough to lose to a girl, but losing to a home-schooled girl would be even worst.  I bet the girl is a really good wrestler, but having a guy wrestle a girl is too much pressure on the guy.  First off, by wrestling, even though it’s a sport, I’m sure he’s gonna feel a bit weird having to brush up on her lady parts, even by accident.  Second, if wins, he gets teased for beating up a girl by his friends.  If he loses, he’ll never live it down.

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Bag of Randomness

  • My doctor finally tracked me down.  My total cholesterol was 206, but my triglycerides were about a hundred points higher than it should have been.  If I continue on my current path of life I’ll be diabetic in about five years.  I’m significantly low regarding my vitamin D intake, and surprisingly, my testosterone level is so low I may have to take supplements in a few months.  Man, and to think I was worried that he was going to give me some bad news.
  • My cousin is moving and during the process he found an old picture of us and his father, and he was kind enough to scan it and email it to me yesterday – totally out of the blue.  See, my cousin has always lived on the west coast so it wasn’t like we always got to see each other, but I’m marveled by how technology makes things easy to share (like this picture) and how it helps us keep in touch.
  • Oh, my cousin’s father died of heart disease at an early age, so maybe this wasn’t totally out of the blue.
  • You would think my cousin’s father would be my uncle, but my cousin’s father was my cousin because he was the son of my aunt.
  • I wonder how many of you had to read that last sentence twice.  It might help make more sense to you if I let you know my dad had me pretty late in life and my aunt didn’t wait until her 50’s like my father.
  • My aunt had one leg and was named Eileen.  I kid you not.
  • Another reason why I’m not a big fan of putting certain limits on malpractice lawsuits:  USC University Hospital shut down its kidney transplant program last month after a kidney was accidentally transplanted into the wrong patient – Article
  • And this mistake has always stuck in my mind.
  • For my friends that like bears (yeah, like you, Richard!) – Marketing Client Bear
  • Baghdad wants U.S. to pay $1 billion for damage to city
  • Book publisher says televangelist Benny Hinn violated morality clause
  • Simon Cowell was so impressed by a singing ten-year-old on YouTube he signed her to a contract.
  • The government actually has a website where you can donate money to pay down the public debt.  Last year, they collected $2.8 million, the year before, $3.06 million.
  • CBS11 had a segment about legendary WFAA Troy Duncan and what he does in his retirement years.  That just seemed weird.  And this is where Barry will tell you how bad of a mistake the man made when the tornado hit Fort Worth and how all the tapes of that broadcast went missing.
  • Oddly enough, they paired him with other legendary former WFAA and CBS anchor Tracey Rowlett.  It was the first time the two former coworkers were on the screen together in 12 years.
  • More oddly enough Duncan gave a high compliment to the current CBS11 chief meteorologist.  Possible swipe at WFAA?
  • WFAA actually had a great old clip of Dale Hansen in a wrestling ring actually wrestling a bear.
  • I wonder what Stone Phillips is up to nowadays.
Posted in Personal | 2 Comments

Bag of Randomness

  • I saw on the news that the North Texas Tollway Authority is considering using Oklahoma prisoners to review license plate photos of violators caught on camera.  First of all, that story sounds made up, second of all, something about that just ain’t right.  The other option is to send that job responsibility to India.
  • WifeGeeding and I was driving to a lunch destination in Dallas when we passed high school.  On the street corner was not only an officer with a radar gun, but about 30 high school students armed with radar guns.  We should have just sped to help teach a lesson.
  • One day John Wiley Price is going to have something named after him.
  • I’ve really have enjoyed watching Watson on ‘Jeopary!’.  At the end of Final Jeopardy, Ken Jennings wrote alongside his correct answer “I for one welcome our computer overlords” or something similar.  That’s the first time I ever remember anyone writing anything other than the answer on those screens and wonder why it hasn’t been done more often.
  • One thing they didn’t report about Watson was that he kept crashing during taping.
  • The heating bill arrived in the mail yesterday. Ouch.
  • I’m surprised that the Iraqi defector who lied about WMD’s story hasn’t had more traction.
  • Jon Hamm Before Don Draper
  • Researchers Study ‘Sidewalk Rage,’ Seeking Insights on Anger’s Origins and Coping Techniques
  • Deion Sanders’ house had some water damage.
  • Stethoscope headphones
  • A national, conservative non-profit think tank says when it comes to U.S. history standards in school, Texas is worst and South Carolina is first.  It’s OK my fellow Texans.  We didn’t give up when the Germans bombed the Alamo which lead us into WWII, and we ain’t going to give up now.
  • For some reason my website was down for a large portion last night I didn’t have much time to blog.
  • An attractive woman placed a small video camera on her derrière and caught all sorts of men, and some ladies, checking her out.  YouTube
  • Stay gold, Ponyboy.
Posted in Goofy | 1 Comment

Blogging high school teacher has no job — and no regrets

A suburban Philadelphia school teacher who was suspended and sent home for blogging about her students anonymously is not only not apologizing, she’s back blogging.

Natalie Monroe, a Central Bucks East High School English teacher, says her blog was never meant to be widely read and she had only nine followers — seven friends, her husband and herself — when some students apparently discovered it last week.

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