[quaist]

And rightly so, I guess.

The other day the BBC broadcast some footage of a court hearing. They were asking him about this one incident before Steenkamp died, where he accidentally (?) let loose a gun shot in a restaurant. He insisted on not having pulled the trigger, despite not having been able to explain how the bullet could've managed to magically fire itself.

It seemed pretty bizarre, to be hoenst.

Also, they were apparently having pretty severe relationship -- just four months into their relationship. Obviously it wasn't uncommon for him to get rather choleric in their frequent fights.

[sunnykerr]

I know I have controversial attitudes towards gun ownerhship sometimes, but Oscar Pistorius is my very worst nightmare in that regard.

I realize he's not the norm, nor even representative of a large proportion of gun owners.

But the utterly ingrained lack of responsibility he takes in the impact those weapons have is beyond baffling. It's maddening.

Honestly, no offense to Ms Steenkamp's family who deserve to see justice done for his actions in her death, but Pistorius's documented lack of respect for the power of firearms is almost the most important reason why I feel like he deserves to be in jail.

He's a menace to society, is what he is.

[canflam]

Can't say I'm very interested in that case, but when do guess a verdict will be announced in it?

[sunnykerr]

^ I don't know how the South African legal system works at all, so I'm no position to even begin to hazard a guess.

I think the interest comes from the fall-from-grace angle, really.

Kinda like Lance Armstrong, only of course Armstrong never killed anyone.

But it's that sort of trajectory that, I think, creates the interest.

Besides, at least I understand Pistorius's sport.

[sunnykerr]

Boston marathon honours bomb victims Thousands of marathoners have taken to the streets of Boston, as the city honoured three killed and more than 260 injured in a bomb attack last year. Dignitaries, spectators and more than 36,000 runners observed a moment of silence before the race began. The heavy security operation included a ban on rucksacks and screening at checkpoints. US runner Meb Keflezighi and Rita Jeptoo from Kenya won the men's and women's races. The BBC's Nick Bryant in Boston says that the marathon had never been run amid so many layers of security, as 500,000 are expected to watch the activities. Police mobilsation Athletes with disabilities were the first competitors to set off, at 08:50 local time (12:50 GMT). The elite women's race started at 09:32, with the elite men setting off half an hour later, followed by thousands of other runners. Keflezighi won the men's race, clocking in at 2 hours, 8 minutes and 37 seconds. He is the first US runner to take the title since 1985. Jeptoo was the first to cross the finish line in the women's race, marking her third win in the competition. She finished the course in a record 2 hours, 18 minutes and 57 seconds. The 26.2-mile (42.2km) route was tightly guarded in a massive mobilisation of law enforcement agencies, including police units, bomb squads and tactical assault teams from other states. The Boston police department erected 8,000 steel barricades, 1,200 more than last year. Before the race, runner Katie O'Donnell, who competed in last year's race, said she could not imagine the range of emotions she would feel this year. "I think I'm going to start crying at the starting line and I'm not sure I'll stop until I cross the finish line," she said. Many people in the city have been wearing "Boston Strong" T-shirts. Last year's winner of the men's elite race, Ethiopian Lelisa Desisa, is competing again and has met several victims of the blast. He said the victims had given him inspiration: "We have to look to the future. There has to be a resilience. I am ready to win again." Bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, 20, is due to stand trial in November. He has pleaded not guilty to 30 charges, including 17 that carry the death penalty. Prosecutors allege that he set off two pressure cooker bombs with his older brother Tamerlan, 26, who later died in a police shootout.

I'm weirdly filled with pride for everyone who took part.

I say "weirdly" because, of course, I'm a little removed from the events.

And I'm also not sure there was ever any doubt that the Marathon would "survive" last year's events.

I guess it's just nice to read about how the athletes have taken back the race, that's all.

[canflam]

Have you ever ran a marathon? I have not. I was more of a sprinter in my youth. Didn't know it was that long since an American won that race.

Great win by the Raptors vs. Brooklyn yesterday if you missed it. Rob Ford & Drake were there. Fans were watching the game outside Air Canada Centre. It was like a party.

[sunnykerr]

Oh, no.

I have very little interest in sports in general, let alone in practicing them.

What little I can muster is generally in watching, and even with the ones that hold my interest (hockey and soccer, mostly), I can never make it through a full game.

I have a lot of admiration of marathoners. But, much like tennis or golf or cycling, I'm not sure I understand what could possibly motivate someone to stick with it, you know?

I mean, empirically, it's a feat of human endurance and skill and discipline.

Obviously, I'm the one who doesn't get it.

[sunnykerr]

Have you guys heard about this one?

NBA probes claim of racist remarks by Clippers boss Donald Sterling The US National Basketball Association (NBA) is investigating a report alleging that the owner of the Los Angeles Clippers made racist remarks. In a recording posted on celebrity news website TMZ, a man it says is Donald Sterling is heard asking a woman not to broadcast her association with black people nor bring them to games. The NBA described the remarks as "disturbing and offensive". Mr Sterling later told TMZ the recording "does not reflect his views". TMZ published the 10-minute audio recording on its website on Friday. The conversation is alleged to have taken place after the woman posted a photo of herself online with the basketball legend, Magic Johnson. The man specifically mentions Magic Johnson on the recording, saying: "Don't bring him to my games, OK?"' It was not clear how or when the conversation was recorded. "We are in the process of conducting a full investigation into the audio recording obtained by TMZ," NBA spokesman Mike Bass said in a statement. "The remarks heard on the recording are disturbing and offensive, but at this time we have no further information." 'Black eye for the NBA' Magic Johnson later responded on Twitter, saying: "I will never go to a Clippers game again as long as Donald Sterling is the owner." He also said the alleged comments were "a black eye for the NBA". In a joint statement later published on TMZ Sports, Mr Sterling and the Clippers said: "We have heard the tape on TMZ. We do not know if it is legitimate or it has been altered." "We do know that the woman on the tape - who we believe released it to TMZ - is the defendant in a lawsuit brought by the Sterling family. "Mr Sterling is emphatic that what is reflected on that recording is not consistent with, nor does it reflect his views, beliefs or feelings. It is the antithesis of who he is, what he believes and how he has lived his life." The statement adds: "He feels terrible that such sentiments are being attributed to him and apologises to anyone who might have been hurt by them." Mr Sterling bought the Clippers in 1981.

I think TMZ is trash, but their recordings tend to be accurate.

So what the hell is wrong with this Mr Sterling?

Has he not experienced the 20th century?

Has he not observed the game played by the team he owns?

Is he possibly in the first stages of some brain-wasting disease?

[canflam]

I don't agree with his remarks, but unsure how to get people to stop saying racist remarks, besides making it against the law. Yes Donald Sterling does observe the team he owns & says he gives his players ''food, and clothes, and cars, and houses''. In a country with ''freedom of speech'' these things can happen, so it's good to have thick skin.

[sunnykerr]

Well, I would not necessarily want such hateful stuff to be made illegal per se.

He's not inciting anyone to hatred or violence here.

He's just showing the little hateful man that he is.

So I wouldn't want it to be illegal.

But, at the same time, I think it's important that there are consequences.

Not necessarily of the criminal variety, but of the social and commercial sort for sure.

[sunnykerr]

LA Clippers owner Donald Sterling banned for life The owner of the Los Angeles Clippers professional basketball team has been banned from the National Basketball Association for life after a recording emerged of him making racist remarks. NBA commissioner Adam Silver said Donald Sterling would be forced to sell his interest in the team. And the league will fine him $2.5m (£1.5m), the maximum allowed. Mr Sterling was recorded asking a woman not to associate in public with black people nor bring them to games. He later said the recording "does not reflect his views". In a news conference on Tuesday, Mr Silver told reporters that Mr Sterling's "hateful opinions... simply have no place in the NBA". "That they came from an NBA owner only heightens the damage," he said. "I am personally distraught that the views expressed by Mr Sterling came from within an institution that has historically taken a leadership role in matters of race relations." Mr Silver said Mr Sterling would be banned from participating in all team business, as well as attending any NBA practices or games. The fine will be donated to organisations focused on combating racism, he said. And Mr Silver said he would urge the NBA's board of governors to force Mr Sterling to sell his stake in the team, which he purchased in 1981. It is considered the harshest punishment ever meted out by the NBA. "Commissioner Silver showed great leadership in banning" Sterling, basketball great Earvin Magic Johnson tweeted following the announcement. Mr Johnson reportedly posed for a photo with Mr Sterling's female companion, leading to his comments on the controversial recording. Following the announcement of Mr Sterling's NBA expulsion, the Clippers' website posted the message: "We are one." "We wholeheartedly support and embrace the decision by the NBA," the statement added. "Now the healing process begins." The row erupted on Friday when celebrity news website TMZ published a 10-minute audio recording in which a man can be heard criticising a woman, believed to be Mr Sterling's girlfriend V Stiviano, for posting online photographs of herself with black friends at Clippers games. "It bothers me a lot that you want to broadcast that you are associating with black people. Do you have to?" the man says. "The little I ask is not to promote it on that... and not to bring them to my games." On Tuesday, Mr Silver said Mr Sterling had acknowledged it was his voice on the recording. It was not clear how or when the conversation was recorded. The remarks caused an immediate uproar in Los Angeles and among basketball fans across the country. The Clippers are competing in the first round of the NBA playoffs, drawing extra scrutiny to Mr Sterling's remarks. On Sunday before a game against the Golden State Warriors, the players staged a silent protest, going through a pre-match warm-up with shirts on inside-out to hide the team's logo. The players also wore black wristbands or armbands and all wore black socks with their normal jerseys. Mr Sterling did not attend the game.

Well, I guess that's it then, isn't it?

I can't say I have any problem with this conclusion to events.

Like I said, it shouldn't be illegal to have really objectionable opinions.

But, in this day and age? There are always consequences.

As there should be.

[sunnykerr]

In case anyone was under the illusion that racism is a North American problem alone:

Spanish police arrest Dani Alves banana thrower suspect Spanish police say they have arrested a spectator suspected of throwing a banana at Barcelona's Brazilian footballer Dani Alves last weekend. The racist incident took place as the player was about to take a corner in a match at Villarreal on Sunday. Alves responded by peeling and eating the banana - which received praise worldwide and sparked a large social media campaign against racism. The man detained has been identified as a 26-year-old Villarreal supporter. He has been named as David Campaya Lleo, local media say. The club said earlier the man involved had had his season ticket withdrawn and been given a lifetime ban. The Barcelona defender expressed his surprise at the outpouring of support in the wake of the banana affair. His team eventually won the match 3-2, at Villareal's El Madrigal stadium in Castellon on Spain's east coast. Alves told BBC Brasil on Wednesday it was "not an isolated incident", and that he had been denouncing racist insults for six years. "I hope that this (campaign) can be an alert to ban this kind of attitude from football altogether. I hope the debate about racial prejudice will not fade away, but stays on permanently and not be restricted only to football," he added. Lifetime ban Reports suggest the suspect in detention may have had links to one of the Villarreal's youth teams, although the team has not commented on this. In a statement earlier this week, Villarreal said the club "deeply regrets and condemns the incident". In earlier comments to Brazil's Radio Globo, Alves said he wanted the opposition fan who threw the banana to be publicly shamed. He also criticised Spain for its approach to racism, saying: "They sell the country as being first world but in certain things they are very backward." The hashtag "we are all monkeys" took Twitter by storm after fellow Brazilian footballer Neymar tweeted a photo of himself smiling on Instagram with a banana, side by side with his toddler son. Professional footballers, celebrities and ordinary people alike have since posted photos of themselves, banana in hand, on social media. Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi became the latest public figure to join the campaign when he posed for reporters, sharing a banana with Italian football coach Cesare Prandelli.

[sunnykerr]

Just a quick not to say that the Pistorius trial is back on, which implies that there was a break in the proceedings.

[sunnykerr]

Helena Costa: French Ligue 2 side Clermont Foot name woman boss Portugal's Helena Costa is to be the highest-profile female manager of a European men's team after being named head coach of Clermont Foot in France. Costa, a former scout for Scottish Premiership side Celtic, has coached the Iran women's team since 2012. The 36-year-old, who has also coached Benfica's male youth teams and the Qatar women's side, will join Clermont officially at the end of the season. "It should help the club enter a new era," the French Ligue 2 club said. Before Costa, the highest-profile appointment of a woman as coach of a men's team in Europe was that of Carolina Morace, who took charge of Italian Serie C1 team Viterbese for two matches in 1999. Costa, who scouted for Celtic between 2008 and 2011, has also managed Portuguese lower-league men's team Cheleirense, where she won the Lisbon regional championship in 2006. A Celtic spokesperson said: "She did an excellent job for us and we know she will give her new position the same high level of commitment and dedication which she gave to Celtic." Najat Belkacem, France's Women's Minister, responded to the appointment by posting on Twitter: "Bravo Clermont Foot for understanding that giving a place to women is the future of professional football." Veronique Soulier, president of Clermont Foot's supporters' club, said: "It surprised us when we read the club statement. But once we got over it, we all believe that it is a good thing. "The boys in the team can be difficult to manage. They can be quite sensitive, that is what the other coaches have told us. With a woman in charge, maybe they will be less demanding." Costa spent 13 years as a youth coach with Benfica from 1997, in addition to winning two Portuguese national women's league titles with Sociedade Uniao 1 Dezembro in 2007 and 2008, leading the club into the Women's Champions League. She also guided Odivelas to promotion from the Portuguese women's second tier as champions in 2009. Costa led Qatar's women to their first international victory, a 4-1 win over Maldives in 2012, but was unsuccessful in her attempt to guide Iran to a debut appearance at the 2015 Women's World Cup finals. At Clermont, she will replace former Montpellier midfielder Regis Brouard, whose contract as head coach expires at the end of the season. The club are 14th in the French second-tier with two matches to play.

For her sake, I hope this isn't just some publicity stunt on the part of the team's business side.

It seems to me like it's time to have female coaches, even on the men's side of things.

After all, skill should be the determining factor, not gender.

[sunnykerr]

Clippers owner Donald Sterling admits 'terrible mistake' Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling apologised on Sunday for making racist remarks, saying they were a "terrible mistake." In his first comments since being banned from basketball for life, he said he was "emotionally distraught." "I'm not a racist. I made a terrible mistake," Mr Sterling told CNN. "I'm here to apologise." Mr Sterling was recorded asking a woman not to associate in public with black people nor bring them to games. But he said he was "baited" into making the remarks. "When I listen to that tape, I don't even know how I can say words like that," he said. "I don't know why the girl had me say those things." The National Basketball Association (NBA) has started the process to remove him as owner of the LA team. Mr Sterling, 81, said he wanted to remain the Clippers' boss and believes that years of good behaviour as an owner should help his case.

There's more on the link.

But, at this point, who cares what this clown has to say?