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One of the states that we didn’t pass through on the recent journey up to Maine was Pennsylvania. The second stop we made however was our home state of Indiana. It was there that I met with my four half-sisters, Julianna, Polly, Kristie, and Janet. The fifth sister, Nancy, recently passed and a brother died in his teens. We were all children of Cecil Ralph Banister, although I was born of another mother and adopted. He was likely never aware of my existence, following a stint in the Marines. We all came together as a result of Ancestry.com, and I mentioned a connection with William Penn, founder of Pennsylvania.
Julianna has a friend coming to visit from Pennsylvania and wanted more information on William Penn and his ancestors. After a tour of the Tower of London, where he was imprisoned for Quaker beliefs, I wrote about, following our return home. (See Post #2349). He is my 11th Great Grandfather and looks like the guy on the Quaker Oats box. Maybe I should be eating that for breakfast?
He was a writer, like I try to be, and his most recognized work is the book No Cross, No Crown, “penned” in 1669 while imprisoned. Penn’s most quote is: “Right is right, even if everyone else is against it, and wrong is wrong, even if everyone is for it.” I’ve stolen some biographical information from the Pennsbury Manor site, William Penn’s 43-Acre Country Estate in Morrisville, Pennsylvania. I may have to visit some day and pick up some family trinkets at the gift shop. However, he apparently only spent the equivalent of 4-years of his life on American soil.
“When Penn was born in 1644, his homeland was in the midst of England’s Civil War. Penn’s father was a “royalist” who staunchly supported King Charles I. Although the royalists lost the war (and the King was beheaded in 1649), William’s father, an Admiral in the Navy, was able to keep his land and his money. In 1660, when Penn was 16 years old, England’s monarchy returned. Charles II, the son of Charles I, was grateful to Admiral Penn for his loyalty. The Admiral supported the new king by using his personal wealth to rebuild the navy. Charles II owed Admiral Penn a huge debt. Penn, therefore, grew up wealthy but with a keen awareness of the events and politics swirling around him.”
“In 1666 while in Ireland, the 22-year-old young aristocrat managed his father’s estate and participated in militia action against Irish rebels. But when he heard a Quaker preacher, the course of his life changed forever as he accepted Quaker doctrine as his own. The Quaker faith, in turn, would never be the same once Penn contributed his immense talent, energy, connections, and money.”
“England during this period saw the rise of many new religious groups at the same time that it outlawed any religion other than The Church of England. Penn’s position in society did not spare him religious persecution and jail time. Undaunted, Penn wrote copious religious books, tracts, and letters which challenged the thinking of the time as well as solidifying Quaker thought and practice.”
“Accused of ‘inciting a riot’ in 1672, Penn found himself in the midst of a court trial that challenged the roles of judge and jury. The Penn-Meade Trial changed England’s court system.”
“Penn’s involvement in Quaker business extended to assisting in the development of two Quaker colonies in America: East Jersey and West Jersey. From England, Penn shaped their governments and actions.”
“In 1680, Penn approached King Charles II to collect on the debt the King owed the now deceased Admiral Penn. Penn requested land in America where he envisioned a colony that would become “the seed of a nation.” Penn wanted to design a colony and a government that would showcase his ideals.”
“Once Penn became the proprietor of Pennsylvania in 1681, things began to happen very quickly. William Markham, Penn’s cousin and a surveyor, was sent to the new colony to lay out the city of Philadelphia per Penn’s instructions. The city was built on a grid pattern with squares set aside for open space.”
“Markham was also responsible for choosing the site of Penn’s personal estate, Pennsbury Manor. But it was Penn himself, arriving in Pennsylvania in 1682, who oversaw construction of his new home and wrote numerous letters describing what he wanted.”
“But perhaps Penn’s greatest achievement was the development of a government that included representation of the people, religious and ethnic tolerance, and a fair judicial system that confirmed the role of juries in trials.”
“Penn also navigated a peaceful relationship with the Lenape (Native Americans) in the area. Paying for land, inclusion in the jury system, and learning their language were just a few of the ways Penn approached and solicited the cooperation of the Lenape.”
“In 1684, Penn’s argument with Lord Baltimore over Pennsylvania’s boundary reached an impasse. Penn returned to England to present his case to the king. Penn only intended to stay for a few months, but it would be 15 years until he returned to Philadelphia.”
“Penn’s return to England came at a critical moment in England’s history. Charles II died, and James II became the new King. An old friend, James was very interested in Penn’s ideas of religious tolerance, and Penn became an advisor to the King. But within a few years, James was deposed. To the new monarchs, William and Mary, Penn was a traitor and imprisoned in the Tower of London.”
“Finally released from prison, Penn returned home to mounting problems: He was in debt, his wife became ill and died, and his son Springett (one of three surviving children) died at age 21.”
“In 1699, the newly re-married Penn returned to Pennsylvania with his wife Hannah, and his daughter Letitia. Shortly after arriving in America, Hannah gave birth to her first child, John.”
“After a 15-year absence, Penn’s return to Pennsylvania was not smooth. The government he created was running independently of his involvement. Furthermore, the members of the Assembly wanted even more influence. Penn reluctantly wrote a new frame of Government, The Charter of Privileges, which gave unprecedented power to the people to choose their own leaders and make their own laws.”
“England’s politics required another ocean voyage, and Penn and his family left Pennsylvania for the last time in November of 1701, never to return. Debt and a series of strokes plagued Penn in his final years before his death in 1718.”
At another time, I’ll get into the life of my 7th great grandfather, John Penn, who signed the Declaration of Independence.
My first blog post was in September of 2016 (See Post #1), and I officially retired on December 30 – “just practicing” was the title. I was working with a therapist at the time trying to put together a plan to keep me busy. Writing was one of my ideas on the list that included books, movies, TV series, and of course running. The blog still continues, approaching the 2,500-article mark, but the running stopped in January of 2024, 8-years later following open-heart surgery. The original plan was to do one post a day, and I’ve tried to hold true to that commitment, although travel, writer’s block, just getting into the initial habit, and hospitalization have created some sizeable gaps. If I do the rough math, I should be at over 2,900 and somehow, I’ve missed nearly 400 days, well over a year!
Like everything else, where does the time go? I have written a couple of unpublished books in this time period and currently working on three more (Magic of 60, Hungry in Hungary, and Bad Boys Hall of Fame). There are excerpts mixed among these pages. I’ve adapted several of my earlier posts to compile my life’s story in a bound Storyworth publication, at the request of my family. In addition, this site includes nearly 300-poems, along with eulogies and personal adoption stories. They are all organized by category for easy reference. Sports (Old Sport Shorts) and pets (Creature Features) are my other writing passions.
A lot of this is just personal therapy, recounting the daily frustrations that everyone experiences. Today, for example, I’m waiting for the refrigerator repairman and troubleshooting my outdoor landscaping. Our schnauzer Tally waits by my side, wanting to go to the dog park. Her sister, Fosse, has claimed the sought-after chair, once mine, across from my desk. We’ll all soon jump in the golf cart, and they’ll join their friends for a romp on the grass, while I observe from the bench. There are towels tumbling in the washer, and my wife is headed to school for the day. We’ll have an informal “Date Night” at Pioneer Pizza, trying out another new restaurant as is the tradition. Tomorrow night, we’ll go to Michael’s On East in nearby Sarasota to use some gift cards. I suggested it because my local baseball card shop, Blue Breaks, has added a store there and I want to stop by for the Grand Opening. If she’ll tolerate an hour there, we’ll enjoy some nice steaks afterwards. On Sunday, I have a vendor table at their original Venice store to hopefully sell or at least trade some of my baseball cards, another retirement hobby. The owners are nice British family with a small business that I like to support. Selling allows me to buy more from them. As always, I appreciate your reading this nonsense as I “Write On…Again and Again!”
When Kyle Schwarber was a Cub and in the World Series, I wrote a poem about him, a comparison to “Mighty Casey at The Bat.” (See Post #119). I won’t go to that extreme on this post, but the former I.U. star, Cubs outfielder, Nats DH, and now lead-off DH for the Phillies, has made MLB history.
He reminds me of old newsreels on Babe Ruth, in a leadoff role that the Babe would have never accepted. The Philadelphia slugger hit his 14th lead-off home run of the season this week against the Tampa Bay Rays, eclipsing the 2003 mark by Alfonso Soriano of the Yankees. The 437-foot blast was his seventh of the month, that’s not even half over, and 35th of the season. He’s also compiled three consecutive seasons of 30+ HRs in his time with the Phillies. Plus, “Schwarbs” now holds the record for multiple seasons with 10-plus leadoff moonshots. I’ve followed his amazing career since college.
Schwarber still has a long way to go to catch Ricky Henderson’s 81-career mark, batting from the top of the order, and certainly can’t compare in terms of speed. He runs like he has a piano on his back. This was only the 45th of his career, a tie for ninth all-time with Brady Anderson but only one behind Philadelphia’s legendary Jimmy Rollins that he will certainly surpass soon. Although, he left the game with an elbow injury.
The move to Philadelphia three years ago, has given him Rocky-like superpowers. In 2022 he hit 46 dingers and in 2023 another 47, a career high, while maintaining a solid .251 batting average. Although the leadoff position is not the best slot for RBIs, he’s driven in 95 and has scored 99 times. Will the 100th time to circle the bases be another lead-off shot?
For the first time, our schnauzer puppy Fosse didn’t whimper or scream when my wife went to work this morning. She was quiet and came to sit on my lap, with some coaxing, hopeful that I would take her to the dog park. Tally, her older sister, went back to bed. What has traditionally been Tally’s role of taking over my office chair, has now become Fosse’s. I’m third in line for my own chair. Taking them out this morning was again very painful, but my leg is starting to loosen up as I sit here writing. By late morning, I’ll be out in the yard tending to some plants and then off to the fitness center. The pain will return on occasion but will not be a debilitating factor until just before bedtime.
I was hoping that last evening’s walk might help, so we put Tally in the stroller and did about a mile-and-a-half. Admittedly, I slept better but the sciatica flared-up with vengeance this morning. Between the dog park, chair yoga, and the stationary bike yesterday, I didn’t have time for a walk on the treadmill, but spent some time in the pool later. I’m trying different routines and stretching exercises to relieve my discomfort. There doesn’t seem to be a pattern with the pain, as last night there was discomfort in my calf muscle.
As I look back over some of my previous posts, this leg issue has come on gradually. On our cruise and in the weeks before, two months after surgery, it first appeared as cramps in my thigh and calf. It was not until two months ago that it got really painful, especially in the morning. It’s not like a sleep for eight hours without any movement. I’m usually up every two-hours and headed to the bathroom. Sometimes it’s bothersome at that time of night and sometimes not, making the whole thing very confusing and frustrating. It aches when I get back to bed, and I try some massage, tracing a tender path from my pelvis down the side of my left leg into my calf. This seems to be where the irritation comes from, but there’s also the soreness in my lower back. My entire leg is either sore or stiff, depending on the time of day.
As I write this, I continue to search for a reason why this is happening and what to do about it. Hopefully, the MRI in 2-weeks will reveal some answers. I’ve tried heat and ice applications, stretching, yoga, sitting on firmer surfaces, lying on my back in bed, exercise, and rest. The bottom line seems to be that I just have to keep moving!
Continued from Post #2593
“Never lie. Never cheat. Never Steal. This was the way Jim Harbaugh claims he was strictly raised. Yet, the University of Michigan always seems to be in the NCAA rules violation spotlight. When you’re the National Champion, everyone wants to take a cheap, credibility shot. Anti-Wolverine fans probably outnumber the supportive alumni. However, he’s now a Charger, but has left behind a cloud of suspicion. He’s now slipped out of the grip of the Big Ten and the NCAA like Houdini and seems to be one that prospers!
Back in 2023, as head Coach of the 49ers, he was all over the performance-enhancing drug infractions of division rival Seattle Seahawks, quoted as saying “Cheating won’t be tolerated.” As we’ve already covered, there are many forms of cheating. Harbaugh also faced charges related to illegal contact with student-athletes during the Covid-19 “dead period.” Denial. Denial. Denial.
He left the 49ers in 2014 to take the job at the University of Michigan. Sherrone Moore then took over in an interim capacity in 2023 after Coach Harbaugh was suspended for 3-games by the Big Ten for “conducting an impermissible, in-person scouting operation over multiple years, resulting in an unfair competitive advantage that compromised the integrity of competition.” Isn’t that the very definition of cheating?
His replacement, now the new Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore, is one of seven members from the 2023 Championship football program accused of violating NCAA rules. Harbaugh naturally claims that he did not participate and was not aware or complicit in these allegations. “Moore could face a show-cause penalty and possibly suspension for allegedly deleting a thread of 52 text messages with former Michigan staffer Connor Stallions in October 2023 on the same day that media reports revealed Stalions was leading an effort to capture media reports revealed Stalions was leading an effort to capture the play calling signals of future opponents,” according to ESPN. It’s just another example of how history repeats itself with another sign stealing incident. Cheaters Unite!
Once again, I lost my entire post and will have to rewrite it. My shaky hands hit the wrong key, and the automatic save function didn’t work. Hassles like this are prevalent these days, especially in the morning when I’m in pain. I limp and wince in an effort to take the dogs out and then collapse in my chair with an ice bag on my left thigh. I had a doctor’s appointment scheduled for yesterday, but they called wondering if I had gotten the MRI results. Oddly, they supposedly set it up so they should know, especially after my insistent follow-up. Finally, they took action and got the appointment a few weeks out, so the insurance company can do its usual stall. This little dance only adds to the pain and suffering. The MRI will only pinpoint the pinched nerve but not yet solve the problem. That will be up to physical therapy, stretching techniques, and hopefully not surgery.
In the meantime, my leg loosens up as the morning hours pass and I’m then able to take the dogs to the park and go through my gym routine. I also have chair yoga today. My wife is substitute teaching again, but at least got relaxing, long day at the beach yesterday before dealing with elementary school kids. Between moments of screaming leg pain, I have at least been able to get a few constructive things accomplished like securing our entryway artwork, adjusting the timers on our fountains, getting new glasses, having the oil changed in the car, calling the refrigerator repair company, and trying to get replacement landscape bulbs. Each has presented its own set of hassles.
To summarize my frustrations, I’m in the process of filing an insurance claim for my glasses that involves more paperwork than reward. The refrigerator repair company claims they have called and left messages, but we can find no records. Since we didn’t respond, they sent the replacement parts back. This has been going on for months, so we’re forced to use the back-up refrigerator in the garage – hardly convenient. The lighting company has been slow to respond, and our house continues to be bathed in darkness. These are all small things, but they add up. Next week, I have to deal with Xfinity on a new phone. Life certainly doesn’t get any easier in retirement.
Cheaters become repeaters. In the previous installment, I’ve already pointed out where history repeats itself (See Post #2591). It’s also worth pointing out that “cheating is not an accident. It’s a choice.” Gamblers often see cheating as a way to beat the system, so it’s an encouraged practice. If you can get away with doing it, it’s considered fair game. This is why states like Hawaii and Utah have completely banned all forms of gambling. Critics argue that it “leads to increased political corruption, compulsive gambling, and higher crime rates.” Others feel that there is a Mafia or organized crime influence. Dating back to Roman times, gambling was periodically outlawed, but exceptions were made for holidays. Even today’s laws waver with the wind.
Gambling in the States dates back to 1612 when King James (not LeBron) established the first lottery in Britian, an event that would play a key role in the funding of the Jamestown Colony. Similar public and private lotteries played a vital role in U.S. development, leading to our country’s first public buildings, colleges, roads, canals, and religious structures. In 1776, the First Continental Congress approved a lottery to kickstart the Revolutionary War.
British settlers brought their passion for horse racing to the New World that soon led to 1665 construction of the first racetrack on Long Island, New York. Then, it was Westward Ho! as expansion spurred a rise in poker and other card games. San Francisco took advantage by licensing limited forms of gambling while many other gambling establishments were frequently ignored by authorities. Beginning in 1787, gambling was largely outlawed but was permitted to raise revenue via lotteries or raffles. Naturally, scandals began to surface. By the end of the 1830s, there was a state-to-state push to ban gambling activities. Oddly, even today, lotteries remain banned in Nevada. The invention of the steamboat blurred the state gambling regulations and quickly gained a reputation for dishonest gaming through the emergence of crafty “riverboat gamblers.”
Following the Civil War, legal lotteries reemerged to fund Reconstruction in the American South. Ironically, whenever there’s a need for money, gambling all of a sudden becomes tolerable, and cheaters once again prosper. State constitutions were rewritten, and bans lifted, or the rules simply ignored. Casino-style games became popular but fell out of favor since the odds were rigged in favor of the operator. Poker games were more difficult to fix. Lottery scandals created more gambling suspicion, especially when word spread that Louisiana Lottery officials tried to pay off the state legislature.
Lottery fraud has become commonplace. Several common techniques include using a forged, altered or stolen ticket. There are also many examples of insider fraud, involving employees or agents who exploit their positions. Unsurprisingly, scammers take advantage after informing their victims of falsified prize winnings. Scam, cheat, repeat!
The Twentieth Century marked the expansion of legalized gambling. Changes in the law allowed Nevada to emerge as a gambling destination, while Indiana reversed course. The popular French Lick sight, where the mob hung out in May each year to bet on the Indy 500 and Kentucky Derby, became a ghost resort. Instead, the desert began to draw the crowds. In 1964, state lotteries also began to get popular again. Atlantic City New Jersey also capitalized on becoming a legal gambling destination. Slowly, casinos began to pop-up around the country as other states followed suit, as did the Indigenous Nations where U.S regulations did not apply. As of 2022, only the states of Hawaii and Utah did not agree that the revenue benefits outweighed the potential harm. Anymore, however, you can gamble on your phone or computer, visit a nearby betting parlor, or work with a licensed broker. This same individual, not too long ago, was referred to in a derogatory sense as a “bookie.” By the way, I need to call my guy.
Next, we’ll look at University of Michigan football, with repeated allegations of cheating, even in transition between coaches.
To be continued….
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Thanks
The Fever have become the new darlings of Indiana basketball, supplanting I.U., Purdue and the Pacers in the hearts of fans. Their playoff drought officially ended after seven seasons, after just clinching a treasured spot in the postseason, the first since 2016. Number One draft pick, Caitlin Clark, ironically from the college-rival Iowa Hawkeyes, takes over for the long-retired Tamika Catchings. There were grave doubts, as the Fever started the season 2-9, but since then they’ve gone 15-7, including impressive wins over 10 of their 11 league opponents.
Clark has been putting up unprecedented numbers in her inaugural season. She tallied the first rookie triple-double in WNBA history, led the league in assists per game, broke the rookie assist record, and had the most single-season double-doubles by a guard in WNBA history. Guard Kelsey Mitchell, a seven-year veteran, responded with some of the best basketball of her career, making her and Clark a nearly unstoppable backcourt duo.
As far as creating lofty 20-24-25 I.U. Basketball expectations, Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook was the first major publication to pick the Hoosiers to win the BIG Conference. They also gave several preseason honors to incoming transfer Oumar Ballo. In addition, Mackenzie Mgbako was featured on the regional cover of Lindy’s Sports.
While I count the days until Hoosier Hysteria and the first exhibition basketball game against Tennessee, Fever playoff action and the rejuvenated I.U. football program under new coach, Curt Cignetti, had me mixing another pitcher of Kool-Aid. On the gridiron, Hoosier football reached 60 before their Western Illinois opponent, and went on to win 77-3, breaking a scoring record that stood since 1901 when they defeated Franklin College 76-0. Earlier in this book, we already accounted for the other handful of instances where the “Magic of 60” applied to I.U. football routs.
Western Illinois came into the game with a 25-game losing streak, so it was no surprise that the Hoosiers prevailed, but no one expected that large of margin. The team improved to 2-0, with the previous week’s win over the Florida International Pitbulls 31-7 and set another program record with 701 total yards against the Leathernecks. Reality will probably set in next week when they travel to U.C.L.A. for the first Conference game. Starting QB Kurtis Rourke, a veteran transfer from Ohio University, completed 15-of-17 attempts for 268 yards and 2 touchdowns before being replaced by back-up Tayven Jackson, brother of former I.U. basketball star Trayce Jackson-Davis, now a Golden State Warrior.
The Bears won their opener against the Titans thanks to the defense, while the Colts fell short to the Texans. My son’s fantasy team is also poised for a victory and the Oregon Ducks eked out a victory against Boise State. Purdue did not play. The biggest upset of the weekend, perhaps the century, was Northern Illinois over the highly favored Fighting Irish. Reportedly, Notre Dame paid $1.4 million for the loss. There was certainly no magic in South Bend.
Continued from Post #2588
Cheating, in all its myriad forms, has from the beginning of time been an unavoidable part of sports. As far back as 4000 BC, ancient Egyptians bet on dice, board games, and feats of skill such as chariot racing and fencing. There were probably challenges on who could kill the biggest dinosaur or the fiercest lion. It seems to be part of man’s nature. Betting on sports took place during the ancient Olympic Games, according to “Sports Betting History.” For hundreds of years, it has been at the center of some of the most dramatic athletic scandals and controversial moments, raising questions of integrity and, in many cases, spurring significant changes to the rules themselves.
I’m sure we all remember, back in the days of Plato and Sparta, 388 BC to be exact, when there was evidence of cheating in Ancient Greece. A 1952 article titled “Crime and Punishment in Greek Athletic” details a boxing bribery incident at the 98th Olympics. According to Ohio State professor Clarence Forbes, Eupolus of Thessaly “bribed all three of his opponents to let him win, prompting games organizers to impose ‘heavy fines’ on all four men, with the money used to erect six bronze statues near the entrance to the stadium in Olympia.” Their inscriptions warn of future cheating.
The apparent winner of the 1904 Summer Games in St. Louis, American Fred Lorz, rode 11 miles in a car before being called out and admitting to cheating. A similar thing happened 76-years later in Boston, when Rosie Ruiz was stripped of her medal when it was discovered that she had not run the entire race.
We’ve already detailed the 1919 Black Sox Scandal in a previous installment (See Post #2484), but thirty-two years later in 1951, a group of college basketball players, starting at City College of New York, took money from bookmakers in exchange for manipulating the scores of games. History continues to repeat itself. 32 players from seven colleges eventually admitted to accepting bribes in the point-shaving scheme. Two of those players and at least 10 other fixers, agents or bookies went on to serve jail time, according to ESPN.
Controversy and cheating prevail in all types of sports including international football. In 1986, an infamous goal known as “hand of God” by Diego Maradona led Argentina to a 2-1 win over England in the quarterfinals of the 1986 World Cup, eventually leading them to the finals that they would also win. He initially said it was the “hand of God” that knocked the ball into the net, rather than his own. But in his autobiography 14 years later, Maradona fessed up. “What hand of God?” he wrote. “It was the hand of Diego! And it was like stealing the wallet of the English, too.” Justified theft in his eyes!
Cheating incidents in sports rarely involve acts of violence, but this one did in 1994. In a brazen assault, a man named Shane Stant attacked top U.S. figure skater Nancy Kerrigan with a baton after practice. It was later revealed that Stant had been hired to attack Kerrigan by the ex-husband of her main rival, Tonya Harding, in hopes that the injury would prevent Kerrigan from competing in the national championships and 1994 Winter Olympics.
Faking a disability was a shocking factor in the 2000 Paralympics. Spain’s intellectual disability basketball team won gold in Sydney. Later it was revealed that 10 of the 12 players were not disabled after all. At the same time, the stronger got stronger as baseball’s steroid era made Lance Armstrong and Russia’s state-sponsored scheme look trivial by comparison. Dozens of players were implicated, including Mark McGwire, Rafael Palmeiro and several other big-name stars. Congress got involved. Major League Baseball was forced to overhaul its drug-testing policies. And while the time period listed here covered the “peak” of the era, including the 1998 home run record chase between McGwire and Sammy Sosa, its effects stretched well beyond this window − from the Mitchell Report to Barry Bonds’ trial for perjury.
American football showed its ugly side in 2015 when Superstar Tom Brady, then of the New England Patriots, was accused of cheating. This did not involve steroids, fake disabilities, or even gambling. He simply asked team equipment staffers to deliberately underinflate footballs in the AFC championship game against the Indianapolis Colts. It’s reminiscent of doctoring the baseball and bats that we already covered. Same cheating techniques – different sport. Brady was suspended four games and appealed in this memorable cheating scandal known as “deflategate.”
While there were wide gaps of time between scandals of years past, they seem to occur frequently these days. In 2019, the Houston Astros were in the spotlight. As I wrote in Parts 4 & 5 of this series (See Post #2486), they utilized both a centerfield camera and banging on a trash can to relay stealing signals. The incident soured their World Series title and led to several suspensions, firings and fines. Years later it inspired the technological introduction of “PitchCom”, allowing catchers and pitchers to communicate their signs wirelessly.
Many people might view what happed in the 2024 Paris Olympics as just another form of cheating, changing your sex to gain an advantage. Hungarian boxer Anna Luca Hamori said she didn’t “think it’s fair” that her opponent, Algerian Imane Khelif is taking part in the women’s category at the Olympics. Khelif is one of two athletes, along with Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting , who have been cleared to compete despite being disqualified from last year’s Women’s World Championships after they were said to have failed gender eligibility tests. Both identify and compete as women but have XY chromosomes in their DNA. They were defended and allowed to compete by International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach. However, this could be considered similar to steroid use, altering the body to gain a competitive advantage.
Cheating has come a long way from the childhood playground. No one is above suspicion, so scrutiny and rule modifications will continue to increase in all sports, extending to the business world. Everyone wants to find a way to get an edge over their competitor and there continues to be a fine line between fair and unfair.