I got a text from back home that Caliban Academy won its first match in the most unusual way. Leona Mangle was hurt and was taken to the hospital, and her boyfriend Edgar was forced to see his first varsity action ever. Amazingly he actually took down a boar that seemed to win the game, but by roaring he was penalized for “Excessive Celebration.” That’s a penalty that was created because post-kill celebrations were getting out of hand. (For instance, teams would completely debone the carcass and reassemble the bones into a funny and/or degrading pose.) It was mainly felines who did that, since they often play with their food.
In recent years, though, officials are calling the penalty for virtually any display of enthusiasm. It’s not what the rule was supposed to do, and it detracts from the sport. Fortunately, in this case the team won anyway when Leona’s ambulance hit a deer that had earlier fled the field of play.
Meanwhile, here at the lab we’re still wondering what the stem cell funding ruling will mean for us since Federal grants make much of our research possible. While in many cases they don’t pay the total cost, they’re frequently a springboard to other funding sources. A freeze would halt a lot of promising studies that could alleviate much sickness and suffering. For now, all we can do is wait and see what happens next.
This week's question: In human sporting contests, how do teams celebrate?
