Ralph Nader has embarked on another crusade. The former U.S. presidential candidate has written a letter to the NHL telling them that it’s time to ban fighting.

Nader writes in a letter issued by the advocacy organization League of Fans:

“It’s time to act. The National Hockey League must take immediate steps to ban fighting and outlaw all blows to the head. And you, Mr. Bettman, as league commissioner, must lead the way.”

Nader’s organization is concerned that fighting and repeated blows to the head will have long term effects on players. The NFL has recently taken steps to protect players from concussions and Nader says that it’s time for the NHL to do the same.

Nader writes:

“Fighting in hockey can no longer be a long-debated issue pitting those who find it barbaric and unsportsmanlike and those who argue that it’s an integral part of the fabric of the game. The growing mound of research on sports concussions and brain injuries has taken the fighting issue to an entirely different level. We’re talking about short-and-long-term damage to the brain, the very foundation of who we are as people… How can you continue to allow fighting, in which the primary target is the head of your opponent, and seriously make the argument that you’re doing all you can to make player safety a priority?”

Do you think fighting is an integral part of the NHL? If two hockey players get into a fight they are usually sent to the penalty box for five minutes. If the same thing occurs in the NBA… players could be suspended for weeks.

The NFL recently added “return to play” guidelines to make sure players don’t return to the game after a concussion. The NFL has also banned flagrant head-to-head hits. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell writes:

“The evidence demonstrates that team medical staffs have been addressing concussions in an increasingly cautious and conservative way. This new return-to-play statement reinforces our commitment to advancing player safety. Along with improved equipment, better education, and rules changes designed to reduce impacts to the head, it will make our game safer for the men who play it, and set an important example for players at all levels of play.”

Do you think it’s time for the NHL to start implementing stricter penalties to curb fighting?

Ralph Nader: It’s Time to Ban Fighting in the NHL is a post from: The Inquisitr

The team added that the surgery, scheduled for Tuesday, will likely sideline DiPietro for a bulk of the remainder of the season.

“This is something I thought would just heal up and go away, and instead it got more and more debilitating,” DiPietro is quoted as saying by NHL.com. “I’m almost bionic at this point.”

According to ESPN, DiPietro, the first player taken in the 2000 NHL Draft, has played only 63 games the past three seasons, as hip and knee injuries and facial fractures have forced the goaltender to miss time. He signed a 15-year, $67.5 million contract before the 2006-07 season.

Although he couldn’t give specifics on DiPietro’s recovery regiment, slanders general manager Garth Snow said the best-case scenario for the goalie’s comeback was the beginning of April, according to a report in Newsday.

“I have confidence he can get through this,” Snow said. “He’ll have the surgery and in a few weeks, hopefully, he’ll be back on the ice.”

In the eight games he has played this season, Rick DiPietro is 3-2-3 with a 3.73 goals-against average and a save percentage of just .876. In 315 regular-season games, he is 130-133-8-31 with a 2.86 goals-against average, a .903 save percentage and 16 shutouts.

“This isn’t something I ever thought would happen again,” DiPietro said of the latest surgery. “I’m going to do whatever it takes to come back healthy, as fast as possible.”

Image:Deadspin

Rick DiPietro to Undergo Season-Ending Hernia Surgery is a post from: The Inquisitr

Forward Michael Cammalleri returned to the Calgary Flames on Thursday after the Flames acquired Michael, goaltneder Karri Ramo and a fifth-round pick in the 2012 draft from the Montreal Canadiens have picked up forwards Rene Bourque, Patrick Holland and a second-round pick in the 2013 draft.

The trade comes less than a week after Cammalleri told La Presse that the Canadiens have a “losing mentality.”

According to reports Cammalleri was pulled out of Montreal’s game during the second intermission on Thursday night when he was told to return to his hotel.

Michael spent the 2008-09 season with Calgary where he had a breakout year with a career-high 39 goals. The next year he signed a $30 million free agent deal with the Canadiens. During his two seasons with Montreal his goal totals dropped to 26 and 19.

Speaking of the teams re-acquisition of Cammalleri Flames General Manager Jay Feaster said:

“Mike Cammalleri is a dynamic player who enjoyed great success playing in Calgary … We believe Cammalleri will help our offensive production, solidify a second scoring line, bolster our power play, and bring another strong veteran voice to our room.”

“We are confident that a return to Calgary will be good for Mike and good for our continued pursuit of a playoff berth,” Feaster said.

This isn’t the first time the Calgary Flames have released a player only to pull them back into the mix, the did the same with Olli Jokinen and Alex Tanguay.

Do you think Calgary made the right choice in pulling Michael Cammalleri back into the mix?

Montreal Trades Michael Cammalleri Back To Calgary is a post from: The Inquisitr

After a two hour weather delay pushed the Winter Classic at Citizens Bank Park back by two hours the Philadelphia Flyers and New York Rangers provided fans with an exciting matchup that ended with a 3-2 Rangers victory.

Skating around on a rink that spanned from the first to third base markers the fifth NFL Winter Classic was especially exciting for Mike Rupp who scored twice as the Rangers defeated Philadelphia for the third time this season.

Even up until the last seconds the game was a breath holder as Henrik Lundqvist stopped a penalty shot by Danny briere’s with just 19 seconds left in regulation play.

Adding goals for the Flyers were rookie Brayden Schenn (his first career goal) and Claude Giroux.

Adding to the games ambiance were Christmas trees, fire wood, fake snow and even trash-can fires to add a “natural feel.” The game was then followed with some snow flurries late in the second period as temperatures fell into the 30s for the players and their 46,967 fans. In the meantime the league used 20,000 gallons of water to create the rink.

While the game provided the same two points in the NHL standing it was met with far more hype as NBC televised the game and HBO showed up with 12 camera crews to film the event for their behind-the-scenes series 24/7. 

The game wasn’t without it’s issues, star forward Jaromir Jagr left just one minute into the second period with no explanation, only to reveal after the Winter Classic that he injured his left leg but would return soon.

Showing the popularity of the NHL Winter Classic some fans paid up to $1,000 for a seat to the event through the secondary market, filling up the market with premium priced seats.

Would you have been willing to spend $1000 for the chance to sit in the freezing cold at the 2011 NHL Winter Classic?

New York Rangers Defeat Philadelphia Flyers In Winter Classic is a post from: The Inquisitr

The outdoor NHL hockey matchup known as the NHL Classic has been pushed back by NFL officials following a revised weather forecast.

According to officials the game which was scheduled for 1 p.m. will now instead be played at 3 p.m. ET.

The New York Rangers and Philadelphia Flyers game is scheduled to be played at Citizens Bank Park and the NHL made their decision on Sunday when weather forecasters predicted optimal weather conditions for later in the day.

Fans preparing to attend the match up can now enter when gates open at 1 p.m.

Last years NHL Classic in Pittsburgh was pushed all the way into prime time because of rain.

Do you plan on watching the NFL Classic regardless of what time it starts?

[Wrigley Field image via BigBadBob113]

NHL Winter Classic Pushed Back Over Weather Forecast is a post from: The Inquisitr

In a post-mortem examination of NFL enforcer Derek Boogard’s brain doctors have discovered advanced brain damage that would have likely led to early on-set dementia had he not died from a drug and alcohol overdose at the age of 28.

Speaking about the extensive nature of the enforcer’s brain damage one doctor told the New York Times:

“To see this amount? That’s a ‘wow’ moment.”

The doctor then pointted at Boogard’s brain tissue and announced:

“This is all going bad.”

The study of Boogard came after he “lost his personality” while playing with the Minnesota Wild. Boogard was later diagnosed with  post-concussion syndrome, depression, and  substance abuse, the latter of which took his life.

Better known as CTE—or chronic traumatic encephalopathy, the syndrome is relatively common among professional athletes, having been recently diagnosed in two former NHL players and more than two dozen NFL athletes.

Even as more evidence continues to surface that NHL fights and hard hits are injuring their players NHL officials deny the claims and have done very little to ensure players remain safe and healthy well into retirement.

As one former player tells the NYT:

“They are trading money for brain cells.”

Do you think the seriousness of CTE should be further examined and regulated for professional sports to ensure more tragic results are avoided whenever possible?

NHL Enforcer Derek Boogard Suffered Advanced Brain Damage At 28-Years-Old is a post from: The Inquisitr

The NHL this week witnessed a rare moment when the Minnesota Wild signed a 51-year-old goalie as the team’s backup.

After learning that starting goalie Nik Backstrom couldn’t play in tonight’s game the team called up a minor league goalie but weren’t sure he would make it via plane to the teams game. Realizing the need for a backup for their backup goalie Josh Harding they contacted the embroidery store owner and had him suit up.

Jim Deutsch skated out onto the ice for team warmups where he blocked shots from Wild players while his daughters youth team cheered him on.

After warm-ups the minor league player’s plane arrived and Deutsch’s NHL career came to an end.

In the meantime Jim won’t be experiencing any of that big time professional pay, he signed onto the team with a nonpaying contract to be an “amateur tryout.”

After the game Jim Deutsch revealed on his NHL contract signing:

 ”I actually was shaking while I was signing it, and it was pretty cool.”

I can already see the stories he’ll be telling to his grandchildren 20 years from now “did you kids know grandpa was a professional hockey player?”

Kidding aside it’s pretty cool to see a 51-year-old guy live out his dream, even if only for a brief passing moment during team warm ups.

[via Minneapolis Star Tribune]

Minnesota Wild Sign 51-Year-Old Goalie is a post from: The Inquisitr

There are not a lot of black hockey players in the NHL and after Thursday nights game in Ontario, Canada I can understand why. Wayne Simmonds of the Philadelphia Flyer’s was participating in a exhibition game shootout against the Detroit Red Wings when a fan threw a banana peel at him.

According to the Philadelphia Inquirer Simmonds was heading towards the goal during the shootout when he says:

 ”I caught it from the side of my eye,” while adding, “It was a banana. Hopefully, that wasn’t directed towards me being black.”

While it’s hard to tell the exact intentions of the fan who was not questioned, Simmonds own players quickly came to his defense with one player revealing:

“I would have went and kicked that fan’s ass myself,” adding, “That’s just not right.”

While stadium security didn’t catch the party responsible, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman was quick to condemn the action, saying in a statement:

“The obviously stupid and ignorant action by one individual is in no way representative of our fans or the people of London, Ontario.”

The NHL definitely isn’t Disney on ice but it’s at least nice to see the quick reactions the league had in condemning even the hint of racist actions taken by a fan.

Racism On Ice, Banana Peel Thrown At Black NHL Player is a post from: The Inquisitr

Modano, considered by many as one of the greatest hockey players of all times, took to Twitter and Facebook this Wednesday to officially announce his retirement from the sport, adding that he would elaborate during a Friday news conference.

“After a long summer of thinking about my future, I’ve come to the decision that it’s time to retire as a player from the NHL… What a great ride it’s been!” the 41-year-old told fans on his Facebook page.

Over the course of his illustrious career, Modano played in 1,499 games, racking up 561 goals and 1,374 points in the process – all of which are NHL records for American-born players.

In addition to his scoring records, Mike Modano, a Michigan native who was selected by the Minnesota North Stars with the number 1 draft pick in 1988, won the Stanley Cup in 1999 and played in multiple Olympics -taking home a silver medal in the 2002 Winter games in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Upon hearing official word of Modano’s retirement, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman released a statement congratulating him on an outstanding career.

“We thank Mike for giving National Hockey League fans 21 years of thrills with his speed, his skill, his craftsmanship and his class,” Bettman said. “Mike also excelled on the international stage, representing the NHL and USA Hockey with great distinction.”

In honor of Mike Modano’s 21 year career, check out the following highlight video which captures some of his greatest moments in the NHL.
via ESPN

Mike Modano Retires After 21 Seasons in NHL is a post from: The Inquisitr

Rypien, who just a month before his passing signed a one-year $700,000 deal with the Winnipeg Jets, had previous spent parts of six seasons with the Vancouver Canucks, but was twice in three years forced off the ice to deal with undisclosed personal issues.

Upon receiving word of his death, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, National Hockey League Players’ Association executive director Don Fehr and the Jets’ owners praised Rypien and offered their condolences.

“We are deeply saddened to confirm Rick’s passing. We would like to express our sincere sympathies to the Rypien family as well as Rick’s friends,” a statement released by Winnipeg Jets Hockey Club said. “Rick was a talented player with an extremely bright future. His hunger for the game made him a valued team member both on and off the ice. This loss has impacted us as more than just a hockey team.”

In his 119 NHL game career, Rick scored nine goals, dished out seven assists, and spent a total of 226 minutes in the penalty box.

Rypien’s death, which the police believe to be “sudden and non-suspicious,” was the NHL’s second in the last three months – New York Rangers forward Derek Boogaard died of a drug and alcohol overdose May 13 at age 28.

Rick Rypien, 27-Year-Old NHL Player Found Dead is a post from: The Inquisitr

Currently the NHL has three franchises for sale. The Phoenix Coyotes, St. Louis Blues, and Dallas Stars. Of course given the state of the economy these sales are tough, but several local problems have also hampered the progress of the sales of these three clubs. The Coyotes have been for sale for years, and the city council of Glendale, AZ is the major sticking point there. In Dallas, the sale is being held up due to the large number of creditors that must be pacified, and in St. Louis the sale of the Blues is being held up as ownership groups are considering making bids on the Stars.

We start in Phoenix where two groups are rumored to be interested in buying the team. One of those groups is likely headed by Jerry Reinsdorf (who owns the Chicago Bulls and White Sox). The hold up there is any new ownership group is going to want an opt out clause from the team’s current 30 year lease. Meaning they want out if the local populace cannot or will not support the team. So far the city of Glendale has been unwilling to grant a clause like that (and since they own the building and have shelled out millions to keep the team in town) we can understand why. However, they will likely have to do so. In the end it is not so bad, as any hint of success should bring in fans and local sponsors.

In Dallas, Tom Gaglardi is serious about buying the Stars, and he reported to be in New York working out deals with all of the creditors. His bid will likely get through and be overseen by a bankruptcy judge. There are a few other groups interested in the Stars and the Blues and it seems likely right now the Stars sale will happen first with whoever gets locked out of that moving on to the Blues. Gaglardi seems to have little interest in buying the Blues.

Phoenix Coyotes, St. Louis Blues, Dallas Stars sale update is a post from: The Inquisitr

True North has debuted the logos for the reconstituted Winnipeg Jets, which of course use to be the Atlanta Thrashers. Here is a look at the old jets logo:

It looks to be a pretty nice modernization of the classic Jets look. For the most part I like it, I of course would have preffered the Jets to come back as they were, but I understand their want/need to modernize the classic Jets feel. True North wants their team to have their own strong identity, of course that indentity would avoid a franchise that packed up its bags and moved to the desert, so I understand the need here to make the Jets their own team once again.

To be real truthful the script logo shown above, and the alternate logo seen below are clear upgrades. Let me also take the time to thank the folks over at sportslogo.net for the images of the new Jets colors.

It is a strong sign that True North may be very good stewards for this franchsie, and that Gary Bettman’s grand southern strategy for the NHL was a very large mistake. If guys in the great white north are this adapt at not only selling tickets but rebranding teams, we shoud immediatley move more teams to Canada.

The Winnipeg Jets unveil new logos is a post from: The Inquisitr

First, the situation in Phoenix is still to be resolved. The city has ponied up more money to keep teh team in town short term, but it seems likely know a new buyer will have to be found unless some miracle can happen to finally get this deal done. It also looks like the St. Louis Blues will be sold before the start of a new NHL season. Dave Checketts is ready to move on, and there seems to be a lot of interest in buying the Blues.

The Montreal Canadiens have won a tax battle with the city of Montreal. They won a 5.8 million dollar rebate, and had their yearly taxes reduced from 10 million to 8.5 million. All in all good news for the team, potentially bad news for the city. Most of the tax issues were related to the Habs home, the Bell Centre.

Now some not so good news for the Edmonton Oilers. They are desperate to get out of the 37-year-old Rexall place when their lease expires in 2014. To do so they need 100 million dollars in loans from the Province of Alberta, or from the Canadian Federal Government, and neither side seem very interested in giving them that kind of money.

The Oilers have plans to build a 425 million dollar arena project, but I am not a big fan of any government using taxpayer dollars to fund private enterprise. I want the Oilers to stay in Edmonton, but they should find the funding for their project from private sources.

NHL News (aka NHL hodge Podge Post) is a post from: The Inquisitr

 The really great news for NHL purists is the Winnipeg Jets are back. The so called announcement was made tonight at the NHL draft when True North executive Mark Chipman casually slipped in the Jets moniker as he announced Winnipeg’s first draft pick. The real bummer here is True North failed to really capture the moment with that announcement, and that their first pick wore a black and grey NHL jersey and cap after he was selected.

Not to call all Vince McMahon on everyone, but there is a certain amount of spectacle that is appropriate for sports teams and their announcements. I would have liked to see this organization make a big deal about returning the Jets to the NHL. It is a big deal, and for old school hockey fans everywhere I wish there would have been a little more theater in that announcement.

I would have also liked to see their draft pick in a classic white Jets jersey. This leads me to believe that either this decision was just recently made, or that True North plans to update the old Jets look. I think this team missed the boat a bit by just announcing the name and not having the logos and uniforms to go with it. They could have unveiled all that on the NHL’s second greatest stage, or waited, built up some more expectation and made the call early next week with uniforms and logos to go with it.

Granted the people True North is trying to market this team too, the actual citizens of Winnipeg and Manitoba, took all of this in stride and are just happy to have their team back. I see this as a missed opportunity to really fire up the hockey fan base.

The Winnipeg Jets are back is a post from: The Inquisitr

To be fair I can see both sides of this argument. First a short recap. True North has bought the Atlanta Thrashers and that team will be relocated to Winnipeg, Manitoba. That city has been without a NHL team for 15 years since the then Winnipeg Jets left town to become the Phoenix Coyotes. The word is the new owners are not very keen on the Thrashers moniker, but also are not keen on a return to the Jets nickname.

There are a lot of sides to this argument. The first is marketing. What would the best way to market this team be? Would it be to name it after the city or the province? I think we can make a strong case that Manitoba makes this team the team of many more Canadians that naming the city after the city of Winnipeg. I think a team is the western part of Canada will be a big draw and naming the team the Manitoba whatever’s is a solid move marketing wise.

Now we get to old school hockey fans (like myself) who are nostalgic for the good old days and want the Jets back. That is a strong move as well as Jets merchandise still sells, and I know that because I recently bought some. However, True North does not want the Thrashers name as it is linked to a failing organization and they may be very hesitant to link themselves to a team that ultimately failed in Winnipeg for a multitude of reasons.

I think True North should take its cues for the United Football League. They want their fans to have an instant attachment to this team so why not let the fans of Manitoba vote on the team name. For better or worse connecting to your fans is always a solid move.

Should the Winnipeg Jets return? is a post from: The Inquisitr

Over the past few years Canadian Businessman Jim Balsillie has tried to buy several NHL franchises. Along the way he has ruffled some feathers. He had a near agreement to purchase the Nashville Predators but before the team was done he began selling season ticket packages to the good folks of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada and that was a big no-no. Selling tickets to a team that has not been purchased or granted permission to relocate is frowned upon by the NHL owners. He then tried to backdoor his way into the ownership club by attempting to purchase the Phoenix Coyotes from the bankruptcy court.

Needless to say Mr. Balsillie is not very popular with NHL boss Gary Bettman, nor the 29 other owners who make decisions like this. This week there have been several reports both confirming and denying that the NHL has told Balsillie to tone down his antics and he will one day get a NHL team of his very own. That is likely a reaction to the strong showing Winnipeg, Manitoba fans have shown in buying up all of the season ticket packages in a little less that a quarter of an hour.

There is no doubt that whatever (and probably whenever) team Balsillie get his hands one will be relocated to Hamilton, Ontario. That is his plan and it looks to be a good one. Hamilton is on Lake Erie a few hours for both Toronto and Buffalo so having a team there would be very beneficial to the league in terms of geographical competition. Canada is also a strong hockey market and I thin any reasonably sized Canadian city can support a NHL franchise.

It in the end Bettman will once again have to admit that he was wrong. Many hockey fans see what True North did with the season ticket selling drive as teh same thing Balsillie tried to do. It’s not but we can see the argument there. Hamilton deserves a NHL team far more than cities like Columbus, Ohio, Long Island, New York, and yes Phoenix, Arizona do.

Will Jim Balsillie ever get a NHL franchise? is a post from: The Inquisitr

The potential relocation of a sports team can often be traumatic experience for a community. However, the sports fans of Atlanta, Georgia are a pretty fickle bunch and they do not have a great passion for hockey. We learned that in 1980 when the Atlanta Flames were moved to Calgary, and now we are learning it again as it looks like the Atlanta Thrashers are moving to Winnipeg.

This is far from official, but it has been a rumor for weeks now, and Stephen Brunt of the Globe and Mail says the move is done. Gary Bettman is reportedly set to head to Winnipeg next Tuesday and make the move official. For now we can applaud the fact that one of the southern NHL teams that has struggled is moving to place where the citizens are crazy for hockey.

Winnipeg and Atlanta could not be more different. Atlanta is a big American city where the sports fans have been known to not have great passion for all its teams all of the time. Winnipeg is a small Canadian city where the bet is they can make up for a small market with a great enthusiasm for the sport of hockey.

Of course both cities have lost NHL franchises in the past. We could effectively blame both of Atlanta’s losses on bad ownership and poor management. Winnipeg on the other hand lost its franchise to Phoenix because of a then weak Canadian dollar. Now that the Canadian dollar is worth more than its American counter part hockey can once again return to the great white north.

It looks like the Atlanta Thrashers are headed to Canada is a post from: The Inquisitr

I am not a big fan of the Phoenix Coyotes, or their less than suitable location. However, it now seems like the team and its fans are kind of getting a raw deal. The NHL has allowed this situation fester for far too long. At times it seems they are using the sale and possible relocation of the Atlanta Thrashers as leverage against the Coyotes. If True North were to buy the Thrashers, and move them to Winnipeg it would take all the pressure off the situation in the desert, and the groups involved would have plenty of time to work out a new deal.

Let’s be real honest here the citizens of Glendale have now ponied up 50 million bucks of taxpayer money to keep the Coyotes in town. If they wind up leaving I think the folks in Arizona will be mightily pissed off and may turn away from hockey all together. I know I would if I were in that situation. So the NHL should do whatever is necessary to work out an agreement to keep the Coyotes in Arizona. That would be up to and including giving ownership of the team to the city of Glendale.
 
Asking taxpayers to hand out that kind of cash, after building an arena with other public funds, and then ripping the team out of the area would be unconscionable. It would be a PR nightmare, and hopefully Gary Bettman understands that. The NHL should move to allow True North to buy the Thrashers, get heavily involved in getting a Phoenix deal done, and then work towards fixing the problems with the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Has the NHL been unfair to the Phoenix Coyotes? is a post from: The Inquisitr

All of that is a losing equation, but this team has repeatedly shot itself in the foot. I have family in Columbus, and they inform that they do a very poor job of marketing themselves and making their organization look good. By all accounts from family and various internet reports the Nationwide Arena is constantly unfilled with many fans of the opposition in attendance.

That means the people in Columbus who actually are fans of this team and go to the games are constantly shouted down in their own building. On top of that I have heard some reports that the in arena management team constantly does things that highlight the fact that more fans from out of town come to see this team than promoting Columbus residents or Blue Jackets fans.

The Blue Jackets averaged just 13,658 fans per home game. That is the fourth worst average attendance in the NHL barely beating out the New York Islanders, Coyotes and Thrashers. Ohio is a great football market, and even though Columbus is technically the biggest city in Ohio, it is proving to be a poor NHL market. Maybe Winnipeg or Quebec should probably focus their attention here.

The Columbus Blue Jackets, the NHL’s other problem is a post from: The Inquisitr

The Detroit Red Wings are no doubt fighting for their playoff lives, after loving Game 3 and going 3-0 to the San Jose Sharks the Wings have won their last two games, two more victories and they will be only the fourth team in NHL history to come back to win a seven game series when first trailing three games to zero.

As Jimmy Howard put it, “Why not us?”

Early in the third period a goal put the San Jose Sharks up with a score of 3-1 before the Wings came roaring back with three straight unanswered goals for a final 4-3 victory, moving the series back to Detroit for a Tuesday night Game 6.

The Red Wings hero for game 5? Pavel Datsyuk, the same player who was iffy for a start due to a hurt hand. Pavel assited on the goal that gave the Sharks a 2-1 lead and then assisted on two of the 3rd period goals including the winning number by Nicklas Lidstrome.

Perhaps, “why not us” was the right choice in words.

Detroit Red Wings Force Game 6, Attempt To Win Series After 3-0 Start is a post from: The Inquisitr