best casino sites with bonus

Talent Management Software Market Future Innovations and Forecast 2024-2031Gladiators suddenly were in vogue recently with the release of “Gladiator II,” a big-budget motion picture sequel. Those ancient combatants entertained large crowds, but were they engaged in a sport? Today, it can actually matter whether an activity is a game, sport or contact sport. And that, as it happens, could be of interest to severely injured players like NFL quarterback Trevor Lawrence, who ended up with a concussion because of a dirty hit Dec. 1. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines a sport as a mostly physical activity engaged in for recreation or pleasure. Other sources emphasize the competition and entertainment elements, some adding skill and rules to the equation. Gladiator battles would check most of the boxes, except the recreation part, as does contemporary football. Both are violent, although most gladiator matches were not fights to the death as often portrayed. Promoters did not develop star combatants only to risk losing them. Money talks, even in bygone Rome. This is why there are now so many NFL rules designed to protect the quarterbacks. Pickleball is a sport. Fishing, too. Both fulfill the recreation element. Baseball is certainly a sport, notwithstanding John Kruk , a career .300 hitter during the 1980s and ‘90s who once quipped, “I’m not an athlete, I’m a baseball player.” What about scripted professional wrestling? An intriguing question, because negligence rules do not apply to most injuries incurred during a contact sport. Pro wrestlers, boxers and football players are engaged in a very physical “full-contact sport.” Therefore they, along with basketball and hockey players, among others, are not liable for most injuries they cause. But this is not as simple as it sounds. On Dec. 1, Lawrence took a questionable targeting-like hit while sliding. He suffered a concussion, severely injured a shoulder and is out of football for the rest of this season. Voluntary participants injured in a contact sport do not have a claim for damages unless they are the victims of “willful and wanton” conduct. Was the hit on Lawrence “willful and wanton?” Perhaps. The perpetrator was suspended by the league for three games. Technology changes the game Courts are finding that to be deemed a sport, the activity needs rules and common understandings. Even young people playing an ad hoc game of kick the can in a dormitory hallway are engaging in a “sport” if there are enough informal rules to comprehend the game and assess the risk. If rough physical contact is expected, no one is liable for foreseeable injuries, even when caused by negligence. These distinctions are relatively new. In 1986, Green Bay Packers defender Charles Martin famously blindsided Bears’ quarterback Jim McMahon, drilled him into the ground and ended his season , even though McMahon was no longer in the play. Was this an unnecessary malevolent act? Yes, especially since several Packers that day had towels listing targeted players , including McMahon. But in those days, courts were loath to second guess on-field altercations. Now the law has evolved largely due to an important change: technology. In May 2003, many Glenbrook North High School girls participated in a traditional “powderpuff” football game. It was not a school event nor did it take place on school grounds. It did, however, have the usual rules and understandings about flag football, and the participating girls assumed that risk. Then the “game” devolved into violent hazing as upper-class girls abused and injured many of the freshmen. The victims were not assuming those enhanced risks, so the abuse was not deemed a sport, which led to 12 girls and three boys facing misdemeanor battery charges. And there were videos. That made a difference. With television replay, camcorders and now cellphones, virtually all sporting events from Little League to the Major Leagues are caught on tape. Courts will now analyze on-field injuries simply because they can. Skiing and golf are not contact sports, but a Wisconsin court once found that competitive cheerleading is. Professional wrestling poses a different issue. It is highly choreographed with the outcomes predetermined. In many ways, it is more like a “reality show” than a genuine sporting event. But unlike the typical semi-scripted reality program, pro wrestling demands athleticism, skill, strength and much violent contact. If it is a sport, it surely is a contact sport. Wrestlers assume a lot of risk, but if competitive cheerleading is a contact sport, then pro wrestling certainly is. Sports should not be a license to maim. If a combatant steps over the line, even in wrestling, it can be actionable. That is also true of football. Thanks to NFL replay, cellphones and eager parents, contemporary courts do not have to look the other way. That opens the door for Lawrence and other players victimized by wanton violence. Money still talks, just as it did in those gladiator days. Eldon Ham is a faculty member at IIT/Chicago-Kent College of Law, teaching sports, law and justice. He is the author of five books on the role of sports history in America. The views and opinions expressed by contributors are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the Chicago Sun-Times or any of its affiliates. The Sun-Times welcomes letters to the editor and op-eds. See our guidelines . Get Opinions content delivered to your inbox.best casino sites with bonus 。

Human Rights Secretariat workers denounced that the government terminated the contracts of 400 staff members in December, jeopardizing the operation of several dictatorship memorial sites. The secretariat ended 2023 with over 1,000 workers but cuts continued throughout the year: the workforce is currently just under 800. This means that the recent layoffs have slashed the Secretariat staff by 50%. The justice ministry, the official body running the secretariat, ordered 2,500 layoffs across all dependencies. Paula Eugenia Donadio, a representative of state-workers union ATE, told the Herald that the layoffs endanger the functioning of dictatorship memorial sites run by the secretariat. The memorials are repurposed former clandestine detention centers that operated during the 1976-1983 military dictatorship. According to human rights organizations, these centers were instrumental in the forcible disappearance of over 30,000 people. The memorial sites in danger of closing are Automotores Orletti, Virrey Ceballos, El Olimpo, and Club Atlético (Buenos Aires City), Faro de la Memoria (Mar del Plata), and El Vesubio (Buenos Aires province). “If there are no workers to organize visits, or just open and close their doors, they are at risk of shutting down, as are all areas of the Human Rights Secretariat,” Donadío added. Donadío said that other functions of the Human Rights Secretariat are also at risk. Among other things, they assist victims of past and current human rights violations, give human rights training, run the National Memory Archive, are in charge of safeguarding documentation, and are in charge of the Haroldo Conti Cultural Center. The workers are organizing a symbolic hug on Friday, 5 p.m., to the building of the Human Rights Secretariat building, which functions at the ESMA, a dictatorship memorial site itself. Their goal is to “denounce and repudiate the dismantling of the policies of memory, truth and justice, and human rights policies” they claim Justice Minister Mariano Cúneo Libarona and Human Rights Secretary Alberto Baños have been carrying out. “Argentines are aware that this a step backward to places where we do not want to return, we believe that the Secretariat of Human Rights is part of the democratic construction of the country and that is also what we want to defend,” Donadío said. Ever since he was on the campaign trail, President Javier Milei has sought to undermine Argentina’s memory policies, which aim to commemorate and seek justice for victims of the country’s last dictatorship. He has called human rights violations committed during the dictatorship the result of “a war” and has questioned the number of 30,000 desaparecidos . Those comments quickly became state policy. Human rights organizations have warned that the government fired experts, spread denialist rhetoric, and flouted international commitments. On November 14, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights granted three hearings on the situation in Argentina, including one on memory, truth, and justice policies. In the hearing, Baños was dismissive towards Abuelas de Plaza de Mayo head Estela de Carlotto. He also claimed that the civilian team working on the Armed Forces’ archives dismantled them, calling the team a “group of vigilantes.” Baños said that the spirit of this administration is to guarantee “complete memory” — a phrase also used by denialist groups that support the so-called “two-demon theory,” a rhetorical device that equates the violence of the Armed Forces and left-wing armed groups.

DALLAS – If you attended a high school dance at any point in the 1980s, you no doubt heard “Chicago” lead singer Peter Cetera croon these words: “Everybody needs a little time away, I heard her say, from each other...” ADVERTISEMENT The members of the Minnesota Wild seem to genuinely enjoy each other’s company, and their willingness to work together for the good of the order shows in their 21 wins thus far, and their flirtation with the top spot in the Western Conference standings. But following their 4-3 win over Chicago (the Blackhawks, not the band) on Monday, the NHL mandates that every team take a three-day break for Christmas. At risk of the hefty fine from the league, teams cannot get together for practice, nor may they travel to road games until the morning of Friday, Dec. 27. That means the Wild were gameday arrivals in North Texas for their Friday evening meeting with the Stars. And as much hassle as that may be, most Wild players and coaches were eager for the time off by the time the final horn sounded on Monday. “The way I see it is I think this is a break at a key time for us, and I give the players a lot of credit. We’ve been going at max capacity and really dialed in from training camp till now and there’s been way more success than there has been failure,” coach John Hynes said, after his team snapped a four-game skid with the win over the Blackhawks. “But I also think that guys have really pushed, and I think guys have produced at certain times. I think it’s important for our group now to be able to get away from it for a few days, come off a win in a game that we played well, and then now it’s come back and we just reset and get moving forward.” As has been the case for much of this injury-riddled season to date, the biggest question about moving forward is which players it will involve. For example, top-line center Joel Eriksson Ek, whose big body and noteworthy skill have been missed since a lower-body injury in early December, looked to be inching closer to a return during the team’s last pre-Christmas practice. Getting some rest before facing a tough team like Dallas on the road is one positive factor, the Wild hope. Another pick-me-up was getting the victory by whatever means necessary versus Chicago, to end a season-worst losing streak. “It’s nice to go into the break with a win, but the games before, we’re not happy with,” Wild captain Jared Spurgeon admitted. “It’s tough throughout the year to be at 100 (percent) mentally and physically, so to have three days at this point, it’s big for us to sort of just relax, get away from it, hang with family friends and do something a little different.” ADVERTISEMENT And once they get back on the ice in Dallas, they plan to get back to more of the theme of the early season – namely getting contributions from throughout the lineup and competing for the lead in the Central Division. “I’m pretty convinced that after the break we come back then we get set for another while,” Hynes said, noting their next extended time off comes after Minnesota hosts the New York Islanders on Feb. 8. “You got Christmas basically until the 4 Nations break and that’s when we can re-plug in and get guys dialed in, get the team dialed in.” ______________________________________________________ This story was written by one of our partner news agencies. Forum Communications Company uses content from agencies such as Reuters, Kaiser Health News, Tribune News Service and others to provide a wider range of news to our readers. Learn more about the news services FCC uses here .Pacific Pulmonary Medical Group patient information dumped by Everest Ransomware TeamIslanders: Patrick Roy apologizes to the fans present at the training session.