The tenth most popular piece on Jim Romenesko's Poynter.org media website this year was a short letter from a sportswriter who, after reading a Seattle Weekly story, was reminded why he got out of the business. The letter was written in 2006 and remains one of Romenesko's top annual hits, to wit:

From J.D. SMITH: The Seattle Weekly story about sportswriters reminds me why I got out of the business. And in particular of the story that David Hirshey, a now ex-sportswriter for the New York Daily News, tells about his departure, as recounted by Alan Richman in The Death of Sportswriting: Hirshey had heard that Reggie Jackson of the NY Yankees fantasized about harmonizing with the O'Jays, and decided it was worth a column. "I walked up to him at his locker, and asked, 'Reggie, I know you can carry a team. Can you carry a tune?' He was facing me. He turned around lifted a leg, farted, and said, 'How's this tune?' It was shortly thereafter that I left sportswriting."

After getting a taste of Erika's tookus, the sultan of bootie takes some time to tell the NYTimes that Seattle is sport Purgatory.

This is a photograph I found on Facebook of my friend Brandon Ehrlich kicking a ceiling. Impressed by the feat (no pun intended!), I asked him a few questions on what makes and motivates an elite ceiling kicker. Here is what he had to say:

I would have to say that it all starts with the passion. You have to really want to kick the ceiling. Without that fire in your belly, you will always be resigned to walking on floors. One of the best tips I can give a person hoping to join the exclusive ranks of ceiling kickers is to imagine someone or something that you really want to kick. Picture that person or thing on the ceiling and then go for it. For me, I picture Clay Bennett's face and am always aiming for the teeth and nose.

An effective ceiling kicker is someone that is flexible, has long legs, can jump higher than most folks, and has the ability to time those jumps correctly. Many so-called experts compare this skill to being able to dunk a basketball. You need to make sure that your foot hits its target, which in this case is clearly the ceiling at the top of your jump. Many of my predecessors have been able to hit the ceiling on their way up. It is almost impossible to do so on the way down.

The best way to train for a career in ceiling kicking is lots of stretching, yoga, and any leg strengthening exercises.

Originally I got into ceiling kicking after many skeptics said that it couldn't be done. After proving them wrong, I took a nearly-two-year hiatus from the sport. Recently I have re-enlisted myself after many requests from my fans that had felt as if they had been abandoned. The announcement of the city's settlement with what is now the OK City Thunder just before the 4th of July was the final piece of motivation that I needed.

According to the 2008 NCAA Football Rules and Interpretations. Pages 122-124.

Key excerpt after Saturday's 28-27 loss by the Huskies to the BYU Cougars:

2. After a score or any other play, the player in possession immediately must return the ball to an official or leave it near the dead-ball spot. This prohibits... (c) Throwing the ball high into the air.

Section 2. Noncontact Fouls
Unsportsmanlike Acts

ARTICLE 1. There shall be no unsportsmanlike conduct or any act that interferes with orderly game administration on the part of players, substitutes, coaches, authorized attendants or any other persons subject to the rules, before the game, during the game or between periods.

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...and possibly discharges firearms at her luxurious SW Washington redneck resort.

Troubled athletes are a dime a dozen, but we only get 11  here. Check it out.