Iowa High School Wrestler Refuses To Wrestle Girl

A high school wrestler in Iowa gave up his chance for a state championship by refusing to wrestle against his first round opponent, who happened to be a girl.

Joel Northrup, who is a Christian, said it went against his religious convictions to compete against a girl. Before getting too upset with Northrup and calling him out as a sexist, take a look at his reasoning. He said he didn't feel it was appropriate to engage in violent acts toward women. Here is a young man that should be applauded for his views, yet it seems many are lashing out at him as sexist. To the contrary, Northrup is a young man with uncommon courage to take a stand on his convictions. In a society that has endured way too much violence toward women, his actions are a breath of fresh air.

Another aspect that Northrup did not discuss was that fact that in wrestling, it is inevitable that wrestlers must touch each other in areas that aren't appropriate for those of the opposite sex.

Northrup wasn't shying away from competition. This isn't a tennis match or golf tournament or NASCAR race where there is no physical contact. Perhaps this is a wake-up call for the state organizers who allow such competition. Let's hope Joel Northrup is a name that will be remembered for years as a true champion.

Link to Greg Doyel article
Link to Rick Reily article. Reily just doesn't "get it."

David Platt's book Radical

I'm finally reading David Platt's book, Radical. It's one of those books that you start reading and you know you'll be different after reading it. Can't wait to finish! Here's a link to the book.

Wake Forest Baseball Coach Steps Up To The Plate...And Knocks It Out Of The Park

Wake Forest baseball coach Tom Walter says it was a "no brainer" of a decision, but his decision to donate a kidney to one of his players was a selfless act that deserves hero's attention.

Sophomore outfielder Kevin Jordan needed a kidney transplant, and when none of his relatives were a match, Walter determined he was, and he knew what he needed to do. And one of the beautiful storylines is that he didn't do it to get back a great player -- there is no guarantee of a return to baseball -- he did it because he wanted Jordan to survive and function every day.

Kevin, we are all praying for a successful transplant and a healthy recovery. And let's hope Walter's act gets a great deal of attention. Not because we need to lift him up. But because we need to evaluate our lives to see if we are willing to do similar acts of selflessness.