Soccer ball swept to sea during 2011 Japanese tsunami washes up on Alaskan island 5000 kilometres away

A battered soccer ball that was swept up on the shores of an Alaskan island may be the first piece of debris from the Japanese tsunami last March. The soccer ball, which is covered in Japanese writing, was spotted on the coast of Middleton Island by radar technician David Baxter, the Anchorage Daily News reported. He realized the significance of his find after his wife, who is originally from Hachioji, in western Tokyo, translated the writing and traced it to the name of a school.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Office of Response and Restoration confirmed that the school named on the ball was in a tsunami-hit area. "There have been other items that were suspected, but this is the first one that we're aware of that has the credentials that may make it possible to positively identify it," the NOAA's Doug Helton said.

According to The Japan Times, the ball belongs to Misaki Murakami, a 16-year-old high school student in Rikuzentakata, Iwate Prefecture, who lost his home in the disaster. Murakami said the ball, which is covered in messages of encouragement, was given to him by his third-grade classmates before he moved to a new school in March 2005.

"I have no doubt that it is mine," Murakami said. "To be honest, I'm surprised. I want to thank the person who found it, as none of my sentimental items have been found."

The Baxters hope to return the ball personally to Murakami this summer when they take a vacation in Japan, The Japan Times reported. "We're very happy that the owner of the ball is safe. We want to return the ball as soon as possible," Baxter said. "When I first saw the ball, I knew that it had a special meaning to its owner."

The Duke of Hazards

I have to admit that I was completely engrossed in the final round of the 84th U.S. Masters golf tournament yesterday. Everything I did, and I admit it was not a tiring day, centered around that finish. Yes... golf! The sport often compared to watching concrete set or grass grow was mesmerizing!The day started with Swede Peter Hanson with a one-shot lead who then faltered from the git-go while Phil Mickelson made a charge.But Phil threw it all away with a nightmare on the 67th hole when he hit into the trees on a par 3 and then tried to get a reverse swat going to get him out of trouble. Mickelson took a triple-bogey and could never catch up, but at least was in contention, unlike Tiger Woods who never showed up.

Behind this carnage stalked two calm and collected young men, Gerry (Bubba) Watson and Lodewicus Theodorus (Louis) Oosthuisen. Slowly but surely these two drew away from the rest of the field and soon it was a two-horse race. The first hole of the playoff was a normal and almost subdued affair, both obtaining par and setting up for the next hole. The second, played on the 10th hole, was anything but ordinary. Both players hit tee shots into the trees with Oosthuizen blowing a chance to march up the fairway while his partner was looking for his wayward ball in the pine needles. Watson then uncorked an absolute gem of a shot, bending his ball around trees and onto the green, about 15 yards from the cup. Oosthuizen then two-putted while Watson needed only one to win his first major and the coveted Maters green jacket.

Bubba Watson apparently has the longest consistent drive on the PGA Tour, no doubt helped by a whiplash 6' 3" frame. He lost his father to cancer two years ago and the emotion of that lost coupled with the win his father could not be there to see was etched in his face and tears. Watson also drives his "dream car" the general Lee from the Dukes of Hazard fame, but this just seems to fit his personality. However, Bubba my final comment is, after winning the Masters you can now afford to get a decent haircut. May your luck and your obvious nerve hold.

Justice is Done

I have talked enough about this topic, but I am truly relieved that the NFL has stuck to its guns over the bounty scheme issue. National Football League Commissioner Roger Goodell upheld the one-year suspension he gave New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton for trying to cover up a bounty program that paid players bonuses for injuring their opponents. Payton, 48, appealed the suspension, set to begin on April 16, last week. Goodell handed down the decision -- the stiffest punishment ever imposed on an NFL team and its leadership -- on March 21 after he said Payton lied to the NFL about the program. The commissioner also upheld a $500,000 fine on the Saints, the loss of two draft picks, a half-season suspension for General Manager Mickey Loomis and a six-game ban for assistant Joe Vitt. To do less than this would have been capitulation and cowardly. All credit to you Roger.

Kain-Tuck-Ee!!!

Last night I split my evening between watching River Monsters with my daughter Keziah, and sneaking glimpses of the NCAA Championship game between the two K's, Kansas and Kentucky. My interest was twofold. One, I picked Kentucky to win (with a little help from my friend Jamison who knows more about college basketball than one individual should); and two, March Madness is absolutely brilliant, the perfect end to the basketball season. Despite 1 from 10 in the field shooting on the night freshman MVP Anthony Davis, the Wildcats defeated Kansas 67-59 to win their eighth national title, their first since 1998. Coach John Calipari finally got to add that coveted yet elusive championship to his trophy case.

Snitchgate

I meant to write about this BS when I first heard about it but unfortunately time did not permit. Apparently current Carolina Panthers tight end Jeremy Shockey was outed by former Buccaneers and Raiders defensive end as the "snitch" in the sordid "Bounty Affair" currently embroiling the New Orleans Saints. I say apparently because I didn't see the original tweet where Shockey was blamed. I don't know if Shockey did tell the NFL or not, and frankly it doesn't matter who did. The whole point of the matter is that whoever did so, did exactly the right thing, and deserves a medal for courage and conviction.

Bounties offered by the New Orleans Saints, and if I hear correctly, by other teams as well, are simply despicable. Completely against the mores and norms of society and what should be totally illegal in the microcosm that is professional sport. So to brand someone a snitch Mr Sapp, and I use the term loosely, is just asinine. Warren you should be ashamed of yourself. You obviously think that the bounty program is a legitimate part of the NFL. WRONG. You should be admitting that a bounty on an opponent is sadly pathetic and out of step with what you supposedly stand for, sportsmanship. Time to change your tune.

Following on from this story the Commissioner of the National Football League, Roger Goodell, stated in rebuttal that, he didn't just classify Sapp's naming of Shockey as "inaccurate," he also said it was inaccurate to name a single "snitch" and that it was several sources who provided the information to the league office. Goodell didn't fire Sapp from the NFL Network, which would have been just, so maybe Warren will have more time to think before opening his mouth again without engaging his brain. Not that Warren is the only human ever to do that.

Goodell also handed out some very appropriate punishment for some of the officials at the center of "Bountygate", Gregg Williams has been suspended indefinitely and I admit I would not be unhappy if he never coached in the NFL again. Sean Payton, the heretofore well-respected coach of the Saints, has been suspended for a year. How the Saints are going to cope with that is beyond me right now. For me personally, my respect for Payton and soft-spot for the Saints has well and truly disappeared.