Gäste-Forum » They resent it and dont ever want to get

PRETORIA, South Africa -- A subdued Oscar Pistorius on Tuesday described dinner at home, chatting and looking at cellphone photos with Reeva Steenkamp on the last night of her life. Then he erupted in anguished howls and heaving sobs while testifying at his murder trial about the moments when he says he realized he shot his girlfriend through a closed toilet door. The shocking spectacle of what appeared to be a tormented man highlighted the drama of Pistorius inspirational rise and sudden fall. The South African double-amputee runner captured the worlds attention when he successfully fought for permission to run in the 2012 Olympics on his carbon-fiber prostheses. The very next year, he was facing charges for killing the woman he said he loved. The court in Pretoria, the South African capital, adjourned because of the star athletes breakdown, ending a day in which Pistorius spoke of the loving aspects of his relationship with Steenkamp in testimony designed to counter a prosecution picture of him as temperamental and overbearing, and then outlined his version of the final hours before the shooting. "I sat over Reeva and I cried," Pistorius said, telling how he broke open the stall door in his bathroom in the early hours of Feb. 14, 2013 to discover his bloodied girlfriend slumped in the cubicle. "I dont know how long I was there for." Pistorius has said in statements that he shot Steenkamp after mistaking her for an intruder in his bathroom. Tuesday marked the first time he has spoken publicly about the details of the fatal shooting. Prosecutors call Pistorius story an intricate lie and maintain he intentionally killed his 29-year-old girlfriend, a model and reality TV show star, after an argument. The 27-year-old Olympian faces a life sentence with a minimum of 25 years before parole if convicted of premeditated murder. The judge, Thokozile Masipa, will deliver the verdict because South Africa does not have a jury system. Pistorius has often shown emotion while listening to testimony since the trial began March 3, burying his head in his hands, weeping and even vomiting on a couple of occasions. Tuesdays outburst on the witness stand was his most demonstrative, and it forced a brief adjournment. Pistorius didnt stand up when the judge left, and also started to wail as he slumped in his seat. His brother and sister went over to comfort him. After a while he left the courtroom through a side door, still crying. When Masipa returned, she ended proceedings for the day. Pistorius had by that time come back, jaw clenched, to the witness box. He was composed when he left the court and walked to a waiting vehicle. The trial was to reconvene on Wednesday. Led by defence lawyer Barry Roux for the second day of his testimony, the runner provided more detail about his timeline of events leading up to the shooting. He said the couple had dinner about 7 p.m. and later sat chatting in the bedroom with the television on, and that Steenkamp showed him some photographs on her phone. He said he fell asleep between 9 p.m. and 10 p.m. and woke up early the next morning. At that point, he said, Steenkamp asked him: "Cant you sleep?" "No, I cant," Pistorius said he replied. Then he said stepped out to the balcony to get fans, and when he returned to the darkened bedroom he heard a noise from the bathroom. "Thats the moment that everything changed," Pistorius testified. Pistorius said he felt fearful and vulnerable as he moved to the bathroom, walking only on his stumps because he had removed his prosthetic legs before going to bed. He said he was screaming for Steenkamp to call the police. "I wasnt sure if someone was going to come out the toilet and attack me," he said. He also testified he heard a door slam, which he said he took as "confirmation" that there was an intruder in the bathroom, and fired four shots at the toilet cubicle with his 9 mm pistol. After the shots, Pistorius said, he searched for Steenkamp in his bedroom, patting the bed where he says he thought she was in the dark, searching on the floor next to it where he thought she might be hiding, and also behind the curtains. "It was at that point ... that it first dawned on me that maybe it was Reeva in the toilet," Pistorius said. He said he screamed for help. Neighbours of Pistorius who were called by the prosecution have testified that they heard a womans terrified screams before and during what they thought were gunshots. Some also said they thought they heard a mans voice. The defence has suggested that the neighbours heard only Pistorius screaming and not a woman. In earlier testimony Tuesday, Pistorius denied three other charges against him relating to firing a gun in public on two occasions, and illegal possession of ammunition. He said he wasnt to blame for a shot going off in a busy Johannesburg restaurant because a friend handed him an "unsafe" gun with a bullet in the chamber under the table. He also said he wasnt guilty of illegally possessing .38-calibre ammunition in his home because he was safekeeping it for his father and he had no intention to use it. Pistorius was born without fibula bones because of a congenital defect, and his legs were amputated when he was 11 months old. He ran on carbon-fiber blades and is a multiple Paralympic medallist . He competed at the London Olympics but didnt win a medal. In a dramatic scene before the packed courtroom Tuesday, Pistorius left briefly at one point to change out of his dark suit and into a white shirt and shorts, similar to the clothes he was wearing when he killed Steenkamp. Prompted by his lawyer, Pistorius then took off his prosthesis and stood on his stumps by the bullet-marked toilet door, which has remained in the courtroom for much of the trial. It appeared to be an effort by the defence to illustrate what they describe as the Olympians vulnerability at the time of the shooting. Cheap Air Max 97 Purple China . Bach, a 59-year-old German lawyer, was elected Tuesday as president of the International Olympic Committee. He succeeds Jacques Rogge, who stepped down after 12 years. Bach, the longtime favourite, defeated five candidates in a secret ballot for the most influential job in international sports, keeping the presidency in European hands. Cheap Air Max 97 All Red China . Felton pleaded guilty to attempted criminal possession of a weapon and criminal possession of a firearm. He admitted he knowingly had a large-capacity ammunition magazine and a semi-automatic pistol without a license. http://www.cheapairmax97fromchina.com/ch...hite-china/.com) - Will Conant booted a 39-yard field goal as time expired and Air Force played spoiler with a 27-24 win over 21st- ranked Colorado State on Friday. Nike Air Max 97 On Sale . The Blue Jackets play Thursday night at New Jersey in their first game after the NHLs Olympic hiatus. A native of Trencin, Slovakia, Gaborik has represented his country at the 2006 and 2010 Olympics but was unable to play in Sochi because of his injury. Air Max 97 Sale Mens . Its Wu-Tang and Outkast in the final. Now, we all know youve played the role of Andre 3000 in the past, does that mean Outkast is getting your vote?AJ: You know it, you know it.TSN Baseball Insider Steve Phillips answers several questions each week. This week, topics include the "bean wars" between the Red Sox and Rays, Blue Jays draft pick Jeff Hoffman, Justin Verlanders struggles, and surprising all-star voting results. 1) In light of the “bean wars” between Tampa Bay and Boston, what should the league do to reduce the number of retaliatory on-field incidents? Are the suspensions enough of a deterrent? Major League Baseball has reduced the number of on-field violent confrontations in a pretty significant way from the 1980s and before. The issuing of warnings to teams after a potentially intentional beaning has reduced the number of retaliatory responses. As we saw in the Rays/Red Sox series, boys will still be boys but it is better now than it used to be. Baseball also has a “heads up” program where umpires are alerted prior to a series about any bad blood that exists between the teams. Umpires can issue warnings before a game if they believe the lingering animosity could surface. This pregame warning serves as a deterrent and puts players on notice that at the first sign of monkey business there will be action taken. There are two changes that I would make to further address this issue. Firstly, I would encourage umpires to eject the instigator in a bean ball situation. Too many times the pitcher who strikes first suffers no penalty. Rays pitcher Davis Price hit Res Sox slugger David Ortiz with a pitch that may have been intentional. The umpire chose to only issue a warning to both teams. That was done with the intent of heading off possible retaliation against the Rays. That warning didnt work and Brandon Workman, Red Sox pitcher, was later ejected for throwing a pitch behind Rays third baseman Evan Longoria. If Price had been ejected, then the Red Sox would not have felt as compelled to bean Longoria for payback. Price didnt get a suspension at all. Second, I would institute a “no third-man in” policy. If there is a fight on the field, no other player can leave his position on the field or in the dugouts and bullpen. If they do then they face an automatic 10-game suspension. This should serve as a team deterrent that will keep all-out brawls from occurring. Thirdly, I propose that penalties become stiffer for the initial combatants as well. If you fight, you know you will serve at least a five-game suspension for a position player and relief pitcher and a 15-game suspension for a starting pitcher. It would be great to end all on-field violence. It wont ever happen but these changes would get us a bit closer. 2) The Blue Jays used the ninth-overall draft pick on Jeff Hoffman on Thursday; a player who just underwent Tommy John surgery. What does this say about the Jays development strategy, especially in light of Alex Anthopoulos drafting habits in the past? The Blue Jays have been drawn to the high-ceiling type players in the first round under Anthopoulos. They have shot for the moon. They want impact from their first round pick. Nowadays, many teams like predictability in first round selections. They will take less impact and a lower ceiling for a greater likelihood that the player will get to the majors. Not the Jays. Jeff Hoffman was thought to be one of the top three picks in this draft prior to injuring his arm and undergoing Tommy John surgery. This selection makes a statement on so many levels. First, the Jays believe that Hoffman is an extraordinary talent. Why else would any team take a baseball player whose injury prohibits him from doing what he does best? Secondly, the Jays believe in Tommy John surgery. It isnt quite as predictable as getting ones tonsils removed but the track record of success is very good. The Jays fully expect Hoffman to be 100 %. Thirdly, the Jays are saving money. Hoffman is a value because they took him with the ninth pick when many thought he could go as high as second overall. With the injury, the Jays will likely save some money but they are also assuming some level of risk and that has dollar value. With multiple first round selections, the Jays gave themselves the financial flexibility to get their picks signed this year. The fact that Hoffman is a college pitcher means that he is a bit more advanced in his development than if he were a high school pitcher and therefore missing some playing time now should not set his development back much at all. 3) Justin Verlanders 2014 numbers have been less than inspirational. Hes 6-5 on a first-place club, has an ERA over 4.00, is presently sporting the worst WHIP of his career, and hasnt logged a complete game since 2012. Should the alarm bells be going offf for the Tigers? The Tigers should be alarmed about Justin Verlander.dddddddddddd He is still a good pitcher but the dominant overpowering ace from a few years back is no longer on their roster. Verlander has thrown 1,885 innings in eight and a half years, which includes seasons of 251, 240, and 238 innings pitched in individual seasons. He has thrown the most pitches in baseball this year. In fact, he has thrown the most pitches in baseball since 2009. He has led the league in pitches thrown every year but one from 2009-2014. In 2010 he finished four pitches behind Dan Haren for second most. Verlander is a workhorse. He loves to go deep in the game and he loves to strike out hitters. He has been an amazing pitcher. The fact that he has such great stuff is a blessing and a curse. It is a blessing because he has won a ton of games for Detroit. It is a curse because he has been so good that he works deep counts since he strikes out so many hitters. And he has always been a better option for the manager than anyone in the bullpen, so he pitches deeper in the game. All of this has taken a toll. He is wearing down a bit. We have seen CC Sabathia fall off over the past couple of years because of the same reasons. The arm only has so many bullets and they have both used their fair share. Verlander can still be successful, but he is going to have to make adjustments. Command has to be more important than velocity for him. He used to regularly run his fastball into the high 90s. He no longer can pitch there. If he tries to generate too much velocity from delivery, his command suffers. Verlander needs to try and retire hitters on three pitches or less with well-located pitches. Velocity cant matter. This will allow him to be more efficient now and give him more years on the back end of his career. 4) The most recent All Star vote tally had some very interesting results. Torontos Melky Cabrera, is ranked third among AL outfielders in voting. Orioles designated hitter, Nelson Cruz, passed Red Sox slugger David Ortiz for the top DH. Brewers outfielder Ryan Braun is in a close race in the NL outfield as well. Why are these results so significant? All three of these players have served suspensions for performance enhancement drugs. Yet, the fans seem to be putting that aside as they consider their performances this year. The fans believe that what they are seeing on the field is legitimate and real. They dont think it is enhanced. It is just good ol fashioned baseball. The All Star balloting has long been a popularity contest. The fans votes dont always coincide with the players votes or the stats. If the fans like a certain player, he has a shot to be an all-star regardless of his numbers. What is even more amazing is that the fans arent holding grudges like they have in the past. It had seemed that fans wanted to send a message to cheaters that their actions were unacceptable. One of the few ways they could do that was with their voting. But that feeling seems to be waning. Fans are either forgiving the players for past wrongs or just accepting of what has happened to the game. Either way, we all win. I have learned that giving forgiveness is not for the other person but it is for me. When I forgive someone they may react in any number of ways. But when I give forgiveness it releases a burden on me. I no longer feel pain and resentment. Baseball fans are showing healthy growth by surrendering their anger to baseball players. It shows growth. It shows a certain trust in the drug policy. It shows compassion and understanding. My hope is that baseball writers will take the lead of the fans. Writers feel duped by players. They feel like they were made fools of for celebrating home runs and record-setting accomplishments. They resent it and dont ever want to get burned that way again. My hope is that the writers will move to a place of forgiveness of the players as well. It is time to move forward. The writers need to look at the steroid era as just that, an era. It wasnt done to them. It was just what happened and they were there to document it. So they should document it. Vote steroid users in the Hall of Fame. Lets appropriately remember what happened so we dont repeat our mistakes. The writers should make history by passing that history forward. It is time to heal. It is the right thing for all of us that made mistakes in the steroid era of baseball. So let this day start the all-out campaign for Melky Cabrera, Nelson Cruz and Ryan Braun for the All Star team! ' ' '