Greetings from the sports desk located somewhere below decks of the Good Pirate Ship RedState. Sammy the Shark and Karl the Kraken are excited over the start of the AFL (Australian Football League) season ...

No, guys, we can’t park the ship in the Port of Melbourne for the duration. You’ll have to watch online like everyone else.

Anyway, the headline news in sports comes from an unexpected place, namely high school track and field. At the Virginia High School League Class 3 State Indoor Championship competition held on Friday, March 7, 2025, at Liberty University in Lynchburg, IC Norcom High School senior Alaia Everett participated in the 4x200 meter relay. Regrettably, Ms. Everett suffered a momentary lapse in remembering that the designation for the baton she was carrying while being passed on the track by Brookville High School’s Kaelen Tucker was a direct hand-off to her teammate without it first going through Ms. Tucker’s cranium. Ms. Tucker emerged with a concussion and a possible fractured skull.

High school track runner gets hit with a baton on the head in the middle of a relay.pic.twitter.com/i1r2wlYvlS

— Thomas Sowell Quotes (@ThomasSowell) March 9, 2025

Naturally, the victim in this scenario is ... Ms. Everett.

“After a couple times of hitting her, my baton got stuck behind her back like this, and it rolled up her back. I lost my balance when I pumped my arms again. She got hit,” Everett told WAVY TV 10. “I know my intentions and I would never hit someone on purpose.”

Everett’s mother, Zeketa Cost, also chimed in.

“I didn’t have to see a first video, second video or 10th video. I know 100 percent that she would never do that to nobody,” Cost said.

Ah, but she did.

Meanwhile, in the never-ending stream of beclowning that is the WNBA, as our Brad Slager points out, the Chicago Sky’s Angel Reese has once again proved she is far more adept at shooting off her mouth than a basketball. Her latest fusillade folly is threatening to lead to a player's strike if WNBA participants don’t start receiving remuneration equivalent to that of NBA players.

MORE: Angel Reese Talks of a Potential WNBA Players Strike, and the Laughter Cannot Be Stopped

Ms. Reese has yet again forgotten two facts of life. One, the WNBA loses money annually while the NBA prints the stuff. Two, were it not for Caitlin Clark, instead of being endorsed by McDonald’s, Ms. Reese would be working at one.

On to sports people watch in large numbers, namely the NFL. Speaking of large numbers, contracts containing same are being tossed about like Monopoly money as the free agent signing period begins. The Los Angeles Rams got a nice head start on such by signing wide receiver Davante Adams to a deal on Sunday, March 9, with the thought of him lining up on one side of the field with Puka Nacua on the other making hearts happy down LA way and heavy everywhere else. Los Carneros have also bolstered an already potent defense by signing defensive lineman Poona Ford away from their cross-hallway rivals Los Angeles Chargers. The Seattle Seahawks have snagged quarterback Sam Darnold, while the New York Jets will try Justin Fields at the position in question. More forthcoming.

Enjoy the week, everyone.