Did a College Baseball Team Poison Their Opponent?
When it comes to getting an edge on your opponent, in the spirit of competition, there are some boundaries that shouldn't be crossed.
A few incidents from the history of sports come to mind.
What's the first thing you think of when you hear the name "Tanya Harding"?
What about the Michael Jordan "flu game" against the Utah Jazz in the NBA Finals?
According to MJ and his trainer, it was food poisoning, likely planted by a Jazz fan who delivered him pizza.
NAIA baseball doesn't have the stage of the 1994 Winter Olympics or the 1997 NBA Finals, but it does have an accusation this week that warrants coverage.
In a photo tweeted from a Barstool fan account for Kansas Wesleyan, a poisoning accusation against their opponent Bethany College was shared on social media.
According to Kansas Wesleyan athletic director Steve Wilson, the team found a substance in the water cooler, and has since opened an investigation.
"We take this extremely seriously," KWU director of athletics Steve Wilson said in a statement. "Therefore, we immediately began a thorough, in-depth review, with the priority of putting the health and safety of our student-athletes first. This review is ongoing and is a high priority."
Bethany won game 1 of the doubleheader 8-7, while Kansas Wesleyan dominated game two by the score of 33-2.
According to sharecare.com, ingesting paint thinner can cause a variety of harmful symptoms, including burning in the mouth, throat, or stomach; vomiting; diarrhea; methemoglobinemia; and in some cases lead to death.
If you want to get an edge on your opponent, it's best not to try and kill them.