Sometimes you read a story and think, "Either there's waaay more going on here than anyone is saying, or these people are bizarre idiots." And sometimes you end up right on both counts. Two high school wrestling coaches have been charged with disorderly conduct for spiking a 15-year-old wrestler's Gatorade. And what's the real tragedy here? Why, three days after the coaches were sacked, the wrestling team lost every single match in the quarterfinals, because they were so distracted by the incident and the loss of their great coaches. Mmm hmm.
Okay, now wait until you hear what they spiked the drink with: A chemical that tests show could either have been polyacrylatic acid or polyacrylamide. Both are industrial chemicals used in the absorbtion of water, and if ingested as a powder, they could make a person's throat swell and make it difficult or impossible to breathe. However, if you dilute with water, they become gelatinous and are considered non-toxic. My first thought was that perhaps it was some nutty wrestler way of messing with making weight (some of 'em try and drop weight or add it to wrestle in a particular class.) The coaches lawyers' say it was a prank, but I really, really don't get it. What was supposed to happen when the kid drank it? And would anyone have been amused? Eeeesh.
