Teen's soccer ball lost in tsunami washes up in Alaska

A teenage boy, who thought he lost everything in last year's devastating tsunami, just found out that his one-prized possession— a soccer ball survived after it floated over 3,000 miles across the Pacific Ocean all the way to Alaska.

Officials from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said the ball with the 16-year old's name inscribed on it is one of the first pieces of debris from the March 11, 2011 tsunami to start washing up on North American shores.

A man found the ball while beachcombing on an Alaskan island, and his wife, who is Japanese, spoke with the ball's owner, Misaki Murakami, by phone over the weekend.

No, the ball's name is not Wilson.

David and Yumi Baxter said they would send the ball back to the young man.  Murakami, from the town of Rikuzentakata, said he was surprised and thankful for the return of something so meaningful.

Cappie Pondexter Apologizes For Tasteless Japan Tweets

New York Liberty star Cappie Pondexter apologized yesterday for tweeting over the weekend that Japan was to blame for the devastation of last week's earthquake and tsunami on it's northern coast and then used a derogatory term to describe the Japanese people.

In another case of an athlete's poor timing and worse, poor taste, Pondexter tweeted: "What if God was tired of the way they treated their own people in there own country!  Idk guys he makes no mistakes."

She continued the incriminating tweet: "U just never knw!  They did pearl harbor so u can't expect anything less."

After thousands saw the post, Pondexter had an exchange with an resentful reader, and she used a derogatory word for the Japanese.

Since posting her twisted point-of-view, Pondexter was bombarded with criticism and stepped back from her tweet.

"I wanna apologize to anyone I may have hurt or offended during this tragic time," she tweeted on Monday.  "I didn't realize that my words could be interpreted in the manner which they were.  People that knw me would tell u 1st hand I'm a very spiritual person and believe that everything , even disasters happen 4 a reason and that God will shouldn't be questioned but this is a very sensitive subject at a very tragic time and I shouldn't have even given a reason for the choice of words I used."

Pondexter, who is playing in Russia, declined to comment further.  Her agent, Boris Lelchitski, said the player's comments were taken out-of-context.  "She is very sorry she hurt anyone," said Lelchitski.

The Liberty released a statement, "We have spoken to  Cappie and the content of that conversation will remain internal.  She made a mistake and quickly apologized for that mistake."

It seems unlikely that the team will discipline Pondexter.

This is just another case of an athlete putting their foot in their mouth or their quick fingers to 'SEND.' By now, public figures should know there are a few subjects which should never be trivialized including 9/11, the Holocaust or a natural disaster.  What was she thinking?

Pondexter was a star at Rutgers right before Don Imus got suspended for his insensitive and derogatory remarks about the African-American members of that team on his radio show.

You think Pondexter would have remembered that incident and used better judgement.  At least she won't lose her job...or her home.