Kerstin Baker-Ash

Sports and Search

Google, in their infinite wisdom, has given us a very easy way to obsessively check scores in a non-work threatening way. Since moving to the UK and marrying into a family of Cricket fans, I've found myself very interested in the Ashes, a marathon of tests and days of Cricket every two years between England and Australia. Naturally, I like to keep up to date with the boys' progress, but don't want it to take up too much time (wicket gone? Great. Back to work). Unfortunately, Google doesn't make it easy to search for one or two simple words (Ashes or Ashes Test):

Instead, you're forced to hunt and peck around until you come to the conclusion that you should be typing in "England Australia":

While I'm pleased at the current score (which would mean an historic English win at Lord's), I would be an even happier camper if Google didn't make it so hard to type out nearly twice the number of characters necessary to get an up to date score.

Checking on the BBC site now - England have just won their first test match against Australia at Lord's since 1934. Yippee!

Paddy Power - Need to Check Your Copy

I really try not to get worked up about things like this. Personal feelings are often best left out of business, but this is one of the first times when my personal feelings have clashed with a vertical within my industry, and I really feel like I need to blog about this.

Avram Grant is the manager of Chelsea FC, who played Manchester United last night during the Champions League final. Paddy Power are a betting company in Ireland, and like most other businesses who can't get past Google's rules on gambling, do a lot of e-mail marketing. The screengrab above is taken from their e-shot yesterday, and shows a photo of Grant under the title "Final Solution". At best, it's extremely tasteless and ignorant. Why post a photo of Grant, who has been the target of anti-Semitic attacks in the past, under a title which harkens back to Hitler's catchphrase about the systematic and complete destruction of the Jewish people?

Whatever your opinion about Grant and his coaching abilities (or personal feelings about Chelsea, I couldn't care less - I've never followed the football), it's definitely not okay to post photos about Avram Grant under Nazi-coined phrases.

Shame on you, Paddy Power. I'd encourage you to e-mail them and express your disgust about their choice of e-shots, too.