Q: Volleyball has become a worldwide sport that is popular with all age groups, but when did this fun sport start? The history of volleyball dates back to 1895 when William G.Morgan met a Canadian James Naismith, inventor of basketball and was influenced by him and basketball.Then he wanted to invent a new game that was fit for middle-aged men.

Morgan enjoyed the game of basketball, but soon he realized that it was too fast paced for some of the older men.So, he decided to invent a game that was still played on a court , but the players were not required to run up and down--he created the game of "mintonette." Volleyball history shows that the original game of mintonette was played on a full court with a net in the middle.Two teams tossed the ball back and forth over the net, similar to the game of badminton.In order to cut down the equipment costs, the players played the ball with their hands.

The game quickly became popular, and everyone wanted to learn how to play volleyball.It quickly spread to other areas, across the United States, and even to other countries.Several changes were made to the game.

Then specific volleyball rules were set into place.Some of the rules of volleyball included the court size, number of players, and number of hits per team.The rules also stated that players must rotate around the court so that everyone had a turn to serve the ball.Also, a standard volleyball size and shape were decided within a few years.The rules continued to change and adjust throughout the history of volleyball, until the game became what we have today.

Even though volleyball history says that the game was originally created for middle-aged men, the game has become so popular among all kinds of people.Today there are many different kinds of competitive volleyball teams: high school volleyball, college volleyball, women volleyball, men, children, mixed teams, etc.There is an endless amount of possibilities with this game because it is easy to learn, many people can play together, and it can by played indoors or outside.

Answer the following questions:
1. What was volleyball originally called?
2. What other game was it very similar to?
3. What was the main difference between it and the game it became?
4. Did it stay in its original country?
5. How many countries did it spread to?
6. Who was it created for?
7. Did it remain popular for that age group?
8. When did the rules evolve to what we consider as volleyball today?
9. Do some schools have volleyball teams?
10. What sport inspired volleyball?
11. Who created that sport?
12. What was his nationality?
13. Who created volleyball?
14. What was his nationality?
15. When did he meet Naismith?
16. What did they talk about?
17. What was one of his primary objective in making the game?
18. Is it difficult to start playing?
A: 1. Mintonette
2. Badminton
3. They tossed the ball instead of hitting it.
4. No
5. unknown
6. Middle aged men.
7. Yes
8. unknown
9. Yes
10. Basketball
11. James Naismith
12. Canadian
13. William G. Morgan
14. unknown
15. 1895
16. unknown
17. Making a game that older men could play.
18. No
Q: One day a man named John was walking down the block near the park when he came across a butterfly. The butterfly was on a flower in the park. The butterfly was named Jill. John watched as Jill flew from the flower to a telephone down the block. He followed Jill and watched her land on the phone. He felt curious about why Jill was sitting on the phone. Because of that feeling, he picked up the phone and all of a sudden he passed out. When he woke up he was in a warmer place than before. He looked around and saw that he was on a small piece of land in the middle of the ocean. Its name was Otonga, but John didn't know that. He looked behind him and saw a forest and a big volcano. Next to him there was a cat named Bob. John felt happy to be in such a nice place. He got up. Bob ran away into the forest. John looked at the ocean, but he couldn't see anything else there. He followed Bob. After walking through the forest for a short time he got tired and sat down.

Answer the following questions:
1. What was on the flower?
2. Where at?
3. Who came across her?
4. where did he see her fly?
5. what did he think about that?
6. when did he pass out?
7. what happened next?
8. where was he?
9. was it a big place?
10. Did he know what the place was called?
11. What was behind him?
12. how did he feel?
13. why?
14. Who's Bob?
15. Did he stay with John?
16. where did he go?
17. Why did Jogn get tired?
18. Did he find Bob?
A: 1. butterfly
2. the park
3. John
4. to a telephone
5. curious
6. when he picked up the phone
7. he woke up
8. in a warmer place
9. no
10. yes
11. a forest and a big volcano.
12. happy
13. he was in such a nice place
14. A cat
15. no
16. the forest.
17. he was walking
18. yes
Q: Former NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue on Tuesday rescinded punishments against four players in the New Orleans Saints bounty scandal.

The ruling overturned a decision made in October by Roger Goodell, the current commissioner, against Jonathan Vilma, Anthony Hargrove, Will Smith and Scott Fujita.

SI: Goodell the big loser here

Under the bounty program, Tagliabue wrote, Saints players were given incentives during the 2009 through 2011 seasons to render opposing players unable to play. They were called "cartoffs" and "knockouts."

In addition, it was alleged that the Saints offered a bounty for injuring Minnesota Vikings quarterback Brett Favre during the NFC Championship game in January 2010.

In October, after he upheld suspensions, Goodell appointed Tagliabue to review player appeals.

In his 18-page order, Tagliabue found that Fujita's actions "were not conduct detrimental" and vacated a one-game suspension imposed by Goodell.

Tagliabue wrote that Fujita "did not participate in the program including cartoffs and knockouts and that his participation in a 'non-injury' pay-for-performance pool is typically subject only to club discipline."

Tagliabue found that Hargrove, Smith and Vilma engaged in "conduct detrimental to the integrity of, and public confidence in, the game of professional football," but ordered their punishments also be rescinded.

Read Tagliabue's ruling (PDF)

Hargrove had been suspended for seven games but was credited with having served five. Goodell found that Hargrove falsely answered an NFL investigator's questions about the misconduct.

But Tagliabue said it was not clear Hargrove lied about the program and noted that he was "under tremendous pressure to follow the chain of command in order to keep his job." Tagliabue concluded that there was insufficient evidence that Hargrove's alleged misconduct merited a suspension.

Answer the following questions:
1. Whose decision was overturned?
2. What is the name of the second player mentioned?
3. And of the third?
4. What quarterback was targeted for injury by the Saints?
5. What team did he play for?
6. During what game was his bounty offered?
7. When was that game held?
8. Does Tagliabue say that Fujita took part in the bounties?
9. What did the bounty program call injuries to opponents?
10. For which team did the four players involved in scandal play?
11. What motivation does Tagliablue see for Hargrove to have lied?
12. In order to retain what?
13. True or False: Tagliabue is certain that Hargrove lied.
14. For how many games had Hargrove been suspended?
15. Did he complete the entire suspension?
16. How many games did he sit out?
17. How long was Tagliabue's order?
18. Did he overturn Fujita's punishment?
19. Who had ordered this punishment?
20. What state do the Vikings play for/
A:
1. Roger Goodell
2. Anthony Hargrove
3. Will Smith
4. Brett Favre
5. Vikings
6. NFC Championship
7. January 2010
8. no
9. cartoffs and knockouts
10. Saints
11. pressure to follow the chain of command
12. his job
13. false
14. Seven
15. no
16. five
17. 18 pages
18. yes
19. Goodell
20. Minnesota Vikings