Rules

On paper, Sunday night's WrestleMania looked as if it could be one of the strongest installments in the event's 28-year history. In execution, it was anything but. I personally avoided Twitter and Facebook, so that the thoughts I would be sharing here would be as purely mine as much as possible. The show lacked the feel of WrestleMania; the first hour felt rushed and most of the matches seemed to be missing something. The show wasn't bad by any means, so I don't want people to misread what I am saying, but I expected more.

Autopsies showed that deaths of a father and his two teenage sons found in a Kent County manure pit Thursday were accidental. Maryland State Police said Glen W. Nolt, 48, Kelvin R. Nolt, 18, and Cleason S. Nolt, 14, all of Peach Bottom, Pa., died of suffocation during a farming accident. Their bodies were recovered from a pond of liquid manure at Centerdel Farm, a 200-acre dairy farm in the 12000 block of Vansant Corner Road in Kennedyville. Multiple injuries contributed to Cleason Nolt's death, police said.

The woman who says she represents North American Power is not telling the truth about the benefits of buying electricity from her company. "You can save up to 10, 15, 20 percent of your bill, depending on your usage," she says in a telemarketing call to my house. But the rate she eventually quotes is only about 7 percent less than the standard price offered by Baltimore Gas & Electric — something the average customer would have no way of knowing. And of course the percentage savings won't vary even if my "usage" goes up to that of a steel mill.

Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner I'll Have Another galloped over the track at Belmont on Friday for the first time, about 12 hours after news broke that the colt's trainer had been suspended 45 days . Doug O'Neill is not in danger of missing the final leg of the Triple Crown, as his California suspension - which would likely be upheld by other states - will not begin until some time after the June 9th race. O'Neill was found guilty of racing a horse with a raised total carbon dioxide count in its blood.

The NFL tweaked some of its rules Tuesday, making thigh and knee pads mandatory equipment for players (starting in 2013) and pushing forward a pair of other changes involving the trade deadline and injured reserve. The rule involving thigh and knee padding for players is already being met with criticism by some players who argue that the bulky, additional padding slows them down without adding much protection . Vanity might also be a factor here for some opponents of the rule change, specifically those flashy wide receivers and defensive backs.

Albert Lord doesn't like to wait - not in business or on the golf course. The colorful chairman of student loan behemoth Sallie Mae, who's embroiled in a nasty fight over the failed sale of the company, has spent 40 years in the accounting and banking industries. He said that experience should have instilled in him a measure of patience, but it hasn't. Whether in traffic, at the office or on the links, Lord said, he just doesn't like to wait. He can't do much about the first two, but he's got a sure-fire solution for the last one: He's building his own, an 18-hole golf course on land he's acquired amid shuttered tobacco farms and grazing horses in southern Anne Arundel County.

A mong the stranger sights at the height of our snowstorm's second act might have been the couple - dressed in shorts and T-shirts - walking blissfully along Pratt Street. Love, or an abundance of spirits, apparently conquers all, including the elements. "They were hand in hand," recalled a smiling, almost disbelieving Reggie Coates, who watched the snow waltz that was captured on a surveillance camera and shown live on the big screen to delighted workers hunkered down in Baltimore's Emergency Operations Center.

The Maryland gubernatorial race would be considerably more enjoyable for all who still read the newspaper and listen to the radio if the candidates simply followed the rules. And by the rules, I mean the rules set forth by my local elementary school for student council races. Running gubernatorial campaigns according to the student council rules would cut the number of accusatory letters to the editor penned by zealous advocates as well as the incessant insult-trading on talk shows.

Broadneck has been forced to forfeit its Anne Arundel County girls swimming championship after it was discovered that an athlete violated rules by shaving on-site just prior to the county meet. School system officials learned of the Feb. 10 violation in the past week, according to a news release sent out Tuesday. They redistributed the points earned by the disqualified swimmer to the other participating teams, and as a result, Severna Park has been crowned the champion. Broadneck finishes third.

We're getting closer to a final proposal for Rules for Civil Dining. A proposed tipping rule: Tip Tipping, as a subject of Civil Dining, is off the table. Simply expect to tip 20 percent, or whatever the going rate is, every time you go out to dine. What do you think? Respond here, or email me: richard.gorelick@baltsun.com, or follow the converssation on Twitter. #civildining  

Before you turn on tonight's premiere of “So You Think You Can Dance” there are a few things you should know. The format and rules, which have stayed pretty much the same for the past eight seasons, have been changed drastically.  First, the show will no longer be on two nights per week. It's a strategic manuever that will look to increase the suspense in each episode. Essentially, the eliminations will be done in a two-week rotation. During the first week, the dancers will perform and on the second week they will perform again.

The prospect of spending years behind bars in a tiny cell is sufficiently chilling to deter most people from ever committing a crime. Those who willfully break the law anyway and get caught have no one to blame but themselves when a judge sentences them to prison. But even convicted felons shouldn't have to suffer the extralegal indignity and physical trauma of being raped by fellow inmates and prison staff while they're serving their time. Sexual assaults in the nation's prisons are alarmingly common.

A former head of the state's public defender office has lost a challenge to her 2009 firing, as Maryland's highest court ruled against her Tuesday. Nancy S. Forster was fired in a dispute with the agency's governing board over operation of the office that represents poor people facing criminal charges. The Court of Appeals did not rule on her contention that she was wrongly fired because the changes the board sought were illegal and would harm clients. A seven-judge majority ruled against her for procedural reasons.

The NFL tweaked some of its rules Tuesday, making thigh and knee pads mandatory equipment for players (starting in 2013) and pushing forward a pair of other changes involving the trade deadline and injured reserve. The rule involving thigh and knee padding for players is already being met with criticism by some players who argue that the bulky, additional padding slows them down without adding much protection . Vanity might also be a factor here for some opponents of the rule change, specifically those flashy wide receivers and defensive backs.

David Sperry, a starting cornerback for the Navy football team, has left the school after violating academy rules, two sources familiar with the situation said Tuesday. Sperry, a 5-foot-11, 182-pound senior from Las Vegas, started all 12 games for the Midshipmen last season, finishing third on the team in tackles with 70. He also had two interceptions. Sperry was expected to start again for Navy in 2012. The departure of Sperry has elevated little-used Jonathan Wev, a 5-9, 196-pound junior, to first on the team's depth chart.

The Green and Libertarian parties are launching new petition drives to get their candidates for president and other offices on Maryland's November ballot after losing a battle before the state's highest court. The Maryland Court of Appeals ruled Monday that state elections officials were correct to disqualify thousands of signatures on petitions previously circulated by the two parties. Many signatures were thrown out as illegible or not consistent with the voter's official registration card.

SHEBOYGAN, Wis. — The first item on the rules sheet the PGA of America handed out last week warned players to watch out — they could be hitting out of one of the 900-plus bunkers at Whistling Straits and not even know it. "That might mean many areas outside the ropes that might contain many footprints, heel prints or even tire tracks from golf cars or other vehicles," said Mark Wilson, co-chairman of the rules committee, which even...

Every year, more than 60 federal agencies issue thousands of new regulations covering every sector of the American economy. The Small Business Administration estimates the cumulative costs of these regulations at more than $1 trillion annually, or more than $10,000 per household per year. These regulations are legally binding, yet they emerge from unelected officials in regulatory agencies; Congress never has to vote to approve them. Over the last few decades, on average, between 30 and 40 of the new final regulations issued each year have been considered "major," with impacts of more than $100 million.

With “The Bachelor” casting call coming up at McHenry Row on June 28, here are a few tips to help you decide if being on the show is right for you. Men and women of ages 21 and older are encouraged to attend the event. But let's get real, not everyone is encouraged to show up. ABC and Warner Bros. have a list of 23 eligibility requirements and here are some things to consider before applying for the show: Am I a convicted felon? Have I been issued a restraining order in the past or am currently issued one?

Maryland's highest court rejected a request to reconsider an April ruling that blocks state law enforcement from collecting DNA samples when a suspect is arrested, court officials said Friday. The decision puts the case on track for an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. States and federal courts are split over whether taking a DNA sample before a suspect is convicted violates a person's Fourth Amendment right to be free from unreasonable search and seizure. Law enforcement agencies announced last month that they would halt the practice for the time being.