One of the reasons I don't play sports videogames is because I satisfy all my violent impulses by playing shooters. It allows me to behave reasonably when people suggest tactics like not sniping on Carentan. Otherwise, who knows how I'd respond when someone suggests tactics. Consider the case of a man in Italy stabbed in the neck.

The man, identified as Fabrizio R., suffered a deep cut to the throat after his 16-year-old son, Mario, attacked him during an argument on Sunday over the soccer video game FIFA 2009. Police said the argument broke out when the 46-year-old storekeeper offered his son advice on tactics to improve his play, and then turned the television off in response to his son's behavior.

Of course, it's silly to connect this to playing FIFA 2009. A news story based on a police report can't begin to suss out whatever tensions have been brewing over the years or how maladjusted this boy must have been to snap when given advice about when to bunt, or whatever. Instead, the writer just fixes on whatever detail makes the story sound the most absurd. Note, for instance, how the platform is called out in the headline: "Teen stabs father in Playstation row". Reuters simply reports. It's up to you to decide whether to blame Sony or soccer.

(Thanks Peter!)