Four stars as an international story. . .domestically (sad to say) it's in the two to three range. . .

The murder of athletes for political/theological reasons tugs at the heart of even the most stone-cold Ebeneezer Scrooge-esque character. This one was a news ripple across the Atlantic for a short period of time.

Cricket, eh? Stealing a line from English Bob in the movie, Unforgiven, "Well, why NOT attack the cricket team?"

I think cricket is up there with watching paint dry for entertainment, but this is shit. Not that athletes are better than anyone, or deserve immunity (except in the sense we all do) but this is a loathsomely despicable act. Cricket in those countries has the same resonance that baseball and football do in North America, or that hockey has in Canada. As such, its not a great surprise that a bunch of motherfuckers decided they'd be a worthwhile target, but its still despicable.

No more or less cowardly than any other act of terrorism you read about (read: pathetically cowardly), but this struck a special chord with me for some reason.

As a big fan of American sports, I can't imagine how I'd react if one of my favorite athletes were taken out by a ball-less, out-of-nowhere sneak-attack. These people need to get lives.

Inconceivable that such a gruesome act could occur in a civilized society, but it's not unheard of that violence rocks the world of cricket in that part of the world. One year, out of fear for the safety of the participants, cricket matches between India and Pakistan were relocated to Canada.

Seriously, wtf. Attacking the Sri Lankan cricket team? In a terrorist culture with a pretty low bar, this particular group sure sounds like the bottom of the barrel - a group of third rate, ideologically bankrupt, and cluelessly ruthless terrorists. Tragic, ridiculous, and utterly unnecessary.