d to go overboard. I stuck up for myself. I wont be pushed around.Some common rookie rituals are permitted.Last year, the Cardinals and Dodgers made their newcomers walk across the street from Wrigley Field -- i

Pitch prediction sometimes brings to mind the reading of palms or tea leaves.In the days before a Test, coaches and captains take familiar positions near one end of the track and stare pensively down at the clay; silently nodding or shaking heads, or murmuring softly under their breath. They drop ritualistically, to their haunches to lay hands on the surface, sometimes feeling it with closed eyes, as if searching for the pitchs life force. Towards the end of the exercise, glances are often thrown skywards and divine guidance is sought. Occasionally, the pitch curator consulted.Members of both teams observed this tradition, at Seddon Park, on Tuesday, and if they were especially intense during the examination, it is because the Hamilton pitch has had many avatars in recent years. It bounced for Sri Lanka last December, when even a visiting seamer prospered with the short ball, and Sri Lankas top order treated the crowd to an unforgettable slapstick collapse. In 2013 it had sung for offspinner Sunil Narine, who took 6 for 91 in the first innings. In the two Tests before that, reverse-swing had defined the outcome. All the way back in 2010, when Australia came, pace and seam movement had proved significant.Pakistan say they are happy to play on any track, but two days out, this track is just as green as the one at Hagley Oval had been. And although it was a warm, cloudless day, Seddon Parks curators also kept the surface covered for much of the afternoon. Much of the grass will be retained - all the better to mute Pakistans spinner, said New Zealand wicketkeeper-batsman BJ Watling, who also plays on this surface for the Northern Districts domestic side.A lot can depend on the cloud cover we get here when conditions are around, he said. It can swing when its overcast. Im hoping it doesnt spin too much because Yasir Shah is a world-class bowler, and we really dont want to bring him into the game too much.In addition to aiding swing, the cloud cover and rain expected for the first three days of the match may also prevent the track from drying out as much as Pakistan and Yasir would like. The forecast has improved through the week, however, and Watling suggested that even a little sunshine could change the pitchs character. Our pitches here can flatten out quite quickly. If its green on day one, I can guarantee that by the end of day two, if it stays sunny, it wont be that green anymore.If the pitch does turn out seam-friendly again, the visiting quicks had shown competence in such conditions - particularly on the third morning of the first Test, when the claimed six wickets for 96. Their success had largely come from bowling shorter lengths than they had initially ventured, the previous day.Their bowlers are very good, and conditions like these can suit them, Watling said. They would have learned from that last match and will adjust their lengths accordingly. They would have learned a lot with the bat as well and we can expect a tougher challenge in this game.New Zealand are likely to retain the quicks that played in Christchurch, but will likely swap Mitchell Santner for Todd Astle in the XI. Watling said the hosts attack is varied enough to be menacing, even if the ball does not move for as long as expected.We know we always have Neil Wagner, who when conditions flatten out, can change a game and give you those couple of crucial wickets to bring our swing bowlers back into the game as well. Weve got a good balance there. With Colin bowling quite a few overs for us as the allrounder, I think it really helps Kane. Wholesale Custom Celtics Shirts .J. 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It was hard for Luck to pull off another comeback, or even get into the end zone, while standing on the sideline. Rivers threw a 22-yard touchdown pass to rookie Keenan Allen and Nick Novak kicked four field goals to give the Chargers a 19-9 victory against the Colts on Monday night. NEW YORK -- That baseball hazing ritual of dressing up rookies as Wonder Woman, Hooters Girls and Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders is now banned.Major League Baseball created an Anti-Hazing and Anti-Bullying Policy that covers the practice. As part of the sports new labor deal, set to be ratified by both sides Tuesday, the players union agreed not to contest it.The policy, obtained by The Associated Press, prohibits requiring, coercing or encouraging players from dressing up as women or wearing costumes that may be offensive to individuals based on their race, sex, nationality, age, sexual orientation, gender identify or other characteristic.MLB Vice President Paul Mifsud said Monday the new rules resulted partly in light of social media, which in our view sort of unfortunately publicized a lot of the dressing up of the players ... those kind of things which in our view were insensitive and potentially offensive to a number of groups.Theres lots of pictures of baseball players dressed up as Disney princesses, he said.Or even more outlandish, often for late-season plane trips.Bryce Harper as a member of the U.S. Olympic womens gymnastics team, Mike Trout as Lady Gaga. Manny Machado in a ballet tutu, Carlos Correa as Wonder Woman.All out starting next season.Although it hasnt happened, you could sort of see how like someone might even dress up in black face and say, `Oh, no, we were just dressing up, Mifsud said. Weve also understood that a number of players have complained about it.Exactly when the annual dress-up day began around the majors isnt quite clear. Players often considered it a form of bonding, and its become more and more of a production in recent years.Chase Headley and San Diego Padres newcomers wore the skimpy, shiny orange shorts and tight, white tops of Hooters servers for a September 2008 flight from Denver to Washington.Times have changed. There is certain conduct that we have to be conscious of, union general counsel Dave Prouty said.The important thing for us was to recognize there was a policy but to preserve the players rights to challenge the level of discipline and the imposition of discipline, he said.Not all outfits are banned -- superheroes such as Batman and Spider-Man are OK.Other past costumes that would be allowed include San Francisco ace Madison Bumgarner as a giant ketchup bottle, Miami slugger Giancarlo Stanton on the U.S. Olympic mens water polo team and Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig as Gumby.The issue of locker room bullying erupted a few years ago when an NFL investigation found that Richie Incognito and two other Miami Dolphins engaged in persistent harassment toward teammate Jonathan Martin.MLB looked at several college anti-hazing policies while developing these new rules.Last Septemmber, the New York Mets posted photos and video of players going to Starbucks in Philadelphia wearing uniforms from the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, as portrayed in the 1992 movie A League of Their Own.dddddddddddd Several other teams engaged in similar behavior.In 2012, Harper and Nationals newcomers wore red leotards in the style of Gabby Douglas and the U.S. womens gymnastics team for a train ride to New York -- veteran Washington pitcher Gio Gonzalez tweeted a photo.In 2007, the Yankees theme was The Wizard of Oz. Ian Kennedy wore Dorothys ruby red slippers for a flight from New York to Tampa, Florida.Id rather be here dressing up than anywhere else, Kennedy said at the time. It makes you feel like one of the guys.The new policy states a players actual or perceived willingness to participate in prohibited conduct does not excuse the activity from being considered a violation of the policy.Not everyone saw these things as fun.After he was traded to the Mets in 1992, Jeff Kent threw his pimps costume to the floor in the visitors clubhouse in Montreal and demanded his regular clothes -- which contained the ID he needed to go through customs -- be returned.I paid my rookie dues in Toronto, he said then. I feel I have endured my embarrassments, my punishment. I felt I was being taken advantage of. They wanted to go overboard. I stuck up for myself. I wont be pushed around.Some common rookie rituals are permitted.Last year, the Cardinals and Dodgers made their newcomers walk across the street from Wrigley Field -- in their full uniforms -- to bring back coffee before a game against the Cubs.And rookie relievers still might find themselves lugging snacks across the diamond to the bullpen for the veterans.But requiring players to consume alcoholic beverages or any other kind of drug, or requiring the ingestion of an undesirable or unwanted substance (food, drink, concoction) is banned under the new collective bargaining agreement.The policy is in addition to the workplace code of conduct adopted by MLB and the union in 2013 after the office of New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman asked to meet with baseball officials and inquired what rules the sport had in place against bullying with respect to sexual orientation.The purpose of this policy is not to prohibit all traditions regarding rookies or players, the new policy states, but rather to prohibit conduct that may cause players physical anguish or harm, may be offensive to some players, club staff or fans, or are distracting to the operation of the club or MLB.---AP Baseball Writer Ben Walker contributed to this report. 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