EURO 2008: From The WHO GIVES A RAT'S POSTERIOR SECTION ABOUT EURO 2008 Department

The chief petitioner for an effort to get Austria to withdraw from the upcoming EURO 2008 finals has been fined for his efforts:

Michael Kriess, the son of former Austrian international Werner and a coordinator of the campaign which attracted 10,000 signatures, said a court had fined him 1,500 Euros for damage to the country's reputation and standing.

The court in Innsbruck was not immediately available for comment.

The black Austrian eagle with a golden crown appears on the website of the online petition with a football obscuring its head.

Kriess said he would challenge the fine in court in June.

"I am not worried about the Austrian team embarrassing themselves. I'm fully expecting it," he said of the tournament, where Austria are in Group B with Germany, Croatia and Poland.

Hey, Mike, how 'bout leaving the country during the tournament?