Can you say blowout?? Slovakia def Bulgaria 82-0 in women's hockey

Check out this article from the AP about one of the biggest blowouts in sports' history. Slovakia scored 82 goals in a 60 minute game!!!! The poor goalies for Bulgaria, that must have sucked having 139 shots fly at you over just 60 minutes of play.

BRATISLAVA, Slovakia (AP) — With more goals than minutes in the game, Slovakia's women's ice hockey team claimed an amazing 82-0 victory over Bulgaria in Olympic qualifying.

Slovakia outshot the Bulgarians 139-0 during the 60-minute game, played in Latvia. The margin of victory is a record for a women's International Ice Hockey Federation-sanctioned event.

"We took it as training," Slovakia coach Miroslav Karafiat said after Saturday's game.

Janka Culikova led Slovakia with 10 goals, while Martina Velickova scored nine. Fourteen different players scored at least one goal.

Slovakia, which also beat Croatia, Latvia and Italy, advanced to another qualifying group with Germany, Kazakhstan and France. The winner will secure a spot at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.

Bulgaria was eliminated after scoring one goal and giving up conceding 192 in the tournament.

The Slovakian men's team clinched its biggest ever victory against the Bulgarians 14 years ago when they won 20-0.

Wuerffel & Tebow - True Role Models

As I've been watching different sporting events (Olympics, Little League Baseball, etc) over the past few days, I've found myself thinking a lot about what it means to be a role model. Athletes often find themselves in positions to have a significant impact on many young people, but far too often the way they choose to use this impact isn't positive. It would be great if it were commonplace to see feel good stories of athletes giving their time and money to help make the world a better place and show the young people that look up to them an example of how to make a positive difference in the world. Instead, it seems as though all we ever hear about are players being arrested for possession of drugs or weapons, players being suspended for not hustling when they are being paid millions of dollars to play a game that many young athletes would play for free, or players having to file bankruptcy just years after signing a multi-million dollar contract because they blew it all on houses and cars and other luxuries.

After thinking about this stuff some, I realize how lucky I was to have such great role-models growing up. Role-models don't have to be famous athletes and oftentimes the people closest to you growing up don't even realize how important of role-models they are in your life. I was surrounded by many great role-models including my parents, my youth pastor, family friends, etc. My parents showed me a great example of how to live my life and how important it is to treat others fairly.

I also can't help but think of how lucky I was to have such a great role-model as far as athletes I looked up to. Growing up my sports idol was Danny Wuerffel. Looking back at this point in my life I couldn't have hand-picked someone better to have idolized. Danny was an amazingly gifted quarterback who happened to play for my favorite team. At the time it was easy for me to look up to him. But his athletic ability wasn't what made him the perfect role-model. I was never going to become a star football player, so what he did on the football field wasn't what could have an impact on me. It was the person he was on and off the football field. Danny Wuerffel was not afraid to show his faith in all areas of his life. Every time he threw a touchdown pass (which seemed to happen at least 4 or 5 times every Saturday during college football season) he would immediately clasp his hands as if praying and look up to the sky to thank God. Every time he was interviewed he displayed the type of role-model he was. He went out of his way not to take credit for things. All the credit was always given first to God and secondly to his coaches and teammates for helping him get where he was.

I have had the opportunity to meet Danny Wuerffel a couple of times in my life, and both times had had an immediate impact on me. When I was about 13 years old I went to a Gator basketball game wearing my #7 Gator jersey. My older cousin told me he had seen Danny sitting in the stands and pointed me in that direction with a Sharpie pen in my hand. I got to the section and was looking up trying to spot him. He saw me down there with his jersey on clearly looking for him. He stood up and pointed down to me and motioned for me to come up. I pretty much sprinted up the stairs and when I got there I had no idea what to say and just handed him the Sharpie. He had already gone out of his way just to tell me to come up and sign the jersey, but he then asked his friend he was at the game with if he would mind going to the concession stand so I could sit down for a minute. I was in awe as I got to sit down next to my hero and chat with him while watching the game. It was something that had a lasting effect on me. He had no reason to have to do something like that, but he knew how much it would mean to me just to give a couple minutes of his time. The next time I saw him he had come to deliver the message at a local church. I listened to that message more intently then any other message I've ever listened to. After the service I stayed around to chat with him and told him how much I appreciated him taking the time to talk to me at the basketball game. He told me he was glad to have been able to do it and enjoyed talking to me. If only every athlete was so genuine and willing to try and do the little things to use their position to make a difference in people's lives.

I recently went back and re-watched Danny's Heisman acceptance speech and was immediately reminded of what an amazing role-model I had growing up. It also made me turn my attention to Tim Tebow and how similar Tebow is to Wuerffel. Their Heisman acceptance speeches both centered around their religion and how thankful they are for the gifts that have been given to them. It's such a welcome change from the attitude most other major sports athletes have. It makes me glad to know that there are other young Gator fans out there who have someone like Tim Tebow to look up to as a role-model much as I did with Danny Wuerffel when I was their age.

Below are links to both Danny Wueffel's and Tim Tebow's Heisman acceptance speeches. If you've never seen them, I recommend you watch them and put some thought into what types of role-models you look up to and what types of role-models you would want your kids looking up to. The first video is Danny Wuerffel's acceptance speech followed by some extra footage about him. The second video is a story about Tebow followed by his acceptance speech.

Blood is not funny and Charlie Bit Me

It's funny to watch how kids react to things. These two videos from Youtube crack me up. The first one has become an internet favorite and is all over the place. The younger sibling, Charlie, bites his older brother. The reaction is great once it actually starts getting painful. Charlie seems to think its hilarious.

Charlie Bit Me - Watch more free videos

The next one features an older brother who's younger sister has a little "B-lood" on his face. He is trying to tell his dad about the blood, but his pronunciation is just too funny for the dad to take it. The kid doesn't understand why is dad is laughing.

via videosift.com

Olympics, American Pride, and the men's 4x100 relay

(Video link for those of you that wound up at my blog while searching for the video: Men's 4x100 relay)

I haven't been able to devote much time to watching the Olympics over the past few days with my 2nd year paper coming due this Friday. But, whenever I have been around a TV I've tended to have the Olympics on, whether it be simply to have in the background while I do work or whatever. Last night I happened to catch the Men's 4x100 freestyle swimming relay. All I can say is "amazing".

Prior to the event the French team, who were the favorites to win, talked a little bit of smack against the US team. Alain Bernard, the record holder in the 100 coming into the event, stated the following: "The Americans? We're going to smash them. That's what we came here for."

After 3 of the 4 legs of the race, it looked like he was correct. The American team was down almost an entire body length, a pretty substantial lead with only 2 lengths of the pool left. Not only that, but Bernard was the swimmer remaining for the French. Given that he was the current record holder in the 100 coming into the event the odds of the US making up ground against him, especially almost a full body length, were minuscule.

Here is a picture right before the turn for the last 50, you can see Lezak (center) almost an entire body length behind Bernard (right).

At the turn Bernard and the French still had a substantial lead. However, over the last 50, US anchor Jason Lezak pulled off what looked to be impossible and chased down Bernard and edged him out by 8 hundredths of a second. The finish was so close that the other members of the US relay team stood for a brief moment of time staring at the official finish times before realizing that they were victorious. Once this realization hit them, the celebration was on.

At that moment it was hard not to feel a since of pride in America as the 4 US swimmers cheered uncontrollably and the French team stood in absolute shock.


I've always felt that it's pretty awesome how an event like the Olympics brings out country pride. I'm extremely proud to be an American, but its not something I think about very often. But as soon as the Olympics start I find myself glued to the TV pulling for an American fencer or the US water polo team. These are sports I don't care at all about with athletes I've never even heard of and yet, because they are wearing the stars and stripes on their athletic outfit, I am 100% behind them as though they play for my favorite team in my favorite sport.

I guess I should probably be using this time to continue writing my second year paper rather than write more blog posts, but after that event last night I just wanted to get that out. The United States of America may have its flaws, but I have to admit that I'm dang proud to be an American.

Here's a link to a video of the event if you want to watch it: Men's 4x100 relay

Dmitri's Voicemails --- If only I could be this smooth I could get the ladies too

So here is the background for this story, read the background then sit back and enjoy the smooth-talking of Dmitri, the ultimate ladies' man.

"Okay guys here is the info on this voicemail. One of my friend's from work and her friend were out one night in the SF Marina district and were hanging outside of the bars trying to find a cab. One of the girl's, Olga ends up meeting this guy Dmitri and they talk for at the most 2 minutes. She hands him her business card and says call me.

Well attached is the actual voicemail that this guy left her. Wait till you hear it you will be laughing so hard you'll fall out of your chair. "

Titletown USA Gainesville & The University of Florida

Gainesville, FL is one of the 20 finalists for ESPN's Titletown. They have been airing segments filmed in each of the cities and Gainesville was the city for last night and this morning. Here is the footage they showed during Sportscenter:



Don't forget to vote for Gainesville starting July 24 at: Titletown