Put away the vuvuzelas ... for now

A few random thoughts now that I’ve had my fill of international soccer ...

The World Cup may be over, but I have a feeling we haven’t heard the last of the vuvuzela.

I’ve heard about an iPhone app, and I’ve already seen and heard actual vuvuzelas during a few recent bouts by the Derby City Roller Girls.

Yes, you read that right. Roller derby is alive and well, only it’s not the cheesy “sports entertainment” I remembered from the 1980s. The rules are the same, and yes, the players do use pseudonyms while they are playing. The difference (and this is key) is that the skaters are really playing. No scripts.

Back to the World Cup for a minute, did you hear or read about Paul the octopus? Paul lives in the Sea Life aquarium in Oberhausen, Germany. Paul correctly identified the winner in all seven matches that Germany played in, and he picked Spain to top the Netherlands in the final. Now, his trainers (keepers? handlers? what do you call someone who watches an octopus?) have said that Paul is retiring from the predicting business.

Louisville football fans are cautiously optimistic about the future with new coach Charlie Strong at the helm. Personally, I think Strong got off to a good start in the spring semester, when 39 Cardinal gridiron players had GPAs of 3.0 or higher. Another 22 players had GPAs between 2.5 and 2.99. The football team’s overall GPA was 2.7.

Hopefully, the team GPA will continue to rise, and Louisville will improve on the field as well. At the same time, I also hope Cardinal fans don’t expect too much too soon from the new coaching staff. Louisville was 4-8 and 1-6 in its conference last year, after all.

Speaking of simulated combat. Does anyone else out there watch “The Deadliest Warrior” on Spike? It’s the most interesting new show I’ve seen in a while. It’s part “Mythbusters”, part “Sport Science”, and all fun.

Thanks to Deadliest Warrior, I’ve learned that pirates would likely win in combat with knights, that Vlad the Impaler would have the upper hand against Sun Tzu, and that the IRA could be scarier than the Taliban.

While many fans of the show are clamoring for pirates vs. ninjas, I’d prefer to see them introduce fictional characters into the mix. How about Jason Bourne vs. James Bond?

This Friday, Farmer’s National Bank will be hosting a blood drive. This isn’t the only blood drive in our community, but it is a reminder to donate, if you can.

I realize the Red Cross has many rules that limit who can donate, but if you are eligible and able, please consider stopping by either this week or some other time when blood drives are taking place.

If you’ve never donated before, please consider giving.. One donation can help up to three people.