How The Mighty Have Fallen

We try to have fun at the Hat Trick. I make snappy one-liners, often off color one-liners, in an effort to be witty and/or funny in an attempt to entertain those of you who read the blog. The subject of today's chick pic made a revaluation that was indicative of such a far fall from glory that it was sad. Therefore, I will just share the "what" and not make any crass speculations on the "why" or "how" while reflecting on this person's better days.

Three time American Olympian and nine time NCAA champion runner at the University of Wisconsin Suzy Favor Hamilton admitted yesterday that she worked as a $600 per hour escort in the during the past year. I may be inclined to poke fun at the typical athlete who goes into bankruptcy while having solid gold busts of himself on display in the foyer of a $10,000,000 home he bought while earning $2,000,000 per year. I might make a crack about a dude who was once the most arrogant player in his sport now relegated to being a front man for a used car lot.

This isn't funny. It's alarming and sad. So instead of trying to capitalize on Ms. Hamilton's troubles with insensitive wisecracks, I'd rather recognize a time when she was at her best - a beautiful female athlete who gave her all to represent her country.

This chick was SHREDDED! 1

Oh... 2

My... 3

Goodness... 4

GRACIOUS! 5

She made the red, white and blue look good. 6

Real good...! 7

I cannot imagine why she did it, but what happens in Vegas, doesn't always stay in Vegas. 8

1) Image from www.stamfordadvocate.com
2, 3, 4, 5) Image from www.bumpshack.com
6) Image from www.thebiglead.com
7) Image from www.everymantri.com
8) Image from www.eonline.com

The High Cost of Gold

Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt continued racking up Olympic gold medals and international accolades as the fastest man alive during the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. Olympians, of course, train day in and day out during the years leading up to the Games for their one moment in time (Whitney Houston reference fully intended).

Reportedly, Bolt dumped his girlfriend, the lovely Lubica Slovak, this past spring to focus on preparation for the London Games. I find it a little hard to swallow that Bolt would discard a gem like Slovak for the gold. Then again, the sacrifices for Olympic glory are are often far beyond the comprehension of ordinary people like ourselves.

Today's chick pic is a visual depiction of that sacrifice.

Bolt is a better man than I am. 1

By better man, I mean, "Out of his damn mind." 2

Have you notice a recurring theme here? She has most of her clothes on in all of these photos and looks beautiful! I'm not sure what made Usain bolt from this lovely creature (pun also intended), but I think Mr. Bolt may need a few volts of shock therapy; to ditch her for a few extra laps is crazy!

Is it too soon to cue Bill Duke? 4



No, it's not too soon.

Another love bites the dust...or in Bolt's case, eats his dust. 6

1) Image from www.hinterlandgazette.com
2, 3, 4) Images from www.myspace.com
5, 6) Images from www.nairaland.com

Retweet of the Day - August 8, 2012

American track runner Lolo Jones fell short in her effort to medal in the 2012 Olympic Games, finishing fourth in the women's 100 meter hurdles final. Much of the sporting world was surprised to find out, shortly before the Games, that Jones, who was 29 years old at the time and is a stunning beauty, revealed in an interview that she is still a virgin. The Twittersphere has had a ball with this revelation ever since, no pun intended.

Today's retweet is from Bill Scheft (@billscheft) and needs no further explanation.

"BREAKING: Lolo Jones finishes fourth in 100-meter Virginity behind Mary, Tebow and Andy Stitzer."

Tebow (left) and Jones (right): Two attractive, famous, wildly popular athletes who have never made whoopee? Those of you who buy what they're selling please let me know. I know a Nigerian banker who needs a good, honest American with whom he's like to share his lottery winnings if he can just get your checking account information.

Image from www.faniq.com

The 2012 Summer Olympics in London are just 10 days away. Last week, we brought you a piece about life lessons that could be learned from Olympic athletes. Shirley Zeilinger of Best Colleges Online shared the following with us, in keeping with the Olympic theme.

Special thanks to Shirley. The original article can be found on the blog at http://www.bestcollegesonline.com/

10 College Students Going for Gold at the 2012 Olympics

It’s easy to assume Olympic athletes spend all their waking hours training and practicing (and eating). It seems they would have to, in order to be literally one of the best in the world at their chosen sport. Yet for a select class of Olympians, knocking out exams in the morning and training in the afternoon are all in a day’s work. Here are 10 athletes from around the country and internationally who are headed to London this summer to make college students everywhere proud.

1. Kristian Ipsen, Stanford University:

   
   With this summer making diving partner Troy Dumais’ fourth Olympics, Kristian Ipsen will have that world competition experience to lean on as the two chase their first Olympic medals. However, Ipsen has been making his own (tiny) waves diving at Stanford as a freshman. In the 2011-2012 season, he became the first Cardinal to win a NCAA title in 82 years, with his victory in the 3-meter dive. Dumais and Ipsen recently took silver in the 3-meter synchronized dive at the AT&T USA Diving Grand Prix, hopefully a sign of good things to come at the Summer Games.

2. Derek Drouin, Indiana University:

   IU has its first Olympic high jumper in Derek Drouin, although they’ll have to wait to see one waving the red, white, and blue. With a 2.31 meter (7.5 feet) leap at the Olympic Trials in Calgary, the Hoosier junior earned the right to represent his native Canada in London. The feat made him only the second person in the world to clear the height this season. Expectations are high for this former high school track and field star who’s brought Indiana its first national titles in high jump and been named indoor and outdoor Big Ten Field Athlete of the Year.

3. Sam Mikulak, University of Michigan:

   
   After breaking both ankles during competition last year, this Wolverine junior had to sit out five of six events at the recent Olympic trials when one of the ankles swelled up. But the 2012 NCAA High Bar champ’s work on the pommel horse was good enough to earn him the nod, joining another college student, Oklahoma’s Jake Dalton, on the team. When he heard he’d qualified, Mikulak summed up his thoughts on Twitter by saying, “YESSSSSS!!! I love today. Thank you everyone, friends, fans, and my great family! Olympics and London bound here I come.”

4. Emmanuel Narty, Weston College:

   
   This business management student is one of 7,500 at Weston College in North Somerset, United Kingdom. But he’s also the top black belt in all of Africa and 23rd in the world. He started studying judo at the age of 9 and earned his black belt at 17. Now 29, he will stand and fight for his home nation of Ghana at the Olympics. Narty is also a tank trooper in the British Army; he says both the school and the Army are giving him time off to pursue his dream of winning a gold medal.

5. Alise Post, San Diego University:

   
   As she says on her Twitter page, this 21-year-old college student races kids’ BMX bikes around dirt obstacle courses for a living … and it’s fun. BMX Super Cross Racing, or Bicycle Motocross, is one of the most exciting events in the Summer Games, and Post is one of the most exciting racers to watch. She recently showed off her skills at the 2012 UCI BMX SX Papendal, taking first by launching over a triple jump combo. She left her native Minnesota for college in sunny California, and she says her favorite place to ride is Chula Vista BMX.

6. Emma Coburn, University of Colorado:

   
   Coburn has racked up awards during her time on the track team at CU, including being only the second woman ever to win the women’s USA steeplechase while still a college student. She redshirted during the 2012 season to train for London, and on June 29 the 21-year-old proved it was worth it, earning a bid to the Olympics by winning the women’s 3,000 meters steeplechase final. Her teammate, Shalaya Kipp, finished third in the race and secured her own ticket to the Games. After winning, Coburn turned around and hugged Kipp as she crossed the finish line.

7. Lee Keifer, University of Notre Dame:

   
   It’s not uncommon for high school grads to take a trip in the summer before they head off to college. For this soon-to-be Notre Dame freshman, the destination is London. At just 17, Keifer is ranked seventh in the world and already has two world championship titles in fencing under her belt, and she’d love to add an Olympic medal to her trophy case before heading back to school. Her father fenced at Duke, and her sister won an NCAA title in fencing at Harvard, but Lee says they didn’t do a good enough job recruiting her to sway her from becoming a Fighting Irish.

8. Andrew Chetcuti, Georgia Institute of Technology:

   
   At a school assembly, 10-year-old Andrew Chetcuti informed his classmates he would one day swim in the Olympics for his mother country of Malta. Now, nine years later, his Georgia Tech classmates will be cheering him on as he goes for the gold in men’s 100 meter freestyle. He got the bid through an Olympic rule that allows athletes from smaller countries to compete in events in which they hold their home country’s fastest time. Chetcuti is an all-around athlete, excelling in water polo and setting records in cross country. And as he is studying biomedical engineering at GT, he’s clearly not your average jock.

9. Shota Iizuka, Tetsuya Tateno, and Chiaki Ishibashi, Chuo University:

   
   This school in Tokyo has three first-time Olympians in attendance. In July 2010, law student Shota Iizuka brought home Japan’s first World Junior Championships gold medal in the men’s 200 meter dash. He’ll be joined on the track team by teammate Tetsuya Tateno, an accounting major and 400 meter runner. And 21-year-old Chiaki Ishibashi rounds out the trio, seeking victory for Japan in men’s freestyle swimming. Speaking of his chances, Ishibashi probably spoke for all three when he said, “Everyone there will be really good, but I think I have what it takes to hang in all the way to the end.”

10. Haley Ishimatsu, Duke University:

    
    Before an elbow fracture ended her career, this Blue Devil had been a gymnast for eight years. Her sister had been a diver at USC and no doubt influenced Haley to try the sport out. The result was an Olympic berth in 2008, where she managed a fifth place finish in 10 meter synchronized diving. A top finish at the USA Diving Winter National Championships this year makes her one of the favorites in London, so keep an eye on her. You may be treated to a three-and-a-half somersault pike dive, a move only a handful of female divers can pull off.

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