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Professional hockey players from the former Soviet Union and Czechoslovakia are now ubiquitous, but Stan Mikita was something of a pioneer. The Chicago Blackhawks legend was sometimes relegated to secondary status behind more telegenetic stars like teammate Bobby Hull, but you can make a very good case that Mikita was the best NHL forward of the’60′s. He was born in Sokolce, in what is now known as Slovakia. In the conflict torn years prior to WW II, he was sent to Canada and adopted by an aunt and uncle. Like most young Canadian boys, he started playing hockey and quickly exhibited significant talent at the country’s national sport.

As a teenager, Mikita starred for the St. Catherine Teepees of the junior league Ontario Hockey Association. In’59, he made the jump to the NHL for good joining the Chicago Blackhawks. He played sparingly in his first partial season in the NHL, but quickly became an important part of the Chicago offense in his first and second full seasons as a pro. In’61, he led the team in playoff scoring as they won the Stanley Cup”his only championship during his career and the last time the franchise would win the NHLs highest team honor.

During the early and mid’60′s, Mikita’s Blackhawks were the most feared offensive team in the NHL. Mikita centered the Scooter Line with Ken Wharram on the right wing and Ab McDonald or Doug Mohns on the left wing, and earned a reputation as one of the most complete offensive players in the game.

Mikitas influence wasnt limited to offensive output”he was a feared defensive player and considered one of the best faceoff men in the game. He also brought about one of the most significant innovations in NHL history, being the first to play with a curved stick blade. This was a very radical modification at the time, but was quickly copied throughout the league to the point where today a player that *doesnt* play with a curved stick is considered something of an anachronism.

When he first came to the NHL, Mikita was a tough, hard hitting player who spent a considerable amount of time in the penalty box. That changed in the mid’60′s when he became a very sportsmanlike player almost overnight. This cleaner style of play would earn him the Lady Byng Trophy for most gentlemanly player twice. The story goes that he had a change of heart when his young daughter asked why he spent so much time sitting in the box on televised games.

In addition to his Stanley Cup victory, Mikitas career accomplishments are among the most impressive in NHL history. He won the Art Ross Trophy as the NHLs leading scorer four times (1964,’65,’67,’68), the Hart Memorial Trophy for Most Valuable Player twice (1967 and’68) and the Lady Byng Trophy in’67 and’68.

Mikita suffered from back injuries in his last years as an active player, finally retiring in’80. He played his entire career for the Chicago Blackhawks, and was voted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in’83. He became something of a trivia answer for a younger generation when a donut shop called ‘Stan Mikita’s Donuts’ was featured in the popular movie ‘Wayne’w World’.

Ross Everett is a widely published freelance sports writer and respected authority on football betting. His writing has appeared on a variety of sports sites including sports news and sportsbook directory sites. He lives in Las Vegas with three Jack Russell Terriers and an emu. He is currently working on an autobiography of former interior secretary James Watt.

Though his scoring records have been obliterated by Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux, former Boston Bruins/New York Rangers center Phil Esposito is still regarded by hockey cognoscenti as one of the greatest offensive players in the history of the game. He is a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame, as is his brother Tony Esposito who was a standout goaltender for the Chicago Blackhawks.

A native of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Esposito was signed by the Chicago Blackhawks as a teenager. After some time in junior hockey, he was called up to the NHL in’64 quickly earning a spot on the teams top line between Bobby Hull and Marcel Dionne. In’67, Esposito was traded to the Boston Bruins along with Ken Hodge and Fred Stanfield.

Esposito began to shred the NHL record book in Boston, prompting Bruins fans to display car bumper stickers that read Jesus Saves; Esposito scores on the rebound. In’69, he became the first NHL player to top the 100 point mark (combined goals and assists) for the season”he obliterated the record with 126 points, which would be the first of six times that hed top the century mark. He topped 100 points in five straight seasons between’71 and’75, missing a sixth straight season by a single point with 99 in’70.

In the’70-71 season, Esposito scored 76 goals to smash the NHL’s single season scoring record. That record stood for over a decade until Wayne Gretzky scored 79 for the Edmonton Oilers in’81-82. Gretzky also broke Espositos single season points record of 154. Perhaps the most amazing element of Espositos game was the frequency with which he put the puck on net”Espo had 550 shots on goal in’70-71. No one has since come close”in fact, just last Alexander Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals became the first player to come within 100 shots of Espositos mark.

In’75, Esposito was traded with Brad Park to the New York Rangers for Brad Park, Joe Zanussi and Jean Ratelle. He had slowed somewhat, but was still enough of a valuable player and team leader that he was named the Rangers’ captain. He remained a very dangerous scoring threat until the end of his career.

After his retirement in’75, moved into the executive suite. He served as the GM of the Rangers before helping secure an expansion team for Tampa, Florida in’92. Esposito served as the President and GM of the Tampa Bay Lightning until’98.

Ross Everett is a freelance sports writer and respected authority on baseball betting. His writing has appeared on a variety of sports sites including sports news and sportsbook directory sites. He lives in Las Vegas with three Jack Russell Terriers and an emu. He is currently working on an autobiography of former interior secretary James Watt.

When we think of outside, we think of running around playing tag and more. However there are some things that we really remember playing with as children on hot summer days. For us these were nerf guns. After hanging with our families during spring break, we were excited to see that these toys are still as popular as they once were.

This toy was created in the nineteen eighties. However, it really didn’t take off until the nineteen nineties. That is when you saw commercials all the time advertising the latest guns that kids had to have and many did go out and buy them. You don’t see as many advertisements today.

Nerf has really outdone themselves when they created the guns. Boys love these things as they were able to shoot at one another without hurting the other person. This is what parents loved about them. It was the fact that the balls or whatever was being shot out was soft and wouldn’t hurt.

When you look down the toy aisle you will see that each year, they come out with something new. They are still going strong when it comes to this. Our kids can have the same fun and when we are the parents, that soft foam materials that the things being launched are made of are great. So, you see why parents and children love it.

Though you don’t see as many commercials for these guns, we assure you that they are still going strong. Since the price has dropped somewhat, more and more parents buy these for the war games that kids love to play. Each year new ones are created. That’s just how popular they have become.

So, you can see the power that children have. The neon colors don’t make the guns realistic looking. It’s harmless fun for all. So, if you are trying to find toys for the summer months to keep them entertained with, then you have found it here. Check out what you can find and you might want to join in on the fun as well.

Its no lie that these toys have become somewhat of a staple in society today. In fact, the community is growing daily, and you can join it at the home website for Nerf guns. There you will find list of nerf guns and more.

Black and white photography are actually very special and creates that classic look for your photos. Classic and traditional since this is the first type of photography that was developed. Although considered as historic or old, black and white photography is still being used these modern days. Read on to learn about black and white photography.

Monochrome photography is also the other name that it is called due to the fact that it only has black and white as colors. It primarily showcases stark contrasts and a better, purer image that is why all journalists and artists prefer to use black and white photography. Classic and beautiful photos can be produced using this type of photography.

One of the advantages in using black and white photography is that it doesn’t necessarily require too much lighting. In fact, capturing images becomes better and effective in low light conditions. It is not a problem for you to shoot photos during days with overcast skies and in dark rooms when you are using black and white photography. As a matter of fact, cloudy days are usually ideal conditions for taking black and white photos.

In our day and age people have a huge variety of cameras that contain black and white feature. There are only limited cameras that has black and white feature only. Photo editing programs also carry black and white features. Today, everyone can turn even colored photos into black and white.

Most people choose black and white photography specially when the occasion is special. Because of the good results and purity of emotions it gives, black and white photography is mostly selected for wedding and professional modeling photo shoots.

There is no denying that fact that black and white photography is still very commonly used to today. There is no doubt that black and white photography is here to stay as long as there are people who are enamored with the beauty and loveliness of black and white photos.

So if you need a big event photographed right be sure to see this photographer in San Diego. He knows how to capture all the right shots from his work as a San Diego event photographer service.

When golf legend Jack Nicklaus was still a young upstart in the sport and only starting to tear up PGA courses, legend Bobby Jones commented following ‘The Golden Bear’s”65 Masters win that “he plays a game with which I am not familiar”. Following his absolute destruction of Rashad Evans in the main event of UFC 98, there’s likely a few MMA fighters saying the same thing about the new light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida who made it look easy en route to a 2nd round TKO victory.

The fight started slowly, with each man trying to get a feel for his opponent and wait him out to see who blinked first. Evans, who prefers to counter punch, quickly began to become uncomfortable with facing an adversary who didn’t come right at him. Late in the first round, Machida went on offense with frightening suddenness, flooring Evans with a nice straight right hand. Evans was able to recover and survive, but it only delayed the inevitable as Machida used another right hand to send his opponent down again and did so for the third time in the fight with a crisp combination that displayed the handspeed that hadn’t before been seen from ‘The Dragon’ . Evans gamely tried to fight back, but a final right hand from the Shotokan Karate master left him out cold.

After the fight UFC announcer Joe Rogan proclaimed the start of the Machida era and this is not just mere hyperbole. Machida is unlike any fighter before him, rooted in mastery of traditional martial arts but with the versatility of a modern MMA competitor. He’s essentially a Mortal Kombat character come to life–in a more realistic cross disciplinary comparison he shares many of the same characteristics as boxing great Floyd Mayweather, Jr. as he combines insane handspeed, underrated stopping power and nearly impenetrable defense into an unorthodox and extremely lethal package.

The comparisons with the insanely talented but equally insanely arrogant Mayweather end when the final bell sounds. Outside of the cage, Machida is a modest and respectful gentleman who is quick to give credit to his father and his karate teachers for his MMA success. He spent most of his UFC 98 postfight interview not singing his own praises, but imploring others to strive to realize their dreams.

An odd trivia note about Machida serves as further repudiation for MMA neophytes who think that the sports kinship with pro wrestling began with Brock Lesnar: Machida was discovered by Japanese wrestling legend Antonio Inoki, and became something of his protege. He trained for some time at the New Japan Pro Wrestling dojo in Tokyo and made his MMA debut on a NJPW card in 2003, defeating Pancrase veteran Kengo Watanabe.

Perhaps the most frightening thing about Machida is that hes only now reaching his full potential as an MMA fighter. In other words, hes only going to get better which is a scary prospect for opponents given the fact that hes never lost in MMA competition. Early in his UFC career he had a reputation as a boring fighter, but in his recent bouts hes shown a downright lethal ability to end fights. He stopped Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou at UFC 79 with an arm triangle choke, and blitzed Evans and previous foe Thiago Alves with punishing punching combinations en route to TKO victories. The so called boring fighter has in the process earned two UFC knockout of the night bonuses by virtue of his evolving power punching skills.

Machida will very likely face Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson in a future light heavyweight title defense and, with all due respect to the PRIDE/UFC veteran, its difficult to see him faring much differently than Evans did. One thing working in ‘Rampage’s’ favor is his greater experience and a resume filled with high level opponents of various fighting styles. Still, everyone comes back to the fundamental reality that no one has ever really seen a fighter quite like Machida before.

In the co-main event of the evening, Matt Hughes defeated Matt Serra by unanimous decision to gain the upperhand in their long running feud. It was a surprisingly entertaining fight, with Serra taking the first round with his power punching before Hughes used his takedown and ground control abilities to win rounds two and three. The two men embraced after the fight so, for now at least, their well known dislike for one another that began during their stint as rival coaches on The Ultimate Fighter may have ebbed.

Ross Everett is a widely published freelance writer and respected authority on soccer betting. His writing has appeared on a variety of sports sites including sportsbooks and sportsbook directory sites. He lives in Las Vegas with three Jack Russell Terriers and an emu. He is currently working on an autobiography of former interior secretary James Watt.