The BBC: Slightly More Prepared Than ESPN

When lightning struck at EURO 2008, most broadcasters around the world didn't have a backup plan to bring viewers details of the game. As this video clip shows, though, the BBC, had radio presenters in the stadium, so they could at least tell you what was happening. ESPN wasn't quite so lucky, though they're not nearly as angry about it as German broadcaster ZDF, who also had no one at the stadium and is threatening to sue UEFA over what they call "the most annoying balls-up imaginable." (Uh, guys? That might be the wrong part of the anatomy you're using.)

UEFA plans to use backup diesel generators to make sure this doesn't happen during the final. As for the outage itself, I prefer The Run of Play's romantic take on the situation: "Can you think of a more dramatic way for the mythic to anoint these three weeks than for a thunderbolt to fall on them from above?"

(H/T: 101 Great Goals)