To the few of you whom actually ever read this blog, I proudly announce my intention to at least periodically update- as most if not all of you are aware, 2009 wasnt exactly the most stellar year of my life, and blogging about pretty much anything seemed kinda minute in comparsion to the major life altering circumstances I faced every day. But, life does in fact go on and does in fact get better-therefore, I return to share with tyou observations,commentary, and corny jokes & stories. I hope you enjoy!
Unfortunately, the main piece of news in the last 24 hours, at least in the world of wrestling, is the untimely death of Edward "Umaga" Fatu at the age of 36.
Umaga was, in my estimation, the best "working" member of the long and storied Anoai wrestling family, which has produced such stalwarts as Samu ( who was tremendous in his youth) Tonga Kid/Tama ( another fine talent) Rikishi ( probably the most famous) Manu ( the youngest to date) & Rosey ( an underrated big man)
Unfortunately, Umaga's personal demons led to his WWE release this past summer, when he was slated to return to the main events in a proposed series of bouts with The Undertaker.
Edward left behind a wife a 6 children. WWE is reportedly assisting the family with funeral arrangements, since they will be on tour in Texas this coming week & many on the crew were close with Edward, and want to attend all services.
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I'm pleased as punch to see my friend Drew Hankinson (aka Festus) once again on WWE programming, now redubbed "Luke Gallows" as the bodyguard of the straight edge former WWE champion CM Punk.
I have known Drew since he was a teenager, and his love and ambition to be a WWE star was obvious from the first time he performed on one of my events, circa 2003. At 6'6 and 300 lbs, the man has had the tools to be a player in the former Fed for years, but has of yet to receive much beyond a preliminary level shove. I hope this is the career break he has worked his ass off for, for his good and the good of an organization in dire need of fresh young talent to carry them for the next 10 years.
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I'd like to take a few minutes to comment on a few things that people have been mentioning to me for the past few weeks: Ric flair returning to the ring and Hulk Hogan's involvement in TNA.
First of all, the sendoff that Ric Flair received at Wrestlemania back in March 2008 was, without a doubt, the most emotional & heartfelt goodbye ever received in the the history of the professional wrestling business. In a world where people are chewed up and spit out as standard fare, the "Nature Boy" finally received his just due as the single greatest wrestler who ever laced up the boots.
It all sounded nice, but the reality is Ric Flair can only be Ric Flair one place, the world which made him famous, and that is in the ring. So when the announcement came a few months back that The 16 time World champion would be coming out of retirement to face his legendary arch nemesis, Hulk Hogan (more on him in a few) many people seemed to resent that Flair would even consider such a thing,much less with Hogan.
A few thoughts : 1) pro wrestling is not a real sport, its a performance. Obviously, pro wrestlers are athletes, but it shouldnt exactly be earth shattering to this readership that the won/loss records of wrestlers arent exactly varifiable.
2) With nearly $22,000 PER MONTH in alimony and divorce settlements, Mr Flair cannot AFFORD to continue to appear in high school gyms in rural North Carolina, at trade fairs,and doing low to mid level endorsements ( his new lottery ticket notwithstanding)
3) as fans, do we have the right to tell a grown man he cannot return to his profession and earn a living, just because we felt so emotional when he left the first time? Would we feel the same towards a guy who retired from his plant after years of hard work and service, who then returned to the workforce due to need or boredom? Or because he missed the comraderie or the lifestyle?
I regard all these as Flairs personal choices- And I regard the recent Hogan vs Flair series in Australia much akin to watching an "Old Timers Game" or Jack Nicklaus vs. Arnold Palmer play 18 holes on sunday afternoon with CBS covering the action. Maybe they arent what they were, but they still have something special, and most people will still gladly watch them do there thing.
Onto the Hulkster....
Hogans coming on board with TNA to, as he describes it, "run the show" in Orlando will end up one of two ways: Hogan bringing a more prominent presence to the Second biggest promotion in the United States, or once again proving the Hulk's well known reputation for "smelling a mark" and running with their money.
On thing I'm convinced of, however, is that once Hogan is entrenched in the television aspects of the group, is that it will certainly resemble a "wrestling" program again. if you watch TNA (which I only do periodically) its plan to see that the show is very over-wrote and under- thought. Seriously, if there is one thing in wrestling that is overrated, its "creativity". The same basic formula has basically worked for years, and tampering with that formula has proven disasterous for many groups, yet instead of focusing on basics and good storytelling, TNA always reaches for the most ludicrous and assinine in hopes of garning "water cooler talk". Thats a recipe that only leads to disaster.
No matter where the focus lies with Hogan at the helm ( at it will be on him) I at least anticipate a reformatted tv show that resembles what wrestling should be, and I for one will be tuned in, at least initially, to see what direction it all goes- and if i'm wrong, I'll gladly admit to being too optimistic in my assessment.
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And finally folks,with the snow falling outside, I'm reminded of a night, almost 6 years ago to the day, that we had scheduled an event in Keyser,Wv. We scheduled a Battle Royale ( always one of our good draws) and had about 16 wrestlers coming in, all in pursuit of the "$5,000 prize" that was to go to the winner. Weather conditions were snowy, slick and dangerous, but my partner was insistent we have the event because, according to him, "advance sales have been very strong". I managed to get to the town & low and behold, only about half the crew had arrived, and in due time, the rest would call me to cancel due to the conditions. We reworked the nights matches to cover the missing performers, and I got dressed for my match later that night.
We had inserted an in ring interview to eat up a little time & build up one of the rescheduled matches. My opponent was in the ring talking, and when my cue came, I burst thru the curtain, expecting my usual fan favorite reaction. I wasnt disappointed- I was very warmly received by the crowd on hand- unfortunately, the "crowd" consisted of 4 paying customers, 2 of my kids, the ring crew,and the wife of the referee! Needless to say, it would be the last time we didnt cancel due to inclimate weather ( which is EXACTLY what I did earlier, when I heard 2-4 inches of snow would be falling in Moorefield,Wv, 30 minutes south of Keyser)
Take Care All- feel free to leave a post!
SSS
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Two big celebations
This was a very special weekend for me- I celebrated two very important days, and had a huge amount of fun in doing so.
My oldest son, Jeffrey, turned 17 on friday, officially making me 1 year closer to him being able to legally tell me to go "f**K myself " and sue me for smacking him in the face immediately after.
For those of you who dont know, Jeff is an up and coming pro wrestling referee, having officiated approximately 50 bouts since his debut,which was in a television commercial he did with me when i worked for a different local dealership.
He has been my longtime road companion and has been witness to some of my best successes and worst failures out on the the roads we have traveled together since he was 8 years old.
Hope you had a great birthday, amigo!
Championship Pro Wrestling also celebrated its 12th anniversary this weekend, drawing an almost sold out crowd of 125 to witness the biggest CPW event of 2009.
CPW began due to, in my opinion, my unfair exile from my position as head instructor for a local wrestling school, and my steadfast and stubborn refusal to let my wrestling days end in the spring of 1997.
Many people involved or around the local wrestling scene encouraged me to not run the event, citing that the group that just cut me loose had decided to schedule their own event, on the same day, exactly 20 minutes away from my venue. Most of the talent I had scheduled to appear on my event worked for the other group, and, after a threat to never use them again, all canceled on me to work for the "established" group.
I wasnt totally caught off guard by this turn of events, so I started booking other wrestlers that I knew from the other various events I had performed, and our card started to take a new exciting shape.
I also knew that I had a far superior main event, and a local radio station backing me up. Even still, the night before the event, I couldnt sleep at all. If this thing didnt fly, I very well may be done in wrestling, or so I thought.
So on a still chilly spring night, April 19,1997 to be exact ( which is today) CPW ran its first ever event at the Berkeley County Fairgrounds in Martinsburg,Wv. We drew, according to my "records", 255 people. Special guests included future WWE Hall of Famers Greg "The Hammer" Valentine & Tito Santana, future ECW/TNA standout Julio Dinero, & a full cast of top talent from a 250 mile radius.
But the main focus of CPW also came that night, and have stayed throughout the years- Gino, Bobby Keller, Spike Callahan ...and others who stayed for the formative years,and in some cases, beyond.... Switchblade,Mohammad Kane, Major Mayhem, & Doc Hollywood..and those who came later and decided this was "the place to be" at the local level of wrestling...Buddah, Richie, Damage, Leatherman, Jackpot,Deuce,Griffen, Hyjinx, & Jake Davis. And everyone in between! I want to thank you all for helping this thing stay alive, and thrive, JUST like it did last night in Keyser.
I'd also like to thank my father, Bob, who backed me financially for the first year, while I learned how to manage it on my own. You didnt need to do that, Dad, and I have never forgotten that you did, on top of all the other things you have done.
What a weekend- glad you guys could share it with me, at least right here!
To close, I'd like to remind Everyone to Please, please, PLEASE get your animals spade and neutered. Without Bobby Barker on tv every day to remind us, it has gotten out of hand; Just the other day, three P*ssies showed up in my yard...luckily, I only owed one of them child support!
thank you and goodnight!
My oldest son, Jeffrey, turned 17 on friday, officially making me 1 year closer to him being able to legally tell me to go "f**K myself " and sue me for smacking him in the face immediately after.
For those of you who dont know, Jeff is an up and coming pro wrestling referee, having officiated approximately 50 bouts since his debut,which was in a television commercial he did with me when i worked for a different local dealership.
He has been my longtime road companion and has been witness to some of my best successes and worst failures out on the the roads we have traveled together since he was 8 years old.
Hope you had a great birthday, amigo!
Championship Pro Wrestling also celebrated its 12th anniversary this weekend, drawing an almost sold out crowd of 125 to witness the biggest CPW event of 2009.
CPW began due to, in my opinion, my unfair exile from my position as head instructor for a local wrestling school, and my steadfast and stubborn refusal to let my wrestling days end in the spring of 1997.
Many people involved or around the local wrestling scene encouraged me to not run the event, citing that the group that just cut me loose had decided to schedule their own event, on the same day, exactly 20 minutes away from my venue. Most of the talent I had scheduled to appear on my event worked for the other group, and, after a threat to never use them again, all canceled on me to work for the "established" group.
I wasnt totally caught off guard by this turn of events, so I started booking other wrestlers that I knew from the other various events I had performed, and our card started to take a new exciting shape.
I also knew that I had a far superior main event, and a local radio station backing me up. Even still, the night before the event, I couldnt sleep at all. If this thing didnt fly, I very well may be done in wrestling, or so I thought.
So on a still chilly spring night, April 19,1997 to be exact ( which is today) CPW ran its first ever event at the Berkeley County Fairgrounds in Martinsburg,Wv. We drew, according to my "records", 255 people. Special guests included future WWE Hall of Famers Greg "The Hammer" Valentine & Tito Santana, future ECW/TNA standout Julio Dinero, & a full cast of top talent from a 250 mile radius.
But the main focus of CPW also came that night, and have stayed throughout the years- Gino, Bobby Keller, Spike Callahan ...and others who stayed for the formative years,and in some cases, beyond.... Switchblade,Mohammad Kane, Major Mayhem, & Doc Hollywood..and those who came later and decided this was "the place to be" at the local level of wrestling...Buddah, Richie, Damage, Leatherman, Jackpot,Deuce,Griffen, Hyjinx, & Jake Davis. And everyone in between! I want to thank you all for helping this thing stay alive, and thrive, JUST like it did last night in Keyser.
I'd also like to thank my father, Bob, who backed me financially for the first year, while I learned how to manage it on my own. You didnt need to do that, Dad, and I have never forgotten that you did, on top of all the other things you have done.
What a weekend- glad you guys could share it with me, at least right here!
To close, I'd like to remind Everyone to Please, please, PLEASE get your animals spade and neutered. Without Bobby Barker on tv every day to remind us, it has gotten out of hand; Just the other day, three P*ssies showed up in my yard...luckily, I only owed one of them child support!
thank you and goodnight!
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
The Bird & Other Things
What a terrible week it has been for Major League Baseball- in addition to the horrible Adenhart tragedy ( triple murder rap for the driver-GREAT! Fry his ass!) another phenom from another time was found dead yesterday,and a legendary announcer fell dead.
For those of you too young to remember ( and I'm barely old enough to remember) baseball would have certainly been a much different place in 1976, when 22 year Mark Fidrych took the mound for the Detroit Tigers.
Fidrych was truly a cultural phenomenon in '76, putting up 19 wins and starting the All Star Game. He spoke to the ball before and after throwing, covered up bad patches near the pitchers mound, and shook hands with his defenders after making great plays.
By 1977, shoulder issues set in, and the promising youngster only 10 more games in 7 years. But for those who lived thru it, he will never be forgotten.
Legendary Philadelphia Phillies announcer Harry Kalas died yesterday at age 73 from a massive heart attack while preparing to call the Phillies v Nationals game. A winner of the Ford C Frick Award, Mr. Kalas was also known for his voiceover work for the National Football League.
The WWE "Draft" came and went, and the moves seemed to me to be 'same old, same old".
When will the former Fed figure out that the wrestling business revolves around new fresh faces creating fresh new match ups?
I compare it, in some ways, to that school yard mentality of, when someone new moves into the neighborhood, and becomes popular, all the other kids want to see what he can do against the proven schoolyard commodity; If the new kid wins their inevitable showdown, hes made for the rest of his days there- he becomes the "star".
Sooner or later, another new kid arrives, and the previous "new kid" becomes the "old kid", and the cycle repeats itself. Is this a scenerio people can identify with? Of course it is, and thats what draws spectators! Just a thought.....
Closing thought: Earlier this week, a USA TODAY poll has shown that 75% of all statistics are wrong. Go figure......
Thank you and good night!
For those of you too young to remember ( and I'm barely old enough to remember) baseball would have certainly been a much different place in 1976, when 22 year Mark Fidrych took the mound for the Detroit Tigers.
Fidrych was truly a cultural phenomenon in '76, putting up 19 wins and starting the All Star Game. He spoke to the ball before and after throwing, covered up bad patches near the pitchers mound, and shook hands with his defenders after making great plays.
By 1977, shoulder issues set in, and the promising youngster only 10 more games in 7 years. But for those who lived thru it, he will never be forgotten.
Legendary Philadelphia Phillies announcer Harry Kalas died yesterday at age 73 from a massive heart attack while preparing to call the Phillies v Nationals game. A winner of the Ford C Frick Award, Mr. Kalas was also known for his voiceover work for the National Football League.
The WWE "Draft" came and went, and the moves seemed to me to be 'same old, same old".
When will the former Fed figure out that the wrestling business revolves around new fresh faces creating fresh new match ups?
I compare it, in some ways, to that school yard mentality of, when someone new moves into the neighborhood, and becomes popular, all the other kids want to see what he can do against the proven schoolyard commodity; If the new kid wins their inevitable showdown, hes made for the rest of his days there- he becomes the "star".
Sooner or later, another new kid arrives, and the previous "new kid" becomes the "old kid", and the cycle repeats itself. Is this a scenerio people can identify with? Of course it is, and thats what draws spectators! Just a thought.....
Closing thought: Earlier this week, a USA TODAY poll has shown that 75% of all statistics are wrong. Go figure......
Thank you and good night!
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Red Sox Discover Bats, WWE Draft Thoughts
The Boston Red Sox finally scored a few runs and won their first game since opening day, defeating the LA "wheres Anaheim?"Angels 6-4 on saturday.
Unfortunately, do to my work schedule, I was unable to watch said game; however, I did get to watch friday nights loss at Anaheim,oops, LA (btw, who are these guys fooling with this?) in a game that, due to the emotion involved, was a game that the team was going to win, no matter whom they played.
A few observations from fridays game, and the first week of the season in general : 1) Bostons rotation, heralded during the entire pre season, has yet to deliver- Jon Lester and Dice K have been knocked pretty hard in their inaugural starts of the season.
2) the line up has as of yet gelled together. with the exception of Kevin Youkilis, overall production hasnt quite reach predicted levels.
But lets face it, its the first week, and this team is way too good to not bring everything expected. No need to fret over this one....if next week is like this one, maybe Ill get a little more aggravated.
This monday, at 8 pm est, the WWE presents its annual "Draft", in which wrestlers from the respective Raw, Smackdown, and ECW 'brands" get selected to another.
Lets face it, at this point, this is a promotional gimmick done to attract additional viewers- initially, when these "brands" were truly separate, not in the sense that they werent all working for the same company, but that they didnt cross over to the other shows but periodically, this was an interesting show, from the standpoint that changes equalled fresh,or at least refreshed, match ups.
With the weaker home network for Smackdown (MyNetwork, which is the network equivilent of state college campus tv) it has become necessary for WWE to showcase many of its Smackdown stars on RAW & ECW, to maximize their potential revenue value.
The former fed suffers from a tremendous staleness in most of the top spots, and simply moving one wrestler to another show will not scure this problem. It does, however, create a scenerio of potential excitement to the "undereducated" fan, one which does not challenge them to be creative, or preemptive, in the elevation of new talent.
For the pure hell of it, allow me to throw the names of three wrestlers, whom, while all fans know, are not "top" stars currently, whom, by moving to another show, could be showcased in a manner which could potentially put them up to the next level within the year.
Kofi Kingston ( current brand: Raw; suggested move: Smackdown) SOS! The young jamaican has been quite impressive in his first year in the WWE, and was quite spectacular in his debut Wrestlemania appearance last week. Smackdown needs a young, fresh exciting star to float around the top of the cards, and Kofi fits the bill; unproven as of yet as an interview ( and will likely remain that way, until someone of the creative team comes up with a goofy way to word him) his athletic ability, and unique ( for pro wrestling) ancestry could make him the companys next Rey Mysterio.
Festus ( current brand: Smackdown; suggested move: ECW) a completely underutilized big man (6'6, 320 lbs legit) Festus has done a remarkable job with what he has been dealt ( giant comotose,semi retarded hillbilly whom, when the bell rings, becomes a uncontrollable force, only to return to original form when the bell rings again) The young man has the ability, as a talker and a wrestler, to become one of the next big stars in the company; last years match vs The Undertaker looked as the though it could have been his launching point, but the company stalled on him. Moving him to ECW, at least thru the end of the year, would give him additional tv time he hasnt enjoyed in recent months, and standing tall as the "giant amongst smaller men" would enhance him tremendously, as would a run as ECW champion. Hes just even a small gimmick modification away ( or a big one- hes that versatile) from being a big player.
Mike Knox (current: RAW suggested change: Smackdown) Knox is an unorthodox worker, in the sense that he uses very basic offense and pure power (another 6'6ish, 300lb plus guy) as his main weapons. Smackdown is in need of a big man whom can challenge Triple H for its title ( providing H stays put; if not Cena will end up on the show, since it "requires" a world champion) Knox has a gimmick where he comes across as cold and unfeeling, not given to emotion or reaction; in other words, as classic loner type. Placed accordingly, and allowing his personality to come to the fore, he could be involved in a variety of compelling "storylines" with either champion.
Just a few ideas- I would love to hear anyones feedback, or even better, a few of your own selections.
Closing thought: when your in the dog food aisle at your local store, and read on a label "new and improved flavor", do you ever wonder who is the lucky bastard that gets to make that determination?
Thank you and Happy Easter!
Unfortunately, do to my work schedule, I was unable to watch said game; however, I did get to watch friday nights loss at Anaheim,oops, LA (btw, who are these guys fooling with this?) in a game that, due to the emotion involved, was a game that the team was going to win, no matter whom they played.
A few observations from fridays game, and the first week of the season in general : 1) Bostons rotation, heralded during the entire pre season, has yet to deliver- Jon Lester and Dice K have been knocked pretty hard in their inaugural starts of the season.
2) the line up has as of yet gelled together. with the exception of Kevin Youkilis, overall production hasnt quite reach predicted levels.
But lets face it, its the first week, and this team is way too good to not bring everything expected. No need to fret over this one....if next week is like this one, maybe Ill get a little more aggravated.
This monday, at 8 pm est, the WWE presents its annual "Draft", in which wrestlers from the respective Raw, Smackdown, and ECW 'brands" get selected to another.
Lets face it, at this point, this is a promotional gimmick done to attract additional viewers- initially, when these "brands" were truly separate, not in the sense that they werent all working for the same company, but that they didnt cross over to the other shows but periodically, this was an interesting show, from the standpoint that changes equalled fresh,or at least refreshed, match ups.
With the weaker home network for Smackdown (MyNetwork, which is the network equivilent of state college campus tv) it has become necessary for WWE to showcase many of its Smackdown stars on RAW & ECW, to maximize their potential revenue value.
The former fed suffers from a tremendous staleness in most of the top spots, and simply moving one wrestler to another show will not scure this problem. It does, however, create a scenerio of potential excitement to the "undereducated" fan, one which does not challenge them to be creative, or preemptive, in the elevation of new talent.
For the pure hell of it, allow me to throw the names of three wrestlers, whom, while all fans know, are not "top" stars currently, whom, by moving to another show, could be showcased in a manner which could potentially put them up to the next level within the year.
Kofi Kingston ( current brand: Raw; suggested move: Smackdown) SOS! The young jamaican has been quite impressive in his first year in the WWE, and was quite spectacular in his debut Wrestlemania appearance last week. Smackdown needs a young, fresh exciting star to float around the top of the cards, and Kofi fits the bill; unproven as of yet as an interview ( and will likely remain that way, until someone of the creative team comes up with a goofy way to word him) his athletic ability, and unique ( for pro wrestling) ancestry could make him the companys next Rey Mysterio.
Festus ( current brand: Smackdown; suggested move: ECW) a completely underutilized big man (6'6, 320 lbs legit) Festus has done a remarkable job with what he has been dealt ( giant comotose,semi retarded hillbilly whom, when the bell rings, becomes a uncontrollable force, only to return to original form when the bell rings again) The young man has the ability, as a talker and a wrestler, to become one of the next big stars in the company; last years match vs The Undertaker looked as the though it could have been his launching point, but the company stalled on him. Moving him to ECW, at least thru the end of the year, would give him additional tv time he hasnt enjoyed in recent months, and standing tall as the "giant amongst smaller men" would enhance him tremendously, as would a run as ECW champion. Hes just even a small gimmick modification away ( or a big one- hes that versatile) from being a big player.
Mike Knox (current: RAW suggested change: Smackdown) Knox is an unorthodox worker, in the sense that he uses very basic offense and pure power (another 6'6ish, 300lb plus guy) as his main weapons. Smackdown is in need of a big man whom can challenge Triple H for its title ( providing H stays put; if not Cena will end up on the show, since it "requires" a world champion) Knox has a gimmick where he comes across as cold and unfeeling, not given to emotion or reaction; in other words, as classic loner type. Placed accordingly, and allowing his personality to come to the fore, he could be involved in a variety of compelling "storylines" with either champion.
Just a few ideas- I would love to hear anyones feedback, or even better, a few of your own selections.
Closing thought: when your in the dog food aisle at your local store, and read on a label "new and improved flavor", do you ever wonder who is the lucky bastard that gets to make that determination?
Thank you and Happy Easter!
Thursday, April 9, 2009
A Tragedy Hits Close To Home
At about 10 am this morning, while I was reading the various internet news sites at work ( 10 am on a thursday is down time in the car business) my jaw dropped and my blood went cold when I read the tragic news of LA Angels rookie Nick Adenhart's death in an automobile accident. He was 22.
Nick was a local Hagerstonian, graduated from the same high school as my brother and I, and played little league baseball in the same league in which my brother and I coached.
I will make no claim to have really known Nick, or had any involvement in his development as a player ( I never had the good fortune to coach him) But I do recollect wathcing him pitch at that level, and (Shawn, feel free to correct me here) I seem to rememeber that, at the tender age of 8, nick could throw somewhere in the neighborhood of 65-70 miles per hour, which is just amazing.
During the off season, Nick would still spend a bit of time in the area, and we crossed paths a few times, and he always seemed like such a level headed, decent young man. This is such a tragic,unnecessary event that has literally rocked our entire community- as great as he was, we will now never know how great he was gonna be-an irresponsible young man with no consideration for the safety of others killed not only Nick, but two of his co passengers as well.
A piece of advice to all reading, whether you be freinds, fans, or both: when you get behind the wheel of a automobile after drinking, ask yourself two quick questions: 1) am I being safe with myself? and 2) am I being safe with the lives of others? If your answer is "NO" to either, call a cab, or a friend, or somebody.
If you have my number, and you are in need of a ride, I will personally come and get you myself and make sure you get home safe- and hopefully, I will be helping someone else get home safe as well.
I can't with good conscience end with a joke for this blog, but I will leave you with a final thought: life is too short, so try to avoid doing anything that makes it shorter, for you or anyone else.
Thank you and good night.
Nick was a local Hagerstonian, graduated from the same high school as my brother and I, and played little league baseball in the same league in which my brother and I coached.
I will make no claim to have really known Nick, or had any involvement in his development as a player ( I never had the good fortune to coach him) But I do recollect wathcing him pitch at that level, and (Shawn, feel free to correct me here) I seem to rememeber that, at the tender age of 8, nick could throw somewhere in the neighborhood of 65-70 miles per hour, which is just amazing.
During the off season, Nick would still spend a bit of time in the area, and we crossed paths a few times, and he always seemed like such a level headed, decent young man. This is such a tragic,unnecessary event that has literally rocked our entire community- as great as he was, we will now never know how great he was gonna be-an irresponsible young man with no consideration for the safety of others killed not only Nick, but two of his co passengers as well.
A piece of advice to all reading, whether you be freinds, fans, or both: when you get behind the wheel of a automobile after drinking, ask yourself two quick questions: 1) am I being safe with myself? and 2) am I being safe with the lives of others? If your answer is "NO" to either, call a cab, or a friend, or somebody.
If you have my number, and you are in need of a ride, I will personally come and get you myself and make sure you get home safe- and hopefully, I will be helping someone else get home safe as well.
I can't with good conscience end with a joke for this blog, but I will leave you with a final thought: life is too short, so try to avoid doing anything that makes it shorter, for you or anyone else.
Thank you and good night.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
WM25, Red Sox '09
Just wanted to shoot a quick blog around before i watch my first Red Sox game of 2009, as the Beantown Badboys ( christ, am I channeling Shawn here or what? lol) face reigning AL Champions & perrenial rivals Tampa Bay 'no Devil" Rays.
Some of you may scoff at the notion that these two teams are "rivals" since TB has had exactly one winning season in their existance- but you would be wrong! These two teams have a history dating back to the late 1990s, which has involved beanings, thrown bats, and bench clearing brawls. Things ALWAYS have potential to get interesting when these teams do battle.
Wrestlemania 25 is now in the books, and, despite some snafus in its build up (which I would have gladly shared with all of you) the former fed delivered the goods in the ring for the most part, particularly with the Shawn Michaels vs Undertaker bout, which, and I do not use this term loosely, was a epic. If you get the opportunity, and you are a fan of wrestling in its finest storytelling form, this match is a must see.
Afew days ago, I was thinking about wrestlers whom I considered master "good guys" or "babyfaces", and i realized that, since he is more current, I overlooked Shawn Michaels in that upper echelon. Reviewing his entire body of work would take days, but i would say he ranks up there with Ricky Steamboat in this regard.
Speaking of Steamboat, he wrestled his first bout in 15 years at Wrestlemania, and drew tremendous respect from the live audience with his somewhat amazing performance, many of whom most certainly never got the opportunity to watch him in his prime. I legitimately think Ricky could, if used properly, could get another full time run- he looked that good.
Another guy who sometimes doesnt get his due as a superb talent is the Taker himself- its easy to overlook him as a talent due to his character, but as the expression goes "it takes to tango" and his match with Michaels was another testament to his working skills- truly an elite talent.
Taker also has a well earned rep in the WWE locker rooms as one of its true leaders- a friend of mine, whom works on the same crew as the Dead Man, swears by his leadership and teaching skills, which is somewhat unique amongst the top level guys, due to their "fear" of being replaced in the main money matches. Cudos to all three of these men for their brillant performances on the biggest stage in our business.
To close, I would like to thank those of you whom have complimented my writings previously, and would like to remind all of you that you CANNOT offend me with Cash.
Thank you and good night!
Some of you may scoff at the notion that these two teams are "rivals" since TB has had exactly one winning season in their existance- but you would be wrong! These two teams have a history dating back to the late 1990s, which has involved beanings, thrown bats, and bench clearing brawls. Things ALWAYS have potential to get interesting when these teams do battle.
Wrestlemania 25 is now in the books, and, despite some snafus in its build up (which I would have gladly shared with all of you) the former fed delivered the goods in the ring for the most part, particularly with the Shawn Michaels vs Undertaker bout, which, and I do not use this term loosely, was a epic. If you get the opportunity, and you are a fan of wrestling in its finest storytelling form, this match is a must see.
Afew days ago, I was thinking about wrestlers whom I considered master "good guys" or "babyfaces", and i realized that, since he is more current, I overlooked Shawn Michaels in that upper echelon. Reviewing his entire body of work would take days, but i would say he ranks up there with Ricky Steamboat in this regard.
Speaking of Steamboat, he wrestled his first bout in 15 years at Wrestlemania, and drew tremendous respect from the live audience with his somewhat amazing performance, many of whom most certainly never got the opportunity to watch him in his prime. I legitimately think Ricky could, if used properly, could get another full time run- he looked that good.
Another guy who sometimes doesnt get his due as a superb talent is the Taker himself- its easy to overlook him as a talent due to his character, but as the expression goes "it takes to tango" and his match with Michaels was another testament to his working skills- truly an elite talent.
Taker also has a well earned rep in the WWE locker rooms as one of its true leaders- a friend of mine, whom works on the same crew as the Dead Man, swears by his leadership and teaching skills, which is somewhat unique amongst the top level guys, due to their "fear" of being replaced in the main money matches. Cudos to all three of these men for their brillant performances on the biggest stage in our business.
To close, I would like to thank those of you whom have complimented my writings previously, and would like to remind all of you that you CANNOT offend me with Cash.
Thank you and good night!
welcome back my friends,to the show that never ends
After 2 plus months of, almost literally, waiting for divine intervention to save my old, torn and tattered computer from the throws of death, I have finally broken down and, for the first time in my life, purchased a NEW computer!
What this means for you, my "adoring" public, is that I will be once again sharing a wide variety of tales, parrables, thoughts, and general useless information with you all.
Later today, I will return with a few thoughts on Wrestlemania 25, the opening of another baseball season, a quick look at my Red Sox, and the Pottsdam Purchase. Just kidding- I didnt even watch Wrestlemania 25......
To close things up here musically, I would like to say that.....( everybody tune up) Its such a good feeling...to know you're alive....its such a happy feeling, your growing inside...and when you wake up,ready to say.... we're gonna make a snappy new day!!!!
Thank you and good day!
What this means for you, my "adoring" public, is that I will be once again sharing a wide variety of tales, parrables, thoughts, and general useless information with you all.
Later today, I will return with a few thoughts on Wrestlemania 25, the opening of another baseball season, a quick look at my Red Sox, and the Pottsdam Purchase. Just kidding- I didnt even watch Wrestlemania 25......
To close things up here musically, I would like to say that.....( everybody tune up) Its such a good feeling...to know you're alive....its such a happy feeling, your growing inside...and when you wake up,ready to say.... we're gonna make a snappy new day!!!!
Thank you and good day!
Sunday, February 8, 2009
A-Rod took it another way in the ass, Jericho, other thoughts
For those of you who actually read this crap I spew, I havent been updating as often this week due to a computer virus that causes it to click off every few minutes. WARNING: stay away from porn sites ( not that I know for a fact they do any damage to your computer....)
Actually, Im quite in the doghouse with Amy for this9 not for the porn, the and I can't say I blame her. But sometimes, those big ti....aww, nevermind.
A-ROD- GASSED? : As I'm sure the devoted readership of this drivel has already heard, NY Yankee Third Basemen/ Madonna's Flunky Alex Rodriguez has been exposed as a user of the, shall we say, banned enhancement supplements. ( good news, though A-ROID*: You can still feel free to buy as much as you need from Enzide Bob)
* ( special thanks to Tony for the "A-ROID tag)
The real story here isnt the fact that A-Fraud uses (or used) but the fact that he was seemingly protected up to this point from being exposed by a member of the MLB Players Union Management.
Most of you are already familiar with my stance of the use of gas- my real issue is that, in their zeal to create a poster boy for the MLB franchise during a period of rampant use and abuse, they covered up Gay-Rods involvement in such actvities.
Note to MLB: a player is player is player, and ones marketablity over another should not preclude any ones punishment for violations.
Mind you, this happen in 2003, when, if I'm correct, a policy was not yet in place- regardless, this thing reeks of cover up, and frankly, I think it stinks.
WWE superstar Chris Jericho was involved in a altercation with two fans after a live event in Vancouver,BC this week.
I watched a cell phone video that some "lucky fan" captured of said incident, and it somewhat inconclusive to say the least- reports are that a female fan jumped on the hood of Chris' car as he was leaving the event, and Jericho yelled at her to get off the vehicle. Seemingly, security, who may been in the middle of getting another gals phone number, finally stepped in and removed said hood ornament from the vehicle.
Jericho got out of the car and further yelled at the fan, who then, in a class move, spit on the wrestler. Jericho, coming from the old school of "whats good for the goose is good for the gander", reciprocated with a loogie of his own. At this point, the female fans boyfriend/husband, no doubt thrilled by his squeeze throwing herself ( literally) at the wrestler, took a poke at the former World Champion. Jericho then is seen tackling the original phlegm perpetrator, then is hustled to his car for a getaway, this time without the real life version of the Dodge Ram logo.
A few thoughts on this, spoken from the perspective of a wrestler: if great when fans want to talk to you after an event, but like anyone else ( especially guys on the road 200plus days a year) there are times when you just dont want to converstae- especially with some dumbshit whos whola approach is out of line. Believe it or not, these guys are celebrities, and one would think in this case, maybe Jericho thought he was in some type of danger from aderanged fan ( alittle farfetched, but possible)
Spitting is not allowed! Is there anything more disrespectful than spitting on someone, especially because someone with some fame doesnt want to take you as a paasenger on the freeway at 65 mph- on the hood of his rental car?
I'm not condoning Chirs' actions, but in reality, he didnt react any differently than most of us would have in the same circumstance.
Controversial former All American football star/ pro wrestler Jim Wilson has passed away at the age of 67 from cancer.
Wilson had a fascinating life- All American football star from the University of Georgia, a brief stint in the NFL with the LA Rams,then a foray in the exciting yet sometimes "seedy" world of 1970s professional wrestling.
Wilson, who was almost the prototypical pampered athlete ( full college ride, pro credentials, never paid for a meal, etc) had limited success in the wrestling business, much of which he blamed of the "crooked pack of promoters" that encompassed the National Wrestling Alliance, the top "governing body" during that era, before it was essentially decimated by the World Wrestling Federation ( now WWE).
Now, I'm not saying that said promoters didnt handle their business in a often dubious and sometimes illegal manner in that era ( or any era, honestly) but Big Jim, as he was called, never understood that the biggest factors in wrestling superstardom lie within the performer....Promoters, especially in that era, chomped at the bit to put an "legit" athlete in a showcase position, due to the name recognition and notoriety that came with that, and the credibility in gave to a business that always struggled to gain such respect.
The subject of his rebuffing the advances of a well known homosexual promoter was his biggest crutch, claiming it blocked his potential to become the NWA Worlds Champion, which, based on the assessment of his ring work and overall charisma, seemingly was the biggest lie since Eve told Adam "that fruit wont hurt us!"
Wilson was however a pioneer of attempting to unionize professional wrestling, a crusade that gobbled up his whole life, ruined his marriages, and was largely misunderstood by the wrestlers he was trying to protect, who seem to thought he was trying to ruin the business instead of helping it.
His book, "Chokehold" is a must read for fans whom are interested tin the political machinations of the professional wrestling business during the era, and of Wilson's own struggles with professional credibility and viewing himself objectively.
RIP, Big Jim.
Final Thought: Is it possible to overdo moderation?
Thank You- Good Night!
Actually, Im quite in the doghouse with Amy for this9 not for the porn, the and I can't say I blame her. But sometimes, those big ti....aww, nevermind.
A-ROD- GASSED? : As I'm sure the devoted readership of this drivel has already heard, NY Yankee Third Basemen/ Madonna's Flunky Alex Rodriguez has been exposed as a user of the, shall we say, banned enhancement supplements. ( good news, though A-ROID*: You can still feel free to buy as much as you need from Enzide Bob)
* ( special thanks to Tony for the "A-ROID tag)
The real story here isnt the fact that A-Fraud uses (or used) but the fact that he was seemingly protected up to this point from being exposed by a member of the MLB Players Union Management.
Most of you are already familiar with my stance of the use of gas- my real issue is that, in their zeal to create a poster boy for the MLB franchise during a period of rampant use and abuse, they covered up Gay-Rods involvement in such actvities.
Note to MLB: a player is player is player, and ones marketablity over another should not preclude any ones punishment for violations.
Mind you, this happen in 2003, when, if I'm correct, a policy was not yet in place- regardless, this thing reeks of cover up, and frankly, I think it stinks.
WWE superstar Chris Jericho was involved in a altercation with two fans after a live event in Vancouver,BC this week.
I watched a cell phone video that some "lucky fan" captured of said incident, and it somewhat inconclusive to say the least- reports are that a female fan jumped on the hood of Chris' car as he was leaving the event, and Jericho yelled at her to get off the vehicle. Seemingly, security, who may been in the middle of getting another gals phone number, finally stepped in and removed said hood ornament from the vehicle.
Jericho got out of the car and further yelled at the fan, who then, in a class move, spit on the wrestler. Jericho, coming from the old school of "whats good for the goose is good for the gander", reciprocated with a loogie of his own. At this point, the female fans boyfriend/husband, no doubt thrilled by his squeeze throwing herself ( literally) at the wrestler, took a poke at the former World Champion. Jericho then is seen tackling the original phlegm perpetrator, then is hustled to his car for a getaway, this time without the real life version of the Dodge Ram logo.
A few thoughts on this, spoken from the perspective of a wrestler: if great when fans want to talk to you after an event, but like anyone else ( especially guys on the road 200plus days a year) there are times when you just dont want to converstae- especially with some dumbshit whos whola approach is out of line. Believe it or not, these guys are celebrities, and one would think in this case, maybe Jericho thought he was in some type of danger from aderanged fan ( alittle farfetched, but possible)
Spitting is not allowed! Is there anything more disrespectful than spitting on someone, especially because someone with some fame doesnt want to take you as a paasenger on the freeway at 65 mph- on the hood of his rental car?
I'm not condoning Chirs' actions, but in reality, he didnt react any differently than most of us would have in the same circumstance.
Controversial former All American football star/ pro wrestler Jim Wilson has passed away at the age of 67 from cancer.
Wilson had a fascinating life- All American football star from the University of Georgia, a brief stint in the NFL with the LA Rams,then a foray in the exciting yet sometimes "seedy" world of 1970s professional wrestling.
Wilson, who was almost the prototypical pampered athlete ( full college ride, pro credentials, never paid for a meal, etc) had limited success in the wrestling business, much of which he blamed of the "crooked pack of promoters" that encompassed the National Wrestling Alliance, the top "governing body" during that era, before it was essentially decimated by the World Wrestling Federation ( now WWE).
Now, I'm not saying that said promoters didnt handle their business in a often dubious and sometimes illegal manner in that era ( or any era, honestly) but Big Jim, as he was called, never understood that the biggest factors in wrestling superstardom lie within the performer....Promoters, especially in that era, chomped at the bit to put an "legit" athlete in a showcase position, due to the name recognition and notoriety that came with that, and the credibility in gave to a business that always struggled to gain such respect.
The subject of his rebuffing the advances of a well known homosexual promoter was his biggest crutch, claiming it blocked his potential to become the NWA Worlds Champion, which, based on the assessment of his ring work and overall charisma, seemingly was the biggest lie since Eve told Adam "that fruit wont hurt us!"
Wilson was however a pioneer of attempting to unionize professional wrestling, a crusade that gobbled up his whole life, ruined his marriages, and was largely misunderstood by the wrestlers he was trying to protect, who seem to thought he was trying to ruin the business instead of helping it.
His book, "Chokehold" is a must read for fans whom are interested tin the political machinations of the professional wrestling business during the era, and of Wilson's own struggles with professional credibility and viewing himself objectively.
RIP, Big Jim.
Final Thought: Is it possible to overdo moderation?
Thank You- Good Night!
Monday, February 2, 2009
ODDS & SODS
Since I really dont have a theme for tonights blog, i gave in to temptation and just named the title after a really underrated WHO album....download it, since no one buys CDs anymore.
RAW was a pretty decent show tonight, and they are looking for big ratings next week by bringing UNDERTAKER to face Randy Orton, and the first tv appearance by "Nature Boy" RIC FLAIR since last summer.
Flair, btw, was photographed two weeks ago at a event in Pittsburgh, Pa holding the CPW title belt. I think all ( or most) of you will understand why I feel this is signifigant. WHOOO!!!!!
Wow, what a Super Bowl it turned out to be for Patriots de facto starter Matt Cassel, who apparently ran into a highly intoxicated & bladderally challenged fan in the public restroom during the halftime festivities. Evidently, the fan tried to rush Cassel out of the Horsey Chair, so to speak, and the lightly vaunted Cassel told him to wait his turn. That turn came a few seconds too early for Cassel, when the fan came back & pissed directly on Cassel's leg. Security came and tossed the fan, but Cassel reportedly was nonplused, telling others that after spending a whole season at the helm of the Pats, that particular fluid was the least of his concerns.
RUMOR TIME: As of this blog, rumors that Olympic Swimmer/Bong Boy Michael Phelps will be headlining the " Reggae SunSplash Tour 2009" as the new lead singer of The Wailers is yet to be confirmed. More on this story as it develops.....
Speaking on rumors, perhaps a little more serious in nature, is the the LA DODGERS have offered superstar slugger/basket case Manny Ramirez a 1 year, 25 million dollar to hit 35 home runs, 100 RBIS, and act like he doesnt give a shit in left field for the upcoming 2009 campaign.
While it may sound like sour grapes from a SOX fan, the fact is that, while Manny contributed to alot of our triumphs over the past few years, and is without a doubt a first ballot Hall of Famer, he turned into a clubhouse cancer; and like most forms of cancer, it slowly developed over a few years until it spread like wildfire last summer, and I'm sure LAD will certainly figure that out right around, say, May 1. Why else would they not offer him anything past this season? HMM....maybe they already know? Well, maybe they just feel obligated to replace Jeff Kent ...
but 25 million? BTW guys, despite that huge surge from August- October last season, he's on a steady decline....don't fall for Boras' trickery-you're doing the right thing! Make the big play for the Pennant this year, then dust him!
Hopefully, within the next few days, I can give my "much sought after" opinion on each division
will finish this upcoming season, and hope you all will participate as well.
Tonight, we finish with another musical question: "Where have all the cowboys gone?"
Thank You- Good Night!
RAW was a pretty decent show tonight, and they are looking for big ratings next week by bringing UNDERTAKER to face Randy Orton, and the first tv appearance by "Nature Boy" RIC FLAIR since last summer.
Flair, btw, was photographed two weeks ago at a event in Pittsburgh, Pa holding the CPW title belt. I think all ( or most) of you will understand why I feel this is signifigant. WHOOO!!!!!
Wow, what a Super Bowl it turned out to be for Patriots de facto starter Matt Cassel, who apparently ran into a highly intoxicated & bladderally challenged fan in the public restroom during the halftime festivities. Evidently, the fan tried to rush Cassel out of the Horsey Chair, so to speak, and the lightly vaunted Cassel told him to wait his turn. That turn came a few seconds too early for Cassel, when the fan came back & pissed directly on Cassel's leg. Security came and tossed the fan, but Cassel reportedly was nonplused, telling others that after spending a whole season at the helm of the Pats, that particular fluid was the least of his concerns.
RUMOR TIME: As of this blog, rumors that Olympic Swimmer/Bong Boy Michael Phelps will be headlining the " Reggae SunSplash Tour 2009" as the new lead singer of The Wailers is yet to be confirmed. More on this story as it develops.....
Speaking on rumors, perhaps a little more serious in nature, is the the LA DODGERS have offered superstar slugger/basket case Manny Ramirez a 1 year, 25 million dollar to hit 35 home runs, 100 RBIS, and act like he doesnt give a shit in left field for the upcoming 2009 campaign.
While it may sound like sour grapes from a SOX fan, the fact is that, while Manny contributed to alot of our triumphs over the past few years, and is without a doubt a first ballot Hall of Famer, he turned into a clubhouse cancer; and like most forms of cancer, it slowly developed over a few years until it spread like wildfire last summer, and I'm sure LAD will certainly figure that out right around, say, May 1. Why else would they not offer him anything past this season? HMM....maybe they already know? Well, maybe they just feel obligated to replace Jeff Kent ...
but 25 million? BTW guys, despite that huge surge from August- October last season, he's on a steady decline....don't fall for Boras' trickery-you're doing the right thing! Make the big play for the Pennant this year, then dust him!
Hopefully, within the next few days, I can give my "much sought after" opinion on each division
will finish this upcoming season, and hope you all will participate as well.
Tonight, we finish with another musical question: "Where have all the cowboys gone?"
Thank You- Good Night!
Sunday, February 1, 2009
I Have Returned!
What a busy few days it has been-I finally have enough time to sit down and put together a blog after a undesired trip to the beautiful (cough cough) greater Baltimore area, starting a new job, having the biggest "grudge match" of my 17 year wrestling career, and working nights as the "Worlds Most Dangerous Bouncer"- But a few things have happened that I feel like addressing to the half dozen readership of this blog, so with out further decay, er delay, here goes:
VARITEK RESIGNS: Great to see that Capt TEK finally inked up on the 1 year/5 million deal-this nonsense was another shining example of the weakening hold of Scott Boras on the MLB free agent market.
Note to ballplayers: Steer clear of Boras; in three years, he will be doing guest spots on the MLB Channel and Baseball Tonight; teams are tripping over each other trying to avoid the clients of this jackel- dont be the next guy to get bad advice and lose 5 million like TEK did!
STEELERS WIN SUPER BOWL: A well played game where the better team won. Enough said.
On second thought.... Congratulations to the Steelers, and their hordes of fans who will now spend the next 6 months acting like they actually won the game themselves.
I have found that, in all of sports, with the exception of Yankee fans, there is not a more obnoxious bunch than these yellow towel waving idiots ( no offense, Battlin' Bob) who are always wearing black and gold when they are on top, but put the Wafflesberger jersey away when their team is struggling.... SHOW SOME GUTS, WEAR IT ALL THE TIME-LIKE BROWNS FANS!- right Shawn?
GOT ANY REEFER, MIKE?- I gotta admit that I was a bit surprised to hear "Olympic Hero" Michael Phelps has a little thing for the ghanja...I had him pegged as the type of guy who like to "smoke" things, but a bong wasnt where I thought his tubular preference lie.
Apparently, the star of the most recent Olympics spent quite the weekend at the University of South Carolina this past November, partyin' like it was 1999, so to speak, so much so that one "anonymous" partygoer was quoted as saying he was "the gold medal winner of bong hits".
Of course, as is customary when someone of this magnitude screws up and lets someone photograph them ( like a moron ) the Agent, the Public Relations Manager, & the Maid all got together and put a really canned sounding apology on paper ( the non-rollable kind) for said hero to read.
Phelps referred to it as " acting in a youthful and irresponsible way" and that he felt the whole incident was "regrettable & bad judgement".
Two pieces of advice for Mike: 1) everyone makes mistakes-we can all understand your certain ( Ted Knight voice...)"zest for living", and it isnt fair for you to be judged different than others because you're a "Hero" ( btw, how does a swimmer, despite 8 gold medals, become a "hero to Americas youth?" Christ, if thats really true, Im f**king terrified) but next time, make sure the cameras arent rolling, so to speak. Your "friends" cant wait to turn a buck and crucify you. Smarten up.
2) If you pull Wheaties out of the box and put them under a 300 watt heatlamp for about 6 days, it will taste eerily similiar to "dirt weed".
And with that, I think I will close, but not without a final musical question : Who Let The Dogs Out? Who? WHO? WHO? WHO?
Thank you- Good Night!
VARITEK RESIGNS: Great to see that Capt TEK finally inked up on the 1 year/5 million deal-this nonsense was another shining example of the weakening hold of Scott Boras on the MLB free agent market.
Note to ballplayers: Steer clear of Boras; in three years, he will be doing guest spots on the MLB Channel and Baseball Tonight; teams are tripping over each other trying to avoid the clients of this jackel- dont be the next guy to get bad advice and lose 5 million like TEK did!
STEELERS WIN SUPER BOWL: A well played game where the better team won. Enough said.
On second thought.... Congratulations to the Steelers, and their hordes of fans who will now spend the next 6 months acting like they actually won the game themselves.
I have found that, in all of sports, with the exception of Yankee fans, there is not a more obnoxious bunch than these yellow towel waving idiots ( no offense, Battlin' Bob) who are always wearing black and gold when they are on top, but put the Wafflesberger jersey away when their team is struggling.... SHOW SOME GUTS, WEAR IT ALL THE TIME-LIKE BROWNS FANS!- right Shawn?
GOT ANY REEFER, MIKE?- I gotta admit that I was a bit surprised to hear "Olympic Hero" Michael Phelps has a little thing for the ghanja...I had him pegged as the type of guy who like to "smoke" things, but a bong wasnt where I thought his tubular preference lie.
Apparently, the star of the most recent Olympics spent quite the weekend at the University of South Carolina this past November, partyin' like it was 1999, so to speak, so much so that one "anonymous" partygoer was quoted as saying he was "the gold medal winner of bong hits".
Of course, as is customary when someone of this magnitude screws up and lets someone photograph them ( like a moron ) the Agent, the Public Relations Manager, & the Maid all got together and put a really canned sounding apology on paper ( the non-rollable kind) for said hero to read.
Phelps referred to it as " acting in a youthful and irresponsible way" and that he felt the whole incident was "regrettable & bad judgement".
Two pieces of advice for Mike: 1) everyone makes mistakes-we can all understand your certain ( Ted Knight voice...)"zest for living", and it isnt fair for you to be judged different than others because you're a "Hero" ( btw, how does a swimmer, despite 8 gold medals, become a "hero to Americas youth?" Christ, if thats really true, Im f**king terrified) but next time, make sure the cameras arent rolling, so to speak. Your "friends" cant wait to turn a buck and crucify you. Smarten up.
2) If you pull Wheaties out of the box and put them under a 300 watt heatlamp for about 6 days, it will taste eerily similiar to "dirt weed".
And with that, I think I will close, but not without a final musical question : Who Let The Dogs Out? Who? WHO? WHO? WHO?
Thank you- Good Night!
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
ECW Thoughts, Varitek deadline, UWF ON ESPNC
Watching ECW last night, you can definitely tell that the higher ups are quite high on Jack Swagger, the newly crowned ECW champion- However, after hearing him speak in no less than 3 separate segments, I'm not so sure why.
Now,mind you, Swagger is a good athlete, and surely isnt a bad wrestler, but hearing him speak last night reminded me of the episode of the Brady Bunch where Cindy was struggling with her speech due to losing here two front teeth. Not only does he have the lisp, but his voice even has the 8 year old girl pitch!
As far as a show goes, I enjoy ECW the best of the weeky WWE produced fare, due to the fact that they usually featuring more actual wrestling matches and less backstage segments. Last night had more backstage stuff than usual, but still had enough wrestling to keep me entertained.
The Boston Red Sox have given Captain Jason Varitek until friday to sign their 1 year, 5 million offer for the 2009 season.
I didnt realize that there was such a backlash against Tek in the Boston area, somewhat spurred by his alleged affair with NESN "sidelines" reporter Heidi Watney. Terms like "adulterer" has been" and " washed up" are the current pet phrases. Seems as though the Tekker filed for divorce last August, apparently coinciding with been seen frequently on the road in the company of Miss Watney.
Questions to fans and media: Is any of this any of your business? There are no angels out there ( except in Anaheim, of course) and to cast aspersions at anyone due to the state of their personal life is not only inappropriate, but low class. Yes, Tek has made his own bed, personal and professional, and has not only cost himself quite a chunk of change, but more importantly, his family as well. I'm sure he more than knows his current condition, and its not up to the fans or media to bash the man for those mistakes; on field, yes, have open season, but try to limit it to that, especially when a mans family is concerned.
ESPN Classics started showing UWF tapes in the 12midnight- 1 am time slot last night, replacing the AWA Championship Wrestling tapes that have been playing for the past year.
Before you get excited, Shawn, its not the Bill Watts UWF from the mid- late 80s that you so love, but the later Herb Abrams version, circa 1990-93.
Abrams was kind of a infamous character in the world of wrestling ( which should about say it all) and his death in 1996 in something of legend ( heart attack from a cocaine overdose; he was found running thru the office building in which he worked, with two women of questionable reputation, pulling fire alarms, naked and covered in baby oil ; when police arrived, he was already dead )
He also had quite the reputation for not paying the multitude of big name talent from the era whom worked his events, to the point that reportedly, when hearing of his death, several of them got together and threw quite the party, all on his yet to be canceled credit cards.
Only in wrestling,folks....
But in any event, last nights show was pretty decent, and you will get the opportunity to see alot of the top name wrestlers from that era, so dont forget to check it out.
Final Thought : If you kill an Actor/Singer, is that considered a Double Homicide?
Thank You-Good Night!
Now,mind you, Swagger is a good athlete, and surely isnt a bad wrestler, but hearing him speak last night reminded me of the episode of the Brady Bunch where Cindy was struggling with her speech due to losing here two front teeth. Not only does he have the lisp, but his voice even has the 8 year old girl pitch!
As far as a show goes, I enjoy ECW the best of the weeky WWE produced fare, due to the fact that they usually featuring more actual wrestling matches and less backstage segments. Last night had more backstage stuff than usual, but still had enough wrestling to keep me entertained.
The Boston Red Sox have given Captain Jason Varitek until friday to sign their 1 year, 5 million offer for the 2009 season.
I didnt realize that there was such a backlash against Tek in the Boston area, somewhat spurred by his alleged affair with NESN "sidelines" reporter Heidi Watney. Terms like "adulterer" has been" and " washed up" are the current pet phrases. Seems as though the Tekker filed for divorce last August, apparently coinciding with been seen frequently on the road in the company of Miss Watney.
Questions to fans and media: Is any of this any of your business? There are no angels out there ( except in Anaheim, of course) and to cast aspersions at anyone due to the state of their personal life is not only inappropriate, but low class. Yes, Tek has made his own bed, personal and professional, and has not only cost himself quite a chunk of change, but more importantly, his family as well. I'm sure he more than knows his current condition, and its not up to the fans or media to bash the man for those mistakes; on field, yes, have open season, but try to limit it to that, especially when a mans family is concerned.
ESPN Classics started showing UWF tapes in the 12midnight- 1 am time slot last night, replacing the AWA Championship Wrestling tapes that have been playing for the past year.
Before you get excited, Shawn, its not the Bill Watts UWF from the mid- late 80s that you so love, but the later Herb Abrams version, circa 1990-93.
Abrams was kind of a infamous character in the world of wrestling ( which should about say it all) and his death in 1996 in something of legend ( heart attack from a cocaine overdose; he was found running thru the office building in which he worked, with two women of questionable reputation, pulling fire alarms, naked and covered in baby oil ; when police arrived, he was already dead )
He also had quite the reputation for not paying the multitude of big name talent from the era whom worked his events, to the point that reportedly, when hearing of his death, several of them got together and threw quite the party, all on his yet to be canceled credit cards.
Only in wrestling,folks....
But in any event, last nights show was pretty decent, and you will get the opportunity to see alot of the top name wrestlers from that era, so dont forget to check it out.
Final Thought : If you kill an Actor/Singer, is that considered a Double Homicide?
Thank You-Good Night!
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Sox Fan Bids Updike Adieu, Etc
Kind of a thin news day, most notably by the death of Novelist John Updike at the age of 76.
While I can't say that I'm too familiar with most of Updike's work, rumored to be just slighty sexual in its nature ( I dont read the racy stuff....cough cough) I am quite familiar with one piece of his literary work, one that I encourage you all, especially the baseball fans in the readership ( all of you then) that was puplished in The New Yorker in 1960, which chronicles the late great Boston Red Sox slugger/ World War 2 7 korean war hero/ Ted Williams' last professional game at Fenway Park. You can access it at www.baseball-almanac.com
In another departure from our usual format here at www.sss-fromtheshadows.blogspot.com ( why am I plugging that to people already reading?) News swirling around the internet is that 1970s songtress/movie star/really hot in that leather outfit Olivia Newton John's ex boyfriend (no, not Danny Zucco) the mysteriously missing Patrick McDermott may still be alive and, in fact, staged his own death dissapearance back in 2005 in an effort to claim insurance money! Scandalous!
Apparently, McDermott was a bankrupted millionaire who, according to reports, followed the pattern in his disappearnce consistent with others of have tried such scams, and seemingly has visited a website frequently that secretly monitors those whom "check it out".
Id like to thank those of you who trudged thru this debacle of a blog; promotional considerations have been paid for by the following: Hot Pockets, Gain, & The Pan-American Institute of Motovated Peoples (PIMP)
Thank You- Good Night
Newton -John , according to friends, was shocked when McDermott ended their relationship the day before said disappearance. Reportedly, she told a former employee that she thought She & Patrick were "magic", and nothing could stand in their way.
However, she began to feel suspicious that it was just "summer lovin", because A) she had her a blast and it B) it happened so fast. A Former household employeef of ONJ overheard their conversation - And On the day of the break up, ONJ asked McDermott "so its over, thats where it ends?!" and McDermott asked her "we still be friends?" The pair then made what what the former employee referred to as their "true love vow".
Ultimately, ONJ gave up on McDermotts reappearance and assumed his death, possibly from a "heart attack", and decided that, although in many ways she was still "hopelessly devoted to him", she was still a young woman with a need to get "physical".
While I can't say that I'm too familiar with most of Updike's work, rumored to be just slighty sexual in its nature ( I dont read the racy stuff....cough cough) I am quite familiar with one piece of his literary work, one that I encourage you all, especially the baseball fans in the readership ( all of you then) that was puplished in The New Yorker in 1960, which chronicles the late great Boston Red Sox slugger/ World War 2 7 korean war hero/ Ted Williams' last professional game at Fenway Park. You can access it at www.baseball-almanac.com
In another departure from our usual format here at www.sss-fromtheshadows.blogspot.com ( why am I plugging that to people already reading?) News swirling around the internet is that 1970s songtress/movie star/really hot in that leather outfit Olivia Newton John's ex boyfriend (no, not Danny Zucco) the mysteriously missing Patrick McDermott may still be alive and, in fact, staged his own death dissapearance back in 2005 in an effort to claim insurance money! Scandalous!
Apparently, McDermott was a bankrupted millionaire who, according to reports, followed the pattern in his disappearnce consistent with others of have tried such scams, and seemingly has visited a website frequently that secretly monitors those whom "check it out".
Id like to thank those of you who trudged thru this debacle of a blog; promotional considerations have been paid for by the following: Hot Pockets, Gain, & The Pan-American Institute of Motovated Peoples (PIMP)
Thank You- Good Night
Newton -John , according to friends, was shocked when McDermott ended their relationship the day before said disappearance. Reportedly, she told a former employee that she thought She & Patrick were "magic", and nothing could stand in their way.
However, she began to feel suspicious that it was just "summer lovin", because A) she had her a blast and it B) it happened so fast. A Former household employeef of ONJ overheard their conversation - And On the day of the break up, ONJ asked McDermott "so its over, thats where it ends?!" and McDermott asked her "we still be friends?" The pair then made what what the former employee referred to as their "true love vow".
Ultimately, ONJ gave up on McDermotts reappearance and assumed his death, possibly from a "heart attack", and decided that, although in many ways she was still "hopelessly devoted to him", she was still a young woman with a need to get "physical".
Monday, January 26, 2009
Yanks Resign Pettite, Shane-O-Mac Lines Up for Mania Payoff
The very despised (at least in my house) New York Yankees continued their off season retooling, resigning veteran lefty Andy "Roger Who?" Pettite to what is reported as a 1 year, 5 million dollar deal loaded with incentives.
I can't fault NY for this one, and they actually broke from their off season ( and traditional) pattern of throw huge dollars at veteran ballplayers in an attempt to put themselves in the "drivers seat" in terms of not only the AL East, but the league as a whole.
Signing Pettite is a good security blanket, one they will most likely need whenever AJ Burnett goes on the DL with his latest shoulder strain, or when CC Sabathia finally follows the lead of his former Cleveland Indian teammate, Bartolo "more nachos please" Colon in eating his way out of professional respectability.
The Evil Empire continues to ignore its most glaring weaknesses, however, much to the delight of devout Red Sox fans, by ignoring the fact that they are subpar on the defensive side at virtually every position- and this off season has proved that, beyond a shadow of a doubt, they will continue to do so.
Monday nights edition of RAW was kinda an "in and out" process for me- I watched the top of every hour, and then the final 15 minutes, which is traditionally where the main focal points of the promotion, at least leading up thru the next months pay-per-view, take place. The royal Rumble and its immediate aftermath, however, usually dictates the general direction the company is going in leading up to its showcase event, WrestleMania.
Randy Orton, fresh off his Royal Rumble victory Sunday night, continued on the "rocketship" as they say, as he was featured in the 9 pm segment, and then again in the final 15, where he was confronted by Stephanie McMahon regarding his treatment of her father Vince McMahon last week.
Orton essentially begged Steph to fire him so he could file a lawsuit for discrimination (which was covered at 9pm ; something about a anger problem caused by a chemical imbalance, which equals DISORDER) and Steph told him she felt that would be too easy; at this point, EVERYONE knew that someones music was about to hit (and that person will be the one to defend the McMahon honor)....the drama builds....and its ....Hulk.... no....Stone Cold Steve....nope...."Can you smell, what the....wrong again! "Time to play The GA....false start. Who can it be?
"HERE COMES THE MONEY!!!!!" Its SHANE MCMAHON!!!! YES! Wait, Really?!
The lockeroom of superstars that were causual observers to the Orton/Steph confrontation parted like the red sea, as Shane O Mac walked to the ring, and not only battered Orton, but his allies, Cody Rhodes and Ted Dibiase, with what could be generously be called bad punches,kicks, and spears. Overall, a real disappointment it seemed for the live crowd, who seemingly wanted to see a real superstar.
No disrespect to Shane- in the past, he has proven to be a gutsy performer, taking risks that are very unnecessary for an heir to a "billion dollar corporation", and his efforts cannot be questioned when he is physically involved. But seriously, the guy isnt a "wrestler", and while I think it makes sense for him to want to avenge his father, wouldn't it be better, not only for tv but for business, for him to bring someone who could actually sell a ticket to face the cocky third generation star?
Well, maybe, but lets not forget that WrestleMania is the biggest payoff of the year, and instead of bringing back a former superstar to spike a buyrate or elevating one of the guys who work on the road 300 days a year, helping them & the company make money, lets put the owners son, the Executive Vice President of the company, who performs roughly 1-2 matches every other year, the slot where he can get a performer payoff, in addition to his salary and stock options, that might pay him 400-600k for one match.
Lest we forget Big Steph, who is also a VP in the company, who, without even the risks her older brother will undoubtably take, also stands to earn the same amount, all for interjecting herself into this match and its build up.
Moral of the Story: Wrestling isnt really that much different the real life after all.....the unqualified and undeserving often bear the fruits of others dedication and hard labor.
Final Thought: Whenever you are in the the grocery store, and you happen thru the pet food aisle, and you see a label that states "NEW AND IMPROVED FLAVOR", have you ever wondered who the lucky person is who gets to make that determination?
Thank YOU- Good Night!
I can't fault NY for this one, and they actually broke from their off season ( and traditional) pattern of throw huge dollars at veteran ballplayers in an attempt to put themselves in the "drivers seat" in terms of not only the AL East, but the league as a whole.
Signing Pettite is a good security blanket, one they will most likely need whenever AJ Burnett goes on the DL with his latest shoulder strain, or when CC Sabathia finally follows the lead of his former Cleveland Indian teammate, Bartolo "more nachos please" Colon in eating his way out of professional respectability.
The Evil Empire continues to ignore its most glaring weaknesses, however, much to the delight of devout Red Sox fans, by ignoring the fact that they are subpar on the defensive side at virtually every position- and this off season has proved that, beyond a shadow of a doubt, they will continue to do so.
Monday nights edition of RAW was kinda an "in and out" process for me- I watched the top of every hour, and then the final 15 minutes, which is traditionally where the main focal points of the promotion, at least leading up thru the next months pay-per-view, take place. The royal Rumble and its immediate aftermath, however, usually dictates the general direction the company is going in leading up to its showcase event, WrestleMania.
Randy Orton, fresh off his Royal Rumble victory Sunday night, continued on the "rocketship" as they say, as he was featured in the 9 pm segment, and then again in the final 15, where he was confronted by Stephanie McMahon regarding his treatment of her father Vince McMahon last week.
Orton essentially begged Steph to fire him so he could file a lawsuit for discrimination (which was covered at 9pm ; something about a anger problem caused by a chemical imbalance, which equals DISORDER) and Steph told him she felt that would be too easy; at this point, EVERYONE knew that someones music was about to hit (and that person will be the one to defend the McMahon honor)....the drama builds....and its ....Hulk.... no....Stone Cold Steve....nope...."Can you smell, what the....wrong again! "Time to play The GA....false start. Who can it be?
"HERE COMES THE MONEY!!!!!" Its SHANE MCMAHON!!!! YES! Wait, Really?!
The lockeroom of superstars that were causual observers to the Orton/Steph confrontation parted like the red sea, as Shane O Mac walked to the ring, and not only battered Orton, but his allies, Cody Rhodes and Ted Dibiase, with what could be generously be called bad punches,kicks, and spears. Overall, a real disappointment it seemed for the live crowd, who seemingly wanted to see a real superstar.
No disrespect to Shane- in the past, he has proven to be a gutsy performer, taking risks that are very unnecessary for an heir to a "billion dollar corporation", and his efforts cannot be questioned when he is physically involved. But seriously, the guy isnt a "wrestler", and while I think it makes sense for him to want to avenge his father, wouldn't it be better, not only for tv but for business, for him to bring someone who could actually sell a ticket to face the cocky third generation star?
Well, maybe, but lets not forget that WrestleMania is the biggest payoff of the year, and instead of bringing back a former superstar to spike a buyrate or elevating one of the guys who work on the road 300 days a year, helping them & the company make money, lets put the owners son, the Executive Vice President of the company, who performs roughly 1-2 matches every other year, the slot where he can get a performer payoff, in addition to his salary and stock options, that might pay him 400-600k for one match.
Lest we forget Big Steph, who is also a VP in the company, who, without even the risks her older brother will undoubtably take, also stands to earn the same amount, all for interjecting herself into this match and its build up.
Moral of the Story: Wrestling isnt really that much different the real life after all.....the unqualified and undeserving often bear the fruits of others dedication and hard labor.
Final Thought: Whenever you are in the the grocery store, and you happen thru the pet food aisle, and you see a label that states "NEW AND IMPROVED FLAVOR", have you ever wondered who the lucky person is who gets to make that determination?
Thank YOU- Good Night!
"Ah, I Missed It By...That Much", Let Me Be Your Matchmaker, Jose
Good Morning! Its approximately 730 am EST, and I am already up and "Adam", as they say, attempting to bring pithy observations and humor to the world, primarily thru my knowledge of professional wrestling and baseball.
For those of you who read yesterdays Royal Rumble Blog, and don't know nor care about the actual results, Randy Orton got the nod, winning this years edition of the event.
You may recall that I noted that this year truly only had 2 real candidates for victory, Orton being one, and Triple H being the other. So while I could technically take "credit" for being correct, I am going to decline doing so, since ultimately , I did select HHH for victory.
However, I am asking the gallery of readers ( up to 6- and before you know it, the readership here will far exceed other such notable publications such as Woodsmens Weekly, Beaver Hunt, and Utah's Monagamous Living Quarterly) if I am allowed any special bonus points for the fact that Orton & HHH were the last two men in the ring. The decision is in your hands!
Sorry I didnt get the opportunity over the weekend to witness firsthand former Oakland As/ Texas Rangers/Boston Red Sox/ Tampa Bay Rays/ Appalachian Squirelstompers/ETC/ ETC star Jose "Juiced" Canseco take on none other than Danny "Partridge /Long Break Between Jobs/ Talk Radio Star/ Transvestite "John"/ Reality Star " Bonaduce in a Celebrity Boxing Match in the City of Brotherly Love, Philadelphia, PA.
Bonaduce, who, while several years older and about a foot a a half shorter, hung in and not only lasted the duration, but managed a majority decision draw with his much more athletically gifted and stronger opponent. Bonaduce has a well earned rep as a "tough guy", being that he once beat the hell out a guy dressed as a woman whom he had picked up one drunken drug induced night in Chicago about 15 years ago, in addition to seemingly really having his wife scared shitless in his tv show about 3 years ago. Given his disadvantages in this battle, Bonaduce deserves whatever praise one might get for participating in such an endeavor.
Canseco, on the other hand, continues to disappoint those of us who thrive on manipulating a paying audience into watching former athletes take on manufactured villans, and thusly, exorcise their demons, by constantly allowing himself to put in the most precarious of positions by either his poor management or poor judgement ( he apparently does not have a lack of either)
From looking at the photos from the fight, a few things stand out:
1) Jose appeared to think the bout was for the "World Tattoo Title", as his whole torso and arms were covered in ink; given his experiences with needles, this probably didnt bother him as much as one might think ( and for the record, the look, design, and creativity of his ink pales in comparision to my friend Jimmy " Handsome/Boogie Woogie Man/WWE Hall of Famer" Valiant)
2) Bonaduce is a pretty serious athlete himself, as in photos, he was captured skipping rope with a bottle of what appeared to be a protein shake on the counter, plus a Marlboro in his mouth
3) Not alot of people in Philly, a "fight town", so to speak, a town reknown for being willing to pay to watch Longshoremen beat up Papal like figures on the parking lot of Veterans Stadium, appeared to care to witness the "sweet science" applied on this night.
Jose, it could have been SOOO much different!
If only Mr. Canseco would have chosen a different path, maybe made a few wiser choices ( as in, at least one wise choice) he could have wrote his own meal ticket. Instead, the man who once "dated" Madonna and was one half of the "Bash Brothers" has been reduced to fighting a man half his size who, 40 years ago, was most noted for the shenanigans he pulled on a multi colored bus, agitating his teen idol brother, his angst ridden teen sister, his pretty hot mother (hey,who didnt like Shirley Jones? Show of hands,please) and Rueben Kincade. What a pity.
Jose, you coulda beena ..... Contender!
Thats it for now- who knows what might happen later to inspire me to waste more time writing!
For those of you who read yesterdays Royal Rumble Blog, and don't know nor care about the actual results, Randy Orton got the nod, winning this years edition of the event.
You may recall that I noted that this year truly only had 2 real candidates for victory, Orton being one, and Triple H being the other. So while I could technically take "credit" for being correct, I am going to decline doing so, since ultimately , I did select HHH for victory.
However, I am asking the gallery of readers ( up to 6- and before you know it, the readership here will far exceed other such notable publications such as Woodsmens Weekly, Beaver Hunt, and Utah's Monagamous Living Quarterly) if I am allowed any special bonus points for the fact that Orton & HHH were the last two men in the ring. The decision is in your hands!
Sorry I didnt get the opportunity over the weekend to witness firsthand former Oakland As/ Texas Rangers/Boston Red Sox/ Tampa Bay Rays/ Appalachian Squirelstompers/ETC/ ETC star Jose "Juiced" Canseco take on none other than Danny "Partridge /Long Break Between Jobs/ Talk Radio Star/ Transvestite "John"/ Reality Star " Bonaduce in a Celebrity Boxing Match in the City of Brotherly Love, Philadelphia, PA.
Bonaduce, who, while several years older and about a foot a a half shorter, hung in and not only lasted the duration, but managed a majority decision draw with his much more athletically gifted and stronger opponent. Bonaduce has a well earned rep as a "tough guy", being that he once beat the hell out a guy dressed as a woman whom he had picked up one drunken drug induced night in Chicago about 15 years ago, in addition to seemingly really having his wife scared shitless in his tv show about 3 years ago. Given his disadvantages in this battle, Bonaduce deserves whatever praise one might get for participating in such an endeavor.
Canseco, on the other hand, continues to disappoint those of us who thrive on manipulating a paying audience into watching former athletes take on manufactured villans, and thusly, exorcise their demons, by constantly allowing himself to put in the most precarious of positions by either his poor management or poor judgement ( he apparently does not have a lack of either)
From looking at the photos from the fight, a few things stand out:
1) Jose appeared to think the bout was for the "World Tattoo Title", as his whole torso and arms were covered in ink; given his experiences with needles, this probably didnt bother him as much as one might think ( and for the record, the look, design, and creativity of his ink pales in comparision to my friend Jimmy " Handsome/Boogie Woogie Man/WWE Hall of Famer" Valiant)
2) Bonaduce is a pretty serious athlete himself, as in photos, he was captured skipping rope with a bottle of what appeared to be a protein shake on the counter, plus a Marlboro in his mouth
3) Not alot of people in Philly, a "fight town", so to speak, a town reknown for being willing to pay to watch Longshoremen beat up Papal like figures on the parking lot of Veterans Stadium, appeared to care to witness the "sweet science" applied on this night.
Jose, it could have been SOOO much different!
If only Mr. Canseco would have chosen a different path, maybe made a few wiser choices ( as in, at least one wise choice) he could have wrote his own meal ticket. Instead, the man who once "dated" Madonna and was one half of the "Bash Brothers" has been reduced to fighting a man half his size who, 40 years ago, was most noted for the shenanigans he pulled on a multi colored bus, agitating his teen idol brother, his angst ridden teen sister, his pretty hot mother (hey,who didnt like Shirley Jones? Show of hands,please) and Rueben Kincade. What a pity.
Jose, you coulda beena ..... Contender!
Thats it for now- who knows what might happen later to inspire me to waste more time writing!
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Another Town, Another Place; Rumble Thoughts
Yesterday, I took a trip to the York County Fairgrounds in York, Pa to participate in
Pro Wrestling Entertainment's (PWE) "Dirt Trackin '09" event. PWE is one of my favorite places to go to wrestle, due my longstanding friendship with the two promoters and quality of the talent they use.
I had the pleasure of wrestling a gentleman that I wrestled all the way back in my rookie year (1993) and wrestled a very fun 17 minutes, and am proud to report that neither of us swung a chair, broke a table, did a moonsault, or sustained a serious injury ( I did, however, end up with a bruise on my nose and clown paint all over my arms and hands...quick, someone get me a medic!)
Wrestling is a strange and fascinating business, all the way from the top of Titan Towers to the smallest Independents- and, believe it or not, for the most part, the only differences in the "boys" is their a) the quality of their work and B) the size of their paychecks. And, like most businesses, the guys who are the best at their jobs arent always the best paid. Go figure.
Casual observers often believe that WWE stars must be the absolute very best wrestlers anywhere in the world, and that guys wrestling in front of 25 fans in a flea market in Tunica, MS ( " if anyone calls you Tony, you were with me in Tunica this weekend". priceless...) must not be very good- and they very well may be right, but at the same time, they'd be wrong.
Wrestling for the most part is about not only who you are, but who you know, in addition to how hard you push for the "spot", plus what you look like, what type of wrestling style you employ, and how that look and style fits within the current landscape of the business.
All this may seem a bit complex, and in its own way it is, but I guess what I'm really saying is this: the next time a small time card comes to your town, give it a try! You may like some of it, you may dislike all of it, you may be split on your thoughts; You could end up like 16 fans did a few years back in Morgantown ,Wv when EVERY single advertised wrestler were not only not there, but where never even booked to appear in the first place, or you could end up like 300+ fans did last night in York: enjoying a good fun night of wrestling.
***************************************************************
The 22nd annual Royal Rumble takes place tonight LIVE ON PAY PER VIEW, emenating from Detroit, MI , and will likely, as always, provide a few surprises on the undercard and deliver the goods in the main event.
I've always been a huge fan a battle royals, from which the RR concept was born, all the way back to my days of begging my Dadto take my brother Shawn and I to whatever high school or college gym WWF was coming to within a drive of our house.
I think the first one I saw live was at the Heigis Fieldhouse in Shippensburg,Pa in February 1985, when such luminaries as Jimmy Superfly Snuka, Cowboy Bob Orton, Mike Rotunda, Nikolai Volkoff, Former CFL star George "Master G" Wells, and others participated. I believe Barry Windham won that night, eliminating The Iron Sheik to earn the victory. (Shawn, can you back this up?)
In any event, the winner of the RR is on the fast track to the main event at this years Wrestlemania. Logic, of course dictates that the winner will always be a upper echelon performer, which limits the cast of potential winners.
This year, I honestly feel there are only two true candidates to earn the prize: Randy Orton and Triple H. Orton, on the heels of his stunning "punt" of WWE Chairman Vince McMahon this past monday, is the one guy in the business who has a real "buzz" about him, not only from the recent events, but the overall feeling I sense from the crowd dating back to his return from a shoulder injury a few months back.
Triple H, having lost his WWE Title a few months back, is in the position that most likely garners him the most sympathy: being maligned by current General MGR Vickie Guerrero,and being put in disadventageous positions constantly and winning regardless. A true underdog story ( cough cough)
It could go either way, and the WWE might throw in another candidate just to fool wiseasses like me, but if there is a betting line ( and why not?) put your money on HHH. Just dont tell them you heard it from me.
**********************************************
Final thought: Mark McGwire's younger brother has released a "tell all" book about the former sluggers alleged steriod use. Reports say that many members of the family are very upset, with the exception being older brother, and former Seattle Seahawk Quarterback Dan McGwire, who as proof of his indifference, continue all daily and weekly routines, capping off his week by throwing 5 interceptions in his weekly flag football game.
Thank YOU- Good Night!
Pro Wrestling Entertainment's (PWE) "Dirt Trackin '09" event. PWE is one of my favorite places to go to wrestle, due my longstanding friendship with the two promoters and quality of the talent they use.
I had the pleasure of wrestling a gentleman that I wrestled all the way back in my rookie year (1993) and wrestled a very fun 17 minutes, and am proud to report that neither of us swung a chair, broke a table, did a moonsault, or sustained a serious injury ( I did, however, end up with a bruise on my nose and clown paint all over my arms and hands...quick, someone get me a medic!)
Wrestling is a strange and fascinating business, all the way from the top of Titan Towers to the smallest Independents- and, believe it or not, for the most part, the only differences in the "boys" is their a) the quality of their work and B) the size of their paychecks. And, like most businesses, the guys who are the best at their jobs arent always the best paid. Go figure.
Casual observers often believe that WWE stars must be the absolute very best wrestlers anywhere in the world, and that guys wrestling in front of 25 fans in a flea market in Tunica, MS ( " if anyone calls you Tony, you were with me in Tunica this weekend". priceless...) must not be very good- and they very well may be right, but at the same time, they'd be wrong.
Wrestling for the most part is about not only who you are, but who you know, in addition to how hard you push for the "spot", plus what you look like, what type of wrestling style you employ, and how that look and style fits within the current landscape of the business.
All this may seem a bit complex, and in its own way it is, but I guess what I'm really saying is this: the next time a small time card comes to your town, give it a try! You may like some of it, you may dislike all of it, you may be split on your thoughts; You could end up like 16 fans did a few years back in Morgantown ,Wv when EVERY single advertised wrestler were not only not there, but where never even booked to appear in the first place, or you could end up like 300+ fans did last night in York: enjoying a good fun night of wrestling.
***************************************************************
The 22nd annual Royal Rumble takes place tonight LIVE ON PAY PER VIEW, emenating from Detroit, MI , and will likely, as always, provide a few surprises on the undercard and deliver the goods in the main event.
I've always been a huge fan a battle royals, from which the RR concept was born, all the way back to my days of begging my Dadto take my brother Shawn and I to whatever high school or college gym WWF was coming to within a drive of our house.
I think the first one I saw live was at the Heigis Fieldhouse in Shippensburg,Pa in February 1985, when such luminaries as Jimmy Superfly Snuka, Cowboy Bob Orton, Mike Rotunda, Nikolai Volkoff, Former CFL star George "Master G" Wells, and others participated. I believe Barry Windham won that night, eliminating The Iron Sheik to earn the victory. (Shawn, can you back this up?)
In any event, the winner of the RR is on the fast track to the main event at this years Wrestlemania. Logic, of course dictates that the winner will always be a upper echelon performer, which limits the cast of potential winners.
This year, I honestly feel there are only two true candidates to earn the prize: Randy Orton and Triple H. Orton, on the heels of his stunning "punt" of WWE Chairman Vince McMahon this past monday, is the one guy in the business who has a real "buzz" about him, not only from the recent events, but the overall feeling I sense from the crowd dating back to his return from a shoulder injury a few months back.
Triple H, having lost his WWE Title a few months back, is in the position that most likely garners him the most sympathy: being maligned by current General MGR Vickie Guerrero,and being put in disadventageous positions constantly and winning regardless. A true underdog story ( cough cough)
It could go either way, and the WWE might throw in another candidate just to fool wiseasses like me, but if there is a betting line ( and why not?) put your money on HHH. Just dont tell them you heard it from me.
**********************************************
Final thought: Mark McGwire's younger brother has released a "tell all" book about the former sluggers alleged steriod use. Reports say that many members of the family are very upset, with the exception being older brother, and former Seattle Seahawk Quarterback Dan McGwire, who as proof of his indifference, continue all daily and weekly routines, capping off his week by throwing 5 interceptions in his weekly flag football game.
Thank YOU- Good Night!
Friday, January 23, 2009
A Letter ( AND Sales Pitch) to TNA
To: Dixie Carter, President, TNA
Jeff Jarrett, VP, Head of Creative Dept, TNA
Greetings and Salutations,
Due to a desire to find new and exciting things to write about on my brand new Blog ( check me out http://sss-fromtheshadows.blogspot.com ) I watched your television program, IMPACT, Thursday night @ 9pm, only on SPIKE ( I like to give others plugs,too!) I thought I'd share some of my observations and opinions on what I watch, in an effort to critique, not critize, and to make you aware that I am unemployed, and would relish the opportunity to work in the creative end of your organization.
Mind you, despite my 17 years promoting and booking on the "Indies", I am making no claim to have more knowledge than the highly respected and reputable staff you currently employ; on the contrary, I would like to spend much more time in their company, to gain knowledge and understanding of a big time professional wrestling outfit.
I want it to be known that I, like just about everyone in wrestling, from friends I have in the Indies and friends I have in WWE, want TNA to succeed. There is plenty of room in the national landscape for two national touring wrestling companies, and more than enough talent to fill both those groups.
I dont think its exactly a secret that WWE was a MUCH better show when there was a real competitor for viewership, and I Think that void could be filled quite nicely by TNA- providing that some changes are made.
Talent- I feel TNA has an excellent mix of veteran "superstars" with the name value to draw viewers ( Angle,Sting,Booker,etc) and a quality selection of young upstarts hungry to prove their mettle and earn their way ( Samoa Joe, Alex Shelley,etc) Like anything else, changes could be made, additions and deletions, but overall, its a good crew of talent.
That said, with a multitude of "star power", TNA most weeks cannot surpass ECW, WWE's third tier "throw-away" show, on a third level cable natwork (SciFI) in terms of ratings or televsion viewership. QUESTION: Who would the average fan rather see, Olympic champion/WWE champion/Internationally reknown Kurt Angle, or 15 matches on national television/6 months out of developmental/ great teeth/ virtual unknown ECW champion Jack Swagger ? Well, according to the ratings, Swagger wins. But the real questions are- WHY? and HOW?
This past Monday, CM Punk ( a former TNA standout) faced the WWE Inter-Continental title holder William Regal in their third match in as many weeks. This bout, however had the proviso that, if Regal got himself disqualified, as he had in the previous two bouts, he would lose his title. After a careful build up and intriguing storytelling, that involved virtually no interviews or backstage vignettes, Punk snared the title in a fine bout that featured no blood, no weapons, and no gratuitous violence,with his trademark move, The GTS, in a bout that lasted approximately 10 minutes of tv time.
Contrastly, your Thursday program featured a First Blood Match ( 4 participants), A Table match (4 participants), an 4 man Elimination Tag, & a 4 way X Division title match- All that last a grand total of 14 minutes of tv time; A mere 13 hours since the show concluded, I cannot recall one single finish in ANY of the matches! QUESTION: Do fans react better (ie better ratings, louder responses,etc) to a simple yet logical feud that progresses over the course of a few weeks, or to a host a wild "gimmick" matches with no rhyme or reason?
Helpful Tip Time: Everyone likes to stay topical, and wrestling is no exception. Wrestling loves to parody political figures- its been commonplace for 20 years. However, remember two things: 1) theres a finite shelf life for any character that depicts a "real world" person and 2) it usually helps if the person doing the parody actually looks and sounds like the real deal.
That said, this ridiculous obsession with using "SARAH PALIN" on television is not only nonsensical and passe, it also isnt entertaining. If the goal was to get someone who had neither the look or voice to do this "imitation", than it succeeded; but may I ask, What was the point to begin with? Couldnt you have added another minute to each of the above matches instead?
Well, I think I've illustrated enough points to get to my actual "Sales Pitch" ( Tony, I need your help getting this message to JJ)
I would like for TNA to allow me to sit in on one of their "creative meetings" and allow me to present my points and ideas, from a professional point of view; to map out a logical plan that would help them build to a pay per view extravaganza; and help implement format changes to the current tv show to maximize the golden opportunity tv presents to help bring customers to the "turnstiles"
Heres what I ask in return: TNA pays me what would be the equivilent of "undercard" money-and pay for me to fly wherever it is they want me, for 6 months. I am willing to work on the "merit scale"- if what I do increases ratings, live gates, and pay per views, I get a contract. If I dont, and I turn out to be full of shit, you let me go. Its that simple.
I am more than willing to use whatever talent you wish for me to use, provided that said talent cannot block my effort to help TNA's progress.
I cannot emphasize strongly enough how badly I want to see TNA succeed; unfortunately, it will never reach a fraction of its potential without better attention to detail and stronger focus on wrestling, and less on script writing and nonsense.
Sincerely,
Shane Shadows
Jeff Jarrett, VP, Head of Creative Dept, TNA
Greetings and Salutations,
Due to a desire to find new and exciting things to write about on my brand new Blog ( check me out http://sss-fromtheshadows.blogspot.com ) I watched your television program, IMPACT, Thursday night @ 9pm, only on SPIKE ( I like to give others plugs,too!) I thought I'd share some of my observations and opinions on what I watch, in an effort to critique, not critize, and to make you aware that I am unemployed, and would relish the opportunity to work in the creative end of your organization.
Mind you, despite my 17 years promoting and booking on the "Indies", I am making no claim to have more knowledge than the highly respected and reputable staff you currently employ; on the contrary, I would like to spend much more time in their company, to gain knowledge and understanding of a big time professional wrestling outfit.
I want it to be known that I, like just about everyone in wrestling, from friends I have in the Indies and friends I have in WWE, want TNA to succeed. There is plenty of room in the national landscape for two national touring wrestling companies, and more than enough talent to fill both those groups.
I dont think its exactly a secret that WWE was a MUCH better show when there was a real competitor for viewership, and I Think that void could be filled quite nicely by TNA- providing that some changes are made.
Talent- I feel TNA has an excellent mix of veteran "superstars" with the name value to draw viewers ( Angle,Sting,Booker,etc) and a quality selection of young upstarts hungry to prove their mettle and earn their way ( Samoa Joe, Alex Shelley,etc) Like anything else, changes could be made, additions and deletions, but overall, its a good crew of talent.
That said, with a multitude of "star power", TNA most weeks cannot surpass ECW, WWE's third tier "throw-away" show, on a third level cable natwork (SciFI) in terms of ratings or televsion viewership. QUESTION: Who would the average fan rather see, Olympic champion/WWE champion/Internationally reknown Kurt Angle, or 15 matches on national television/6 months out of developmental/ great teeth/ virtual unknown ECW champion Jack Swagger ? Well, according to the ratings, Swagger wins. But the real questions are- WHY? and HOW?
This past Monday, CM Punk ( a former TNA standout) faced the WWE Inter-Continental title holder William Regal in their third match in as many weeks. This bout, however had the proviso that, if Regal got himself disqualified, as he had in the previous two bouts, he would lose his title. After a careful build up and intriguing storytelling, that involved virtually no interviews or backstage vignettes, Punk snared the title in a fine bout that featured no blood, no weapons, and no gratuitous violence,with his trademark move, The GTS, in a bout that lasted approximately 10 minutes of tv time.
Contrastly, your Thursday program featured a First Blood Match ( 4 participants), A Table match (4 participants), an 4 man Elimination Tag, & a 4 way X Division title match- All that last a grand total of 14 minutes of tv time; A mere 13 hours since the show concluded, I cannot recall one single finish in ANY of the matches! QUESTION: Do fans react better (ie better ratings, louder responses,etc) to a simple yet logical feud that progresses over the course of a few weeks, or to a host a wild "gimmick" matches with no rhyme or reason?
Helpful Tip Time: Everyone likes to stay topical, and wrestling is no exception. Wrestling loves to parody political figures- its been commonplace for 20 years. However, remember two things: 1) theres a finite shelf life for any character that depicts a "real world" person and 2) it usually helps if the person doing the parody actually looks and sounds like the real deal.
That said, this ridiculous obsession with using "SARAH PALIN" on television is not only nonsensical and passe, it also isnt entertaining. If the goal was to get someone who had neither the look or voice to do this "imitation", than it succeeded; but may I ask, What was the point to begin with? Couldnt you have added another minute to each of the above matches instead?
Well, I think I've illustrated enough points to get to my actual "Sales Pitch" ( Tony, I need your help getting this message to JJ)
I would like for TNA to allow me to sit in on one of their "creative meetings" and allow me to present my points and ideas, from a professional point of view; to map out a logical plan that would help them build to a pay per view extravaganza; and help implement format changes to the current tv show to maximize the golden opportunity tv presents to help bring customers to the "turnstiles"
Heres what I ask in return: TNA pays me what would be the equivilent of "undercard" money-and pay for me to fly wherever it is they want me, for 6 months. I am willing to work on the "merit scale"- if what I do increases ratings, live gates, and pay per views, I get a contract. If I dont, and I turn out to be full of shit, you let me go. Its that simple.
I am more than willing to use whatever talent you wish for me to use, provided that said talent cannot block my effort to help TNA's progress.
I cannot emphasize strongly enough how badly I want to see TNA succeed; unfortunately, it will never reach a fraction of its potential without better attention to detail and stronger focus on wrestling, and less on script writing and nonsense.
Sincerely,
Shane Shadows
Thursday, January 22, 2009
" Mr. Personality" retires
Veteran second baseman/clubhouse cancer Jeff Kent hung it up today, in what Fox Sports referred to as "leaving on his own terms", which must be Carny for " no one wanted to sign a 40 yr old second basemen with a history of attitude issues"
Carny-an old "language" that carnival workers and "con men" used to relay information to each other without tipping off their customers that they were exchanging information. It was used heavily in all of professional wrestling for better than 100 years, or at least until these dumbshit backyard wrestlers started "training" themselves and it was lost. But I digress.....
Anyway, almost immediately upon reading the news, my buddy TONY ( who may be the greatest sports mind since Ryan Leaf; happy you got mentioned now? The lawsuit is off now, correct? IDIOT) text me and immediately asked if I felt Kent is HoF worthy.
Looking at his numbers, which, as I said yesterday, is a sometimes a faulty way of determining a players value, he would be in undoubtably. He is the all time leader amongst second basemen in Home Runs (351, total of 377), a lifetime .290 hitter, with 1,518 RBI's ( second all time behind Nap Lajoie) and a .500 career slugging percentage.
He also spoke loudly against the use of performance enhancers, which either a) gives his numbers, in my opinion, much more credibility or b) puts him alongside Rafeal Palmiero in the hypocrite department. Since no credibile evidence exists that its "B", (although Kent has told a few whoppers himself) then I have to go with "A".
Kent also sports amongst the games worst reputations in regard to being a team player, in addition to be the type of guy who would rather climb a tree to tell a lie than stand on the ground and tell the truth ( remember his famous contract issue with the SF Giants, and his famous "washing my truck" injury?) However, anyone who is willing to, in his first spring training with SanFran, basically told Barry Bonds to F$*K himself, cant be all bad, either.
I say he will make it in, but not until his second or third ballot. Honestly, if Ryne Sandberg is in, Kent should be as well.
Gotta Go- and as I depart, allow me to quote one of my heroes, Mr Don Cornelius, as I wish you all "Peace, Love, And....SOUL!"
Carny-an old "language" that carnival workers and "con men" used to relay information to each other without tipping off their customers that they were exchanging information. It was used heavily in all of professional wrestling for better than 100 years, or at least until these dumbshit backyard wrestlers started "training" themselves and it was lost. But I digress.....
Anyway, almost immediately upon reading the news, my buddy TONY ( who may be the greatest sports mind since Ryan Leaf; happy you got mentioned now? The lawsuit is off now, correct? IDIOT) text me and immediately asked if I felt Kent is HoF worthy.
Looking at his numbers, which, as I said yesterday, is a sometimes a faulty way of determining a players value, he would be in undoubtably. He is the all time leader amongst second basemen in Home Runs (351, total of 377), a lifetime .290 hitter, with 1,518 RBI's ( second all time behind Nap Lajoie) and a .500 career slugging percentage.
He also spoke loudly against the use of performance enhancers, which either a) gives his numbers, in my opinion, much more credibility or b) puts him alongside Rafeal Palmiero in the hypocrite department. Since no credibile evidence exists that its "B", (although Kent has told a few whoppers himself) then I have to go with "A".
Kent also sports amongst the games worst reputations in regard to being a team player, in addition to be the type of guy who would rather climb a tree to tell a lie than stand on the ground and tell the truth ( remember his famous contract issue with the SF Giants, and his famous "washing my truck" injury?) However, anyone who is willing to, in his first spring training with SanFran, basically told Barry Bonds to F$*K himself, cant be all bad, either.
I say he will make it in, but not until his second or third ballot. Honestly, if Ryne Sandberg is in, Kent should be as well.
Gotta Go- and as I depart, allow me to quote one of my heroes, Mr Don Cornelius, as I wish you all "Peace, Love, And....SOUL!"
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Welcome to yet another addition of my twisted thoughts and meaningless opinions....so far, feedback has been positive...still in a struggle with the whole "downloading videos" things, but sooner or later, I'll either get it figured out or just give up on it entirely.
I've been thinking alot these past couple of hours about the entire premise of a " Hall of Fame", be it baseball, football, or professional wrestling. There has always been a "Mendoza Line", so to speak, when it comes to baseball players- and the questions are always the same: "did he hit 400 homers" , "did he have a .300 lifetime avg?", "did he win 300 games?" To simply gauge a players worth on strictly the basis of numbers is an totally faulty premise, especially now in the "post steroid" era, where mediocre to good players were made to look like giants due to their use of the gas.
(Gas- slang term for steroids)
As an aside, is it annoying to anyone when I use these "addendums" to define my choice of words? My older kids and Amy have told me maybe I should publish my own book of "Shane-speak" or "Shane-isms". I think they're joking, but sometimes Im not so sure....
Anyway,ever since Jim Rice finally got elected to the Baseball HoF, numerous friends have mentioned several names that they thought are serious candidates for the Hall, and asked my thoughts. Heres a short list, and as always, I'm am looking to inspire conversation and debate; you maybe able to sway my vote!
Bert Byleven, Andre Dawson, Tim Raines, Lee Smith, Rafael Palmiero.
Byleven- I say he should be in. 280+ career wins, 3,000+ strikeouts. I've heard the voters say he was a "compiler" of numbers and didnt make that much of an impact. I say bullshit!
I am also of the opinion that its much easier for a hitter to fudge his numbers over a career than a pitcher. Byleven is an oversight, in my opinion.
Dawson- "The Hawk" was as feared in the NL as Rice was in the AL during a similiar, but slightly longer span. A strong hitter and defender, with good basestealing abilities before his knees turned to shit. I will champion his cause, now that Rice has made it, until he receives induction. Realistically, I should only be tooting this horn until next January- I think he gets in next year.
Raines-I recall as a kid, when alot of baseball fans were kinda swept up in the gust of "Rickey-Mania", that Raines was trumpeted as the "New" Rickey- and for a few seasons, he was somewhat close. A quality player in his own right, no one did him any favors by comparing him to Rickey all those seasons. I also seem to remember his career taking a sour turn when he signed with the White Sox and asked to be referred to as "Rock". Really, the second half of his playing days were less than spectatacular- I say NO.
Smith- The all time Saves leader. A quality feared pitcher coming out of the pen for a series of teams. Not to minimize the importance of Saves, but Im not entirely sure that holding one record automatically makes the holder a HoF shoe-in. I'm not saying I'm against him all together, but right now, That vote would be NO.
Palmiero- I saved the best for last! Heres a guy with all the numbers that scream automatic inclusion- 3,000+hits, 500+ homers, .300 lifetime hitter. Pretty good glover too.
Frankly, I dont really care about the steroid use, by him or any other player; I've always kinda had the opinion that you still have to have the skill to hit the ball. Did it inflate alot of guys numbers? Absoulutely. Should they asteriks beside their records? No. Everything has to be relative to its time and place.
Palmiero, however, is a lying piece of shit! We all should have seen him coming during the Congressional hearings; I mean, this guy claimed that he had NEVER use Viagra, even when he was a Paid Endorser of the product,only to recant when there was a backlash towards his "lying impotence"! Beware of any guy who claims he just "endorsed the product because he heard good things"- Yeah Raffy, and while your at it, take your 3k hits and 500 hrs and brag about them to the next strumpet you pick up a that Salsa Dancing joint you're probably hanging out in, because there no way you belong amongst the elite. NO,NO, and once again NO!
I look forward to hearing similiar and contrasting opinions!
So until next time, to borrow from Murph and The MagicTones, "Don't you Go Changin'"
Thank You- Goodnight!
I've been thinking alot these past couple of hours about the entire premise of a " Hall of Fame", be it baseball, football, or professional wrestling. There has always been a "Mendoza Line", so to speak, when it comes to baseball players- and the questions are always the same: "did he hit 400 homers" , "did he have a .300 lifetime avg?", "did he win 300 games?" To simply gauge a players worth on strictly the basis of numbers is an totally faulty premise, especially now in the "post steroid" era, where mediocre to good players were made to look like giants due to their use of the gas.
(Gas- slang term for steroids)
As an aside, is it annoying to anyone when I use these "addendums" to define my choice of words? My older kids and Amy have told me maybe I should publish my own book of "Shane-speak" or "Shane-isms". I think they're joking, but sometimes Im not so sure....
Anyway,ever since Jim Rice finally got elected to the Baseball HoF, numerous friends have mentioned several names that they thought are serious candidates for the Hall, and asked my thoughts. Heres a short list, and as always, I'm am looking to inspire conversation and debate; you maybe able to sway my vote!
Bert Byleven, Andre Dawson, Tim Raines, Lee Smith, Rafael Palmiero.
Byleven- I say he should be in. 280+ career wins, 3,000+ strikeouts. I've heard the voters say he was a "compiler" of numbers and didnt make that much of an impact. I say bullshit!
I am also of the opinion that its much easier for a hitter to fudge his numbers over a career than a pitcher. Byleven is an oversight, in my opinion.
Dawson- "The Hawk" was as feared in the NL as Rice was in the AL during a similiar, but slightly longer span. A strong hitter and defender, with good basestealing abilities before his knees turned to shit. I will champion his cause, now that Rice has made it, until he receives induction. Realistically, I should only be tooting this horn until next January- I think he gets in next year.
Raines-I recall as a kid, when alot of baseball fans were kinda swept up in the gust of "Rickey-Mania", that Raines was trumpeted as the "New" Rickey- and for a few seasons, he was somewhat close. A quality player in his own right, no one did him any favors by comparing him to Rickey all those seasons. I also seem to remember his career taking a sour turn when he signed with the White Sox and asked to be referred to as "Rock". Really, the second half of his playing days were less than spectatacular- I say NO.
Smith- The all time Saves leader. A quality feared pitcher coming out of the pen for a series of teams. Not to minimize the importance of Saves, but Im not entirely sure that holding one record automatically makes the holder a HoF shoe-in. I'm not saying I'm against him all together, but right now, That vote would be NO.
Palmiero- I saved the best for last! Heres a guy with all the numbers that scream automatic inclusion- 3,000+hits, 500+ homers, .300 lifetime hitter. Pretty good glover too.
Frankly, I dont really care about the steroid use, by him or any other player; I've always kinda had the opinion that you still have to have the skill to hit the ball. Did it inflate alot of guys numbers? Absoulutely. Should they asteriks beside their records? No. Everything has to be relative to its time and place.
Palmiero, however, is a lying piece of shit! We all should have seen him coming during the Congressional hearings; I mean, this guy claimed that he had NEVER use Viagra, even when he was a Paid Endorser of the product,only to recant when there was a backlash towards his "lying impotence"! Beware of any guy who claims he just "endorsed the product because he heard good things"- Yeah Raffy, and while your at it, take your 3k hits and 500 hrs and brag about them to the next strumpet you pick up a that Salsa Dancing joint you're probably hanging out in, because there no way you belong amongst the elite. NO,NO, and once again NO!
I look forward to hearing similiar and contrasting opinions!
So until next time, to borrow from Murph and The MagicTones, "Don't you Go Changin'"
Thank You- Goodnight!
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Varitek Thoughts, VinnieMac Returns~
Let me start off by saying thanks the two of you who commented, and actually had so little to do during your day to actually read the drivel I wrote!
I am so limited on what I can really do on this thing so far, so I have placed a call to Ryan to help teach me how to put youtube videos up on this blog. Once we get over that technological hurdle, this deal should get really fun!
Commentary: Jason Varitek IS the heart and soul of the Boston Red Sox, and despite his downright terrible season at the plate in '08, the brass need to bring him back- I have no faith at the present time in Kotteras or Bard to handle this veteran staff.
Tek looked downright lost at the plate most of last year, but, while a catchers skills erode much more quickly than other poisition players, I don't see any reason why he couldnt get into the .250-.260 range, with about 15 homers. Plus, his "lesser production" may flush itself when hes working everyday with the likes of DiceK, Beckett,Smoltz, et al.
I say 1 year @ 6 million, club option for '10 @ 8 million, with incentives. Honestly, is there a "name" catcher on the market that would mean as much to this team? I think not....
*****************************************************************************
Great to see Vincent Kennedy McMahon return to television after a 6 month furlough- VKM always gets himself back into the thick about this time of year, just to add interest to his product heading into Wrestlemania.....Actually, thats pure crap: Vince puts himself in these positions because it gives him the opportunity, based on the way his corporate business model is laid out, to give himself a HUGE payoff by participating in one the top spots at WrestleMania. In other words, in addition to earning a salary as CEO of a publicly traded company, and grabbing the lions share of the divedends every year, Vince stands to earn an additional 500-800K, based on where the final buyrates come in for the annual super bowl of wrestling, just by participating as a "talent" on the biggest card of the year.
Good to be King, huh?
That being said, I thought there was a tremendous dynamic between Vince and his cocky young "superpunk" star, third generation standout Randy Orton, enough so that the old cliche "boss vs. employee" angle they trot out far too often actually has possibilities.
For the uninitiated, Orton has for the past two years, used what is essentially a "punt" to the head to knock a variety of opponents out of action; Orton used said move on VKM last night, sending him out on a stretcher, with Randy acting throughly startled and stunned that he had done such a thing to his boss, the most famous and powerful wrestling promoter of all time.
The possibilities here are numerous-I personally like the idea of Vince continuing on the show as Co-Gm with daughter Steph, but with his faculties "severely diminished" from The Punt- THAT would likely make for good tv!
***********************************************************************************
Think Im right? Think Im full of shit? Give me your thoughts.....as you can see, I have nothing else to do! lol
Please pass this onto others as well.....it will make me feel important!
Closing Comment: In the words of famous DJ/ Hanna Barbera cartoon voiceman Casey Kasem, "Keep your feet on the ground and keep reachin' for the stars!" ( like that'll help....)
I am so limited on what I can really do on this thing so far, so I have placed a call to Ryan to help teach me how to put youtube videos up on this blog. Once we get over that technological hurdle, this deal should get really fun!
Commentary: Jason Varitek IS the heart and soul of the Boston Red Sox, and despite his downright terrible season at the plate in '08, the brass need to bring him back- I have no faith at the present time in Kotteras or Bard to handle this veteran staff.
Tek looked downright lost at the plate most of last year, but, while a catchers skills erode much more quickly than other poisition players, I don't see any reason why he couldnt get into the .250-.260 range, with about 15 homers. Plus, his "lesser production" may flush itself when hes working everyday with the likes of DiceK, Beckett,Smoltz, et al.
I say 1 year @ 6 million, club option for '10 @ 8 million, with incentives. Honestly, is there a "name" catcher on the market that would mean as much to this team? I think not....
*****************************************************************************
Great to see Vincent Kennedy McMahon return to television after a 6 month furlough- VKM always gets himself back into the thick about this time of year, just to add interest to his product heading into Wrestlemania.....Actually, thats pure crap: Vince puts himself in these positions because it gives him the opportunity, based on the way his corporate business model is laid out, to give himself a HUGE payoff by participating in one the top spots at WrestleMania. In other words, in addition to earning a salary as CEO of a publicly traded company, and grabbing the lions share of the divedends every year, Vince stands to earn an additional 500-800K, based on where the final buyrates come in for the annual super bowl of wrestling, just by participating as a "talent" on the biggest card of the year.
Good to be King, huh?
That being said, I thought there was a tremendous dynamic between Vince and his cocky young "superpunk" star, third generation standout Randy Orton, enough so that the old cliche "boss vs. employee" angle they trot out far too often actually has possibilities.
For the uninitiated, Orton has for the past two years, used what is essentially a "punt" to the head to knock a variety of opponents out of action; Orton used said move on VKM last night, sending him out on a stretcher, with Randy acting throughly startled and stunned that he had done such a thing to his boss, the most famous and powerful wrestling promoter of all time.
The possibilities here are numerous-I personally like the idea of Vince continuing on the show as Co-Gm with daughter Steph, but with his faculties "severely diminished" from The Punt- THAT would likely make for good tv!
***********************************************************************************
Think Im right? Think Im full of shit? Give me your thoughts.....as you can see, I have nothing else to do! lol
Please pass this onto others as well.....it will make me feel important!
Closing Comment: In the words of famous DJ/ Hanna Barbera cartoon voiceman Casey Kasem, "Keep your feet on the ground and keep reachin' for the stars!" ( like that'll help....)
Monday, January 19, 2009
My Thoughts on STARRCADE: THE ESSENTIAL COLLECTION
Purchased the new 3 disc Starrcade set with $30 bucks I found on the floor the other night ( fringe benefits of working as "Bar Security") so I decided to pick up this latest WWE Home Video release.
I havent watched all the bouts ( and likely won't for a few days at least) but as is customary when I purchase WWE DVDs, I immediately watch the documentary portion.
I largely liked what I saw, but one particular thought I had while watching was this: why didnt they cover the background better that lead to the inaugural Starrcade?
For example, Jim Crockett Promotions was a major wrestling promotional office for approximately 55 years (which was mentioned) However, for many years before the name Starrcade was attached to Thanksgiving night (and later Xmas season) the Crockett office promoted highly successful events, some years in as many as 3 different towns.
This information, with newspaper clips and results, are featured on a few websites, most prominently at www.midatlanticgateway.com
If you check out that sight, you will see a fascinating array of not only top name wrestling talent, but a few other "legitimate" sports figures as well-most notably, legendary heavyweight boxing champion "Brown Bomber" Joe Louis appeared almost annually during the late 60s-early 70s as a "special enforcer referee" for one of the circuits top "blowoff" matches.
("blow off"-the culmination of a wrestling feud; think the last 15 minutes of any action film- the "good guys" finally overcoming the "Bad Guys". Usually, the last match between the participants)
I thought adding that backstory alone would have improved the documentary tremendously.....
There was also no mention at all of the wrestling event which actually sparked the "Starrcade" concept- "The Final Battle"- the blow off of a tremendous feud which sold out the Greensboro Coliseum a mere 9 months earlier, when two excellent teams face off with consequences, as Sgt Slaughter & Don Kernodle took on Ricky Steamboat & Jay Youngblood. Inside a steel cage, the Slaughter/Kernodle team put up the World Tag Team titles, and Steamboat/Youngblood put up their team- in other words, if they lost, they could never team again. Its on youtube, and its a classic-by all means watch it.
Match selection: instead of nitpicking the matches, Id rather hear from those of you who are familiar with the matches of Starrcade history, and send me 5 bouts that didnt make the cut.
Heres mine,in no particular order:
1) Ric Flair vs. Dusty Rhodes, '84, Smokin Joe Frazier referees as "1 Million dollars" is on the line
2) Tully Blanchard vs. Ricky Steamboat, NWA Tv Title, '84
3)"Nature Boy" Buddy Landel vs Terry Taylor, National Title, '85
4)Tuxedo Street Fight: "Boogie Woogie Man" Jimmy Valiant & "Miss Atlanta Lively" (Ronnie Garvin in drag) vs. The Midnight Express ( Condrey/Eaton version) '85
5) Ric Flair vs. Ronnie Garvin- NWA World Title- '87
Come up with a few a hit me up- theres tons more Im sure would be worthy as well.
Closing thought: what would you do if you found the "hokey pokey" was really what it was all about?
Thank you- goddnight!
Purchased the new 3 disc Starrcade set with $30 bucks I found on the floor the other night ( fringe benefits of working as "Bar Security") so I decided to pick up this latest WWE Home Video release.
I havent watched all the bouts ( and likely won't for a few days at least) but as is customary when I purchase WWE DVDs, I immediately watch the documentary portion.
I largely liked what I saw, but one particular thought I had while watching was this: why didnt they cover the background better that lead to the inaugural Starrcade?
For example, Jim Crockett Promotions was a major wrestling promotional office for approximately 55 years (which was mentioned) However, for many years before the name Starrcade was attached to Thanksgiving night (and later Xmas season) the Crockett office promoted highly successful events, some years in as many as 3 different towns.
This information, with newspaper clips and results, are featured on a few websites, most prominently at www.midatlanticgateway.com
If you check out that sight, you will see a fascinating array of not only top name wrestling talent, but a few other "legitimate" sports figures as well-most notably, legendary heavyweight boxing champion "Brown Bomber" Joe Louis appeared almost annually during the late 60s-early 70s as a "special enforcer referee" for one of the circuits top "blowoff" matches.
("blow off"-the culmination of a wrestling feud; think the last 15 minutes of any action film- the "good guys" finally overcoming the "Bad Guys". Usually, the last match between the participants)
I thought adding that backstory alone would have improved the documentary tremendously.....
There was also no mention at all of the wrestling event which actually sparked the "Starrcade" concept- "The Final Battle"- the blow off of a tremendous feud which sold out the Greensboro Coliseum a mere 9 months earlier, when two excellent teams face off with consequences, as Sgt Slaughter & Don Kernodle took on Ricky Steamboat & Jay Youngblood. Inside a steel cage, the Slaughter/Kernodle team put up the World Tag Team titles, and Steamboat/Youngblood put up their team- in other words, if they lost, they could never team again. Its on youtube, and its a classic-by all means watch it.
Match selection: instead of nitpicking the matches, Id rather hear from those of you who are familiar with the matches of Starrcade history, and send me 5 bouts that didnt make the cut.
Heres mine,in no particular order:
1) Ric Flair vs. Dusty Rhodes, '84, Smokin Joe Frazier referees as "1 Million dollars" is on the line
2) Tully Blanchard vs. Ricky Steamboat, NWA Tv Title, '84
3)"Nature Boy" Buddy Landel vs Terry Taylor, National Title, '85
4)Tuxedo Street Fight: "Boogie Woogie Man" Jimmy Valiant & "Miss Atlanta Lively" (Ronnie Garvin in drag) vs. The Midnight Express ( Condrey/Eaton version) '85
5) Ric Flair vs. Ronnie Garvin- NWA World Title- '87
Come up with a few a hit me up- theres tons more Im sure would be worthy as well.
Closing thought: what would you do if you found the "hokey pokey" was really what it was all about?
Thank you- goddnight!
Introduction
Hello to anyone reading the meaningless ramblings of a borderline madman! I thought I would try this blogging deal, mainly from the inspiration of my brother Shawn, who I think has done such a nice job on his for the past few years.
Is the check in the mail yet, Shawn? LOL
I am also of the opinion that if there are five people in the world who give a shit what Battlin' Bob says, I have to be good for at least double that! (just teasing Bob, you're one of the funniest guys I've ever met! " Morning. Morning-A@# Hole!
Most of you whom are reading are likely familiar with me enough to know where my passsions lie- professional wrestling and baseball, particularly the Boston Red Sox. I have been involved in the professional wrestling business, as both a wrestler and as a promoter, albeit at the small level for the past 17 years. I have personally participating in nearly 1,000 matches, and have promoted or did the matchmaking for an additional 1,000. So now you know of my "expertise" (if there is such a thing)
I will likely write more about wrestling than anything else here, although once spring training kicks in, I will certainly have alot of thoughts on the upcoming season.
In regards to wrestling, I enjoy hearing the thoughts of anyone who can form an intelligent opinion based on what they personally have seen. I follow the current scene, but love the old days, when it was treated by its followers as a "sport", not "sports entertainment".
In closing, I would like to quote the late Ted Knight, from the book of CaddyShack, when I say, without fear of reprisal, that:
"Its easy to grin, when your ship comes in;
And you got the stock market beat
But the man who's worthwhile, is the man who can smile-
When his shorts are too tight in the seat"
Thank you and good night!
SSS
**********************************************************************
Is the check in the mail yet, Shawn? LOL
I am also of the opinion that if there are five people in the world who give a shit what Battlin' Bob says, I have to be good for at least double that! (just teasing Bob, you're one of the funniest guys I've ever met! " Morning. Morning-A@# Hole!
Most of you whom are reading are likely familiar with me enough to know where my passsions lie- professional wrestling and baseball, particularly the Boston Red Sox. I have been involved in the professional wrestling business, as both a wrestler and as a promoter, albeit at the small level for the past 17 years. I have personally participating in nearly 1,000 matches, and have promoted or did the matchmaking for an additional 1,000. So now you know of my "expertise" (if there is such a thing)
I will likely write more about wrestling than anything else here, although once spring training kicks in, I will certainly have alot of thoughts on the upcoming season.
In regards to wrestling, I enjoy hearing the thoughts of anyone who can form an intelligent opinion based on what they personally have seen. I follow the current scene, but love the old days, when it was treated by its followers as a "sport", not "sports entertainment".
In closing, I would like to quote the late Ted Knight, from the book of CaddyShack, when I say, without fear of reprisal, that:
"Its easy to grin, when your ship comes in;
And you got the stock market beat
But the man who's worthwhile, is the man who can smile-
When his shorts are too tight in the seat"
Thank you and good night!
SSS
**********************************************************************
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