In life, no matter how down you get about yourself...
No matter how bad things seem to be going...
In times when you think it couldn't possibly get worse...
Remember this story...
Today at work, in front of a store filled with people and a bunch of people outside, a customer walked swiftly at top speed into a glass wall.
Yep, you read that correctly. Glass wall. Top speed. Girl's head went "THUNK!" The entire store froze to watch and try not to break out laughing. People outside the store were heard yelling, "It's okay. We won't laugh."
Simply awesome.
Whatcha gonna do with all that thunk... all that thunk inside your trunk...
So, on those days when you feel not so fresh, just remember, "Hey, at least I didn't walk into a glass wall in public today!"
And that's one to grow on.
2008-07-12
2008-07-11
Top Five Friday: Grrrrarrrgh
Really tired. Don't want to write. Can't form complete thoughts.
Top Five Reasons I'm Not Doing Top Five Friday
5. Very tired
4. Feet hurt
3. Eyes are tired
2. Brain is tired
1. Tomorrow will repeat the same
Top Five Reasons I'm Not Doing Top Five Friday
5. Very tired
4. Feet hurt
3. Eyes are tired
2. Brain is tired
1. Tomorrow will repeat the same
2008-07-10
Random Comments About Random News
It's one of those days where I haven't a clue what to write about so I'm going with the cheap route and picking some news stories from the Google Reader thing to the right and sharing my views on them.
LATEST HULK MAY NOT SPAWN SEQUEL
That's disappointing to hear. I figured that it would get lost in the waves between Iron Man and The Dark Knight but it was a solid flick and I'll hold out hope that a Director's Cut DVD with all the extra footage will be such an amazing seller that they have no choice but to greenlight a sequel.
FAVREAU NOW ON BOARD IRON MAN 2
Awesome news. I would have been supremely disappointed in Marvel if they had gone with another director after Favreau absolutely tattooed Iron Man out of the park for them and launched what could be an awesome franchise [or two if you count the Avengers lead-in.] Now all they have to do is figure out if they can really get the movie done by Marvel's already announced 2010 release date. The plot thickens.
ROBERT DOWNEY JR. IS SHERLOCK HOLMES
Speaking of Iron Man, it's amazing how many high profile roles become available to an actor that just rocked the cinematic world in a big picture. It's like Entourage come to life. I bet Robert Downey Jr. could even make Matterhorn watchable.
THE ROBIN DEBATE
So, basically - Christian Bale dropped a comment in a recent bit of press for TDK that he never wants to see Robin appear in a Batman movie again. An easy-to-understand statement after the atrocity that was Robin in Batman Forever and Batman & Robin. When I first read his comment, I agreed wholeheartedly and wondered why anyone would even consider it. And then...
Amazing Batman comic write Jeph Loeb had this to say in response to MTV News:
"Take the time to tell the story properly. There is a story of Dick Grayson and how he becomes Robin that is extremely moving and very helpful.”
In the events of Loeb’s “The Long Halloween,” which preceded “Dark Victory” and served as a partial inspiration for “The Dark Knight,” the main characters are all left alienated and alone, bereft of even a little hope. It’s Robin’s presence that can change that for Bruce, Loeb argues, creating a father/son dynamic that can mirror Wayne’s relationship with his own dad. In short, Robin can teach Bruce how to be more human, Loeb insisted.
“It’s all about building the relationship between Bruce and Dick. Dick hates Bruce. He doesn’t understand why it is that he needs to do this and Bruce doesn’t understand why he’s doing it either because he’s not a parent. He doesn’t know how to be a parent,” Loeb said. “And together, they make each other better people. So that for me would be the next step.”
But for all the fans already crying out in horror just at the thought of it, Loeb isn’t actually talking so much about Robin as he is about Dick Grayson. In fact, the best Robin story might not actually have “Robin” at all.
“I wouldn’t let him become Robin until the third act, if that. I think that’s the other problem when you tell that story is that there’s this rush to put him in a costume by the end of the first 20 minutes and in that case I think it’s a disaster,” Loeb said. “So if you look at ‘Dark Victory’ Tim and I went nine out of twelve chapters before you even started to talk about putting him in a costume and he doesn’t put the costume on until the last chapter of that book.”
Alright, I think I'm sold. You?
LATEST HULK MAY NOT SPAWN SEQUEL
That's disappointing to hear. I figured that it would get lost in the waves between Iron Man and The Dark Knight but it was a solid flick and I'll hold out hope that a Director's Cut DVD with all the extra footage will be such an amazing seller that they have no choice but to greenlight a sequel.
FAVREAU NOW ON BOARD IRON MAN 2
Awesome news. I would have been supremely disappointed in Marvel if they had gone with another director after Favreau absolutely tattooed Iron Man out of the park for them and launched what could be an awesome franchise [or two if you count the Avengers lead-in.] Now all they have to do is figure out if they can really get the movie done by Marvel's already announced 2010 release date. The plot thickens.
ROBERT DOWNEY JR. IS SHERLOCK HOLMES
Speaking of Iron Man, it's amazing how many high profile roles become available to an actor that just rocked the cinematic world in a big picture. It's like Entourage come to life. I bet Robert Downey Jr. could even make Matterhorn watchable.
THE ROBIN DEBATE
So, basically - Christian Bale dropped a comment in a recent bit of press for TDK that he never wants to see Robin appear in a Batman movie again. An easy-to-understand statement after the atrocity that was Robin in Batman Forever and Batman & Robin. When I first read his comment, I agreed wholeheartedly and wondered why anyone would even consider it. And then...
Amazing Batman comic write Jeph Loeb had this to say in response to MTV News:
"Take the time to tell the story properly. There is a story of Dick Grayson and how he becomes Robin that is extremely moving and very helpful.”
In the events of Loeb’s “The Long Halloween,” which preceded “Dark Victory” and served as a partial inspiration for “The Dark Knight,” the main characters are all left alienated and alone, bereft of even a little hope. It’s Robin’s presence that can change that for Bruce, Loeb argues, creating a father/son dynamic that can mirror Wayne’s relationship with his own dad. In short, Robin can teach Bruce how to be more human, Loeb insisted.
“It’s all about building the relationship between Bruce and Dick. Dick hates Bruce. He doesn’t understand why it is that he needs to do this and Bruce doesn’t understand why he’s doing it either because he’s not a parent. He doesn’t know how to be a parent,” Loeb said. “And together, they make each other better people. So that for me would be the next step.”
But for all the fans already crying out in horror just at the thought of it, Loeb isn’t actually talking so much about Robin as he is about Dick Grayson. In fact, the best Robin story might not actually have “Robin” at all.
“I wouldn’t let him become Robin until the third act, if that. I think that’s the other problem when you tell that story is that there’s this rush to put him in a costume by the end of the first 20 minutes and in that case I think it’s a disaster,” Loeb said. “So if you look at ‘Dark Victory’ Tim and I went nine out of twelve chapters before you even started to talk about putting him in a costume and he doesn’t put the costume on until the last chapter of that book.”
Alright, I think I'm sold. You?
2008-07-09
ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED?!
I've made no secret out of the fact that I believe the new American Gladiators sucks much ass. It's a great disappointment to me as I loved the old school series growing up and was greatly anticipating what could have been. But the over-the-topness of it - the music, the lighting, the pyro, the water, the announcing - all have made it "Must Skip TV" for me.
However...
Every once in a while something happens to change my mind.
God bless Gina Carano because this clip is pure television gold from the horrific "pre-event" promo to the awesome locker room shot at the end. Make sure you watch this all the way through to see why I HEART me some Gina.
However...
Every once in a while something happens to change my mind.
God bless Gina Carano because this clip is pure television gold from the horrific "pre-event" promo to the awesome locker room shot at the end. Make sure you watch this all the way through to see why I HEART me some Gina.
2008-07-08
The Dark Knight
BREAKING NEWS!
A clip from the Batman movie just leaked out that might just prove that this franchise has, once and for all, jumped the shark.
Comments are welcome.
A clip from the Batman movie just leaked out that might just prove that this franchise has, once and for all, jumped the shark.
Comments are welcome.
2008-07-07
Where Do We Go From Here?
Forrest Griffin is the UFC Light Heavyweight Champion.
Everybody got that?
Now, with a very close fight just barely in the books, a lot of people will immediately call for a rematch with Rampage for Forrest's first title defense. It makes sense and probably will draw very well. Rampage obviously was not quite the same after those early leg kicks and quite possibly was injured going into the fight. I would have no problem with an immediate rematch for Rampage.
But it's not what I would book.
There's a lot of groundswell building for a Machida title shot. It's getting hard to deny him a shot even though he's boring as hell in the cage. But he keeps beating everyone in his path so at what point do you give in and let him have a shot? Not yet. Forrest doesn't strike me as a good matchup for Machida in an attempt to make an entertaining fight.
So, that's not it either.
A lot of people will say the winner of Rashad Evans and Chuck Liddell should get the next shot. I have absolutely no desire to ever see Rashad Evans fight for a title - but I don't think that'll be a problem. Not that I think it would stop Dana but doesn't it seem odd to give Chuck a title match against someone that Chuck lost to?
That would also seemingly take Wanderlei Silva out of the equation since he lost to Chuck who lost to Rampage.
So... who gets the shot?
Here's my vote...
Winner of Rashad/Chuck gets a match with Rampage. I hate to put poor Wanderlei in a match that might suck but face him off with Machida. Whoever puts on the best showing out of those five gets the New Year's title shot.
So, who does Forrest get?
How about Michael Bisping? Should be a fun, exciting, marketable fight that Forrest would probably win to keep all the possible big matches alive.
Thoughts?
Everybody got that?
Now, with a very close fight just barely in the books, a lot of people will immediately call for a rematch with Rampage for Forrest's first title defense. It makes sense and probably will draw very well. Rampage obviously was not quite the same after those early leg kicks and quite possibly was injured going into the fight. I would have no problem with an immediate rematch for Rampage.
But it's not what I would book.
There's a lot of groundswell building for a Machida title shot. It's getting hard to deny him a shot even though he's boring as hell in the cage. But he keeps beating everyone in his path so at what point do you give in and let him have a shot? Not yet. Forrest doesn't strike me as a good matchup for Machida in an attempt to make an entertaining fight.
So, that's not it either.
A lot of people will say the winner of Rashad Evans and Chuck Liddell should get the next shot. I have absolutely no desire to ever see Rashad Evans fight for a title - but I don't think that'll be a problem. Not that I think it would stop Dana but doesn't it seem odd to give Chuck a title match against someone that Chuck lost to?
That would also seemingly take Wanderlei Silva out of the equation since he lost to Chuck who lost to Rampage.
So... who gets the shot?
Here's my vote...
Winner of Rashad/Chuck gets a match with Rampage. I hate to put poor Wanderlei in a match that might suck but face him off with Machida. Whoever puts on the best showing out of those five gets the New Year's title shot.
So, who does Forrest get?
How about Michael Bisping? Should be a fun, exciting, marketable fight that Forrest would probably win to keep all the possible big matches alive.
Thoughts?
2008-07-06
Almost There
Don't look now but the Dodgers are suddenly just barely out of the top spot in their division despite one of the worst starts I can remember. They're still under .500 but they seem to be coming around a bit lately. They could be on the verge of breaking through.
There still is a lot of health issues to work through. Penny's out til at least the break. Furcal's getting back surgery that could potentially end his season. Nomar and Andruw are fresh off injury rehabs which means we don't know what we can expect out of him. Kuroda's coming off an injury. Lots of questions that need to be worked through and soon.
I'm glad to see they dropped out of the Sabathia race. As much as people think the Dodgers need that losing streak-snapping ace, I don't want to see names like Billingsley and Kemp shipped out for him. I'm okay with a starting rotation of a couple #2 starters and change. Very few teams in baseball have that legitimate ace so that should be the least of their concerns - especially with such an amazing first half performance from the staff.
Right now, it's all offense - clutch offense especially. I think the tools are in place for the most part. It's just a matter of luck and maturation to get over that next hurdle. Personally, I hope Coletti stands pat unless he can make minor upgrades at low costs. I have faith in the core of players they put together to work their shit out and come together.
It looks like it won't take a world-beater to get into the playoffs from the NL West - and once you're in, anything can happen. Just ask the Rockies. Now's the time to make the move though. Keep pushing hard and get over the top.
GO DODGERS!
There still is a lot of health issues to work through. Penny's out til at least the break. Furcal's getting back surgery that could potentially end his season. Nomar and Andruw are fresh off injury rehabs which means we don't know what we can expect out of him. Kuroda's coming off an injury. Lots of questions that need to be worked through and soon.
I'm glad to see they dropped out of the Sabathia race. As much as people think the Dodgers need that losing streak-snapping ace, I don't want to see names like Billingsley and Kemp shipped out for him. I'm okay with a starting rotation of a couple #2 starters and change. Very few teams in baseball have that legitimate ace so that should be the least of their concerns - especially with such an amazing first half performance from the staff.
Right now, it's all offense - clutch offense especially. I think the tools are in place for the most part. It's just a matter of luck and maturation to get over that next hurdle. Personally, I hope Coletti stands pat unless he can make minor upgrades at low costs. I have faith in the core of players they put together to work their shit out and come together.
It looks like it won't take a world-beater to get into the playoffs from the NL West - and once you're in, anything can happen. Just ask the Rockies. Now's the time to make the move though. Keep pushing hard and get over the top.
GO DODGERS!
2008-07-05
Forrest wins! Forrest wins! Forrest wins!
Placeholder beat the clock post
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T
2008-07-04
Top Five Friday: A Patriotic Edition
Ahhh... the 4th of July. The day where Americans gather together with families and friends to celebrate the birth of our nation and the freedoms we enjoy living in the greatest country in the world - as flawed as it may be.
Freedoms, you know?
Like... the freedom to use fireworks in areas where you're not supposed to use fireworks, threatening to start a massive fire because pretty lights make you happy.
Or perhaps the freedom to gorge ourselves on either badly under or overcooked hamburgers and hot dogs to the point of having our stomachs rupture, flooding the world with a sea of partially digested scorched animal flesh.
Here's a good one. The freedom to cheer on our favorite baseball team to victory despite their horrific record while playing in the worst [and most embarrassing] division in the league.
You've gotta love freedom. And you've gotta love America!
No, seriously, you do.
If you don't love America, the terrorists win, dammmit!
In honor of America, I proudly present...
The Top Five Songs Featuring The Word "America" Or "USA" In The Title In My ITunes Library
Honorable Mention: Neil Diamond's "America" - the sole reason it makes this list and probably the sole reason it doesn't make the Top 5 as well is some very vivid memories of a teacher in 4th or 5th grade trying to get us to perform this song at a school program with some fucked up arm gestures to "act out" the song. It was so bad, there was basically a class-wide mutiny which resulted in us getting to play our parents in a softball game instead. Good times.
5. American Girl - Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
This is actually one of my favorite songs but it takes the bottom spot because it's more about the girl than America which was really the point of this whole exercise. It was also featured in Silence Of The Lambs when the Senator's daughter is singing along just before she gets grabbed. I'm not sure if that makes the song cooler or just creepy - you make the call!
4. Living In America - James Brown
The Godfather of Soul outdid himself in his comeback hit that was used as Apollo Creed's entrance music in Rocky IV. Of course - SPOILER ALERT! - Apollo got his melon smashed by Drago just moments later and died in Rocky's arms. But it was still a cool scene and an amazing song. Just all the crazy pomp and circumstance surrounding Apollo's entrance with James Brown himself made that death worthwhile. Besides, Drago got his in the end - JUST LIKE ALL EVIL COMMIE RUSSIANS DO! "And if I can change... and you can change... everybody can change!" Rocky Balboa making the world safer... one evil nation at a time.
3. America - Simon & Garfunkel
I'm not really sure what this song is about actually. Either I'm not deep enough or I've never been stoned enough, not sure. But I do know that the girly from She & Him in Almost Famous used it to explain why she was running away from home. Made sense to me. The song really soothes me actually. I like listening to it in the mornings usually - weekend mornings are even better. It's one of those, "Yeah, this world is cool" songs. Okay, now I sound like I've been stoned enough.
2. Real American - Rick Derringer
Hey! Fuck you! I know you're laughing at me for picking Hulk Hogan's theme song as one of my favorite songs with "America" in the title but come on... seriously... for someone who grew up in the midst of Hulkamania running wild, there was no song that made you feel more patriotic than "Real American." When the Hulkster was squaring off against some big, nasty foe from Russian or Iran or... France... and that music starting pumping and that big, vitamin-takin' genetic beast stormed out in the red and yellow with the American flag waving behind him, you knew America was about to get some payback, daddy!
1. Born In The USA - Bruce Springsteen
I really hate using this as #1 since it's not really a positive song about the United States but... well, I love it. It's funny because the song gets used by so many people trying to sell it as being patriotic [including the aforementioned Hogan before using "Real American"] but it's really a song about a young kid who gets drafted and sent off to fight in Vietnam and the shoddy way he's treated when he comes back home. All flowers, sunshine, and rainbows, huh?
And that's that. Enjoy your holiday, folks!
Freedoms, you know?
Like... the freedom to use fireworks in areas where you're not supposed to use fireworks, threatening to start a massive fire because pretty lights make you happy.
Or perhaps the freedom to gorge ourselves on either badly under or overcooked hamburgers and hot dogs to the point of having our stomachs rupture, flooding the world with a sea of partially digested scorched animal flesh.
Here's a good one. The freedom to cheer on our favorite baseball team to victory despite their horrific record while playing in the worst [and most embarrassing] division in the league.
You've gotta love freedom. And you've gotta love America!
No, seriously, you do.
If you don't love America, the terrorists win, dammmit!
In honor of America, I proudly present...
The Top Five Songs Featuring The Word "America" Or "USA" In The Title In My ITunes Library
Honorable Mention: Neil Diamond's "America" - the sole reason it makes this list and probably the sole reason it doesn't make the Top 5 as well is some very vivid memories of a teacher in 4th or 5th grade trying to get us to perform this song at a school program with some fucked up arm gestures to "act out" the song. It was so bad, there was basically a class-wide mutiny which resulted in us getting to play our parents in a softball game instead. Good times.
5. American Girl - Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
This is actually one of my favorite songs but it takes the bottom spot because it's more about the girl than America which was really the point of this whole exercise. It was also featured in Silence Of The Lambs when the Senator's daughter is singing along just before she gets grabbed. I'm not sure if that makes the song cooler or just creepy - you make the call!
4. Living In America - James Brown
The Godfather of Soul outdid himself in his comeback hit that was used as Apollo Creed's entrance music in Rocky IV. Of course - SPOILER ALERT! - Apollo got his melon smashed by Drago just moments later and died in Rocky's arms. But it was still a cool scene and an amazing song. Just all the crazy pomp and circumstance surrounding Apollo's entrance with James Brown himself made that death worthwhile. Besides, Drago got his in the end - JUST LIKE ALL EVIL COMMIE RUSSIANS DO! "And if I can change... and you can change... everybody can change!" Rocky Balboa making the world safer... one evil nation at a time.
3. America - Simon & Garfunkel
I'm not really sure what this song is about actually. Either I'm not deep enough or I've never been stoned enough, not sure. But I do know that the girly from She & Him in Almost Famous used it to explain why she was running away from home. Made sense to me. The song really soothes me actually. I like listening to it in the mornings usually - weekend mornings are even better. It's one of those, "Yeah, this world is cool" songs. Okay, now I sound like I've been stoned enough.
2. Real American - Rick Derringer
Hey! Fuck you! I know you're laughing at me for picking Hulk Hogan's theme song as one of my favorite songs with "America" in the title but come on... seriously... for someone who grew up in the midst of Hulkamania running wild, there was no song that made you feel more patriotic than "Real American." When the Hulkster was squaring off against some big, nasty foe from Russian or Iran or... France... and that music starting pumping and that big, vitamin-takin' genetic beast stormed out in the red and yellow with the American flag waving behind him, you knew America was about to get some payback, daddy!
1. Born In The USA - Bruce Springsteen
I really hate using this as #1 since it's not really a positive song about the United States but... well, I love it. It's funny because the song gets used by so many people trying to sell it as being patriotic [including the aforementioned Hogan before using "Real American"] but it's really a song about a young kid who gets drafted and sent off to fight in Vietnam and the shoddy way he's treated when he comes back home. All flowers, sunshine, and rainbows, huh?
And that's that. Enjoy your holiday, folks!
2008-07-03
Holy Frakkin' Shit
Just finished Season 3 of Galactica.
Oh. My. God.
Man, that show knows how to do a cliffhanger right. Good grief. I can't believe I have to wait until... man, I don't even know what I have to wait until to see the next part of it. It just finished on TV so DVDs won't be out for... gah, I can't even think about it.
I have Entourage Season 4 sitting on my computer now but I'm having some DVD burner issues and really hate to watch stuff on the computer if I can avoid it.
Next up? Looks like it's going to be Prison Break.
Oh. My. God.
Man, that show knows how to do a cliffhanger right. Good grief. I can't believe I have to wait until... man, I don't even know what I have to wait until to see the next part of it. It just finished on TV so DVDs won't be out for... gah, I can't even think about it.
I have Entourage Season 4 sitting on my computer now but I'm having some DVD burner issues and really hate to watch stuff on the computer if I can avoid it.
Next up? Looks like it's going to be Prison Break.
2008-07-02
RAMPAGE
I don't feel like writing so... in honor of this weekend's UFC show, one of my favorite MMA KOs from one of Saturday's PPV main eventers.
2008-07-01
Times They Are A-Changin'
Four years ago, I went with some friends to Pro Wrestling Guerrilla's One Year Anniversary show called The Reason For The Season. One of the big draws on the show was local superstar Super Dragon's first one on one matchup with a rapidly rising East Coast indy superstar. Everyone was quite excited to see the match between these two and the feeling in the building was quite electric. Myself, a huge Super Dragon fan, decided to give the East Coast invader a little grief during the match by shouting out, "DRAGON'S GONNA FUCK YOU UP!" loud enough that it could be heard in the ring. A few moments later, the East Coaster had Dragon cornered, slapping him around and screaming, "FUCK ME UP, DRAGON! FUCK ME UP!" while glaring in my direction. Awesome. Fan interaction at its finest and one of the reasons I love indy wrestling shows.
Just short of four years later, that East Coast invader walked into Monday Night Raw in Baltimore last night with a briefcase in hand...
...and walked out as the World Heavyweight Champion.
It's always fun to see someone become the top of their profession, especially someone you've been watching and rooting for for a long, long time. So, when I look at the two top promotions in the wrestling industry and see two wrestlers who I've followed for years from the very bottom of the foodchain when they were wrestling in front of a hundred people in a little gym carrying the respective World Titles for their companies, it puts a smile on my face.
Congrats, CM Punk.
Just short of four years later, that East Coast invader walked into Monday Night Raw in Baltimore last night with a briefcase in hand...
...and walked out as the World Heavyweight Champion.
It's always fun to see someone become the top of their profession, especially someone you've been watching and rooting for for a long, long time. So, when I look at the two top promotions in the wrestling industry and see two wrestlers who I've followed for years from the very bottom of the foodchain when they were wrestling in front of a hundred people in a little gym carrying the respective World Titles for their companies, it puts a smile on my face.
Congrats, CM Punk.
2008-06-30
Shaken Not Stirred
Last week during training for my new job, one of the trainers and I were discussing 24 and the subject came up that he and his colleagues often debate the question - James Bond or Jack Bauer.
He went with the argument that Bauer was better because Bond is actually ordering a weak martini when he orders the "shaken not stirred" drink. I, of course, pointed out that President Bartlett made the same statement during an episode of West Wing back in the day which made the trainer scurry about to try to figure out what episode it was in.
I also said Bauer - but my argument was far simpler. He cut off a criminal's head and carried it around in a duffel bag for christ's sake. Not to mention that he bit out a terrorist's jugular.
Annnnyways... he may not be as cool as Jack Bauer but Bond is making a comeback. Check out the new trailer for his next flick, The Quantum Of Solace . Watch it while you can because I'm guessing it'll be gone soon.
He went with the argument that Bauer was better because Bond is actually ordering a weak martini when he orders the "shaken not stirred" drink. I, of course, pointed out that President Bartlett made the same statement during an episode of West Wing back in the day which made the trainer scurry about to try to figure out what episode it was in.
I also said Bauer - but my argument was far simpler. He cut off a criminal's head and carried it around in a duffel bag for christ's sake. Not to mention that he bit out a terrorist's jugular.
Annnnyways... he may not be as cool as Jack Bauer but Bond is making a comeback. Check out the new trailer for his next flick, The Quantum Of Solace . Watch it while you can because I'm guessing it'll be gone soon.
2008-06-29
What A Wonderful World
I work with interesting people.
Most people can't say that, I don't think. Most places I've worked, the people were quite drab... or at least, they played that role very well so that people thought they were "normal."
Here? There's very few that are "normal" - and they're quite proud of that fact. And why shouldn't they be? All corporations these days like to hold up "diversity" as a badge of honor while showing photos of carefully selected employees to represent all the ethnic colors of the rainbow. Odds are, they're probably not even real employees.
Side note - one of my former places of employ once decided that they wanted to put a photo up on the company website to put a human face on the voices that people got when they phoned into our call center. They ended up selecting a rep who was absolutely terrible at her job, had horrific attendance, and was generally someone to be held up as a "what not to do" example. Instead, they plastered her smiling face on the website because they though it would soften our image to have a smiling young lady's photo up. What a wonderfully fucked up world we live in.
Back to the matter at hand...
The next time your company tells you how diverse they are, take a look around you and see if they're full of shit. It's fairly easy to tell - but it'll give you a chuckle nonetheless.
Now the place I work? They can claim diversity with a straight face.
Got tattoos running up and down your arms and neck where everyone can see them? We want you.
Metal appendages hanging from lips, nose, eyebrows, ears, chin, etc? You're right up our alley.
Not white? You'll fit right in.
Not straight? Yep, you too.
Those are just skin-deep examples of diversity though.
Let's keep it real, yo. I work with a Ninja.
I'll give you a sec to let that sink in.
Yep, I work with a Ninja. A legitimate, actual Ninja. Someone who went to China, slept on floors in a dojo, and went through the full training requirements to be declared a legit Ninja.
One more time...
I work with someone who could theoretically put on their resume - Professional Ninja.
You want more?
I work with someone who ate a hissing cockroach to get to the front of the line at an amusement park.
More?
I work with someone whose life goal is to move to China and teach English to kids.
More?
Creativity is in the air - writers, film makers, artists, photographers, musicians. Everyone's got a dream they're chasing.
More?
They like to call me Optimus. Don't ask.
More?
Midgets. 'nuff said.
Ahhhh... midgets, freaks, and ninja, oh my.
I really do hate people - I do... but sometimes, just sometimes... I love the world we live in.
2008-06-28
2008-06-27
Top Five Friday: HULK SMASH!
Man, what the fuck is with me?
It seems like lately if I don't immediately review a book/movie/album/concert, I totally forget about it and never remember to do it. It's been a couple of weeks now since I saw The Incredible Hulk and said I'd review it in a few days. Did it happen? Fuck no.
So, with that in mind... here's the next best thing...
The Top Five Reasons You Should Go See The Incredible Hulk!
NOTE: Please be aware this will contain mild to moderate spoilers so click away if you want to "go in fresh."
5. NO HULKDOGS
This really could fit under a wider umbrella of "It's better than the first one" but that just seems really vague. Considering there's only two things I remember about the first one, I thought I should pick one. The first thing I remember about it was "I didn't really like it." Not much to go with there, huh? The other thing? Fucking Hulkdogs. Well, not literally fucking Hulkdogs although that might have been an interesting subplot. But I'm talking about the gamma ray affected poodles that were angry - and man, you wouldn't like them when they're angry. Suffice to say, there was nothing in The Incredible Hulk that made me cringe and be incredibly pissed that it was in the movie. That's a plus!
4. CGI Hulk
So... I thought it looked better. I mean, it's the Hulk, right? The Hulk's not real. It's not based on anything real. It's going to be incredibly difficult for something that's not based on reality to ACTUALLY LOOK REAL! I was so blown away by people bitching about the movie [either of them] with a "The Hulk looks fake." THE HULK _IS_ FAKE! Geez. These are the same people who make shit like The Pacifier or Air Bud successful, I swear.
3. The Score
It's odd actually because for the most part, I've considered the score of most of the Marvel flicks to be a big weakness. A serious lack of anthemic themes for the major characters sucks. For someone who loves a large part of movie scores, the lack of a major identifiable theme is a serious drawback. And while I don't know if the Hulk had a "Hulk Theme" that blew me off my seat, I really thought the overall score was impressive. The homages to the old TV theme really seemed to add something to it as well as it was something that people could identify with. I look forward to the soundtrack actually being released on iTunes so I can see if I like it as much as I think I did.
2. TONY STARK ALERT!
This one I really don't want to spoil but suffice to say... the path to the Avengers is getting clearer and I'm getting the happy pants just thinking about it.
And the #1 reason to go see The Incredible Hulk...
1. Ed Norton
Easy pick, right? Who wasn't enthused at the announcement that Ed Norton was going to play Bruce Banner? He really knocked it out of the park. A lot of hullabaloo [good word choice!] was made about him not being happy with the finished product. The current rumor is that there's about 40 minutes of footage that was shot that is mostly Banner character development that is sitting on the cutting room floor. Thank god for the invention of the Director's Cut. I'm of the opinion that adding 40 minutes of Norton written character development to the movie could make the race for best comic book movie of the summer a hell of a lot closer.
So, was it better than Iron Man? No.
Will it be better than The Dark Knight? The Magic 8-Ball says "Signs Point To No"
But was it a shitload better than the old Hulk movie and a very worthy member of the Marvel feature film family? Absolutely.
2008-06-26
The Palladium Reborn
Followers of the Los Angeles music scene may be aware that the historic Hollywood Palladium was bought last year by Live Nation who immediately shut it down for renovations. I haven't been to the Palladium in years but as a youth, I was always struck by how nice of a venue it was on the inside - the outside was another story altogether.
But apparently Live Nation has sunk millions into a top-to-bottom renovation that includes everything from the stage, to back-of-house, to the restrooms, etc. I'd like to see the outside get a little sprucing up personally as the Palladium always looked like a shithole from the outside but really blew your mind once you got in.
From the very elaborate staircases going up to the second level to the wood [or woodlike?] floors to the chandeliers, the Palladium was probably the nicest venue I can remember from my early concert days.
I still remember how tight security was at that place with a far-too-friendly search and guards screaming at people for trying to take gum into the building. But I've got a lot of fond memories of shows at that particular venue. It'll be nice to see it up and running at full strength again.
The Palladium is currently scheduled to host The Kooks in October for their re-opening party so that should be a fun night for LA music fans.
But apparently Live Nation has sunk millions into a top-to-bottom renovation that includes everything from the stage, to back-of-house, to the restrooms, etc. I'd like to see the outside get a little sprucing up personally as the Palladium always looked like a shithole from the outside but really blew your mind once you got in.
From the very elaborate staircases going up to the second level to the wood [or woodlike?] floors to the chandeliers, the Palladium was probably the nicest venue I can remember from my early concert days.
I still remember how tight security was at that place with a far-too-friendly search and guards screaming at people for trying to take gum into the building. But I've got a lot of fond memories of shows at that particular venue. It'll be nice to see it up and running at full strength again.
The Palladium is currently scheduled to host The Kooks in October for their re-opening party so that should be a fun night for LA music fans.
2008-06-25
Ya Frakkin' Frakhole
After finishing Season 2/2.5 of Battlestar Galactica tonight, I have to admit, I'm quite surprised by the direction the show went and frankly, the show in general.
In all honesty, I just wanted to watch it because it's a sci-fi show and I'm a quasi-sci-fi junkie. Spaceships? Cool. Killer aliens? Awesome. Hottie killer aliens? Mega-awesome.
But man oh man, did it turn out to be so much more. The show is amazingly well-written and drifts far and beyond your usual sci-fi faire.
Let's see... just some of the topics they've covered in the first two seasons in one way or another...
Abortion.
Political corruption.
Racism.
Religion.
Religious zealotry.
Hate crimes.
Loyalty.
Rape.
Survivalism.
Theocracy.
Justifiable homicide.
Vigilantism.
Military Dictatorship.
Theocracy vs Military Dictatorship.
And there's a ton more that are just escaping my brain at the moment.
Most sci-fi is very clearly written in black and white. The heroes are very obvious - the villains even more so. And BSG tends to follow the same course - but every once in a while they toss in a curveball to make the good guys just not so good and the bad guys maybe not so bad.
Much credit goes out to the writing team for BSG for having the courage and the talent to stray away from the fallbacks of sci-fi and delving a little beyond the surface to create a series that has been absolutely gripping for the first two seasons.
Season Three arrived today from Blockbuster Online [I think] so I'll keep you informed if it rocks my frakkin' ass as much as the first two did.
In all honesty, I just wanted to watch it because it's a sci-fi show and I'm a quasi-sci-fi junkie. Spaceships? Cool. Killer aliens? Awesome. Hottie killer aliens? Mega-awesome.
But man oh man, did it turn out to be so much more. The show is amazingly well-written and drifts far and beyond your usual sci-fi faire.
Let's see... just some of the topics they've covered in the first two seasons in one way or another...
Abortion.
Political corruption.
Racism.
Religion.
Religious zealotry.
Hate crimes.
Loyalty.
Rape.
Survivalism.
Theocracy.
Justifiable homicide.
Vigilantism.
Military Dictatorship.
Theocracy vs Military Dictatorship.
And there's a ton more that are just escaping my brain at the moment.
Most sci-fi is very clearly written in black and white. The heroes are very obvious - the villains even more so. And BSG tends to follow the same course - but every once in a while they toss in a curveball to make the good guys just not so good and the bad guys maybe not so bad.
Much credit goes out to the writing team for BSG for having the courage and the talent to stray away from the fallbacks of sci-fi and delving a little beyond the surface to create a series that has been absolutely gripping for the first two seasons.
Season Three arrived today from Blockbuster Online [I think] so I'll keep you informed if it rocks my frakkin' ass as much as the first two did.
2008-06-24
2008-06-23
Random Randomness
Considering I work late tonight, I thought I should probably give you more of a post today than the Carlin thing. So, some random thoughts on some random news over the past few days.
NEWS: G.I. Joe Movie Gets A Subtitle
REACTION: Well, there's two good things about this. To me, a subtitle means it's a high probability that the studio is thinking "franchise" - and I'm hopeful that means they really like the footage they're seeing and think it's going to be a success. The other good thing? The subtitle is "Rise Of Cobra" - which is exactly the kind of thing I want to hear, baby! This is the first piece of news we've had on this movie in a long while [although I expect that to change next month at Comic-Con] and I think it's good news.
NEWS: UFC Fight Night Was Saturday Night
Yeah, it was. But other than the TUF Finale being another surprising win for Amir, nothing on the show really did much for me. Everything just seemed kinda... there. But I did come away from the show with two pieces of insight - 1] Joe Rogan is a loose cannon out there. Knowing how similar Dana is to Vince McMahon, I gotta think Dana's sitting in the back ready to spit nails when he hears Rogan mention Tito Ortiz and Kimbo Slice on his TV show. He used to do the same thing with Pride. It really is fascinating that Dana lets him get away with it.
Oh, the second thing?
Evan Tanner's beard needs its own reality show as it has reached ungodly levels of awesomeness.
NEWS: It's Been One Year Since The Chris Benoit Situation Went Down
REACTION: It's hard to believe it's been a year already. I still can remember exactly how I found out and how absolutely stunned I was. It started with "Chris Benoit is dead" to "His whole family is dead too" and then developed into what we know now. I often joke about people who claim George Lucas "raped their childhood" but if anything, if anyone has ever come close to doing that to me - it's Chris Benoit. He has completely changed the way that a lot of people look at the business that they loved - hell, he's even caused some people to stop watching all together. But of course, that's not even close to the worst part of the whole situation. There's a special place in hell reserved for Chris Benoit.
NEWS: Dodgers Considering Trading Billingsley And Kemp For Sabathia
REACTION: God help me. Here we go again. After I spent all winter paranoid that Coletti was going to do some huge ill-advised desperation move, he managed to play it safe and stay the course for the most part. Now? The rumors are starting again and this time, I'm even more concerned because many believe Coletti's job may be on the line if he can't salvage this season. Don't do it, Ned! Stay the course! Listen to Logan White!
NEWS: First John McCain For President TV Ad Spotted
REACTION: Eh, it didn't do anything for me. Nothing inspiring. Nothing memorable. Just the same ol', same ol' wrapped up in a different package. But then, of course, I'm probably not the target demo for him. I've never voted Republican before and I'm not likely to start now. But since I was watching Deadliest Catch when it came on, I have to wonder exactly who that ad was aimed at. It's going to be an interesting few months leading up to election.
That's it for me! You guys have been great! Don't forget to tip your waitress!
NEWS: G.I. Joe Movie Gets A Subtitle
REACTION: Well, there's two good things about this. To me, a subtitle means it's a high probability that the studio is thinking "franchise" - and I'm hopeful that means they really like the footage they're seeing and think it's going to be a success. The other good thing? The subtitle is "Rise Of Cobra" - which is exactly the kind of thing I want to hear, baby! This is the first piece of news we've had on this movie in a long while [although I expect that to change next month at Comic-Con] and I think it's good news.
NEWS: UFC Fight Night Was Saturday Night
Yeah, it was. But other than the TUF Finale being another surprising win for Amir, nothing on the show really did much for me. Everything just seemed kinda... there. But I did come away from the show with two pieces of insight - 1] Joe Rogan is a loose cannon out there. Knowing how similar Dana is to Vince McMahon, I gotta think Dana's sitting in the back ready to spit nails when he hears Rogan mention Tito Ortiz and Kimbo Slice on his TV show. He used to do the same thing with Pride. It really is fascinating that Dana lets him get away with it.
Oh, the second thing?
Evan Tanner's beard needs its own reality show as it has reached ungodly levels of awesomeness.
NEWS: It's Been One Year Since The Chris Benoit Situation Went Down
REACTION: It's hard to believe it's been a year already. I still can remember exactly how I found out and how absolutely stunned I was. It started with "Chris Benoit is dead" to "His whole family is dead too" and then developed into what we know now. I often joke about people who claim George Lucas "raped their childhood" but if anything, if anyone has ever come close to doing that to me - it's Chris Benoit. He has completely changed the way that a lot of people look at the business that they loved - hell, he's even caused some people to stop watching all together. But of course, that's not even close to the worst part of the whole situation. There's a special place in hell reserved for Chris Benoit.
NEWS: Dodgers Considering Trading Billingsley And Kemp For Sabathia
REACTION: God help me. Here we go again. After I spent all winter paranoid that Coletti was going to do some huge ill-advised desperation move, he managed to play it safe and stay the course for the most part. Now? The rumors are starting again and this time, I'm even more concerned because many believe Coletti's job may be on the line if he can't salvage this season. Don't do it, Ned! Stay the course! Listen to Logan White!
NEWS: First John McCain For President TV Ad Spotted
REACTION: Eh, it didn't do anything for me. Nothing inspiring. Nothing memorable. Just the same ol', same ol' wrapped up in a different package. But then, of course, I'm probably not the target demo for him. I've never voted Republican before and I'm not likely to start now. But since I was watching Deadliest Catch when it came on, I have to wonder exactly who that ad was aimed at. It's going to be an interesting few months leading up to election.
That's it for me! You guys have been great! Don't forget to tip your waitress!
R.I.P. George Carlin
Like I said during the Winston piece, some amazingly talented and legendary people in their fields are dying these days. It's an odd "trend."
George Carlin was never my favorite comedian. I didn't run around reciting his bits or watching everything of his I could get my eyeballs on. But I did recognize that he was widely considered one of the most brilliant, most controversial comedians to ever take the stage - and you've gotta appreciate that. And I did recognize that whenever I saw him in something... whether it was a standup special I wandered upon or those awesome cameos in Dogma and Jay And Silent Bob Strike Back not to mention how endearing he was in Jerseu Girl... he entertained me, he made me smile and laugh - and I know I appreciated that.
I also said in the Winston piece that it seemed far too frequently you could look at a death and start a story with, "It's weird that he just died because..." Well, I've got one for this one. When I saw this news this morning when I woke up, my stomach sank. Not because I'm some huge megafan of Carlin but... well, during the planning stages for our recent Vegas trip, we were looking at different shows that we might want to attend. Some wanted to do Spamalot, some wanted to do Phantom or the Beatles' Love. I remember seeing that George Carlin was going to be there while we were and pointing it out. But as often happens while on vacation, we got wrapped up in other stuff and didn't end up going. Even while we were there, I saw a billboard promoting his show and said, "Aw damn. I totally forgot he was going to be here this weekend. _That's_ what we should have gone to."
But we didn't - and now we'll never be able to.
R.I.P. George Carlin.
George Carlin was never my favorite comedian. I didn't run around reciting his bits or watching everything of his I could get my eyeballs on. But I did recognize that he was widely considered one of the most brilliant, most controversial comedians to ever take the stage - and you've gotta appreciate that. And I did recognize that whenever I saw him in something... whether it was a standup special I wandered upon or those awesome cameos in Dogma and Jay And Silent Bob Strike Back not to mention how endearing he was in Jerseu Girl... he entertained me, he made me smile and laugh - and I know I appreciated that.
I also said in the Winston piece that it seemed far too frequently you could look at a death and start a story with, "It's weird that he just died because..." Well, I've got one for this one. When I saw this news this morning when I woke up, my stomach sank. Not because I'm some huge megafan of Carlin but... well, during the planning stages for our recent Vegas trip, we were looking at different shows that we might want to attend. Some wanted to do Spamalot, some wanted to do Phantom or the Beatles' Love. I remember seeing that George Carlin was going to be there while we were and pointing it out. But as often happens while on vacation, we got wrapped up in other stuff and didn't end up going. Even while we were there, I saw a billboard promoting his show and said, "Aw damn. I totally forgot he was going to be here this weekend. _That's_ what we should have gone to."
But we didn't - and now we'll never be able to.
R.I.P. George Carlin.
2008-06-22
Training Day Pt 2
This shit's chess, it ain't checkers!
It's a shame that Corporate America isn't kicked back enough to style the training for every job off Training Day.
You get to drink good booze in the morning with a drug dealer.
You smoke some LSD laced weed with your boss on his orders.
Eventually you have to hold a gun on Macy Gray - major perk there
You cap said dealer and get a shitload of cash for it.
You have a gang member ask if you've ever had your shit pushed in.
And in the end, your boss gets shot
It's training day, baby
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T
2008-06-21
Almost Forgot
Being back at work is odd. Cool in a way... but odd.
I got home and finished watching Season One of the UK Office and then wrapped up watching Season 2 of Battlestar Galactica. We started to watch Season 2.5 and then decided to wait.
So, with all that going on, I almost completely forgot to post on here.
I need to go to sleep since Day Two of training is tomorrow so with that in mind...
Do you hear that ringing?
CAUSE I'M PHONIN' IT IN!
Yeah, I'd go see it - and you all know you would too.
I got home and finished watching Season One of the UK Office and then wrapped up watching Season 2 of Battlestar Galactica. We started to watch Season 2.5 and then decided to wait.
So, with all that going on, I almost completely forgot to post on here.
I need to go to sleep since Day Two of training is tomorrow so with that in mind...
Do you hear that ringing?
CAUSE I'M PHONIN' IT IN!
Yeah, I'd go see it - and you all know you would too.
2008-06-20
Top Five Friday: Entourage Guest Spots
With my first day of work in a long, long while tomorrow, I'm not much in the mood for a lengthy post tonight. I wanted something easy and simple.
Earlier this week, we finished watching Season 3 of Entourage - so we're basically caught up until Season 4 emerges on DVD in August. I was rewatching a couple episodes earlier today on On Demand and noted that the show has had some killer cameo/guest spots from celebrities over the past few season.
With that in mind...
The Top Five Entourage Cameo/Guest Spots
NOTE: To qualify, the celebrity had to have been playing themselves so no Rainn Wilson.
5. Gary Busey
You've gotta love a celebrity that knows how to laugh at themselves. Busey knows damn well that everyone thinks he's fucking out of his gourd these days and he apparently relishes in it. How could you not love Busey standing on the sand staring out at the ocean and waxing philosophic to anyone who would listen? Plus the Ari interaction with him? Now _that_ is comedic gold, baby.
4. Seth Green
The wife really wanted me to keep him off the list because she was so annoyed by him during his couple of episodes - especially the Vegas one. But the idea of Seth Green rollin' with his posse, making snide comments at people and having all these big guys with him as backup cracked me up. Besides, it gives me the chance to tell my Seth Green story! Okay, so at Comic-Con a few years ago, we wandered back to the hotel to rest up a bit before the night time programming. As we get over by the elevators, we notice Seth Green chatting up two women. After a bit, he wanders away from them and is replaced by, presumably, his assistant who proceeds to attempt to hook Seth up with a threesome later in the night by telling the lovely ladies what room he's in and what time they can come by. Hollywood, baby... Hollywood.
3. Chuck Liddell
It's not like Chuck set the acting world on fire with his appearance on the show but he did what he does - he looked like a badass who might kick your head off the rest of your body. Hey, Johnny Drama bought it. YOU GOT GOT!
2. Mandy Moore
Shit, do I really need a reason? It's Mandy Moore! Mandy Moore who does cute little Grease-esque duets with Ben Lee on his album. Mandy Moore who was so awesome in American Dreamz. Mandy Moore who plays little clubs in LA like it ain't no thang. Mandy Moore who shows up in the crowd at UFC events. IT'S MANDY MOORE! Who can blame Vince for being lovestruck?
1. BOB SAGET!
I love Bob Saget - not like I love Mandy Moore but I love Bob Saget. Ever since I saw his standup special several months ago, I'm convinced that Bob Saget is a strong contender for the most bizarrely, amazingly awesome career renaissance in history. From making a shitload of cash on Full House and that fucked up Home Video shit to telling dirty jokes about fingering Kimmie Gibler in the ass and appearing on Entourage to smoke weed and fuck hookers. Simply the best.
Earlier this week, we finished watching Season 3 of Entourage - so we're basically caught up until Season 4 emerges on DVD in August. I was rewatching a couple episodes earlier today on On Demand and noted that the show has had some killer cameo/guest spots from celebrities over the past few season.
With that in mind...
The Top Five Entourage Cameo/Guest Spots
NOTE: To qualify, the celebrity had to have been playing themselves so no Rainn Wilson.
5. Gary Busey
You've gotta love a celebrity that knows how to laugh at themselves. Busey knows damn well that everyone thinks he's fucking out of his gourd these days and he apparently relishes in it. How could you not love Busey standing on the sand staring out at the ocean and waxing philosophic to anyone who would listen? Plus the Ari interaction with him? Now _that_ is comedic gold, baby.
4. Seth Green
The wife really wanted me to keep him off the list because she was so annoyed by him during his couple of episodes - especially the Vegas one. But the idea of Seth Green rollin' with his posse, making snide comments at people and having all these big guys with him as backup cracked me up. Besides, it gives me the chance to tell my Seth Green story! Okay, so at Comic-Con a few years ago, we wandered back to the hotel to rest up a bit before the night time programming. As we get over by the elevators, we notice Seth Green chatting up two women. After a bit, he wanders away from them and is replaced by, presumably, his assistant who proceeds to attempt to hook Seth up with a threesome later in the night by telling the lovely ladies what room he's in and what time they can come by. Hollywood, baby... Hollywood.
3. Chuck Liddell
It's not like Chuck set the acting world on fire with his appearance on the show but he did what he does - he looked like a badass who might kick your head off the rest of your body. Hey, Johnny Drama bought it. YOU GOT GOT!
2. Mandy Moore
Shit, do I really need a reason? It's Mandy Moore! Mandy Moore who does cute little Grease-esque duets with Ben Lee on his album. Mandy Moore who was so awesome in American Dreamz. Mandy Moore who plays little clubs in LA like it ain't no thang. Mandy Moore who shows up in the crowd at UFC events. IT'S MANDY MOORE! Who can blame Vince for being lovestruck?
1. BOB SAGET!
I love Bob Saget - not like I love Mandy Moore but I love Bob Saget. Ever since I saw his standup special several months ago, I'm convinced that Bob Saget is a strong contender for the most bizarrely, amazingly awesome career renaissance in history. From making a shitload of cash on Full House and that fucked up Home Video shit to telling dirty jokes about fingering Kimmie Gibler in the ass and appearing on Entourage to smoke weed and fuck hookers. Simply the best.
2008-06-19
I'm Gonna DJ At The End Of The World
A while back, I mentioned how cool I thought the idea of KCRW's Guest DJ Project was. Today, I stumbled upon the fact that they are actually archiving the Guest DJ sets online so I took a moment to listen in.
It's still cool - but not as cool as I had hoped for. I had envisioned John Cusack sitting alone in the studio just playing music and talking about why. But the actuality of it is that he's in the studio being interviewed by a DJ about the music he picked and why he picked it... and in the killer of it all, they're only playing snippets of the music which blows.
Anyways... still a neat idea - just not executed like it should've been. Here's the Cusack set if you want an idea of what it was like.
It's still cool - but not as cool as I had hoped for. I had envisioned John Cusack sitting alone in the studio just playing music and talking about why. But the actuality of it is that he's in the studio being interviewed by a DJ about the music he picked and why he picked it... and in the killer of it all, they're only playing snippets of the music which blows.
Anyways... still a neat idea - just not executed like it should've been. Here's the Cusack set if you want an idea of what it was like.
Random MMA Discussion
At the Wrestling Observer, they had a post where several MMA "experts" discussed a few issues going on in that world at the moment. So, I figured "What a fantastic post idea to steal!"...
...or something like that.
UFC vs Affliction
In case you haven't heard, the UFC decided to put on another free show on Spike. This one will be held on July 19th - the same night, of course, that Affliction is having their debut PPV.
I'm actually of mixed opinion on this. On one hand, it seems like the UFC is getting dangerously close to watering down their own product. It just seems like there's so much UFC on TV now, it's getting a little excessive. You just had a PPV with a shoddy lineup and a very weak main event that you made people drop $40 for and now you're giving out a free show with Anderson Silva? Something's wrong there.
On the other hand, cross-promoting your own show against the competition's has been a long-standing tradition in all sports - especially combat sports. Vince McMahon and Jim Crockett [later Ted Turner/Eric Bischoff] did it to one another to varying degrees of success for years. Affliction is the first promotion that looks like a legitimate threat [talent-wise] to the UFC so why not go for a kill shot before they get going?
Me? I'm still more interested in the Affliction show. Not sure I'm $40 interested but interested nonetheless.
Anderson Silva: 205
Again, if you're unaware, the aforementioned UFC show is going to be headlined by Anderson Silva making his debut in the Light Heavyweight division against James Irvin. Personally, I think this is a bad, bad idea. I understand that the well is running dry for legit Middleweight contenders for Silva to face but you're not having him vacate the Middleweight title so that situation is still unresolved.
I think this is a very risky move. You have a dominant Middleweight Champion that many people tune into to see the wild knockouts. The guy is getting some Mike Tyson-esque buzz. He has gotten so much attention, even the boxing world has taken notice of him. He seems like an opportunity to create a lasting, unique superstar for your promotion.
There was a rumored Silva/Liddell fight for a while. I didn't think that was a good idea either but I liked it better than this. If you do that fight, you promote it as a one-off fight for Silva, testing himself. You draw a MASSIVE buyrate and really don't lose anything no matter the winner. In the Irvin fight, it's a lose-lose situation. If Silva wins, he beat a nobody in the division and proved nothing more than he would have if you'd fed him another Middleweight. If he loses, uh oh... you potentially killed a cash cow.
Honestly, I would have rather seen Silva go the other way, dropping down in weight to take on GSP. Arguably the two best pound for pound fighters in the world going at it? That's a money match too. But maybe they're going to actually let BJ Penn make that challenge now.
Anyways, I usually think Dana is pretty smart with the matches they choose to promote - this isn't one of them.
TUF Finale
Eh. TUF has lost a lot of the magic for me over the past few seasons. At this point, almost none of the fighters do anything to distinguish themselves from the rest. That first season had characters that you could love/hate - hell, I still hate Koscheck and Bobby Southworth to this day when I see them fight. Most of the seasons since then have just been dry in that respect. For a show like this to succeed, not only do the fights need to be interesting - but the people in them need to be interesting too. And lately, they just don't have the kind of characters that you can get behind.
Granted, the two finalists are probably the most interesting. You can get behind Amir because he's inexperienced and looks to be way in over his head. You can rally behind a guy who looks like he should have no chance in hell yet somehow keeps on winning. And CB is a dick. No doubt about that. So, you can root against him.
But there's just something missing. I can't quite put my finger on it but I just don't feel a strong attachment to anyone from this show.
Oh, and last night's show with that jackass getting kicked out of the UFC after the show was over was just ridiculous. Does the UFC realize they don't do themselves any favors when they show these guys get drunk and act like idiots destroying the house every season? The first couple of seasons it was interesting - now it's just embarrassing to watch. There's a reason a lot of people look down on MMA competitors and when the people striving to be the next big MMA star do shit like that, we can see why.
...or something like that.
UFC vs Affliction
In case you haven't heard, the UFC decided to put on another free show on Spike. This one will be held on July 19th - the same night, of course, that Affliction is having their debut PPV.
I'm actually of mixed opinion on this. On one hand, it seems like the UFC is getting dangerously close to watering down their own product. It just seems like there's so much UFC on TV now, it's getting a little excessive. You just had a PPV with a shoddy lineup and a very weak main event that you made people drop $40 for and now you're giving out a free show with Anderson Silva? Something's wrong there.
On the other hand, cross-promoting your own show against the competition's has been a long-standing tradition in all sports - especially combat sports. Vince McMahon and Jim Crockett [later Ted Turner/Eric Bischoff] did it to one another to varying degrees of success for years. Affliction is the first promotion that looks like a legitimate threat [talent-wise] to the UFC so why not go for a kill shot before they get going?
Me? I'm still more interested in the Affliction show. Not sure I'm $40 interested but interested nonetheless.
Anderson Silva: 205
Again, if you're unaware, the aforementioned UFC show is going to be headlined by Anderson Silva making his debut in the Light Heavyweight division against James Irvin. Personally, I think this is a bad, bad idea. I understand that the well is running dry for legit Middleweight contenders for Silva to face but you're not having him vacate the Middleweight title so that situation is still unresolved.
I think this is a very risky move. You have a dominant Middleweight Champion that many people tune into to see the wild knockouts. The guy is getting some Mike Tyson-esque buzz. He has gotten so much attention, even the boxing world has taken notice of him. He seems like an opportunity to create a lasting, unique superstar for your promotion.
There was a rumored Silva/Liddell fight for a while. I didn't think that was a good idea either but I liked it better than this. If you do that fight, you promote it as a one-off fight for Silva, testing himself. You draw a MASSIVE buyrate and really don't lose anything no matter the winner. In the Irvin fight, it's a lose-lose situation. If Silva wins, he beat a nobody in the division and proved nothing more than he would have if you'd fed him another Middleweight. If he loses, uh oh... you potentially killed a cash cow.
Honestly, I would have rather seen Silva go the other way, dropping down in weight to take on GSP. Arguably the two best pound for pound fighters in the world going at it? That's a money match too. But maybe they're going to actually let BJ Penn make that challenge now.
Anyways, I usually think Dana is pretty smart with the matches they choose to promote - this isn't one of them.
TUF Finale
Eh. TUF has lost a lot of the magic for me over the past few seasons. At this point, almost none of the fighters do anything to distinguish themselves from the rest. That first season had characters that you could love/hate - hell, I still hate Koscheck and Bobby Southworth to this day when I see them fight. Most of the seasons since then have just been dry in that respect. For a show like this to succeed, not only do the fights need to be interesting - but the people in them need to be interesting too. And lately, they just don't have the kind of characters that you can get behind.
Granted, the two finalists are probably the most interesting. You can get behind Amir because he's inexperienced and looks to be way in over his head. You can rally behind a guy who looks like he should have no chance in hell yet somehow keeps on winning. And CB is a dick. No doubt about that. So, you can root against him.
But there's just something missing. I can't quite put my finger on it but I just don't feel a strong attachment to anyone from this show.
Oh, and last night's show with that jackass getting kicked out of the UFC after the show was over was just ridiculous. Does the UFC realize they don't do themselves any favors when they show these guys get drunk and act like idiots destroying the house every season? The first couple of seasons it was interesting - now it's just embarrassing to watch. There's a reason a lot of people look down on MMA competitors and when the people striving to be the next big MMA star do shit like that, we can see why.
2008-06-18
A Comment On Comments
Just a quick note...
One of my old posts (Top Five Friday: "Crosstown" Rivals) got picked up by an Angels fan site message board earlier today which caused a surge in traffic and a shower of comments on that post.
First, don't ask me how a month plus old post suddenly got noticed by an Angel fan site but hey, I can believe they've been reading it that long and finally just finished it. [Cheap shot, I know]
Second, I appreciate the comments [most of them] and I'll probably actually respond to them at some point just for giggles. So, keep 'em coming.
Lastly, I approved every comment that came through on the Dodgers/Angels today - even if it was just a total flame. Things like "DODGERS SUCK HAIRY DONKEY DICK!" isn't exactly a piece of great reading but hey... you took the time to write it, I'll let someone else read it if they want.
The exception is the one I just got - the only comment for the day I didn't post. I'm not sure what the commenter was hoping to accomplish but insulting the race and ethnicity of some Dodger fans seems over the line to me so I don't think it merits posting. If you want to re-submit without the racebaiting slurs, more power to ya, pal.
All in all, quite the fun day here at the B-Spot. Keep the love comin', Angel fans.
One of my old posts (Top Five Friday: "Crosstown" Rivals) got picked up by an Angels fan site message board earlier today which caused a surge in traffic and a shower of comments on that post.
First, don't ask me how a month plus old post suddenly got noticed by an Angel fan site but hey, I can believe they've been reading it that long and finally just finished it. [Cheap shot, I know]
Second, I appreciate the comments [most of them] and I'll probably actually respond to them at some point just for giggles. So, keep 'em coming.
Lastly, I approved every comment that came through on the Dodgers/Angels today - even if it was just a total flame. Things like "DODGERS SUCK HAIRY DONKEY DICK!" isn't exactly a piece of great reading but hey... you took the time to write it, I'll let someone else read it if they want.
The exception is the one I just got - the only comment for the day I didn't post. I'm not sure what the commenter was hoping to accomplish but insulting the race and ethnicity of some Dodger fans seems over the line to me so I don't think it merits posting. If you want to re-submit without the racebaiting slurs, more power to ya, pal.
All in all, quite the fun day here at the B-Spot. Keep the love comin', Angel fans.
What Can You Say?
I really don't want to talk about it but I will... once... just because I should wrap up the season. So, this is my final Laker post of the 2007-08 season.
What can you say?
They stunk up the joint. On offense, on defense, on rebounding, on hustle, on... well, pretty much any aspect of the game you can think of. They didn't look sharp. They didn't look hungry. And they didn't look like they wanted it bad enough.
I was furious last night - I won't lie. It was one of the most disappointing series I've ever seen. You can "what if" yourself to death being a sports fan at times but there are a lot of "What ifs" in this series that could've wrapped it up the other way. It didn't - but it could have.
I'm not mad about the loss. I'm disappointed by the loss.
What I'm mad about is the lack of intensity, heart, and pride from the team.
There was a point in Game 5 when I saw a Laker pass get deflected by a diving James Posey and my immediate thought was there were probably three or four players on the Lakers who would even think of doing something like that. That sums up the whole series in a nutshell, I think. They just got outexecuted and outhustled over and over.
I was upset that the Laker stood around all series and watched people drive to the rim freely - and no one ever thought to deliver a hard foul to make the Celtics think twice about it. I was upset that while the Celtics continued to rain down threes, running up the score in garbage time, that no Laker even looked slightly offended by it. I was upset that the Celtics spent about four minutes of the game celebrating on the sidelines, hugging, posing for pictures, throwing Gatorade on the floor, etc... basically everything short of a circle jerk... and no Laker looked upset at all.
There was a serious lack of pride and intensity throughout the series - something the Lakers will need to drastically change if they intend to be back in the Finals next year.
Now, for the good news...
Like my Laker fan brethren who came before me, I can now claim a strong hatred for the Boston Celtics.
I hate Doc Rivers and his "rah rah rah" speeches filled with cliches and statements that mean absolutely nothing. I hate people claiming he's a better coach than Phil Jackson based off six games.
I hate Kevin Garnett and his chest pounding and his screaming at the ceiling like an idiot.
I hate Ray Allen. After all the shit he's talked about Kobe in the past, it makes me sick that he got a ring at our expense.
I hate Paul Pierce and his "I heard a pop" theatrics that made him into some kind of a superhero in the media.
I hate Sam Cassell - always have - and the thought of him getting a ring off of u makes me physically ill.
I could go on but I won't. Suffice to say that if the Lakers are even slightly as pissed as I am at the memory of the entire Celtics team spending half the fourth quarter on the sideline celebrating while the game was still going on, the next time the teams meet should be very interesting.
So, where do the Lakers go from here?
I'm guessing trades will be explored for Vlad, Walton, Odom. I don't think Walton will be movable. Vlad might be a possibility but it'll be tough unless we take someone's bad salary back in exchange. Odom's the big trade chip - big expiring salary, solid player. A lot of teams should be interested in him. Farmar is probably a trading chip as well.
I'm pretty confident that they'll be able to re-sign Sasha and Ronny. Everyone else [Mihm, Mbenga, Newble] is probably gone. Ariza will probably stick as well.
The early chatter is about Ron Artest possibly opting out and pursuing a midlevel deal somewhere. Obviously, the Lakers will be very interested if that happens. James Posey will also be looking for a midlevel deal that I'm sure the Lakers will be interested in after getting burned by him in the Finals.
After seeing their young bench falter in the clutch, you have to imagine they might be looking for some vets to add. Could Robert Horry do one more year in purple and gold?
There's a lot of questions to be answered. It's going to be an interesting few months.
Let me wrap this up by saying that I'm very proud of what the Lakers accomplished this season. Obviously, I'm not happy with the last two weeks but I'm very happy with what happened the rest of the season. When the season started, most people assumed they would barely make the playoffs. Many thought they'd be a lottery team after trading Kove. But they pulled together and won the Western Conference in a shocker.
As Dante Hicks would say, "They weren't even supposed to be there."
So, I'm proud of what they accomplished - I'm disappointed with how it ended.
And that's that.
Did you see that the Dodgers won last night? Second place and climbing!
Ain't no thang, bitches.
You gotta believe, baby. You gotta believe.
What can you say?
They stunk up the joint. On offense, on defense, on rebounding, on hustle, on... well, pretty much any aspect of the game you can think of. They didn't look sharp. They didn't look hungry. And they didn't look like they wanted it bad enough.
I was furious last night - I won't lie. It was one of the most disappointing series I've ever seen. You can "what if" yourself to death being a sports fan at times but there are a lot of "What ifs" in this series that could've wrapped it up the other way. It didn't - but it could have.
I'm not mad about the loss. I'm disappointed by the loss.
What I'm mad about is the lack of intensity, heart, and pride from the team.
There was a point in Game 5 when I saw a Laker pass get deflected by a diving James Posey and my immediate thought was there were probably three or four players on the Lakers who would even think of doing something like that. That sums up the whole series in a nutshell, I think. They just got outexecuted and outhustled over and over.
I was upset that the Laker stood around all series and watched people drive to the rim freely - and no one ever thought to deliver a hard foul to make the Celtics think twice about it. I was upset that while the Celtics continued to rain down threes, running up the score in garbage time, that no Laker even looked slightly offended by it. I was upset that the Celtics spent about four minutes of the game celebrating on the sidelines, hugging, posing for pictures, throwing Gatorade on the floor, etc... basically everything short of a circle jerk... and no Laker looked upset at all.
There was a serious lack of pride and intensity throughout the series - something the Lakers will need to drastically change if they intend to be back in the Finals next year.
Now, for the good news...
Like my Laker fan brethren who came before me, I can now claim a strong hatred for the Boston Celtics.
I hate Doc Rivers and his "rah rah rah" speeches filled with cliches and statements that mean absolutely nothing. I hate people claiming he's a better coach than Phil Jackson based off six games.
I hate Kevin Garnett and his chest pounding and his screaming at the ceiling like an idiot.
I hate Ray Allen. After all the shit he's talked about Kobe in the past, it makes me sick that he got a ring at our expense.
I hate Paul Pierce and his "I heard a pop" theatrics that made him into some kind of a superhero in the media.
I hate Sam Cassell - always have - and the thought of him getting a ring off of u makes me physically ill.
I could go on but I won't. Suffice to say that if the Lakers are even slightly as pissed as I am at the memory of the entire Celtics team spending half the fourth quarter on the sideline celebrating while the game was still going on, the next time the teams meet should be very interesting.
So, where do the Lakers go from here?
I'm guessing trades will be explored for Vlad, Walton, Odom. I don't think Walton will be movable. Vlad might be a possibility but it'll be tough unless we take someone's bad salary back in exchange. Odom's the big trade chip - big expiring salary, solid player. A lot of teams should be interested in him. Farmar is probably a trading chip as well.
I'm pretty confident that they'll be able to re-sign Sasha and Ronny. Everyone else [Mihm, Mbenga, Newble] is probably gone. Ariza will probably stick as well.
The early chatter is about Ron Artest possibly opting out and pursuing a midlevel deal somewhere. Obviously, the Lakers will be very interested if that happens. James Posey will also be looking for a midlevel deal that I'm sure the Lakers will be interested in after getting burned by him in the Finals.
After seeing their young bench falter in the clutch, you have to imagine they might be looking for some vets to add. Could Robert Horry do one more year in purple and gold?
There's a lot of questions to be answered. It's going to be an interesting few months.
Let me wrap this up by saying that I'm very proud of what the Lakers accomplished this season. Obviously, I'm not happy with the last two weeks but I'm very happy with what happened the rest of the season. When the season started, most people assumed they would barely make the playoffs. Many thought they'd be a lottery team after trading Kove. But they pulled together and won the Western Conference in a shocker.
As Dante Hicks would say, "They weren't even supposed to be there."
So, I'm proud of what they accomplished - I'm disappointed with how it ended.
And that's that.
Did you see that the Dodgers won last night? Second place and climbing!
Ain't no thang, bitches.
You gotta believe, baby. You gotta believe.
2008-06-17
And Then There Were Two
The haters want to say we can't get the job done.
The haters want to say there's no way we can win two games in THEIR house to win this thing.
The haters want to say our win on Sunday was "ugly" and "lucky" and that if we play that kind of game in Boston, there's no chance in hell.
Derek Fisher got asked after Game 3 about winning ugly. Fish told the press, "My three championship rings don't list my field goal percentage - they only say World Champion." Let's go out and give him a chance to get one more that says the same thing.
Kevin Garnett said after Game 4 that he could "taste" the championship. The only thing I want KG to taste after tonight is the bitter taste of adrenaline as he realizes they're one game away from losing it all.
They want us to give up. They want our heads hanging low. They want us to believe there's no way we can go into someone else's arena and take two must-wins in a row.
The Lakers won 27 games on the road in the regular season.
Let's take a closer look:
In November, a two game winning streak on the road.
In December, a three game winning streak and a two game winning streak on the road.
In January, a three game winning streak on the road.
In February, a three game winning streak and a SEVEN game winning streak on the road.
In March, a three game winning streak on the road.
In April, a three game winning streak on the road.
Every month of the regular season, the Lakers have faced this simple task time and again and got the job done.
So, again I say... two more wins on the road to win it all?
Ain't no thang, bitches.
You gotta believe, baby. You gotta believe.
The haters want to say there's no way we can win two games in THEIR house to win this thing.
The haters want to say our win on Sunday was "ugly" and "lucky" and that if we play that kind of game in Boston, there's no chance in hell.
Derek Fisher got asked after Game 3 about winning ugly. Fish told the press, "My three championship rings don't list my field goal percentage - they only say World Champion." Let's go out and give him a chance to get one more that says the same thing.
Kevin Garnett said after Game 4 that he could "taste" the championship. The only thing I want KG to taste after tonight is the bitter taste of adrenaline as he realizes they're one game away from losing it all.
They want us to give up. They want our heads hanging low. They want us to believe there's no way we can go into someone else's arena and take two must-wins in a row.
The Lakers won 27 games on the road in the regular season.
Let's take a closer look:
In November, a two game winning streak on the road.
In December, a three game winning streak and a two game winning streak on the road.
In January, a three game winning streak on the road.
In February, a three game winning streak and a SEVEN game winning streak on the road.
In March, a three game winning streak on the road.
In April, a three game winning streak on the road.
Every month of the regular season, the Lakers have faced this simple task time and again and got the job done.
So, again I say... two more wins on the road to win it all?
Ain't no thang, bitches.
You gotta believe, baby. You gotta believe.
2008-06-16
R.I.P Stan Winston
Seems like a lot of celebrity deaths over the past couple months. I just read about this one and it struck me as a really sad occasion.
For those of you unaware, Stan Winston is a cinematic genius.
This is where you generally would post an obit of some kind but "official" obits always strike me as very cold and depressing, especially when you have to stop and wonder how long that particular obit has been on file somewhere for the day when it needed to be used. It's always a little more heartwarming to see true fans remember their heroes, role models, and what not.
From the AICN report on his passing...
The father of the dinosaurs in JURASSIC PARK, of THE TERMINATOR, of PUMPKINHEAD and PREDATOR and the Monsters in MONSTER SQUAD and, of course, ALIENS, has passed on.
The man is a legend and created legends. He himself a God in his own right, sculpting Icons that will be remembered as long as people with imagination deem it prudent to tell stories to an audience.
People can often weave "It's really weird he died today as I was just..." stories about celebrities that pass and so I have one to share today for Mr. Winston.
I went to see Iron Man for the second time this summer on Friday night - and for the second time, I found myself from time to time just staring at the armor in awe. Ever since I heard at Comic-Con last summer that Stan Winston Studios would be working on the armor - that they intended to use a blend of CGI and Winston's own special form of magic - to create the Iron Man armor, I was enthralled. So, yet again, on Friday night, I found myself staring at that armor and wondering just where the power of CGI ended and the magical hand of Stan Winston began.
I had the pleasure of hearing Mr. Winston speak at Comic-Con on at least one occasion in the past. I believe it was during the panel for the original Aliens vs Predator movie. Even when on stage to promote what everyone must have known was going to an abysmal movie, Winston spoke with such enthusiasm in his voice for the work he had put in. He truly was someone who loved his job - and he was someone who excelled at his work like few in life are able to.
There are certainly people in the movie industry that fill your heart with hope when you hear their name. When you hear that Steven Spielberg is attached to a project, you become giddy thinking of what could be. When you hear that John Williams is going to be scoring something, you can imagine the magical music he will create for it. When you hear that WETA or ILM is taking point on visual effects for a movie, you smile at what you're likely to see.
Stan Winston was one of those men - a creator the likes of which we are unlikely to ever experience again in a cinematic world becoming more and more enveloped inside of a computer. Hearing Stan Winston was going to be involved on a project - on any project - made me smile and get a touch of enthusiasm for that project.
And in the end, there's no better compliment I can think of.
Rest in peace, Mr. Winston, and know that your work will live on in the minds of your fans for the rest of their lives as well.
For those of you unaware, Stan Winston is a cinematic genius.
This is where you generally would post an obit of some kind but "official" obits always strike me as very cold and depressing, especially when you have to stop and wonder how long that particular obit has been on file somewhere for the day when it needed to be used. It's always a little more heartwarming to see true fans remember their heroes, role models, and what not.
From the AICN report on his passing...
The father of the dinosaurs in JURASSIC PARK, of THE TERMINATOR, of PUMPKINHEAD and PREDATOR and the Monsters in MONSTER SQUAD and, of course, ALIENS, has passed on.
The man is a legend and created legends. He himself a God in his own right, sculpting Icons that will be remembered as long as people with imagination deem it prudent to tell stories to an audience.
People can often weave "It's really weird he died today as I was just..." stories about celebrities that pass and so I have one to share today for Mr. Winston.
I went to see Iron Man for the second time this summer on Friday night - and for the second time, I found myself from time to time just staring at the armor in awe. Ever since I heard at Comic-Con last summer that Stan Winston Studios would be working on the armor - that they intended to use a blend of CGI and Winston's own special form of magic - to create the Iron Man armor, I was enthralled. So, yet again, on Friday night, I found myself staring at that armor and wondering just where the power of CGI ended and the magical hand of Stan Winston began.
I had the pleasure of hearing Mr. Winston speak at Comic-Con on at least one occasion in the past. I believe it was during the panel for the original Aliens vs Predator movie. Even when on stage to promote what everyone must have known was going to an abysmal movie, Winston spoke with such enthusiasm in his voice for the work he had put in. He truly was someone who loved his job - and he was someone who excelled at his work like few in life are able to.
There are certainly people in the movie industry that fill your heart with hope when you hear their name. When you hear that Steven Spielberg is attached to a project, you become giddy thinking of what could be. When you hear that John Williams is going to be scoring something, you can imagine the magical music he will create for it. When you hear that WETA or ILM is taking point on visual effects for a movie, you smile at what you're likely to see.
Stan Winston was one of those men - a creator the likes of which we are unlikely to ever experience again in a cinematic world becoming more and more enveloped inside of a computer. Hearing Stan Winston was going to be involved on a project - on any project - made me smile and get a touch of enthusiasm for that project.
And in the end, there's no better compliment I can think of.
Rest in peace, Mr. Winston, and know that your work will live on in the minds of your fans for the rest of their lives as well.
2008-06-15
EXC Returns To CBS
On last night's Elite XC show, they announced their return to CBS. There had been a lot of speculation that CBS wanted them on the air in July - a date that many saw as a problem since their big guns (Kimbo and Gina) were not available that soon.
So, on July 26th, EXC returns to CBS with a rematch between Robbie Lawler and Scott Smith for the middleweight title.
To me, this actually creates a fascinating scenario.
Yes, that is probably the best in-cage fight they could manage to put together on short notice and yes, to people who watched the first show, this could potentially be a big draw.
The trick will be to pick up new viewers without the star factor. This will be a test of EXC and CBS' ability to let people know, "Hey, these are the two fighters who actually had a good fight on our first show - you know, the fight where we had a bullshit decision due to an accidental eye gouge? We're going to do it again and you want to see it!"
The fight inside the cage will probably deliver in terms of action - but can it deliver eyeballs?
We shall see.
So, on July 26th, EXC returns to CBS with a rematch between Robbie Lawler and Scott Smith for the middleweight title.
To me, this actually creates a fascinating scenario.
Yes, that is probably the best in-cage fight they could manage to put together on short notice and yes, to people who watched the first show, this could potentially be a big draw.
The trick will be to pick up new viewers without the star factor. This will be a test of EXC and CBS' ability to let people know, "Hey, these are the two fighters who actually had a good fight on our first show - you know, the fight where we had a bullshit decision due to an accidental eye gouge? We're going to do it again and you want to see it!"
The fight inside the cage will probably deliver in terms of action - but can it deliver eyeballs?
We shall see.
2008-06-14
Good Vibes
Saw Hulk today. I'll review it in a couple days but suffice to say, go check it out if you're in the mood for a good popcorn flick.
In the middle of watching the Entourage Season 3 DVD so you don't get much tonight.
For now? It's all about sending positive energies!
Down 3-1?
Ain't no thang, bitches.
You gotta believe, baby. You gotta believe.
One for each win we need, Laker fans.
In the middle of watching the Entourage Season 3 DVD so you don't get much tonight.
For now? It's all about sending positive energies!
Down 3-1?
Ain't no thang, bitches.
You gotta believe, baby. You gotta believe.
One for each win we need, Laker fans.
2008-06-13
Top Five Friday: The "Well, That Sucked" Edition
Well, that sucked.
What else can I say? Maybe I shouldn't have worn the Madsen jersey. But I'm really no that superstitious.
So, uhh... yeah, I don't want to talk about it really. 3-1 is tough but I'll hold out hope. I still believe, dammit. It's hard - but I still believe.
Even though I really don't want to talk about it - well, if I'm gonna plead that I still believe, I have to, right? And here we go...
The Top Five Reasons I Still Believe
5. The Bench
It's been a tough series for the Laker bench. They came into the Finals on top of the world, getting love from all the sportswriters. But they've struggled to get on track during this series - falling off at key times. But I still believe the Lakers' bench is better than the Celtics bench and I believe before this series is over, they're going to come together and prove it.
4. Derek Fisher
Fish was the glue that held the team together all season long. The stabilizing force that kept the kids going in the right direction and kept Kobe from losing his focus to play the offense the way they wanted it played. But Fish has yet to have a standout game in this series as well. I expect that to change before it's over as well.
3. Pau Gasol
I know, I know. Pau has proven himself to be as soft as a fluffy pillow in this series so far. But did the guy really go all those years without getting out of the first round to come so close to winning it all and fall short. I gotta think a big game is still in his body. Something approaching 30/15. It's gotta happen.
2. Phil Jackson
The greatest coach in the history of the game has had two chances to break the record for most championships. You're trying to tell me he'll be denied twice? He's the ultimate motivator - no rah rah speeches like Doc Rivers - but knowing the right buttons to push to make things happen. 0 for 2 in chances to break Red's record? I don't think so.
And the Number One reason...
1. Kobe Bryant
It's easy to say that no team has ever come back from a 3-1 deficit to win the NBA Finals - but none of those teams had Kobe Bryant. It's just something about the man - I refuse to believe he'll go down without the fight of his life. He's the best player in the game who just got embarrassed in Game 4. I don't think he's going out like that. If the Celtics want the title, they may have to kill Kobe to get it.
The experts say it can't be done. No team has ever come back from a 3-1 deficit to win the Finals.
Again, I say...
Ain't no thang, bitches.
The Lakers have had a team come back from a 3-1 on them in the playoffs before. They know what it takes to do it. And the experts will say that was totally different because the Suns had two home games to win three while the Lakers only have one left.
Again, I say...
Ain't no thang, bitches.
Is it gonna be tough to win three in a row, two on the road? Hell yes it will.
But you gotta believe, baby. You gotta believe.
A three-game winning streak at any other time of the season would be treated like nothing. In the Finals, it becomes historic.
One game at a time. One win at a time.
It still only takes three wins.
Three more wins.
You gotta believe.
2008-06-12
Not That I'm Superstitious
I'm not that superstitious when it comes to much in life - but sports seems to bring that side out in me... just a little bit. But I'm really not that superstitious.
Okay, so I decided to post on this blog again just after the pre-game show started - just like I did for Game 3. But I'm really not that superstitious.
Sure, I'm drinking Red Stripe while posting - just like I did for Game 3. But I'm really not that superstitious.
Okay, fine... I did wear my Magic Johnson jersey from Game 1 of the postseason until the first loss, then decided the "juice" was gone, and never wore it again during the playoffs after that. But I'm really not the superstitious.
Yes, it's true that I did wear my Kobe #8 jersey once during these playoffs - saw the Lakers lose while I wore it - and then tossed it in the laundry for the rest of the postseason. But I'm really not that superstitious.
Okay, okay... after going to a Dodger game this year with four other people where the Dodgers lost, I did analyze the past games I went to with those people to try and figure out who the weak link in the chain was. But I'm really not that superstitious.
Yes, I did hear the Laker entrance music ("Right Now" by Van Halen) on a Laker playoff day while driving with my iPod on random and stayed in the car until it was over... just in case. But I'm really not that superstitious.
Well, yeah... I am wearing my Laker Mark Madsen jersey today because I was thinking of wearing it tonight anyways and then happened to read a message board thread today that had a link to Madsen's blog saying he's supporting the Lakers. But I'm really not that superstitious.
Aaarrrrgh. Fine! I am the guy who once wore my Laker jersey UNDER my dress shirt and tie to work on a game day. But I'm REALLY not that superstitious!
But what I am? I'm a believer - and not in that fucked up goofy Smashmouth Shrek way.
I'm a believer who turned on the pregame show and heard them say "No team has ever come back from a 3-0 deficit to win a postseason series. But in the NBA Finals, no team has ever come back from a 3-1 deficit either. So, if the Lakers lose, history is not on their side."
And once again, to that I say...
Ain't no thang, bitches.
You gotta believe, baby. You gotta believe.
Three more wins.
Okay, so I decided to post on this blog again just after the pre-game show started - just like I did for Game 3. But I'm really not that superstitious.
Sure, I'm drinking Red Stripe while posting - just like I did for Game 3. But I'm really not that superstitious.
Okay, fine... I did wear my Magic Johnson jersey from Game 1 of the postseason until the first loss, then decided the "juice" was gone, and never wore it again during the playoffs after that. But I'm really not the superstitious.
Yes, it's true that I did wear my Kobe #8 jersey once during these playoffs - saw the Lakers lose while I wore it - and then tossed it in the laundry for the rest of the postseason. But I'm really not that superstitious.
Okay, okay... after going to a Dodger game this year with four other people where the Dodgers lost, I did analyze the past games I went to with those people to try and figure out who the weak link in the chain was. But I'm really not that superstitious.
Yes, I did hear the Laker entrance music ("Right Now" by Van Halen) on a Laker playoff day while driving with my iPod on random and stayed in the car until it was over... just in case. But I'm really not that superstitious.
Well, yeah... I am wearing my Laker Mark Madsen jersey today because I was thinking of wearing it tonight anyways and then happened to read a message board thread today that had a link to Madsen's blog saying he's supporting the Lakers. But I'm really not that superstitious.
Aaarrrrgh. Fine! I am the guy who once wore my Laker jersey UNDER my dress shirt and tie to work on a game day. But I'm REALLY not that superstitious!
But what I am? I'm a believer - and not in that fucked up goofy Smashmouth Shrek way.
I'm a believer who turned on the pregame show and heard them say "No team has ever come back from a 3-0 deficit to win a postseason series. But in the NBA Finals, no team has ever come back from a 3-1 deficit either. So, if the Lakers lose, history is not on their side."
And once again, to that I say...
Ain't no thang, bitches.
You gotta believe, baby. You gotta believe.
Three more wins.
2008-06-11
Blue's Reviews: R.E.M. @ The Hollywood Bowl - 5-29-08
Yeeesh.
Okay, so I totally forgot to do my review of this until last weekend in Vegas when someone asked me how the show was. I feel bad because I really did mean to do it in the day or two that followed but my brain pulled a total swing and a miss on that one. Alas, the best laid plans of mice and men.
But better late than never, right?
Right!
I have seen a lot of bands perform in the 14 years that I have been attending concerts and as such, I have seen a lot of brilliant front men. I've seen Springsteen, I've seen Vedder, I've seen Grohl, I've seen Ozzy, and so on and so on.
Michael Stipe has the very rare ability as a front man to reach way down deep into his musical soul and touch every single person in the building. And it's not just a voice thing - although his unique voice is still tremendous after all of these years. But it's his raw emotion on stage when he performs. During every moment of every song, Stipe has the uncanny ability to make you feel like he is putting every ounce of himself into that moment. And that's really the best compliment I can give an artist, I believe.
Most reviews of this show will focus on the technical difficulties. This was my first time at the Hollywood Bowl where I really felt there were severe problems with the sound. I have seen a handful of shows at the Bowl over the years and it generally is one of the best sounding venues you will find. But not on this night. The sound was... quiet. The volume was just simply too low. It was low to the point where you could hear clearly annoying conversations going around on all sides. It's so low that on an mp3 of the show that I located, you can hear conversations going on around the taper. It was bad... pure and simple.
And yet, I still managed to enjoy the show. The National was a tremendous opening act, completely living up to all the hype they have been receiving on the Internet over the past few months. I was into their set despite not knowing a single song. In fact, going into the show, I only knew I was curious to see them because they had the good taste to do a Springsteen cover at one point. Now, I think I will buy the album in the near future.
The other opening act on the other hand was Modest Mouse - a band that provoked the wife and I to discuss amongst ourselves [and with others via text message blast] the worst opening acts we had ever been forced to suffer through. Names like Iggy Pop, like Candlebox, like Courtney Love, like Johnny Gill were tossed about. Modest Mouse would be right at the top of that list any day of the week. It was horrid - just plain horrid. Screeching, growly vocals that were grating to the ears and made me long to Van Gogh myself and not have to suffer any more.
But once R.E.M. took the stage, all seemed right with the musical world. It was our third time seeing Stipe and the gang - and each of the three seem to stand out as unique in my mind. The first time was our "first date" and I can still recall moments of that show very vividly despite it being over ten years ago. The second was a rainy night for an outdoor show - made a little unique by Stipe belting out a little "Have You Ever Seen The Rain?" during a brief cloudburst.
The Bowl show is no different with very standout moments still clear in my mind. Take a look at the setlist here and I'll point out a few winners:
Setlist
1. Pretty Persuasion
2. Living Wells The Best Revenge
3. What's The Frequency, Kenneth? - The first song of the night to bring people out of their seats. It was definitely a "KROQ crowd" that responded mostly to the big hits although there were a lot of diehards in the house as well. I haven't really enjoyed this song for years but they somehow managed to make it fresh again, really rocking the crowd hard.
4. Sitting Still
5. Ignoreland
6. Man Sized Wreath
7. Circus Envy
8. Drive - I actually have grown to hate this song over the years but once again, hearing it live really energized it for me. The crowd didn't seem to care much for it but I was really digging it.
9. Accelerate - One of the songs off the new album that I really like. It has a lot of energy behind it and even people who seemed unfamiliar with it looked like they were enjoying it.
10. Hollow Man
11. Fall On Me - Ah, yes. The wife's favorite R.E.M. song which prompted much squealing, leg pounding, and then of course, singalonging from her. I'm not sure we've ever seen them perform this live so, being as it is her favorite, a very special moment for this one.
12. Houston
13. Electrolite - Dedicated to Southern California [of course]. Another highlight of the show. Stipe told a funny little story about how the entire band wanted this on their album and he hated it and wanted it cut out. Just goes to show that even the best front men don't always get it right.
14. Final Straw - I believe this was the song he "dedicated" to George Bush while promoting his vote for Barack Obama [which obviously earns him "street cred" in my world.] Some people complain about musicians slipping politics into their music - I think that's bullshit. Music is an expression of art as much as writing is - how many writers get told to shove their political views and just write? Fuck that. Michael Stipe - you keep telling people to vote Obama in the fall.
15. I've Been High - My personal highlight of the night. He introduced the song by saying flat out that they were still trying to figure out how to play this one. Honestly, never heard the song before that night and it gave me chills. This is one of those songs that you could feel anywhere in the Bowl. They knocked it out of the park and shouldn't change a thing in the arrangement in the future. Much better than the studio version that I've now heard as well.
16. Let Me In
17. Losing My Religion - We discussed after the fact if they really enjoy playing this song anymore. I mean, don't get me wrong, they absolutely rocked the house with this one and had all the KROQers going nuts [we noticed a bunch of people leaving after this one too] but I'm always curious if bands that get superknown for one song grow to resent that song. When Soul Asylum played our college years ago, we all marveled that Runaway Train wasn't on their setlist - but really, would you want to play it either if you had years of material you liked better?
18. Horse To Water
19. Bad Day
20. Walk Unafraid
21. I'm Gonna DJ - This is actually a really weird song that I didn't like the first couple times I heard it but it's growing on me. How can you hate lyrics about wanting to DJ at the rapture? Gold, baby... gold.
Encore
22. Supernatural Superserious
23. The One I Love - One of my favs. Didn't really do much for me though after still being entranced by I've Been High. Seriously, even this far removed, that song was still sticking with me.
24. Until the Day is Done
25. Happy Birthday - Much like the Kate Nash show I reviewed a few weeks ago, this is just one of those little things that people will remember about a show to make it special to them.
26. Man On The Moon - I think I liked it better when they used to close with "It's The End Of The World..." But it'll do, donkey. It'll do.
Match the fantastic music with an amazing set backdrop and it made for one hell of a killer show. Of course, everyone wishes the sound was better but at some point, you gotta get past it and enjoy the show, ya dig?
Anyways... if you get the chance to catch R.E.M. in your town, even if you're not the biggest R.E.M. fan [and I'm not] you should do so. You will not regret it.
To wrap it up, I found a few YouTubes from the show you might enjoy.
What Goes Up Must Come Down
I just did a Google Share of an article I just read about Thiago Alves and Matt Hughes. Of course, as an anti-Hughesite, I was overjoyed to hear that Hughes got the king-sized KTFO [KNOCKED THE FUCK OUT for you uncultured plebians!] But after reading this article, I was even happier. Go check out the article off to your right before going further.
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OKAY! Welcome back!
Interesting stuff, huh?
Well, Mr. Hughes obviously never read The Artful Dodger, the fantabulous autobio from Tommy Lasorda. In that book, Tommy tells one of his fantastic stories oh-so-masterfully. I could never hope to do it justice but I will give it my very best effort from memory.
When Tommy was a child, he worked a string of pretty shitty jobs. One year, he saved all his money from this job in hopes of going to a baseball game. He dreamed and dreamed of it for months. He finally saved enough money and went to the game. He bought a program so he'd know all the players and stood by the players' entrance in hopes of getting autographs [ahhh, memories.]
One player walked by Tommy, a nervous kid with his program gripped in his hand. He shoved the program out, looking for an autograph - and was snubbed. The player just walked right past him, ignoring him the whole time. Tommy was embarrassed and hurt. He saw the number on the player's uniform, checking his program to discover the identity. Right then and there, he swore vengeance like something out of a comic book.
Years later, when Tommy was in the minor leagues, he was on the mound pitching. Over the PA, he hears the next batter introduced and his brain flashes back many a year. The next hitter? Was that same major leaguer that had ignored Tommy as a small child back in the day. While Tommy was working his way up through the minors to the big leagues, this former major leaguer was on the tail-end of his career and was working his way back down through the minors.
Well, considering Tommy's legendary temper, you can imagine what happened next. He played a little sweet chin music to the hitter, making him eat dirt time and time again. Years later, Tommy would tell that story as a lesson to his young players he was managing in the minor league.
The lesson?
Be careful who you're a dick to when you're at the top of the heap because you never know who you'll see again on the way back down.
I think Matt Hughes now understands that lesson all too well.
2008-06-10
It's All About The Swagger
You gotta believe, baby.
The ABC announcer as they come on the air says something like, "If the Lakers want to hang another banner on that wall, they have to do something only two other teams have done in Finals history - come back from a 2-0 deficit."
To that I say...
Ain't no thang, bitches.
You gotta believe, baby. You gotta believe.
It still only takes four more wins.
The ABC announcer as they come on the air says something like, "If the Lakers want to hang another banner on that wall, they have to do something only two other teams have done in Finals history - come back from a 2-0 deficit."
To that I say...
Ain't no thang, bitches.
You gotta believe, baby. You gotta believe.
It still only takes four more wins.
Please Come Back!
It's actually been a long, long while since I've done a wrestling post from the best of my total recall so I thought I'd toss one out here for your reading enjoyment. During the drive to Vegas last week, I was checking out Wrestling Observer on my BlackBerry and discovered that the WWE had re-signed D-Lo Brown. It was a total out-of-nowhere move for them as the last I had heard, he was working as a backstage agent for TNA. There seems to be some debate regarding whether or not his new WWE position will be on or off camera but as someone who always enjoyed D-Lo in the ring and on the mic, I'm hoping for the former.
Yesterday, I saw a column written on another website suggesting ten former WWE competitors who need to make a comeback. The qualifications were that they had to be former WWE superstars and could not be currently under contract to TNA. Simple enough, right? I wasn't much of a fan for their list so in honor of D-Lo Brown's return to the WWE, I decided I would make my own list AND I'd go one step further by fantasy booking their return angle. Nifty, eh?
So, without further adieu and sans any order of importance...
10. Lita
In an age where most of the divas are all cookie cutter and it's easy to forget who is who, Lita stood out above them all. She always had a unique look and had the fans in the palm of her hand when she was with the Hardys. But she really hit her stride when she made the heel turn with Edge, becoming the bitch that everyone loves to hate.
HOW TO BRING HER BACK: The upcoming Edge/Vickie nuptials is the perfect place to launch a Lita comeback. At the "Let them speak now..." moment, Lita emerges from the entrance way. She tells Edge that she's back and they can be together again. Edge is obviously torn between his hot ex and the woman who is doing wonders for his career. You can draw out Edge's decision for a few weeks but he ultimately chooses his career over... well, you get the idea. Lita is pissed and promises to find someone to take the gold off Edge... maybe Matt Hardy? Hrm. Interesting. Instant feud!
9. Bryan Danielson
Yep, I'm stretching the rules a bit on this to include someone who was formerly a WWE employee - through the development system. Since then, Danielson has become the best in-ring performer in the entire business and deserves to be showcased on the biggest stage. Danielson could be the next Bret Hart or the like and is being wasted in front of a 1000 people at most.
HOW TO BRING HIM BACK: You start with a Shawn Michaels enemy - maybe an opportunity for another Marty Jannetty comeback? Let's go with that idea. At some point, HBK needs a tag partner versus some team... let's say Miz and Morrison. Jannetty shows up to be HBK's partner. At the key moment of the match, Jannetty scores the superkick on HBK, allowing Miz and Morrison to win. Jannetty joins up with Miz/Morrison, saying they're the future of the business like the Rockers were once upon a time. HBK challenges Jannetty for a singles match - Jannetty says he's retired but he's got someone that has been waiting years to face HBK. Danielson jumps HBK from behind, breaks him down, uses the elbow strikes to draw blood, etc. Jannetty reveals that Danielson is a former HBK student - a student HBK ignored while Danielson has fought for years to make it to the WWE. And off you go.
8. Jake Roberts
Fresh out of rehab is the time to use Jake - just in case. I hope he stays clean this time but history has not shown that to be likely. All accounts have him as one of the best wrestling minds outside of the ring and we all know just how good he used to be inside the ring. I realize he probably can't pull that off in 2008 but I think it'd be good enough for what I'd want to use him for.
HOW TO BRING HIM BACK: Teddy Long brings Jake into ECW as a favor "for an old friend." The announcers sell that he's fresh out of rehab, fresh off battling his demons again, and looking for one more chance in the spotlight. Jake struggles through his first few months but eventually, the DDT out of nowhere carries him to win after win after win. He earns a spot in a four way match for the ECW Title with Kane, Punk, Jake, and someone else... doesn't really matter who. Punk and the someone else batter Kane throughout the match with Jake just getting in spurts of offense before getting dropped. Punk ends up hitting Kane with G2S to lay him out. The someone else knocks Punk from the ring. Jake staggers up, grabs Kane as he gets up, DDT for the three count. Jake wins the ECW Title for a feel good moment - a moment that gets ruined as an irate Punk batters Jake with the Money In the Bank briefcase to a bloody mess. He cashes in the briefcase and gets the win with the Anaconda Vice. The basic justification for the turn is that as the Straight Edge Superstar, Punk couldn't stand to see an addict like Jake with the title. It launches a big Punk heel turn that should put him where he belongs.
7. Paul Heyman
The fact that Heyman is out of the business and off doing an Internet TV show is a sad statement on the business. And yes, I know it's Heyman's choice but the business is in his blood and the right offer would get him back, I know it would. Let's leave the off-camera Heyman out of it [even though he should still be booking ECW] and stick with on-camera Heyman for this.
HOW TO BRING HIM BACK: This is an easy one. Heyman "invades" ECW, being allowed to "shoot" on Vince about what he's done to his baby. Ultimately, Heyman brings in a new Dangerous Alliance to try to dominate ECW. Nothing big. Just Heyman being Heyman.
6. "Eugene" Nick Dinsmore
For YEARS, all wrestling fans would hear was how great Nick Dinsmore was inside the ring in Ohio Valley. Everyone was stoked when he got the call up to the big time. But all that excitement quickly faded when he was given the gimmmick of Eric Bischoff's "special" nephew. While Dinsmore did the best he could with what he was given, everyone knew the gimmmick would eventually die off and make him impossible to repackage. Unless...
HOW TO BRING HIM BACK: How about as a member of the above-referenced Dangerous Alliance? How better to kick off a "new" ECW than to let one of ECW's old school tactics - the shoot - come back to life? Dinsmore returning as Eugene and then savagely attacking someone is how you start. Once on the mic, he cuts a promo about how he was forced to be someone he wasn't - how his talent was ignored in favor of a cheap laugh, etc. Should be a nice way to reintroduce him. Heyman could use him as an example of everything that is wrong with a Vince run company to turn ECW into the "rogue" promotion again.
5. Teddy Hart
I know, I know. He's fucking loony and you just never know what he'll do. Unfortunately, that's also what makes him one of the most entertaining people in the business. Teddy's got to make it to the WWE at some point - he's GOT to! I demand it! Make his uncle give him a stern talking to - a "one last chance" speech. Put him right on TV and let it fly.
HOW TO BRING HIM BACK: Easy! Make sure Natalya and DH Smith end up on the same show after the draft. Put them both on losing streaks. Then on some random show, make a mixed tag with them - they lose - and Teddy arrives to berate them both for embarrassing the Hart Family name. Your new Hart Foundation is born.
4. Monty Brown
Monty Brown was the WWE's best shot in recent times of recapturing some of the Goldberg/Lesnar feel of a big push off the bat for someone the fans would quickly come to support or fear... or both. But instead, he was turned into Marquis Cor Von, watered down, and turned to just another ECW guy in no time flat. There were still signs of the Alpha Male bubbling underneath but just occasionally. They need to bring him back and let him go full Monty Brown style to have a shot with him.
HOW TO BRING HIM BACK: Nothing fancy. Pretend he's completely new. Don't even acknowledge Marquis Cor Von. Just let him be Monty Brown, squashing jobbers left and right for the first couple months. You gotta let him use the Pounce though and you gotta put him on the mic. It'll work.
3. Tammy "Sunny" Sytch
I can't believe I even have to write this. After Tammy's appearance at the Raw anniversary show looking very Sunny-ish, I thought it was only a matter of time before she was brought back. As long as she's clean and can stay clean, she deserves a lifetime job as the woman who ushered in the new era of Divas.
HOW TO BRING HER BACK: Again, nothing fancy. Let Sunny be Sunny. The manipulative, manchasing, goldchasing woman who will stop at nothing to get what she wants.
2. Muhammad Hassan
There is perhaps no bigger waste of talent in recent memory than this one. Hassan was hugely over as a heel. He was great on the mic. He was passable in the ring. There is no reason that Hassan couldn't have been the next big thing - except for Vince's envelope-pushing booking. It was an angle of bad taste and horrific timing that caused Hassan's fall from grace and it was truly sad to see.
HOW TO BRING HIM BACK: I was going to say "Let Hassan be Hassan" but something funny popped into my head. How about the booking of a "Legends Match" on some PPV? Let's say the Iron Sheik vs Duggan or Slaughter... someone who'll get the USA chants. Duggan or Sarge win, the crowd's going nuts - and out comes Hassan to get payback for the Sheik.
And the final former WWE employee who should return...
1. Daniel Puder
This is a bit of a longshot because I've seen no evidence that Puder is worth a damn in a pro wrestling ring - although Heyman apparently thought he could be a big star when he was booking OVW so that lends a lot of confidence to me to make this pick. Plus, Puder's ROH appearances seemed to get a ton of heat as well. I think it's worth the risk.
HOW TO BRING HIM BACK: To do this effectively, you have to do the one thing that Vince does not like to do - you have to mention someone who left on bad terms. Picture it. On a random Raw or Smackdown, we come back from commercial to see video footage of the Tough Enough contest with Angle and Puder. An announcer doing a voiceover, explains the Kimura - maybe even a telestrator or something to point it out. They explain that Daniel Puder just made an Olympic Gold Medalist tap out. The footage runs on a few more shows, adding some commentary from Puder over it - "I tapped out the golden boy", "they got rid of me to keep him happy", "I've been trying to get back here for years to prove it wasn't a fluke." Finally, Puder returns, probably with an agent or manager [Larry Sweeney perhaps?] and goes on to squash jobbers with submission wins to the Kimura for months.
And that's that. I hope you enjoyed cause it took a long time to write all that!
Yesterday, I saw a column written on another website suggesting ten former WWE competitors who need to make a comeback. The qualifications were that they had to be former WWE superstars and could not be currently under contract to TNA. Simple enough, right? I wasn't much of a fan for their list so in honor of D-Lo Brown's return to the WWE, I decided I would make my own list AND I'd go one step further by fantasy booking their return angle. Nifty, eh?
So, without further adieu and sans any order of importance...
10. Lita
In an age where most of the divas are all cookie cutter and it's easy to forget who is who, Lita stood out above them all. She always had a unique look and had the fans in the palm of her hand when she was with the Hardys. But she really hit her stride when she made the heel turn with Edge, becoming the bitch that everyone loves to hate.
HOW TO BRING HER BACK: The upcoming Edge/Vickie nuptials is the perfect place to launch a Lita comeback. At the "Let them speak now..." moment, Lita emerges from the entrance way. She tells Edge that she's back and they can be together again. Edge is obviously torn between his hot ex and the woman who is doing wonders for his career. You can draw out Edge's decision for a few weeks but he ultimately chooses his career over... well, you get the idea. Lita is pissed and promises to find someone to take the gold off Edge... maybe Matt Hardy? Hrm. Interesting. Instant feud!
9. Bryan Danielson
Yep, I'm stretching the rules a bit on this to include someone who was formerly a WWE employee - through the development system. Since then, Danielson has become the best in-ring performer in the entire business and deserves to be showcased on the biggest stage. Danielson could be the next Bret Hart or the like and is being wasted in front of a 1000 people at most.
HOW TO BRING HIM BACK: You start with a Shawn Michaels enemy - maybe an opportunity for another Marty Jannetty comeback? Let's go with that idea. At some point, HBK needs a tag partner versus some team... let's say Miz and Morrison. Jannetty shows up to be HBK's partner. At the key moment of the match, Jannetty scores the superkick on HBK, allowing Miz and Morrison to win. Jannetty joins up with Miz/Morrison, saying they're the future of the business like the Rockers were once upon a time. HBK challenges Jannetty for a singles match - Jannetty says he's retired but he's got someone that has been waiting years to face HBK. Danielson jumps HBK from behind, breaks him down, uses the elbow strikes to draw blood, etc. Jannetty reveals that Danielson is a former HBK student - a student HBK ignored while Danielson has fought for years to make it to the WWE. And off you go.
8. Jake Roberts
Fresh out of rehab is the time to use Jake - just in case. I hope he stays clean this time but history has not shown that to be likely. All accounts have him as one of the best wrestling minds outside of the ring and we all know just how good he used to be inside the ring. I realize he probably can't pull that off in 2008 but I think it'd be good enough for what I'd want to use him for.
HOW TO BRING HIM BACK: Teddy Long brings Jake into ECW as a favor "for an old friend." The announcers sell that he's fresh out of rehab, fresh off battling his demons again, and looking for one more chance in the spotlight. Jake struggles through his first few months but eventually, the DDT out of nowhere carries him to win after win after win. He earns a spot in a four way match for the ECW Title with Kane, Punk, Jake, and someone else... doesn't really matter who. Punk and the someone else batter Kane throughout the match with Jake just getting in spurts of offense before getting dropped. Punk ends up hitting Kane with G2S to lay him out. The someone else knocks Punk from the ring. Jake staggers up, grabs Kane as he gets up, DDT for the three count. Jake wins the ECW Title for a feel good moment - a moment that gets ruined as an irate Punk batters Jake with the Money In the Bank briefcase to a bloody mess. He cashes in the briefcase and gets the win with the Anaconda Vice. The basic justification for the turn is that as the Straight Edge Superstar, Punk couldn't stand to see an addict like Jake with the title. It launches a big Punk heel turn that should put him where he belongs.
7. Paul Heyman
The fact that Heyman is out of the business and off doing an Internet TV show is a sad statement on the business. And yes, I know it's Heyman's choice but the business is in his blood and the right offer would get him back, I know it would. Let's leave the off-camera Heyman out of it [even though he should still be booking ECW] and stick with on-camera Heyman for this.
HOW TO BRING HIM BACK: This is an easy one. Heyman "invades" ECW, being allowed to "shoot" on Vince about what he's done to his baby. Ultimately, Heyman brings in a new Dangerous Alliance to try to dominate ECW. Nothing big. Just Heyman being Heyman.
6. "Eugene" Nick Dinsmore
For YEARS, all wrestling fans would hear was how great Nick Dinsmore was inside the ring in Ohio Valley. Everyone was stoked when he got the call up to the big time. But all that excitement quickly faded when he was given the gimmmick of Eric Bischoff's "special" nephew. While Dinsmore did the best he could with what he was given, everyone knew the gimmmick would eventually die off and make him impossible to repackage. Unless...
HOW TO BRING HIM BACK: How about as a member of the above-referenced Dangerous Alliance? How better to kick off a "new" ECW than to let one of ECW's old school tactics - the shoot - come back to life? Dinsmore returning as Eugene and then savagely attacking someone is how you start. Once on the mic, he cuts a promo about how he was forced to be someone he wasn't - how his talent was ignored in favor of a cheap laugh, etc. Should be a nice way to reintroduce him. Heyman could use him as an example of everything that is wrong with a Vince run company to turn ECW into the "rogue" promotion again.
5. Teddy Hart
I know, I know. He's fucking loony and you just never know what he'll do. Unfortunately, that's also what makes him one of the most entertaining people in the business. Teddy's got to make it to the WWE at some point - he's GOT to! I demand it! Make his uncle give him a stern talking to - a "one last chance" speech. Put him right on TV and let it fly.
HOW TO BRING HIM BACK: Easy! Make sure Natalya and DH Smith end up on the same show after the draft. Put them both on losing streaks. Then on some random show, make a mixed tag with them - they lose - and Teddy arrives to berate them both for embarrassing the Hart Family name. Your new Hart Foundation is born.
4. Monty Brown
Monty Brown was the WWE's best shot in recent times of recapturing some of the Goldberg/Lesnar feel of a big push off the bat for someone the fans would quickly come to support or fear... or both. But instead, he was turned into Marquis Cor Von, watered down, and turned to just another ECW guy in no time flat. There were still signs of the Alpha Male bubbling underneath but just occasionally. They need to bring him back and let him go full Monty Brown style to have a shot with him.
HOW TO BRING HIM BACK: Nothing fancy. Pretend he's completely new. Don't even acknowledge Marquis Cor Von. Just let him be Monty Brown, squashing jobbers left and right for the first couple months. You gotta let him use the Pounce though and you gotta put him on the mic. It'll work.
3. Tammy "Sunny" Sytch
I can't believe I even have to write this. After Tammy's appearance at the Raw anniversary show looking very Sunny-ish, I thought it was only a matter of time before she was brought back. As long as she's clean and can stay clean, she deserves a lifetime job as the woman who ushered in the new era of Divas.
HOW TO BRING HER BACK: Again, nothing fancy. Let Sunny be Sunny. The manipulative, manchasing, goldchasing woman who will stop at nothing to get what she wants.
2. Muhammad Hassan
There is perhaps no bigger waste of talent in recent memory than this one. Hassan was hugely over as a heel. He was great on the mic. He was passable in the ring. There is no reason that Hassan couldn't have been the next big thing - except for Vince's envelope-pushing booking. It was an angle of bad taste and horrific timing that caused Hassan's fall from grace and it was truly sad to see.
HOW TO BRING HIM BACK: I was going to say "Let Hassan be Hassan" but something funny popped into my head. How about the booking of a "Legends Match" on some PPV? Let's say the Iron Sheik vs Duggan or Slaughter... someone who'll get the USA chants. Duggan or Sarge win, the crowd's going nuts - and out comes Hassan to get payback for the Sheik.
And the final former WWE employee who should return...
1. Daniel Puder
This is a bit of a longshot because I've seen no evidence that Puder is worth a damn in a pro wrestling ring - although Heyman apparently thought he could be a big star when he was booking OVW so that lends a lot of confidence to me to make this pick. Plus, Puder's ROH appearances seemed to get a ton of heat as well. I think it's worth the risk.
HOW TO BRING HIM BACK: To do this effectively, you have to do the one thing that Vince does not like to do - you have to mention someone who left on bad terms. Picture it. On a random Raw or Smackdown, we come back from commercial to see video footage of the Tough Enough contest with Angle and Puder. An announcer doing a voiceover, explains the Kimura - maybe even a telestrator or something to point it out. They explain that Daniel Puder just made an Olympic Gold Medalist tap out. The footage runs on a few more shows, adding some commentary from Puder over it - "I tapped out the golden boy", "they got rid of me to keep him happy", "I've been trying to get back here for years to prove it wasn't a fluke." Finally, Puder returns, probably with an agent or manager [Larry Sweeney perhaps?] and goes on to squash jobbers with submission wins to the Kimura for months.
And that's that. I hope you enjoyed cause it took a long time to write all that!
2008-06-09
The Joys Of TV On DVD
Now, I'm not one of those psychopaths who declare they're not going to watch a series on television until it's on DVD - I am far too sensitive to spoilers to pull that shit off. I'd be paranoid that someone would spoil Season 4 - Episode 16 at any moment and my heart just can't take that shit.
I'm also not one of those people who have grown so frustrated with becoming loyal to a new show and seeing it jerked out from under them that they've decided to not watch any new show until it survives a season and is out on DVD - but I understand that theory a bit more. I'm still disappointed that shows like Journeyman and Wonderfalls got the shaft by their respective bonehead networks.
However, I must say that the arrival of entire seasons of TV episodes on DVD is one of the great progresses made in recent years. I still fondly recall watching Season One of 24 on DVD after getting it for Christmas - and it was just a matter of weeks before we'd burned through every season of 24 out on DVD. A beautiful thing.
Tonight, we finished Season Two of Entourage. Couple that with the recent completion of Season One of Battlestar Galactica and the end of the TV season has barely registered on our radars so far. Season Two of Galactica is probably next as it ended with such a nutty cliffhanger, we're dying to see what happens next.
It's actually kinda interesting to see two very different approaches to storytelling and season structure. Whereas Galactica goes for the big cliffhanger to end Season One, drawing you back in for a second season - Entourage was happy to just light up the screen with relatable characters, witty-as-shit dialogue, and just enough intrigue in the overal story arc to draw you in from episode to episode. However, when the season finale arose, they didn't go for the cliffhanger, opting instead to tie things up nice and neat as both seasons came to a close.
Not saying one method is better than another - just different. Good shit though. I'm digging both shows so far and am eager to see what happens next on both.
I'm also not one of those people who have grown so frustrated with becoming loyal to a new show and seeing it jerked out from under them that they've decided to not watch any new show until it survives a season and is out on DVD - but I understand that theory a bit more. I'm still disappointed that shows like Journeyman and Wonderfalls got the shaft by their respective bonehead networks.
However, I must say that the arrival of entire seasons of TV episodes on DVD is one of the great progresses made in recent years. I still fondly recall watching Season One of 24 on DVD after getting it for Christmas - and it was just a matter of weeks before we'd burned through every season of 24 out on DVD. A beautiful thing.
Tonight, we finished Season Two of Entourage. Couple that with the recent completion of Season One of Battlestar Galactica and the end of the TV season has barely registered on our radars so far. Season Two of Galactica is probably next as it ended with such a nutty cliffhanger, we're dying to see what happens next.
It's actually kinda interesting to see two very different approaches to storytelling and season structure. Whereas Galactica goes for the big cliffhanger to end Season One, drawing you back in for a second season - Entourage was happy to just light up the screen with relatable characters, witty-as-shit dialogue, and just enough intrigue in the overal story arc to draw you in from episode to episode. However, when the season finale arose, they didn't go for the cliffhanger, opting instead to tie things up nice and neat as both seasons came to a close.
Not saying one method is better than another - just different. Good shit though. I'm digging both shows so far and am eager to see what happens next on both.
2008-06-08
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