These four things I know are true…
- The Miz winning the WWE Champion is awesome.
- Jimmie Johnson winning his fifth Cup Championship is historic.
- The return of the McRib is delicious.
- And, I’m Aaron Goins. All my thoughts on those topics and so much more (including sheep and why I hate them)… in The Highlight Reel!
NEWS and NOTES
**There was a time when the Survivor Series was among my favorite nights of the year. I loved the pay-per-view event when it was the special card where “teams of five strive to survive.” What’s funny is that you’d think the brain trust at World Wrestling Entertainment would return the Survivor Series to that style in this era where every PPV must be gimmicked to a point of ridiculousness. But, they don’t and the Survivor Series is only the Survivor Series in name only while the card resembles the previous month’s Bragging Rights card (and by previous month, I mean two weeks earlier).
The 2010 Survivor Series appeared to be nothing special. Randy Orton defeated Wade Barrett to retain the WWE Championship despite rumors running rampant that the company was ready to pull the trigger and put the title on a fresh face. John Cena was fired as a result. Edge and World Heavyweight Champion Kane wrestled to the first-ever tie in wrestling history because some moron ring announcer couldn’t muster the word “draw” out of his pudgy face. Natalya defeated both members of LayCool to win his first Divas Championship in a move that lets me know that Michelle McCool must be needed at home with Old Man Callaway (The Undertaker) instead of speaking volumes about how talented the daughter of the Anvil has been recently.
What? I lost you after saying John Cena was fired and not elaborating? Really, you know that it would be bigger news of John Cena was really fired. Instead, John Cena was “fired” because Vince McMahon has returned to the booking team after his exile to help Linda McMahon blow over $50 million dollars in a failed Congressional bid. Vince saw that the current booking didn’t smell bad enough and threw a steaming pile of his own excrement into the mix with the firing of John Cena. Cena was fired because, for some reason, the leader of Nexus - Wade Barrett has been given the power to fire and hire John Cena. Barrett fired Cena after Survivor Series and now Cena is appearing on RAW with purchased front row tickets and at house shows competing under a mask as Juan Cena. Yes, Juan Cena. Vince’s contribution is a rehash of an angle better seen as The Bullet (Bob Armstrong), The Midnight Rider (Dusty Rhodes), or about 1,000 other adaptations.
There was a time when the Survivor Series was among my favorite nights of the year. After reading about the “highlights” of the 2010 edition, is there still any wonder now why the Survivor Series is not that important to me anymore?
**Jimmie Johnson is now a five-time, five-time, five-time, five-time, FIVE-TIME Cup Series Champion after he capitalized on Denny Hamlin’s choking on the sweet air of success.
Jimmie Johnson finished second in the season finale at Homestead -Miami Speedway behind race winner Carl Edwards. That finish, along with Denny Hamlin finishing in 14th, was more than enough for Jimmie Johnson to lay claim to his fifth consecutive Chase for the Championship victory.
While plenty of haters will continue to disrespect Jimmie Johnson’s championships reigns, the fact of the matter is that Jimmie Johnson is not doing anything wrong to warrant the hatred. Johnson is winning the championships under the Chase format that NASCAR implemented. He isn’t cheating with illegal cars, parts, or any other infractions. He simply knows how to win in the system forced upon him and the other competitors in the Cup Series. NASCAR currently suffers from a “Don’t hate the player. Hate the game” situation. All of the Jimmie Johnson haters and naysayers don’t have grounds for their hatred because Jimmie Johnson has done absolutely nothing wrong. If they don’t like Johnson winning, their hatred should go onto chokers like Denny Hamlin, over-hyped names who can’t win in Cup like Kyle Busch, over-hyped names who can’t win period like Dale Earnhardt, Jr. or, more importantly, onto Mike Helton, Brian France, Bruton Smith, and the other powers-that-be who have made the first 26 races meaningless.
Kevin Harvick is the uncrowned champion in terms of considering the entire season’s worth of work. But, NASCAR doesn’t do that anymore. So, Jimmie Johnson is the five-time champion. Don’t hate the player, hate the game.
**TNA had their final PPV event of 2010 on December 5th with Final Resolution. While the card read like it was another great wrestling event, one story backstage outshined the in-ring efforts of Douglas Williams, AJ Styles, The Motor City Machine Guns, Generation Me, Mickie James, and Tara. The big story surrounded the condition in which TNA World Champion Jeff Hardy showed up in. Known to struggle with drugs, apparently Hardy arrived at the Impact Zone in less-than-stellar shape. Rumored ran abundant that Hardy was going to be stripped of the title, replaced in the main event, executed behind the Impact Zone, etc. What ultimately happened is that Hardy pinned Matt Morgan in the main event and is still TNA World Champion.
I don’t want to justify a drug user. However, Jeff Hardy has shown that his in-ring talents are among the best in the entire industry and he brings viewers and interest to the program. The key thing though is that Jeff Hardy should not be a World Champion. He simply can not handle the pressures. Jeff Hardy’s last run in WWE was marred with drug issues that ultimately, I believe, led Hardy to quit the company. Hardy’s issues have caught up to him in TNA. The late, great Eddie Guerrero struggled with addiction for years. Many say that when he had to carry the company in 2004, Guerrero looked tempted to give drugs another try and so the WWE Championship was moved to John Bradshaw Layfield to save Eddie from relapse. It worked and Eddie’s untimely death was not as a result of an overdose like so many other wrestling tragedies. Jeff Hardy can wrestle and be something truly special to the show without having the pressure of carrying the company on his shoulders. Perhaps, that would be the kind of move needed to keep Jeff Hardy viable in the business and also clean enough to enjoy his life without drug dependency.
**The NFL season has only four weeks remaining in the regular season and the playoff picture is still cluttered as ever. There are plenty of “haves” in the 2010 NFL. However, there are also a lot of “have nots” that still have playoff opportunities in front of them.
First, the good teams. The AFC is loaded with high quality talent. The New England Patriots are sitting at 10-2 atop the conference and the AFC East. Pittsburgh leads the AFC North at 9-3 while Kansas City (8-4) and Jacksonville (7-5) are surprisingly leading their divisions. The New York Jets (9-3) and Baltimore Ravens (8-4) seemingly have the Wild Card spots locked up (if they don’t still win their respective divisions). Meanwhile in the NFC, the Atlanta Falcons are sitting at 10-2 atop the conference and the NFC South while the Chicago Bears are leading the NFC North with a surprising 9-3 record. Plus, the Philadelphia Eagles (8-4) own the tiebreaker over the New York Giants (also 8-4) in the NFC East. Also, the New Orleans Saints (9-3), Green Bay Parkers (8-4) and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-5) are in the fight for a Wild Card spot.
The sad reality with the 2010 NFL playoff picture is that, a least in the NFC, one mediocre team is going to host a first round match when the winner of the NFC West (currently the 6-6 St. Louis Rams) host a much-better Wild Card entry. The Seattle Seahawks (also at 6-6) have a chance at winning that division. Meanwhile in the AFC, while Kansas City owns a two-game lead over the Oakland Raiders and San Diego Chargers (both 6-6), the realization that it is the Chiefs leads everyone to know that division is far from over. Also, the Jaguars only have a one-game lead in the AFC South over the 6-6 Indianapolis Colts and Indianapolis can never be counted out with Peyton Manning at the helm.
With still a month of NFL action to go before the postseason, the playoff picture is filled with congestion at the top of the mountain and at the middle of the pack. Any predictions made right now would look about as bad as my predictions at the start of the year (and we all know how bad they can be). One thing is safe to say though: the Carolina Panthers will end up as the worst team in the league for 2010. Thanks, John Fox and don’t let the door hit ya where the good Lord split ya.
**There was a time when winning the King of the Ring tournament meant that your star was about to be on the rise in World Wrestling Entertainment. With the return of the tournament on November 29th, I expected a new star to be established. Instead, two-time WWE Champion (and Triple H’s workout buddy) Sheamus added another accolade to his 2010 résumé. The field was loaded with guys who could have benefited from a King of the Ring rub: John Morrison, Alberto Del Rio, Drew McIntyre, Kofi Kingston, Daniel Bryan, or Cody Rhodes. But, instead, the two-time former World Champion was given the rub. While Sheamus has seen his star diminished with losses to Randy Orton, John Cena, and even Santino Marella, the reality is that Sheamus is still a main event talent who has already broken through the proverbial glass ceiling. With King of the Ring now gone, another opportunity for WWE to build another young star has also gone without a star being born.
**One of the major complaints a lot of wrestling fans love to make is that storylines happen way too quickly in today’s wrestling. In the days before a pay-per-view event every three weeks, storylines culminated at pay-per-view events that happened once every three-four months. In some instances, feuds would last for nine months to a year without anyone crying “boring” as people actually loved the great storytelling involved in professional wrestling’s heyday. Now, it is a miracle to have a good storyline last longer than two months.
So, when there is a lengthy storyline with a lot of twists, turns, and interesting moments than justify its longevity, I can’t help but find myself giving a finger wag of shame towards the fans who fail to recognize that what they are yearning to see if happening right before their eyes. Case in point: the struggle for control of TNA Wrestling between Dixie Carter and the TNA talent vs. Hulk Hogan, Eric Bischoff, and the heels of Immortal. This storyline has been going on since the summer with no end in sight. Many of the marquee players are currently “banished” from TNA or have left (not returning under a mask as Kurtis Angle, El Sting, or Down Goes La Nash). Young stars like Samoa Joe, DeAngelo Dinero, Matt Morgan, Douglas Williams, and Ken Anderson are continuing the fight while Kurt Angle, Sting, and Kevin Nash are set to return in the next few months. This angle is layered with lots of the great storytelling and in-ring confrontations that fans have been yearning for. Sadly, because Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff are involved and it is in TNA, many are ignoring it because of preconceived notions about the company.
It is the ignorance of the majority of today’s wrestling fan that is killing the business. Besides believing that professional wrestling should consist of three minute matches and 12 title changes a week per the Attitude Era, they also seem to believe that anything with Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff is “WCW all over again.” Their blind allegiance either to Vince McMahon and WWE or blind hatred of Hogan, Bischoff, and booking staff member Vince Russo is costing the industry because of their refusal to give TNA Wrestling a chance. I was once guilty of this and now encourage others to not make the same mistake I did. Competition is the only thing that will ultimately get WWE in better shape. But, until fans give TNA the support they deserve to become a viable competitor, wrestling as a whole will just continue to deteriorate.
**Another college football season has concluded with another bowl season upon us. Sadly, once again, there appears to be no sign of a college football playoff system coming at all. While there are 35 college bowls this season, only a handful are actually worth watching and of importance in any manner. Here are my thoughts on the games that count and are must-see for anybody who is a fan of college football.
In the non-BCS games, I really am only interested in three bowl games. Sorry Little Caesars Pizza Bowl, you are not one of them. I am interested in the December 22nd Maaco Bowl from Las Vegas because of the match-up: #11 Boise State vs. #19 Utah. Both teams were non-big conference teams in the top five until one loss dropped them completely off the grid this season. After the season Butch Davis has had, I’m interested in seeing if the beleaguered North Carolina Tar Heels will be able to defeat Tennessee in the Music City Bowl on December 30th from Nashville. The Citrus Bowl from Orlando on New Year’s Day between #9 Michigan State and #16 Alabama should also be a tremendous game.
As for the BCS games, all eyes are on the National Championship Game between the #1 ranked Auburn Tigers and the #2 ranked Oregon Ducks. Newton vs. James. SEC vs. Pac-10. This game has the potential to be an offensive masterpiece and my only real complaint with it is that the game isn’t taking place until January 10th. In the other BCS bowls, I think New Year’s Day’s Rose Bowl match-up between #3 TCU and #5 Wisconsin has potential to be tremendous and January 4th’s Sugar Bowl between #6 Ohio State and #8 Arkansas could go right down to the wire.
The National Championship Game is going to be between the right two teams this season without a doubt. But, I still wish that there was a glimmer of hope out there that we could see a college football playoff system in place before the end of my lifetime. Sadly, I think I could live to 125 and there still won’t be a college football playoff. Another failed promise from President Barack Obama.
**The last few weeks have been magically because of the return of a delicious treat available for a limited time only. Yes, my friends, it has been a return to flavor country with the return of the McRib. McDonald’s reintroduced the McRib to the menu for a limited time only in early November. As the days pass, the window to have one is closing with every passing minute. I encourage everyone to stop reading now and flock to your local golden arch adorned establishment to reintroduce yourself to a long-lost friend before it is too late for who knows when the McRib will return again.
**Adding another seven names to professional wrestling’s unemployment line, WWE made some “budget cuts” and granted one misused talent his well-deserved freedom with the firings of Luke Gallows, Shad Gaspard, Vance Archer, Caylen Croft, Jillian Hall, Tiffany and the release of Montel Vontavious Porter.
We all know that Tiffany, the wife of Drew McIntyre, was fired as soon as she was arrested over the summer for beating her husband up. I am amazed she stayed on the payroll this long. Gallows was handed countless horrible gimmicks (fake Kane? Festus?) and turned everyone of them into something watchable. Jillian Hall was always tremendously over as a heel and was a wrestler sadly at a time when Divas needed to be anorexic models John Laurinaitis could sleep with or The Undertaker could sleep with. Shad was split from JTG with the break-up of Cryme Tyme only to have his own gimmick never get a week of TV time before he was demoted while Archer and Croft never made it on TV past Superstars.
The real story though comes in the release of Montel Vontavious Porter, MVP. MVP begged, in the same vein as Matt Hardy, for his dismissal from the company when it became apparent that he was never going to be anything more than a jobber to the stars. A former United States Champion and one of the most popular stars in the company, MVP still had tons to give and deserved much better treatment than he received. Yet, in the same vein as Matt Hardy and Mickie James and Shelton Benjamin before him earlier this year, MVP was misused and mistreated until he couldn’t work there anymore and quit (unlike James and Benjamin who were unceremoniously fired). While early talk has MVP heading to Japan to wrestle, I hope he finds his way to Orlando and TNA Wrestling. An easier work schedule along with people who treat the business like it really is without sugarcoating it as “entertainment;” TNA is on the verge of reaching new heights and giving the wrestling world something it desperately needs: great professional wrestling on American television consistently. I would love to see MVP (possibly as Antonio Banks again) be a part of that.
**The news of Prince William’s engagement to Kate Something-or-other has led me to one question: Who in their right might gives a rat’s ass about England’s Royal Family?
Since the announcement of Prince Edward Louis’ engagement to Kate Middleton, the entertainment world has been in an uproar about the upcoming nuptials of these two for reasons I cannot comprehend. For one, neither of them are entertainers so I can‘t see why they are on TMZ, Entertainment Tonight, or Access Hollywood. Plus, I don’t see why anybody would care about these two because this is America and they are fixtures of England’s Royal Family. Sadly though, when this wedding does occur, this country will lose it’s mind and I’ll be in the minority shaking my head in disbelief at the sadness that is attention wasted on Prince Edward and his little English tart.
**A melancholy Happy Trails to two figures who were giants in their respective industries: Leslie Nielsen and Don Meredith.
Leslie Nielsen passed away on November 28th at the age of 84. Nielsen was a hilarious man and star of many comedies including The Naked Gun series and Airplane. Personally, I’ll always remember Leslie Nielsen for two things: his performance opposite Ted Danson in a segment in the 1982 horror film Creepshow and his reunion with George Kennedy to search for The Undertaker over the summer of 1994.
Before there was a John Madden, Terry Bradshaw, or Cris Collinsworth adding on-the-field experience to the commentary booth, there was “Dandy” Don Meredith. Don Meredith passed away on December 6th as result of a brain aneurysm at the age of 72. Meredith played for the Dallas Cowboys for nine seasons in the 1960s and was part of the Monday Night Football booth alongside Frank Gifford and Howard Cosell in the 1970s and early 1980s. He was colorful and charismatic with a knowledge of the game that only came from experience on the field. Also, I’ll always remember Don Meredith for his guest appearance on King of the Hill in an episode where Hank Hill won the chance to win a million dollars at the Cowboys-Saints game in New Orleans. Hank let Meredith throw for the $100,000 prize and then tackled Meredith when Dandy Don’s throw was off-target.
Both Leslie Nielsen and Don Meredith were legends in their fields who will be missed greatly.
CHEERS and JEERS
Superstar of the Week: Mike Mizanin, a.k.a. The Miz
When The Miz debuted in World Wrestling Entertainment in 2004, I didn’t think he had a prayer of lasting in the company a year. Originally billed as the “host” of Friday Night SmackDown, The Miz annoyed WWE fans in arenas all over the country on a weekly basis while training and learning his trade working in Ohio Valley Wrestling. When he finally made his in-ring debut, I thought The Miz wouldn’t last a year again as he was nothing special. Yet, from 2006 to today, The Miz has improved a million times over the green, inexperienced kid with the Red Rooster starter kit hairstyle and turned into one of the most exciting talkers and a solid hand in an era where the majority of WWE’s talent can’t even spell wrestle.
On November 22nd, I cheered the TV screen watching as The Miz cashed in the Money in the Bank contract and successfully defeated Randy Orton for the WWE Championship. I cheered The Miz because, unlike many fresh faces who come into the company and win the WWE or World Heavyweight title within six months of their debut, he earned this title. Mike Mizanin paid his dues and has busted his ass for over six years in WWE. Are there more worthy championship possibilities in the company? Yes. But, just because there are, it doesn’t mean that people should take this deserved moment away from Mike Mizanin. The Miz broke the rarely broken glass ceiling and absolutely deserves to be the WWE Champion.
Jerk of the Week: Sheep
No, I’m not going to hate on the wool-wearing, bah-bah animals who get unwanted loving from lonely farmers. They have enough problems (i.e. the farmers). I am going to talk about my hatred for fans who are blindly devoted to names pushed by the media despite the object of their devotion clearly being an overrated, untalented putz or an egotistical jerk in need of an attitude adjustment. In the last week, the sheep who follow Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and LeBron James have pissed me off with their idiocy.
For an eighth straight year, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. was named NASCAR’s Most Popular Driver. How? Why? In any other sport, the most popular athletes are the ones who win championships and compete in the big game. They aren’t the 25th best in a field of 30. NASCAR fans need to open their eyes to the worthlessness that is Dale Earnhardt, Jr. because this man will never, EVER, win anything meaningful the rest of his career. And, with every epic failure, it gives more evidence to my theory that his 2004 Daytona 500 win and all of his big restrictor-plate wins immediately following the death of his father were rigged for him to claim victory to appease the sheep.
Speaking of overrated talents who can’t win in the clutch, LeBron James’ fans seriously need to get a hold of themselves. LeBron returned to Cleveland for the first time since the Betrayal. The Miami Heat defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers in the latest example that God hates Cleveland, Ohio, 118-90, with James scoring 38 points. LeBron fans are using this as an example of how LeBron and the Heat will win the NBA Championship and are the greatest team in the history of the game. Really, people? Really? LeBron always wins games in December. He quits on teams in May and June when the NBA Playoffs are underway and the games count. Then again, these fans of LeBron also can’t understand what a jerk he has turned out to be as they support the egotistical actions of the NBA’s biggest drama queen.
I just don’t understand the loyalty the sheep have for Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and LeBron James. I know that admiration and devotion as a fan leads one to do stupid things in support of their favorites. I am a known Beadle-holic and member of the James Gang, among many other puns used to announce my support for various people. But, none of those I support have ever been an under-performing hype creation like Dale Earnhardt, Jr. or an egotistical punk like LeBron James has turned out to be. However, until the sheep that follow them open their eyes and stop supporting these jerks, Junior and LeBron will never attempt to better themselves or admit their faults. And with that, the sheep become just as big of jerks as the ones they blindly support.
POWER RANKINGS - Favorite Holiday Movies/Specials of All-Time
5. Mickey’s Christmas Carol
4. A Christmas Story
3. Frosty the Snowman
2. Rudolph the Red-Noised Reindeer
1. Silent Night, Deadly Night
BIG A RECOMMENDS…
The Town - currently available in theaters and available on DVD/Blu-Ray on December 17th.
I can not recommend The Town enough. Gripping, intense, powerful. Without a doubt, The Town is one of the best films I have seen in years. Set in Boston, MA and the surrounding Charlestown area, Ben Affleck superbly directs the story of career robber Doug (played by Affleck) and the aftermath of a robbery that resulted in a relationship with a hostage, Claire (played by Rebecca Hall), and a strained relationship with his cohorts in crime - namely Jem (played by Jeremy Renner). Jon Hamm plays the lead FBI agent in hot pursuit of the crew in the cat-and-mouse game between the criminals and law enforcement officers. Affleck and Hamm are tremendous in their performances but the most praise-worthy performances come from Hall and Renner. They are both captivating on-screen and bring out the best in their co-stars. The Town doesn’t do anything new with the heist genre but does everything you’ve seen before so right that unoriginality simply does not matter. The Town is Ben Affleck’s “labor of love” and that shows though his incredible effort in creating an accurate portrayal of Boston and its surrounding areas. It is an amazing picture and one of the best of 2010. Do not miss The Town.
WHAT I LEARNED THIS WEEK…
I’ve learned that there is no time like the present to begin shamelessly promoting my favorite Highlight Reel of the year: the 2010 Year in Review! All of the best, the worst, and my favorite moments of 2010 will be coming to you, my loyal reader, in the Highlight Reel 2010 Year in Review on New Year’s Eve. I can’t wait! Like The Miz, it shall be AWESOME!
- Aaron Goins
These four things I know are true…
- LeBron James is a whiny, childish, immature egotistic jerk.
- TNA Wrestling is professional wrestling’s last hope in America.
- 3D cinema really is the gimmick I thought it was all along.
- And, I’m Aaron Goins. All my thoughts on these topics and so much more (including my thoughts on politics in America)… in The Highlight Reel!
NEWS and NOTES
**TNA Wrestling is currently at a crossroads from which choosing the wrong path may be a death blow. After building tons of momentum throughout the summer, TNA lost momentum at Bound For Glory with the heel turn of Jeff Hardy and the revelation of Hardy, Hulk Hogan, Eric Bischoff, Jeff Jarrett, and Abyss as Immortal. While the move eliminated Dixie Carter as an on-screen character (good move) and came with a logical storyline existence, the removal of the top face in the entire industry has turned fans off. After this month’s Turning Point PPV, news that TNA is in the worst financial trouble of it’s existence have the little company that could facing the biggest hill it has ever tried to climb.
I believe that TNA Wrestling is currently offering the best wrestling show in the world today. The matches are incredible. Superstars like AJ Styles, Kurt Angle, Jeff Hardy, Ken Anderson, Rob Van Dam, D’Angelo Dinero, Matt Morgan. the Motor City Machine Guns, Beer Money, Douglas Williams, Jay Lethal, Samoa Joe, and Generation Me are just a handful of the great in-ring talent who bring it every single time they perform in the ring while Knockouts like Mickie James, Tara, Angelina Love, Madison Rayne, Sarita, and Taylor Wilde are not only among the sexiest women in the world but also among the best wrestlers (male or female) in the entire industry.
The sad reality is that, while World Wrestling Entertainment can continue to bleed money with poorer PPV buyrates and lower attendance figures than the company has seen in 15 years, TNA can not face losing momentum any more. They can not regress again to levels they have been at before. Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff have added a lot of good things to TNA in 2010. But, taking up television time with themselves as on-screen characters is not one of those great things. If TNA Wrestling fails and dies, professional wrestling in America dies with it. Vince McMahon and WWE have lost the plot so badly that I don’t believe they will ever come close to offering the wrestling that fans really want ever again. Anyone who wants wrestling to survive in America needs to watch TNA and support this company because it is the last chance for the art of professional wrestling to survive.
**The NFL season is at the midway point and I can safely say I can’t remember a season like this one. Between the parity at the top and the many surprising disappointments, the 2010 NFL season is going to go down as one of the most unique years in league history. Of course, many of the league’s best are teams that expected to be found at the top of the standings: the Pittsburgh Steelers (6-2), New England Patriots (6-2), Baltimore Ravens (6-2), Indianapolis Colts (5-3), New York Giants (6-2), New York Jets (6-2), Green Bay Packers (6-3), New Orleans Saints (6-3), and Atlanta Falcons (6-2). But, who would have expected teams like Oakland (5-4), Tampa Bay (5-3), Kansas City (5-3), Philadelphia (5-3), Seattle (4-4), Chicago (5-3), Tennessee (5-3), and even St. Louis (4-4) to look as good as they have this season?
As good as most teams are though, one of the sexiest picks for a division and two of the popular picks for the Super Bowl have made been the three biggest disappointments in the league as the San Francisco 49ers, Minnesota Vikings, and Dallas Cowboys have underachieved like nobody’s business in 2010. Mike Singletary has finally lived up to the vilification a friend of mine gave him 15 minutes into his tenure as the 49ers ( has been a bust. Meanwhile the drama between coach Brad Childress and everyone on the Minnesota Vikings (3-5) have me questioning which player actually assaults Childress before he is finally canned. But, nobody has been a bigger disappointment than the currently 1-7 Dallas Cowboys. Tony Romo is injured but Wade “the Jellyfish” Phillips had already dug the Cowboys into too deep of a hole for the over-hyped underachievers to dig their way out of. The firing of Phillips was a long time coming but it is too little, too late for this popular Super Bowl pick to even dream of a .500 record.
While the Carolina Panthers (1-7) are also hideous and the Buffalo Bills (0-8) are halfway to imperfection, I’m wondering which of the league’s heavy hitters will be the next to fall. The Indianapolis Colts don’t look as good as they have been in the last decade while the Saints appear to be suffering from a Super Bowl hangover. The next eight weeks are going to be great as the crowded AFC will have marquee match-ups every week with playoff implications while the NFC will have to have somebody step up and look as good as their AFC brethren.
**Conan O’Brien has returned and all is right with the late night world. Conan premiered on TBS Monday night with numbers higher than Letterman and certainly higher than Leno (a.k.a. the Devil of late night). While I’m sure numbers will go below the network shows soon, the fact is that fans want funny on their late night programming and Conan O’Brien is back to deliver just that. I’m loco for Coco.
**NASCAR’s Chase for the Championship is two races away from NASCAR finally getting what they’ve wanted for three years: a Toyota champion. Denny Hamlin has been hot when it counted most and, thanks to the Chase format, will be the 2010 Cup Series Champion. Jimmie Johnson is currently in second and Kevin Harvick, the true 2010 Champion, is sitting third in the Chase standings. Both still are mathematically in the running but I believe wholeheartedly that Hamlin will be protected when in danger by the powers that be in order to give NASCAR the Toyota champion they have wanted.
One thing is certain though. While the Chase is ridiculously boring and fans are tuning out in flocks, last weekend’s usually boring Texas race offered some fireworks and correct calls from NASCAR officials rarely seen in this day and age. I cheered Jeff Gordon’s actions for the first time in a long time after Jeff Burton blatantly crashed him. Gordon stood up, like a man, and went to Burton’s head on the backstretch in a moment that will be replayed for years to come. But, my biggest cheers went to the NASCAR officials who parked Kyle Busch for two laps for his disrespectful actions towards an official during a one lap speeding penalty. Busch flipped off the official holding Busch in his pit stall for a lap after he had already been caught for speeding on pit road. Officials parked Busch for two additional laps in a great move that will hopefully speed up Busch’s maturity. If Kyle took the penalty like a man, he would have been a lucky dog recipient within 15 laps and would have been back in the hunt. Instead, his immaturity deservedly ended his day and I can’t applaud NASCAR enough for making the right call regarding one of those “chosen ones.”
**Everybody under the sun really thought that Miley Cyrus was going to be the next Britney Spears/Lindsay Lohan (a.k.a. celebrity train wreck). Considering Hannah Montana is ending and she’s chosen to go overly sexed-up pop over country with her music, Miley really started to look destined for epic failure. Then, Demi Lovato of Sonny With A Chance went to rehab first.
Lovato, one of the young girls Disney has been placing their stock in since Cyrus is leaving, has entered rehab with rumors of everything from drug problems and pregnancy to fighting among back-up dancers and rumors of Lovato’s sexuality in question serving as the reason for her trip there. I was shocked when I heard this story as I honestly didn’t think Lovato was a big enough star yet to take the rehab route yet. In all seriousness though, whatever people have said about Cyrus, one thing is clear: she’s nowhere near as messed up as Demi.
**I have finally experienced the 3D movie experience and feel vindicated in believing it to be nothing more than a moneymaking gimmick after I watched Saw 3D. The glasses were surprisingly nice but awkward to wear over-the-top of my other glasses. While I could notice little differences in the picture, that was ignored 10 minutes into the film as I found myself lost in the story and ignoring the sight gags that make up the 3D experience.
The sad thing is that the story I was lost in was the story being told in the worst film of the Saw franchise. Saw 3D concluded the storyline with the deaths of Jill Tuck (John Kramer’s ex-wife), presumed death of Mark Hoffman (Kramer’s apprentice), and return of Dr. Lawrence Gordon from the first film as a Jigsaw apprentice. The main test involved a young man who lied about a Jigsaw experience in order to become a multimillionaire finally facing a test from Jigsaw. While the tests were gory and violent as ever, the movie just seemed to lack motivation and the heart of the previous films. The acting was weak (outside of Cary Elwes and Costas Mandylor) and the filmmakers seemed to be going through the motions rather than attempted to make a genuinely good movie. It was a sad ending to a tremendous horror franchise.
**Congratulations to the San Francisco Giants on winning the 2010 World Series. The Giants defeated the Texas Rangers, four games to one, to bring home the World Series title for the first time since 1954 (when they were still in New York). It was great to see players like San Fran’s “Freak” Tim Lincecum and Brian Wilson and Texas’s Josh Hamilton and Cliff Lee on the biggest stage of them all instead of the usual New York Yankees and Philadelphia Phillies.
**The era of Brock Lesnar Dominance in the UFC has been temporarily ended by the meaty rights and lefts of Cain Velasquez. On October 23rd, Velasquez owned Lesnar and left him a bloody and broken shell of a man with a four-minute thrashing that ended in a new UFC Heavyweight Champion. While the beating gave UFC a new face for fans to flock to in Velasquez, the post-fight confrontation between The Undertaker (yes, Old Man Callaway) and Lesnar was what people were talking about.
The two had a stare-down with Undertaker asking Lesnar, “You wanna go?” as Lesnar sulked back to the locker room. SportsNation, SportsCenter, Pardon the Interruption, and the sporting world jumped at the opportunity to talk about it while Vince McMahon and WWE ignored it like a wrestling death because it showed The Undertaker as something more than “the Deadman.” Plus, it wasn’t a political ad or kid-friendly either so McMahon and Co. eagerly avoided a chance to get good publicity. Still, for me, the moment gave me a rare moment where I remembered the Bad Ass that The Undertaker used to be instead of the shell of himself now that is shoved down wrestling fans’ throats when they watch WWE.
**One of the key moves that led Vince McMahon to destroy World Wrestling Entertainment from the inside has culminated in true McMahon fashion: a loss. Linda McMahon’s bid for a Senate seat in the state of Connecticut failed miserably as professional liar/Democrat Richard Blumenthal defeated McMahon on November 2nd. McMahon blew over $50 million dollars and lost all the credibility she had with wrestling fans as the “sensible” member of the McMahon family with the way she ignored and distanced herself from the business that made those millions she blew.
I’m glad that she lost as WWE can stop with the political ads RAW and SmackDown have turned into over the last three months. The “Stand Up for WWE” campaign has already ended even though it “had nothing to do with politics at all” according to Vince McMahon. Now, WWE can concentrate on more important things like selling toys, pushing terrible movies and D-list celebrities, and entertaining 5-year-olds with their booking. What? You thought I was going to say get back to great wrestling? No, WWE gave up on that a long time ago.
**Once again, the United States Government has stuck its nose where it does not belong and people like myself have to suffer. This time it has happened with the murder of Limewire.
Limewire was a wonderful peer-to-peer sharing site where users could download music. Yes, it was a source for illegal music downloads. But, in the grand scheme of things, it allowed music to get out there for everyone from the wealthy to the poor to enjoy while the musicians “being stole from” are still making enough extravagant purchases to clearly not miss any money from these downloads. Yet, the government stepped in and shut down Limewire. While the story will read that it was in order to stop people stealing from musicians, the reality is that the government wants the taxes they would get off of each purchase and are shutting down Limewire for their own gains.
RIP Limewire. I will miss you.
CHEERS and JEERS
Superstar of the Week: Brad Paisley, Miranda Lambert, Blake Shelton, Lady Antebellum, and Taylor Swift
I am a huge music fan and love many genres of music with country music being my favorite. In the last week, country music has been on full display with many of its great stars being honored at the Country Music Association awards and at the top of the Billboard charts.
On Wednesday, November 10th in Nashville, the 44th annual CMA Awards took place. Brad Paisley was named Entertainer of the Year while Lady Antebellum left the show with Vocal Group of the Year honors and Single of the Year for “Need You Now.” But, the biggest winners at the show came from Nashville’s couple of the moment: Miranda Lambert and Blake Shelton. Blake won Male Vocalist of the Year while Miranda left with Female Vocalist of the Year, Album of the Year for Revolution, and Song and Music Video of the Year for “The House That Built Me.”
While she didn’t win an award, Taylor Swift is still among Nashville’s best as evident by first week sales for Speak Now, her third studio album. Currently at the top of the Billboard Country charts and the Billboard Top 200, Swift’s Speak Now has already sold almost two million copies (including 1,047,000 in its opening week) in the three weeks since its release.
Between the music being honored and flying off the shelves at a time when everybody is downloading tunes, it is a great time to be a country music fan. Brad Paisley, Lady Antebellum, Miranda Lambert, Blake Shelton, and Taylor Swift are currently the top shining stars among a galaxy of hit-makers in the best genre of music in the world.
Jerk of the Week: LeBron James
Seriously, will somebody actually close to him tell Queen James to shut the hell up?!?
I already hated LeBron James and the Miami Heat because of the way they went about forming this super team. Since becoming the biggest villain in the NBA, James has not been able to shut up about it. He made a mini-movie with Nike asking “What should I do?” that has been spoofed wonderfully by the city of Cleveland, South Park, and the amazing Michelle Beadle of SportsNation. He won’t stop running his mouth via Twitter as he cries about everything from people hating him to fellow teams playing him hard.
I literally have found myself hating LeBron James more than almost everyone else on this planet over the last four months. This petulant, whiny man-child has never won a thing and acts like he’s God on the basketball court. He’s not even the best player on his own team (Dwayne Wade, anyone?). The only thing that LeBron James is good at is being the biggest jerk in the world of sports.
POWER RANKINGS - In honor of Veteran’s Day, Top 5 War Movies
5. The Deer Hunter / Full Metal Jacket (TIE)
4. Glory
3. Schindler’s List
2. Platoon
1. Saving Private Ryan
BIG A RECOMMENDS…
Diet Sierra Mist Cranberry Splash - available in stores now.
Seriously, for a diet drink, this stuff is crazy delicious. I highly recommend it.
WHAT I LEARNED THIS WEEK…
Not much that I didn’t already know. Just being honest. The one thing that I have very passionately expressed in recent weeks though has been my distain for politics. We recently suffered through the 2010 Election Day nonsense with thousands of elections all over the country pitting professional liars against one another at all divisions and the media absolutely losing its mind in covering the nonsense. Anyone who believes that change for the better comes in any of these wealthy governmental buffoons is a buffoon themselves. And, in that statement comes what I have learned is the absolute worse part of politics: the person who follows politics and actually believe in politics, the importance of voting, and all that drivel.
Politics is essentially a popularity contest between professional liars. It is a way for one wealthy person to boost his ego by winning the devotion of masses of sheep called voters. Everyone who says these people will “change our society” and make things “better for everyone” are completely delusional. When, in the last decade, has anyone in politics made anything better? They have made a lot of things worse but nothing better. Unemployment is still way too high with no sign of improvement, taxes are too high with more tax hikes pending, and the government is now allowing itself to really become Big Brother by impacting everything from the ability to share files online to whether or not a child can have a toy with a Happy Meal.
After falling under the Obama spell in 2008, I refuse to play the politics game again. I did not vote in 2010. I doubt I’ll vote in 2011. I may never vote again for anything outside of American Idol. The truth of the matter is that when you’re choosing for the lesser of two evils, you are still choosing evil. For those who still vote and essentially waste their vote with a write-in choice, they aren’t taking the right to vote seriously. And, in stating the “right to vote,” with that right comes to right to just say NO. No, I am not playing this charade. No, I am not boosting the ego of an already wealthy politician who won’t make things better. NO, I will not vote! But, I do have the right to complain about their mistakes and their butchering of American freedoms and rights because I am an American and because I am a smart American who realizes that politics is filled with professional liars offering us no hope at all.
Maybe America will have another Ronald Reagan or Bill Clinton come through the White House to spark the change needed in all branches of government to better America. Barack Obama was supposed to be that spark. But, two years in, he’s looking more like George W. Bush than a real revolutionary bringing about change. Until we get a leader looking for more than an ego stroke, I’m done with politics.
- Aaron Goins
These four things I know are true…
- The NFL reacting to huge hits is a double-edged sword.
- There is no better moment in baseball than seeing the New York Yankees fail in the postseason.
- It’s okay to be gay. But, still not okay to be poor, dumb, ugly or many other things according to Hollywood and the media’s most recent agenda.
- And, I’m Aaron Goins. All my thoughts on these topics and so much more (including the Top 10 Horror Movies of the 2000s)… in The Highlight Reel!
NEWS and NOTES
**The National Football League is America’s game. As much as baseball fans love to say that baseball is still America’s pastime, the reality is that football is America’s pastime. Yet, in the last edition of The Highlight Reel, I called for the demise of the NFL’s place on top of the American sports pyramid within the next three years because of the possibility of an 18-game regular season. Little did I know that the NFL may have accelerated their own demise as King of the Mountain with an overreaction to one weekend of hard hits.
During week six of the 2010 season, at least four major hits occurred that left players injured. Among the hits, Patriots safety Brandon Meriweather left Ravens’ tight end Todd Heap laying in a literal heap after a blatant helmet-to-helmet shot that caused Heap to suffer a stinger. Also, in the above image, Pittsburgh Steelers’ linebacker James Harrison laid out Browns’ receiver Mohamed Massaquoi with a helmet-to-helmet shot. That was one of two hits by Harrison that blatantly injured Browns’ players.
After week six, the NFL announced that it was cracking down on hard hits immediately. Harrison, Meriweather, and Atlanta Falcons’ cornerback Dunta Robinson were fined $75,000 and $50,000 each respectively for their hits during week six. Plus, the league informed players that they would be subject for suspension if these hits were to continue. While it can be said that the league is overreacting, the reality is that the league is finally enforcing a rule that has been in the books for years. Helmet-to-helmet contact is not allowed by the NFL rule book and has not been allowed for years. The basic art of proper tackling teaches players how to tackle without leading into the tackle with the helmet. So, you’d think that the league finally cracking down on these unnecessarily violent hits would be applauded, right? Wrong!
The public seems to be 50/50 regarding this topic. Some people are outraged and believe the NFL is literally turning into powder-puff football before their eyes. Others are saying that it is about time the league cracks down on the violence of the game. Personally, I’m torn. Yes, these hits are too violent and need to be cracked down on. But, how do you determine what hit is worthy of suspension and what is an okay play? It is quite the conundrum that the National Football League is going to have to deal with and deal with quickly. However, regardless of what the NFL does to protect the players, the precedent has been set that offensive players are to be protected above all others. There is the Tom Brady Rule that protects quarterbacks from the waist down among other rules that are designed to protect offensive players (especially the quarterback). This overreaction to one weekend of hard hits is only adding to that unpopular notion. The majority of fans hate that notion and they now are hating the hypocrisy from the NFL. The league has made its name on big hits, sells DVDs dedicated strictly to high-impact hits, and has never had an issue before now. Frankly, I believe this is an issue that nobody can win. If the league works to protect players from violent and life-shortening impacts, the fans will continue turning against the game for appearing weak. Yet, if the league allows these type of hits to continue going unpunished, the life-force of the game will be shortened as players will be unable to play lengthy careers and parents will urge their children to play other sports instead of football. Ultimately, there is no real winner in this issue because there is no right answer.
**Two of the NFL’s most popular players have had their off-the-field activities become hot button topics recently. What angers me is that it seems as though most sports fans can not tell the difference between the two stories. Ben Roethlisberger and Brett Favre are both currently involved in sex scandals. However, Pittsburgh Steelers’ fans and members of the “I Hate Brett Favre” fan club appear to be so unintelligent that they can not tell the difference between rape and adultery.
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was accused of rape over the summer. It was the second consecutive off season in which Roethlisberger was accused of rape. He wasn’t accused of adultery like Brett Favre or Tiger Woods. He was accused for a second time of rape; forced and unwanted sexual activity. This was not the first time either I stress. If he has this happen only once and there were no charges, you tend to believe he was innocent. But twice? Come on, don't be naïve.
Meanwhile, Brett Favre's deal is simply a case of adultery. However, it is different from Tiger Woods’ much-maligned saga in many ways. Within the first 48-72 hours of the story breaking, Tiger Woods had over 10 mistresses come forward. Brett Favre has had one person come out: Jenn Sterger, a former New York Jets employee. Unlike Woods’ mistresses however, Sterger did not come out willingly. This story came out when Favre and the Minnesota Vikings were about to play the New York Jets. Sterger didn’t break the story; Favre’s former team did. This adulterous relationship, which is bad, was used as a distraction thrown out by the bitter Jets management that saw Brett fail in New York before succeeding the next year in Minnesota.
Brett Favre didn’t do a good thing by committing adultery. However, comparing Brett Favre to Tiger Woods is a reach. Comparing Brett Favre to Ben Roethlisberger is not ever a reach; it is a stretch by leaps and bounds. Comparing those two men’s sex scandals would be like comparing apples and the Grand Canyon. They are nowhere near being in the same league of discussion. I just wish most sports fans were smart enough to understand that.
**As speculated in the last edition of The Highlight Reel, Mickie James has debuted in TNA Wrestling. Mickie debuted with a promo on the live edition of Impact on October 7th and refereed the Knockouts Championship match at Bound For Glory (Tara defeated then-champ Angelina Love, Madison Rayne, and Velvet Sky). Mickie had her in-ring debuts on Xplosion and Impact recently with successful victories against Sarita while wearing new ring attire that is absolutely amazing.
If that girl is fat, call me a chubby chaser. Mickie James in TNA is going to continue to show the wrestling world what WWE had and lost because of arrogance. Mickie James is the best female wrestler in the world and one of the sexiest women to ever grace the squared circle. “Piggy James” was one of the stupidest, most offensive, worst examples of McMahon-led pettiness I’ve ever seen in wrestling history. I’m glad that TNA signed Mickie James and have given her a place to show the world (and WWE) that she’s the best and not going to let pettiness hold her down.
**Matt Hardy finally got what he wanted on October 15th when he was released from World Wrestling Entertainment. Over the last month, Matt Hardy has strived to be fired from WWE after finally growing tired of his booking and treatment from the powers-that-be in the company. Taking his drive to Twitter, Matt Hardy finally ticked off the company enough to where they gave him is freedom.
It is an obvious conclusion that Matt Hardy will head to TNA as soon as his 90-day no-complete clause ends in January. TNA would be foolish to not take one of the most controversial-yet-popular wrestlers in the world and add him to the roster while he still has plenty left in the gas tank. A failed heel turn in 2009 that was mismanaged by WWE’s PG nonsense doesn’t negate that Matt Hardy was one of the best in the entire industry in 2008.
**NASCAR has announced the second class of inductees for the Hall of Fame. As with everything NASCAR, there is something wrong with this too. David Pearson, Bobby Allison, Ned Jarrett, Lee Petty, and Bud Moore were announced as the second class in the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Yes, I have no problem with any of these five men being inducted into the Hall of Fame. They deserve to be there. However, does Lee Petty or Bud Moore deserve to be in the Hall of Fame before Cale Yarborough or Darrell Waltrip? It might be unpopular but Hell to the NO!
This is all because of NASCAR’s horrible idea to only allow five people into the Hall of Fame at a time. Bud Moore is clearly worthy of being in the Hall of Fame as he was a legendary car owner and crew chief. But, does he belong over a driver with 84 career wins or another driver with 83 career wins? Not close. Lee Petty was a great driver in his own right. But, does his stats and the fact his seed later became “The King” make him more worthy of the Hall of Fame over Waltrip, Yarborough, or plenty of others? Not close. Only NASCAR could screw up something that should be a surefire success. The Hall of Fame should have opened with 25 members and exhibits instead of five. At the rate they are going and with current Hall of Fame worthy talents eventually retiring, NASCAR will never have a Hall of Fame close to being complete in my lifetime (even if I live to be 130). Only NASCAR could screw up something so simple.
**This weekend, NASCAR visits Martinsville Speedway for the 124th time with the Tums Fast Relief 500. I remember a time when I used to be filled with anticipation for this race weekend as I knew I’d get a BBQ and a couple of Martinsville hot dogs while cheering on Jeff Gordon and a couple of others during Friday’s qualifying. Now, Martinsville race weekend is sadly just another race weekend I’ll work hard to ignore. Sad to have lost a love that special but the idiots who run NASCAR have done just that.
One of the ways they have done this is with the worthless attempt at manufactured drama known as the “Chase for the Championship.” I am a huge supporter of Jimmie Johnson. But, I wonder how many championships Jimmie would really have if the entire season was what constituted a champion like in the era of Richard Petty, David Pearson, Dale Earnhardt, and even Jeff Gordon. I think Jimmie Johnson would still be a champion, a multi-time champion in fact, but he wouldn’t be only five races away from being a five-time, five-time, five-time, five-time, five-time WCW Champion. I mean, NASCAR Cup Series Champion. I got carried away channeling Booker T. Anyhoo, back to the story, Jimmie Johnson leads the Chase standings once again and NASCAR’s current chosen one, Kyle Busch, isn’t in the hunt once again. Talladega is still looming on the horizon and anything can and will happen there. But, as of right now, it looks like 2010 is going to be just like 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2009: Jimmie’s world filled with haters who can’t stop him.
**The big story in TNA Wrestling for months was “Who is They?”. For months, Abyss had been screaming that “they” were encouraging his violence in TNA. At Bound For Glory, TNA’s version of WrestleMania, “they” was finally revealed. Instead of bringing in a new star, TNA rehashed an angle that could have set TNA back and accelerated the company’s demise. However, after a week, it appears as if TNA may actually be on the verge of something good. Who was “they”? : Abyss, TNA founder Jeff Jarrett, TNA management Eric Bischoff and Hulk Hogan, and new TNA World Champion Jeff Hardy.
In a move that reeked of WCW’s rehashing of the nWo in 1999-2000, TNA created their own nW-oh with Hogan, Bischoff, Jarrett, Abyss, and an awkwardly-turned Hardy. At first, I questioned everything about this. Why devote even more time to Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff when fans can’t stand them as it is? Why turn the most popular wrestler in the entire industry, Jeff Hardy, heel? But then, TNA used logical booking and got me interested in an angle I was expecting to turn me off of TNA in the way too much Vince McMahon / The Undertaker / John Cena / Randy Orton / stupid mindless booking has turned me off World Wrestling Entertainment. Why did these men join forces?: Mutual hatred of TNA owner Dixie Carter.
Dixie Carter, in reality, appears to be one of the biggest marks to ever own a company. She seems loyal to her employees to a detriment. She hires anybody that she is a fan of regardless of if they can help TNA Wrestling as a whole. The angle almost works as a worked shoot. Jeff Jarrett had his power taken away from him in the company he founded because of his personal relationship with now-wife Karen Angle. Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff were brought into TNA to shake things up and have been used as promotional pieces with little-to-no input not including Dixie Carter and her “wealth” of wrestling knowledge. That is being used as motivation for Jarrett, Bischoff, and Hogan joining forced. Hardy and Abyss add the needed in-ring talent to the group. Plus, Jeff Hardy showed a surprising amount of talent at cutting a heel promo and actually had me questioning why nobody has used him as a heel before. I don’t know if I’m going to love this angle a month from now. But, the group, now known as Immortal, had a great start using simple logic: a lost art in the world of professional wrestling.
**I may be in a minority but I am thrilled that Bobby Cox is no longer the manager of the Atlanta Braves. After 21 years as manager and 14 consecutive divisional titles (1991-2005), Bobby Cox has finally faded off into the sunset after another late-season collapse that can only be called Cox-ian. The Braves collapsed in September and lost the divisional title to the Phillies. Then, with the Wild Card spot, the Braves were absolutely owned by the San Francisco Giants in the first round of the playoffs. Another year with talent and promise turned into another Fall with bitter disappointment. Frankly, I think Cox should have been canned years ago.
Yes, Bobby Cox was a great manager… in the regular season. But, Bobby showed time and time again that he could not manager his teams to victory in the Fall. He could not win games when they really mattered. Bobby Cox leaves the Atlanta Braves with one World Series victory in 1995; one victory when there should have been four or five. In a world where “winning isn’t everything; it’s the only thing,” Bobby Cox ultimately couldn’t win and couldn’t win for a long time when it counted. So, while it is nice and heartwarming that Atlanta remained loyal to a popular manager, it disgusts me to think of what might have been in Atlanta. I’m glad to see he’s gone and Atlanta can finally begin a new era with Fredi González as manager.
**Thank you Josh Hamilton, Cliff Lee, and the rest of the Texas Rangers. After 39 years of existence, defeating the New York Yankees and advancing to the World Series for the first time couldn’t have came at a better time. I could care less if it’s the Philadelphia Phillies or the San Francisco Giants waiting for them in the World Series. I’m just glad that the New York Yankees won’t be there.
**The divorce between Kasey Kahne and Richard Petty Motorsports is now final. Kasey Kahne is starting his time with Red Bull Racing (before ultimately going to Hendrick Motorsports) five races early after failed brakes and a huge argument at Charlotte let Kahne to get his release on Wednesday, October 20th. However, did anyone on the outside really see the release of Kasey Kahne to coincide with the implosion of Richard Petty Motorsports? I know I didn’t.
After Kasey Kahne was released, stories came out that one of my most legendary names in the sport was on the verge of bankruptcy. Crewmembers were owed back pay, car provider Roush Fenway Racing was repossessing cars because of non-payment, and the four-car team was going to close shop after Martinsville. While I know that Richard Petty personally wasn’t running the finances, I can’t help but question who was. Paul Heyman? Robby Gordon? Eric Bischoff? Darrell Waltrip? Those are the only people I can think of off the top of my head who’d take multi-million dollar organizations and turn them into bankrupt wastelands seemingly in the blink of an eye. It’s a sad day in NASCAR when “The King” can’t afford to be a part of the game anymore.
**October 23rd is a day I will celebrate forever. Why? It is the birthday of my beloved sports Goddess: Michelle Beadle!
Michelle Beadle turns 35 on October 23rd and, unlike many women who hide their age behind the clichéd “I’m turning 29 again” joke, absolutely owns her maturity. Well, maturity in numbers alone. Michelle is still as wicked awesome and immature as any good-natured fun person can be. That’s why I, along with millions of members of the SportsNation fandom, absolutely adore Michelle. Earlier this week, I gained a new level of love for Michelle when she announced her love of wrestling. During the Pop Culture game, WWE was brought up. Instead of making an easy reference even a non-fan could make (a Rock reference or a John Cena mention for example), Michelle said “if you’re not Nexus, you’re against us.” Considering the Nexus has not been mainstream in any sense of the word, Michelle Beadle knowing of them and supporting them shows that she is a wrestling fan and not just a poser. For that, I love the Beadster more.
CHEERS and JEERS
Superstar of the Week: The crew from Jackass 3D
Some may say it is a sign of the apocalypse. Others may say it is only because of the decline of western civilization as a whole. It may be inflated ticket prices or just pure insanity. But, the guys from Jackass just made $50 million at the box office in one week with the release of Jackass 3D. At a time when America needs something to laugh at, Johnny Knoxville and the boys have returned with the mindless hi-jinx and shenanigans that can make anybody with a sense of humor laugh out loud. And, while we’re laughing in the theaters, Knoxville and Co. are laughing all the way to the bank.
Jerk of the Week: Eddie House of the Miami Heat
Most people who are not bandwagon jumpers or “frontrunners” will either dislike the Miami Heat this upcoming NBA season or they will continue to have the same apathy for them they’ve always had. Sadly though, the Miami Heat’s profile has been raised because Miami is home for the “Big Three”: Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh, and the one-man ego-trip known as LeBron James. Now, while these three are the reason so many frontrunners will suddenly swear allegiance to the Heat, someone needs to tell benchwarmer / backup guard Eddie House that he doesn’t have the clout needed to run his mouth like the Akron Turncoat.
On Twitter last week, Eddie House tweeted, “Middle finger to all of the haters.” Really? Really, Eddie House? Who is hating on you? Nobody! People are hating on LeBron James because he acted like a tool with his hour-long special and his abandoning of Cleveland in favor of creating a super team. But, there isn’t a soul hating on Eddie House. If every mediocre back-up in Miami is going to come out with this kind of attitude because of an association with LeBron, I think we should suspend LeBron James from the league now because his childish, egotistical attitude is spreading like an unwanted plague. Eddie House is a nobody and needs to keep his ego in check.
POWER RANKINGS - Top 10 Horror Films of the 2000s
10. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
9. Wrong Turn
8. Hostel
7. 28 Days Later
6. Paranormal Activity 2
5. Saw II
4. Saw VI
3. The Descent
2. High Tension
1. Hostel Part Two
BIG A RECOMMENDS…
Paranormal Activity 2 - currently in theaters everywhere
Last Fall, Paranormal Activity was the talk of cinema. The supernatural horror film that used minimal effects, unknown actors, and a shoestring budget scared up over $200 million at the box office while being heralded as one of the scariest films of all-time. Personally, I thought it was a good movie but certainly not worthy of all the hype. Paranormal Activity 2, on the other hand, is worthy of that praise and then some.
Without spoiling anything, I must say that Paranormal Activity 2 takes everything good and smart about the first film and turns it up a notch. The story for the first film is expanded through the second film and, by the end of Paranormal Activity 2, you have a very well-told supernatural story told through two films. The scares are louder, the supernatural presence is more violent, and the tension is so thick it can be cut with a knife. I can not stress how much I enjoyed this film. Paranormal Activity 2 is definitely well-worth seeing during this Halloween season.
WHAT I LEARNED THIS WEEK…
Since the last edition of The Highlight Reel, I have learned that it is okay to be gay. Okay, I knew that it was okay to be gay long before the last month. However, with the current push by Hollywood and the media, everyone is learning the importance of “We’re here, we’re queer, get used to it” now more than ever. Now, let me stress that I have no problem at all with the homosexual or bisexual community. But, I must admit that I am growing tired of that agenda being showed down my throat on prime time television weekly in shows that are supposed “wholesome family entertainment.” Case in point: the second season of Glee.
Glee started off as a show about down-and-out losers on the high school food chain trying to better themselves through music. There was a homosexual character, Kurt (played by Chris Colfer), who made for some of the most interesting moments of the first season. While his sexuality was mentioned, it was not a focal point of the show. In season two however, Kurt being gay and proud has overshadowed any other storyline on the show. While that was rather tiresome as I think Kurt can be about so much more than just gay matters, Glee came out of nowhere with two cheerleaders/members of New Directions making out as Santana (played by Naya Rivera) and Brittany (played by Heather Morris) were seen making out momentarily. Glee is pushing the homosexual/bisexual agenda during a show marketed a “family entertainment” when the truth is that no sexuality should be pushed in a “family” oriented show. Glee started out as a simple show about music and the underdogs overcoming the odds and has quickly turned into a show pushing agendas down the throats of its viewers.
I know that many members of the gay community get bullied in schools. Glee, a family program, is a vehicle which children and teens struggling with their sexuality can find motivations to live proud as who they are without fear of judgment from their peers. But, there are many more reasons why children are bullied than just being gay. Fat kids, smart kids, poor kids, dumb kids, ugly kids are all among the children bullied on a daily basis in schools because children as a whole are jerks. Hollywood and the media need to stop using television shows like Glee to push the homosexual and bisexual agenda unless they are also going to push the agenda of “It’s okay to be poor, fat, dumb, smart, or ugly” too. As a group who cry for equality and fair treatment, I don’t see anyone from that camp also coming out regarding those agendas or the mistreatment that those children suffer from daily.
I’ve learned that it’s okay to be gay. But, apparently, at least according to the push from Hollywood and the media, it’s still taboo and terrible to be poor, fat, dumb, ugly, or smart. So, bullying those children is still fair game. That, in my eyes, is simply unfair.
- Aaron Goins
These four things I know are true…
- I liked WWE’s current storylines the first time I saw them… in 1998.
- The NFL and NASCAR have something in common and it’s not good.
- Someone should not have a TD and DWI in the same week.
- And, I’m Aaron Goins. All my thoughts on those topics and so much more (including meeting Mickie James)… in The Highlight Reel!
NEWS and NOTES
**I recently looked at World Wrestling Entertainment and their top storylines. I know wrestling is filled with repetition of the same angles. It has been that way since the beginning of time. But, usually the repeated angles have some alterations and are less obvious and blatant rip-offs of the past. Not with what WWE is currently producing however. The truth is that watching WWE now is like watching WWE in 1998.
Case in point: SmackDown’s World Championship storyline. The Undertaker is fighting Kane for the World title. Paul Bearer has returned to WWE and is alongside The Undertaker again. These two are going to have a Hell in a Cell match this weekend and will soon have a Buried Alive match. It’s 1998 all over again. But, SmackDown isn‘t alone. On RAW, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin is stunning everyone in his path while holding the WWE title. No wait, that’s “A Tad Chilly” Randy Orton RKO’ing everyone in his path. The Rock is pandering to the youths while beginning a Hollywood career. Wait, that’s John Cena who is reading scripts more than working in the ring. It was as if the booking staff recently got some DVDs from 1998 and are now copying everything word-for-word.
Yet, the thing that kills me most is that a majority of fans will still watch this over TNA. TNA, meanwhile, is preparing for their version of WrestleMania in October with the sixth annual Bound For Glory. Honestly, the event doesn’t have a WrestleMania feel to me but I’m a newbie to TNA in the grand scheme of things. What Bound For Glory seems to me though is a loaded pay-per-view card filled with great wrestling (and a couple of clunker spots). In this day and age, that kind of stability within a wrestling card is something to truly be celebrated as if it is a WrestleMania-quality of event because we all know WrestleMania itself doesn’t deliver anymore.
**One of the people who may possibly have a big night at Bound For Glory is Mickie James. While yet to be confirmed, rumor has it that Mickie James has signed with TNA Wrestling after unjustly being released by WWE in April. The potential for awesome matches in TNA are almost endless with Mickie James joining a roster of sexy and talented women’s wrestlers including Taylor Wilde, Hamada, Daffney, Sarita, Velvet Sky, Madison Rayne, Tara (formerly Victoria in WWE), and current Knockouts Champion Angelina Love.
**The NFL regular season is three weeks old and, as usual, my preview has been proven once again to be the musings of a moron. Okay, while my picks were not that bad, I do admit I was wrong on a few assessments as the first three games of the season have offered a lot of surprises that even the experts did not see coming.
Nobody in their right mind would have predicted the final unbeaten teams would be a Ben Roethlisberger-less Pittsburgh Steelers, Kansas City Chiefs, and Jay Cutler-led Chicago Bears. Nobody would believe that Michael Vick would already have the Eagles’ starting job and look like Tom Brady while the Dallas Cowboys would be 1-2. The preseason-sexy San Francisco 49ers were not supposed to start the season 0-3 and Brett Favre-led Minnesota Vikings were not supposed to be 1-2. Yet, that has been the beginnings of the 2010 NFL season.
While the season has not been as predictable as I would have thought, the season has still be filled with great games and all of the excitement that is only found in America’s favorite sport.
Of course, I wonder how much longer the NFL will be able to claim they are America’s favorite sport. At the route things are going, I will say another three years tops. Why do I have doubt in the lasting popularity of football? The NFL is starting to make some of the same mistakes that NASCAR did in the last decade (and we all know how that turned out for cars going in circles). The NFL has overreacted to the overtime finish of the NFC Championship last season between the Vikings and Saints by creating a confusing new set of overtime rules that are postseason exclusive. Sound like the overreaction to Matt Kenseth’s 2003 Cup Championship that led to the Chase for the Championship? Yeah. Now, the NFL is planning on expanding the already-perfect 16-game schedule in favor of a new 18-game schedule. When NASCAR was at it’s best, the schedule was around 30-32 races. Now, the season is 36 races (not counting the exhibition races). Over-expansion deluded the importance of individual races and this will happen to football with the addition of two more games.
With the NBA already nipping at football’s heels with the emergence of new stars and the creation of a superpower that will either be loved by bandwagon jumpers or hated by purists but will be a constant source of interest, the NFL adding to their own demise by following NASCAR’s blueprint is only going to accelerate the NBA’s ascension to the top of the American sporting food chain. I’m calling it now. The NFL is going to be around forever. But, the glory days with football as America’s pastime has got three years left max.
**If anyone has ever doubted the NASCAR agenda of having Toyota get their first championship in 2010, look no farther than the Ballad of Clinton F. Bowyer. Much like the sad tale of Jeremy the unborn fetus (“Until we keeled him.”), Bowyer had aspirations and dreams of winning the 2010 Chase for the Championship. In fact, it all started with a victory in the opening race at New Hampshire. Bowyer passed all of the post-race inspections and he was within 40 points of Denny Hamlin, Toyota driver. Then, two days after the race, NASCAR said Bowyer failed inspection by the width of a quarter and saw his championship dreams go up in smoke with one of the largest fines in NASCAR history.
Clint Bowyer drives a Chevrolet. So, he paid the price for playing the game and waiting until the Chase to show up and win. While Jimmie Johnson was successful with a win in the second Chase race, I still have no doubt in my mind that Johnson will also pay the price if he passes Hamlin or Kyle during this season’s Chase because the corporate agenda in 2010 NASCAR is all about getting Toyota a championship. Everyone who thinks I’m crazy needs to remember that this is also the sport that fixed a race in Daytona for Dale Jr. to win because he was driving a Wrangler car. NASCAR fixes races more than Don King fixes boxing matches.
**At Night of Champions, WWE started their latest in grand mistakes with the unification of the Women’s and Divas Championships. Of course, The Undertaker’s old lady Michelle McCool walked away with both titles (even though she was neither the Women’s or Divas Champion going into the event). With the unification of both titles, the WWE has continued the lineage of the title as the Divas Championship. This means that the Women’s Championship, dating back to 1956 with 54 years of lineage, has been replaced by a giant butterfly title. Disgusting.
The Women’s Championship had the names of some of the classiest and most athletic women in wrestling history behind it to give the title credibility. Hall of Famers The Fabulous Moolah and Wendi Richter along with legendary women like Trish Stratus, Lita, Victoria, Molly Holly, Ivory, Jacqueline, Beth Phoenix, and Mickie James all gave credibility through their blood, sweat, and tears spilt inside the squared circle for that championship. To see it replaced with a ridiculous butterfly championship with a lineage that is cemented through who The Undertaker is sleeping with at the moment absolutely sickens me.
“The retirement of the Women’s Championship breaks my heart. The nostalgia and the legacy built off the backs of every woman who paved the way for women like me… Who gave it credibility… Honor… Prestige… & Truth! For every woman who’s carried the championship through the generations… Who know the power & history you feel in holding it high above your head… That can never be replaced by anything in my mind… In my heart… I am truly honored and forever grateful to be among the women who have graced its presence… Thank you…”
Mickie James is a performer who understands the business. Her tweet about the retirement of the Women’s Championship showed to me that she gets something that current WWE management simply does not get. Fans want to respect titles. Fans want to respect the history of the business and recognize those who have wrestled before today’s stars more than just one weekend in late March. Yet, with the unification of the WWE titles, all of the history behind these titles will be replaced by whatever snazzy belt design some idiot in Stamford can come up with next because Vince McMahon and company don’t think fans care about anything but the here and now. Once again, Vince is wrong.
**The Atlanta Braves were leading the National League East the last time I wrote an edition of The Highlight Reel. Flash forward almost a month and they are still looking like a postseason team. Sadly, they are a postseason team still suffering from another Bobby Cox-led choke job. The Philadelphia Phillies are the NL East champs for a fourth straight season after Atlanta squandered the division lead and are now at least six games back. They still look prime to get the NL Wild Card but are going into the postseason injured and with the momentum of a stalled train. Hopefully Bobby Cox, the Marv Levy or Andy Reid of baseball, will finally retire and allow this talented franchise to have a chance at capitalizing on their skills in 2011.
**Since the last edition of The Highlight Reel, two of wrestling’s most infamous characters passed away as Bastion Booger and Giant Gonzales died in the month of September. While neither man will be a Hall of Fame performer, both will be forever remembered as the walking incarnation of WrestleCrap.
Mike Shaw died on September 11th at the age of 53 after a heart attack. Shaw will forever be remembered in the wrestling world by the horrendous gimmicks which he suffered. Shaw wrestled as Norman the Lunatic (a teddy bear-clinging escapee from a mental asylum) and Trucker Norm (a truck driver, duh) in the early 1990s for the NWA. Then, he would become Friar Ferguson (a wrestling monk) and Bastion Booger (a slob) in WWE in the early-to-mid 1990s. While Shaw wasn’t a great in-ring performer, he should be commended for not murdering anyone after having the indignities of those gimmicks thrust upon him. Still, none of those featured an airbrushed taint.
Jorge Gonzales passed away on September 22nd at the age of 44 after a long battle with diabetes. Gonzales, a legitimate 7’6”, was originally drafted by Ted Turner and the Atlanta Hawks to play basketball in 1988. When basketball fizzled for Gonzales, Turner moved his giant investment to NWA and he wrestled as El Gigante from 1990-92. Gonzales then moved to WWE in 1993 and was repackaged as Giant Gonzales, a caveman-like giant with an airbrushed bodysuit that was complete with an airbrushed taint that Vince McMahon had shown on television at least once during every Giant Gonzales appearance. The Giant Gonzales-Undertaker feud of that year set wrestling back 40 years and further added speculation that the booking of Vince McMahon is the booking of an idiot.
While I don’t have any fond memories of either Shaw or Gonzales for their in-ring performances, I think of them fondly because they come from a kinder and gentler time when wrestling’s terrible booking came in bad gimmicks and not the horrendous storytelling with nepotism, backstage politics, and pandering to non-wrestling audiences that have turned me off WWE today. RIP, Pillars of the WrestleCrap Community.
CHEERS and JEERS
Superstar of the Week: Denard Robinson
When the 2010 college football began, nobody believed the University of Michigan would be a winner. So far, the Wolverines are 4-0. When the 2010 college football season began, nobody mentioned the name Denard Robinson in the same conversation as potential Heisman Trophy winners. If the award was handed out today, chances are high that Robinson would win the award. Denard Robinson has set the college football world on fire through the first month of the season.
Nicknamed “Shoelace” because he refuses to tie his shoelaces, Robinson has thrown for 731 yards, rushed for 688 yards, scored four touchdowns, and is responsible for more yards by himself than over a third of the colleges in Division I football. Robinson is a one-man highlight reel and a joy to watch on Saturdays. Plus, if you are worthy enough to have the amazing Michelle Beadle rock your jersey during an episode of SportsNation, you are clearly a Superstar.
Denard Robinson is the best thing going in a wonderful beginning to the 2010 college football season.
Jerk of the Week: The New York Jets
On Tuesday, September 21st, New York Jets’ wide receiver Braylon Edwards was charged with a DWI in New York after being pulled over at 5AM and blowing twice the legal limit in a breathalyzer test. On Sunday, September 26th, Edwards caught a touchdown for the Jets in their 31-23 victory over the Miami Dolphins. While Edwards committed the crime, I am more disgusted with the way the New York Jets treated the matter than the criminal himself.
The NFL doesn’t allow a team to suspend a player for a first-time offense and this was Edwards’ first DWI. However, the Jets could have deactivated him or simply sat him for a week as a punishment for his immature and idiotic act; an act that could have killed himself or an innocent bystander. Instead, Edwards played and scored for the Jets in an important divisional game and looked like a hero to many Jets fans. That is why I’m more disgusted by owner Woody Johnson, coach Rex Ryan, and the management of the Jets than Edwards himself. They put winning over doing the morally responsible thing and that is why Edwards won’t be the last star athlete who breaks the law without any sense of remorse.
POWER RANKINGS - Best Shows on Primetime Television
5. Glee (Tuesdays at 8PM on FOX)
4. The Amazing Race (Sundays at 8PM on CBS)
3. How I Met Your Mother (Mondays at 8PM on CBS)
2. Modern Family (Wednesdays at 9PM on ABC)
1. The Office (Thursdays at 9PM on NBC)
BIG A RECOMMENDS…
Luigi’s Real Italian Ice - available in freezer sections everywhere
These are crazy delicious. Enough said.
WHAT I LEARNED THIS WEEK…
There is an old saying that I’ve carried with me since the first time I heard it: “You should never meet your heroes. They will only disappoint you and let you down.”
I carried that saying with me because of the fear it installed in me; a fear of wasting my devotion into someone to only be let down by them. In most cases thankfully, I have been able to meet heroes (or simply people I admire) of mine and find them to be truly as wonderful as I hoped. Shawn Michaels and Kevin Nash were both really awesome when the Beavis and I met them in 2003 in Roanoke, Virginia before a house show. Jenna Fischer, Pam from The Office, was so cool when she took the time to respond to an email (something so simple but rarely done by a Hollywood star) twice in 2008 along with sending me an autographed photo. Plus, while I’m not a huge fan of his, I will always have a fondness for Jimmy Spencer after meeting him twice in the 90s and having Spencer be an absolute joy.
Now, while Ole Anderson, Road Warrior Animal, Ron Killings, and Virgil were less-than-stellar experiences, I have been very lucky for the most part to leave an encounter with as much respect for the person as I came with. On September 18th, 2010, I had the chance to meet someone I have admired and loved for years when I met Mickie James in Eden, NC at Riverfest. After holding her in such esteem for years, I feared I might have a let down. Instead, I left loving her even more.
By the time we got to meet Mickie, I was already a bit of a wreck. Everyone who knows me well knows that I worry about every little detail. So, of course, I had ran the encounter through my mind and, of course, I expected the worst. I expected the worst the same way that characters expect the worst when playing out scenarios in their mind on television. I was full of questions while working my way through the line. Would she be stuck up? Would she not make eye-contact? Would she ruin every bit of the love I had for her as a fan? Would she not be as pretty in person as on TV? However it went, I was nervous, excited, and still in disbelief that I was going to meet Mickie James.
Shaking her hand, Mickie’s smile immediately melted away every bit of doubt and worry I had in meeting her. Mickie said “Thank you” when I mentioned how much I supported her and she genuinely appreciated it when I let her know how she is one of the few people in the business that I still watched and loved in the way I loved my favorites as a child. She never spoke without making eye contact and, for a brief moment in time, made me feel like I was the only other person in the world. Okay, I may be over-selling it just a bit but it was a magical moment for me.
There is an old saying that I’ve carried with me since the first time I heard it: “You should never meet your heroes. They will only disappoint you and let you down.”
After meeting Mickie James, I think I’m ready to stop putting stock in that saying. I had a chance to meet a woman I admire, respect, and cheer for without question and it was one of the greatest experiences of my life. Meet your heroes when you get the chance. Let them know how much they mean to you. While it is just one in millions of fan encounters for them, it will be a once in a lifetime moment for you that you’ll never want to forget.
- Aaron Goins
