However, that is all about to change. After a three month hiatus, I can safely say that The Highlight Reel is back and it is going to be better than ever! I’m returning to writing with a new home, a new look, and a new format for the same opinionated author who is ready to make you laugh, make you think, and make you shake your head. Along with these changes comes a change in mindset that has come as a result of the three-months of depression and heartache during this change in my life.
One thing I have come to realize during the hiatus away from the keyboard is that everything great comes to an end. For me, my love of World Wrestling Entertainment is what came to an end. It is not coincidence that my last Highlight Reel was the day after Mickie James was unjustly fired from World Wrestling Entertainment. That was the final straw that broke the camel’s back. After being a fan of professional wrestling for over 20 years, with World Wrestling Entertainment being my promotion of choice from the very beginning, it was no secret that I was becoming more disillusioned with the promotion on an almost daily basis. Then, within the span of a month, two of my all-time favorites left the company in ways that disgusted me. Shawn Michaels retired and received one of the worst send-offs into retirement in wrestling history while Mickie James was fired because of professional jealousy felt by WWE management. Add to the disillusionment caused by the company’s poor booking the fact that two of my all-time favorites were gone from the company, I simply could not watch WWE anymore. Anyone who knew me well knew I eat, breathed, and lived WWE. So, to become that disillusioned with something that important in my everyday life literally affected my well-being. My rejection of the promotion led to a depression or sorts; a void in my life for the first time since I could remember. With that depression came writer’s block.
Of course, I could have wrote about other topics of importance to me… wait, no I couldn’t. NASCAR is in such a state of despair that I refuse to watch it. I’m not only talking about the Cup Series. The Nationwide Series is essentially the Cup Series for drivers who can not win in the Cup Series (i.e. the Kyle Busch, Carl Edwards, Brad Keselowski, Joey Logano series) while the Camping World Truck Series has become so poor that one race saw 16 trucks of a 36-truck field drop out before the race reached 30 laps. NASCAR’s “have at it, boys” policy led to terrible demolition derby-style racing which NASCAR stuck behind until enough fair-weather fans cried foul and the policy, while still apparently NASCAR’s mantra of the moment, become another hypocritical statement from the sport’s governing body as Carl Edwards was fined and docked points for doing what NASCAR told him in February he could do. Add to the disillusionment NASCAR’s penalizing of drivers for speaking their minds and I’m simply disgusted with a sport I once loved as much as World Wrestling Entertainment to a point where I can’t stand to see it.
In essence, I felt like Alan Jackson in the 1996 hit “Everything I Love” because everything I love was killing me. WWE and NASCAR had respectively broken my heart and stomped on my spirit until I was a broken shell of a man. Everyone has their “thing” with which they are recognized for loving. In the span of a couple of months, I had lost both of my “things.” With those losses came the loss of desire to write; the loss of my third “thing.”
After thinking long and hard, I realized that I still loved wrestling even though I hate what World Wrestling Entertainment is doing now. I watch TNA and enjoy it greatly. I look forward to independent wrestling shows. I still watch WWE; though without the love, devotion, and “can’t miss” mentality that I had for the company for the better part of two decades. Wrestling is something I will always love but it is something that I will not let be that important to me again. It is simply not worth the trouble or the pain. As for racing, I love the sport. The competition between men and women battling in motorized chariots, all with the same desire to be first, is something I’ll never stop loving. That’s why I watch the Indy Car Series, late model stock races, modified races, and other forms of motorsports besides the garbage that NASCAR promotes as it’s top tier series. With the changes in mentality I have had towards World Wrestling Entertainment and NASCAR, I have rejuvenated my interest in writing The Highlight Reel because I have interests in new subjects while my old interests are nowhere near as serious or important to me as they used to be.
Now that I have that off my chest, I think it’s time to see what I have missed over the last three months with a brand new edition of The Highlight Reel. A lot has taken place since April 23rd’s final regular edition and April 28th’s 50 Most Beautiful Women in the World list. Here are the highlights that have occurred during my hiatus in my return edition of The Highlight Reel.
NEWS and NOTES
**The BP Oil Spill off the coast of Louisiana in the Gulf of Mexico has remained one of the top stories of the summer. While BP has been forced to take responsibility and the oil leak has been capped, the amount of oil leaked into the environment has been catastrophic for the wildlife as well of the natives of the area. Thousands of jobs have been lost as seaside resorts have been shut down while fishermen have been unable to fish in the oil-filled waters. More importantly though, the deaths of Patrick Star, Squidward Tentacles, and Spongebob Squarepants have caused grief to millions of children and those young at heart.
**Season nine of American Idol ended in May with Lee DeWyze defeating Crystal Bowersox in the finale to become the ninth winner of America’s favorite talent search. While both Lee and Crystal were talented, I don’t think either one of them will amount to anything special in the music scene. It’s unmemorable acts winning it all and not the departure of Simon Cowell that will ultimately be the death nail for American Idol.
**The 2010 Major League Baseball season has been the year of the pitcher. Since the season started, there have been five no-hitters pitched (the most since 1991). Colorado’s Ubaldo Jimenez, Arizona’s Edwin Jackson, and Tampa Bay’s Matt Garza have all thrown no-hitters while Oakland’s Dallas Braden and Philadelphia’s Roy Halladay threw the 19th and 20th perfect games in baseball history. If umpire Jim Joyce had not blown an obvious call in Detroit, Tigers’ pitcher Armando Galarraga would also have pitched a perfect game in June. Amazing to see how baseball’s entire landscape has changed with the reduction in steroids and HGH users coming to bat.
**On June 7th, WWE did something I didn’t think was possible in this era (more like error) of “PG wrestling.” The eight rookies from season one of WWE NXT attacked RAW during the main event. They destroyed the ring and all of those at ringside. John Cena, CM Punk, Luke Gallows, Jerry Lawler, ring announcer Justin Roberts, time keeper Mark Yeaton, and others were viciously assaulted in an attack reminiscent of the early days of DX, the nWo, and the Four Horsemen. It was great and had even the most disillusioned of fans talking about WWE… so, of course, they f*cked it up!
The biggest angle turned into another example of why WWE has lost the plot when it comes to the wrestling business. Because he used a necktie to choke ring announcer Justin Roberts during the attack, Bryan Danielson (known in WWE as Daniel Bryan) was fired four days later after pressure came from WWE sponsor Mattel about the “less than family friendly” actions of Danielson in the attack. One of the pound-for-pound best wrestlers in the entire world was fired because of pure stupidity. And, Vince McMahon and his “yes men” wonder why fans are leaving by the droves.
The Nexus (as the rookies became known) continue to run roughshod on RAW and remain the top angle in the company. However, all the buzz and momentum started on June 7th was killed before June 14th rolled around.
**On June 26th, World Wrestling Entertainment official sealed the main event of the women’s division for the next decade with the marriage of The Undertaker and Michelle McCool. McCool has been on top of the women’s division ever since she began dating The Undertaker. Considering the fact that The Undertaker is the new Hulk Hogan, he will remain at the top of the WWE for the next decade (regardless of how many times he goes on the injured list) and will keep his main squeeze on top as well. It’s sad that two people finding happiness in life can crush the joy and optimism of millions of fans but that is exactly what the joining of UnderCool did.
**The Summer of LeBron came to ahead on July 8th with one of the darkest days in the history of sports television as hype, self-promotion, and egotism all created a perfect storm known as “The Decision.” Ultimately, LeBron James chose to leave Cleveland and join Dwayne Wade and fellow free agent Chris Bosh in Miami with the creation of a super team in the 2010-2011 Miami Heat. Basically, James took his talents to South Beach after doing nothing for seven years in Cleveland since he realized he couldn’t win anything as a leader in Cleveland. James joined Wade’s team regardless of what the media may say when the NBA season starts.
The aftermath of “The Decision” saw rioting from Cleveland fans, an awesome letter to the fans from Cavaliers’ owner Dan Gilbert in which LeBron was called Benedict Arnold, tons of egotistical boasting in Miami, and shockwaves felt through the league as other stars (namely New Orleans guard Chris Paul) began demanding trades to teams with superstar lineups in an attempt to create an NBA of 24 jobber teams and six super teams. The Summer of LeBron may have been great for sports media in the sense that it created storylines and momentarily great for the NBA in keeping basketball on the minds of sports fans. But, in the long run, this display of egotism will influence future players in ways that will be a tremendous detriment to the NBA.
**Steve Carell announced during promotion for Despicable Me that this upcoming season of The Office will be his last. After seven seasons as manager of the Scranton branch of Dunder Mifflin, Michael Scott will be leaving. While The Office will still be on, I fear that this will be a move that ultimately could damage two great things.
The Office will not be the same without Michael Scott. It is the insanity of Michael and Dwight that keeps the awkwardness balancing out the romance and happiness that comes from Jim and Pam. It is a yin and yang of comedic goodness that really shouldn’t be messed with. Meanwhile, Steve Carell’s cinematic career is pretty hot right now. But, without The Office, I think that Steve Carell’s star may dim. A lot of his core audience is Office fans first and foremost. The move away from the show could see Carell go the way of either George Clooney (superstardom after ER) or David Caruso (nothing for over a decade after NYPD Blue). Only time will tell.
**Over a two week span from June 24th to July 10th, three of the sexiest women in the world went off the market as Megan Fox, Jenna Fischer, and Carrie Underwood all got married. Megan Fox married her on-again, off-again beau Brian Austin Green in Hawaii on June 24th. Jenna Fischer married screenwriter Lee Kirk on July 3rd. Then, Carrie Underwood married Ottawa Senators hockey player Mike Fisher on July 10th. While I wish them all the best with their marriages, I hope they know that they still have open invitations to my bedroom anytime they want some loving from a real man. Oh yeah!
**The World Cup came and went with soccer taking a backseat to vuvuzelas as the main topic of discussion. The noisy horns gained many fans and detractors while soccer itself only gained fans for a month before falling back into obscurity along the same level as softball, poker, and midget tossing. For the record, the US team did fairly well, making it to the round of 16, while Spain defeated the Netherlands to win the tournament.
**George Steinbrenner, longtime owner of the New York Yankees, passed away at the age of 80 on July 13th. While I have never been a New York Yankees fan, I have to admit that Steinbrenner and his Yankees always keep things interesting. From their pursuits for high-priced athletes past their prime to Steinbrenner’s constant firings of good employees (and Billy Martin) and threats to move the team to New Jersey, Steinbrenner never kept the sports media without at least one baseball story to address. Plus, the caricature of George Steinbrenner on Seinfeld when George Constanza worked for the Yankees immortalized “Big Stein” forever in the hearts of millions of non-sports fans. George Steinbrenner will be missed.
**One of the most underrated in-ring performers in wrestling history finally gained a well-deserved World Heavyweight Championship reigns about a decade too late when Kane won the World Heavyweight title from Rey Mysterio at Money in the Bank on July 18th. Kane should have been champion when he wore a mask and was not the pregnant Uncle Fester that he has become in recent years. Of course, with The Undertaker coming back soon from another injury, Kane’s got to get the title so he can job it to The Undertaker. Kane’s only got so many years left where he can job to Vince McMahon’s favorite undead cabana boy.
**Completing her career downfall, Lindsay Lohan hit rock bottom in the form of a 90-day jail sentence stemming from her 2007 DUI arrest and repeated probation violations. Sadly, she’ll only spend about 13-20 days of her sentence because of her wealth (yeah, I’m not buying the jail overcrowding story the LAPD is selling). But, hopefully that will be enough time to help the Mean Girls star either get herself back on track or will be the beginning of a brand new career as a professional jailbird.
CHEERS and JEERS
Superstar of the Week: Betty White
Has anyone had a bigger 2010 than Betty White? Since the last edition of The Highlight Reel, Betty White hosted the highest rated episode of Saturday Night Live in years, stars in her own new hit show Hot in Cleveland, has guest starred on ABC’s The Middle, and is confirmed to guest star on NBC’s Community. Plus, she’s posed for one of the most highly anticipated 2011 calendars and is seeing a career resurgence that still is showing no signs of stopping. Betty White has literally became America’s Sweetheart.
Jerk of the Week: LeBron James
Seriously, LeBron James is a tool. “The Decision” was the biggest waste of time and biggest ego-stroke done by one man in the history of sports television. ESPN should be ashamed for taking part in it and James should be ashamed for coming up with the idea in the first place. The self-proclaimed King of the NBA is nothing more than a boy playing in the king’s room. James will never be on the level of Michael Jordan, Bill Russell, Kobe Bryant, Magic Johnson, or Larry Bird like the media and Nike will portray him to be because, regardless of how many talented players they had around them when they won titles, they never left their team to become an accessory to another leader. They were the leaders. How can King James be king when he’s Dwayne Wade’s gopher?
POWER RANKINGS -- Top Pizza Places in the Area
5. Elizabeth’s Pizza - Greensboro, NC on Battleground Ave.
4. Little Caesar’s3. Pizza Hut
2. Jerry’s Pizza - Martinsville, VA
1. Bill’s Pizza Pub - Greensboro, NC on High Point Rd.
BIG A RECOMMENDS…
ESPN SportsNation - Monday-Friday on ESPN2 at 4pm (usually)
Seriously, ESPN SportsNation is not only the best sports show on television, it is also one of the best shows on all of television period. Hosted by Michelle Beadle and Colin Cowherd, SportsNation combines sports and pop culture into a one-hour experience that is equally funny and informative. Cowherd offers a lot of strong opinions. But, the real star is Michelle Beadle. Bringing brains, beauty, spunk, and sass to the table, Beadle takes no crap from anybody and pulls no punches when it comes to who she likes (and doesn’t like).
ESPN SportsNation is everything good about sports television without the egotistic antics that drove me from Pardon the Interruption (Michael Wilbon’s race card antics, constant Chicago bias) and the annoying shouting nonsense that ruined Around the Horn. ESPN SportsNation is just two very awesome people who know sports debating sports, pop culture, and having fun while doing it.
WHAT I LEARNED THIS WEEK…
Other than the opening commentary on my hiatus from writing, I must say that I have learned a couple of things over the three months I have been off.
Working for the United States Census, I got to visit citizens all over Rockingham County. In doing that, I realized that this county is filled with a lot of good, hard working people who are without work because of the crappy society we live in. I also learned that there are many people in the county who are flat out nut jobs who shouldn’t be allowed outside their home.
Spending July 4th weekend with my friend, Mike and his wife Leslie, I learned that I still really love playing NASCAR 98 on the Nintendo 64. I also learned, once again, that too much exposure to heat can be a bad thing for me as I spent two weeks sick as a dog after suffering heat exhaustion during the final day of my trip.
At my uncle Billy’s annual party, I learned that sometimes love means having sex in a filthy port-a-john. I also learned that around four beers will cure what ails you.
I learned that I…
- could stare dreamily at Michelle Beadle for hours
- will always try to peek up Carrie Underwood’s skirt during the “Undo It” video
- miss seeing Mickie James inside the wrestling ring
- will always perk up seeing Maryse do her sexy hair-flip
- smile like a kid at Christmas when Jenna Fischer flashes a smirk or smile on The Office
- adore the lady in Lady Antebellum (Hillary Scott) and hate Lady Gaga
- and feel like Chris Hansen would understand every time I watch Miley Cyrus and Emily Osment on Hannah Montana and have non-PG thoughts.
And, I learned that I have missed writing. I missed sharing these thoughts with the few people who read what I write and get something from these words. I certainly hope that I don’t have this long between Highlight Reels ever again.
I’ll try to do better next time…
-- Aaron Goins
