- Life is not fair sometimes. The loss of Dan Wheldon serves as another example of that.
- Bound For Glory was a tremendous event. But, history was made in TNA two days after BFG.
- If you’re not watching The Walking Dead, you’re lame.
- And, I’m Aaron Goins. All my thoughts on these topics and so much more (including Michelle Beadle saving lives)… in The Highlight Reel!
NEWS and NOTES
**The biggest wrestling pay-per-view of 2011 has come and gone as Bound For Glory took place in Philadelphia, PA. TNA Wrestling brought their A-game with a great card filled with terrific in-ring action. Also, the show did everything that the biggest wrestling event of the year should do: culminate major angles, build new stars, and showcase the company without depending on an MTV-reality show creation or a has been who has not been in the business for a decade. While I didn’t agree with all of the results from the card, the execution that went into the show was everything that a major wrestling event should be.
The main event saw Kurt Angle retain the TNA World Championship over Robert Roode in a solid match with some underhanded tactics. While many are complaining about the notion that Hulk Hogan said Roode “was not ready” and then Roode lost, Roode still lost because Angle had to cheat. Robert Roode looked strong in his first pay-per-view outing and will only look better as he continues to strive for the TNA World title.
The other main event saw the culmination to the “Dixie Carter/Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff struggle for control of TNA Wrestling” storyline when Sting defeated Hogan in a Street Fight to return power of the company back to Carter. After the match, Hogan turned face and joined forces with Sting to fight Immortal. As long as Hogan does not turn heel again within three weeks, this all makes sense. Sting finally beat respect and honor back into Hogan and, considering the face reaction Hogan has received by fans and media during the match and the weeks prior to BFG, a face turn for Hogan is only appropriate. I just hope that the new Sting/Hogan vs. Immortal angle features a minimum of Dixie Carter’s horrific acting and in-ring action as oppose to a promo-palooza that would make Triple H and WWE proud.
In the Bound for Glory undercard, Winter lost the Knockouts Championship for the second time without a successful title defense as Velvet Sky won her first title in a Fatal Fourway match including Madison Rayne and Mickie James. While I think Mickie and Madison are both better competitors, Velvet is considerably over and is a homegrown TNA talent finally winning the big one. Plus, Mexican America retained the TNA Tag Team Championships over Ink, Inc. and Austin Aries retained the X-Division Championship over Brian Kendrick in a match raved about by fans. Rob Van Dam defeated Jerry Lynn in a Full Metal Mayhem match labeled by many as a Match of the Year candidate while Mr. Anderson beat Bully Ray in a fun and intense Falls Count Anywhere match. AJ Styles beat Christopher Daniels in an I Quit match that saw Daniels continue to establish himself as a vicious heel in defeat while Crimson continued his undefeated streak with a win over Matt Morgan and Samoa Joe.
I feel like I will be fully entertained by the event when I see it on DVD soon because it appeared to be everything that a wrestling card should be. TNA Impact delivers countless Thursday nights and I think that Bound For Glory certainly will continue TNA’s trend of putting wrestling first when entertaining the fans.
**Michelle Beadle continues to amaze me and make me more of a Beadlemaniac with every passing week. Recently, Michelle was one of many ESPN female employees who flocked to Tucson, Arizona for the ESPN-W Summit. While Michelle hosted many of the public interviews with some of the top female athletes today, it was Beadle herself whose star rose when a picture on Twitter became a hit.
Michelle Beadle: sports Goddess, cool chick, life saver. While some rumors say the photo was staged, the majority of stories state that Michelle Beadle indeed sucked venom out of the leg of Linda Cohn after she was bit by a rattlesnake while on a walking trail in Tucson. Beadle, a Texan who certainly has seen rattlers before, was walking with SportsCenter anchor Cohn and Sarah Spain, another ESPN employee, when Cohn was bit by a snake. Miles away from medical attention, Michelle sucked out venom from the wound to lessen the potential damage before Cohn received medical attention. If it’s not legit, it’s still a cool story. If it is a legit story, Michelle Beadle just added another level of coolness to the phenomenon of BeadleMania.
Oh, and Happy Birthday to Michelle Beadle also! The Beadster turns 36 on Sunday, October 23rd: a day that should be viewed as a national holiday.
**After six weeks, the National Football League is beginning to take the shape it is going to be in for the 2011 season. I, for one, am shocked by the success of some teams who appear to be for real and also shocked at the mediocrity of some teams believed to be great. In a nutshell, this season is absolutely shocking.
Now, one thing that has not been shocking is the superb play of the Green Bay Packers. At 6-0, the Packers remain the only undefeated team in the league and look weekly like an SEC powerhouse playing a community college with the way they are dominating their opposition on both offense and defense. However, there are a lot of shocking developments with regards to some of the other elite teams in the NFL through six weeks.
In the NFC, I don’t know many who believed that the San Francisco 49ers would be a solid 5-1 yet coach Jim Harbaugh’s defense-first, ground and pound style of play has worked wonders in San Fran. Plus, QB Alex Smith is playing with a self-confidence not seen in five previous seasons. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New Orleans Saints are both 4-2 in the NFC South while the Atlanta Falcons are 3-3 and not looking like the 13-win team from a season ago. I feel confident in my pick of the New York Giants in the NFC East (currently an ugly 4-2) seeing as their competition is a lucky 3-2 Redskins, a 2-3 underachieving Cowboys, and a 2-4 REALLY underachieving “dream team” Philadelphia Eagles. While Green Bay is 6-0 in the NFC North, they are only a game up as the Detroit Lions are 5-1 and among the dominant teams in the league thus far. My Carolina Panthers are among the bottom dwellers in the NFC, currently 1-5, but have been competitive every game thanks to the surprisingly effective Cam Newton.
Meanwhile, the AFC still has Tom Terrific leading the 5-1 New England Patriots. The surprise in the AFC East has been the good play from the Buffalo Bills (4-2), the sloppy and un-inspired play of the New York Jets (3-3), and the ghastly play of the 0-5 Miami Dolphins. Buffalo was expected to be in Miami’s place, Miami in the Jets’ place, and the Jets in Buffalo’s place. It’s “bizarro-land” behind the Pats. The AFC North has been competitive with three four-win teams: Baltimore, Pittsburgh, and the surprisingly good Cincinnati Bengals. Cleveland has been among the league’s underachievers at 2-3. San Diego and Oakland are both four-win clubs in the AFC West while Tennessee and Houston are three-win clubs in the bowling shoe ugly AFC South.
Over the next few weeks, I think it will be extremely interesting to see if the New York Jets can shake off the early season sluggishness on offense and live up to all of their self-created hype. I wonder if the Dallas Cowboys or Philadelphia Eagles will live up to their early season potential. Will the Atlanta Falcons regain that confidence and swagger that took them to 13 wins last season or remain mediocre? How far can San Francisco, Detroit, Cincinnati, Oakland, Buffalo, and Tennessee go? Meanwhile, how far will Indianapolis, Miami, or St. Louis fall before getting a victory or two? Can Tim Tebow lead Denver or Christian Ponder lead Minnesota? Will Carolina finally learn to seal the deal with Cam at QB? Even though the season appears to be over for some just six weeks in, there are questions surrounding every team that contribute to the best sport today. Got to love that about the NFL. Regardless of who they are or how far down on the totem pole they are, every team can impact the course of the entire league. Every game and every week counts. Every sport should aspire to have that kind of importance.
**The first two weeks of the NBA season have officially been canceled. It appears as though the NBA is indeed going to do what fans and sports journalists everywhere feared: commit suicide. Coming off the most watched and successful NBA postseason since the Jordan Era, the players and owners can not decide between who gets the millions and who gets the billions so the league has decided to take the Lockout ploy that the NFL used to get fans even more excited for football and put it into effect. Only difference between the NFL and NBA: the NBA is really going to cancel games, loses millions in revenue, and turn off the millions of fans who use the NBA as an escape from the sadness of everyday life.
Losing any regular season games at all will hurt the NBA drastically. They have already canceled the first two weeks of the season. If they lose any more games, especially a significant amount, and the NBA might as well fold up shop for the 2011-12 season and relegate themselves, when they do return, to a spot alongside hockey and golf without Tiger Woods on the national sporting scale. The NBA, with all their momentum, could have legitimately threatened the NFL in another couple of seasons. They had that much momentum in the sporting world. Now, the NBA is going to be lucky to reach the level of popularity they had in June within the next two decades. Fact.
**On October 3rd, Monday Night Football changed forever thanks to an overreaction to statements from a singer clinging to the football theme as his only remaining avenue of relevance.
While on Fox and Friends, Hank Williams, Jr. was speaking with the political analysts for some reason when he compared President Barrack Obama to Adolf Hitler. When discussing Obama playing golf with House Speaker John Boehner, Williams said, “Come on. That’d be like Hitler playing golf with (Benjamin) Netanyahu!” Williams later called Obama and vice-president Joe Biden “the enemy” and compared them to the Three Stooges, despite the mathematics clearly showing that they are missing a third stooge.
ESPN, Hank Williams, Jr.’s final employer and supporter for relevance, were none too pleased with his antics and pulled his longtime Monday Night Football opening number from all future telecasts. So, effective immediately, people now will tune in on Monday night without warning. Let’s just hope they are ready for some football.
In all seriousness though, this is another shining example of how one of the basic freedoms that all Americans are entitled to by the American Constitution, Freedom of Speech, is nothing more than a dream and fantasy on the same level as unicorns and Barack Obama bringing positive change to our country. You are not allowed to say anything about the office of President unless you want to have your career and life as you know it fall to pieces before your very eyes. A negative opinion of the idiocy is simply frowned upon. It happened to the Dixie Chicks when they criticized George W. Bush and it’s happened to Hank Williams, Jr. because of remarks regarding Barack Obama. More importantly though, it happens on Facebook and Twitter every day to average Joe’s and Jane’s when they express their distrust and distain with the current state of American government. Freedom of Speech is a pipedream and, the sooner people realize it, the better we all will be because maybe that realization will lead to someone in a higher position leading the much-needed revolution to take America back.
**Congrats to Taylor Swift on yet another well-deserved accolade. The 21-year-old country phenomenon was recently named by Billboard the Woman of the Year for 2011. In 2011 alone, Taylor had sold millions of copies of her most-recent album, Speak Now, while also headlining the very successful Speak Now World Tour. Plus, her success continued to transcend the country genre and has also transcended the globe in the process. Taylor Swift is one of the hottest artists in the world today and does it all while remaining out of controversial stories and without desperate cries for attention (Lady Gaga, anyone?). Mad props to Taylor Swift on being named Billboard’s 2011 Woman of the Year. There is not a more-deserving lady in all of music.
**I have been a major fan of The Office since the first time I watched the show in 2006. Major fan is an understatement really. Fanatic is more like it. I have said that I will remain a fan until the show went off the air but this season has really made it had to stay a fan. For every great laugh I have had in the eighth season, I have also had two moments of sheer annoyance with how boring things have gotten for the gang at Dunder-Mifflin since Steve Carell departed.
I like the move of Andy Bernard (played by Ed Helms) to the Regional Manager position. But, the addition of new Sabre CEO Robert California (played by James Spader) has done what I feared; turned an occasional fun cameo by Kathy Bates into a scene-sucking recurring character from Spader. I’m sure that her real-life pregnancy possibly has played a part in this but I hate the misuse of Jenna Fischer as Pam has become a background character after being an integral part of the show for so many years. Plus, I don’t like the amount of time spent on Erin (played by Ellie Kemper) when so many other cast-members are lost in the shuffle. Creed, Meredith, Kevin, Stanley, and Phyllis have all been extras in the background even more than usual and I think that it is hurting the show as a whole.
I am still a fan of The Office and, at times, I think that it shows moments of being one of the better comedies on television today. Any scene with Dwight’s cousin Mose or an out-of-nowhere remark from Creed is comedy gold. But, the desire to replace the star of Steve Carell with James Spader and attempt at re-creating Jim and Pam’s dynamic with Andy and Erin are both ill-guided moves on the producers’ part. I hope that The Office will regain some of the magic missing in these first episodes as the season carries on. I really want to enjoy my visits to Scranton, PA instead of feeling obligated to visit.
**The 2011 World Series is currently underway. The Texas Rangers and St. Louis Cardinals are vying for the title of World Champions of baseball. That is pretty much it. People seem to be more interested in the allegations and aftermath of the Boston Red Sox collapse, squirrels, the GM situation with the Chicago Cubs, and who is throwing out first pitches for World Series games than the actual match-up of the Rangers and Cardinals.
It may be a great series but, after a regular season of 40,000 games, what little interest I already have for baseball is officially gone. At least the October Classic will end in October this year. That’s a plus.
**”Just win, baby!”
Those words were the mantra of Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis, who passed away on October 8th at the age of 82. Davis, known by yours truly as The Cryptkeeper for his eerie resemblance in later years to the host from Tales from the Crypt, passed away from causes yet to be announced at his home in Oakland.
Davis was one of the most polarizing figures in professional football history. He was beloved by many Raiders’ fans who saw Davis as the figurehead for their anti-league/authority/sanity movement while loathed by many for appearing petty with moves like trading star QB Ken Stabler in 1980 or trying to bench and eventually releasing RB Marcus Allen in 1992 as prime examples. Davis’ decision to move the Raiders to Los Angeles outraged many while the return to Oakland endeared him to a new legion of Raider fans. He was a pioneer in terms of diversity hires within the National Football League. He hired the second Latino coach, first African-American coach, and first female executive in league history. Of course, Davis also spearheaded the selection of dozens of speedy wide receivers with hands of stone. For every great thing that Davis was known for, there are just as many things Davis can be held responsible for that are laughable.
One thing about Al Davis though that is admirable is that Davis had a love for his sport, his team, and his fans. Al Davis took the words from detractors in stride and maintained his commitment to the Oakland Raiders and their fans until his dying day. He never gave up even when things were at their bleakest and most embarrassing for Raider Nation. That, in my opinion, is something extremely commendable. Al Davis: 1929-2011. There will never be another like him.
CHEERS and JEERS
Superstar of the Week: James Storm
Just two days after Bound For Glory, the landscape of the TNA World title picture changed drastically when the “Tennessee Cowboy” James Storm defeated Kurt Angle to win he TNA World Championship. Storm, one-half of Beer Money with Robert Roode, beat Angle during the Impact Wrestling taping to win the TNA World title for the first time in his career. As a homegrown TNA talent, this move was seen as nothing but a positive move in the right direction for the wrestling fans out there without their head lost in Vince McMahon’s butt.
Personally, I have been a fan of James Storm since his work with his first great tag team: America’s Most Wanted. A great in-ring worker, Storm also has a “rough around the edges” personality that appeals to the working man and the blue collar society while also appealing to everyone else through a charm and sense of humor that is universal. He can do it in the ring and on the microphone. Kudos to James Storm on the victory. Now, I hope TNA doesn’t do what we’ve seen so many times in wrestling and pull the rug out from under his feet before he can establish himself on this next level of superstardom.
Jerk of the Week: Natalie Maines
I used to be a major fan of the Dixie Chicks. Their first two albums were incredible. While I disliked the third album and their turn towards the bluegrass genre, I still liked the girls as a whole and I was not one of the many who jumped ship off the Dixie Chicks bandwagon when Natalie Maines talked negatively about then-President George W. Bush in 2003. But, in the aftermath of that incident and the backlash on the Dixie Chicks, I have found myself not liking the group because of the antics and comments of lead singer Natalie Maines. Last weekend, Maines put her foot in her mouth again with comments that I find simply unforgivable.
At a benefit concert in Austin, Texas alongside George Strait and Willie Nelson, Maines performed. Then, answering a question on Twitter, Maines said, “I have never been a fan of country music…” while answering a question regarding a previous statement about hating the genre. People are allowed to hate genres of music all they want. But, I think it sounds bitter, sad, and pathetic when someone like Maines makes a statement about a genre of music that made her into a millionaire many times over. She has never been a fan of a genre of music that she repeatedly, before 2003, said was her calling in life and one of her great pleasures. It is just ridiculous and reeks of sour grapes coming from a failed turn towards bluegrass and sub-sequential fall from grace before her mouth overflowed with the controversial remarks about George W. Bush in 2003.
With an attitude and remarks like these, one thing is certain: country music is certainly not going to be a fan of you, Natalie Maines. Maybe you can find another genre and make yourself millions there.
POWER RANKINGS - Top Icons of Horror
10. Leatherface from The Texas Chain Saw Massacre series
9. Pinhead from the Hellraiser series
8. The unknown and unseen evil from Paranormal Activity, The Exorcist, etc.
7. Laurie Strode from Halloween - the ultimate “final girl”
6. Norman Bates from Psycho
5. George Romero - the mind behind the Living Dead genre
4. The shark from Jaws
3. Freddy Kruger from the A Nightmare on Elm Street series
2. Michael Myers from the Halloween series
1. Jason Voorhees from the Friday the 13th series
BIG A RECOMMENDS…
The Walking Dead - New episodes air on AMC every Sunday at 9PM
After the spectacular first season, I wondered if The Walking Dead could keep up that momentum with the second season of the critically-acclaimed and very popular show. After the second season premiere aired last week, it was a safe comment to make that The Walking Dead was not only back but also was prepared to be ever better than the first season.
I am not going to spoil anything about the second season premiere because it is not too late to catch that episode. All I can say, repeatedly, is WATCH THIS SHOW! If you are not watching The Walking Dead already, WATCH THIS SHOW! And, watch it now!
WHAT I LEARNED THIS WEEK…
The 2011 Izod IndyCar Series season ended on October 16th in Las Vegas. Dario Franchitti was crowned champion for the fourth time in his career and third consecutive season while James Hinchcliffe won Rookie of the Year honors. Danica Patrick finished her IndyCar career with a 10th place finish in the final standings and is NASCAR-bound.
I would go into more detail about what was an amazing season. But, the events of the final race of the season shook the IndyCar Series and the sport to its very core with the tragic passing of Dan Wheldon.
On October 16th at around 3:42PM EST, I was watching the IndyCar Series event from Las Vegas and I was upset about their being a lack of sound on the telecast. While watching and steaming about the lack of sound, I saw a spectacular, fiery, ghastly crash take place in the first two turns when contact between rookies James Hinchcliffe and Wade Cunningham led to a 15-car accident that saw multiple cars go airborne and multiple cars catch fire. Through listening to the PA announcer on television and surfing Facebook and Twitter frantically, I heard who was injured. More importantly, I heard who everyone was praying frantically for: Dan Wheldon. At 6:00PM, what everyone assumed and feared was announced officially: Dan Wheldon had died from injuries suffered in the accident.
I was a fan of Dan Wheldon. From the first time I really watching him in 2004, I saw a young Brit with a confident attitude and the skills behind the wheel to back it up. Wheldon’s career on the track was among the most successful in the history of open-wheel racing. Wheldon’s 16 career victories were fourth among all drivers in IndyCar Series history. Wheldon was the 2003 IndyCar Series Rookie of the Year and 2005 IndyCar Series Champion. The two biggest accomplishments, though, of Wheldon’s career occurred at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. In 2005, Danica Patrick was the story of the day for her history efforts but it was her then-teammate at Andretti-Green Racing, Wheldon, who won his first Indianapolis 500. Going into 2011, Dan did not have a full-time ride. Signing a one-race deal with Bryan Herta Autosports, Wheldon again was not the story of the event. Everyone talked about JR Hildebrand’s brush with greatness as the rookie crashed in Turn Four on the final lap but it was Wheldon who kissed the bricks after claiming his second victory in the Indianapolis 500.
Over the course of the summer after Wheldon’s second Indy 500 victory, I became more of a fan of Wheldon and his personality through his television work on Versus. Instead of begging for a ride, Wheldon worked as an ambassador for the sport through TV work, PR appearances, and testing/developmental work for the upcoming 2012 season and the new debuting Dallara that will run on the IndyCar Series. Wheldon handed not having a full-time ride with a dignity and work ethic that was nothing short of admirable. Then, October 16th came and the world of IndyCar racing was shaken to its very core.
I cried many times on Sunday watching the retrospectives on the life of Dan Wheldon. He was a funny guy; not funny for a race car driver, genuinely funny. A father of two young sons, Oliver and Sebastian, Wheldon had been married for almost three years and spent his last night out getting matching tattoos with the woman he loved. Dan Wheldon was a genuinely good guy. Former driver-turned-broadcaster Eddie Cheever summed it up best when he said, “Racing has lost a great champion; not just Indy Car but all of racing.” More importantly though, humanity lost a great man.
That is how I will always remember Dan Wheldon. His smile was infectious and hid an aura of confidence that was always backed up by an undeniable talent. Dan Wheldon was a great champion on and off the track. He will never be forgotten.
Goodbye Dan and Godspeed.
- Aaron Goins
