Thanksgiving 2012 - The Things I'm Thankful for in 2012

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The Highlight Reel presents This Week's Recap for November 19th

THIS WEEK’S RECAP…

Superstar of the Week: Brad Keselowski 



I am not a big NASCAR fan anymore. To say I am a fan at any level is to tell a lie. However, I do respect the idea of a NASCAR Cup Champion who is a legitimate champion. Brad Keselowski is a Cup Champion in every sense of the word. 



Brad Keselowski won the 2012 Cup Championship after his 15th place finish at Homestead-Miami Speedway clinched the title over Clint Bowyer (-39 points) and Jimmie Johnson (-40 points). For Keselowski, this was his first Cup Championship. With the title, Keselowski joins only Bobby Labonte as a driver to claim both a Cup and Nationwide/Busch Grand National Series title. This was the first Cup Championship for team owner Roger Penske and the first title won by a driver in the famed #2 Miller Lite “blue deuce.” While Keselowski won the title via the Chase format, I respect his championship and recognize it because Keselowski also won the championship the hard way. Using the traditional format where the entire season counts, Brad Keselowski would have won by 19 points over Greg Biffle and 28 points over Jimmie Johnson. Either way you look at it, Brad Keselowski won the 2012 Cup Championship. Congratulations to Brad Keselowski, Roger Penske, and the Miller Lite crew on a victorious season.

Jerk of the Week: World Wrestling Entertainment

I know. I know. WWE is my Jerk of the Week again. Even when I do not watch the company’s product, they earn this honor. I am just a petty hater. There is nothing WWE could do deserve this again. What was so bad this time, you ask? Well, since you asked…

Almost 10 weeks ago, Jerry “the King” Lawler suffered a near-fatal heart attack on-air during Monday Night RAW. Thanks to quick-working medics and the arena’s proximity to a hospital, Lawler survived the heart attack. Of course, survival meant two things: Jerry Lawler could return to work for WWE and Jerry Lawler’s near-fatal heart attack could become the fodder for cheap heel heat. CM Punk, the man who used religion as a basis for heel antics on Twitter recently, interrupted Lawler’s return to cut a promo mocking Lawler’s health scare. Punk’s associate, human scumbag Paul Heyman, added a tasteless faux heart attack of his own to complete one of the most disgusting and tasteless angles in professional wrestling history.

"Ha ha ha! You had a heart attack, Jerry!"

"Paul, don't die on me. Your last check didn't clear."

Many fans were outraged. Legends like Steve Austin, Lance Storm, Jeff Jarrett, and Chris Jericho questioned the segment. I read countless Tweets and Facebook posts crying foul of the angle. However, World Wrestling Entertainment always has their sheep ready to defend the logo. Many called those offended “hypocrites” because the majority of those complaining are the same people wanting a more hardcore edge to the product. I do not think for a second that anyone complaining about the angle was hypocritical in his or her displeasure. Their criticism had a point. There is a line between tastelessly bad and horrifically tasteless. Monday night’s post-heart attack mockery crossed it. 

In 1999, the Big Boss Man ambushed the funeral of the Big Show’s father. It culminated in Big Show bodysurfing on his father’s casket as Boss Man towed it away. I thought it was hilarious then and think it is hilarious now. What makes this acceptable is that Big Show’s father was not recently deceased. This was not a fresh wound used for heel heat fodder. This was black comedy and part of the show - tasteless but for show. WWE used to know where the line existed. After all, during this same period, they did not use the death of Owen Hart or the paralysis of Darren Drozdov as heel heat fodder. WWE was above that and recognized the fine line. That is no longer the case.

Since 2005, WWE has exploited the death of Eddie Guerrero, the cancer scares and Bells Palsy of Jim Ross, and death of Jerry Lawler’s mother as part of their ongoing attempt at obtaining heel heat in the cheapest manner possible. As bad as Tim White’s never-ending suicide skits from 2005 were, they were based on horrible writing and Vince McMahon’s warped sense of humor; not a real suicide attempt from White. The other moments, however, really happened. They affected families and friends outside of the bubble that is World Wrestling Entertainment. These moments created genuine pain and should have remained off limits. However, WWE could not make light of them quick enough. 

The mockery of Jerry Lawler’s heart attack does not surprise me. However, expecting it does not mean I have to like it. Quite the contrary, it actually makes me happy because it reaffirms my belief that World Wrestling Entertainment is the worst company in entertainment today and wrestling fans should boycott it at all cost. 

Babe of the Week: Selena Gomez

Free at last. Free at last.
Got away from the Bieber. She is free at last!

A Melancholy Happy Trails to…
- Hostess Brands Inc., 82 - American manufacturer bakery products including Twinkies, Wonder Bread, Ding Dongs, Ho Hos, and Merita bread products. (November 16th)

The Highlight Reel presents This Week's Recap for the first time in a while...

THIS WEEK’S RECAP…

Superstar(s) of the Week: Barack Obama and Blake Shelton

Congratulations to Barack Obama on winning the 2012 Presidential Election. On November 6th, Obama defeated Republican candidate Mitt Romney, 332 electoral votes to 206, to earn a second term as President of the United States. More importantly, this signified the end of the worst part of being an American as Obama’s victory signified the end of the political season that annually terrorizes families nationwide with political ads, unsolicited cold calls, and unwanted harassment from professional liars and their minions. As wonderful as the right to vote is, this right is more of a chore that I personally chose to ignore when the ballot is between two men who have nothing in terms of plans or concerns for the American people outside of their own kind (i.e. the wealthy and elite).

Entertainer of the Year and goes home with Miranda Lambert... Dude is just crushing life.

November 1st was the most successful day of country singer Blake Shelton’s career. At the 46th annual CMA Awards, Shelton left with three awards - Song of the Year (with Miranda Lambert) for “Over You”, Male Vocalist of the Year, and Entertainer of the Year. Shelton, a perpetual lock at the Male Vocalist of the Year honor with three consecutive wins, earned his first Entertainer of the Year honor over a crowded field including Brad Paisley, Jason Aldean, Kenny Chesney, and Taylor Swift. Shelton, who also is a judge/vocal coach on one of television’s biggest hits - The Voice, is currently one of the biggest stars in all of music. This huge haul at the CMA Awards solidified Blake Shelton’s spot among the upper echelon of country music and as one of the top stars in all of music today. Congratulations to Blake Shelton on these tremendous honors.

Jerk of the Week: The American Public

After having to witness friends turn against friends, family turn against family, and our country crumble to the verge of civil war over two professional liars, nobody else deserves the honor of Jerk of the Week more than the American Public. 

The election season showed the absolute worst in humanity with the way people acted, all in the name of political support. As much as I hate politics, my dislike only grew with my initial feelings justified by the actions of those around me. It was sad and tragic to watch. People who participated in this should be ashamed. They should be ashamed for more than just acting like complete morons over political topics though; they should also be ashamed for supporting this election in the first place. Both Barack Obama and Mitt Romney offered nothing beneficial to the American public with their campaign platforms. The idea of America having choices on the ballot was a lie as both candidates were wolves cut from the same cloth while anybody else with a legitimately different idea (Gary Johnson?) was shunned from the debates and nothing more than small print on the ballot. 

Plain and simple, America let me down by participating in this fraudulent election. Many brave men and women have died so that we all have the right to vote. I believe many of them are looking at our country from the beyond and shake their heads as they see what voting has become in our country. Voting is not about selecting the candidate with the best ideas for our country. Voting is now a popularity contest between wealthy people with low self-esteem in constant need of reassurance -- a reassurance they get at the expense of simple-minded sheep who fall for their lies time and time again. 

For everyone who told me I have no right to complain because of my lack of participation, I say you have no right to complain about the results of the election. I did not put any of these people in office. I did nothing. You are the ones who fell for the lies, wasted your time and effort, and put them in office. This is your fault. Jerks.

Babe of the Week: Carrie Underwood



A Melancholy Happy Trails to…
- Jim Durham, 65 - American sportscaster who famously called “The Shot.” (November 4th)
- Pascual Perez, 55 - Dominican baseball player who played for the Atlanta Braves, Montreal Expos, and New York Yankees (November 1st)
- Brad Armstrong, 50 - American professional wrestler and member of the Armstrong wrestling family (November 1st)
- Emanuel Steward, 68 - American boxing trainer and HBO boxing commentator (October 25th)

Thoughts on a Special Event - Carrie Underwood in Greensboro

On November 4th, I was lucky enough to see Carrie Underwood live in concert as the 2012 Blown Away Tour stopped at the Greensboro Coliseum. Alongside my friend and neighbor Gwen Grogan, I crossed Carrie Underwood off my Concert Bucket List and experienced one of the most incredible concert experiences of my life. In a word, Carrie Underwood is AMAZING!



Before Carrie took the stage, Hunter Hayes opened the show with a terrific set. The “Wanted” and “Storm Warning” singer showed me a lot in his 45-minute set. Besides his two signature singles, Hayes performed an outstanding cover of Bruno Mars’ “Just the Way You Are” mixed with Train’s “Drive By” that put a country spin on two of the premiere pop singles of the last five years. In addition, throughout the set, Hayes showed his proficiency with the guitar in guitar solos that would make country contemporaries Brad Paisley and Keith Urban proud. Hunter Hayes has a bright future and I became a big fan with that performance.

However, the night was all about Carrie Underwood. Carrie blew me away with her vocals, which never wavered once in a two-hour performance that included five outfit changes, 23 songs, and an acoustic set high above the audience. Yeah, she literally was above the audience with a portion of her band for a five-song set. It did not look like the safest structure ever but made for a cool concert experience nonetheless.



In fact, Carrie was close enough to me that she could hear when I yelled, “I love you, Carrie!” like a lovesick fool. She waved at me too. Now, there were many of us yelling for Carrie’s attention in my section. However, I am taking her wave and smile as mine and mine alone. Carrie Underwood loves me. Do not belittle my delusions, people!

Anyhoo, back to the concert. Carrie performed many of her major hits including “Before He Cheats”, “Cowboy Casanova”, “Good Girl”, and an emotional rendition of “Jesus, Take the Wheel.” While I didn’t get to hear Carrie sing my favorite song of hers as she did not perform “So Small”, her performance of “Remind Me” with virtual Brad Paisley made up for it. That performance will go down as one of the coolest performances I ever witnessed in person. The stage transformed into the desert landscape from the music video and just worked on so many levels.

I cannot stress enough how amazing Carrie Underwood is in person. The stage show, the vocals, the music, the electric atmosphere, and the stunning grace and beauty of Miss Underwood all combined for an amazing experience that left me, and the thousands in attendance, “Blown Away.”