Sunday, October 13, 2013

10 Years Later -- A Special Look Back at the 1st Edition of The Highlight Reel!

Welcome again boys and girls to another edition of... The Highlight Reel!

That’s right, the new name of this weekly newsletter is The Highlight Reel. I should give credit where credit is due and say that I am stealing this name from the show on RAW that Chris Jericho does, also entitled The Highlight Reel.

Now that that’s out of the way, on to The Highlight Reel! 
2013 Note: So, that is how I started the first edition of The Highlight Reel on October 13th, 2003. I ripped off the name of Chris Jericho’s interview segment and started writing. I do not know why I said it was “another edition” since it was the first edition of this newsletter. I almost forgot this used to be a newsletter that I sent to people in emails because I did not have a webpage to post on. Crazy times, man. We were just kids.
NEWS and NOTES
**This Saturday was awesome and I didn’t even catch Trading Spaces, WWE Velocity, or the night race at Charlotte. I was invited to go out for a night of “spooky maze fun” at Kersey Valley Spookeywoods in High Point. A friend from RCC named Tatum got together some of her friends and we all went their to play in the haunted cornfield. 
2013 Note: Jesus Christ. The misuse of “their” instead of “there” in the last sentence just hurts my feelings. In addition, an awesome Saturday night could have consisted of a home decorating show, a WWE C-Show, or a NASCAR race. What in the hell was wrong with me?
While not everyone invited went, Tatum and myself were joined by her friends Amy and Rod. I had never met them before, but I can say that they were cool and I enjoyed their company. As for the cornfield. First of all, let me tell you that the cornfield is not haunted at all. However, while not haunted, it is fun... frustratingly fun! You have to find six little stations inside the field and get this card given to you at the gate punched. Man, it was hard too! We were in the field for hours but it was quite the adventure. Tatum walks like 15 miles per hour and would leave Amy and me in the dust sometimes. Plus, I was too busy breaking the cornfield rules by littering and picking corn to throw. The only rules I didn’t break were the no smoking and no drinking rules. Oh, and I tore a big chunk of cornfield out when I got dizzy and fell in the corn. That’s right, I start spinning like a moron for no real reason... and then fell into the corn. I can hear the laughter from Tatum, Amy, and Rod now. Ahhh, memories! 
2013 Note: Never saw Rod again. In fact, Amy and I last spoke over a year ago and she was the last connection I had to this night. That is more depressing than interesting.
After the cornfield adventure, we picked up some Chinese and went back to Tatum’s house. We watched The Matrix and finally ended things at 3:12 AM. I remember the time because I looked at it when I cranked the truck to leave. I think everyone was exhausted. Tatum looked like she was about to drop asleep during the film. I was yawning and wound up resting my head on her knees at the end of the movie. Amy was yawning and ready for some sleep. And Rod, well, I think he was tired, but to be honest, he might have been able to go another five or six hours. He was full of energy, like a guy with ADD or something. All in all, an awesome night with some real great company. 
2013 Note: “I was yawning and wound up resting my head on her knees at the end of the movie.” Holy creepy use of details, Batman. Oh, and in mentioning my old truck, I am more depressed now. I loved that truck.
**No Mercy is one week away. Sunday, October 19th will be when the SmackDown only pay-per-view occurs from Baltimore. Going to be an awesome card, even though the McMahon dominance continues to rule the airwaves of SmackDown.

The Undertaker will face WWE Champion Brock Lesnar in the first ever Biker Chain match in the main event. A chain will be hung from the ceiling and the first man to get it will be able to use it. Going to be a war in Baltimore.

Plus, Kurt Angle vs. John Cena and US Champion Eddie Guerrero vs. Big Show will headline this awesome card. Of course, the card will be brought down a bit by the first ever Father/ Daughter I Quit match. Vince McMahon faces Stephanie McMahon in what’s sure to be a classic... NOT! 
2013 Note: I was such a WWE sycophant back then. When I criticize the WWE sheep of today, it is not criticisms coming from a man who does not understand their plight because I do. I was once afflicted with their disease. I was once blind but now I see. Even though I was a WWE sycophant, I still knew that WWE did not need the show to revolve around the exploits of the McMahon Family. It is a good thing they stopped that mess because nobody wants to see a power struggle involving Vince, Stephanie, and any other members of the McMahon Family on television. 
Nice use of the “… NOT” joke Borat would later make famous, by the way.
**Clay Aiken’s debut CD, Measure of a Man hits stores on Tuesday. I am so going to get that CD. I can’t wait! Carolina’s own Clay Aiken should have been the American Idol, I can not express that enough, and I think that all of the world will realize this when Measure of a Man hits the music world by storm. Good luck, Clay! 
2013 Note: Yeah, I liked Clay Aiken. Let me rephrase that. I liked Clay Aiken’s music. I am sure with a fascination for interior décor and a sport where muscular men in underpants roll around, it was not a far-fetched conclusion for people to think I liked Clay Aiken in another sense back then.
**Texas Chainsaw Massacre is a horror classic and I hope that the remake will do it justice when it hits theaters this Friday night. I can’t wait to see it... Jessica Biel’s going to get what’s coming to her for being in 7th Heaven, LOL! Reviews on this film should be in next week’s Highlight Reel. 
2013 Note: It was a good movie too. I do not understand why I could not write, “I can’t wait to see it. Jessica Biel is going to get what is coming to her for 7th Heaven” instead of what I wrote. I was still young and really loved the ellipsis I suppose.
THIS WEEK'S AWARDS
Superstar of the Week: Big props are going to my mom, June Goins. Yeah, that’s right. Why is she the Superstar of the Week? Well, after watching what she’s done this week, she deserves an award. She has worked hard as can be to keep everything going on with her work at the cleaners in Madison, keep the cat well satisfied, and help my dad with all of his little troubles as he recuperates from his open-heart surgery. Super Mad Props go to the Beavis for this week. 
2013 Note: Momma’s Boy then. Momma’s Boy now. Some things never, ever change.
Assclown of the Week: Seriously, am I the only person in the world tired of hearing about Kobe Bryant and his whole raping case? I am so damn tired of it! However, while Kobe raped this girl, and I have been saying this since the case first broke, I must give the Assclown award to the girl in this case.

“Why?” you ask. I’ll tell you why. In hearing of what occurred in the incident, this girl was ASKING FOR IT from the beginning. She flirted with him constantly from check-in to the assault. She went up to fix his hot tub, rather than sending maintenance. She went up to deliver his food, rather than allowing the food people do it. Then, after she got off work, she went up to his room for a little bit. She lifted her shirt to show him a tattoo she had. She sent him every signal that he could drive to the hoop. And, being a basketball player, he drove hard and scored, rather she wanted him to or not. This girl brought this tragic rape upon herself and I, for one, hope that Kobe’s ass gets the same treatment in jail for this. However, I’m tired of hearing that she’s the innocent victim in this case. She’s a victim... but she sure as hell isn’t innocent. 
2013 Note: I scolded the victim in the Kobe Bryant rape case as much as I scolded Bryant. Well, in retrospect, Kobe has only raped opposing defenses since this incident so it could be suggested that maybe this young lady did cry wolf (or rape) after leading Bryant on as part of a fame and money-grabbing ploy. 
Still, defending Kobe really does come off as a Jerk move. 
Oh, and it was the Assclown of the Week. Man, I loved Chris Jericho’s shtick back then. It is a wonder I did not create a horrible rock band and become hugely successful in Germany only.
THE FINAL CREDITS
Hope you all enjoy this first edition of The Highlight Reel. I’m going to leave you with this closing thought. Send me an email if you do indeed remember this. Until next time,
-- Aaron Goins, Jr.

Do You Remember?: Do you remember the show He-Man? All I am asking is if He-Man was or was not the gayest cartoon ever? I think He-Man was gay. His little funky hair and his muscular body... and yet dude had no women flocking to be with him. He-Man may have kicked some ass... but he was gay! 
2013 Note: WOW! Talk about ending The Highlight Reel in the most inappropriate way possible! Yes, He-Man was a very homosexual-appearing cartoon. However, I just went there and destroyed him about it. Such intolerance is not a part of The Highlight Reel a decade later. Well, for the most part, it is no longer a part of The Highlight Reel. He-Man really was light in the loafers.
It is fun to look back at how it all began for me with the first edition of The Highlight Reel. I cannot believe I stuck with writing this blog for ten years. Starting as a weekly e-mail newsletter, The Highlight Reel evolved to a MySpace page and then to its current home on Blogspot. One thing has remained true throughout – these are always a reflection of me. It thrills me to know that somebody – regardless of if it is one person or 10,000 people – read these because at least I know I reached somebody. That is all I ever really wanted. 

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