LIVE Raw thoughts - December 30, 2013

11:04 - Honestly, I'm not sure how I feel about that ending.  I do like to wait to see how things play out before making judgments, but I found it personally frustrating.  For one, it's somewhat annoying that WWE is so willing to turn supremely major babyfaces (like Punk, Batista, and Bryan), but won't even tease that sort of thing with Cena -- who is desperately in need of some character complexity.  Why is Cena the only face that can't be compromised?  Everybody else can show physical and spiritual moments of weakness, but not him (compare Cena's struggles with Nexus to Bryan's struggle with the Wyatts).

The other thing is that when I look at major turns, I ask myself two questions:  Does the person's character need it to happen to remain interesting, and will the turn advance the wrestler higher on the card?  For example -- CM Punk last year probably didn't need to turn heel from a character perspective, but by turning he went from the #2 babyface to the #1 heel, so he did move up the card.  But in both cases, the answer for Bryan is "no."  Fans LOVE Bryan and they desperately want to root for him.  This is the absolute most over he's been.  And there IS a way to advance his story, but unfortunately (for WWE) that means giving him the title.  But that doesn't fit into their plans.  So they need to manufacture this heel turn.  Bryan's ascension from whiny, cowardly heel with a Napoleon complex to a scrappy, talented, motivated underdog hero was a great story.  The proper ending was a success story -- not a submission.

And then there's the question of whether this will move him up the card.  I don't think it will move him down, but it's lateral at best.  Not only will he not be the #1 heel (that still belongs to Orton, until at least WrestleMania likely)....he won't even be the leader of the group!

Of course, this could be a swerve.  And I hope it is.  Like I said, I prefer waiting to see how things play out.

10:57 - I enjoy the Bray Wyatt character and his promos are something different, but I wish they would add a little substance and consequence to his actions.  For all the talk they do, and for all the fear the announcers present, what has he really done since his debut?  The most "diabolical" thing would be to kidnap Kane.....but then Kane returned, completely altered his character (without any connection being made to the kidnapping) and it was all forgotten.  The Wyatt Family have kidnapped Bryan numerous times....and we're yet to really find out what they do.  Create some consequence for their actions.

10:54 - I typically enjoying the Old School Raws....but only when they go all the way with it.  Like, with the old school set and everything.

10:49 - Fun match with Harper.  Kicking off the show with Punk and ending it with Bryan is not a shabby way to close out the year.

10:27 - I hope 2014 is the year that Daniel Bryan finally brings back his awesome ring jackets.

10:12 - Is there a reason why the Total Divas suddenly don't like each other again?  Because they haven't bothered to explain that.

10:11 - Kaitlyn is kinda like the female version of Dolph Ziggler.  Started off the year as champion of her division, ended the year jobbing to pretty much everybody.

10:02 - When your screams sound like that of an old lady, maybe you should remain a silent killer.

10:01 - Mark Henry.  What a shock.

9:55 - Brock is looking a little leaner than usual.  I'm interested in seeing where this goes.

9:48 - I noticed that both AJ and JoJo were left off of that 10 Divas match.  Does that mean I can FINALLY get to see that match?

9:46 - Has Brodus won a single match since turning into a "monster" heel?

9:30 - Things are looking pretty meek, Kofi, when the Great Khali is beating you in an App vote.

9:21 - I like Barrett's elaborate new stage....but I find it odd that NOBODY saw him there until the very last moment.

9:20 - Didn't they JUST air an ad, which included Booker T, that said he'd be appearing for "one night only"?

9:13 - Fun match.  Good performance from each of them.

9:00 - The special hashtag and the in-ring introductions does make this match seem more prestigious.  Well done.

8:57 - Nothing sounds hipper than when Michael Cole talks about the "chatter" on Twitter.  I do like WWE experimenting with the hashtags, though.  Survivor does this -- every segment of the show (Redemption Island, Reward Challenge, Immunity Challenge, Tribal Council, etc.) has its own hashtag.

8:48 - Voting for Damien Sandow's opponent.  It doesn't get any bigger than that.

8:46 - It's incredible that Ziggler even shows any motivation during his entrance anymore.

8:39 - Not an Orton fan, but that was a cool video.  I especially liked how they spliced in his prior title wins as he was grabbing the unified championship.

8:34 - By the way, since they're still building Wyatt/Bryan, I'm guessing that the main event for Royal Rumble will be Orton/Cena.  Ah yes, the status quo is restored!

8:28 - Really fun match with some great psychology.  Really enjoyed the story they were telling there.

8:16 - These two are surprisingly awkward right now.  Two less than fluid looking spots.

8:12 - I liked the way Punk stirred the pot, because it didn't make the Shield look like idiots for falling for his mind games.  Everybody played their roles really well there.  Also, every time Brad Maddox and Vickie Guerrero come out, it reminds me how useless their roles have become.  How did the GM era outlast the two World Titles era?

8:03 - It's been over half a year (I think?) and I'm still not used to Punk's Wolverine sideburns.  I like the grown out hair....but grow the beard back!

7:55 - I wasn't originally going to do a LIVE Raw thoughts this week, since I thought the show was taped and I wasn't feeling well.  But since it's the last Raw of 2013 and I have off tomorrow, it might be worth it.  So, follow along.

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Pinstripe Bowl -- an update!

I'm going!!

But it wasn't without a little effort.  After receiving the news that our ticket requests would not be honored (again, despite our credit card already being charged), I took to Twitter and saw that there were many people that had experienced the same thing.  And they were pissed as well.  I decided to reach out to my friends and co-workers, to see if they had any extra tickets, but unfortunately none of them did.

We then discovered that they were still selling tickets on Ticket Master.  Of course, these tickets were both more expensive and less desirable than the ones we originally had.  My group -- which had shrunk from one person, who decided he no longer wanted to go because he was so annoyed with the way Rutgers handled the situation -- decided to just go for it.  We're paying for the unique experience and, personally, I don't often get to see Notre Dame play.  Plus, I had an awesome time last time we went.

So we ended up ordering tickets that cost over $100 (including fees) and we're in the nosebleeds.  Nonetheless, I'm psyched.

Oh, and Merry Christmas Eve, everybody!!

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The RU Screw

Back when I went to Rutgers, there was something known as the "RU Screw."  The premise was that, whether it had to do with housing or scheduling or financial matters, Rutgers would find a way to screw you over.  My friends even had RU Screw t-shirts made, which I still occasionally wear to a great reaction.

I've been out of college for nearly ten years now but the Screw is still getting me.  My friends and I purchased tickets to the Pinstripe Bowl -- the game uniquely played at Yankee Stadium, featuring Rutgers against the popular Notre Dame -- the day the tickets went on sale.  My friend's credit card was even charged for the purchase.  Well today -- just one week before the game -- my friend gets an e-mail from Rutgers Athletics saying that they oversold their capabilities and that they will not be able to honor our "request" for a ticket.

On top of being really, really annoyed, I'm also terribly disappointed.  We went to the Pinstripe Bowl in 2011 (shown above) and it was an awesome time.  Bars in New York City were Rutgers-ified, adorned in red and selling Fat Sandwiches.  And watching a game at Yankee Stadium was a neat experience.  And as far as this year goes, a lot of friends from work are separately going to the game as well.  I had even bought a shirt from the new Heritage Collection to wear to the game.  So right now, my friends and I are scrambling to find out if anybody has tickets that they're trying to get rid of, or if they're LEGITIMATELY available anywhere else.

So, yeah, if you have any tickets you're looking to get rid of, let me know!  And damn, Rutgers, you make it so hard to defend you sometimes....

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Cell Phone Crashing

A co-worker sent me this video of a guy getting revenge on obnoxiously loud cell phone talker.  Admittedly, these people seem pretty harmless and polite -- speaking privately in fairly secluded areas, but I found it to be absolutely hilarious.  I was literally laughing out loud in my cube.  Hope you enjoy it!

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LIVE Raw thoughts - December 16, 2013

10:36 - I miss Daniel Bryan's awesome ring jacket.  Also, how long do you see Orton carrying around both belts?  It only gives the impression that the belts will eventually be un-unified (which may be the plan....but you shouldn't want to pass along that idea).

Alright, watching this match from bed!

10:24 - Glad to see AJ still winning!  Where's my AJ/JoJo match?

10:07 - By the way, if I stop commentating it doesn't necessarily mean I'm not enjoying the show.  But I do have to wake up at, like, 5 in the morning tomorrow....so I might retreat to my bed to watch the rest of the show.

9:48 - There really have been a lot of tag team matches tonight, haven't there?

9:39 - I kinda miss HBK's crazy mountain man beard.  And, oh yeah, still hate Punk's sideburns.  I also love HBK's heelish character.  Not explicitly bad, but cracks when push comes to shove.

9:27 - Sooooo we're supposed to like Cameron and Naomi for just abandoning the injured Tensai?

9:23 - Hard to believe that at one time, all four of these guys were getting monster pushes (a stretch, admittedly, with Axel).

9:20 - Is it me, or are Brodus Clay and Mark Henry gradually switching characters?

9:11 - While I'm all for this renewed tag team division, I really can't help but feel like Cesaro is meant for something bigger and better.

9:00 - There's something about Jack Swagger that makes me care less about everything going on around him.

8:48 - I'm back!  I suspect Dolph's year will go just as the Miz's did.  He'll lose more often than not, but will get a couple of wins in order to avoid being completely buried.  Is there some sort of curse behind my "Superstar with the most promising next year" award?  First Ryder, now Ziggler.

8:32 - I'm flipping back and forth.  I have a feeling they'll have Big Show/Rey win so that they can become #1 Contenders....my least favorite manner of getting from A to B.  And if they ARE going to do that, I wish they'd just do it in the main event.

8:27 - I'll be honest.....I'm considering just finishing the rest of Once Upon A Time right now.

8:21 - That's a very specific compliment from Cody.  "My first singles match at WrestleMania."  Also, shame on Cody....wearing a green vest with black and red trunks.  Yeesh.

8:14 - Geez, as characters, all of the authority figures are all over the place.  I really have no sense of their motivation.  They're all mostly heel, but sometimes not.

8:11 - Again, love the emphasis on Bryan.  And I don't even mind Cena being his spokesperson....it only makes him seem like a bigger star.  But why do I get the feeling that Bryan is only going to be used as fodder tonight?

8:04 - I love the emphasis on Daniel Bryan (in addition to the logical Cena) during Orton's entrance.  Made him look like a big time star.  I also love the fact that the Shield is on the arena floor, and not on the stage.

8:00 - I'm actually trying to catch up on last night's Once Upon A Time too.  No spoilers, please, as I'm not done watching it.  If it was any other week, I probably would't turn this on.  But I'm eager to see what happens next on Raw.

7:51 - Looking forward to Raw, actually!  I'm not so much a fan of the "WWE World Heavyweight Championship" name, but we'll see how long it lasts.  Check back in about 10 minutes for my LIVE thoughts.

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LIVE Survivor: Blood vs. Water finale thoughts

11:01 - Incredibly sad news coming from Tina and Katie.  How very sad, and it does put things in perspective.  And for what it's worth, I put my seatbelt on even if I'm just backing out of my to park on the street and I yell at people who don't wear their seatbelts.  It's such a simple thing to do and it's so worth it.  And, of course, my best wishes go to their family.  So sad.

10:51 - So was that whole talk about Kat getting a boob job?

10:46 - Brawn, brains, and beauty seems to be the guess.

10:40 - "BBB" with some sort of battle element?  Any ideas?

10:28 - I'll be honest....I was never a huge fan of Rupert.  Don't see it.

10:23 - A lot of people have this plan of letting somebody else be the villain and pulling the strings behind the scenes.  But it seems like more and more often, people respect the decisions the villain made.  I'm wondering how often it breaks down -- how often is it smart to let somebody else appear to make the big moves?

10:17 - I like the layout of the reunion, with the loved ones sitting next to each other.

10:10 - The right person won.  Congrats, Tyson!

10:07 - Still guessing Tyson wins.  But what do you think....will the non-jury competitors be on stage this year?

9:59 - Aras apparently has a job interview after the final tribal council.  I like his question, though.  Great answer from Gervase, too.

9:56 - There does seem to be a bit of sexism here.  When Gervase has to prove he played the game, he's asked to explain his big moves.  When Monica has to explain who she is, she has to show vulnerability.  She's getting beat up more than she should.

9:53 - Wow, Monica made her life seem very depressing.

9:50 - Pretty convenient time to want to make that apology, Tyson.  Good for Katie for bringing that up.  Then again, I'm not convinced that's a big enough reason not to give someone a million dollars, unless the other two people were very deserving.

9:44 - All three did a nice job with their opening remarks.  I stand by my assessment that this is Tyson's game to lose.

9:41 - Good news is, I don't think anybody here has any reason to be bitter.  Hate the bitter jury syndrome.

9:38 - The most boring 10 minutes of every Survivor season is always the portion between the penultimate tribal council and the final tribal council.

9:32 - Monica has been an interesting case this season.  It seems like every single tribal council has seen her being pulled away from her alliance.  Yet each and every time, she's stuck with it.  I think that would be a strong argument for her to make in the finals.  In my opinion, Tyson has the best shot of winning followed by Monica.  Gervase just seems to get too heated and hotheaded when he speaks and I see the jury getting turned off by that.

9:25 - I'm really enjoying this show, but I keep hearing about all the awesome things I'm missing -- like Once Upon A Time and Family Guy, both apparently big episodes (no spoilers, please).  I have a lot of TV to catch up on.  When do things get posted to On Demand?

9:17 - Fun challenge, having the contestants go back out there to get the info.  Congrats to Tyson -- this is his game to lose.  I hope he wins -- he really deserves it.  However, I'm not convinced that Tina is doomed.  Does she have a better shot than, say, Monica?

9:06 - I'm sad about how that tribal council played out, but it was the smartest thing for all involved.  Ciera was the greatest risk (and I love how gracefully she handles everything) and it would've been stupid for Tyson/Gervase to not play the idol.  Interesting that it ended up being a moot point, though.  And good call on Monica, recognizing that them playing the idol meant that her alliance weren't sure she was really with them.

8:56 - I'd hate to say it, but Ciera and Tina are in a bad spot.  Tyson is smart enough to know that Monica is the flip vote -- he'd be a fool not to give Gervase the hidden immunity idol.

8:50 - The hostility Monica feels towards Tina is telling.  I was wondering if that would be enough to keep her from switching sides.

8:49 - Both Gervase and Monica are making some great points about who should be voted off next.

8:43 - Strong performance by a very deserving Tyson.  So what happens with his idol?  Interesting development.

8:37 - Ciera has grown on me significantly this season.  I wasn't entirely sure of her when the season began, but she's grown into being one of my favorite contestants.  She's very level headed and intelligent.  She's played a great game.

8:27 - Has anybody who has gone on a long Redemption Island streak ever successfully re-entered the game?  Seems like they always come up short when the big moment comes.

8:25 - The close camera angles they get on these close calls are remarkable.  And Hayden got a little cocky with that "I'm against two grandmothers" comment.

Can't believe Laura asked Tina to throw the challenge.  This isn't immunity.  It's a million dollars!

8:23 - This is an interesting situation.  Whoever wins is an immediate ally for Ciera, which means if they can get Monica to flip the game is suddenly very interesting.  What are your thoughts on Tyson giving Monica the hidden immunity idol?

8:07 - One pleasant surprise, for me, was how well many of these relatives played.  Laura, Ciera, Caleb, Hayden, Vytis, and Katie all lasted in the game longer than their experienced loved ones (excluding Redemption Island).

7:29 - I've done it for Raw and The Walking Dead, now it's Survivor's turn!  While I wasn't quite sure what to make of this "Blood vs. Water" premise, I've been really pleasantly surprised.  Considering that this season has employed two mechanisms that I either detest or dislike (swapping tribes mid-game and Redemption Island, respectively), I have really enjoyed what has happened.

If I had to pick anybody to win, I'd have to go with either Tyson or Ciera.  One controlled the game, and the other made the most "big" moves that have altered the course of the game.  But I have to say, this is Tyson's game to lose.

Check back in a half hour or so for my LIVE thoughts throughout the three hours.

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The Unification

So tonight is a fairly historic night for WWE.  After over a decade they will, presumably, be unifying their two World Champions into one undisputed title.  And, surprisingly, I'm all for it!

Long time readers will likely know that I've been a vocal supporter of both the brand extension and having two World Championships.  Yet, I now think both should be completely abolished.  When Triple H effectively ended the brand extension by making both talents available to each show, it really only diluted the importance of Smackdown (and, truthfully, a lot of the midcard talent suffered).  Much of me wishes they would "officially" end the brand extension, so that all of the top talent (including Punk, Cena, and the like) would appear on Smackdown on a consistent basis....hopefully removing the feeling that the show has turned into a modern-day Thunder.

But anyway, back to the title unification.  The World Heavyweight Championship -- which, at one time, actually main evented more PPVs than the WWE title -- has been treated so poorly over the past 3 or so years that, sadly, it really does need to be removed.  When Chris Benoit won the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania XX, it felt like he was THE MAN.  Dolph Ziggler winning that same title almost a decade later felt nothing like that.  Having a World Championship that doesn't feel like a World Championship could conceivably hurt somebody.  Daniel Bryan's WWE title win at SummerSlam may have felt even more important if he hadn't already had a multi-month reign with the World Heavyweight Championship, where he typically opened the show.  The World Heavyweight Championship has become tainted goods, where unless you're a John Cena (or perhaps a CM Punk and MAYBE a Randy Orton), where you're an established World Champion, the title just doesn't seem that prestigious.  It hasn't since Edge last held it.  If the title is going to be shuffled around the same cast of characters, why not just make one championship?  It makes sense.

There are only a couple of things that upset me about this.  For one, this almost certainly means that the physical World Heavyweight Championship will be written off of WWE television, which is upsetting because it's always been my favorite looking championship.  But at least I like the new WWE title enough that I don't mind -- too much -- that title replacing it (although I suppose it's possible they'll have the champion carry both titles, but I think that would dilute the feeling of there being "one champion").  And the other thing is that it's not happening at a bigger show, like WrestleMania (or even a more appropriate show, like Night of Champions).  Admittedly, they've made lemonade with lemons here and have done a pretty great job of building up the prestige of the match despite the limited timeline.  But still, there's SO MUCH MORE they could have done.  Interviews with former World Champions.  Interviews with former WWE Champions.  Perhaps an episode of Raw and Smackdown that acted as a tribute to each title.  Discussing the significance, on screen, of what it means to have one of those titles gone.  But, really, that's just nitpicking.  I also can't help but feel like we're only seeing a unified champion because we "caught" WWE and correctly predicted the title switch ending.  This is almost like an "FU!" to the fans.  Giving us a unified title out of spite, because we don't think they'll actually do it.

For what it's worth, my money is on Orton.  They tend to like to go with the "surprising" heel win with these title unifications.  See Jericho, Chris.

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LIVE Raw thoughts - December 2, 2013

11:15 - Fine enough ending.  I just wish the entire episode was as focused on pushing TLC.  Felt like a lot of wasted nonsense and weak and/or lazy match endings.

11:02 - Gotta love this "sneaky" way they manage to mention that Triple H held all these championships.

I also love the retconning.  "This isn't thrown together, we've thought about it for years!"

10:40 - I do dig those track jackets the Real Americans are sporting.

10:35 - What was even the point of reshowing the throw up stuff from Smackdown?

10:33 - Yeahhhh, methinks the match was supposed to end with that cross bodydrop sequence.

10:32 - Fandango has lasted a lot longer than I expected him to.

10:21 - It's so difficult to tell who this company is burying half of the time.

10:17 - First Del Rio, now Kofi....what, was there an overabundance of red tape backstage today?

10:14 - So are they, like, under the impression that we're invested in this Miz/Kofi friendship?

10:02 - Wait, really?  Another roll up?

9:35 - Think anybody will mention that whole "punching out your partners' father" thing?

9:27 - Well, I'm happy to be wrong.  Since Del Rio has no direction right now, why continue feeding him people like they have for years now?  But c'mon, Sin Cara ducked out of that enzigurai before Del Rio even left his feet.

9:22 - Well this is funny.  You know how I talked about how Ziggler/Sandow was like Ziggler/Kofi or Kofi/Miz?  I ALMOST write "Del Rio/Sin Cara" too....but I decided not to, since they hadn't fought in a while (thank the injuries).  And look what match we have!  And it ends the same EVERY time....Del Rio makes Sin Cara tap.

9:21 - I wonder if Sin Cara injured himself getting that tattoo.

9:15 - THREE!  The last THREE matches have ended with a roll up.

9:11 - I do kinda like how Brodus has spikes on his ring gear.

9:08 - Ummmm....so THAT'S how the route they decided to go with for the first Daniel Bryan and Kane scene since Kane's gimmick change?

9:00 - Fun match, but did they just end two matches in a row with a roll up?

8:47 - So Daniel Bryan was left in a parking lot after Raw Monday but was still being held captive by the Wyatts on Smackdown Friday?

8:41 - Daniel Bryan has had a pretty solid string of t-shirts for the past year or two, but i'm not a huge fan of this goat cartoon one.

8:29 - This just goes to show you that they can stuff Total Divas down our throat all they want, but AJ friggin' SKIPPING is more over than anyone in the match.

8:26 - So it doesn't look like we're getting AJ vs. JoJo.  Instead, she's up against my two least favorite Divas, and an inconsistently pushed Natalya.

8:20 - Ziggler/Sandow is like the new Miz/Kofi (or hell, Kofi/Ziggler)....two guys who constantly face each other with neither guy truly ever advancing because of 50/50 booking.

8:12 - If WWE really had any guts, they'd let us vote on which title design we want the winner to use.

8:07 - So Kane ditched the contact, completely obliterating his former character.  This character shift is rather strange, since he was incredibly over and in a good place on the card already.  Hate to say it, but why not put Miz in this role?

8:06 - I'm curious about Punk's shirt.  The design doesn't seem to fit any WWE Authentic one he wears....and he's got his hoodie zipped up.

8:04 - Stephanie McMahon has the worst theme music in the business.  The tempo doesn't solicit an instinctive response and it doesn't even seem to fit her character.

8:01 - Glad to see they're opening with Punk (and potentially the Shield or the Wyatts by extension), but dude really needs to grow back the beard.

7:56 - So the Raw preview says that they're now guaranteeing one champion.  Which I'm fine with.  It's just too bad that it's only after 3 weeks of build.

7:49 - I'll do some LIVE Raw thoughts for tonight's show, but I'll forewarn you that I might not make it the full 3 hours.  To be honest, this episode has a lot to prove....there is literally not a single angle going on right now that I'm eager to see play out.  But if they give me AJ vs. JoJo tonight, all will be forgiven.

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LIVE The Walking Dead thoughts - Episode 4-8

Be sure to click the link below for my LIVE thoughts of the mid-season finale of The Walking Dead.  Obviously, spoilers are within!

Continue reading "LIVE The Walking Dead thoughts - Episode 4-8"....

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Proud High School Alum!

I hope everybody has had an enjoyable and filling Thanksgiving!

As many of you know, the firm I work at does an annual video where we loosen our ties and have a little fun.  Three years ago (our first video), we did a continuous shot of our staff lip syncing to the Black Eyed Peas' "Tonight's Gonna Be a Good Night."  The following year, we did a flash mob in New York City.  And last year, we did a mish mash of several different songs and office locations.  We're actually filming our fourth installment next week (which I'm very excited about), but it seems like my old high school is getting in on the fun.

In something I totally would have enjoyed doing, here's the faculty and students walking the halls of the school and outdoor campus lip syncing to Katy Perry's "ROAR!"  It's great and a lot of fun.  Give it a viewing:


THS ROARS! from THS-TV on Vimeo.

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Another adventurous bus ride from the city!

It's been a while since I've posted anything non-LIVE thoughts related, so I thought I'd give a little update on yesterday's adventure in New York City.  I went to the New York City Craft Beer Festival at the Lexington Armory with a couple of college friends and it was, as you might expect, a great time.  We had a lot of beer and, amazingly, everybody there was very well behaved.  After the festival we walked over to the Shake Shack and enjoyed some dinner while freezing our ass off sitting outside.  We capped off the evening by going to a nearby bar and having a couple of Angry Balls (ha!  No, but really....Angry Orchard hard cider mixed with Fireball cinnamon whiskey).  At about 7:00 I made my way back to the bus terminal to return to New Jersey.  And just like last time, it ended up being quite the adventure.

First and foremost, instead of pressing the "Stop Requested" button, people just started yelling out "STOP!" when they wanted to get off at the next stop.  And then, on top of that, the bus driver didn't even seen to know where half of the stops were.  He'd pass by them and people would have to yell (again) that they wanted to get off at the last stop, which he had just passed.  But perhaps the odd thing that happened was when this somewhat older gentleman -- probably in his 60's or so -- walked onto the bus.  He stood there on the stairs and just sorta stared at the bus driver.  He didn't really say anything and he certainly didn't look threatening.  He just stood there, as if he was going to say something.  Finally the driver said "can you please take a seat?"  The guy hesitated for a moment and then took a seat.  About two or so stops later he prepared to get off.  He once again stood near the bus driver and just stood there.  And finally, the driver asked if he was going to get off.  He again hesitated, and then got off the bus.  He then stood outside, on the curb, and stood by the door looking in.  He then put up his hand and waved as the doors closed.  It was extremely unusual.

So that was my adventurous ride home from the city.

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LIVE Raw thoughts - November 18, 2013

11:03 - I will admit that the Mysterio return was a fun surprise.  And -- AGAIN! -- they end the show on Bryan's music, not Punk's.  Even though Punk won the match.

11:01 - The last five minutes of that match....why on EARTH is this not happening at the PPV instead of Rowan & Harper getting a tag match???

10:39 - Great crowd tonight.

10:35 - I will say this...the artwork for these Survivor Series promos are kinda all sorts of awesome.

10:33 - I am still shocked...SHOCKED....that they aren't putting this on the PPV.

10:29 - I still don't like Bryan's pony tail.  And I think the Goat Face shirt is lame compared to his recent awesome ones.

10:26 - WWE just used more pyro for this performance than they have in the past year on Raw.

10:23 - I won't deny that Florida Georgia Line are far bigger stars than virtually any wrestler, but how many fans said "I hope Road Dogg shows up" or "I hope Mickie James shows up"?  More than a few.  How many said "I can't wait to watch Raw to see a country music performance?"  Virtually none.

10:00 - Still hate when Alberto Del Rio comes out in a t-shirt.  Completely contradicts his aristocratic character.  I still dislike any scarf he wears that isn't white (remember how they used to make a big deal out of how it represented purity and wealth?)

9:56 - When, in kayfabe terms, you return from injury too early and re-injure yourself, you can't really call that "bad luck."

9:49 - Orton having the Shield watch is back while demanding respect....it's like watching Punk from last year.

9:47 - Shocked...and THRILLED!....that they gave Ziggler the win there.

9:41 - "What?  It's the go-home show before a PPV?  Let's talk about the announcer's selfies."

9:28 - AJ's accidental face turn > Miz's purposeful heel turn

Honestly, why is this girl NOT a face now?  I really hope this was the actual turn.  Oh, and I SOOOO hope that the non-Total Divas aren't made out to be the jealous bad guys in the elimination match.  Although I am excited that AJ and JoJo will now be in the same match!

9:25 - So is this entire segment just an FU to AJ for passing out?

9:23 - After all of these years, it's quite shocking that Vickie doesn't have theme music.

9:19 - According to Twitter, the Miz did turn heel.  And while it didn't set the world on fire, I do appreciate the fact that they actually had him turn.  How often do we just see somebody transition from heel to face or face to heel without doing anything to demand the turn?  Yes, it's good to give the audience that sort of power, but it feels like so long since we've seen a truly memorable turn.

9:18 - I stepped away.  Any heel turns?

9:11 - Think we'll see that Miz heel turn tonight?  And with the way both he and Kofi have been treated the past few months, do you think anybody will even care?

9:01 - I'm not really a Ryback fan, but I just don't understand why they're messing with a potential investment.  There are repeated rumors of a match with Goldberg or Brock or Undertaker or whoever, and having him job every week -- even if he looks dominant -- only tarnishes that.  Why not just keep him off TV for a few weeks or months?  Let him redevelop and allow the audience to WANT to see him again.  WWE already jobs out half of their roster...there's no reason to use him in this role.

8:44 - The only thing less interesting than watching a game of musical chairs is watching a CRAPPY game of musical chairs.

8:38 - Most certainly the right move.  However, Axel without the title AND without Heyman probably does not bode well for him.

8:19 - I have to admit, Orton using the mic to pummel Maddox was a cool effect.  Actually sounded brutal.

8:11 - Strangely, Kane has wore more outfits in the past three weeks than he has in his prior 20 years in WWE combined.  By the way, I'm betting (hoping?) that Langston wins the IC title and he joins the Traditional Survivor Series team.

8:03 - I hadn't intended on doing Raw thoughts tonight, instead opting to relax and watch the show.....but the announcement of tonight's main event was enough to annoy me into posting something.  People were seriously looking forward to Bryan/Punk/Rhodes/Usos vs. Shield/Wyatts at Survivor Series....why on EARTH would they announce two inferior matches for the PPV (Byran/Punk vs. Wyatts and Rhodes/Usos/??? vs. Shield/Real Americans) and give THAT match away, on free TV, on the Raw before the PPV?

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LIVE The Walking Dead thoughts - Episode 4-6

Be sure to click the link below for my LIVE thoughts of this week's episode of The Walking Dead.  Obviously, spoilers are within!

Continue reading "LIVE The Walking Dead thoughts - Episode 4-6"....

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LIVE Raw thoughts - November 11, 2013

11:08 - I have to say, that was a REALLY fun ending to Raw.  Ever since the Wyatts seemed to threaten the Shield's placement as the top heel team (not necessarily within the storylines, but rather to the fans and to the front office), there has always been this unspoken tension between them.  And they've always been kept apart.  Yet here they are, finally intersecting....and it.  Was.  Awesome.  The argument.  The tease.  The actual beatdown.  It was done perfectly.  As was the eventual pull apart and realization that they have a common enemy.  Very, very well done.  And you know what's rather telling, as well?  Bryan's music -- and not Punk's -- played to end the show.

10:48 - Is this the first time we've seen the Shield against CM Punk?  Punk and Shield had a brief -- but not quite official -- semi-alliance.

10:42 - Still don't dig the Daniel Bryan ponytail.  And bring back the ring jacket!

10:40 - This is like the longest feud ever.  These two have essentially been feuding since, like, June.

10:38 - Not sure why Heyman is so resentful towards Ryback and seemingly fine with Curtis Axel.  It's not as if Axel protected him any better.

10:29 - Wait....really???  Again, I'm all for a challenger being pushed strong, but it was at the expense of the wrong person.  They're trying to push Big E as a monster face....why is he tapping out clean to Del Rio?

10:28 - Are those little devil horns on Del Rio's tights design?  If so, nice touch!

10:17 - If they're NOT going to push Ryback, they need to just keep him off of TV.  I don't particularly like the guy, but jobbing him out is just destroying their investment.  Wrestling fans have a longer memory than you think, and having him tapping out to main event guys and losing to midcarders who rarely make a PPV payday destroys the appeal of a future match with Goldberg or Undertaker -- both of which have been rumored at one time or another.  Just keep him off TV.

10:11 - I know Nattie is supposed to be a beloved Internet darling, but I sorta love when they have AJ make her tap.  AJ was big time fodder for Natalya when she turned heel and joined up with Beth Phoenix.  It just shows how far she's come.

10:02 - That was actually a pretty fun match.  I'm sure people will complain about Cena beating two guys, and that's a fair complaint.  But it's not as if he squashed the guys, and it is the inconsistent Real Americans.  I did fear that Cena would piss away all of the goodwill he earned by promoting Cesaro at a live event, by making him tap out in a handicap match on TV.

9:36 - Yeah, that was a strange clip.  Fandango was pretty much the ONLY one who didn't come across looking badly.

9:30 - Wow, I actually really loved that segment with the Shield.  So rarely is ANYBODY allowed to show a backbone that it was such a relief to see this group of three stand up for themselves.  Well done.

9:20 - This is like a video game crowd, randomly yelling generic chants regardless of whether they make sense in the context of the match.

9:13 - I was just reading an article on WWE.com and they noted how Kane's pocket square is supposed to resemble a flame.  That is quite possibly the most awesome "Little Thing" I've ever seen.  Well done!

9:09 - I'm all for champions actually winning....AND cleanly.  But it's sad to see Ziggler filling that role.  Has there ever been a period in time that virtually every single "Internet darling" was being handled in such a disappointing manner?

8:58 - When Dolph was put in a feud for the United States Championship a couple months ago, I was disappointed because it was such a step down from being World Champion.  Now, I'd be relieved if he won the Intercontinental Championship, as it would be a sad step up from where he's been at.

8:53 - I still really wish they would do something with Kofi Kingston.  Has he done anything in the past year and a half?

8:48 - While I think a little bit of an edge could only do Damien Sandow good, I do fear that he's now moved into that group of people who abandon their unique entrance attire to just wear their t-shirt to the ring.

8:39 - I just now noticed that Los Matadores have switched between pink masks and blue masks.  And Jesus Christ....why must we see a variation of this match AGAIN!  What percentage of matches have Los Matadores' matches been against 3MB?

8:29 - Do they need to go the entire show without an announce table now?

8:25 - While I like Cody's green gear, I'm kinda surprised he doesn't wear a gold/black combo that matches Goldust's garb.

Still miss the mustache, though.

8:12 - So odd that Vickie is acting like the face here.

8:09 - Who grows their hair back just to appear to be balding?  I am curious, though, if they'll change Kane's theme.  And what will his gear look like?  I also find it funny that people keep calling him Libertarian, since he hasn't done anything particularly political.  He's just wearing a suit now.

8:01 - Oh, a lovely and touching video that everybody is going to get pissy about.  So self serving blah blah blah.  Now, onto business.  They've decided to recap the very portion of the show that most people hated the most.

7:51 - Alright, pre-Raw discussion time.  I haven't read the spoilers, so it's a "live" show for me.  Will we learn more about Kane's new role?  Will Miz turn heel?  Will it be a satisfying show for the viewers?  Check out in about 5-10 minutes to find out.

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LIVE The Walking Dead thoughts - Episode 4-5

Be sure to click the link below for my LIVE thoughts of this week's episode of The Walking Dead.  Obviously, spoilers are within!

Continue reading "LIVE The Walking Dead thoughts - Episode 4-5"....

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Random House Show Observation

I know the blog activity has been rather sparse lately, and for that I apologize.  I'll be better about posting stuff!  As a reminder, though, you can continue to follow my social media activities through Twitter and Instagram.  I haven't dropped off the face of the earth, after all.

Anyway, this quick post is just about a random observation I've made while viewing photos on WWE.com from their Live Events.  Like, for some reason, the Miz ALWAYS wears elbow pads at non-televised events, but he never wears them while wrestling on TV.  Why?  Secondly, the Great Khali -- who always wears bright red pants on TV -- typically wears dull blue pants at live events.  Considering that look is highly superior to the one he sports on TV, one must wonder why this is.

And to a much lesser extent, I've also noticed that Daniel Bryan usually wears older trunks while at house shows and overseas.  For example, he continued wearing the "NO!" tights at live events, despite the fact that he had returned to yelling "YES!" on TV.  And CM Punk tends to wear his WWEShop wristbands over his taped fist while wrestling at house shows.

Just something I've noticed.  Most curious about the Miz/elbow pad thing, to be honest.

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LIVE Raw thoughts - November 4, 2013

11:07 - Well this is a surprising sight of Kane.  And not a good one, for that matter.  Say what you will about Kane, but the guy didn't need a character rehaul.

10:45 - As others have noted, there's nothing less likable than traditionally "hot" women doing the "Loser" sign to the girl with the quirky personality.

10:42 - I will be glad when WWE gives up on this Bellas face turn run.

10:34 - Believe it or not, these Los Matadores highlights are from 15 separate 3MB matches.

10:23 - Is Ziggler's hair pink too?

10:07 - Wait, really?  They're going to RESHOW all this legal crap?  In its entirety?

10:00 - I wish they hadn't been so inconsistent with how they present Antonio Cesaro.  He always has these great showings against main event players, but then a couple of weeks later they'll have him jobbing to Santino.

9:48 - Tyson Kidd returns and gets a nice win after a strong performance.  But he's trending because of Total Divas.

9:46 - I like that Zeb and Del Rio are still hostile towards each other, despite now both being heels.  Nice touch.

9:41 - I'm not completely sold on this Goldust/Cody Rhodes mash up.  I normally love when they mash up two people's themes, but this doesn't seem to mesh.  It just seems like they're playing Cody's theme over Goldust's theme.

9:24 - Wait....THIS is how they reintroduce Tyson Kidd???

9:17 - This lawsuit is based on one person beating people up, and another person insulting people.  You really expect wrestling fans to get invested in that?  They watch three hours of that.

9:12 - I am quite certain that Dolph Ziggler would have received similar treatment had he been voted in.

9:01 - Wow, sorta surprised Big E won in such a landslide.

8:57 - Disappointed that WWE didn't get custom Red Sox side plates made for that championship.

8:50 - I'm pretty sure neither of those things were slander.

8:47 - Told ya' that would happen.

8:44 - Careful Alberto, you might accidentally show some personality.

8:37 - Greatttt, now we get to see the extremely entertaining and unique Kofi Kingston lose clean via tap out to the ultra dull and generic Alberto Del Rio.

8:33 - Yeah, if I'm going to start talking about wrestling, it's not going to be about this match.

8:27 - Wait, it's November.  October is over.  Why is the pink rope still there?  And who are the heels still wearing the inspiring Rise Above Cancer t-shirt line?

8:24 - Oh, another thing I hate about the sideburns.  He keeps the part of his facial hair that comes in patchy.

I promise, I'll talk about wrestling at some point tonight.

8:16 - Oh, forget Punk's sideburns....Bryan BEST be getting rid of that ponytail.

8:08 - I know I sound like a broken record, but I still can't stand Punk's sideburns.  Granted, the grown in hair and the lack of traditional facial hair DOES make him look younger and less angry, but I'm of the mindset that he's not SUPPOSED to look like a young up-and-comer.  Part of what made the pipebomb speech work was the fact that Punk -- with short hair and thick beard -- looked like a weathered veteran, and it gave his words a lot more substance than it would if he looked the part of a fresh faced youngster.  And I get it -- right now, he's not playing the part of the angry and bitter man impatiently waiting for his opportunity to get to the top, but still.  He looks better with that experienced edge.

So, to summarize, grow the damn beard back.

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LIVE Raw thoughts - October 28, 2013

11:06 - Personally, I could do without Orton vs. Big Show, but it could be worse, I suppose.  Hoping this doesn't mean that Daniel Bryan is completely out of the main event title picture.

10:59 - Good to see we're back to emasculating the entire roster.

10:54 - Oh, of course, there's Vince McMahon too.

10:47 - So, presumably, Randy will move onto a new challenger here.  And that person should crash the celebration here.  The obvious person -- and this saddens and disappoints me -- is Big Show.  I would just LOVE for them to throw somebody new in the mix, though.  It doesn't even have to be somebody catastrophic, like Ziggler.  Even throw in somebody like Mysterio here.  Something unexpected.

10:41 - Wait, Natalya can't even come out to her own theme music?  By the way, kinda crazy that they've built up the divisions enough that we have numerous Divas and tag team matches in a given night.

10:26 - Wow, really shocked to see the Real Americans win it.  Disappointed, actually.  They have enough tag teams right now that they didn't need to sacrifice the champions here.  Why not let the Real Americans get a series of convincing wins?  Goldust and Cody have been on such a roll that this was a waste of a loss.

10:25 - Some really odd and awkward camera angles for Goldust's hot tag segment.

10:15 - Wondering if it would have been smarter to hold off the Kane "heel" turn for after Survivor Series.  A Punk/Bryan/Kane triad against the Wyatts would have been a sensible match.  Plus, it would be a fun little throw back to their 3 way feud over AJ (and the WWE Championship) last year.  Who stands in, with Kane out of the picture?  I can't imagine the Miz does, considering his treatment earlier in the match.  Who else has been victimized by the Wyatts?  Kofi?  He hasn't been treated much better.

10:08 - Intrigued by this Wyatt story.  And the fact that it now brings CM Punk and Daniel Bryan into the same universe.

10:01 - I'm guessing Punk wins this and Ryback is written off of TV for a little bit.  By the way, gotta love these Internet rumors that Ryback is in the doghouse.  Just AFTER the rumors that they're planning to bring in Goldberg JUST to fight Ryback.  Or that Ryback is a possible Undertaker opponent.

9:51 - Still hate the sideburns.  Bring back the beard.

9:42 - Hmmmm, odd segment.  Not quite sure what to make of it.  Is this a ruse?  Was Kane removing the mask symbolic of his submission, or is he actually keeping it off?  Personally, I prefer the mask.  I guess we'll see.

9:37 - I am proud to say that I have said from the beginning that Miz should not be a face.  The guy just doesn't work in that role.  Turn him heel, pronto.

9:28 - AJ has so many great little touches to her character that 90% of the roster misses out on.

9:26 - Love that AJ is still Divas Champion.  Mildly shocked that she's being portrayed as the heel in a feud with the Bellas.  I mean, really?

9:14 - Are these teams REALLY fighting again?  Haven't these two teams fought every single week since Los Matadores debuted?

9:11 - I'm confused, why could Renee Young see the Wyatts but Daniel Bryan couldn't?  And why wouldn't she, ya' know, give him a heads up?

9:05 - The fact that the fans were willing to cheer for Daniel Bryan over Shawn Michaels speaks volumes.  Give this man the title!

9:03 - WWE is certainly not making it easy for Daniel Bryan.  Putting him up against traditionally popular and established personalities without having them act like explicit heels.

8:44 - Sometimes this Teddy Long cliche tag match thing annoys me.  Why not just do a six man tag from the get-go?  Does handling it this way add to or advance the stories in any way?

8:40 - Not sure I would end Ambrose's US title reign while the Intercontinental Championship is waiting in the wings.

8:32 - Personally, I'm glad Cena won.  Yes, WWE needs to create new stars -- and they should -- but the World Heavyweight Championship can get some real rehabilitation with Cena as champion for a couple of months.  And then when Sandow does win that title -- if he does -- it'll mean more than if he does right now.  Sandow gave a great performance and IF they continue to treat him well and push him strong after this loss, he'll be fine.  But like anything else, it's how you're treated after a loss that'll really determine how well you do.

8:17 - Odd choice to go to a commercial break here.  REALLY halts the momentum of the segment.  People want to see if Sandow will make short work of Cena.  To know he'll last four minutes (or will get a four minute break) hurts the drama.

8:14 - Still think Sandow fails here.

8:08 - Why is John Cena talking like this?

8:03 - Remember when a Hell in a Cell match was the climax of a violent feud and not the prelude to a Street Fight or some other stupid match?

7:45 - My LIVE Raw thoughts are back!  The show begins in about 15 minutes....do you think it will be strong enough to win over those who were turned off by the booking of last night's PPV?  Essentially, they're back with the established "old guard" of Orton and Cena on top, with Daniel Bryan failing to bring home the championship.

Somebody on Twitter (I believe) brought up the good point that if the money is in the chase, people who have been waiting to see Daniel Bryan as the WWE Champion will now have spent upwards of $160 (PPV is now $40, correct?  And that's SummerSlam, Night of Champions, Payback, and Hell in a Cell).  Assuming he gets one "last" shot (for storyline purposes) at Survivor Series, that's now $200.  If you said to the average fan -- no matter how avid he might be -- "Would you pay $200 to see Daniel Bryan as the WWE Champion," they'd probably say "no."  To say "the money is in the chase" is overly simplistic.  More accurately, the money is in the PAYOFF of the chase.  Without that payoff, your paying audience just feel duped and annoyed.

Honestly, I think Daniel Bryan has been handled a bit better than most people have claimed.  He's come out on top more often than not the past few weeks.  And he's always put over strong in matches and in commentary.  But the end HAS to be with Bryan as WWE Champion.  Otherwise this thing is a bust.

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It's (sorta) Halloween Weekend!!

It's always awkward when Halloween falls in the middle of the week.  Do you celebrate the weekend before, or the weekend after?  On a Friday, or on a Saturday?  Well, my local pub has decided that tonight is the night.  So I'm about to get ready, and while I won't explicitly state what I'm going to be (just check out the altered banner), I will encourage you to check out my photos from prior years.  Still love Cap'n Crunch and Colonel Sanders...

http://s653.photobucket.com/albums/uu256/acaseoftheblog/Halloween%20costumes/

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The Case of This Blog

As you might have noticed, my blog activity has been rather lackluster lately.  And that's a bad thing, since this is typically my "active" season.  Do not fret, I'm not shutting down the blog -- I love this thing!  And I'm quite pleased with the amount of visitors that come check out my posts.  But I am going to take a little break from my television reviews.  That means that I won't formally be doing my Vampire Diaries recaps this season, although I may occasionally write about the show when I feel motivated.

And that's really the reason why I'm taking the break from the recaps.  They started to feel like an obligation instead of an outlet.  And since I was just doing those reviews for fun, it seemed a bit backwards to continue doing them under those conditions.  And so I'll continue updating the blog -- because that continues to be fun.

So what can you expect?  My frequent LIVE Raw thoughts.  And a Breaking Bad piece I've been imagining since the finale.  So keep checking, some great stuff is coming!

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Welcome to the world!

I know my blog activity has been sorta sparse lately (but I do have a lot planned), however I do have some exciting news.  As you may have noticed on my banner, there's a new birthstone graphic -- which means....there's a new addition to my family!  That's right, at about 3:00 in the morning, my sister gave birth to a girl (her third child, second daughter, and my third niece).  So please welcome to the world little Avery.

It's kinda funny, actually.  We all thought it would be a boy, and I was so convinced that I was actually a little shocked when I received the text from my mom in the middle of the night.  But hey, my other two nieces are beautiful so no complaints here.  And just like my first niece (Avery's cousin), she's got LOTS of hair!

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Your money, please....

If you recall, last year I took a page out of WWE's (and the NFL's) book by wearing pink every single day for the month of October.  This year, I'm going to try to do something a little more substantial.  As such, I will be participating in the Making Strides Against Cancer 5K walk on Sunday, October 20th.  I'd certainly like to raise as much money as possible -- as I'm sure ALL of us have been impacted in some way by this terrible disease.  If you are able to, please consider making a donation to my page.  Thank you in advance:

http://main.acsevents.org/goto/mattbasilo

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LIVE Raw thoughts - October 7, 2013

11:02 - You know, I would complain that Big Show -- and not Daniel Bryan -- got the big physical attack on Triple H.....but honestly, I'm just thrilled we didn't see the SAME EXACT STORY with Big Show turning heel to save his job after being fired that we saw last year.  My one qualm, though:  Should Bryan be at least a little upset with the Big Show for costing him the title last night?

10:56 - Which person gets the hot tag is another indicator of who the powers that be see as the big star.

10:45 - To the skeptics who think that this storyline has made Cody Rhodes and not Daniel Bryan, please consider the order in which the competitors came out tonight.  The person who comes out last is still very significant (as is the person who comes first, in multi-person matches).  Bryan is still the leader of this pack.

10:32 - I somewhat suspect that we see a Miz heel turn tonight.  Or at least the beginning of one.

10:29 - (a) I am already tired of Santino's routine, (b) why are they not doing more with Cesaro?

10:17 - Ha, got a kick out of the Hulk Hogan/Wrecking Ball reference.

10:04 - I can't say I expected that.  And I can't say that most people will be happy about it.  Personally, I'm pleased with anything that will bring some attention and prestige to the World Heavyweight Championship, which has been a massive afterthought for over two years now.  And hey, Cena in the World Heavyweight Championship scene means he's NOT in the WWE Championship scene.  And that's a plus for Daniel Bryan.

10:01 - A little birdie told me that the next challenger for Alberto Del Rio's World Heavyweight Championship will be VERY surprising.  Who are you expecting?

9:51 - Yeah, so I think we know who's going to win this vote...

9:41 - Speaking of Kofi, I'm trying to figure out the inspiration to his tights.  Does anybody know?

9:39 - Really, REALLY wish they would do something with Kofi Kingston too.

9:28 - Well that made me LOL.  We're about to see Orton vs. Kofi, and they just cut to a clip of Orton, standing in the ring, calling another wrestler's actions "stupid."

9:24 - Bob Backlund?  Well that's a waste of a vote.  I think the third option may be Flair, if he's on good terms with WWE right now.

9:03 - Lots of "bitch," "balls," and "ass" references tonight.

9:01 - I really just want Punk to grow the full beard in.  Why does he insist upon keeping the part of his facial hair that comes in patchy?

8:57 - So what are the other two possibilities for the ref matches?  Dusty Rhodes?  Ricky Steamboat?  Edge?  Bret Hart?  Jerry Lawler?

8:43 - How is Booker T a "great choice"?  The guy urged Big Show to do what Triple H told him -- no matter how immoral it may be -- in order to secure his job.

8:40 - Wait, did JoJo not even get in the ring?

8:37 - I could see myself having a crush on JoJo.  I'd actually like to see her and AJ up against each other.

8:29 - Speaking of guys that I may have been wrong about -- Dolph Ziggler.  This guy absolutely deserves to be in the World Title picture.  Personally speaking, Alberto Del Rio bores me to tears, and Dolph was an exciting new character in the main event scene.  Get him back in there!

And what, is Stephanie going to emasculate somebody in every segment?

8:10 - Fine enough opener, if only because it advances the Big Show story beyond the point that he's a whimpering baby.  And it solidifies the story that the McMahons ARE actively out to get Daniel Bryan.

Speaking of Daniel Bryan, I think we're all in agreement that he MUST win the WWE Championship at Hell in a Cell.  And he needs to hold onto it.  WWE has dropped the ball on several pushes in recent years, and sometimes I'm right about things ultimately being okay for the individual (like with CM Punk) and sometimes I'm wrong about things ultimately being okay for the individual (like with Zack Ryder).  I had always assumed/imagined that this storyline was to make Daniel Bryan a star. Now people are talking and acting like the end result is Randy Orton with the WWE Championship and moving onto CM Punk.  Yes, Bryan would still be a star....but he wouldn't be THE star.  And they have the chance to make Bryan THE star.  I really hope that when this story ends, Bryan is the one with the gold.  That's how it NEEDS to end.  Otherwise, I've been pretty okay with how he's been handled.

8:02 - At the rate that she's selling WWE stock, how much longer will Stephanie McMahon be a principle owner of WWE?

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Summer of Excitement: Inter-Office Softball Tournament - [a case of the summer]

Yeah, yeah, I know.  Summer has been officially over for a couple of weeks (and symbolically over for even longer), but I'm FINALLY getting around to editing and posting this final Summer of Excitement video!  The unhappy ending (SPOILER ALERT!) made it a bit more difficult to get motivated.  So, enjoy!



Oh, but the REAL fun happened after the softball tournament.  I went to Rutgers to meet up with some friends who had gone to the blackout game.  We had a great time hanging out at our old stomping bar ground (the group of friends that made it are now spread out across three states, so it's nice to finally get together).  We crashed at a hotel and then the following morning we went to the campus we had spent our first couple of years at.  Our campus had always been the red headed step child of the the Rutgers family, and now it's BEAUTIFUL!  They have a Starbucks!  A movie theater!  A Qdoba!  A beautiful dining hall!  With an ice cream bar!!!  Where the hell was this place when we were in college?!?!?

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Pre-Breaking Bad Series Finale thoughts: Should Walter White Die?

We're about an hour away from the finale of Breaking Bad and to say people are excited would be an understatement.  This finale seems so unlike other anticipated series enders, partially because you really have no idea how they're going to tie things up.  The only other major finale that I can think of is Lost, and even with that show, you had an inkling of what might happen.  Generally speaking, you understood who was good, who was bad, and which side everybody was on.  This feels different, though.  Not necessarily better -- I just can't even imagine what's going to happen.

It's funny, a couple of years ago, I criticized David Chase for passing judgment on Soprano viewers for wanting Tony to get killed off.  According to Chase, viewers have no right to want Tony to get his comeuppance after cheering him along for all these years.  I argued that fans were ABLE to root for him with the expectation that he would eventually get what he deserves.  And yet, here I am, with Walter White.....and I really don't want him to die.  I'm honestly not sure what he deserves, but I really want him to find redemption, not retribution.  Which is interesting, because while David Chase defended Tony Soprano....Vince Gilligan seems to present Walter (in interviews, anyway) as somebody who can't be saved.  No ifs, ands, or buts.  He's Scarface now.

I don't really see it that way, though.  This season has seemed to be about bringing Walter back to the light side, so to speak.  He ultimately chose his family over his empire.  And despite numerous offers and temptations, he's stayed away from the meth game.  Even in the past few episodes, he's shown moments of humanity.  He consistently fought on behalf of Jesse, and it wasn't until Skyler of all people encouraged him, that he decided to put a hit on him.  And even when he did that, he wanted to make sure it was sudden and painless, and that his girlfriend wouldn't be the one to discover the body.  He also put his own freedom at risk in order to protect Hank.  And when Hank was again in danger, he was willing to give up all he had worked for to save him.  And when none of that worked, and when he had lost everything, he STILL did everything he could to protect his family.  He certainly hasn't been explicitly villainous.

The only current situation where Walter is the "bad" guy would be with Jesse.  While many of Walt's actions could be considered justifiable, his sometimes harsh and selfish treatment of Jesse typically cannot.  He let Jane die when he could save her.  He poisoned Brock in order to turn Jesse against Gus.  And now, he put a hit out on him.  It's the one situation where you really can't root for Walt.

So what do I want to have happen?  Honestly, I kinda want Walt to get a "happy" ending.  I want him to make peace with Skyler and Walt Jr.  I want him to work things out with Jesse.  And if he dies doing so, I'm okay with that.  But I'm not sure I want him to be vilified and to end up with nothing.

What do you all want to see?

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Trending Topics: Once Upon A Time Season 2 Review - [a case of the summer]

Yeah, I know summer has officially been over for almost a week now, but I've been pretty tired and worn out, and haven't had much time to post the final Trending Topics -- which was supposed to be completed last week.  And my "go to" topic for the entire summer, should I have nothing to discuss, was always going to be a review of the second season of Once Upon A Time.  And since the next season premieres this Sunday, this is really the last opportunity for me to discuss what happened last season.

If you recall from my review of season one, I questioned the decision to break the spell within the first year.  While not a bad move, I felt like there was still fuel in the fire.  Perhaps have Emma realize the truth and have to spend the rest of the year trying to convince the others.  There could be some interesting scenes between her and Henry and the "villainous" in-the-know pair of Regina and Mr. Gold.  And there could be some humorous scenes where Mary Margaret attempts to get some love advice from gal pal Emma, who is grossed out knowing that her friend is actually her mother.  But after seeing how the season played out, I really didn't have a problem with the curse being broken.  The characters still had a certain level of complexity -- attempting to reconcile their heroic fairy tale personalities with their flawed Storybrooke ones -- which meant that the two stories being told (the present day storyline and the flashback from the Enchanted Forest) felt different, while still connected.

Even the introduction of magic -- another mini-criticism I had -- ended up being a wise decision.  Quite frankly, with everybody now in the "know," how on earth could somebody like Mr. Gold or Regina protect themselves from a town full of angry and justifiably vengeful former warriors?  Magic was a necessary evil in order to level the playing field, so to speak.  And the existence of magic in this world ended up being an important plot point as well.

This season also saw the introduction of some fun new characters, particularly Hook.  We also met Mulan, Sleeping Beauty, Cora (who appeared last season, but fleshed out a great deal this season), and of course Neal/Baelfire.

And while the Neal/Baelfire reveal was anything but shocking, it added a really fun, complicated level to some disturbing relationships.  Let's see....Regina is Mary Margaret's stepmother.  Mary Margaret is Henry's grandmother.  Regina is also Henry's adopted mother.  And Mr. Gold is his grandfather.  So deliciously twisted!  And, again, it created some fun new relationships.  I loved the scene, for example, when Regina came to Mary Margaret's apartment and Mr. Gold protected her, partially because favors were owed but also because she was family.

And I loved the deeper connection between Regina and Mr. Gold.  These two have always had a tense, complicated relationship, and this season really solidified that.  It seemed like a constant wrestling match to see which of these two were actually the lesser of two evils.  At the beginning of the season, it seemed like it might be Regina (who had mercy on Mary Margaret and Emma when they returned from the Enchanted Forest, while Gold didn't seem to have an issue with them dying).  However, as the season progressed, it was Mr. Gold who seemed more likely to see the light.  Between Neal and Belle, Mr. Gold had proverbial angels on his shoulders urging him to be good.  Regina, meanwhile, was being manipulated by her mother, who wanted her to be as dark as possible.  As a result of this evolution, these two had some fun scenes together.  I particularly enjoyed when Mr. Gold paid his respects at Cora's grave, and urged Regina to let go of her hate and to not seek vengeance upon Mary Margaret.  It seemed like.....friendly advice.  It was also interesting to learn that Mr. Gold was the one truly responsible for Regina's journey into the darkness.

My one criticism of the season was that the show came dangerously close to falling into a Sylar/Heroes situation.  Heroes suffered a great deal, in my opinion, because they couldn't commit to a direction with Sylar.  Sylar was the show's breakout character (although I still favor HRG) and it seemed like the showrunners wanted to capitalize on his popularity by featuring him more prominently.  Yet the evidently didn't want to make him such an explicitly evil villain, so as a result he kept wavering from one side to another.  It seemed like he might have seen the light, but then he'd do something incredibly evil (at a whim).  Then when it seemed like he'd returned to the darkside, he'd just as quickly show some compassion.  In the end, he just seemed like a sloppy character without any relatable motivation.  Once Upon A Time came extremely close to doing this with Mr. Gold and ESPECIALLY Regina.  Much like Heroes, these two were your breakout characters and the ones the audience seemed to most enjoy.  And much like Sylar, they both seemed to sway depending on the direction of the wind.  I would say Mr. Gold had slightly more motivation and, as a result, seemed more grounded.  But I didn't feel the same way about Regina.  She seemed at the peak of evil when the season began and then just as quickly seemed to try to integrate herself into the very group she had tried to kill.  Then, out of no where, she seemed to reconcile with her mom and went back to her killing ways.  And then, again, she's suddenly back to being selfless.  She just seemed to switch sides too quickly and without the strongest motivation.  And even Mr. Gold wasn't completely spared -- his war with Hook had me wondering who I should root for from time to time as well.

Ultimately, the show seems to have settled on both of them becoming reluctantly "good," and I think that's the wisest decision.  Having the curse broken dramatically shifted the relationships that were established in the first season.  And putting Mr. Gold, Regina, Hook, Emma, Mary Margaret, and David on a boat heading towards Neverland significantly changes things once again.  Hook stole Mr. Gold's wife.  Mr. Gold killed her and then cut off Hook's hand.  Regina had Mary Margaret's father killed.  Mary Margaret was responsible for the death of Regina's mother.  Emma is the birth mother of Regina's adopted son.  And now, they're all together in close proximity fighting for the same cause.  The possibilities are endless and intriguing.

I was disappointed to learn that Once Upon A Time had experienced some ratings woes, because overall I thought it was a strong season.  And I stand by my assessment that it's one of the most clever shows on television today.  While I won't be able to watch the finale "live" (the second hour conflicts with the series finale of Breaking Bad, which will be FAR harder to avoid spoilers from), I'm looking extremely forward to its return.  Here's hoping for another great season!

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Throwback Thursday: The defending champions - [a case of the summer]

Since this is the final week of my [a case of the summer] series, this will also be the last Throwback Thursdays.  I'm actually quite disappointed that I didn't devote more time to this feature, since it always got good hits and it was a lot of fun to do.  However, for whatever reason, Thursdays ALWAYS ended up being the toughest days for me to sit down and write.  Something always came up.  As a result, this feature definitely got the shaft this summer.  Having said that, I do think I might bring it back here and there.

The final edition will look back at a photo collage of my office's softball team.  In 2011, my firm started an Inter-Office Softball Tournament, with the six offices in the area competing against each other in a tournament.  In 2011, we won in dominant fashion (we suffered one loss, but mercy ruled in two games -- including the finals).  In 2012, we reclaimed the championship with an undefeated performance.  This year, our team has been split into two (our own little brand extension, if you would) due to a recent merge.  This complicates things, but I'm still eager to see if we're able to take home the trophy once again.  Let's hope!

Take a look back with the below photos:

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LIVE Raw thoughts - September 16, 2013

11:04 - Now THAT is the ending we have all been waiting for.  Raw was pretty lackluster tonight -- there were some good matches and a couple of great segments, but overall it dragged on -- but that was an awesome ending.  It was about time that the roster filtered out and came to Bryan's rescue.  Great visual and somewhat overdue.  Well done.

Only odd thing....what was with Kofi Kingston taking that Roman Reigns spear?  The segment was an absolute assault of the Shield, yet Kofi takes a random beating?  Seemed odd...

10:35 - First on screen acknowledgement of Brie and Daniel Bryan as a couple, and it was surprisingly restrained.  Purposeful or not, the Bellas are extremely unlikable characters, so I'd be extremely hesitant to pair them up too much on TV.  I do like the idea of Bryan being an inspirational favorite backstage, though.

10:24 - I'm glad that the Usos haven't completely been forgotten now that the Prime Time Players are the new flavor of the month.  Good for them, this was a fun match.

10:20 - "Here's what you missed if you don't have the app" .....as we show it to you now.

9:51 - Orton doesn't seem to be eliciting much emotion from Miz's parents.  His dad seems particularly uninspired.

9:35 - Why would Miz be happy about this match?  What does he stand to benefit?

9:22 - Actually, Natalya, wasn't that a tag team title match?

9:14 - As an extension of the below comment -- seeing Big Show punch out Dusty out of mercy would have been that much better as well.  No drawn out apologies or whining.  Just Big Show realizing that Dusty's fate would be much worse if he was on the receiving end of a Shield beatdown.  Again, less is more.

9:12 - Less would be SO much more with this Big Show thing.  We don't need to see him blubbering and crying in order to understand his ordeal.  Frankly, seeing Big Show punch him and then hug him and set him down, without crying, would have been a lot more powerful.

9:09 - This is a fun segment but I swear....if Big Show cries....

9:03 - Is there a more ill fitting theme music than the one Stephanie McMahon has?

8:52 - "Attention!  We're going to need all of the minorities on the roster to stand around Dusty Rhodes!  And, randomly, Natalya!"

8:47 -  I see guys like Fandango and R-Truth and it truly accentuates how many guys are treading water right now.

8:36 - Careful now....Brad Maddox might be welling sensibly fitting clothes!

8:32 - Had to laugh at Dolph Ziggler pointing at Jerry Lawler before hitting that 10th elbow drop on Ambrose.

8:22 - With things going the way they had, I really wish they hadn't taken the World Heavyweight Title off of Dolph Ziggler.  Alberto Del Rio hasn't exactly lit the world on fire, and the crowd is STILL into Ziggler despite not being treated all that great over the past couple months.  Do something with the guy!

8:10 - Somebody learned a new word....  #cadence

8:02 - I love the "Respect the Beard" t-shirt and all, but I really wish Bryan would bring back his awesome leather entrance jacket.

7:53 - Looks like I was half right.  He went "YES!  YES!  YES!" for BOTH sides.  And, for the first time ever, the side plate features color!  http://instagram.com/p/eVxOwqAFOp/

7:46 - Alright, sounds like Night of Champions was unfortunately lackluster (which is surprising, since WWE almost always delivers on their PPV's), but Daniel Bryan walked away with the WWE Championship.  Two questions:  Will the decision be reversed?  And what will Bryan's sideplate design be?

I would imagine we have a few options here.  One is the circular "DB" design he occasionally sports on his trunks.  Another is the classic American Dragon logo.  And then there's the idea I would do:  "YES! YES! YES!" (or just one) on one plate, and "NO!  NO!  NO!" on the other.  Although he has sorta drifted from yelling "NO!"

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Summer of Excitement: Murphy's Law - [a case of the summer]

I don't want to short change the fun weekend I had or the exciting work week I experienced, but I just HAD to devote this edition of Summer of Excitement to Thursday -- the day that everything that could have possibly gone wrong most certainly did go wrong.  Let me give you a brief backstory.

On Tuesday my colleague received an e-mail from a partner saying that he would be giving a presentation on Thursday night and he wanted to know if she could help him set up for it.  She was unavailable, so I told her I could since I would be working in that particular office on Thursday.  On Wednesday all I was told was that we'd need to bring a projector and screen.

So I arrive at that office on Thursday and a little before lunch the partner asks me "So, do you have a projector?"  This was the first thing that went wrong.  I was (apparently incorrectly) under the impression that each office in our firm has their own projector.  As it turns out, this is the ONLY office that does not.  I reread the e-mail I sent and determined with a great deal of certainty that no reasonable person could have possibly interpreted from the wording of that e-mail that this office does not have their own projector to provide.  So I get on the phone with my office to see if we can have our projector and screen couriered to us within the next couple of hours.

And then the next hit comes.  My normal office does not have a portable projector screen.  We only have the one that comes down from the ceiling.  So following lunch, I had to run down to the local Staples and actually go out and buy their office a projector screen.  Sheesh.  But the pounding didn't stop there.  We plan to leave at about 5:30, and at 5:00 I'm told that they need 20 copies of this 56 page presentation.  Finally me and the partner decide that he'll stay and wait for the copies, while I head to the building that the presentation will be held at (about 20 or so minutes away) to set up.

So this building is part of a complex, where it and two other buildings share one underground parking garage.  I'm lugging my laptop bag and projector in one hand, and this fairly heavy projector in the other.  So I walk over to the elevator and take it up to the first floor.  I look around and am unable to see any names I recognize.  I then realize, of course, that I'm in the wrong building (thing that could go wrong #4).  I go outside, where it's rather hot and muggy (and I'm practically in a suit) and walk into the right building.  However, I quickly realize I'm in the wrong wing (#5) and must go back outside and walk around to the entrance on the other side of the building.  In the process, I apparently knock the keycard to my building off of my bag, so that's gone now (#6).  I get inside and find the right room, only for the partner (who had just arrived) to tell me "Why don't we just use the whiteboard on the wall?"  So we didn't even end up using the darn screen!  I'm counting that as #7.

The presentation went really well and it was actually quite interesting (and hey, overtime!)  But we could also hear a terrible, terrible storm outside.  So when everything ended at about 8:30 and I went to head home, I discovered that all of the essentially roads for me to get back to my house were closed due to flooding.  What should have been a relatively quick, 15 minute drive ended up being about a half hour.  Yikes!

Thankfully, it wasn't a bad day and I was dealing with extremely pleasant people.  So, I was able to have a sense of humor about it (although it did eat into a large part of my day and it was rather stressful).  But man, I REALLY could have used somebody throwing me a bone in at least ONE of those situations!

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Trending Topics: Breaking Bad - Why (SPOILER) is screwed.... - [a case of the summer]

And here's Part 2 of this week's edition of Trending Topics!  And since it's extremely spoiler-worthy, I'm going to be doing a page break.  This post will discuss the happenings of last Sunday's episode of Breaking Bad, but nothing beyond that (I don't read spoilers).  So if you want to have a hearty discussion on the final moments of the 9/8 episode, click below!

Continue reading "Trending Topics:  Breaking Bad - Why (SPOILER) is screwed.... - [a case of the summer]"....

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Trending Topics: AJ's Tattoo - [a case of the summer]

I was originally going to do this week's Trending Topics about the latest episode of Breaking Bad, but then another matter came up that I wanted to discuss.  But then I realized that it was a REALLY big episode and that I still wanted to talk about it.  So instead of doing a Throwback Thursday this week, I thought I'd do TWO Trending Topics!

This first edition is about AJ Lee's curiously controversial tattoo.  For those of you unaware, the current Divas Champion tattooed the date of her title win, in tick marks, on the back of her neck (shown above).  Joey Styles sung her praise on Twitter and personally I thought it was pretty cool.  Then JBL and Jerry Lawler made fun of her, publicly, on Raw and it really bothered me.  Why are you trying to make your Divas Champion feel like a fool for being proud of her title win (right before a PPV where the entire premise of the show is that prestigious championships are being defended), while simultaneously trying to build up the credibility of their reality television show?  It came across, to me, as mean spirited bullying and as a fan of the girl (since her NXT promo video), it annoyed me a lot.

Then I visit the Blog of Doom to discover that dirt sheet guru Dave Meltzer rather obnoxiously criticized her as well, saying that "people within the industry" look down at people who get excited about "secondary" title wins, and that they're referred to, in a derogatory fashion, as "belt marks."  And Meltzer himself took a rather holier-than-thou stance on the matter, looking down on her as well.  So THAT annoyed me even further.

But what made things worse?  While the majority of people sided with AJ, there were actually people who sided with Meltzer.  Are you kidding me?  Apparently we now need to check with others to see if it's okay to be proud of something?  So what if wrestling is predetermined, it was still an exceptionally proud moment for her.  And why shouldn't it be?  This is one instance, I believe, where they actively decided to put the championship on the best person on the roster.  And since winning the title, as a heel, she's achieved clean, submission victories over Kaitlyn, Natalya, Naomi, and Layla.  She's actually perhaps the ONLY champion who doesn't lose regularly.  As a lifelong wrestling fan and as somebody who had an uphill battle in achieving success (due to her size and less-than-traditional good looks), why shouldn't she be extremely proud of all she's accomplished?

Personally, as a wrestling fan, I appreciate that there's a competitor out there who loves what she does and is proud of what she's achieved.  We sit here, getting riled up by Edge and rooting for Daniel Bryan because they're lifelong fans who want to be there, and then we judge AJ for essentially being the same?

And frankly, who are any of us to decide what anybody else should or should not be proud of?  And certainly it's not the silliest thing any person in the wrestling industry has tattooed onto their body.  On CM Punk's DVD, he insinuates that he once got a tattoo of a waffle because he had really good waffles that morning.  And even if that's not true, how about the fact that he has a giant Pepsi logo tattooed on one arm, and a giant Cobra logo on the other?  Or how about the Undertaker, whose entire body is pretty much a tribute to his character?  Or Mysterio, who has symbols from his mask on his chest?  Personally, I think all are fine (again, I think each has a lot more personality and significance than some stupid tribal design), but the point is that she seems to be put under a microscope that others are not.

And if this is a matter of "this is fake, why does she care about a nonathletic accomplishment?"  Others have brought up the Emmy Awards comparison, and that's accurate.  But how about the fact that there are several actors out there who have gotten tattoos to commemorate "fake" things.  The lead actors of Lord of the Rings got tattoos to commemorate their role.  Likewise, Kiefer Sutherland got a tattoo for his role as Jack Bauer.

So, yeah, I'm Team AJ.

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LIVE Raw thoughts - September 9, 2013

11:10 - I was a little worried two things were going to happen.  I was first worried that the show would end, AGAIN, with Orton standing over a beaten Daniel Bryan (I don't mind the beat downs, but the visual of him standing over Bryan's body with the title over his head is getting old).  I was then worried that they'd give the heroic moment to Big Show, and not Bryan, by having the giant punch Orton.  They teased both, but resisted both as well.  In the end, the right thing happened -- Bryan took advantage of an opportunity and took down Orton himself.  The final moment of the episode was Bryan standing over Orton, holding the title high.  It was a refreshing ending and I'm glad they went with it.

10:44 - I wonder if Edge will have a specialty Smackdown t-shirt like the one he had for Raw?

10:41 - Nothing expresses anger like destroy a 30 year old television.

10:36 - It just occurred to me that Christian got changed into his wrestling gear just to pretend to get beat up.

10:35 - And the Internet will now explode with airbrush jokes!

10:27 - Ricardo Rodriguez is not nearly as entertaining and charming as he used to be in this role.  This pairing with Rob Van Dam is just a poor fit for both of them.

10:25 - Does anybody on this show not cry?

10:18 - The expected result, but it was a fun match.  I particularly enjoyed seeing Goldust hit Cody's finisher.

10:02 - Always been a big Goldust fan.  Exciting to see him back in the ring.

9:54 - Just remember, I always said that the Miz shouldn't ever be a face.

9:40 - That spinning thing was pretty f'n cool.  Like Kofi, I REALLY wish they would do something with Cesaro as well.

9:37 - I still think Santino works better as the oblivious heel than the lovable face.

9:30 - Not mentioning that ADR has Mexican flags hanging around the corners for the ring until AFTER the match is over.  Your observant announcers, folks!

9:17 - The announcers are really annoying in this segment.  The announcers kept harping on her being jealous of not being on Total Divas, despite her repeatedly saying that she only cares about the championship and not being on the show.  But hey, let's get over the show and not the championship, right?  And then they kept belittling her professional accomplishments and making it seem like she's a loser for not being on Total Divas.

9:13 - I've never watched Total Divas, but I find it funny that on WWE television, JoJo is portrayed as a face while Eva Marie is portrayed as a heel.  Yet if you check out WWE.com, their reviews of the show seem to portray Eva Marie as a go-getter and JoJo as a bitter, sore loser.

9:07 - We've had public job evaluations, why not public medical exams?

9:06 - The "This is awkward!" chant is awesome.

8:55 - While somewhat protected, that was a pretty decisive loss for Ziggler.  I'm not really sure what's going on with him.

8:46 - So Dolph Ziggler went from fighting the machine to wanting to prove himself to Triple H?  They've really dropped the ball with him.  The crowd was RED HOT for him after his title win and even following his face turn.  Now he's just floundering.

8:41 - Peculiar backstage segment there.  I understand what they were going for -- it makes sense to have a face sympathize with Big Show, instead of judging him -- in order to keep the fans on his side.  But I wonder if Booker T was the right choice.  In a lot of ways he's perfect.  He's retired, so he doesn't need to worry about his own crowd reaction.  But at the same time, I'm not entirely convinced he has SUCH a deep relationship with the audience that people would say, "Well, if Booker T's okay with it, then I guess he can't be all that bad."

8:37 - Wow, is this the first time Jerry Lawler has ever been dressed like an adult?

8:31 - I REALLY wish they would do SOMETHING with Kofi Kingston.  When was the last time he was in a legitimate angle?

8:25 - Have they explicitly stated one way or another whether the Intercontinental Championship is on the line at Night of Champions?  I mean, all indications point at "no," but I'm surprised they haven't outright said so yet.

8:19 - Effective segment, and I was glad that Triple H played a straight up standard heel.  Didn't try to get the crowd on his side at any time.

8:11 - One of the great things about Daniel Bryan -- and something we missed, to an extent, with CM Punk -- is that he doesn't need to act cooler than the room.  When he's standing in the middle of the ring and the crowd is erupting for him, he can smile and look happy.  It makes it more fulfilling for the fans.

8:05 - Man, I miss Edge.  I still maintain that the World Heavyweight Championship would be treated with a lot more respect if Edge was still around.

8:01 - Everybody's entrances these days are so bland and generic that it's almost surreal seeing Edge come out with the smoke and pyro.

7:03 - Alright, I'm getting things off to an early start so that I can kick off a pre-Raw discussion.  I was going to do a Trending Topic on this, but figured things might change by the time I write it later this week.  Anyway, this discussion will be on the Big Show's story from last week.  Like others, I found the whole thing flawed.  They wanted us to feel a certain way without writing the story behind.  All that Triple H had done was sign a match between Daniel Bryan and the Big Show -- a match that had happened numerous times in the past.  It didn't seem decidedly evil, yet they kept harping on the fact that Big Show was adamantly against it.  Why?  The one argument they COULD make was that Big Show was aware of the damage Daniel Bryan had suffered after weeks of 4 on 1 assaults from the Shield and Randy Orton, and that he was in no condition to fight.  But that wasn't the route they took.  Again, they wanted to create an emotional response without actually giving us a story that warrants that.

And as far as the match goes, there were no consequences.  So what if Big Show won?  So what if Big Show lost?  With nothing on the line, there was no reason to get invested.  Let's say fans care about Big Show getting fired....why would they root for Daniel Bryan?  In their eyes, he's only making a difficult situation worse for the Big Show.

What would I have done?  Glad you asked.  Triple H's firing spree was already established through Cody Rhodes.  So why not Triple H sign Daniel Bryan vs. the Big Show.  And since Daniel Bryan is the #1 Contender for the WWE Championship, he needs to be winning.  So if Daniel Bryan loses against the Big Show, then he's fired.  Now Big Show has a motivation to not want to fight.  Then you have Triple H say "if it appears to me like you're holding back, you're going to be the one who is fired."  Now there's something on the line, and the fans can relate to the internal struggle.  They'll still root for Bryan (their #1 face) because they don't want him to lose.  But they'll sympathize with Big Show's struggle because they don't want him to be unfairly fired, either.

And, thankfully, they haven't even booked themselves into a corner.  They can have the Shield run in and attack Bryan, earning him the DQ victory, which would prevent him from getting fired.  Then you go with the original ending of the Shield holding Bryan and Triple H forcing him to knock him out.

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