A Case of the.... The Walking Dead - Season 2

As I said in yesterday's Season 1 column, I will be posting my thoughts on The Walking Dead season-by-season.  Today, I will be discussing the extremely thrilling season two!  As previously noted, there will be spoilers for anything that happened during the second season -- but ONLY for the second season.  Click the link below for my thoughts on season two!

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A Case of the.... The Walking Dead - Season 1

I know I'm a bit late to the party, but man am I addicted to this show!  While in Texas last week, my friend (who has the entire series saved on his DVR) convinced me to give the show a shot.  Whenever we had spare time, we'd sit down and watch an episode.  I got there Wednesday afternoon and left early Sunday morning.  In that amount of time, we went through the entire first season (only six episodes) and the first two episodes of season two.  In the week since then, I've already finished the second and third season.  That speaks volumes of how addictive this series can be -- I managed to do this while working full time AND maintaining my regular television schedule.  There were many late nights and exhausting mornings.  But it was well worth it.

I initially intended on doing one post for all three seasons, but then I realized there might be people in similar situations.  Some people might not have seen all three seasons and might only want to read about specific seasons.  Therefore, over the course of this week, I'll post my thoughts on each season in its entirety.  This column is for season one.  So, be warned, there will be spoilers for anything that happened during the first season -- but ONLY for the first season.  Click the link below for my my thoughts on season one!

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A Case of the.... The Vampire Diaries - Episodes 4-19 & 4-20

Since I was in Texas the night The Vampire Diaries returned from hiatus and I wasn’t able to watch the episode until the following Wednesday, I decided I would just do another dual review for the prom episode, as well as the set up for the Originals spin off.  This is actually quite convenient, because neither review will be particularly long as they were both meant to set the stage for bigger things (the story for the finale in one case, and the plot of the spin off for the other).

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Boston Marathon Bombing

The observant visitor may have noticed that I occasionally alter the banner on my blog to commemorate something that is happening, whether it's a holiday or personal matter.  I've done it for Christmas and St. Patrick's Day, as well as when I've attended certain shows and sporting events.  Right now, it's been Boston-ified as a tribute and sign of solidarity towards those personally impacted by the recent tragedy during the Boston Marathon.  The banner will remain there through the end of the month.

I knew a few people who ran the race and several more who attended.  Thankfully, none of them were near the blast and avoided suffering any injuries.  For that, I am incredibly grateful.  Considering the extremely low death toll -- and I say that with complete respect and sympathy, as there's little in this world sadder than a young child losing their life -- I thought we were pretty lucky, all things considered.  I quickly realized things were much worse than it seemed.

Yes, only three people died, but many others suffered life changing injuries.  There is a married couple that is close friends with a friend of mine, and tragically both of them were near the explosion and they each had to have their left legs amputated.  And that made me realize that statistics don't adequately represent the horrifying nature of this event.  These two people -- both of whom have been showered with emotional and financial support -- will never be the same again.  Thankfully, their positive attitudes, as well as their invaluable support system, will get them through this massive hurdle.

If you'd like to assist the victims of this attack in any way, I encourage you to check out this link:

https://secure.onefundboston.org/page/-/donate5.html

And if you'd like to learn more about my friend's friends, who were victims as well, visit this Facebook support page:

https://www.facebook.com/ForPatrickAndJess

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LIVE Raw thoughts - April 22, 2013

11:04 - Eh, I personally enjoy it when they do anything that gives Cena any semblance of an edge.  So having him initially step off the apron and allowing the Shield to get a bit of an attack on Ryback (once again, doing that whole "heels hating a heel because they have history" thing I spoke of earlier) and then hitting him with an AA after rescuing him was a good way to go.  Especially since he always got beat up in his interactions with Rock.

10:51 - I have to say, Ryback's loss to Mark Henry at WrestleMania is even more curious since the post-WrestleMania plans see Ryback becoming Cena's first opponent and Mark Henry entering a upper midcard feud with Sheamus.  What was the purpose of Ryback losing?

10:14 - There was no surprise that Daniel Bryan ate the pin there, but it was wise to have the Shield win.  Frankly, I'm impressed they resisted the urge to do a schmooze ending.  Great match, and it's nice to see Undertaker more than once a year.

9:51 - Honestly, I'm pretty shocked that this isn't the main event.

9:41 - I really liked the presentation and artwork of that Mick Foley DVD commercial.  Unique and clever.

9:37 - When Zack Ryder said he was leaving his headband and sunglasses behind, I figured his transformation would be a bit more significant.

9:22 - Fun segment with Team Hell No.

9:20 - Sigh....Cody loses again?  To Tensai, no less?

9:08 - The Jericho/Ziggler match was really good and entertaining and the right person won, BUT the announcers were laying it on a little thick.  Even when the match is Ryback vs. JTG, they don't completely act like the winner is a foregone conclusion.  They were just going a little too far with the "Well Jericho's got this thing won" talk.  Plus, doing so runs of the risk of one of two things:  It either gives away the ending, or you just spend the entire match making your champion look like a loser.

8:48 - So is this going to be every Ziggler match during his reign?  "Hey, remember when this guy beat the champion?"

8:36 - Still love the AJ/Dolph stuff (and Big E has grown on me), but this inconsistent nonsense with which GM has power over which Superstars and which titles is grating.  They occasionally go out of their way to have Booker talk about how the World Heavyweight Championship is a Smackdown title so he has power to make matches even on Raw....so why would Vickie have power to make a World Heavyweight Championship match for a PPV?

Having said that, I do like when they have people on the same "side" (i.e. both heels) have issues with each other despite the fact that they're both "bad."  Such is the case with Vickie with Dolph and AJ (and to a lesser extent, Maddox with AJ).  Adds some much needed complexity to the show and the characters.

8:22 - I missed the opening segment but got here JUST in time to see Antonio Cesaro needlessly job to R-Truth.  Now, at least they got the title off of him before doing that (although they made him lose to one of the OTHER guys who loses all of the time.  The other guys that lose all the time -- Dolph Ziggler and Daniel Bryan -- are of course your World Heavyweight and Tag Team Champion), but still.  Cesaro has such a great upside and he was being pushed so great for the first several months of his debut.  What happened?

Also, great entrance for the Shield.

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Deep in the heart of Texas!

Just wanted to give you all a heads up that I'm heading to Texas tomorrow to visit one of my best friends growing up.  I'll be there until Sunday afternoon, so my review of The Vampire Diaries will be late (shocker).

I decided to take this trip as a little gift to myself for getting through another busy season at work.  This was particularly arduous, and it felt like I was one of the only people in my department who didn't get sick or anything, so I didn't take a single day off.  It's been rough!

Anyway, I'm excited for the trip, but I'm dreading the fact that I have to wake up at about 5 in the morning.  I've also been having some severe dry and inflammation issues with my eyes -- and my friend said the pollen is bad this time of year -- so I'm worried that my eyes might feel like death (I hate having to wear glasses).

I'm sure I'll be updating my Twitter over the next few days, but blog activity might be limited.  Have a great rest of the week, everybody!

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WrestleMania Weekend: The Video!

In the final installment of my WrestleMania Weekend series, I thought you all might enjoy this video of the various clips I took throughout the weekend (at Axxess, tailingating, and at WrestleMania itself).  Enjoy!

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My WrestleMania Experience

Better late than never, right?

I originally intended on recounting my WrestleMania experience immediately after the show on Sunday, but I got home way too late to do that.  And then I ended up working late on Monday (and it was a jam packed day, which meant I couldn’t even write it during my lunch break).  But I did to do it before the excitement of WrestleMania dissipated, so here you go – a Tuesday night posting.

So we arrived at the arena at about 1:00 in the afternoon.  It was warm, but extremely windy.  The entire time leading up to the event we figured we’d be warm during the day but cold at night.  Once we got there, we realized we may very well be chilly during the day, while outside, and then warmer when we got into the arena (which would protect us from the wind).  While a sweatshirt or jacket was necessary, the sun was strong enough to keep us warm.

We had some chips, dip, sandwiches, and other snacks in the trunk of the car.  And we had a table set up for beer pong (which was EXTREMELY difficult to play given the power of the wind).  And there was plenty to drink – perhaps too much, as one person in our group ended up getting pretty drunk and was quite the annoyance to the people around us once we got to our seats in the arena.  I could hear some of them talking about how they were literally going to go to security in order to get him ejected.  He was that bad.  So, if you’re reading this and you were sitting in front of us or behind us, I genuinely apologize.

Speaking of the people around us, wrestling fans are an interest breed, aren’t we?  I’m not going to say that I’m the only normal person and everybody who knows less is a stupid mark, and everybody who knows more is overly “smart.”  And I completely understand how much of the enjoyment of wrestling comes from getting into the moment and treating it like a real competition.  But some of these people….I just don’t know.  There was this guy behind me, probably in his mid thirties, and the way he’s talking….it’s almost as if he doesn’t even realize that this is a scripted storyline.  Like he would say, with no sense of “being in the moment,” “Punk made things way too personal” and “no more talking, now it’s time to fight!”  Or during the Triple H/Brock match, noting that Triple H doesn’t have his submission move locked tight enough.  I’m all for enthusiasm and even taking things seriously, but this was an entirely new level.  But hey, he enjoyed himself, so who am I to judge?

Now to the show.  Jim’s girlfriend was along with us and one of the first things she noticed was that we couldn’t hear the impact of the wrestlers getting slammed onto the ring.  And even though our seats were pretty high up, a big reason for that was that these stadiums don’t exactly lend themselves to great acoustics.  I honestly don’t know how that translated on television, but I’m guessing the crowd sounded on the quiet side.  This is another reason why WWE should at least consider the possibility of doing WrestleMania in a smaller venue.  Compare the over 80,000 people who were at WrestleMania to the less than 17,000 people who were at Raw the next night.  There’s no comparison.

I do have to admit, though, that the crowd did seem a bit quiet at times.  Some crowd reaction moments that stood out, though:  the place was rabid for a Ziggler cash in during the World Heavyweight Championship match.  They spent practically the entire match chanting “We Want Ziggler,” and when the screen went black at the conclusion of the match (indicating that the camera was no longer on the in-ring action) the place really deflated.  Also, everybody was really surprised when Mark Henry beat Ryback.  Nobody expected it and it seemed to come out of nowhere.  As a result, it didn’t really get much of a reaction at all.

The match of the night was undoubtedly CM Punk vs. the Undertaker.  It was the most exciting and the crowd was definitely the most alive during it.  People were at the edge of their seats throughout, and they didn’t seem to resort to teased finishers and false finishes like the main event.  Magnificent job by both competitors.  The crowd was surprisingly tame during Brock Lesnar/Triple H.  The high spots got the expected reaction, but it was nowhere near  as consistent as Punk/Taker.

Most surprising, however, was the apparent disinterest in Rock/Cena.  Perhaps it was just my section, but people seemed to be openly mocking the match (particularly the rest holds.  It had a fair amount working against it, though.  For one, it came after the match of the night (Punk/Taker) and a brutal garbage match (Triple H/Brock).  If it wasn’t going to be a masterpiece, people were going to be disappointed.  Perhaps even more significant, though, is that nobody expected the match at that time.  Most of us figured we’d see the eight man match to calm everybody down.  Sure, it would only last a minute or two, but most people were sitting around waiting for Brodus’ music when suddenly Cena’s music played.  It really seemed like people didn’t know what to think at first.  And I really think that hurt the match (not to mention the fact that, unlike every other main event match of the past decade, there were no overly elaborate entrances).

Some random observations:  First off, A LOT of people already have a replica of the new WWE Championship.  I’d say I saw more of that championship than any other.  And it’s the most expensive ($450 to the usual $300)!  Also, about half of the people I saw wearing John Cena shirts were adults.  And speaking of John Cena, I think there’s something to the theory that people chant “Cena Sucks!” because it’s expected and part of the show.  Case in point:  The same person sitting near me started the “Let’s Go Cena!” chant and then immediately yelled “Cena Sucks!” in response to his own cheer.  Don’t get me wrong, there were a lot of people who actively voiced their disdain for him, but I think there’s also a large portion of people who jeer him for fun.

Perhaps more than everything else, I loved the various allusions to last year’s show.  First you had a recreation of the Daniel Bryan/AJ Lee kiss, with AJ kissing Dolph this time, and Bryan responding with a swift kick to his face that almost led to the end of the match.  It really was played perfectly.  I also really loved the two in the Rock/Cena match, where they twice made reference to the manner in which their match ended last year.  The first had Rock imitating Cena, only for Cena to cut him off with his finisher (a recreation of last year’s ending, with the roles reversed).  The other had Cena once again mocking Rock, but this time expecting the Rock’s defensive attack.  Well done.

The only thing I hated about the event was leaving.  We were in our car for literally an hour before we even left the lot.  THE LOT!  Dreadful, dreadful way to end the night.  But overall, a great experience.

Be sure to check out my photos from the event (includes photos from the actual event as well as tailgating and Axxess): 

WrestleMania Weekend Photos

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LIVE Raw thoughts - April 8, 2013

11:07 - Quite an interesting way to book Cena.  Very, very odd that they had him win via count out.  It really made him look like he took the easy way out (which only accentuated his earlier heelish behavior -- although, again, I do not believe they were intending to turn him heel).  Ryback's, I assume, heel turn after making the save was a rather energetic way to end the show.  But, again, it was strange.  Why have him lose to Mark Henry, after he lost for months against the Shield and Punk, and just before he'll certainly lose to Cena?  If they didn't want Henry to lose (and why not, if it appears that Ryback will be the new challenger), why not do a double count out or disqualification?

Nonetheless, one of the most energetic and freshest feeling Raw in what feels like over a year.  Great show!

10:43 - As many predicted, here is that 8 man tag match that was supposed to happen last night.  Truth be told, they'll probably get a better reaction and more time doing it tonight.  Yes, it won't be as prestigious or lucrative, but it'll be more fun.

10:37 - No doubt, this is a special crowd, but I think it also helps that we're seeing semi-fresh matches and storylines and nobody the fans have an emotional attachment to is being used as fodder for somebody they don't care about.  WWE seems to be embracing their fans tonight.  For the past couple of years, they've almost been spiteful of us.

10:31 - I am not being the least bit sarcastic with this comment, but I cannot think of anything more impressive than an entire audience of thousands of people simultaneously humming a tune without any instruction whatsoever.

10:26 - There are a lot of people on Twitter -- highly intelligent, knowledgeable people -- who think this crowd and their random chants and actions are something that should be ignored or discouraged, because it implies disinterest.  While it may very well be a sign that they're not invested or interested in what's happening in the ring, I honestly believe WWE would DIE for that sort of disinterest. The crowd is loud and vocal and they're reacting.  And not for nothing, but they've added a whole lot to the show for those of us watching at home.  And if nothing else, people are TALKING about the product right now.  And considering it's been a damn good show, it's not a bad thing if people were to decide to turn on the TV right now to see what all the hub bub is about.

10:23 - You know, it just occurred to me that it was the crowd at the Raw after WrestleMania that truly got over and started the "YES!" phenomenon.  The first audience after WrestleMania suddenly has the responsibility of deciding what the new hot thing will be.

10:16 - By the way, while looking at photos from WrestleMania, I noticed that Ziggler was wearing one of the ZR/DZ yin-yang on his vest last night.  Pretty awesome.

10:11 - Best comment on Twitter I've seen so far is that WrestleMania should be a bonus feature on the April 8, 2013 Raw DVD.  This is unreal.

10:05 - I loved Michael Cole's utter disbelief when he said "Are they chanting for YOU?"

This is a great crowd.  The one big downside with the open stadiums is that the acoustics aren't great.  I'm curious how the reactions last night translated on television.

10:01 - If this show is what happens when the Rock gets "injured," may he become Mr. Glass.

9:58 - What was the point of doing the Twitter vote and also revealing the results -- essentially making Sheamus look bad -- if the more logical solution (the one they ended up doing) was a possibility?

9:55 - Nothing resolves a deeply bitter personal rivalry like a Twitter vote!

Truth be told, I could get into an Orton/Sheamus/Big Show feud.  Kinda reminds me of Shamrock/Mankind/Rock -- a feud which made all three Superstars -- who fought while also feuding together against Undertaker and Kane.

9:33 - Pretty awesome moment for Daniel Bryan, standing in the ring alongside Undertaker and Kane.  Considering how rarely Undertaker appears these days, it's quite an honor to be put in a segment with him (provided it's not just to get chokeslammed by him).  I could totally get into Shield vs. Undertaker/Team Hell No at Extreme Rules.

So far, this Raw has had more shocks and more interesting storylines than WrestleMania.

9:18 - I can attest to the fact that the crowd last night was DYING for Ziggler to cash in.  This was a great moment.  The announcers oversold it at first, but then began doubting Ziggler's chances.  Like other cash ins in the past, the new champion and the challenger both looked good.  Now, WWE, pull the actual trigger on Ziggler.  Don't make him a loser.

9:13 - The announcers' refusal to acknowledge the "We Want Ziggler" chants is either annoying, or an indication that he's going to cash in.  Twice they've ignored it and tried to pretend it was something else.

9:02 - Alright, what do you think?  Does Ziggler cash in?

8:46 - Wow, surprising finish.  I understand why they had Miz win last night -- get the crowd pumped up with a big babyface title win.  But they couldn't have waited another month and done the rematch at Extreme Rules?  Why switch the title back right away?

8:33 - I feel like I'm in a time machine any time I hear WWE hype something on AOL.

8:25 - Further frustration -- they just made Langston look tougher than they have made Ziggler look in all of 2013.

8:21 - Annoyed that they're feeding Bryan -- and not Kane -- to Langston.  Wouldn't a victory over Kane make Langston look more dominant anyway?

8:17 - That was actually a really fun opener.  Cena's borderline hostility and mocking towards the crowd was a different side of him that we're not often privy to.  Like I said earlier, he was practically being a heel.  Mark Henry vs. John Cena is also a relatively fresh match.  Personally, I hope they give Cena the win here.  Yes, he needs a new challenger, but he also needs a successful defense to really accentuate the point that he's the champ.

Also, a 2-on-1 handicap match for Alberto Del Rio?  Prime opportunity for a Ziggler cash in...

8:12 - Oddly enough, the guy sitting behind me at last night's show tried unsuccessfully to get a "Sexual Chocolate" chant going.

8:08 - "How about a little heel turn?"

8:05 - I said this on Twitter earlier this evening but I LOVE how the side plates on the WWE Championship (now on Twitter, by the way) change depending on the champion.  It was a Brahma bull for Rock, and now it's the Hustle, Loyalty, Respect and You Can't See Me logos for Cena.  Also, I like that Cena wears the championship around his waist and that he wore a specialty t-shirt.  And I'm not reading into it -- I don't think he's turning -- but this is a borderline heelish promo Cena is giving.

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Today is the day!

The day has finally arrived -- it's WrestleMania!  Like I said in my True or False earlier this weekend, I'm looking more forward to the experience and spectacle of WrestleMania than any match in particular (which is a bad sign), but I AM looking forward to it.  So that's a plus.

My buddies are going to be picking me up in about 20 minutes, at which point we'll head to the arena and begin tailgating.  So, like yesterday, I encourage you to follow me on Twitter for immediate photos/observations:  @acaseofthetwit

Also, here are my final WrestleMania predictions:

Cena over Rock
Undertaker over Punk (Punk wears WrestleMania colors)
Triple H over Lesnar
Del Rio over Swagger, Ziggler successfully cashes in
Team Hell No over Ziggler/Langston (likely the show opener)
Fandango over Jericho (cheats to win)
Ryback over Mark Henry
Team Rhodes Scholars over Tons of Funk (likely gets moved to the preshow)
Miz over Barrett
If Kaitlyn vs. AJ wins, I'm going with AJ

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WWE WrestleMania Axxess

So I went to the 1:00 session of WrestleMania Axxess and I wasn't quite sure what to expect.  The photos and video packages all made it seem like an amazing experience, but I couldn't imagine a scenario in which there wouldn't be gigantic lines for just about everything.  And while there were plenty of long lines -- more on that later -- overall it was nothing like I had feared.  I honestly thought that there would be lengthy waits to even get your photo taken with the bronze Andre the Giant statue.  Instead, you really could just walk right up to it and snap a photo.  Aside from the autograph sessions, this was pretty much the standard for all of the attractions.  From the WrestleMania banners to the classic championships to the various displays, you were pretty much free to just go right up there and take a picture.  And that was a VERY pleasant surprise for me.

And speaking of photos, I was pretty impressed with the helpfulness of the staff as well.  My friend and I only ended up waiting on two lines -- for the most part, all of the autograph sessions and photo opportunities were way too long to wait -- and in both cases the event staff either took a photo for us, or allowed us to take each other's photos and then switch places.  My only other real experience has been going to book signings, where everything is so incredibly rushed that you're ostracized if you hold the line up for even a second to take turn on your camera.  So, again, this was a very pleasant surprise.

My one major complaint, though, was the lack of organization -- especially in regards to the Superstar appearances.  For example, when you come in, you're given a map and that map indicates where everything is.  Except the map pretty much just says "Superstar Signing Station 1" and "Superstar Signing Station 2."  I recognize that they do this because it isn't entirely feasible to print out different maps for every single session, but even so it would be helpful if they could let us at least know -- in some way -- where everybody is and how long they'll be there.  To an extent they do (if you go down to the actual arena, there are signs above each signing station that says which Superstar is there), but if you're walking around you're roaming kinda aimlessly.  This turned into a bit of an issue about halfway through the session, when the Superstars who were signing swapped places.  We literally had to jump on a line without actually knowing who would be signing autographs or taking pictures.

This whole thing gave me two funny stories, actually.  When Jim (who doesn't watch as often as he used to) saw a sign for "Ted DiBiase," he got excited.  I had to tell him, "No, not the good one."  And then when we got on line without knowing who would be making an appearance, it turned out to be 3MB.  We -- along with a few others -- opted to just get out of line.  Sorry guys!

The two lines we ended up waiting on were ones that were short at the time that we walked by.  The first was the Money in the Bank photo op, which allowed you to reach for the briefcase on a ladder (well, sorta.  You had to keep one foot on the ground).  And the other was with Hall of Famer Ricky Steamboat.  For the brief moment I met him, the Dragon seemed very friendly and personable.  Cool experience.

Just because we didn't wait in line for autographs doesn't mean we didn't have any cool run ins.  While on line for the 3MB shoot, Mr. Theodore Long walked past us and was about 3 feet away as he waved to the crowd.  I crossed paths with JTG at least three times.  Hilariously, Hornswoggle walked past us too, but very few people saw him because he's so short.  He has a really weird body, by the way.  At the end of the session Jim and I also found the exit the talent was using, so we stood there and came within talking distance of various Superstars and Legends.  Superfly Jimmy Snuka actually spoke to us (basically just saying thank you when we said hello).  William Regal came right by us.  Several NXT Superstars and Divas that I didn't quite recognize did as well.

One story I have to share is about the Prime Time Players.  When they were heading towards the back, several children asked them for autographs.  Darren Young said "We're not allowed to" and walked through the curtain.  He then kept his back towards the crowd until his elevator arrived.  Titus O'Neil, on the other hand, stood there and signed every single child's program.  Even as his elevator came (while Darren stood inside, of course), Titus held up as one kid hurried over to him.  It was actually really sweet, and I have a tremendous new level of respect for Titus because of it.  He's clearly somebody who deserves to make it big.

The coolest run in, however, had to be with LINDA MCMAHON!!!!  That's right, Linda McMahon was at Axxess....and she walked right by me on TWO occasions.  The first time was when she walked down one of the corridors towards the arena area, and actually got turned away because it wasn't the right section.  She passed us a second time (and smiled!) as she walked to the next section.  She was with some small children, I presume her grandchildren.  Which means they may very well have been McMahon-Helmsely spawn.

There was some in ring action as well.  Antonio Cesaro fought, which made my friend and I joke that the United States Champion was defending his championship at the 1:00 Saturday session of Axxess, opening for an NXT Divas match (but hey, at least he won).  There was also an awesome in-ring promo with CM Punk and Paul Heyman.  Punk noted that Randy Savage needs to be in the Hall of Fame.  And when asked if he'd be wearing Savage's colors tomorrow night, he said no, but that he would be wearing somebody else's.  As an attires mark, I became intrigued.  In a rather hilarious moment, at the end of the promo, Punk and Heyman recreated the classic Randy Savage/Elizabeth "let me open the ropes for you" routine from WrestleMania VII.  Awesome stuff.

Overall it was tiring, but a whole lot of fun.  If I had one suggestion, it would be to figure out how to incorporate the autograph sessions into the event a bit more.  If your intention was to walk away with as many autographs as possible, you'd be SOL.  I think you'd basically just wait on one line and go to the next, and maybe walk away with 3.  And in doing that, you'd miss out on pretty much everything else.  You wouldn't see any of the displays and you wouldn't catch any of the action (the lines were along the hallways of the arena).  It's a tough thing to figure out logistically, but I'm sure there's a better way to do it.  And maybe having the announcers announce over the house mic who would be where might help as well.

More than anything else, this thing made me wonder why the HELL WWE doesn't have a Hall of Fame.  They have so many cool things on display that they could be making real money all year round, every year, just by charging $20 or so to get people to visit and view it.  Right now they have a warehouse full of old merchandise, PPV/show banners and various other memorabilia that is really just costing them money (due to rent).  Why not put it on display in a facility where they could make some of that money back?  At least give a permanent home to the awesome Andre the Giant statue, instead of trekking it out two or three times a year.

Anyway, be sure to check out photos from the event.  I'll update the page tomorrow with my WrestleMania photos as well:
WrestleMania Weekend Photos

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I'm off to Axxess!

My WrestleMania Weekend continues as I'm about to head off to pick up my friend Jim (who participated in yesterday's special True or False, along with WrestleChat.Net) to go to the 1:00 session of Axxess.  I'm pretty psyched, as I really want to see the life sized bronze statue of Andre the Giant, and CM Punk is scheduled to be there as well.

I'll post my experience later on tonight, but in the meantime follow me on Twitter as I'm sure I'll be posting pictures and tweeting about the event:  @acaseofthetwit

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True or False #5 - With WrestleMania Attendees (WrestleMania Edition)

I’m kicking off WrestleMania weekend with a very special edition of True or False.  As you might remember, I did a similar two-part feature last year (featuring long-time readers Kyle & Javier, as well as notorious wrestling reviewer and author Scott Keith).  This year I’m doing something a little different, with each panelist being somebody who will be attending WrestleMania this year at MetLife stadium!

The first participant is actually the person who will be attending WrestleMania with me – one of my best friends from Rutgers, Jim.  The two of us first bonded over wrestling, and since our dorms didn’t initially carry Spike TV, we would take the bus to the main campus every Monday night to watch Raw on the big screen at the Red Lion Café (which was a pretty awesome experience).  We both went to WrestleMania X-8 in Toronto, although not together, and we will be going to Axxess this Saturday (the 1:00 session).  We’ll also be tailgating somewhat recklessly in the stadium parking lot Sunday morning.

My other guest is one of the finest wrestling websites on the net, WrestleChat.Net.  Along with being supremely appreciative to all of their followers and supporters, these guys do their homework.  They research their stories and they don’t post something that’s questionable all for the sake of “being first.”  They’re cool guys and I definitely recommend their site (they’re also fun to interact with – they’re open to differing opinions, many of which are mine).  Be sure to follow them on Twitter:  @WrestleChatNet.

Anyway, let’s get to it…

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A Case of the.... The Vampire Diaries - Episodes 4-17 & 4-18

The best part of these episodes – and I daresay, the best part of the entire SERIES – had to have been when the random barfly brushed his hand through Rebekah’s hair, only for Rebekah to swiftly grab his face and violently throw him to the ground.  Hilarious.

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LIVE Raw thoughts - April 1, 2013

11:04 - Believe it or not, I absolutely applaud that segment.  It was the first thing all show that actually captured my undivided attention.  The second the druids came out, I was hooked on the television.  And when it was finally over, I was legitimately excited to see the match at WrestleMania (it was also the one go-home segment that made me more excited for a given match).  The Heyman as Bearer reveal was absolutely chilling.  And I loved Undertaker coming to a halt before reaching Bearer, as he realized that Punk HAD to be one of the druids in disguise.  The beatdown was great, and Punk wiping his chest and face with the "ashes" inside the urn was twisted and fun.

For the past four years, Undertaker has been battling against faces in matches that were built around respect (not saying it didn't get physical and tense, but overall the build was respectful).  It's fun and refreshing seeing Undertaker go up against a guy who wants to hurt him -- physically, mentally, and emotionally.

This was absolutely the segment to go home with.  Excellent job.

10:48 - I am utterly shocked that the Miz/Barrett Intercontinental title match got moved to the preshow and not this match.  Although I still expect this match to move there by the time WrestleMania comes around.

By the way, are they going to get around to booking Kaitlyn vs. AJ?

10:42 - Nice, Cody and Sandow are doing that "wear your partner's shirt" thing that I like.  I remember Edge and Chavo did this a couple years go.  Nice touch.

10:29 - The recent booking of Antonio Cesaro has been completely baffling.  He was the one guy who constantly looked strong and protected.  He won against faces clean.  He rarely lost.  And when he did, it was under conditions that ensured he continued to look strong.  Then out of no where, they seemingly just decided to give up on him altogether.  He almost always loses, typically in decisive and humiliating fashion (tapping out).

Despite ending 2012 in fairly strong fashion, 2013 has been absolutely dreadful for Kofi Kingston, Antonio Cesaro, Wade Barrett, and Dolph Ziggler.  What the hell is going on?

10:20 - Perhaps Jericho should have been tipped off when the gold curtain was set up over the entranceway.

10:15 - I've never been a huge Miz fan and Barrett has been a bit underwhelming since his return, but it's pretty terrible that a completely unproven and not terribly over Fandango is getting a prime WrestleMania spot against Jericho, while these two are getting booted to the preshow.

Also, Antonio Cesaro should NOT be jobbed out to build a match for Fandango.

10:06 - So the Rock's go-home promo was about him running for president and setting the WWE Championship on fire?

10:03 - Am I wrong, or did The Rocks shoe size go from size 13 to size 15 in the span of two hours?

9:57 - What a shock, the Rock is wearing warm up pants and his t-shirt.  He must shop with Brock Lesnar.

9:50 - The only match that sounds less interesting to me than Alberto Del Rio vs. Zeb Coulter is Alberto Del Rio vs. Jack Swagger.

9:42 - "Undertaker's more concerned with Paul Bearer's streak of waking up every morning, and that's now over."  Oh Punk, that was deliciously evil.

9:40 - I kinda get a kick out of WWE's "the best value in entertainment" ad campaign.  It's like they're equating themselves to a dollar store.

9:31 - Was there any doubt in the world that Mark Henry would be the opponent?

I think I've said this before, but Mark Henry should not be wearing a t-shirt.  Mark Henry is incredibly powerful and strong, but he's not built.  Wearing a super XXL t-shirt over his huge body just makes him look fat.  It does him no favors.

9:23 - There's a lot of disappointment on Twitter about the Intercontinental title being demoted to the preshow (and some comments about how Miz went from successfully defending the WWE Championship at WrestleMania, only to be challenging for the Intercontinental Championship on the preshow two years later).

Also, Ryder:  PLEASE stop wearing black, silver, and red trunks with black, purple, and orange boots.

9:19 - Wow, so Miz vs. Barrett got booted to the pershow?  I'm somewhat surprised by that.  It's actually kinda sad seeing Miz out there shilling the match like it's something special.

9:00 - I hope Shawn Michaels gets a nice little WrestleMania paycheck for making fans actually care about a Triple H match for the past three years.  And I'm somewhat surprised that Shawn Michaels even mentioned the World Heavyweight Championship match.

8:43 - Right now the bookers are saying, "Is there any way we can get Alberto Del Rio to make both of them tap?"

8:34 - After that Glen Beck "we're characters" video, I don't even trust that Swagger and Zeb were even in DC.  Was it just a green screen and giant fan?  Also, I've said this before and I'll say it again:   Alberto Del Rio should not be wearing t-shirts.  He's supposed to be upper class.

8:29 - Update:  The leftovers were all frozen.  I was looking forward to eating that all day.

Also, it's the Raw before WrestleMania and I'm talking about my dinner.

8:23 - It's like my own personal April Fools right now.  I just got home looking oh-so-forward to eating some Easter leftovers (lasagna and eggplant parmigiana) only to discover that I can't find any.  I swear to God, if all of the leftovers were given away....

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