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.

Read more!

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!!

Read more!

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....

Read more!

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!

Read more!

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.

Read more!

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.

Read more!

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.

Read more!

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.

Read more!

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"....

Read more!