2009 Year in Review of Sports and Wrestling

What a year it has been this year in 2009. Sports and pro wrestling have been very fun to watch. A lot has happened this year and will do my best to talk about the important things. Lets start with this years champions and how they put themselves in history.

The Pittsburgh Steelers started off the year by winning their sixth Super Bowl, which is an NFL record. They defeated the surprising Arizona Cardinals who have never been to the Super Bowl. Then in the spring time the city of Pittsburgh celebrated once again when the Penguins defeated the Red Wings in the Stanley Cup Finals. It was the second year both teams were there. It was also in the spring time when the Lakers were back in the NBA finals and defeated a very young Orlando Magic team. Then in the fall, the New York Yankees defeated the defending World Champions, the Phillies in the World Series.

No doubt the biggest controversy was Tiger Woods affairs and accusations of steroids. The man has lost a lot of sponsorships, and has completely destroyed his private life. I will be curious to see if he will be able to rebound from this. Only time will tell, and until the next scandal comes out in 2010 he will be in the spotlight. Don't worry just like Kobe, A-Rod, and others this soon will pass and you'll be out of the limelight.

This year has also been a year of comebacks. The two most notable to me are Brett Favre signing with the Minnesota Vikings and absolutely killing everyone for the most part. The other comeback is Hulk Hogan who has had a rough last few years with divorce and the media twisting things he's said. He's back in wrestling, back with TNA Wrestling. I am looking forward to seeing Hulk in 2010 on a weekly basis on TV. The Monday Night Wars return January 4th at 8pm and the comeback will be complete.

The bad blood between Frank Mir and Brock Lesnar finally came ahead in July when Lesnar totally brutalized Mir in their UFC Heavyweight Title fight at UFC 100. Lesnar still showed he had some of his WWE heel character in him during his interview after the fight. The only other new champion in UFC was Lyoto Machida who defeated Rashad Evans in May. Roy Nelson became the newest Ultimate Fighter but the attention was on Kimbo Slice who finally made it to the UFC after all the criticism against him.

In pro wrestling the one thing that really stands out to me is Wrestlemania 25, the Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels. This match is the greatest match in Wrestlemania history and probably one of the best matches of this decade. A lot of things happened in wrestling this year like the return of Christian to the WWE, the rise of stars such as Kofi Kingston, Yoshi Tatsu, Evan Bourne, John Morrison and more. The WWE Championship changed hands nine times this year making the WWE more worthless then it's ever been. The WWE World Heavyweight Championship changed eight times so that's not much better. Believe it or not the ECW Championship has the most value to it because it's only changed hands four times. There were some great moments in WWE this year like Ricky Steamboat having one more match, Stone Cold Steve Austins farewell and the return of DX again. Like I said the one thing that will always stand out to me in 2009 in the WWE was the Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels and how great of a match it was.

On the TNA side of things there Heavyweight Championship changed hands 3 times between Mick Foley, Kurt Angle and AJ Styles. TNA also acquired Bobby Lashley, Elijah Burke, Victoria and others who left WWE. Their biggest acquisition came in November when they announced Hulk Hogan was joining TNA wrestling thus starting a chain of events that wrestling fans thought would never happen again. TNA was under the scope because of it's founder Jeff Jarrett. Jeff was suspended for five months because of his relationship with Kurt Angles ex-wife. Karen Angle moved in with Jeff shortly after the divorce. When it was all said and done Jeff returned to TNA and ended 2009 on a good note.

This year has a lot excitement, action and even some controversy. There are somethings I'd like to forget but a few things I will always remember. Sports and wrestling fans have a lot to look forward in 2010. The competition in sports its always getting better and now their is even more competition in pro wrestling now.

To all those who visited Hollywood's World of Sports and commented thank you. Keep coming back in 2010 because I will continue to write and offer my opinions. Expect big things from Hollywood's World of Sports in 2010. Tell your family, tell your friends, tell your coworkers and tell anyone else this is to place to be if you want someones real opinion on issues and events in sports and pro wrestling. Thank you, God Bless and have a Happy New Year everyone.

NFL Week 17 Predictions

Well this is, the final week of the NFL season and here we go. Lets get down to business for the week. Here are my picks for week 17.

Indianapolis Colts over Buffalo Bills
Jacksonville Jaguars over Cleveland Browns
Chicago Bears over Detroit Lions
San Fransisco 49ers over St. Louis Rams
Miami Dolphins over Pittsburgh Steelers
Minnesota Vikings over New York Giants
Atlanta Falcons over Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Carolina Panthers over New Orleans Saints
New England Patriots over Houston Texans
Dallas Cowboys over Philadelphia Eagles
Arizona Cardinals over Green Bay Packers
San Diego Chargers over Washington Redskins
Tennessee Titans over Seattle Seahawks
Baltimore Ravens over Oakland Raiders
Denver Broncos over Kansas City Chiefs
New York Jets over Cincinatti Browns

So there you have it my picks for the final week of the NFL season. As always check back on Tuesdays to see how I did. Have a great day.

Experiencing the Grand Rapids Griffins Live

This past Saturday night I had the opportunity to go watch the Grand Rapids Griffins play the Chicago Wolves. It was the first Griffins game I has been to in twelve years. Before I went to the game with my friends we dined at McFadden's, a restaurant just a across the street from Van Andel Arena. I ordered their Buffalo Chicken Sandwich and I will go on record and say that it was the best Buffalo or Spicy Chicken Sandwich I've had. McFadden's is a really great place to eat and it's not that loud of a bar. It's quite relaxing and has a really nice atmosphere to it.

After we ate a McFadden's we then went to the arena and got ready for the game. It was really cool to see future Hall of Famer Chris Chelios who is playing for the Chicago Wolves. The game ended up being 7-4 with the Wolves beating the Griffins. There was a lot of action in this game and a few little fights broke out which was awesome. I always love watching fights in Hockey because they are very entertaining. The Griffins intermissions are really awesome in the fact that they have a lot of games, giveaways and promotions. They really know how to treat their crowds that show up to the games.

Some of the cool promotions they have include Dollar Beers, Dollar Dogs every Friday. They also have Celebrity Saturdays, Super Sundays, and Winning Wednesdays. If you're ever in the West Michigan area during hockey season you have to go to a Griffins game and dine at McFadden's or another restaurant by the arena. Grand Rapids is actually a really great sports town and that part of downtown is always electric and is always fun to be there. For more on the Griffins go to the Grand Rapids Griffins Website. I have never been much of a hockey fan but I really enjoyed my time this past Saturday night and like I said if you have a chance to go to a game, go enjoy some great fun and great entertainment. Don't miss out on the Grand Rapids Griffins.

NFL Week 16 Recap

Well what an interesting week this has been in the NFL. The Colts finally lose a game on a stupid coaching call. The Vikings, and Saints lose once again proving that maybe their a not unstoppable after all. The NFC playoff picture is set which the AFC playoff picture is still up in the air with 5 teams being tied for the Wild Card spots. In fantasy I lost my second consolation ladder playoff game on my Yahoo League which ended up like this.

Hollywood's Rejects 163.65
Just 'till Hockey 170.57

My highest point earner was Chad Henne once again who has done really well this year since taking over in Miami. However I did not win so I finished dead last in my league which stings a little bit. It was fun but not much fun when you lose a lot. My ESPN league is a little bit different. I am currently in my second playoff match and I am currently lead 82-40 and my highest point earner this week was Todd Heap. The playoffs conclude at the end of next week so I feel pretty good about my chances of not finishing dead last in this league. I also predicted 10 out of 16 right for the week. Check back tomorrow for my predictions for the final week of the season.

Hockey Weekly

Well for the first time in awhile I've actually lost a week. I can't explain it but for some reason I lost. Here is how I did this last week.

Hollywood's World of Sports 4-6-0
Greg's World of HOCKEY 6-4-0

The categories I won were G, A, +/- and PPG. My players of the week were Wojtek Wolski, Dany Heatley, and Marc-Andre Fleury. I am currently 68-51-11 which puts me in 2nd place in my division and 3rd overall in my league. As always check back for more on Mondays to see how I do. A few more days it will be 2010 and hopefully with the new year I can some new momentum in all of my fantasy sports. Stay tuned for more yet to come.

Basketball Weekly

Well this week in Basketball I lost some momentum and ended up in a tie which believe it or not moved me up one in my division but I dropped overall in the league. Here is how it looked at the end of last week.

My Team Sucks 4-4-0
Hollywood's World of Sports 4-4-0

The categories I won were 3PM, REB, AST and BLK. My players of the week were Steve Nash, Dwight Howard and Beno Udrih. I am currently 39-32-1 which puts me tied for 2nd in my division and 4th overall. I finally dropped Ben Gordon for Lou Williams because Gordon has been out and was not helping my cause at all. He finally came back but someone else picked him up. I am not worried because I still have a solid team. That's whats happening in basketball. Check back on Mondays to see what happens. I was a day late this week due to the holidays so my weekly posts will returns to Monday's next week.

Mayweather-Pacquiao Fight in Jeopardy

I've often said that pro wrestling is very political and underhanded. Well it's almost like boxing can be the same way. On March 13th the biggest fight in history is suppose to take place. However because Pacquiao won't commit to Olympic style blood testing the fight might not take place. Pacquiao and his people claim the Mayweather is harassing Pacquiao because they claim taking blood from Manny days before a fight would weaken him. Well wouldn't it work both ways? Mayweather would be undergoing the same type of testing.

To make matters worst Mayweather and Golden Boy Productions are accusing Pacquiao of using PED's and that's the reason Pacquiao won't undergo the Olympic style testing that Mayweather's team wants both fighters to undergo. Now Pacquiao is going to sue Floyd Mayweather and his representatives for defamation of character because of the steroids accusations. However Pacquiao's representatives aren't being quiet. They are accusing Mayweather of trying everything to back out of this fight claiming he never wanted to fight Manny Pacquiao. Pacquiao's promoter is planning on reaching out to Paulie Malignaggi, a junior welterweight titlist just in case the Mayweather side doesn't agree to terms. There will be a fight on March 13th but no one really knows who will be fighting who.

There has been a lot of talk of what to do about the drug testing. One suggestion was having John McCain monitor and mediate the drug testing but now they are trying to get the Nevada Athletic Commission to do it. Both sides stated that the fight can still happen but one side is going to have to budge. I am not a Mayweather fan but I think Pacquiao is making a bigger deal out of this then it has to be. However if Mayweather knew that Pacquiao was afraid of needles and blood testing because he felt it weakens him then Mayweather is more pathetic then I thought. If both men are serious about this fight and want to it happen then they need to park their egos and pride to the side and agree to terms. This fight will probably be the highest money making event in boxing history. Why would you jeopardize not making all that money? More importantly why would you jeopardize your sport? If this fight doesn't happen, it will probably kill the boxing industry even further.

I've said it many times, that no one really cares or gets excited about boxing anymore. People are excited for this fight, and want it to happen. This fight is going to most viewers, the most attention and the most publicity out of any fight I can remember in recent memory. The question is now, who will put their ego to the side first, Manny or Floyd? Both of them need to stop playing games and finalize this fight. Stay tuned for more on this heated war of words.

Merry Christmas From Hollywood Joe

I just want to take the time to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. I always love this time of the year because it reminds me of all the great things I have and the fact that My Lord and Savior Jesus Christ was born to take away my sins and to give me hope. This Christmas is going to be fun this year. A lot of sports, and thats another great thing about holidays. You always have a lot of sports. On Thanksgiving you have football, Christmas you have basketball, and New Years you have the Rose Bowl. It's also bowl season from December to January. Even sometimes on Easter they have the Masters depending on the weekend it falls on.

What really matters is spending the holidays with the ones you love and cherish in your life. I'd like to send my thoughts and prayers to troops who don't get to see their families this Christmas season. Thank you for defending our country with pride and honor. Here is the Christmas schedule for sports.

Miami Heat vs. New York Knicks- 12pm on ESPN
Boston Celtics vs. Orlando Magic- 2:30pm on ABC
Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Los Angelas Lakers- 5pm on ABC
Los Angelas Clippers vs. Phoenix Suns- 8pm on ESPN
Denver Nuggets vs. Portland Trailblazers- 10:30pm on ESPN.
San Diego Chargers vs. Tennessee Titans- 7:3pm on NFL Network
WWE Friday Night Smackdown- MYTV Network.

Merry Christmas again everyone. Be safe, be happy, be thankful and God Bless everyone out there.

NFL Week 16 Predictions

It's coming down to the wire, only two weeks left of the season and a lot of teams still up for the playoffs. Here are my predictions for Christmas weekend in football.

San Diego Chargers over Tennessee Titans
Atlanta Falcons over Buffalo Bills
Cincinatti Bengals over Kansas City Chiefs
Cleveland Browns over Oakland Raiders
Green Bay Packers over Seattle Seahawks
Baltimore Ravens over Pittsburgh Steelers
Miami Dolphins over Houston Texans
New England Patriots over Jacksonville Jaguars
New Orleans Saints over Tampa Bay Buccaneers
New York Giants over Carolina Panthers
Arizona Cardinals over St. Louis Rams
San Francisco 49ers over Detroit Lions
Philadelphia Eagles over Denver Broncos
Indianapolis Colts over New York Jets
Dallas Cowboys over Washington Redskins
Minnesota Vikings over Chicago Bears

Well there you have it...As always check back every Tuesday to see how I did. Have a great Christmas everyone.

nWo Reuniting in TNA and more

I was shocked when I read when I woke up this morning. PWInsider.com is reporting that Sean Waltman, aka X-Pac, Syxx, and 1-2-3 Kid has been telling people he will be at TNA Impact on January 4th. He said he wasn't coming alone and that he was bringing Scott Hall with him. For obvious trademark purposes they cannot refer to themselves as the nWo anymore because WWE has trademark to that name. However it makes sense that it would happen because Kevin Nash did win the brief case at Final Resolution for a tag team title shot. I have a feeling January 4th on TNA Impact is going to be monumental and a Monday Night for the ages.

Also don't be surprised if you see Tommy Dreamer with TNA soon because some believe last night was his last night with WWE. It's no secret that Dreamer is unhappy about WWE getting rid of the ECW brand at the beginning of 2010. TNA has a mixture of old WCW stars, Hardcore stars from ECW, underrated guys that WWE didn't care about and a lot of their young talent who have been there since the beginning. A lot of big names are rumored to be coming in which includes Rob Van Dan and more.

It is also being reported workers from WWE were seen talking to TNA President Dixie Carter over the weekend because both companies were in the same town. No word on who was seen with Dixie but could this be the start of something? I would love to see some of these guys jump ship especially the ones who aren't getting pushed. Stay tuned for more on the new Monday Night Wars. It's going to get better.

NFL Week 15 Recap

The Saints lose, the Vikings are losing it, and the Colts somehow remain unbeaten. All this in one week. It's kind of hard to digest. Let's see, what is going on? Oh yes, Mike Holmgrem is now the President of the Cleveland Browns, in which the biggest shakeup in history will take place. There are a lot of teams still in the playoff hunt especially in the AFC. These next two weeks could shake up a lot of things. Speaking of playoffs I lost in the first round in my Yahoo League. I was in the consolation ladder anyways so it's not a big deal. Here's how poorly I did.

Hollywood's Rejects 146.63
Havoc 285.69

My highest point earner was Chad Henne and nothing against in Chad, but that's not a good thing if he's my highest point earner. He even out performed Drew Brees who is on my team as well. I am now playing in the game to determine who finishes 7th and 8th. At this point I could careless about my Yahoo League and am focused on my ESPN League. I won the first round of the consolation ladder. Here is how it turned out

#10 Boston Bashers (BUSK) 95
#9 Hollywoods World of Sports (HWOO) 151

My players of the week because there was a tie in points were Todd Heap and Greg Jennings. My player of the week for last week was Ricky Williams who has had a great year. Now I am moving on to the second round to finish higher then what my record was. Again these match-ups on ESPN last two weeks. I also guessed 9 out of 16 games right which I am not happy about because there were a ton of upsets this week and games that should have not went the way they did. As always check back tomorrow for my predictions and check back on Tuesday for my weekly recaps.

Hockey Weekly

Well the one thing about winter is that Hockey is always happening in the winter time. I've said before I don't know much about hockey and never really cared for the sport but the more I am involved with my fantasy Hockey team, the more I start I watch and follow my players. I've been having a good year in Hockey so far and this week was no different. Here is how it turned it in the end.

Hollywood's World of Sports 6-3-1
BROOKLYN BABY 3-6-1

The categories I won were W, GAA, SV%, G, A, and PPG. My players of the week were Stephen Weiss, Zach Parise, Martin St. Louis, Paul Kariya and Marc-Andre Fleury. After this week I am now 64-45-11 which keeps 2nd in my division and 3rd overall in the league. As always check back each Monday to see how I do.

Basketball Weekly

It's always a good thing when you can start build some momentum in whatever you play in a fantasy league of any kind. I've built a lot of momentum the last few weeks and this week was no different. Here's how it turned out for me this week.

Hollywood's World of Sports 6-2-0
Joel B 2-6-0

The categories I won were 3PM, REB, AST, STL, BLK, and PTS. My players of the week were Dwight Howard, Ray Allen, Steve Nash, and Danilo Gallinari. After this week I am 35-28-1 which puts me in 3rd place in the division and 5th overall in the league. I am 7.5 games back of first place so I got have a really good week and the first place guy needs to have a really bad week. As always check back every week to see how I did.

Bret Hart Signs With WWE

According to multiple sources Bret "the Hitman" Hart is back with WWE. He has signed on to a three month deal that starts Jan. 4th 2010. Oddly enough that's when TNA Wrestling debuts on Monday Nights. Is it possible that Bret Hart will be the guest General Manager of Monday Night Raw? I am guessing yes because even though WWE says its not worried about TNA Wrestling, don't let them fool you. They want to stick it to TNA Wrestling right away. I am wondering how Bret and Shawn are going to get along in the same locker room after what happen at Survivor Series in 1997. Bret still thinks it's Shawn's fault that he was screwed over in Montreal.

As Shawn said before, the issue was between Vince and Bret, and unfortunately he's the one who had to pull the trigger. I will be curious if Bret interacts with Shawn, HHH, Undertaker, or the Hart Dynasty. I know a Bret-Vince feud will probably take place because they want to make the hatred as real as possible between those two. I think another reason Bret decided to return to WWE is because Hulk Hogan joined TNA and wants to stick it to Hulk on Monday Nights. Bret Hart has never liked Hulk Hogan and would love to beat him in anyway he can.

It is been over twelve years since Bret Hart has been on Monday Night Raw and when does return it will be one of the most watched Raw's in a long time. He has a presence that's been felt all over the world. There's a talk of possibly Bret Hart vs. Vince McMahon at Wrestlemania 26. He had a stroke back in 2002 but he should be well recovered from that. A lot of people know that he had a concussion back in 1999 against Goldberg. I am sure the concussion has healed because he hasn't wrestled a match in 10 years. If Bret can get back into shape and have a match wrestling fans would love it. He deserves one more match and needs to go out the way he deserves to go out. He is the best there is, the best there was and the best there ever will be and I am truly excited for his return. Monday Nights are going to be so much fun. Strap in because it's going to be one wild ride.

Biggest Winners in Baseball Offseason So Far

Since the end of the baseball season there have been a lot movement in baseball with signings and trades going on. There a few teams who have stacked their rosters and will definitely make a run for the postseason. I would like to start with team that has gone un-noticed because their not New York, Boston, or Philly. The Chicago White Sox have picked up some big pieces and in my opinion have made themselves the front runner for the AL Central.

The Chicago White Sox Acquisitions
Acquired OF Juan Pierre
Agreed to terms with RHP J.J. Putz on a one-year contract.
Agreed to terms with INF Mark Teahen on a three-year contract.
Agreed to terms with OF Andruw Jones on a one-year contract.
Agreed to terms with SS Omar Vizquel on a one-year contract.
Agreed to terms with INF/OF Mark Kotsay on a one-year contract.
You also to have to remember that Jake Peavy will be healthy for a full season with them next year and that will definitely solidify their rotation. This team will be difficult to compete with next year and will keep pace with the Yankees, Angels, and Red Sox.

Next up is the Philadelphia Phillies and here is who they acquired so far.
Agreed to terms with RHP Roy Halladay on a three-year contract extension through 2013.
Agreed to terms with OF DeWayne Wise (You will hear that name a lot next year)
Agreed to terms with INF Placido Polanco
Don't forget there is a strong possibility that Pedro Martinez will be back in a Phillies uniform. They lost Cliff Lee due to the Halladay trade but for some reason I have a feel Lee will be a Phillie again before his career is done. There is a a lot of controversy about him being traded but we will have to wait and see happens.

The Seattle Mariners aren't slouches either. They have acquired some great pieces as well.
Signed INF Chone Figgins to a four-year contract.
Agreed to terms with SS Jack Wilson on a two-year contract.
Acquired OF Milton Bradley
Acquired SP Cliff Lee
Seattle is looking to finally be able to compete with the Angels and now they have a chance with some of the pieces they have picked up.

Then you have the AL East and the two heavy hitters. The Boston Red Sox have signed a couple of pieces that should make them better then they were last year.
Agreed to terms with RHP John Lackey on a five-year contract.
Agreed to terms with OF Mike Cameron on a two-year contract.
Agreed to terms with SS Marco Scutaro on a two-year contract.
The Red Sox are filling their holes very nicely and look to get back to the World Series this year.

The Yankees have acquired one guy by the name of Curtis Granderson and thats really the only major move they have made so fat this off-season. I don't see the Yankees doing anymore because of their payroll and all the big contracts the have right now.

Speaking of the Yankees the Angels picked up one of their former and notable players.
Agreed to terms with DH Hideki Matsui on a one-year contract.

Some other notable moves by teams include the Milwaukee Brewers.
Agreed to terms with C Gregg Zaun on a one-year contract.
Agreed to terms with RHP LaTroy Hawkins on a two-year contract.
Agreed to terms with LHP Randy Wolf on a three-year contract.

The Houston Astros Acquisitions
Agreed to terms with RHP Brandon Lyon on a three-year contract.
Agreed to terms with 3B Pedro Feliz on a one-year contract.

The Texas Rangers Acquisitions
Agreed to terms with INF Esteban German on a one-year contract.
Agreed to terms with RHP Rich Harden on a one-year contract.

The St. Louis Cardinals Acquisitions
Agreed to terms with RHP Brad Penny on a one-year contract.
It should be noted that the Cardinals have an empty spot in their rotation so look for them to go after one more starting pitcher.

The Arizona Diamondbacks Acquisitions
Acquired RHP Aaron Heilman
Acquired RHP Edwin Jackson

Just to be funny and raise a few eyebrows I am going to make a prediction. Based acquisitions alone, I predict that it will be the Chicago White Sox and the Philadelphia Phillies. Both teams have made significant moves in the off-season. Both teams have a mixture of young players, veterans and good pitching. A lot can still happen this off season but that's my initial feelings. The White Sox have gone un-noticed this off-season due to the hoopla of bigger teams. The White Sox will be a very competitive team next year. I looked at the White Sox depth chart and it looks really impressive. The Phillies looks impressive too and I have just have a feeling about these two teams. Stay tuned for more on more acquisitions during the off-season. There are a lot of free agents left to be signed. Here is the list of notable players that have no home right now.

Dmitri Young
Jeff Weaver
Juan Uribe
Chien-Ming Wang
Jarrod Washburn
Bengie Molina
Jose Molina
Melvin Mora
Pedro Martinez
Adam LaRoche
Matt Holliday
Orlando Hudson
Aubrey Huff
Troy Glaus
Tom Glavine
Nomar Garciaparra
Jermaine Dye
Carlos Delgado
Johnny Damon

Okay I am going to stop now because this list could go on a long time. You can add names to the comments below. A lot of these guys would make could acquisitions and some of them still have something to prove. Veteran players are always good even if they can't play because they can still teach the young guys a lot. Like I said stay tune for more because I am sure there is more to come. I'll keep you updated.

RIP Chris Henry

It is always sad when you see someone so young, with so much potential lose their life so young and so tragic. Most people know Chris Henry as the guy who got in a lot of trouble during most of his career in the NFL. A lot of people don't realize that he cleaned up his life and had the potential to be a really great player in the NFL. He played 9 games this season before are severe arm injury sidelined him. Chris Henry played football at West Virginia University and was named the Big East freshman of the year. He was drafted in 2005 by the Cincinnati Bengals, the team he was with when he died.

Yesterday Chad Ochocinco wore Henry's #15 practice jersey while catching balls in practice. The Bengals plan on honoring the rest of the season to their fallen teammate. A lot of them were close to Chris and from hearing statements a lot of them are going to miss him. The Bengals are currently 9-4 this season and play the San Diego Chargers this weekend. My thoughts and prayers go out to the Bengals, and Chris Henry's family. God Bless all of you during this difficult time.

More Thoughts on Tiger Woods

The question I had asked a week or so ago on this blog was would Tiger's situation effect the PGA? The answer to that question is yes. Apparently the PGA is having a hard time securing TV deals because Tiger is taking an indefinite leave of absence from the sport that he is put on the map over the last decade. Speaking of the last decade Tiger was named AP Athlete of the Decade which is well deserved because all of his accomplishments but I am surprised they didn't change their minds after all of the scandal thats been going on with him. His affairs aren't the only thing that he's been targeted for. Apparently he has being investigated for supplying American athletes with Performance Enhancing Drugs through a Canadian doctor.

A lot of people are saying Tiger may never play another round of Golf again, or atleast nationally or on TV. A lot of people think he's done way too much to damage his reputation. He's already lost two sponsors in Accenture and Gatorade. Two of his other sponsors, Upper Deck and Nike have not dropped him and are actually standing behind him. The way I see it is the longer Tiger stays silent, the more it's going to hurt him. A lot of people want answers and we are not getting any.

It's only a matter of time before we get the truth and the whole truth. I pray that some of this is just being blown out of proportions. Stay tuned for more on the Tiger Woods saga. I am sure their will be more to come.

WWE vs. TNA: The War is On

History often has a way of repeating itself sometimes. On January 4th, 2010 history will repeat itself once again when TNA Wrestling moves to Monday nights to compete with the WWE. It was on September 4th, 1995 when WCW Monday Nitro aired against WWE Monday Night Raw. The reason WCW decided to go head to head is because they had the biggest name in history, Hulk Hogan. Hogan was still in prime and could have great matches. TNA now has the biggest name in wrestling history but the question is will he wrestle? There is no doubt that Hulk Hogan will draw viewers in but if he ends up wrestling how many more people will he draw in?

A lot of people look at this as the same thing as WCW because of Hogan, Bischoff and Russo being in TNA. However, Dixie Carter has made no bones about who is in charge of TNA. TNA has a mixture of a lot great, young talent as well as some great veterans. The first TNA Impact on Monday nights will be a 3-hour special featuring the return of Hulk Hogan to TV. The funny thing about this is WWE has never considered TNA competition but has decided to have a three show that same night. It should also be noted that the rumored guest host for Monday Night Raw on January 4th is Bret Hart. It is no secret Bret Hart hates Hulk Hogan so beating Hogan in something would give him a lot of satisfaction.

Something else I would like to point out is Kevin Nash keeps telling people that "The band is getting back together," which is referring to n.W.o. Could Hogan be bringing back guys Scott Hall, Sean Waltman, and others close to Hogan? I will this, we do not need another n.W.o. in wrestling because it got to be way to much during the end of it. My advice is to TNA Wrestling is not to make the same mistakes that WCW did because they have a lot of great talents whose lives and careers depend on it. TNA Wrestling has a chance to rewrite or repeat history with this major move.

The one factor that everyone is forgetting about is the UFC. The UFC and TNA Wrestling are on the same network which happens to be Spike TV. Why do you think Hulk Hogan made the announcement on the last UFC show? That show drew 5.2 million viewers because of one Kimbo Slice so many of those people saw Hulk Hogan and heard the announcement about TNA Wrestling moving to Monday Nights. You count on the fact that TNA and UFC are going to plug each other on their shows and sometimes the UFC and TNA will be airing back to back so that's huge for both companies. I am fan of both pro wrestling and MMA so I look forward to those nights that UFC is on then TNA Wrestling to follow or vice versa.

It all starts January 4th, and the first shots will be fired. This is going to be incredible. I never thought in my life that I would see WWE have someone go head to head with them again. I am excited and wrestling fans should be too. It's going to be a great time in the wrestling business. WWE vs. TNA, let the battle begin.

Major UFC News

It has been announced that at UFC 111 there be a fight to determine the Interim Heavyweight Champion. The fight will be between Frank Mir and Shane Carwin. There is no word when Brock Lesnar will return to action. Also on that same card there will be a Welterweight Championship bout between Georges St-Pierre (c) and Dan Hardy. Those are the only two announced fights right now. It should be also noted that this Pay-Per-View takes place the day before Wrestlemania 26. It should be interesting how that effects the PPV buys that weekend.

In other news UFC 112 will be taking place in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates and the rumored Main Event for the card is Vitor Belfort vs. Anderson Silva. Then UFC 113 will be taking place in Montreal, Quebec, Canada where the rumored main event will be the rematch between Lyoto Machida and Mauricio Rua. UFC is definitely going global and is starting to put together some great fights for 2010. Stay tuned for more because I am sure their will be more great things ahead.

NFL Week 15 Predictions

Well week 15 is here and you know what that mean, the beginning of Saturday games even though they are on the NFL network. So here they are my predictions for week 15.

Indianapolis Colts over Jacksonville Jaguars
New Orleans Saints over Dallas Cowboys
New England Patriots over Buffalo Bills
Arizona Cardinals over Detroit Lions
Miami Dolphins over Tennessee Titans
Cleveland Browns over Kansas City Chiefs
Houston Texans over St. Louis Rams
New York Jets over Atlanta Falcons
Philadelphia Eagles over San Fransisco 49ers
San Diego Chargers over Cincinnati Bengals
Denver Broncos over Oakland Raiders
Green Bay Packers over Pittsburgh Steelers
Seattle Seahawks over Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Minnesota Vikings over Carolina Panthers
New York Giants over Washington Redskins

Like I said their a lot of playoff spots still up for grabs so this week will definitely shake things up for sure. As always check back on Tuesdays for my weekly recaps.

NFL Week 14 Recap

So this week the New Orleans Saints barely escaped and the Colts made a statement against a good team. LT and Brandon Marshall both set individual NFL records this weekend. There are a lot of teams still in the hunt for the playoffs but the ones who have clinched are New Orleans, Minnesota and Indianapolis. Speaking of the playoffs, the playoffs in my Yahoo League start this coming week. Here is how I did in that league this week.

Hollywood's Rejects 170.89
Just 'till Hockey 182.02

My highest point earner was Drew Brees which is really no shock to me anymore. I finished 4-10 and will be in the consolation ladder of the playoffs. I finished 7th in the regular season which is not good but it was my first so it's all good. In my ESPN league the first round of the playoffs are still going on end will end at the end of week 15. The second round is weeks 16 and 17. I predicted 11 out of 16 right for the week which isn't too bad. As always check back tomorrow for my predictions for week 15. Things are heating up. Here are the official standings for the Wild Cards.

NFC
Packers
Cowboys
Giants -1
49ers -2
Falcons -2
Panthers -3
Seahawks -3
Bears -3
Redskins -4
Lions -6
Buccaneers -7
Rams -7

AFC
Broncos
Jaguars
Ravens
Dolphins
Jets
Steelers -1
Texans -1
Titans -1
Bills -2
Raiders -3
Chiefs -4
Browns -5

This week could shake a lot of things up so stay tuned.

Big Statements Made at UFC 107

There were some big statements made this past Saturday night at UFC 107. For example the one made by Frank Mir when he defeated Cheick Kongo in just 1 minute and 12 seconds in round one. He used a guillotine choke to defeat Kongo pretty quick. Mir is still bitter about his lost to Brock Lesnar in July. He showed Saturday Night that he wants another fight against Brock Lesnar when he is healthy again.

Kenny Florian had a lot to prove after his lost to BJ Penn this past summer. He defeated Clay Guida with a rear naked choke in the second round of their fight. Florian is definitely still a contender for BJ Penn's Lightweight Championship. I think if they fight again the outcome will be different because KenFlo underestimated Penn's cardio the last time.

Speaking of BJ Penn, he proved once again his cardio is great right now by outlasting Diego Sanchez. That was a war but it was stopped to a really nasty cut on Diego. The fight ended at 2:37 in the 5th round. Diego really pushed BJ and probably could have won the fight if it weren't for the stoppage. I felt that the doctors should have let him go the distance but that's not my call and not my expertise. This was the final UFC event of 2009 and it didn't let down at all. It was a good card with a great championship fight. Now it's time to head into 2010 where there will be many great fights that will shock and awe us. Stay tuned because it's going to be a wild 2010 in the UFC.

Hockey Weekly

For someone who doesn't know Hockey I can't really complain about how I am doing in my league. This week was evidence of that because I had a solid week against the first place team in my division. Here's how it ended up for me at the end of the week.

DIR Winners 2-7-1
Hollywood's World of Sports 7-2-1

The categories I won were G, A, +/-, ATOI, SOG, GAA, and SV%. My players of the week were Dustin Penner, Zach Parise, Wojtek Wolski and Miikka Kiprusoff. I am currently 58-42-10 which puts my 2nd in my division and 3rd overall in my league. It's been a fun season so far and I know it's only going to get better as I go along. As always check back on Mondays to see how I did.

Basketball Weekly

This week in basketball I rebounded quite nicely and had a solid week that help me gained some ground on my way back to the top.

Ghost Town Ghost Hunters 3-5-0
Hollywood's World of Sports 5-3-0.

The categories I won were FG%, REB, AST, STL, and, BLK. My players of the week were Steve Nash, Dwight Howard, and Trevor Ariza. The one thing thats not helping me right now is that Ben Gordon is not playing very much if at all. He's one of my key players that I have on my team. I am torn if I should drop him or not. I am going to give him a little bit more time to heal then if he doesn't come back then I will drop him. Right now I am 29-26-1 which puts my 3rd in my division and 5th overall in the league. I am still having a solid year but because of my horrible lost last the week before I have some ground to make up. Once I do I'll be in good shape to take control again. As always check back on Monday's to see how I do in basketball.

New Champions Crowned at WWE TLC

So I watched the replay of this event last night and it was actually better then I thought it would be. I want to start out with the ECW Championship because that was a really great match to watch. Christian and Shelton Benjiman put it all on the line and definitely made the WWE realize they are two of the most underrated wrestlers on the whole entire roster. Christian won the match and retained his title but Shelton gained a lot of respect with his performance.

Then Drew McIntyre defeated John Morrison in a really good match between two young guys who are the future of the wrestling business. There is no doubt in my mind the Morrison's loss is a good thing because I really think he'll get pushed for the World Heavyweight Championship. I have often criticized WWE for not pushing younger talent and now they are.

Speaking of pushing people what about the match between Kofi Kingston and Randy Orton. Both men brought their A game with them and it was definitely a good match to watch. Kofi may have lost but in my mind proved he can hang with the best in the WWE.

Speaking of the best in the WWE, what another good match between Undertaker and Batista. It wasn't a great as their Wrestlemania 23 classic but it was solid. I loved how Teddy Long returned the favor to the Undertaker and helped him retain his World Heavyweight Championship. I am hoping they have a rematch and it will be better then this match. I am not saying this match was horrid but I believe they could a lot better.

In a match that was a question mark for me. Sheamus shocked the world and defeated John Cena to become the new WWE Champion. This is definitely one of the quickest pushes anyone has ever seen in the WWE. He's won the title in shorter amount of time on TV then I think anyone in the history of the WWE. Sheamus is definitely a great wrestler and it helps that he's a natural. Congrats to Sheamus on becoming the new WWE Champion.

The match that I wanted to see the most was DX vs. Jeri-Show. This match did not disappoint at all. I was really happy to see DX finally win the WWE Tag Team Championships. Both Hunter and Shawn have had historical careers and they added to their history last night. It's great to see Shawn with a title again and get respect and accolades he deserves. It was a phenomenal match last night. What a great pay-per-view to end the year. First pay per view of 2010 is the Royal Rumble on January 31st and then begins the Road to Wrestlemania. It should be a great 2010 and a great Road to Wrestlemania. Stay tuned for more.

WWE TLC Predictions

Tomorrow night is WWE TLC which means Tables, Ladders and Chairs and it is the last WWE Pay-Per-View of the year which hopefully they go out with a bang like they did last year. Here is the card with my predictions for tomorrow night.

World Heavyweight Champion Undertaker vs. Batista (Chair Match)
This match will definitely be a great match because these two always have a good matches. I love the fact that Batista is heel again because it makes more indestructible and more of a monster. A guy of that size should be used that way. I think Big Dave is going to be World Heavyweight Champion once again.

WWE Champion John Cena vs. Sheamus (Tables Match)
This one is hard to read because everyone is thinking the obvious and that Cena will win. Even I think Cena will but as they say expect the unexpected. This will be Sheamus' toughest test to date and it will prove if he can hang with the best.

Unified Tag Team Champions Chris Jericho & Big Show vs. D-Generation X (Tables, Ladders & Chairs Match)
DX has done it all in singles competition and have held the Tag titles with different partners but they have never held the Tag titles together. TLC is in San Antonio, Texas the home of Shawn Michaels so I have a feeling DX is going to win and make history once again.

Intercontinental Champion John Morrison vs. Drew McIntyre
John Morrison has been a great IC Champ but he needs to be pushed for the World Heavyweight Title so I think Drew McIntyre will walk out as the new IC Champ and further his career even more headed into 2010.

Kofi Kingston vs. Randy Orton
This feud has been very fun to watch because no one has gotten the best of Randy Orton quite like Kofi Kingston has. Kofi Kingston is one of my favorite guys to watch and think he will continue his push and defeat Randy Orton. I am also thinking Legacy will split up as well. It would be about the right time to get split them up. It's definitely run it' course.

Women's Champion Michelle McCool vs. Mickie James
I don't care about this match but I say Mickie James will win this match and be Women's champion once again.

ECW Champion Christian vs. Shelton Benjamin (Ladder Match)
This will be the match of the night and it will probably steal the show. Christian has been on a great run since returning to the WWE 10 months ago. He's been champion for seven of those months and has had some great matches. Shelton Benjamin has never held a World Championship but is definitely deserving of it. I think Christian retains though and looks for the next challenger to come his way.

Some great matches for tomorrow night and I am sure their will be a lot of mayhem going on in these matches. It's a good way for WWE to go out in 2009. Hopefully the PPV is as good as it looks on paper. Tune in to find out what happens at TLC.

UFC Fights to Look Forward to in 2010

After watching the UFC Best of 2009 last night it made me some of the good fights coming up in the early part of 2010. UFC doesn't waste much time kicking off the new year. Their first fight is on January 2nd and the headliner is Light Heavyweight bout: Rashad Evans vs. Thiago Silva. Silva has been taking on some top competition as of late and looks to further his status by beating Rashad Evans. Then nine days later at UFC Fight Night it will be Gray Maynard vs. Nate Diaz.

Then we move on to February for UFC 109: Relentless which will have a Light Heavyweight bout: Randy Couture vs. Mark Coleman. This is the first time ever that two UFC Hall of Famers will face each other. This card is stacked with a lot of great fights. There will also be a Welterweight bout: Josh Koscheck vs. Paulo Thiago, a Light Heavyweight bout: Antônio Rogério Nogueira vs. Brandon Vera, a Welterweight bout: Matt Serra vs. Frank Trigg, and a Middleweight bout:Demian Maia vs. Dan Miller. However the UFC is not done in February because they will have another PPV on Sunday Feb. 21 in Australia. The Main Event will be a Heavyweight Bout: Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira vs. Cain Velasquez. This card also more then one good fight. It will also have a Middleweight Bout: Wanderlei Silva vs. Michael Bisping, a Heavyweight Bout: Mirko Filipović vs. Ben Rothwell, and a Light Heavyweight Bout: Keith Jardine vs. Ryan Bader.

As always the cards are always subjected to change. Some other fights to be taking place next year is the rematch between Lyoto Machida and Mauricio Rua for the Light Heavyweight Title. Vitor Belfort will be taking on Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva at some point next year. Then who can forget about Chuck Liddell vs. Tito Ortiz 3 which will take place sometime next summer after the Ultimate Fighter 11 is finished airing. Probably the most anticipated fight if it is actually signed will be Rashad Evans vs. Rampage Jackson since there has been bad blood there for awhile now. The biggest question going into 2010 is when will Brock Lesnar fight again? He's not fought since July and had to have surgery because he got really sick. It's only a matter of time before Lesnar comes back or an interim Heavyweight Championship bout will be in the works. I will also be curious to see when Kimbo Slice fights again and see who is next opponent is. All these questions and more as we head into 2010. I have a feeling it's going to be another great year for the UFC.

NFL Week 14 Predictions

Well it's week 14 and things are getting tight around the NFL. Their are still a lot of playoff spots up for grabs. Lets get down to business with the predictions for the week.

Pittsburgh Steelers over Cleveland Browns
New Orleans Saints over Atlanta Falcons
Green Bay Packers over Chicago Bears
Denver Broncos over Indianapolis Colts
Kansas City Chiefs over Buffalo Bills
New York Jets over Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Miami Dolphins over Jacksonville Jaguars
Baltimore Ravens over Detroit Lions
Houston Texans over Seattle Seahawks
Minnesota Vikings over Cincinnati Bengals
New England Patriots over Carolina Panthers
Tennessee Titans over St. Louis Rams
Oakland Raiders over Washington Redskins
San Diego Chargers over Dallas Cowboys
Philadelphia Eagles over New York Giants
Arizona Cardinals over San Fransisco 49ers

As always check back on Tuesday to see how I did.

NFL Week 13 Recap

The Saints are skating, the Saint are skating, The Saints are skating by. How do you pushed into an overtime game with Washington and only win by 3 points. The Colts aren't really much better because they have been just barely getting by. I was surprised to see the Vikings get manhandled by the Cardinals. I was really shocked by that indeed. I got manhandled in my Yahoo league again. Here was the final score

Hollywood's Rejects 187.11
Havoc 247.9

My highest point earner was none other then Drew Brees once again. This lost puts me at 4-9-0 and in 7th place for the year. Next week begins the playoffs in Yahoo so I will not be in the championship. In my ESPN League I won again. Here's the final score.

Beavis's Buttheads (joe) 64
Hollywoods World of Sports (HWOO) 78

My highest point earner was Vince Young who has come back strong this year. I am really happy to see that. This win puts me at 5-8 and in keeps me in 9th place for the year. The playoffs begin this week so I'll be curious to see where I am at the end of the year. I also predicted 10 out of 16 right which isn't too bad. Be sure to check back tomorrow for my predictions for week 14.

College Bowls Announced and More

Well after 14 weeks the National Championship comes down to Alabama and Texas. Alabama put a hurting on the Gators this weekend knocking Florida down to number six. There a lot of good match ups this year and it should make an exciting three week weeks or so. Here are the Bowl games for the this year.

New Mexico Bowl
Dec. 19 2:30 p.m.
Albuquerque, NM
Wyoming vs. Fresno State
ESPN

St. Petersburg Bowl
Dec. 19 8 p.m.
St. Petersburg, FL
Rutgers vs. UCF
ESPN

R&L Carriers New Orleans Bowl
Dec. 20 8 p.m.
New Orleans, LA
MTSU vs. Southern Miss
ESPN

MAACO Las Vegas Bowl
Dec. 22 8 p.m.
Las Vegas, NV
Oregon State vs. BYU
ESPN

San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl
Dec. 23 8 p.m.
San Diego, CA
Utah vs. California
ESPN

Sheraton Hawaii
Dec. 24 8 p.m.
Honolulu, HI
Nevada vs. SMU
ESPN

Emerald Bowl
Dec. 26 8:30 p.m.
San Francisco, CA
Boston College vs. USC
ESPN

Meineke Car Care
Dec. 26 4 p.m.
Charlotte, NC
North Carolina vs. Pittsburgh
ESPN

Little Caesars Bowl
Dec. 26 5 p.m.
Detroit, MI
Ohio vs. Marshall
ESPN

Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl
Dec. 27 8 p.m.
Nashville, TN
Kentucky vs. Clemson
ESPN

Independence Bowl
Dec. 28 5 p.m.
Shreveport, LA
Texas A&M vs. Georgia
ESPN

Champs Sports Bowl
Dec. 29 8 p.m.
Orlando, FL
Miami (FL) vs. Wisconsin
ESPN

EagleBank Bowl
Dec. 29 4:30 p.m.
Washington, DC
Army or UCLA** vs. Temple
ESPN

Pacific Life Holiday Bowl
Dec. 30 8 p.m.
San Diego, CA
Nebraska vs. Arizona
ESPN

Roady's Humanitarian Bowl
Dec. 30 4:30 p.m.
Boise, ID
Idaho vs. Bowling Green
ESPN

Texas Bowl
Dec. 31 3:30 p.m.
Houston, TX
Missouri vs. Navy
ESPN

Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl
Dec. 31 TBD
Fort Worth, TX
Air Force vs. Houston
ESPN

Brut Sun Bowl
Dec. 31 Noon
El Paso, TX
Stanford vs. Oklahoma
CBS

Insight Bowl
Dec. 31 5:30 p.m.
Tempe, AZ
Minnesota vs. Iowa State
NFL

Chick-fil-A Bowl
Dec. 31 7:30 p.m.
Atlanta, GA
Virginia Tech vs. Tennessee
ESPN

Outback Bowl
Jan. 1 11 a.m.
Tampa, FL
Northwestern vs. Auburn
ESPN

Capital One Bowl
Jan. 1 1 p.m.
Orlando, FL
Penn State vs. LSU
ABC

Konica Minolta Gator Bowl
Jan. 1 1 p.m.
Jacksonville, FL
West Virginia vs. Florida State
CBS

Rose presented by Citi
Jan. 1 5 p.m.
Pasadena, CA
Oregon vs. Ohio State
ABC

Allstate Sugar Bowl
Jan. 1 8:30 p.m.
New Orleans, LA
Florida vs. Cincinnati
FOX

AT&T Cotton Bowl
Jan. 2 2 p.m.
Arlington, TX
Oklahoma State vs. Mississippi
FOX

AutoZone Liberty Bowl
Jan. 2 5:30 p.m.
Memphis, TN
East Carolina vs. Arkansas
ESPN

International Bowl
Jan. 2 Noon
Toronto, Canada
South Florida vs. Northern Illinois
ESPN2

Papajohns.com Bowl
Jan. 2 2 p.m.
Birmingham, AL
Connecticut vs. South Carolina
ESPN

Valero Alamo
Jan. 2 9 p.m.
San Antonio, TX
Texas Tech vs. Michigan State
ESPN

Tostitos Fiesta
Jan. 4 TBD
Glendale, AZ
TCU vs. Boise State
FOX

FedEx Orange
Jan. 5 8 p.m.
Miami, FL
Georgia Tech vs. Iowa
FOX

GMAC Bowl
Jan. 6 7 p.m.
Mobile, AL
Central Michigan vs. Troy
ESPN

Citi National Championship
Jan. 7 8 p.m.
Pasadena, CA
Texas vs. Alabama
ABC

If you'd like to play me in College Bowl Mania go to ESPN.COM and join my Group Hollywoods World of Sport I hope that you will join me in the challenge.

Hockey Weekly

This week was the best week I have hockey so far this year. I like being able to dominate and take control of a game. Here's how I did this week.

Sandusky Hermes 2-7-1
Hollywood's World of Sports 7-2-1

The Categories I won were W, GAA, SV%, ATOI, SOG, G, and A. My players of the week were Stephen Weiss, Andrew Brunette, Dany Heatley, and Miikka Kiprusoff. I am currently 51-40-9, which makes me 2nd in my division, and 3rd overall in my league. I am still not even close to the 1st place team because they have been dominating all year long. As always keep checking back every Monday to see how I do in Fantasy Hockey.

Basketball Weekly

Well having a bad week was inevitable, you always have one of those weeks where you can't seem to win anything. This week was one of those weeks for me. Here is how I did on my league.

Hollywood's World of Sports 2-6-0
Nate's Playmakers 6-2-0

The only two categories I won were FG%, and REB. My players of the week were Steve Nash, Brendan Haywood, and Danilo Gallinari. That really kind of shock me that those were my best players this week. Then again maybe thats a good thing and that maybe my team will start to come around. After this week I am 24-23-1 which puts me 3rd in the division and 5th overall in my league. I have to mention that Ben Gordon being injured does not help me cause at all. He's been playing limited minutes off the bench. Check back next week to see if he comes back for me and gets my momentum going this week. As always check back Monday's to see how I am doing.

Ultimate Fighter Finale Results and More

Last night was the Ultimate Fighter Finale for season 10 and it was full of a lot of surprises. Here are the results of last nights fights.

Preliminary Card

* Lightweight bout: Canada Mark Bocek vs. United States Joe Brammer
Bocek defeated Brammer via submission (rear-naked choke) at 3:36 of round one. This bout aired on the Spike broadcast after the Edgar vs. Veach fight.

* Welterweight bout: John Howard vs. Dennis Hallman
Howard defeated Hallman via KO (Strikes) at 4:55 of round 3.

* Light Heavyweight bout: Brian Stann vs. Rodney Wallace
Stann defeated Wallace via unanimous decision. (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)

* Heavyweight bout: Jon Madsen vs. Justin Wren
Madsen defeated Wren via split decision. (30-27, 28-29, 29-28)

* Heavyweight bout: Darrill Schoonover vs. James McSweeney
McSweeney defeated Schoonover via TKO (Strikes) at 3:20 of Round 3. This bout aired on the Spike broadcast after the Jones vs. Hamill fight.

Main Card (Spike TV)

* Heavyweight bout: Marcus Jones vs. Matt Mitrione
Mitrione defeated Jones via KO (Punches) at 0:10 of Round 2.

* Lightweight bout: Frank Edgar vs. Matt Veach
Edgar defeated Veach via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) at 2:22 of Round 2.

* Catchweight (215 lb) bout: Kimbo Slice vs. Houston Alexander
Slice defeated Alexander via unanimous decision. (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)

* Light Heavyweight bout: Matt Hamill vs. Jon Jones
Hamill defeated Jones via DQ (illegal elbow) at 4:14 of Round 1. Jones delivered a "12-to-6" vertical elbow that split open the bridge of Hamill's nose.

* Heavyweight bout: Roy Nelson vs. Brendan Schaub
Nelson defeated Shaub via KO (Punch) at 3:25 of Round 1 to become the Season 10 Heavyweight winner of The Ultimate Fighter.

I thought it was awesome how Kimbo Slice intimated the crap out of Houston Alexander. The first round both men were very nervous about mixing it up. The second round Kimbo just beat the crap out of him and then Houston found out what he was in for. I am not saying Kimbo is a great fighter now but he has improved a lot since his last national TV fight with EliteXC. He is no longer street fighter Kimbo, he's MMA Fighter Kimbo and once he gets everything down he is going to be a dangerous fighter. I was really impressed with Matt Mitrione and his knockout of Marcus Jones. I did not care for Mitrione in the house during the show but he proved he can definitely fight. James McSweeney and Darrill Schoonover had a great fight with McSweeney winning by TKO. McSweeney will most definitely be in the UFC for awhile. My prayers go out to Darrill Schoonover who is leaving for Afghanistan shortly and returning to active duty. Then there was main event between Roy Nelson and Brendan Schaub. Everyone thought Nelson would win by sitting on Schaub with his fat stomach but that wasn't the case. Nelson knocked out Schaub in the first round to become the new Ultimate Fighter. It was fun to watch last night but the fights aren't the only big thing that happen last night.

There were some major announcements last night including an appearance by Hulk Hogan announcing that TNA Wrestling will be moving to Monday Nights to compete with Monday Night Raw. Even though it's not UFC related, that's huge. It's also huge for MMA that Hulk Hogan endorses the sport. It was also announced that the coaches for the The Ultimate Fighter 11 (Middleweights) will be Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz. Yes Chuck is coming back and after the Ultimate Fighter season is over Chuck and Tito will fight for the third time. Chuck has already beating Tito twice so it should be interesting to see what happens. Tito was in attendance last night along with Forrest Griffin, Rashad Evans, and others. I also saw a teaser for the UFC Undisputed 2010 which comes out next year. A lot of great things happening for the UFC, Spike TV and the Ultimate Fighter show.

The only thing I was disappointed in is that Rampage Jackson was not in attendance. He should have been there to support Marcus Jones and Kimbo Slice. I cannot wait for the fight between he and Rashad Evans. It's going to be a great fight when it takes place. This wraps of the Ultimate Fighter until April when season 11 is on TV. Some rumored names for the show include Jason Lambert, Nick Thompson and Logan Clark who are all UFC veterans as well as International Fight League and EliteXC veteran Wayne Cole and Ultimate Fighter Season 1 participant Bobby Southworth. Stay tuned for more on the UFC and it's latest happenings.

Thoughts on Tiger Woods

On Thanksgiving Night Tiger Woods got into a car accident and it was late at night and ever since then I have heard everything from drugs/alcohol to domestic violence to him possibly having affair. He recently apologized for his transgressions but didn't specify what they were. There have also been reports that his wife was trying to leave him but he paid her off. For starters, I absolutely hate the media because the assume and they make things up. How do we know that he didn't fall asleep at the wheel or something like that. I know it's very doubtful considering two women have claimed they have had an affair with him.

My first question is why would you be out that late at night on Thanksgiving? Secondly, why would the richest athlete in the world subject himself to such scrutiny? When you're that popular, and well known all eyes are on you. He only got off with a $164 dollar fine and a ticket. The thing about this is that this might hurt golf. He put golf on the map in this decade with advertising, TV, and other endorsements. He's the face of golf and if the face is golf is dirty creep no one is going to watch him. He's already taken himself off of every tournament for the rest of the year. Look on the brightside, atleast it's fair game for anyone win a tournament until he comes back.

As dumb is this is, in Wood's defense he is human and we all make mistakes but whatever mistake he made is going to be a costly for him and his family. He may have ruined his reputation, his career and his fortune. I will be very curious to hear the whole entire truth of this matter because I think a lot of it is assumptions right now. I will be posting more once the truth comes out because I don't want to be like the media and spread rumors. So stay tuned for more

FIFA World Cup 2010 Brackets and More

Yesterday ESPN aired the drawings for the 2010 FIFA World Cup Brackets. There are 8 Brackets with four teams. The top two teams from each bracket move on to the round of 16. Here are the groups and times everyone plays. Just so you know the month and days are flip flopped for all Universal readers and the times are set at the Eastern Time Zone. The World Cup kicks off in June.

Group A
11/06 16:00 South Africa vs.Mexico
11/06 20:30 Uruguay vs. France
16/06 20:30 South Africa vs. Uruguay
17/06 20:30 France vs. Mexico
22/06 16:00 Mexico vs. Uruguay
22/06 16:00 France vs.South Africa

Group B Match
12/06 16:00 Argentina vs. Nigeria
12/06 13:30 Korea Republic vs. Greece
17/06 16:00 Greece vs. Nigeria
17/06 13:30 Argentina vs. Korea Republic
22/06 20:30 Nigeria vs. Korea Republic
22/06 20:30 Greece vs. Argentina

Group C
12/06 20:30 England vs. USA
13/06 13:30 Algeria vs.Slovenia
18/06 16:00 Slovenia vs. USA
18/06 20:30 England vs. Algeria
23/06 16:00 Slovenia vs. England
23/06 16:00 USA vs. Algeria

Group D
13/06 20:30 Germany vs. Australia
13/06 16:00 Serbia vs. Ghana
18/06 13:30 Germany vs. Serbia
19/06 16:00 Ghana vs. Australia
23/06 20:30 Ghana vs. Germany
23/06 20:30 Australia vs. Serbia

Group E
14/06 13:30 Netherlands vs. Denmark
14/06 16:00 Japan vs. Cameroon
19/06 13:30 Netherlands vs. Japan
19/06 20:30 Cameroon vs. Denmark
24/06 20:30 Denmark vs. Japan
24/06 20:30 Cameroon vs. Netherlands

Group F
14/06 20:30 Italy vs. Paraguay
15/06 13:30 New Zealand vs. Slovakia
20/06 13:30 Slovakia vs. Paraguay
20/06 16:00 Italy vs. New Zealand
24/06 16:00 Slovakia vs. Italy
24/06 16:00 Paraguay vs. New Zealand

Group G
15/06 16:00 Côte d'Ivoire vs. Portugal
15/06 20:30 Brazil vs. Korea DPR
20/06 20:30 Brazil vs. Côte d'Ivoire
21/06 13:30 Portugal vs. Korea DPR
25/06 16:00 Portugal vs. Brazil
25/06 16:00 Korea DPR vs. Côte d'Ivoire

Group H
16/06 13:30 Honduras vs. Chile
16/06 16:00 Spain vs. Switzerland
21/06 16:00 Chile vs. Switzerland
21/06 20:30 Spain vs. Honduras
25/06 20:30 Chile vs. Spain
25/06 20:30 Switzerland vs. Honduras

I am not much of a soccer fan and don't know much about the sport but I think it's really cool that the sport is celebrated worldwide much like the Olympics are. The festivities and atmosphere were awesome for drawings. I can only imagine what they will be like for the actual World Cup. I will be covering the World Cup on this site and keep everyone updated on the results and match ups taking place. The only guys I know of are Landon Donovan and David Beckham so I guess I will be watching what those two do in the World Cup. For now thats all on the World Cup. If any breaking news happens regarding the cup I will post it on here so check back often.

R.I.P. Eddie "Umaga" Fatu

This morning I woke up to the news that Eddie Fatu aka Umaga passed away yesterday. It's definitely a sad in the wrestling world again. Umaga was such a great talent and came from the great Samoan family. I remember when I first saw him on TV and that was in 2002. He made his debut as Jamal as part of 3 Minute Warning with his cousin Rosey (Matt Anoa'i). He then returned as Umaga in 2006 and the first guy he attacked was the legendary Ric Flair one day after Wrestlemania 22. He had some great matches with Triple H, Shawn Michaels, and John Cena that summer. He also became Intercontinental Champion on two separate occasions. Some of my favorite matches with Umaga are the ones he had with Jeff Hardy. They worked really great together and help get Jeff Hardy back on the map when Jeff first came back. Who could forget the match he and Bobby Lashley had at Wrestlemania 23 when Donald Trump and Vince McMahon were involved.

Umaga definitely lived up to the Wild Samoan ways in his time during the WWE. I was privileged enough to watch Umaga at a few times, once as Jamal and twice as Umaga. He always had a great style in the ring. I always appreciated how quick he was for as big as he was. Eddie Fatu was only 36 years old and leaves behind a wife and his children. He just returned home after the Hulkamania Tour and was in really good health. Here is what some of his friends had to say on their Twitters:

* Shannon Moore: R.I.P Ecki....Mad love and respect. We will miss you and I will cherish the times we had together.

* Christopher Daniels: RIP Eddie Fatu. I'm glad I got to know you in the short time you were here.

* D'Angelo Dinero: This is rough, very rough. My heart and prayers goes out to Umaga's wife, his boys, and family.

* Allison Danger: RIP Umaga. I thank you for your kindness when we met. My heart aches for your family and my thoughts are with them in their time of need.

* Ken Anderson: go out and tear the house down. We both had something to prove that night and in my opinion: Mission Accomplished! Our thoughts and prayers are with the entire Fatu family. Ecki absolutely adored his wife and was extremely proud of his children. I have so many amazing, funny, and heartwarming (sometimes gut wrenching belly-laughing) memories.

* Matt Hardy: Just landed in Shreveport to go to work tonight-I'm very saddened to hear about Ecky (Umaga) & his family-please keep them in your prayers.

* Hurricane Helms: Heartbroken. No words.

* Jeremy Borash: RIP Eddie Fatu

* TNA Online: RIP Eddie Fatu

Eddie Fatu's presence in the wrestling ring will truly be missed. He was a true warrior, and a true Samoan in every sense of the word. RIP Eddie Fatu, we will never forget you and what you brought to the wrestling world. My condolences go out to Eddie's friends, family and all of his fans worldwide. God Bless you all.

Rampage Jackson is Coming Back!

Just two days after the Ultimate Fighter series concluded for the season Rampage Jackson has announced that he is coming back to shut up Dana White and more importantly Rashad Evans. Jackson stated that he hated the way he was portrayed on this season of the Ultimate Fighter. He felt they made him out to be a joke. Rampage said he was going to finish out his contract then go to movies and have a boxing match once a year. That is what he is saying. Once he steps in the Octagon and feels how good it feels to fight again he might change his mind. Awhile back I called out Rampage on this blog saying that he needed stop whining and fight. I am happy that he is fighting again. Everyone wants to see Rashad vs. Rampage because of their bad blood. When Rashad and Rampage finally fight it will be one of the highest watched UFC PPV's ever. With all trash talk, with all the pranks, and with all the pent up aggression it's going to make for one great fight. Even though there is no title on the line this fight should be 5 rounds just because of how important it is going to be.

No date is set for the Rampage-Rashad fight but when it is I will definitely be writing about it. I have a feeling that they are going to build up whatever PPV they are on and make it a mega card to draw more people to watch. Stay tuned for more on this fight and the details of it and keep checking back for other UFC news.

Pacquiao vs. Mayweather: Fight of the Decade

Finally the wait is over and next spring the fight will finally happen. It will be Manny Pacquiao taking on Floyd Mayweather Jr. for Mayweather's Welterweight Title. This fight has been a long time in the making and it's the fight everyone wants to see. Boxing hasn't provided very much excitement during this decade but this fight will go down as the best fight in this decade. De La Hoya-Mayweather was great but people are more behind Pacquiao then they were Oscar at this point. Many people believe Manny is the only one who put Floyd to the ground. Mayweather is 40-0 with 25 KO's and Pacquiao is 50-3-2 with 38 KO's. Pacquiao's three losses came against Érik Morales, Medgoen Singsurat, and Rustico Torrecampo. He avenged his lose against Morales by beating Morales twice. The fight is scheduled for March 13th 2010 so hopefully no one puts anything on against it because it would be a ratings killer for sure.

Pacquiao and Mayweather have a chance to put boxing back where it once was. Back in 2007 boxing had a glimpse of glory when Mayweather and De La Hoya fought. It was the highest grossing PPV of the year and I am sure Pacquiao-Mayweather will surpass that. In some way's this could be boxing's last stand because after this what other dream matches do people want to see. This is the fight of all fights in boxing. Where do you go after that? Who is left to fight each other? I am not saying boxing is going to be totally dead but who are the fans going to get excited about. The only scenario I can come up with is Pacquiao defeating Mayweather and then fans always tuning to see who challenges Pacquiao to see if they can go toe to toe with him. If Mayweather wins then no one is really going to care and people will just blow it off like every other Mayweather fight there has ever been.

If you ask who I want to win, I will definitely say Manny Pacquiao because Pacquiao wants to shut up Pretty Boy Floyd once and for all. Pacquiao and Mayweather both have had historical careers but this fight will determine which one of them the fans will remember them more. Next Spring prepare for a war because this fight will be a war. I for one cannot wait for it and I know millions cannot wait for it either. Stay tuned for more on the fight because I am sure they'll be more details within the coming weeks.

Thoughts on the Ultimate Fighter and Finale

Last night was the last episode leading up to the next Ultimate Fighter and it didn't let down. There was a lot of tension in the house and now it's down to Roy Nelson and Brendan Schaub who both had very tough roads to get there. Roy Nelson had to defeat Kimbo Slice, Justin Wren, and James McSweeney. Brendan Schaub had to defeat Demico Rogers, Jon Madsen, and Marcus Jones to get to the finals. This has been one of the best seasons that the Ultimate Fighter has had thanks to the crazy's like Zak Jensen and Matt Mitrione. It's funny that the show revolved around Kimbo Slice because he only fought once. The thing that I am disappointed in is that Rampage and Rashad won't fight like the coaches have done in the past. Their disliking for each other is what made this season even more fun to watch then all the others in the past. I also thought it was crazy that McSweeney and Jensen got into it on the last episode. McSweeney was pretty that he had to fight Roy Nelson. I guess I would be too. This Saturday is the Finale of the Ultimate Fighter on Spike TV and it's going to be a good one. Here is the card for Saturday Night.

Main Card

* Heavyweight bout: Roy Nelson vs.Brendan Schaub
* Light Heavyweight bout: Matt Hamill vs. Jon Jones
* Catchweight (215 lb) bout: Kimbo Slice vs. Houston Alexander
* Lightweight bout: Frank Edgar vs. Matt Veach
* Heavyweight bout: Marcus Jones vs. Matt Mitrione

Preliminary Card

* Heavyweight bout: Darrill Schoonover vs. James McSweeney
* Heavyweight bout: Jon Madsen vs. Justin Wren
* Light Heavyweight bout: Brian Stann vs. Rodney Wallace
* Welterweight bout: John Howard vs. Dennis Hallman
* Lightweight bout: Mark Bocek vs. Joe Brammer

I am looking forward to the fight between Kimbo Slice and Houston Alexander as well as Marcus Jones and Matt Mitrione. I think the finale is going to be good because Schaub and Nelson both proved during the show they have what it takes. Again both guys had some tough opponents and I think you're going to see Nelson, Jones, Kimbo, and Schaub all get contracts of some sorts because they do need to spice up the Heavyweight division and these guys are just the guys to do it. The only question I have remaining is now that the show has aired will it prompt Rampage Jackson to come out of retirement and fight Rashad Evans once and for all. The season was built around their disliking for each other so I along with other wish the fight would happen. Only time will tell if it will. It's been a fun season on the Ultimate Fighter. I can't wait for next year.

Iron Man Match Poll Results

Over a month a created a poll asking fans what was the best 60-minute Iron Man Match WWE has ever had and the results are in. Here they are and it's really no surprise to me or anyone else.

Bret Hart vs. Shawn Michaels- 48%
Triple H vs. The Rock- 24%
John Cena vs. Randy Orton- 20%
Brock Lesnar vs. Kurt Angle- 8%
Triple H vs. Chris Benoit- 0%

I think people are being a little biased towards the Chris Benoit thing because it was a really good match and was surprised it didn't even receive one vote. The first is always the best so it's not surprising to see Shawn and Bret at the top. I was kind of surprised that John Cena and Randy Orton finished higher then Lesnar and Angle. I thought Lesnar and Angle should have been second just because it was the only one ever on TV and it highlighted two of best natural athletes. Thanks to everyone who participated and check back for a new poll soon.

NFL Week 13 Predictions

Well it's week 13 and the match ups aren't getting any easier for the most part. Lets get down to business, here are my predictions for the week.

New York Jets over Buffalo Bills
Philadelphia Eagles over Atlanta Falcons
Chicago Bears over St. Louis Rams
Cincinatti Bengals over Detroit Lions
Indianapolis Colts over Tennessee Titans
Denver Broncos over Kansas City Chiefs
New Orleans Saints over Washington Redskins
Carolina Panthers over Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Houston Texans over Jacksonville Jaguars
Pittsburgh Steelers over Oakland Raiders
New England Patriots over Miami Dolphins
San Diego Chargers over Cleveland Browns
San Fransisco 49ers over Seattle Seahawks
Dallas Cowboys over New York Giants
Minnesota Vikings over Arizona Cardinals
Green Bay Packers over Baltimore Ravens

So there you have it. As always check back each Monday to see how I did.

NFL Week 12 Recap

The first thing I would like to say is that the New Orleans Saints are for real. I really didn't thank they had played anyone that was really tough for them but they did last night and proved they can hang with the best and beat the best. Unfortunately I couldn't really hang in fantasy this week. On my Yahoo league this is how it turned out.

Hollywood's Rejects 178.24
The Yatchmeister 235.29

My highest point earner was Drew Brees which is no shock. It seems like he's been my best player week in and week out. This lost put me at 4-8 in 7th place. In my ESPN league I got lucky and his is proof right here.

Hollywoods World of Sports (HWOO) 87
Dir's Losers (Lose) 84

It was 84-80 headed into last night and thanks to John Carney I scored 7 more points and won the week. My highest point earner was Percy Harvin who has become one of my favorite players. He's definitely a force to reckon with and in my opinion is going to premier receiver in the NFL. This win puts me at 4-8 and still in 9th place overall. in the league. In terms of my predictions I don't know how I did because I forgot submit them on ESPN so that doesn't help matters. Anyways speaking of predictions, I will be back tomorrow with my week 13 predictions.

Hockey Weekly

Well this was a good week in Hockey for me. I liked what I saw. Here is how the week ended for me.

Arizona Steel Heat 3-6-1
Hollywood's World of Sports 6-3-1

The categories I won were G, +/-, ATOI, SOG, GAA, and SV%. I am always happy when I win the goalie categories because to me those are the most important. If you win those you're more then likely going to win the week as proven this week. My players of the week were Zach Parise, Patrick Marleau and Miikka Kiprusoff. I am now 45-38-7 which puts me 2nd in division and 3rd in the league overall. I am not at all feeling bad about how I am doing right now. As always check back on Mondays to see how I did. Have a good a week all you ice lovers.

Basketball Weekly

This week in basketball was a little bit rough. I got down early but manage to salvage some sort of a comeback. Here's how the week ended.

Hollywood's World of Sports 3-4-1
My Team Sucks 4-3-1

The categories I won were FG%, REB, and BLK. My players of the week were Dwight Howard, Steve Nash and Trevor Ariza. I am now 22-17-1 which puts me in 2nd place in my division, 4th overall in the league. I am still not doing that bad at all. This week will be the week I catch up and get back in first place. As always comeback every Monday to see how I do.

Fantasy NASCAR Results

Well now that NASCAR is officially over I can post my results of how did in the fantasy games I played in. I played in four different games on ESPN. The first one I did was Fantasy Stock Car. Out of 6 teams I finished 3rd with 9106 points. The winner had 10175 points so it wasn't even close. My best driver was Greg Biffle and that's not saying much because he didn't do all that great for me. The second game I was involved in was Race for the Cup where you picked who would have a better finish between two drivers. In 10 weeks I scored 59 points which was in the 92 percentile. Next was Driver Pick Em which was the same concept as Race for the Cup except that it involved the Nationwide Series. I scored 101 points for the season which put me in the 79 percentile. The last game I was involved with was Stock Car Challenge where you had a 5 man team that you could change from week to week. I scored 20471 points through out the year that put in the 62 percentile. So as you can see I did better then average in all three NASCAR fantasy games and considering I cannot stand NASCAR right now I am quite surprised. I devote the least amount of time to Fantasy NASCAR but then again who could blame me? Now I get to even devote more time to all my other fantasy sports and games.

What I am Thankful for in Sports

Today is Thanksgiving and I would to take the time to tell you what I am thankful for as it relates to sports. So here it goes.

I am thankful for God giving me the ability to write about sports
I am thankful that I have Hollywood's World of Sports.
I am thankful for the UFC because it's real
I am thankful that I am not a Detroit Lions fan
I am thankful that I am not anyone on the New Jersey Nets right now.
I am thankful for ESPN Fantasy Sports
I am thankful I have co-workers who love sports as much as I do
I am thankful that Shawn Michaels is still wrestling, so I actually have someone to root for
I am thankful for all the years I bowled in my life
I am thankful for Mike Illitch and the late William Davidson for trying their best to bring greatness to Detroit Sports
I am thankful that Hulk Hogan has made one more comeback
I am thankful that my girlfriend likes sports, atleast somewhat anyways
I am thankful for West Michigan being a great sports area
I am thankful for sports bars such as Buffalo Wild Wings and Uccello's
I am thankful that Allen Iverson no longer plays for the Pistons
I am thankful that Grand Rapids has two sports radio stations
I am thankful for my Dart board, it's always a good stress reliever
I am thankful for my Carolina Panthers jerseys, even though I have a Jake Delhomme Jersey
I am thankful that everyone in my neighbors love sports
I am thankful for sports in general, competition is always fun.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone and God Bless.

How NASCAR has Ruined Itself

For all those who are excited that Jimmie Johnson won four NASCAR championships, I am hear to burst your bubble. Jimmie Johnson winning four in a row has totally ruined the sport for me. There is a lot wrong with NASCAR right now and it all begins with the Chase for the Cup. I think the Chase for the Cup is a horrible idea and thought it was going to be bad from the beginning. Mathematically if the drivers would have ran under the old system Jimmie Johnson would only have one championship to his name. The other champions would have been Carl Edwards, Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart. That's a little more variety that the fans deserve. If Jimmie Johnson somehow gets to 7 Championships that will be a total slap in the face to Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt who actually sank money into their cars and had to work very hard every week. So with that being said NASCAR needs to go back to the old ways before it completely kills the sport.

The second thing that's totally wrong is the Car of Tomorrow and brand loyalty. The Car of Tomorrow makes every car equally so no one cares if you're driving a Ford, Chevrolet, Dodge or Toyota. I remember when it use to be about who ever had the best mechanics working on your car. I also remember like for example when Dale Earnhardt drove a Chevy he stood behind Chevy and was proud to drive their car. It's not like that anymore. There is no brand loyalty and the drivers don't have pride in their sponsors anymore.

Next up is all the rule changes like no bump drafting at Talladega and Daytona and no passing below certain lines. It's bad enough they put re-stricter plates on these cars but now they are making rules that don't even benefit the use of re-stricter plates. The sport is totally being ruined by all the rules. Let them race it out, let them bump, grind and run into each other. That's what racing is all about, atleast that's what it use to be about.

Finally, the last thing is how they have turned everyone into a superstar and how no one cares. I remember back in the 70's and 80's when there was only a few stars in the sport. They were Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt, Darrell Waltrip, and Rusty Wallace. They were the starts of the sport and if you caught them and beat them then you were made into a star. Now all 43 drivers are stars and people get to see the underdog try to chase down the hero, or dominant driver. I am going to say this, that right now there is now good form of racing right now. NASCAR has become to corporate, and not the good old boys club that is use to be. That's what made people love NASCAR to start with because of the good old boys club mentality. Everyone and their brother is getting into the sport. You can't even turn to Indy Car racing because Tony George split up CART and IRL another mistake made by racing. Right now racing is on the decline because it's not the way it use to be. NASCAR and every other form of racing thats well known need make some changes otherwise less and less people are going to watch it. I am hoping someday NASCAR goes back to the old ways. Only time will tell if they actually do. One can only hope.

NFL Week 12 Predictions

Well it's Thanksgiving week and it's also week 12 in the NFL Season so lets get down to business with the tough picks this week.

Green Bay Packers over Detroit Lions
Dallas Cowboys over Oakland Raiders
New York Giants over Denver Broncos
Atlanta Falcons over Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Miami Dolphins over Buffalo Bills
Cincinatti Bengals over Cleveland Browns
Seattle Seahawks over St. Louis Rams
Carolina Panthers over New York Jets
Philadelphia Eagles over Washington Redskins
Indianapolis Colts over Houston Texans
San Diego Chargers over Kansas City Chiefs
Jacksonville Jaguars over San Fransisco 49ers
Tennessee Titans over Arizona Cardinals
Minnesota Vikings over Chicago Bears
Pittsburgh Steelers over Baltimore Ravens
New Orleans Saints over New England Patriots

As always check back on Tuesday for my weekly recap. Have a Happy Thanksgiving everyone and God Bless.

A Mega Monday Night Raw and More

Last night on the three hour Monday Night Raw had me really excited because Jesse Ventura was hosting and I knew he would bring something different to the show. Sure enough he did and I thought it was a great. I saw a lot of firsts last night and it was great to see. The CM Punk-John Cena match was very good and it could make for a great feud someday. The other first was a dream match I have wanted to see and it happen to be the Hart Dynasty and DX. They had a solid match but I think they should do more with it considering the history there. I mean you had the Rockers and the original Hart Foundation and then DX against the Hart Foundation of 1997 which ended with a lot of bad blood. They need to play that off more.

They also had qualifying matches to get in to a battle royal to determine the number one contender to John Cena. Everyone in the match except for Randy Orton had never been a World Champion. The winner of the match was Sheamus and he will face John Cena at TLC for the WWE title. All I have to say is, it's about time. I agree with the philosophy that we need to see new people going after the title. I like many am sick of seeing the same old people being in title matches. I don' think we have seen all of Sheamus' ability yet but at TLC people will.

I also enjoyed how DX made a joke out of what happen at Survivor Series. I just about laughed my head off last night during their promo last night. Even though they did not win the WWE title they do have the opportunity to win gold at TLC. They face Jeri-Show for the Unified Tag Team Championships. So after last night two matches have been made for TLC and here they are:

-WWE Champion John Cena vs. Sheamus (Tables Match)
-Unified Tag Team Champions Chris Jericho & Big Show vs. D-Generation X (Tables, Ladders & Chairs Match)

Keep checking back for more matches and my predictions before the pay-per-view.

NFL Week 11 Recap

Eleven weeks in to the season both the Colts and the Saints are a perfect 10-0. Never in the history of the NFL have their ever been two undefeated teams in one season but it could happen and it does it could be one of the most memorable seasons in the history of the NFL. The Colts have been tested and won, however I don't think the Saints have been tested quite yet. They will be this coming Monday against the Patriots and we will see how they do. Now on to fantasy stuff. I got my clocked clean in my Yahoo league again and here's how it went down

Hollywood's Rejects 168.66
Country Strong 249.40

My highest point earner was Drew Brees who has been my highest point earner a lot this year. This lost though buts me at 4-6 in 6th place in my league. On the ESPN side of things I actually won. Here's how it turned out.

Hollywoods World of Sports (HWOO) 107
Where is Greg's Mustache (sdsu) 82

My highest point earner was Ricky Williams and he's been on fire lately. The win puts me at 3-8 and in 9th place. I am finally out of last place. That's always a great thing. In terms of my predictions I guessed 10 out of 16 correct. Not too bad, but not good either. Well tomorrow I will be back with predictions so stay tuned.

Thoughts on WWE Survivor Series

Last night was the Survivor Series, one of WWE's longest running pay-per-views and one of the big four. It was definitely a crazy night. The first match was Team Morrison taking on Team Miz. Some of the cool parts in this match were Evan Bourne flying around as always and the stare down of the two Irishmen Sheamus and Finlay. Miz, Sheamus and Drew McIntyre ended up winning the match and being the survivors

Next up was Batista and Rey Mysterio. Mysterio started off the match quick but as soon as Batista got a hold of him the match was pretty much over. Batista gave him 2 spine busters, and 3 Batista bombs. After the match Batista beat him up even further and left him to be carried out on a stretcher. I have to say I love Batista as heel and I think thats how he needs to be used. He's a good face, but a better heel because of his brutality.

Up next was team Kofi vs. team Orton. Before the match they had a funny backstage segment with Team Kofi because Christian was the only white guy on the team. It was a very funny moment that got a lot of people laughing. I really love how Kofi came back from facing CM Punk and Randy Orton. They are really pushing Kofi Kingston to the next level. I will be curious to see what he does in the future.

The first triple threat match of the night was Undertaker vs. Big Show vs. Chris Jericho. The match went the way I thought it would. Show and Jericho double teamed the Undertaker until it was time for them to try and win. Then they started breaking apart and Big Show went after Jericho. Undertaker eventually locked in Hells Gates on Big Show and retained his World Championship.

I am not even going to talk about the Diva's match because it was boring. All I will say is that Mickie and Melina were the Survivors which I had a feeling they would be anyways. Nothing special happened in this match.

Then the Main Event of the night. Shawn and Triple H came out together which I really didn't like but oh well. After the bell rang the first thing that happen was Shawn giving Triple H Sweet Chin Music and knocking him out. Then once Shawn and Cena got on the outside Triple H gave a spine-buster to Shawn Michael right through a table. It was a really good triple threat match which saw Shawn and Triple H go at it for awhile. I loved it because Triple H and Shawn have a really good matches. Cena eventually took advantage of DX's implosion and retained his WWE title. It was a really good match, one of the better triple threat matches I've seen because of all the tension in this match.

I would rate Survivor Series 3 stars out of 5 because it decent matches, but not a lot of excitement up until the last match. The last match pretty much made the whole pay-per-view for me. I really wanted the title off John Cena but I didn't get my wish. It was a good pay-per-view and I was satisfied with what I saw.

Hockey Weekly

Well I had my best week in Hockey to date since I've been playing. It was a good week for me in hockey. Here is how it turned out after the weeks end.

Hollywood's World of Sports 6-3-1
Anaheim Penguins 3-6-1

The categories I won were G, A, +/-, PPG, ATOI, and SOG. My players of the week were Zach Parise, Dany Heatley, and Martin St. Louis. They all made contributions. I did not win any goalie categories again this week which really has me a little bit peeved. After this past week I am at 39-35-6 which means I am second in my division, and third overall in my league. Hopefully I can keep my momentum going. Check back next week to see if I do.

Basketball Weekly

Well it was a pretty intense week in basketball this week. I didn't do bad, but I didn't do good either. Here is what the final outcome looked like.

Hollywood's World of Sports 4-4-0
Get Right 4-4-0

The categories I won were FG%, REB, AST, and BLK. My players of the week were Trevor Ariza, Steve Nash, and Dwight Howard. This puts me at 19-13-0 which makes me first in my division and 2nd overall in the league. I am feeling very confident about team this year. I make my adjustments when I have to but I know I have a great team infront of me. As always check back next week for more.

Forrest Griffin gets Revenge at UFC 106

The first time Forrest Griffin and Tito Ortiz met was at UFC 59 in 2006. It went all three rounds and Tito won by split decision. I personally thought Forrest won that fought and was hoping for a rematch someday. Tito Ortiz made his return last night after a very lengthy absences. He looked really awesome and in good shape and in good spirits. Tito had a lot to prove and he did his best to prove. Forrest Griffin also had a lot to prove after an embarrassing lost to Anderson Silva. Both men had a lot to prove last night but only won could win the fight. The fight went all three rounds and Griffin seem to control most of the fight but The Huntington Beach Bad Boy hung in there with him. After three rounds it went to a judges decision and Forrest Griffin won by split decision and got his revenge. The judges scored it (28-29, 30-27, 29-28). They are pretty much the same scores from UFC 59 but with a different winner. I was really impressed with Kendall Grove, Josh Koscheck, Paulo Thiago, and Antonio Rogerio Nogueira. All of them had good outings and fights. I also really like the idea of showing all the preliminary fights. It's a great way to get other fighters notice, possibly increase pay-per-view buys and plus there is nothing better on Saturday Nights any ways. What a great night for a fight and thanks to Tito and Forrest for having such a great fight. It was awesome.

WWE Survivor Series Predictions

Tomorrow Night is one of my favorite pay-per-views of the year. It is one of the big four and it's Survivor Series. One of my favorite things about Survivor Series is the 5 on 5 tag matches where the whole team has to be eliminated. I like the Survivor Series from the 80's and early 90's because the teams use to cut these insane promos and bonded together. They still somewhat do but it's not like it use to. Anyways lets get down to business, and my predictions

Triple Threat match for the WWE Championship- John Cena (c) vs. Triple H vs. Shawn Michaels
Well this match is so hard for me to read. The WWE Championship has changed hands a lot already this year. I really want to see Triple H or Shawn Michaels win the title, preferably Shawn Michael. I don't think it's going to happen. This match will be one of the most talked about matches for a long time. I just have a feeling it's going to be one of those really great matches. Cena wins, and further cements his legacy.

Triple Threat match for the World Heavyweight Championship- The Undertaker (c) vs. The Big Show vs. Chris Jericho
I think The Undertaker has got this hands down. Jericho and Big Show will implode and cost each other the title and the bragging rights of holding two belts at once. However do not forget Big Show's history at Survivor Series. In 1999, he defeated the Rock and Triple to win his first WWE title. In 2002, he defeated Brock Lesnar for the WWE title giving Lesnar his first loss in the WWE. Speaking of history, this marks The Undertakers 19th anniversary in the WWE. It should be a great match that symbolizes what The Undertaker is all about.

Team Kingston (Kofi Kingston, Montel Vontavious Porter, Mark Henry, R-Truth, and Christian) vs. Team Orton (Randy Orton, Cody Rhodes, Ted DiBiase, CM Punk, and William Regal)
It's really hard to predict the matches but considering Rhodes and Dibiase were not out to help Orton this past Monday I believe Legacy splits and causes Team Orton to lose. Kofi is getting pushed hard right now and they are trying to make him a main eventer which is not a bad thing. He's got charisma, and he's definitely got the skill to be a World Champion. Team Kingston wins, and don't ask me who I think will survive because that's two hard.

Team Morrison (John Morrison, Matt Hardy, Evan Bourne, Shelton Benjamin, and Finlay) vs. Team Miz (The Miz, Drew McIntyre, Sheamus, Dolph Ziggler, and Jack Swagger)
I really like this match a lot just because of all the young guys in it. These guys with exception of Hardy and Finlay are the future of the WWE and they are going to be trying to steal the show. I think team Morrison wins and Evan Bourne will definitely highlight the match.

Team Mickie (Mickie James, Eve Torres, Kelly Kelly, Melina, and Gail Kim) vs. Team Michelle (Michelle McCool, Jillian Hall, Beth Phoenix, Layla, and Alicia Fox)
I could really care less about this match but I think Team Mickie will win and Mickie will be one step closer to getting a shot at the Women's title against Michelle McCool. It should be a very short match which is a good thing.

Batista vs. Rey Mysterio
Good friends have turned into better enemies. For the very first time ever Rey Mysterio and Batista go one on one on a pay-per-view. This feud kind of reminds me of the Diesel-Shawn Michaels feud in 1996 before Diesel left the WWE. It has the same feeling to it but I think this feud is going to be much better then that one. It's in Batista's hometown so I'll be curious to see how they react to him. I really don't know what's going happen in this match but I am going to give it to Batista. I think he will destroy Mysterio and put Rey out until Wrestlemania. Just a thought, I wouldn't read much into it.

This is going to be a really good pay-per-view. WWE has a lot of momentum going into tomorrow night. They had a good Raw and Smackdown this week so it definitely has people interested in what's going to happen tomorrow. So tune in tomorrow night to see who will survive. I will be watch at Buffalo Wild Wings on 28th St. in Grand Rapids and I for one cannot wait.