Road to Wrestlemania: Week 4

This week the Road to Wrestlemania kicked off with John Cena addressing The Rock with some old school Basic Thuganomics. John Cena isn't exactly the most cheered guy in the world but he got more cheers doing his promo then he has in a long time. It was a good momentum booster for John Cena to go back his roots that made him a superstar to begin with.

There were some good matches which included CM Punk defeated John Morrison, and Kofi Kingston faced Alberto Del Rio that ended in a no contest. Also on Raw, 2-21-11 finally came and it happened to be the return of The Undertaker. However, Taker was interrupted by the returning Triple H. They had a stare down with no words and the match seems to be on at Wrestlemania.

In the Main Event, John Cena and The Miz took on Heath Slater and Justin Gabriel for the WWE Tag Team Championships. Cena and Miz won the titles but then Wade Barrett wanted an immediate rematch. They got it, and then won the titles back when The Miz turned on Cena.

On Smackdown this week Vickie Guerrero was fired after she and Drew lost to Kelly Kelly and Edge. Edge was also attacked by Alberto Del Rio to end Smackdown. Smackdown seems to be doing a better job then Raw when it comes to building up their Wrestlemania matches. Cody and Dusty Rhodes came out and attacked Rey Mysterio after his match with Kane. Big Show is still taking on the Corre which might set something up for Wrestlemania.

As of right now here are the confirmed matches for Wrestlemania 26:
The Undertaker vs. Triple H
WWE Champion The Miz vs. John Cena
World Heavyweight Champion Edge vs. Alberto Del Rio

I would expect that more matches are going to be announced soon so keep staying on the Road to Wrestlemania.

Penn-Fitch Fight to a Majority Draw at UFC 127

I've seen a lot of crazy things in MMA but last nights decision in the main event between Jon Fitch and B.J. Penn was not the right won. The fight was ruled a majority draw (29–28 Fitch, 28–28, 28–28). Penn had some great take-downs but Fitch fought through it and really gave B.J. a run for his money. Based on what I saw I thought Fitch barely won the fight but I guess I was wrong. As the commentators always say, never leave it in the hands of the judges.

The fight I was looking forward to the most was Michael Bisping vs. Jorge Rivera because of all the trash talk. I really thought Rivera would make it go to a decision but Bisping defeated Rivera by TKO (strikes) at 1:54 in round 2. There was a few tense moments in the fight but in the end the two fighters embraced.

Other results included:

-Middleweight bout: Kyle Noke vs. Chris Camozzi
Noke defeated Camozzi by submission (rear naked choke) at 1:35 of round 1.

-Welterweight bout:Chris Lytle vs. Brian Ebersole
Ebersole defeated Lytle by unanimous decision (30–27, 29–28, 29–28).

-Lightweight bout: George Sotiropoulos vs. Dennis Siver
Siver defeated Sotiropoulos by unanimous decision (29–28, 30–28, 30–27).

I have to add that Dennis Siver looked pretty impressive. This guy is a deadly striker and he will definitely be a Lightweight Champion someday. I really enjoyed this card. Not a lot of big names but they were some solid fights even though the ending of the main event sucked. I hate when fights are inconclusive because in my mind there should always be a winner and a loser.

Here are some big fights coming up that will hopefully not go to a draw.

UFC Live
-Welterweight bout: Diego Sanchez vs. Martin Kampmann

UFC 128
-Light Heavyweight Championship bout: Maurício Rua (c) vs. Jon Jones
-Bantamweight bout: Urijah Faber vs. Eddie Wineland
-Heavyweight bout: Mirko Filipović vs. Brendan Schaub

UFC 129
-Welterweight Championship bout: Georges St-Pierre (c) vs. Jake Shields
-Featherweight Championship bout: José Aldo (c) vs. Mark Hominick
-Light Heavyweight bout: Randy Couture vs. Lyoto Machida

UFC 130
-Lightweight Championship bout: Frankie Edgar (c) vs. Gray Maynard
-Light Heavyweight bout: Quinton Jackson vs. Matt Hamill
-Heavyweight bout: Frank Mir vs. Roy Nelson

The UFC really knows how to put on good fights and gives it's fan something new to look forward to. Keep checking back for results, and big fights as their made.

NBA Trade Deadline Deals

The last couple of days in the NBA have been very busy. The trade deadline passed yesterday and here is a recap of all that went down the last few days.

-Boston traded forward Luke Harangody and center Semih Erden to Cleveland for a 2013 second-round draft pick. Traded center Kendrick Perkins and guard Nate Robinson to Oklahoma City for forward Jeff Green, center Nenad Krstic, a 2012 first-round draft pick and cash.

-Charlotte traded forward Gerald Wallace to Portland for center Joel Przybilla, forward Dante Cunningham, forward-center Sean Marks and a conditional 2011 and a conditional 2013 first-round draft pick. Waived guard Sherron Collins and forward Dominic McGuire.

-Cleveland traded guard Mo Williams and forward Jamario Moon to the L.A. Clippers for guard Baron Davis and a 2011 first-round draft pick. Waived forward Leon Powe.

-Houston traded guard Aaron Brooks to Phoenix for guard Goran Dragic and a future first-round draft pick. Traded forward Shane Battier and guard Ishmael Smith to Memphis for center Hasheem Thabeet, forward DeMarre Carroll and a future first-round draft pick .

-Sacramento acquired guard-forward Marquis Daniels and cash considerations from Boston for a future draft pick.

-Utah traded guard Deron Williams to New Jersey for guard Devin Harris, forward Derrick Favors, a 2011 first-round pick, a 2012 first-round pick (via Golden State) and cash considerations.

-New Orleans traded guard Carl Landry to Sacramento for guard Marcus Thornton and cash considerations.

- Chicago traded forward James Johnson to Toronto for the 2011 first-round draft pick Toronto acquired from Miami.

-Denver acquired center Kosta Koufos from Minnesota.

-New York acquired forward Carmelo Anthony, guard Chauncey Billups, guard Anthony Carter, forward Renaldo Balkman and forward Shelden Williams from Denver for forward Wilson Chandler, forward Danilo Gallinari, guard Raymond Felton, center Timofey Mozgov, a 2014 first-round draft pick and a 2012 and a 2013 second-round pick and cash. Traded center Eddy Curry and forward Anthony Randolph to Minnesota for forward Corey Brewer.

A lot of wheeling and dealing going on to make the teams better. I really think this was one of the more exciting trade deadlines in recent memory. Stay tuned to see how these trades play out.

Hacksaw Jim Duggan in the WWE Hall of Fame

This past Monday night it was announced that the man who has carried around a 2x4 and the American flag would be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. Hacksaw Jim Duggan has been wrestling. Hacksaw was never the most gifted wrestler and he didn't win many titles. However, when he came the chants of "USA, USA, USA" would ring throughout the arena.

Hacksaw didn't have long last feuds with guys but if you were foreigner like Nicoli Volkoff, Iron Sheik, and Yokozuna it made for great matches. Duggan held a few titles in his career including the WCW United States Heavyweight Championship and. WCW World Television Championship. In WWE he won the first ever Royal Rumble, and was King of the Ring for brief period.

Hacksaw is one of the most beloved superstars in the history of pro wrestling. His patriotic love for the America has gotten him many places. He made his debut in 1979 and continues to perform across the country with his trusty 2x4 and American flag with him. Congratulations to Hacksaw Jim Duggan for being the newest member to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. All I got to say now is, "HOOOOO!"

Trevor Bayne Win Daytona 500

If you would have asked me two weeks ago who Trevor Bayne was, I would have told you I have no clue. Yesterday the whole racing world found out who he was after he won the Daytona 500. He became the youngest driver to ever win the Daytona 500 at 20 years old. The cool thing is, is he did it with one of the oldest teams in NASCAR and that is Wood Brothers Racing who hasn't seen a win in 10 years.

I will go on record by saying that this was one of the greatest races I have ever watched. There were records set for lead changes, cautions and leaders. The race went 208 laps(520 mi) due to the NASCAR rules that allow the race to end under Green-White-Checkered and they gave it two attempts and at the end of the day the Cinderella story won.

Obviously the sentimental favorites didn't fare to well. Dale Earnhardt Jr., Michael Waltrip and Kevin Harvick all were knocked out of the race at some point. The reason I mention those three is because it was the 10th anniversary of Dale Earnhardt's death at Daytona. Waltrip won the 500 that day driving and Earnhardt car, Kevin Harvick replaced Dale when he died and Jr. inherited all of his dads fans. Dale Jr. drove his heart out starting in dead last after wrecking his pole winning care in practice that made him go to a backup car.

This was the 2nd longest Daytona 500 but it was sure worth every minute of watching it. Trevor Bayne is only the 2nd driver to win the 500 in his first attempt. The other is Lee Petty who won the first won.

After watching the 500 yesterday I can definitely say I am excited about NASCAR again. I am going to try and watch every race this year and cover any exciting things that happen like yesterday. That was exciting and memorable.

Road to Wrestlemania: Week 3

This past week on the Road to Wrestlemania things kicked off with CM Punk defeating John Cena after their confrontation to start the show. After that match Sheamus attacked Mark Henry due to the pot CM Punk was stirring the week before. Sheamus sent a message to all of his opponents in the Chamber match. In really good match WWE Champion The Miz defeated U.S. Champion Daniel Bryan. I always love what these to do. They have had great chemistry against each other in ever since NXT season 1 when The Miz was suppose to be the coach of Daniel Bryan. We all know now how that worked out. However the best match of the night and possibly the week was Randy Orton facing Sheamus. Sheamus dominated but Orton came back to win. The match was followed up by a brawl between all of the Raw Elimination Chamber participants. Then the biggest shocker of them all happened. The host of Wrestlemania 27 was announced and the host just happens to be The Rock. The Rock went over about 20 minutes past the due goes off the air and it was well worth it.

Smackdown kicked off with a huge 12 man tag. In that 12 man tag it was John Cena, Randy Orton, John Morrison, R-Truth, Rey Mysterio and Edge defeating CM Punk, Sheamus, Kane, Wade Barrett, Dolph Ziggler and Drew McIntyre. It was a action packed 35 minutes to start the show. Nothing else really happened other then Teddy Long coming back and making a match between Edge and Dolph Ziggler. Edge won the match to keep his title and then afterward Teddy Long fired Dolph Ziggler to end Smackdown.

Last night was the Elimination Chamber and here the highlights:
-John Cena won the Raw Elimination Chamber Match
-World Heavyweight Champion Edge won the SmackDown Elimination Chamber Match
-WWE Champion The Miz defeated Jerry Lawler
-Alberto Del Rio defeated Intercontinental Champion Kofi Kingston
-Heath Slater and Justin Gabriel def. Santino Marella and Vladimir Kozlov to become the -new WWE Tag Team Champions.

Also Trish Stratus returned last night as she was announced as the newest coach of Tough Enough along with Booker T, and host Stone Cold Steve Austin. And if you were wondering who took Dolph Zigglers place in the Smackdown Chamber match, it was the Big Show.

It was a busy week for the WWE Universe but this week I heard more surprises were coming so stay tuned for more as the Road to Wrestlemania continues.

Training at Grand Rapids Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

Yesterday I had the honor and privilage of taking some part in some MMA training at Grand Rapids Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. I have always followed MMA since UFC 1 back in the mid 90's but always wanted experience it.Yesterday I was able to experience with one of the best teachers in the Midwest. I received some basic lessons from Professor Clint Crabtree who is a black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. I had the opportunity to watch some aspiring fighters and one kids classes. The kids were entertaining and enjoyable. The fighters who came in for sparring definitely take it seriously and have a passion for it.

The one thing I learned is that anyone can learn Jiu Jitsu even if you're not going become a fighter. For me I believe it's going to help with my confidence, self-esteem and get my butt back into shape. Some of the things I learned yesterday were basic submission and counters, and then some basic combo's with the footwork necessary to make those combo's effective. I am not going to lie when I say you have to be patient, disciplined, and willing to work hard even if you're not fighting. Professor Crabtree makes it a lot of fun to train and he's very encouraging. I also learned there launching a new website soon which can be found at http://www.grbjj.net/

Someone asked me last night if I was going to continue with lessons and the answer is yes. I would recommend this place to anyone who wants become an MMA fighter. Even if you're looking to gain some self confidence, self esteem and discipline this is a great thing to get into. It's fun, it's hard work and it's a good way to get into shape. Grand Rapids Brazilian Jiu Jitsu has my recommendation and if you're interested you should check it out.

Thoughts on the Jarrett-Angle Storyline

About three weeks ago, Karen Jarrett the wife of Jeff Jarrett and ex wife of Kurt Angle was brought back to be on TV as part of the the Jeff Jarrett and Kurt Angle feud. This whole thing between Jeff and Kurt dates back to about two years ago. In 2009 it was reported that Karen Angle and Jeff Jarrett were romantically involved which resulted in Jeff being suspended.

In 2007, Jeff Jarrett's wife of 15 years passed away and in 2008 the Angle's divorced. Now it's 2011 and a lot of people including myself thought that all of this was put to rest. However the one thing that really disgusts me about this whole Jarrett-Angle feud is the fact that they have dragged Kurt and Karen's kids involved in this storyline. They don't know anybody and the being paraded around on TV just for ratings.

I remember back in 2005 when Edge, Lita and Matt Hardy had their storyline on TV after real life circumstances. That was a different situation because no kids were involved, and no other wrestlers were involved except those three. If TNA is trying to capture some realism, they are not doing a very good job of it.

My firm belief is that this is disrespectful to Kurt, his family, and the memory of Jill Jarrett. In all honesty I am really surprised that Kurt has not left TNA Wrestling to go back to WWE after all this. This is just not about a wrestling storyline or career. It's about a man's personal life and family. I don't know who is writing this garbage or making the decision to put it on TV but it's wrong. Stay tuned for more on this "storyline" to see how it plays out. It's real, it's damn real.

Starting Grid for the Daytona 500

After yesterday's Gatorade Duel 125 races we now have the official lineup for the Daytona 500. It should be noted that pole sitter Dale Earnhardt Jr. has to start last because he wrecked his car in practice and had to go to a back up car so that means Kurt Busch who won the first duel race yesterday and won the Bud Shootout will start first. Here is the starting grid for the Daytona 500.

1 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Chevrolet Amp Energy/National Guard
2 24 Jeff Gordon Chevrolet Drive to End Hunger
3 22 Kurt Busch Dodge Shell/Pennzoil
4 31 Jeff Burton Chevrolet Caterpillar
5 78 Regan Smith Chevrolet Furniture Row Companies
6 33 Clint Bowyer Chevrolet Cheerios/Hamburger Helper
7 29 Kevin Harvick Chevrolet Budweiser
8 115 Michael Waltrip Toyota NAPA Auto Parts
9 17 Matt Kenseth Ford Crown Royal Black
10 18 Kyle Busch Toyota M&M's
11 4 Kasey Kahne Toyota Red Bull
12 192 Brian Keselowski Dodge K-Automotive Motorsports
13 42 Juan Montoya Chevrolet Target
14 1 Jamie McMurray Chevrolet Bass Pro Shops/Tracker
15 43 A.J. Allmendinger Ford Best Buy
16 2 Brad Keselowski Dodge Miller Lite
17 5 Mark Martin Chevrolet GoDaddy.com
18 11 Denny Hamlin Toyota FedEx Express
19 27 Paul Menard Chevrolet Peak/Menards
20 56 Martin Truex Jr. Toyota NAPA Auto Parts
21 39 Ryan Newman Chevrolet U.S. Army
22 99 Carl Edwards Ford Aflac
23 48 Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet Lowe's/Kobalt Tools
24 00 David Reutimann Toyota Aaron's Dream Machine
25 14 Tony Stewart Chevrolet Office Depot / Mobil 1
26 16 Greg Biffle Ford 3M
27 83 Brian Vickers Toyota Red Bull
28 37 Robert Richardson Jr. Ford North Texas Pipe
2909 Bill Elliott Chevrolet Phoenix Construction
30 7 Robby Gordon Dodge Speed Energy
31 47 Bobby Labonte Toyota Kroger / USO
32 21 Trevor Bayne Ford Motorcraft / Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center
33 46 J.J. Yeley Chevrolet Red Line Oil
34 6 David Ragan Ford UPS "We Love Logistics"
35 9 Marcos Ambrose Ford Stanley
36 77 Steve Wallace Toyota 5-Hour Energy
37 71 Andy Lally Chevrolet Adobe Road Winery
38 20 Joey Logano Toyota The Home Depot
39 34 David Gilliland Ford Taco Bell
40 38 Travis Kvapil Ford Long John Silver's
41 87 Joe Nemechek Toyota AM FM Energy
42 36 Dave Blaney Chevrolet Tommy Baldwin Racing
43 32 Terry Labonte Ford U.S. Chrome

So there you have it, the lineup for the Daytona 500. It will be a very interesting race this year considering the new pavement on the track and the reductions made to the restrictor place. Gentlemen Start Your Engines!

The Rock Returns to WWE

After a seven year absensce, The Rock has returned to the WWE to host Wrestlemania 27. It was one of the most explosive and emotional returns in the history of the WWE. The Rock has not been in a WWE ring since 2004. His last match was at Wrestlemania 20 when he teamed up with Mick Foley to take on Ric Flair, Batista and Randy Orton as Evolution.

A lot of people, including myself have criticized Dwayne Johnson for not returning to the WWE to give back to the fans who made him what he is today. Maybe that finally sunk into his head after all these years. Since he has been gone, here all the movies he's been in.

2004
Walking Tall

2005
Be Cool
Doom

2006
Gridiron Gang

2007
Reno 911!: Miami
Southland Tales
The Game Plan

2008
Get Smart

2009
Race to Witch Mountain
Planet 51

2010
Tooth Fairy
Tyler Perry's Why Did I Get Married Too?
Faster
Driver
The Other Guys

2011
Fast Five

Think about this, he's made all of these movies but really how many of them have been a success? Maybe a handful of them. Sure he makes a lot of money doing movies but I got the feeling The Rock misses performing in front of a live crowd. There are a lot of questions surrounding his return but for now, The Rock is back and he electrified the crowd like no other last night.

I am going to finish by saying that this Wrestlemania will be one for the ages. The Rock and the thousands of fans in the Georgia Dome are going to tear the house down. It will simply be electrifying on April 3rd if you smell what The Rock is cookin'

Road to Wrestlemania: Week 2

As I watched Raw last night I was reminded that I didn't write about the Road to Wrestlemania from last week, which would be week 2. Raw kicked off with The New Nexus taking out Randy Orton and the rest of the Elimination Chamber participants. CM Punk tried to get the upper-hand on his 5 opponents for the Chamber match. In other action Jerry "The King" Lawler and the U.S. Champion Daniel Bryan defeated WWE Champion The Miz & Ted DiBiase in tag match. Also Alberto Del Rio defeated Santino Marella.

On Smackdown, things kicked off with Alberto Del Rio defeating Kofi Kingston in a really good match. Nothing else really happened. All the Smackdown Elimination Chamber participants were in action. In the Main Event, Edge defended the World Heavyweight Championship against Dolph Ziggler with Vickie Guerrero as the special guest referee. Vickie got injured during the match and so Edge hit the spear and then Green Bay Packers own Clay Matthews came out and counted the 1, 2, 3.

That was this past week on the Road to Wrestlemania. Check back Saturday for what happened during week 3 on the Road to Wrestlemania.

The Duel 125 Lineup's at Daytona

It is already determined that Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jeff Gordon will be on the front row for the Daytona 500 but now the rest of the field will be determined by the two Duel 125 races. Here are the lineups for the Duel 125 races.

Duel 1
1 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Chevrolet Amp Energy / National Guard
2 27 Paul Menard Chevrolet Peak / Menards
3 39 Ryan Newman Chevrolet U.S. Army
4 5 Mark Martin Chevrolet GoDaddy.com
5 14 Tony Stewart Chevrolet Office Depot / Mobil 1
6 22 Kurt Busch Dodge Shell / Pennzoil
7 42 Juan Montoya Chevrolet Target
8 9 Marcos Ambrose Ford Stanley
9 29 Kevin Harvick Chevrolet Budweiser
10 48 Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet Lowe's / Kobalt Tools
11 09 Bill Elliott Chevrolet Phoenix Construction
12 43 A.J. Allmendinger Ford Best Buy
13 87 Joe Nemechek Toyota AM FM Energy
14 17 Matt Kenseth Ford Crown Royal Black
15 36 Dave Blaney Chevrolet Tommy Baldwin Racing
16 78 Regan Smith Chevrolet Furniture Row Companies
17 4 Kasey Kahne Toyota Red Bull
18 47 Bobby Labonte Toyota Kroger / USO
19 83 Brian Vickers Toyota Red Bull
20 97 Kevin Conway Toyota Extenze
21 34 David Gilliland Ford Taco Bell
22 66 Michael McDowell Toyota HP Racing LLC
23 46 J.J. Yeley Chevrolet Red Line Oil
24 71 Andy Lally Chevrolet Adobe Road Winery

Duel 2
1 24 Jeff Gordon Chevrolet Drive to End Hunger
2 21 Trevor Bayne Ford Motorcraft / Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center
3 33 Clint Bowyer Chevrolet Cheerios / Hamburger Helper
4 31 Jeff Burton Chevrolet Caterpillar
5 16 Greg Biffle Ford 3M
6 6 David Ragan Ford UPS
7 99 Carl Edwards Ford Aflac
8 38 Travis Kvapil Ford Long John Silver's
9 00 David Reutimann Toyota Aaron's Dream Machine
10 2 Brad Keselowski Dodge Miller Lite
11 115 Michael Waltrip Toyota NAPA Auto Parts
12 1 Jamie McMurray Chevrolet Bass Pro Shops / Tracker
13 18 Kyle Busch Toyota M&M's
14 56 Martin Truex Jr. Toyota NAPA Auto Parts
15 20 Joey Logano Toyota The Home Depot
16 60 Todd Bodine Toyota Tire Kingdom / Valvoline
17 13 Casey Mears Toyota GEICO
18 77 Steve Wallace Toyota 5-Hour Energy
19 7 Robby Gordon Dodge Speed Energy
20 32 Terry Labonte Ford U.S. Chrome
21 37 Robert Richardson Jr. Ford North Texas Pipe
22 11 Denny Hamlin Toyota FedEx Express
23 64 Derrike Cope Toyota Sta-Bil
24 192 Brian Keselowski Dodge K-Automotive Motorsports

For some of these drivers it's win or go home and so it shall make for interesting racing on Thursday. Tune into Speed on Thursday at 2pm to see what happens.

Dale Earnhardt to be Honored at Daytona

This year at the Daytona 500, lap three will be a silent tribute to the man who died there 10 years ago. It's hard to believe that Dale Earnhardt has been gone for a decade now. They will also be painting a number three the night before the race on the infield grass.

There have been a lot of tributes to Dale Earnhardt over the years but I think the best tribute anyone could have is his son Dale Earnhardt Jr. winning the pole for the Daytona 500. How fitting is it that the legends son won his first Daytona pole on the 10th anniversary of his fathers death.

It's going to be an emotional day for everyone racing in the Daytona 500 but the pressure is on for Dale Jr. to win this race. A lot of people are really wanting him to win considering it's been 10 years since his dad's passing. Only time will tell to see what happens. Stay tuned for more on Sunday.

Thoughts on Kevin Harvick's New Ride

A few days ago I came upon the new look that Kevin Harvick would be racing under this year. Usually paint schemes aren't that big of a deal but considering who Harvick replaced 10 years ago, it is indeed a big deal.

It will be 10 years this Daytona 500 since the legendary Dale Earnhardt died on the last lap helping two of his cars that he owned finish 1 and 2 in the race. It was suppose to be a joyous occasion for Earnhardt Inc. but it turned into grief and sadness for everyone involved in NASCAR.  Even though the sport lost it's greatest driver, people realize that life must go on and one of those people was Richard Childress who owned the number 3 Goodwrench Chevrolet. He put Kevin Harvick in Dale's spot but not under the number 3, but the number 29. There was no longer a black number 3. Instead a white number 29 car that eventually became Pennzoil/Shell red and yellow.

Ten years later Kevin Harvick has a new sponsor and it is Budweiser. However the car is not red, it is black with red and white outlining. It is a lot like Dale Earnhardt's old paint scheme when Dale drove the number 3 Goodwrench. I think it takes a lot of courage and confidence to do what Kevin Harvick and Richard Childress are doing. I personally think it gives Harvick an edge and a sense of confidence.

The number 3 may be retired, but the spirit behind the number will never die. This could be the turning point for Kevin Harvick and company. The Daytona 500 is next Sunday so stay tuned for more coverage.

2010-11 NBA All Star Rosters Announced and More

Next weekend the annual NBA All Star weekend takes place but it's more then just about the game itself. There is a whole bunch of activities during the weekend. Before I begin with the activities here are the lineups for the All Star Game:

Eastern Conference
* LeBron James (Miami) F
* Amar'e Stoudemire (New York) F
* Dwyane Wade (Miami) G
* Derrick Rose (Chicago) G
* Dwight Howard (Orlando) C
Ray Allen (Boston) G
Chris Bosh (Miami) F
Kevin Garnett (Boston) F
Al Horford (Atlanta) C-F
Joe Johnson (Atlanta) G
Paul Pierce (Boston) F
Rajon Rondo (Boston) G
Head Coach: Doc Rivers (Boston)

Western Conference
* Kevin Durant (Oklahoma City) F
* Carmelo Anthony (Denver) F
* Kobe Bryant (L.A. Lakers) G
* Chris Paul (New Orleans)G
| Yao Ming (Houston) C
Tim Duncan (San Antonio) F
Manu Ginobili (San Antonio) G
Pau Gasol (L.A. Lakers) C
# Blake Griffin (L.A. Clippers) F
# Kevin Love (Minnesota) F-C
Dirk Nowitzki (Dallas) F
# Russell Westbrook (Oklahoma City) G
Deron Williams (Utah) G
Head Coach: Gregg Popovich (San Antonio)

* – denotes starter
# – denotes first-time selection
| – denotes injured and will not participate

All I know is I am glad that Yao Ming is not starting. He doesn't deserve it despite all the fans votes. Fortunately he was smart and decided he wasn't going to play. Other then that both teams look amazing and it should be very entertaining this year. Now here are some of the activities going on during All Star Weekend:

3 Point Contest
Ray Allen Boston
Kevin Durant Okla. City
Daniel Gibson Cleveland
James Jones Miami
Paul Pierce Boston
Dorell Wright Golden State

Skills Challenge
Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors
Tony Parker, San Antonio Spurs
Baron Davis, Los Angeles Clippers
Derrick Rose, Chicago Bulls (2009 Champion)
Tyreke Evans, Sacramento Kings
John Wall, Washington Wizards
Derek Fisher, Los Angeles Lakers
Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City Thunder

Slam Dunk Contest
DeMar DeRozan Toronto
Blake Griffin L.A. Clippers
Serge Ibaka Oklahoma City
JaVale McGee Washington

So there you have it. The All Star Rosters and festivities. It should be a great weekend for basketball fans out there. Stay tuned to see who stills the show this year.

Thoughts on Super Bowl 45

Last night was the highly anticipated Super Bowl 45 between two of the most historical teams in the league. The Green Bay Packers came out swinging early and dominated the whole first half. However the Steelers made a nice little run to end the 1st half and in translated into the 3rd quarter

The halftime show in my opinion sucked. The Black Eyed Peas (especially Fergie) did not sound good at all. The only thing that saved it was Usher's special appearance. It's also pretty bad when you have to do other songs that aren't yours. This may have been one of the worst halftime shows yet.

Now on to the third quarter where Pittsburgh really started to make their comeback. They really started beating up on the Packers and Aaron Rodgers looked like he couldn't make a play for awhile. At the end of the 3rd it was 21-17 Green Bay. At one point Pittsburgh was within three points but Green Bay kicked a field goal to make it six and held the Steelers off to win the Super Bowl and bring the Lombardi Trophy back to it's rightful place.

The MVP of the Super Bowl was Aaron Rodgers which in my opinion is a little bit debatable. I really thought Greg Jennings or Jordy Nelson could have gotten it with some of the huge plays they made.

All in all it was a great Super Bowl with some really funny commercials. I was entertained by both the game and the commercials. The Cheeseheads get to celebrate again and most importantly Aaron Rodgers has jumped out of the shadow of Brett Favre, so Amen to that. Congratulations to the Green Bay Packers.

Silva and Griffin dominate at UFC 126

Last night much anticipated fight between Vitor Belfort and Anderson didn't last long. Silva defeated Belfort by KO (strikes) at 3:25 in round 1. People are still talking about the front kick that Silva landed on Belfort. A lot of Silva's critic, I being one of them were silenced last night. He's proven he can beat the best and that he's the greatest pound for pound fighter in the world. Some of the other fights that took place included:

-Bantamweight bout: Miguel Torres vs. Antonio Banuelos
Torres defeated Banuelos by unanimous decision (30–27, 30–27, 30–27).

-Welterweight bout: Jake Ellenberger vs. Eduardo Rocha
Ellenberger defeated Rocha by split decision (27–30, 29–28, 29–28).

-Light Heavyweight bout: Jon Jones vs. Ryan Bader
Jones defeated Bader by submission (guillotine choke) at 4:20 of round 2.

-Light Heavyweight bout: Forrest Griffin vs. Rich Franklin
Griffin defeated Franklin by unanimous decision (29–28, 29–28, 29–28).

It was a solid card last night with plenty of good fights to show. Finally it was a UFC card that gave fans it's money worth. It also helps that the former WEC fighters are starting to be used now. It gives UFC more depth and better match making. Hopefully, the UFC can keep these great cards and matches up. Stay tuned for more on the UFC.

Monster Jam: Path of Destruction Review

I usually don't write about anything Monster Truck related but it's a racing sport just like any other. I recently got Monster Jam: Path of Destruction and it's a fun little game. It doesn't have a lot of features but if you like running into things and getting crazy behind a wheel then this is a game for you.

It only has multiplayer and career mode with career mode being a challenge. You can choose an already made Monster Truck or you can create your own with it's own unique look. The wheel that you use in the game is very sensitive so you have to be sure to use the brakes a lot in the game. The more experience points you get, the more things you unlock until you beat Gravedigger.

Like I said this is an extremely fun game if you like racing, smashing things and being crazy behind the wheel. If you're a Monster Truck fan this is definitely a must have. It's probably the best Monster Truck game they have come out with yet. Check it today.

Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11 Review

Over the last month I've been playing the latest edition of Tiger Woods. It's much different from all the other ones that came out previously. It has a lot of mini games including capture the flag, T-I-G-E-R(like H-O-R-S-E), and for the first time ever it has Disc Golf with a lot of courses to choose from. There is a lot to do on this game but probably the most unique feature is The Ryder Cup Feature.

The Ryder Cup features Team USA vs. Team Europe and you can choose what side your on and choose who plays on what team. It is very time consuming so if you do have the time for it try it out. Career mode hasn't changed much at all. You go through the schedule and play. They still have skill challenges to unlock golfers and other things.

If you're a golfer or a fan of the Tiger Woods games then this is a must buy. It is fun and people of all ages can play. It's very easy to learn and figure out.

Road to Wrestlemania: Week 1

This past Monday the Road to Wrestlemania officially began. Monday Night Raw started out with Alberto Del Rio coming out to celebrate his Royal Rumble victory. The Miz and Edge both came out to learn just who Del Rio was going to pick. Del Rio picked Edge as the champion he will face at Wrestlemania.

With the being determined the Raw GM announced that their would be a 7 man Raw Rumble and who ever won would be the number one contender to The Miz's WWE Championship at Elimination Chamber. The other six would be in the Chamber match to decided who goes to Wrestlemania. Before the Raw Rumble could happen Randy Orton got some retribution for his lost as Wrestlemania. He took out Husky Harris with his trademark punt.

Edge defeated The Miz in a rematch from the previous week. The Miz now has bigger problems because in the Raw Rumble, Jerry Lawler ended up winning. Lawler has been giving The Miz problems ever since he became champion. It's great to see Lawler getting the push he's never had and hopefully it comes full circle for him.

On Smackdown they had qualifying matches for their Elimination Chamber in which Edge's World Heavyweight Championship will be on the line. Edge and Kelly Kelly defeated Dolph Ziggler and LayCool to reatain his World Heavyweight Championship. After the match Kelly Kelly was fired and Ziggler laid out Edge with the Zig-Zag.

The Elimination Chamber is three short weeks away and here the matches so far:

-Elimination Chamber match wherethe winner receives a WWE Championship match at WrestleMania XXVII: John Cena vs. Sheamus vs. Randy Orton vs. CM Punk vs. John Morrison vs. R-Truth
-Elimination Chamber match for the World Heavyweight Championship: Edge (c) vs. Dolph Ziggler vs. Drew McIntyre vs. Rey Mysterio vs. Kane vs. Wade Barrett
-WWE Championship: The Miz (c) vs. Jerry Lawler

The Road to Wrestlemania is already heating up and it's going to keep getting hotter. Check back for week to week updated on the events and matches leading up to "The Granddaddy of Them All."

More Baseball Offseason News

Well there has been a lot of baseball signings in the last week and the moves are coming down to the wire with Spring Training coming soon. Here some of the moves that's have gone down within the last week.

-Chicago White Sox agreed to terms with SS Alexei Ramirez on a five-year contract.
-Colorado Rockies agreed to terms with 3B Ian Stewart on a one-year contract. Also agreed to terms with RHP Rafael Betancourt on a two-year contract.
-Tampa Bay Rays agreed to terms with OF Johnny Damon and DH Manny Ramirez on one-year contracts.
-L.A. Dodgers agreed to terms with LHP Hong-Chih Kuo on a one-year contract.
-Cincinnati Reds agreed to terms with RHP Edinson Volquez on a one-year contract.

Spring Training is like two weeks away so the signings are going to start slowing down but nevertheless signings will continue so I will keep you posted if anything happens.

Thoughts on the New "They" in TNA

Last night, the new "They" in TNA were revealed and I am just going to say it, I am really disappointed and I believe that TNA really dropped the ball on this one. The new "They" is Fortune, Crimson, Scott Steiner, Kurt Angle and Mr. Anderson. It seem to go over well on TV but the only reason they did it that way is because Kevin Nash(now wrestling as Diesel in WWE again) and Booker T both went back to WWE. Eric Bischoff pretty much confirmed that Sting wasn't coming back either.

This all could have been avoided if the writers wouldn't have written a storyline with 3 guys who weren't under contract. If you ask me the new "They" should have been Kurt, Scott, Crimson, Matt Morgan, and maybe bring Tommy Dreamer back for more TV time. That wouldn't have been so bad.

The one thing I will say is AJ Styles is a lot better of a face then he is a heel. He is and will always been a fan favorite. It's great to see him out of the whole Ric Flair thing. People were chanting, "We want 6 sides" referring to the old six sided ring that made TNA unique.

Could this be the turning point of bringing TNA back to the way it use to be before Hogan, Bischoff and company came. With "They" coming full circle it shall be interesting to see what happens win the next few months in TNA. Stay tuned to find out

Super Bowl 45 Prediction

This Sunday is Super Bowl 45 between two of the most historical teams in the NFL's history. It will be the Green Bay Packers vs. the Pittsburgh Steelers. It's taking place in Dallas at Cowboy Stadium and it's going to be one for the ages.

Lets start with the Steelers. They have had the same core group of guys for years now with some new additions. Their defense is one of the best in the leagues if not the best. Despite my opinions of Big Ben he does get the job done and it's very hard to stop him when he's out of the pocket. They got a great run game and they are still hard hitting smash-mouth team they have always been.

Now onto the Green Bay Packers. The Packers have had a great offense for a long time now but their defense was their weakness until last year. When they hired on Dom Capers that all change. Their defense has been absolutely incredible this year. Rodgers has definitely proved to the new leader of that team and uses his offensive weapons wisely. They like Pittsburgh have been together for awhile now.

Both are historical teams and both have ties to each other. Green Bay Defensive Coordinator Dom Capers was the defensive coordinator in Pittsburgh from 1992-1994. He has two former Steelers coaching under him in Darren Perry, and Kevin Greene. Green Bay Coach Mike McCarthy is from Pittsburgh, and coached at the University of Pittsburgh from 1989-1992.

With all of this being said I am going to go with the Green Bay Packers edging out the Pittsburgh Steelers 24-21 to win the Super Bowl. Green Bay has gotten better every week since the start of the playoffs. Big Ben has taken quite a beating since the last few weeks of the season and if Green Bay gets to him, he might be in a world of hurt. It also does not help that the status of their Center is in doubt. It's been Green Bay's time for about four years now and they just had to get through the drama of Brett Favre to get there. I believe the Packers dynasty is back and they will prove so on Super Bowl Sunday.