Wednesday, December 30, 2009

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.

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

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.

Saturday, December 26, 2009

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.

Thursday, December 24, 2009

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.

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

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.

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

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.

Monday, December 21, 2009

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.

Saturday, December 19, 2009

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.

Friday, December 18, 2009

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.

Thursday, December 17, 2009

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.

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

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.