Monday, September 28, 2009

Raw 9-28

Raw is heading towards another pay per view this Sunday. Is it just me or is having 3 Hell in a Cell matches taking away from the actually wrestlers? If you listened to Showstoppers here on BBSD, you should be, you would have heard my pet peeve with the WWE is the General Managers they are picking. Prime example is tonight, where Al Sharpton will be the GM. Why? I know why publicity. The only reason the WWE picks guys like this is for the media to talk about them. Unfortunately the fans suffer because guys like Al don't be long in the wrestling ring. We should expect plenty of DX Legacy, Orton Cena and the United States Championship feud. Here we go:

The show starts with the VIP Lounge with MVP and Mark Henry. MVP is about to announce Al Sharpton but instead JeriShow come out. I get why you have Jericho and Show take on Henry and MVP. The bigger question is why on smackdown they teamed up Batista and Rey? Who does that benefit? Batista and Rey are already established superstars and former world champs. You team up guys like MVP and Henry to help push them into stardom. MVP and Jericho riff back and forth before both of them introduce Reverend Al Sharpton. MVP called the tag champs JeriShow. He must read my blog. Thanks MVP. MVP tells Al we need reform the tag belts. He asks Al for another shot at the tag team belts. Jericho says MVP and Henry don't deserve a shot plus JeriShow are competing already in a match with John Cena. Al asks the fans if they want to see a tag title match. Of course they scream yeah!! Al makes the match and it will happen next.

Jericho and MVP in the ring when Raw returns. MVP with a few clubbing blows. Jericho hits a northern light suplex and MVP bridges out of it. I was impressed by that. Henry has now been tagged in and stands on Jericho. Chris whipped into the ropes but rolls under Henry and tags Show. Henry and Show in the ring right now. Show gets Henry in the corner and runs at Henry. Mark caught Big Show, incredible strength. MVP back in with a knee to Big Shows head. Show lands a huge clothesline and tags in Jericho. Jericho and MVP are not on the same page. A muff spot with a clothesline. MVP hung up on the 2nd rope by Chris and then a tag back into Big Show. I have to say the more Show and Jericho get to wrestle in tag team matches, the better they are. I am really impressed by the 2. Jericho back in keeping the momentum on the heels side. Jericho goes for the lionsault but misses. MVP gets to Henry for the tag. Henry starts nailing anyone in sight. Mark hits Show off the apron and throws Jericho over the top to Show. Another commercial break. Mark has been dominating during the break. Jericho blind tags Show and Henry gets a laid out with a giant spear. Henry gets leveled with a clothesline and now right hands to his beer keg. Show starts to go to work on the left arm, good idea Show. Big Show with a ddt followed up with a 2 count. Tag to Y2J, I found out from Larry, Chris hates being called Y2J now. Jericho and I are tight though so its ok. Sleeper hold on Henry and he is down to a knee for a moment. Henry crushes Jericho in the corner but can't follow it up. Leg sweep by Chris and then tags in Show. I love the start of Raw. What a great match to begin the night! I mean this match has been going on for about 25 mins with 2 commercial breaks. Show and Henry collide and both men tag in their partners. MVP with a big throw to Jericho and then a big boot. A near fall but MVP keeps it going with a flying clothesline. Chris is set up for the ballin' elbow but gets a 2. MVP goes for the playmaker but Show interrupts. Henry sends Show to the outside and Chris sends Henry to the outside. A roll up by MVP for 2 then a ddt for another 2. Jericho gets a little help from Show, who nailed MVP to stun him. Codebreaker for the 1,2,3. An awesome match to start Raw. I love Raw when wrestling is the focus and it sure was in the first 30 mins.

Al Sharpton is in the back and Hornswaggle starts running around his desk. Chavo comes in and introduces himself and his tag partner Chris Masters. Santino calls Al, Don King. Primo was in there as well. He kicks everyone out to end the segment. A recap from last weeks main event on why Cena is running the gauntlet tonight. Randy has a backstage interview with Josh Matthews. Randy says Cena will be lucky to survive tonight. Somehow I believe he will. Orton talks about the cell and how sadistic it is. Randy knows from experience.

Diva action is up next with Rosa vs Mickie. I really don't understand why Alicia Fox is getting a push over Beth but that is why I am not a WWE writer (but should be, VINCE!). Alicia will wrestle Mickie at the pay per view. Alicia walks down with Rosa, my god have I been missing that Rosa is freaking hott. Damn, I mean uh ring the bell. Mickie with a headlock take down and then a deep arm drag. Rosa has on my new favorite outfit on. A hot pink sports bra and tight leather pants. Alicia distracts Mickie so Rosa can get the upper hand. Rosa has her knee dug into Mickies back and pulling on her arms. Mickie starts to battle back. Rosa pins Mickie in the corner but again Mickie hits a few right hands and hits the hurricarana. Another botched spot with the lou thez press. Alicia tries to distract Mickie again this time it fails. Mickie hits Rosa with a big kick and pins Rosa for the win. Don't worry Rosa I will help you heel your wounds.

Smackdown's Decade of Celebration is this Friday night. The biggest 8 names in the WWE right now will face off. DX Cena and The Undertaker face Legacy Orton and CM Punk. What a match that will be. Plus the Rock is suppose to make an appearance.

Lawler and Cole start to talk about the Hell in a Cell cage which is hanging above the ring. Legacy head to the ring. Cody and Teddy have mics in their hands. Teddy starts to talk about their accomplishments the last few weeks. Legacy has looked great in this feud. I don't believe or think its smart to give Legacy the victory at Hell in a Cell. The DX Legacy feud has done its job even without the victory this Sunday. Teddy and Cody now look like legit threats to start climbing the ladder of success on Raw. Legacy will break up soon and both men will look stronger because of what they did to DX. Legacy keep talking about how great of careers DX has had. Cody calls HBK the greatest in ring performer to ever breathe. HBK screams a loud BORING. The camera does not show where DX is though. I see them before the camera comes on them. DX is up in a press box in the arena. Teddy starts to talk about how DX got them and are making jokes. HHH tells Legacy why they make fun of them. HHH in a lot of words calls Legacy 2 assholes. They are being PG. HHH tells Cody about the Incredible Hulk and how DX is like him. When DX has fun they are Bruce Banner and then when the beast comes out its butt kicking time. I guess the monster is about to come out because DX is heading to the ring. Legacy staying in the ring while waiting for DX to arrive. DX gets to the ring and Legacy bolts. Typical heels, choose when you want to fight not when you don't have too. HBK says what a shock. DX is ready and Legacy runs away. HHH tells them to enjoy the distance because this Sunday there will be no running no hiding and no more joking. Why the hell isn't DX or Legacy wrestling tonight? Their in ring segment made sense but I would have liked to see one of each member compete tonight.

The All American American Jack Swagger comes to the ring with the US title. Last week Swagger stole the belt during his match with Kofi. Swagger takes on Evan Bourne this week. Where the hell is Kofi? He better be showing up in the match or later in the evening. Swagger man handling Evan to start the match. Back breaker on Evan. Here again is a problem with the WWE. Evan is not going to win tonight but he is a solid competitor. Evan should be competing for the US title. Evan starts to land a few offensive moves. Bourne hits a flying double knee drop on Swagger for 2. Swagger catches Bourne and powerbombs him for the victory. Evan is way better than a jobber each week. Evan keeps losing and he won't have an credibility with the fans. I know Swagger needs a push but do not make Evan suffer each week. Swagger grabs the mic and the US belt and starts talking. Miz comes out and runs his mouth a while. He gets in the ring with Swagger. Miz turns Swagger and they start to beat on each other. Kofi sneaks down and grabs his belt. The heels had no idea. I am really hoping they keep the belt on Kofi. Kofi is way over the fans and has the charisma. Swagger doesn't need it because he should be competing even higher than the US title. Miz and Kofi can feud by themselves.

Santino is tagging up with Hornswaggle against Chavo and Masterpiece. I won't be writing about this match because I am so sick of Hornswaggle and Chavo. Santino lost the match and Chris put on the masterlock. Chavo just nailed Chris. Wtf?

How the hell is this happening? Ben Roethlisberger is the host of next weeks Raw. Wow thats kind of cool. I don't mind Big Ben. Hope he doesn't get sacked. Lawler and Cole are giving the rundown on the ppv card. If you want to hear my predictions on the pay per view, you better listen to ShowStoppers this week. Larry, John and I are giving our predictions and I usually win. Al Sharpton is in the back and thanks everyone and he says he had a great time. Jillian Hall shows up and starts to sing in front of him. Jillian leaves and then the Bella twins show up wanting Al to dance and sing which he does. Thank you Al for not being on the show that much.

The Champ is here. John Cena comes out to get ready for the Gauntlet. Cena's first opponent is my boy Y2J Chris Jericho. Cena beats down Jericho in the corner. Cole tells us that if Cena loses to Chris it wont matter because Cena would still have to face Show and Orton. A hot shot on Cena's neck. Cena starts to hit his signature shoulder tackles and then the 5 knuckle shuffle. Goes for the FU but Jericho turns it into the Walls of Jericho. Chris doesn't break the hold so Cena wins the first match by dq. Jericho continues to keep the Walls on after Cena is in the ropes. Big Show comes down the ramp now. Show starts to whale away on Cena. Back from commercial and Show is still beating the crap out of the WWE champ. Show goes for a chokeslam but the champ counters into a ddt. Cena gets up and picks up Show for the FU but Jericho comes in to stop it. Another DQ and another victory for Cena. Show puts on his version of the camel clutch. I hear voices and they tell me Orton is stalking to the ring. Cena gets to his feet to look eye to eye with Orton. Cena points up and the Cell is being lowered. Cena takes down Orton and tries for the STF. The cage comes all the way down and now both men are trapt inside the Cell. I guess Jericho and Show left ringside. Cena is waiting in the ring while Orton is outside the ring running for the door. Cena stops him and lands a few right hands but Orton gets out. Orton climbs the top of the cage and Cena follows. My god 20 feet off the ground. Cena goes for an FU on top of the cage. The cage has been reinforced so Orton didn't go through to the ring like Foley. Cena gets the best of Orton heading into Hell in a Cell pay per view.

Next week Big Ben but we have a ppv before that. I think Smackdown will be one of the best WWE TV shows of the year. The pay per view should be fun as well. Make sure to check out Showstoppers this week, not only will Larry, John and I give our picks but there is a special surprise as well. I am not going to spoil anything but I know what it is and you will not be disappointed. I am a plugging machine tonight. I also did a wrestling blog last night and it is up now. The blog is called Is it Real? I believe its a great look into why I do this blog each and every week. BBSD is your home for the best WWE coverage on the internet.

J Call

Sunday, September 27, 2009

Is It Fake?

Yes it is. "It" is scripted out much like a sitcom. The people in "it" are not your typical actors. They are more like larger than life performers. If you watch "it", you are looked down upon by most of the media. You are looked at as a low brow person by some of your peers. "It" is a scripted act performed in front of thousands of crazy fans night in and night out. Why do you watch "it" if "it" is not real? In response, I might ask you why do you watch a television show? My normal response to the question is because "it" entertains me.

In case you haven't figured it out, I am talking about professional wrestling. My love for wrestling is matched to my love of sports. The two are different, yet are similar. I know wrestling is fake. Wrestling has writers in the backstage area who script out who will win and lose. I believe I am in the majority that know wrestling is fake. I have met people in my life that talk about wrestling as if it is never written down. I believe I am a realist wrestling fan. I know certain people come on to BBSD and see a WWE Raw blogger and think why the hell is he writing about wrestling when he knows it is fake? The truth is I write about wrestling on a weekly basis because wrestling has been a big part of my life ever since I was a little boy.

My first real wrestling experience happened about twenty years ago. Picture yourself as a small child mesmerized by a large athlete that looks like he can bench press the world. He has "the largest pythons in the world". His name was Hulk Hogan. I was not old enough to remember Hulk body slamming Andre the Giant. I was able to witness many other classic feuds Hogan had in the late '80s and early '90s. I watched Hogan take on Earthquake, Boss man, Macho Man and Ric Flair. Hulk was Americana. The fans embraced him as the wrestler who could overcome anything, much like America. Eventually, like anything else, wrestling started to evolve and a new face was to emerge.

The mid 1990's the United States was changing. The famed "Say your prayers and eat your vitamins" slogan by Hulk Hogan did not have the same feel. America had a new attitude and wanted a different kind of hero. As a society, we were tired of corporate fat cats making billions of dollars. The middle class needed a foul mouth, beer chugging, finger gesturing, almost anti hero to feed off our frustration. Ladies and Gentlemen I give you, Stone Cold Steve Austin. As a wrestling fan, Austin was everything I wanted my hero to be. He beat the crap out of his boss. He had no rules or boundaries. Most important of all, Steve loved doing it. You could tell how much Austin loved the business. He fought with heart, conviction and passion. Even now, I believe Steve would give anything to be able to wrestle again. The fans gave Steve respect because of two reasons. One, we loved what he gave the business and two, Austin earned it.

The main reason I love wrestling is because I respect the men and women who perform. They are out on the road over 300 days a year. I assume since wrestlers travel, they miss out on many family functions. I wonder where some of them were when their kid had his/her first steps. I'm saddened to think how difficult their family life is. The family life is one one aspect I respect. The conditioning, pounding and care wrestlers go through is brutal. The commercials WWE has done showing the injuries that have occurred to their wrestlers is difficult to watch. Rey Mysterio talks about how having 5 knee surgeries on the same knee. The man I talked about above, Steve was out over a ear with a neck injury. Steve ultimately had to retire because of his neck problems. Everything wrestlers do is life threatening, which earns my respect.

I text one of the hosts of Showstoppers on BBSD, John Conner. I asked John why he watches wrestling. His response: "The reason I watch wrestling is because of the stories, the women, the fact that anything can happen. Pretty much, it is the male's version of a soap opera, and I love every minute of it." I agree with John's statement 100 percent. Wrestling is a soap opera for men. Wrestling is the most unpredictable written show on television. You never know what to expect. My profile picture is with my idol Jim Ross. J.R has the job I want someday. Jim has been in the wrestling business for over 30 years. Jim calls wrestling with as much passion and love as a fan would. He embodies exactly what the fans want to hear when they are witnessing history. I loved Jim's call when Austin won his first WWE title. "The Austin Era has begun" Jim said with heart. You can tell when Jim has a great relationship with a wrestler because he puts in extra passion in his voice.

I use words such as passion, heart, conviction and desire because that is what a great wrestler shows. If you are in the wrestling business and do not want to be the best, the fans can feel that. Wrestling fans have to feel your performance, much like an actor or actress in a film. A wrestler gets in the ring and has to prove him or herself each night to the audience. A difficult task to say the least. However, if a wrestler succeeds the end result is being a champion. I don't know what it is like to win a WWE championship, but when I did wrestle I won their championship. I recall after the match feeling a great sense of pride and accomplishment. I guarantee professional wrestlers feel that same feeling. The desire and determination to be the best has to make a person feel unbelievable. Is it fake? Yes but it sure does feel real.

Thursday, September 24, 2009

NFL Week 3 Picks

After crumbling to 8-8 last week. I am now 20-12 over the first two weeks of picking NFL games straight up. Last week was full of surprises. I hate the Jets but their defense is looking great. My buddies and I had a great week with our 3 teams, Cincinnati, Houston, and Oakland all won. I may have chosen the Cowboys but I was sure happy the home crowd went home crying. If you need more Cowboy talk, head over to John's blog, cuz he was crying about Wade Phillips. John you can't win a game with Romo turning over the ball. Turnovers kill anyone ask Kansas City. Week 3 might be even more unpredictable. Please don't bet on my picks and send me the bill like the Oregon Duck fan. Week 3 picks:



Balt over Cle

Cleveland is flat out one of the worst teams in the NFL. I read a few power polls that had Baltimore number 1. Baltimore's resume so far isn't that impressive but when most "experts" top teams lost, Baltimore's win over San Diego looked a whole lot better. Flacco continues to progress nicely. The defense is smash mouth like it has been for the last few years. KC played Balt tough but Cleveland won't sneak up on the Ravens.



NYG over Tampa Bay

The Giants would be my top team on my own power rankings. New York got a few gifts from Tony Romo and spoiled the birth of the Alien Stadium. Eli is playing out of his mind. The young wide outs are starting to come around, told ya. Tampa Bay played Dallas well in Week 1, but this is the G-men.



Hou over Jac

Where is the consistency Houston? The Texans have not been consistent since they began the new franchise. First week they score 7 points on the Jets. Week 2, the offense blows up for 34 and beat a good Titans team. What the hell am I suppose to do now? Jacksonville always seems to play hard against division opponents. I love MJD but I don't think he will be enough. Houston has to win this and get back on track.



NE over Atl

Is everyone jumping off the Patriots bandwaggon prematurely? I would say yes. Tom Brady may not be the same yet but he will come around. The defense is what concerns me. Hotlanta may not be the answer. Matty Ice has been great when he is suppose to have a sophmore slump. The Falcons have a great ground game and Mat is doing everything right so far. Was the Jets loss a fluke ore a sign of things to come? I'll have to see another loss before I lose my trust in Brady and Co.



GB over Stl

Green Bay lost to the Bungals last week. The defense fell apart and couldn't get a stop when they needed it. The cure: travel to the worst team in the NFL. The Rams may not win a game unless something drastic happens. I believe Rodgers will have a big day and the Pack will get back on their winning ways.



Philly over KC

Kansas City dominated the ball last week and still managed to lose the game. Cassell didn't help throwing 2 picks at the wrong time to Michael Huff. Philly looked lost and confused on both sides of the ball against New Orleans. I said it last year, its all about McNabb when it comes to the Eagles. Vick returns to the regular season makes this game interesting. Philly should win in a close one.



Wash over Det

In several sites, I've read Det will get their 1st win in almost 2 years. What the hell am I missing? We are still talking about the Lions, right? Matthew Stafford has struggled because of a lack in the ground game. If the Redskins play like they did in week 1 vs NYG instead of last week against the Rams, the skins will win. The Lions will win a game this year, but not now.



Min over SF

Is San Fran the worst 2-0 team in the league? No, Denver is but I think it is close. San Fran plays in a terrible division and is leading it. Minnesota plays in a competitive division and has won 2 games on the road. Open the Metrodome with a W. Gore vs AD Peterson should be fun to watch. Both guys are good but I am taking All Day.



Tenn over NYJ

Tennessee is the best 0-2 team in the league. Ten defense lapsed last week against the Texans. Schaub hit his big play maker Andre Johnson for 2 tds. New York's defense hasn't given up an offensive touchdown in 2 games. Mark "Savior" Sanchez is not the reason they are 2-0. Media needs to calm down on the Sanchise. Desperate teams usually get these types of wins. Sanchez doesn't have a big WR playmaker. Chris Johnson won't put up 50 fantasy points but his team will get the win. They need it badly.

I am running out of time this week to type any more. I will quick pick the next few.
New Orleans over Buffalo. Brees is an MVP QB and this team is not going to slow down.
San Diego over Miami. San Diego is at home and needs a good game to bounce back after two losses. I know they beat Oakland but not in my head. Rivers will lead them.
Pit over Cin. My buddy Chris loves the Bengals. I understand his frustration when it comes to rooting for pro teams. I just can't take his team after the big win last week. Big Ben needs to take care of the ball. He needs a damn running game to help him out.
Oak over Den. I hope this is not the game I have to watch on CBS. My god I had to sit through the Raider Chiefs game. Russell freakin sucks and has no accuracy. I hate the Donkeys so I am going with my boys.
Ari over Indy. I have no clue who to pick in this game. Arizona lost in the first week to a common 49er team. Indy has played very well both weeks. I just don't trust an east coast team flying to the west coast.
Dallas over Carolina. A crappy Monday night game is upon us. I can't wait for Romo and Jake to turn it over a total of 6 times. I like Dallas at home in this one.

J Call

Monday, September 21, 2009

Raw 9-21

Last week I thought Raw was a great show. Trish Stratus was a fantastic GM and even got in the ring. I believe Cedric the Entertainer will disappoint me tonight. I hope I am wrong but when it comes to wrestling I am usually correct. No matches have been announced but you know it will be a heavy DX Legacy and Orton Cena show gearing up for their respective Hell in a Cell matches in a few weeks. One reminder this will be Lillian Garcia's final Raw which sucks if I do say so myself. Welcome to Raw is J Call.

Raw starts out with a limo arriving and the Bella twins and Cedric the Entertainer along with a bunch of people get out of lime. Some football players, a farmer with a goat and an old lady. WTF? Raw is already pissing me off. Roll music and lets go.

Alright something exciting for the real start of Raw. Yes DX I am ready to be entertained. DX makes their way to the ring for an opening contest. HHH will start Raw with a match. HHH and HBK with mics in hand. Trips asks the question twice. He asks Shawn who was in and who won the first hell in a cell? HBK was. Shawn then asks who has won the most Hell in a Cell matches? Triple H has with 5 victories. I will give you a mini candy bar if you can tell me who they are? HBK reminds us that Legacy has never been in a hiac match. DX first and only Hell in a Cell together was against Vince, Shane and Big Show. DX won that match up in a brutal match. Ironically, HHH and HBK were in a Hell in a Cell match against each other at Badd Blood 2004. The other 3 opponents were Mankind, Chris Jericho, and Kevin Nash. Damn I am good, didn't even have to look that up. Cody Rhodes is HHH opponent for tonight's Raw. HHH is punishing Cody with a crossface but Cody got to the ropes. Cody rolled to the outside and Triple H hit him and Dibiase with a clothesline before the break. Cody has a standing cross face on when Raw comes back on the air. HHH battles back until Cody hits a neckbreaker for a 2 count. Dibiase gets a cheap shot on HHH when the ref was distracted by Cody. Great heel work there. Side russian leg sweep by Cody for another 2 count. Lawler says he has never seen a tag team hell in a cell. Didn't Triple H just say DX was in a hell a cell match. DX fought Vince, Shane, and Show. What the hell does the WWE have amnesia? Triple H backdrops Cody to the outside right in front of Shawn. Cody slaps HBK and Shawn takes the bait. Dibiase hot shots HBK into the announcer's table. Cody rolls back in and almost takes a pedigree. Dibiase interrupts that and nails HHH with 2 chair shots. Cody hits his finisher cross Rhodes on a defense less Game. Dibiase picks him up for dream street. Legacy put a chair on HHH head and went up to the top. Shawn grabbed a sledgehammer and the heels retreated. A great start for Monday Night Raw. I am very happy with Legacy looking stronger. Now that DX is out of the way tonight, we should be seeing some other feuds besides the big 2. They announce Swagger vs Kofi for the US title later tonight.

I just saw a Hardee's commercial about a 3 patty burger and immediately my left arm went numb and thought I was having a heartattack. My god, no wonder why we have shows called the Biggest Loser. Speaking of losers, here comes Cedric the entertainer. Cedric says this is going to be off the chain. He says he is a real WWE fan. I am too but I don't see why WWE doesn't call me. Cedric starts doing some stand up. He calls Mark Henry the illegitimate son of the Kool Aid man. I found that funny. Santino comes out and calls Cedric, Fredric the Entertainment. Santino says he is following a calling cuz he wants to be a comedian. Santino makes fun of fast food, he must have just read that on my blog. Chavo comes to spoil the party. Cedric says Chavo knows comedy having a leprechaun beat him every week. Santino whispers Chavo is not letting him beat him. Chavo says this whole celebrity is embarrasing. Chavo wants to wrestle Cedric tonight. Santino ends up accepting for Cedric. Oh god, Chavo is going to lose yet again.

Miz in the back holding the United States title that doesn't belong to him. Miz says he walks, talks and acts more like a champion than Kofi. Miz goes on to talk some smack and Kofi blindsides Miz and takes his belt back. I like that little segment there. Kofi needs to show the fans he is not just a happy go lucky guy. If Kofi develops character and depth it will only help him get more over with the fans. Good job WWE.

The man with the most exciting finisher in the WWE, Evan Bourne takes on the Miz. I don't see Miz losing here but Evan needs to win a match here and there. Evan with a sick fall on the ropes and a big boot by Miz for a 2 count. Miz with some stomps and throws Bourne into the turnbuckle face first. Bourne counters into a sweet looking pin for 2. Miz hits a neckbreaker then a suplex for 2. Nice simple but effective moves by Miz. I realize it is hard to imagine a wrestling match with simple wrestling moves. Miz dominating and pulls Evan to the apron to hit a running knee. Miz with a double under hook in the middle of the ring. Evan gets up and runs Miz into the turnbuckle. Miz with his running clothesline into the corner. Miz on top but Bourne counters. Evan goes for a top rope hurricarana and hits it but Miz didn't take it well. Evan goes for the shooting star press but laids on his feet, incredible. Miz lands his finisher for the 3 count. Cole and Lawler talk about how good Miz looked. In all fairness, Bourne made Miz look good. I can not believe he landed on his feet from the SSP.

Legacy in the back. Orton gives the other two the night off. He says it is just a contract signing and he has this. I don't know what to make of that but it is next. Before the commercial break, Smackdown's decade celebration is in 2 weeks. I want to pick up that DVD. I did buy the WCW last week. I watched that over the weekend. The Rise and Fall WCW DVD is a great watch for any wrestling fan. I went back and watched some of the old matches as well. I have to say I would love to have the Monday Night Wars come back. WCW had a good product. If TNA was smart, which they have never been accused of, they would try and recreate that magic next year after the NFL season is over with. TNA should get rid of that 6 sided and go to the regular squared circle as well.

Lawler is in the ring for the contract signing. The Legend Killer and former WWE champion Randy Orton is first to be introduced. The video of last weeks match with Batista is recapped. Randy has not looked well in the past week or so. Cena made him tap and took his belt. Batista beats him up the following night on Raw. Orton should look good tonight. The Champ is here. A tremendous ovation for the WWE champion John Cena. Cena is now a 6 time world champion. Both men are now sitting on opposite sides of the table. Lawler mentions there is a no physicality rule. Orton has 2 choices, face Cena in a Hell in a Cell or give up the right for an automatic rematch. Randy signs the contract and tells Lawler to get out of the ring. Orton looks into the eyes of Cena and tells him he thinks he has Orton all figured out. He will do whatever it takes to get his title back. Randy mentions he has been in a Hell in a Cell match. True he faced the Undertaker in a Hell in a Cell match back at Armageddon 2005. Cena has never been in this kind of match. Cena says he wasn't listening. Cena plays the ending to the Breaking Point match when Orton quit. Cena is trying to be funny. Cena talks about Randy has done more damage to him then any other WWE superstar. John says the funniest part is it is official after he signed the contract. Orton doesn't get another opportunity if he does not win at Hell in a Cell. Cena says that is the funny part. Cena tells Orton he knows what he is capable of but Orton doesn't know what Cena is capable of. Cena goes on to say he will destroy Randy Orton. Randy says Cena's confidence has made him hated by several people ever since he came into the WWE. Jericho and Show come down to the ring. Cena is trapted in the ring with the tag champs. Show and Jericho start to nail Cena. Henry and MVP come to make the save. I smell a 6 man tag match. Cedric is shown on the tron. Cedric makes a 6 man tag match. I never saw that coming. What a shock.

Alicia Fox is ringside for the Mickie James Beth Phoenix match up. I wish this was the match at the next pay per view and was given time. Mickie leaps off the top rope to the floor onto Beth. Mickie gets distracted by Alicia and allows Beth to gain the upper hand. Beth tosses her back in the ring and hits her finisher. Wow that was strange. Why make the champ look so easy to beat? Alicia hits the axe kick to finish the segment. I am at a loss on this one. Mickie is the Diva champ so why have her get beat by Beth when she is not in the Diva hunt? WWE confused me on this one. Why not choose someone else like uh, well that maybe the problem. They didn't have anyone else to choose from for Mickie to beat. Wait, Jillian could have been Mickie's opponent and she could have gotten beat by the champ. Questionable to say the least in this segment.

Speaking of getting pushed. Zach Ryder is getting a big push on ECW. He takes on Christian Tuesday night on ECW for the ECW title. I will have to watch that to see if Ryder can hold his own with Captain Charisma. Kofi takes on Swagger for the US title. Swagger on the attack to start. The match only goes for a minute or two until Miz ran down to steal the title. Swagger rolls out and crushes Miz with a clothesline and Swagger walks out with the US title. What the hell is going on with the United States belt. I guess every heel who takes on Kofi will just take the belt. If I were GM I would make it a rule, you can not steal a belt that is not yours. If you do, you will be fined and never get a shot at that title. Easy enough. I didn't mind it last week with the Miz because that's what a heel would do. 2 weeks in a row with 2 different wrestlers is just boring and lazy writing.

Oooh Chavo you haven't won a match since 2007. Lillian announces Santino is a special guest referee. Cedric put on a cape and some tight spandex pants. Chavo is laughing his ass off in the ring. Cedric puts on a mask with a top hat. The bell rings and they try to lock up once. Chavo stomps on Cedric's hat and pushes him a few times. Cedric rolls out of the ring and under the ring. Chavo goes to look on the other side of the ring but its not Cedric any longer. I believe it's Mark Henry. Santino tells him he's good. The fake Cedric goes under the ring and out comes Hornswaggle in the same get up. The real Cedric comes back from under the ring to win the match. The three people dressed up are dancing in the ring. The mask stays on the biggest one so I am not sure if that was Henry or not. I got another look at him and I don't think it was Henry. It must have been one of Cedric's friends from earlier.

Reverend Al Sharpton will be next weeks Raw GM. Ok whatever I give up complaining on the GM's of Raw. Miz Swagger and Kofi will face off in a triple threat match at the pay per view. Cedric is in the back with Kelly Kelly until Jericho shows up. Cedric turns away from Jericho but Big Show grabs Cedric this time. Lawler announces tonight will be the final night for Lillian Garcia. She is in the ring crying. She says it has been a great adventure. She says it was an honor. She is very heart felt and tearing up the entire time. She says the biggest honor was being there for the fans. We love you Lillian. You have been a very special in ring announcer. A very nice in ring speech from Lillian. Classy move by the WWE. Lillian deserved a nice send off. I heard Thank You Lillian chants and she deserves that as well. I hope she comes back once in a while on special occasions.

Randy, Jericho and Show are in the ring ready for the main event. Jericho says he forced Cedric to up the ante for this match. If the heels lose then Orton faces Cena Henry and MVP in a gaunlet match. If the faces lose then Cena faces Orton, Jericho and Show in his own gaunlet match. Back from commercial and everyone is out and our main event is starting with Jericho and Cena. Orton with a blind tag but Cena catches him until Orton slides out. Jericho cheap shots Cena on the outside and Orton gains the momentum. Powerslam and a knee drop by Orton. Tag to Big Show. Show with a quick tag to Jericho, who nails Cena with a running elbow. Another tag this time to Orton. Hot tag to MVP who throws Jericho. A flying clothesline along with a running knee drop. Here comes the ballin' elbow but Y2J kicks out. Show headbuts MVP from behind. Show gets the tag and goes to work on MVP. Heels back in control with Orton in now. MVP gets up from the sleeper and battles back. Orton trips MVP before the tag. Jericho in choking MVP on the ropes. He runs at him to hang MVP up on the ropes but misses. Y2J quickly tags Orton. Randy stops MVP again from tagging his partners. Finally a tag to Henry. Mark is hitting anything that moves right now. Cena Fu'd Show over the top rope. Jericho clipped Henry's knee and threw Cena over the top. RKO to Henry for the 1,2,3 victory. Randy had to build back after last weeks 2 loses. Cena must face Orton, Show and Y2J next week.

This week's Raw was actually a good outing for WWE. Orton got back some credibility. The United States championship picture was cleared up with the announcement of the ppv match. My only gripe was where was the wrestling? We had 3 matches that actually were decent contests. The main event, Miz and Bourne, and HHH and Rhodes were the only good matches of the evening. I did like having DX start the show. All in all nothing spectacular but not a turd either. Next week with Al Sharpton, oh boy. I will be back Thursday with my NFL picks. I can only go up from last weeks picks.

J Call

Thursday, September 17, 2009

NFL Week 2 Picks

After breaking down the entire NFL and making my picks last week, I found out a few things. First, I can pick NFL winners straight up with no line. I also learned that I am going to be wrong on a few of my predictions. For example, I predicted Houston would make the postseason. I guess they will make the leap another year. I was 12-4 straight up last week. I am on a hot streak with NFL and wrestling pay per view picks. Can I keep it up? You bet your ass. Week 2 picks with depth this week.

Carolina at Atlanta
Jake Delhomme what the hell happened? You got a huge contract extension over the summer and I was hoping you forgot about that NFC playoff game last year. Here is hoping you don't fall completely apart and Carolina is drafting a franchise QB in the 2010 NFL draft. Atlanta has their franchise QB in Matt Ryan. I picked Atlanta to win the South. I am taking Atlanta in this game.

Minnesota at Detroit
Adrian Peterson is the MAN! Is there any denying after seeing what LDT did for San Diego this is a no brainer. Adrian is the best back in football. Detroit got blown out by the Saints. I think Det will improve but it is going to take time. I love Adrian and the Vikings.

Cincinatti at Green Bay
I have a good friend who is a Bengals fan and the only thing I texted after watching the end of their game last week was I'm sorry. I can think of only a handful of teams that would happen to and unfortunately the Bengals are one of them. Green Bay looked good on the offense and the defense will continue to improve. Carson needs to take care of the ball and move the what once was a high powered offense. Green Bay will take this game and won't need a hail mary.

Houston at Tennessee
I thought for sure Tenn defense would take a hit without Albert inside. That was not the case in week 1. As I said Houston was my biggest disappointment in Week 1. The Titans and Vikings are very similar teams. They both run the ball very effectively and play defense. Plus their quarterbacks are older than dirt. I will take the veteran Collins to take care of the ball and a Titans win.

Oakland at Kansas City
I have to say I am so excited about how well Oakland played on Monday night. The main problem is after a performance like that, I was given the worst thing a fan could have: hope. I have hope that Oakland is heading in the right direction. They dominated San Diego for about 58 mins. To bad a blown, don't kid yourself it was a blown call, in the end zone and Oakland may have won their home opener. Kansas City actually played well against Baltimore until they turned it on late. Call me a homer I don't care. I am taking the Raiders.

New England Patriots at New York Jets
Rex Ryan went out and left a message on the season ticket holders cell phone to pump them up this week for the Pats game. I love this idea and way to be personal with the fans. The jets surprised me last week with their win over Houston. I am still not sold on the savior Mark Sanchez. Tom Brady and the Pats struggled against the Bills. I can not see it happen 2 weeks in a row. Patriots come into the Meadowlands and get it done.

New Orleans at Philadelphia
I wish McNabb was completely healthy for this game. McNabb vs Brees would be so much fun. I hope he still plays. The Saints looked like they were playing a JV team last week against Detroit. I believe this could be one of the best games of the week. I still, as I am writing this, don't know who to pick. I am flipping a coin and taking the home team, Philadelphia.

Saint Louis at Washington
In all honesty Washington looked like a playoff team last week against the Giants. The Rams look like they are in over haul mode and are a long ways away. I am sure this will be the lock of the week on most peoples pick. Jason Campbell has to play smart and lead the offense. Against the Rams defense, I am sure he will. Redskins win this game.

Arizona at Jacksonville
Arizona decided to lay a big fat turd on the field last week against San Fran. How can you lose to a team that is not even close to being ready for a playoff push? My god that was embarrassing. Jacksonville's defense was solid but the offense stuck it up. Well what the hell is going to happen in this game? I have no clue but I am taking the home team. Jacksonville wins and Zona starts to fall.

Seattle at San Francisco
A team looking to bounce back and did last week, welcome back Seattle. Matt needs to take care of the ball a little better after 3 picks last week against the Rams. I have no interest in buying into the 49ers yet. Seattle don't let me down. I will take Seattle.

Tampa Bay at Buffalo
The Bills impressed me even if they did choke against New England. They outplayed the Pats until the better team decided to show up. Tampa did not play to bad against the Cowboys either. I expected the Bucs to roll over and forget about this season but they are playing hard for their very young coach, Raheem Morris. Buffalo needs to use T.O. and Lee Evans more in the offense. Edwards should have a nice game and the victory.

Pittsburgh at Chicago
Jay Cutler, how do you like Da Bears fans now? You decided to play one of the worst games of your career in your first game as a Bear. I know that is not a good idea. Now you get to play one of the best defenses in the league. Big Ben has some issues with the ground game but they had those same issues last year. Cutler won't throw 3 picks again to give Chicago hope. In the end, the Steelers will show why they are one of the best in the league.

Baltimore at San Diego
Philip Rivers proved his new contract was worth it after leading the charge down the field to beat the Raiders. My question is what the hell took so long in that game? I could ask the same thing to Baltimore. They should have crushed the Chiefs, instead it was close until the 4th quarter. Neither team can afford to let that happen in this match up. Plenty of good games and toss ups this week. Flacco is a much more polished QB than Russell, who damn near beat San Diego, so I am going with Baltimore.

Cleveland at Denver
Does anyone want to watch this game? If this is like last weeks game against Cincy, even Denver fans will find the exit early. Brady Quinn is showing signs of improvement. I have no idea why Carson Palmer didn't dominate a bad Denver defense last week. I hate Denver because of my Oakland allegiance. I will take Cleveland even though this game might tie at 12 after overtime.

New York Giants at Dallas
Dallas opens up the brand new stadium with a possibility of 100,000 fans. I would like to see them go home crying. I am sorry but I don't like Dallas at all. I couldn't stand their fans, even if some of them are my friends, when I lived there. They looked OK in the opener in Tampa. New York had to make a few plays to beat Washington. Eli has to out play Romo in this game in order to win. If he can do that and New York can get one big play out of either the defense or special teams they will win. But..I will swallow my hatred and take Dallas.

Indianapolis at Miami
Indy struggled against a solid Jags defense. Peyton found Reggie Wayne plenty but lost his 2nd wr Anthony Gonzalez for the next month. Miami was slowed up by Atlanta and couldn't find the ground game. Is the wildcat a one and done thing? Not if they use Pat White and he throws the ball out of it once in a while. I like Peyton a lot and can't see them losing to Miami in this one.

Alright those are my picks for week 2 of the NFL. Bet on it, bank on it and go broke.

J Call

Monday, September 14, 2009

Breaking Point Review and Raw 9-14

Your favorite WWE blog is back for another blog. Last night Breaking Point was a unique fun and some what disappointing ppv. Raw has to generate my interest in Cena being the champion again. Batista is back but more importantly the sure fire hall of famer and the greatest womens wrestler of all time Trish Stratus is back. Trish will be the gm and will certainly be easier on the eyes than Bob Barker. Before we get to Raw I have to talk about the ppv and the arrest that happened last week.



Breaking Point was a nice idea for a pay per view but ultimately it failed in a few matches...Ok just one match. DX and Legacy had a great contest. I loved and was shocked Legacy got the big pay per view win. Legacy did exactly what they said they were going to do, make DX tap out. HBK lost the match because he was wrapped around the ring post by a figure four and then Dibiase had the million dollar dream on Shawn as well. A very cool ending and I am sure we will see one more match. I may not be a big Cena fan and was not happy he won against Orton but my god what a match! Cena and Orton fought tooth and nail, pushing one of them to the Breaking Point (pun intended). Orton used handcuffs and chains, absolutely crazy and I loved it. The match that was a HUGE letdown was the main event. Punk vs Undertaker was suppose to be a 20 to 25 min match using plenty of submissions. I may love Punk being the champ and giving him time to develop into a brilliant heel, watch his promo and you will see why he is getting there, but the screw job is not the way to do it. I am quite certain we will see Punk Taker Hell in a Cell match.



The arrest I am talking about is Jeff Hardy. I don't condone what Jeff was doing. Jeff was caught with a lot of drugs and pills and was arrested. I am a huge Jeff Hardy fan. I am saddened by this news. I sure hope Jeff gets help he seems to need and get his life back on track. I wish you the best Jeff.



Raw kicks off with Batista coming to announce something about his career. I had heard reports it was going to be Batista announcing he is moving over to Smackdown. I believe he is announcing he will be back very shortly. Batista starts by saying Thank you. He is making us believe he is retiring. I doubter. Batista says he has come back to say goodbye. He goes on to say he had the time of his life in this ring. The former WWE champ Randy Orton comes out to the ring. You had to know Orton was going to do this. Randy is a egotistical maniac and must get himself into the spotlight. Randy says he is not very happy about losing the title last night. I wouldn't be celebrating either Orton. He says the fact Dave is retiring makes him happy. Randy says save the speech because no one cares. He says Dave is retiring because of him and the injuries he gave him. Batista starts laughing. Randy asks whats so funny? Batista says there are 2 things. One Orton is very predictable and two, he slides the arm brace off, I know something you don't know. Batista is here to announce he is going to Smackdown. One more thing, Trish gave Batista one last match tonight on Raw. A no holds barred match with Randy Orton. I love that match. I also love the addition of Batista to Smackdown. They needed a big name and got one. The only ? is does Raw get something in return?



Lilian announces the 7 time Womens champion and Raw gm for the evening, Trish Stratus. She is out looking finer than ever. She says she is going to make a great gm. She made the Batista vs Orton. She talks about how Orton is deserving of a rematch and she came up with an idea. The next ppv, John Cena vs Randy Orton in a Hell in a Cell. Trish says she has stratisfaction. She gets a match going. The United States Champion, the electrifying Kofi Kingston teams up with Primo, with new crappy entrance music. They go up against The All American American Jack Swagger and The Miz. This match happened on Superstars but since only 20 people watch Superstars, the WWE decided to have it again. The Miz and Primo start it out with a few moves. Swagger in grounding the high flyer Primo. 2nd rope splash from Swagger misses and Primo tags in Kofi. Kofi with a few chops and a couple of dropkicks. Miz gets in the way and distracts Kofi while Kofi was on the top rope hitting Swagger with a few right hands. Swagger throws Kofi into the turnbuckle followed up with the pump handle slam and the victory. Miz steals the United States belt to end the segment. I like the ending here. I would have liked to see the match go on a little longer but the Miz stealing the belt is a perfect heel move. Kofi and Miz are starting to build a good feud. WWE make sure you have them on each and every week!



The Diva champion Mickie James bounces down to the ring for guest commentary. Gail Kim takes on Alicia Fox. This match is a number 1 contenders match for the Diva title. I have to be honest I just dont care much for Fox. Gail starts to build momentum and a huge flip splash for a 2 count. Gail went for another splash and misses. Fox hits the axe kick and wins a shot at Mickie's title. Whoopie. Mickie will keep the belt. Where is Beth Phoenix?



A video of Orton punting Batista last year. If it was such a big surprise that Batista is back and healthy, how could they come up with a video so quickly? Oh wait nevermind.



Jericho in the back with Beth and Trish. Trish makes fun of Jericho and Show together. Beth talks about how Jericho can back up his words while Trish ran away when new blood came in. Beth makes it clear she thought Trish left because of her. Trish says she will face them in a match tonight! HELL YEAH! I love it. My favorte wrestler Y2J teaming up with my favorite womens wrestler Beth Phoenix to take on Trish Stratus and I will guess Cena. I was hoping Trish would take on Beth at mania next year but my gift came early.



"Last night was the biggest win in Legacy's career." I heard that every time heading into the break. I get it. Now shut up Cole! Dibiase goes one on one with The headliner the show stealer the main event the icon the heart break kid Shawn Michaels. Before the match, Cody asks are you ready? I find it very funny they are making fun of DX. The only people ever to make DX tap out was Legacy. Cody mentioned a few names and one of those names I will mention later on. Dibiase goes on to say what they did last night was exactly what they said they were going to do. I believe I wrote that above. Dibiase says last night was only the beginning. DX heads to the ring. Nice promo by the Legacy. Legacy needs to get over as a dominate and powerful team. A win last night followed with a great match tonight will go along way in accomplishing that. Dibiase starts with a fury of fists and kicks. A quick neckbreaker and Shawn is in control. A canadian crowd is not going to cheer for Shawn Michaels, just won't happen. You screwed Bret chant. I told you. Powerslam by Dibiase gets the momentum back in his favor. Michaels falls to the outside in front of Rhodes but HHH gets in the way. Suplexed back in the ring by Dibiase. Michaels gets into a side headlock and fights out. HBK chant now. I cant believe that. Standing dropkick for a 2 count. Michaels went for his version of the figure four but Dibiase racks the eyes with the help of Rhodes distracting the ref. Shawn barely getting to his feet. A very loud HBK chant now. Shawn lands a crazy right and both men are down. The million dollar dream was locked in for a moment. Dibiase going for a piledriver but gets tossed to the outside. HHH gets in Dibiase face and Shawn starts to build on it. A couple atomic drops then a few more right hands. The big elbow drop connects. Time to tune up the band. Shawn seems to have some vision problems. Rhodes trips HBK before he can go for sweet chin music. HHH beats the hell out of Rhodes on the announcers table. Shawn and Dibiase are in the damn crowd. Now this is how a feud is suppose to be. Crazy as hell and you don't know what to expect but a pure 6 brawl.



In case you are missing MNF because of Raw. The New England Patriots just had a miracle 4th quarter comeback. I need two tvs tonight. I missed a great Patriots Bills game and my team the Raiders are on next but I don't wanna miss a great Raw either.



Hornswaggle and Bourne come out 2gether. Its a tag match with these two against Chavo and a pet monkey. Time for a piss break. It turned out to be Carlito. Doesn't matter.



Another Orton Batista video. This time was the cage match at Extreme Rules. Batista won the WWE title that night. I have to say that I am actually looking forward to the Orton Batista match tonight. Raw has been a very solid program so far. The only downer was the last match.



John Cena in the back giving a nice promo about how some people talk and can't back it up. He says Orton gave it all away last night. Cena said he made a promise that he would not quit and he kept that promise. He talks about how he is keeping another promise that he will not give the belt back to Orton and Orton will be the luckiest man alive just to leave the Cell.



The Gm of Raw tonight Trish Stratus comes down to the ring. Her tag team partner is...MVP. I like that better than Cena. Y2J makes his way then Beth. Beth and Trish start the match up. Beth starts to go to work with a few right hands and a body slam. Trish starts to fight back with a few chops of her own. MVP and Jericho fight on the outside and Show runs down to start the double team. Mark Henry comes to make the save. They announce a dq but Trish makes a restart with a 6 person match. I guess the JeriShow MVP Henry feud isn't going to stop. Back from break and Jericho is dominating MVP. MVP finally with some offense and Jericho tags Beth. Beth is in MVP's face and starts shoving him and goes for a kick. MVP catches it and tags in Trish. A press and right hands followed by a double ballin elbow. Henry takes out Show on the outside. MVP leaped over the top to take out Jericho. Trish does her little leap thing and then stratisfaction and picks up the win over Beth Phoenix. I enjoyed that match. I would still like Trish and Beth to face off again at Wrestlemania 26.

One more Batista Orton video before the break. Orton out 1st. Batista is going to Smackdown for no apparent reason, that is what I just learned. No trade or anything he is just leaving. Ok WWE way to make it look legit. Orton went right for a chair but Batista stopped that. Orton slid in and tried to land his sick ddt, Batista countered that as well. Out of the ring and now back in. Orton with his back breaker and starts to kick every part of the animal's body. Randy hits a knee drop and goes for the same chair. Batista back up and spears Orton. Now fighting on the announcer's table. I have no idea how that thing is standing after the DX segment. Batista sends Orton into the ring steps and back in the ring. RKO attempt which is countered. Randy starts to leave but Cena comes out. Randy is trapted. Cena throws him back in for a spinebuster by Batista. The Batista Bomb and its over. Randy loses his title last night. Tonight, he gets the crap kicked out of him by Batista. Next week Randy must get back on a roll. I realize he got beat by Cena and a returning Animal. You can't hurt Orton's character though. He will bounce back next week on Raw. Speaking of next week's Raw...

Cedric the Entertainer is next weeks GM. Um why? Are you f'n kidding me? We have had a couple of weeks with solid general managers and now we get Cedric the Entertainer. I have no idea why. At least Bob was relevant and funny. Cedric hasn't done crap in, uh ever. I got to get to the Oakland game. I will be back Friday with my NFL picks and analysis of week 1.

J Call

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

NFL Week 1 and Award Prediction

I have taken upon myself to preview the entire NFL here on BBSD. Now is the time to dive in on who is going to win the whole damn thing plus awards. I am going to predict the winners each week on BBSD. You can keep tabs on how you do against me and email me how dumb I am each and every week. The NFL, anything can happen.

In case you didn't read my NFC or AFC blogs you can scroll down and find them. Here is a recap of the division winners and wild card teams I have predicted so far.

NFC Division Winners AFC Division Winners
#1 NYG #1 NE
#2 ARI #2 PIT
#3 GBP #3 IND
#4 ATL #4 SD

NFC Wild Cards AFC Wild Cards
#5 PHI #5 BAL
#6 MIN #6 HOU

I love some of the match ups if this happens. The first round would feature Favre's Vikings vs Rodgers's Packers. Indy hosting a division rival Houston Texans. Second round could be Manning vs Brady, Big Ben vs Balt's D, or Warner vs Matty Ice, Eli vs Favre. I love looking at future match ups. Anyway, the way I saw it after the first round winners Minne, ATL, SD, and IND. Tom Brady against Peyton Manning again would be so damn good. 2ND round winners are NYG, MIN, NE, and PIT. I love the Giants and New England in the title game, a rematch from 2 years ago. I am taking the New England Patriots to win the whole thing. Tom Brady is the MVP of the regular season and Super Bowl. Here are a few other awards:

Comeback Player of the Year: Matt Hasselback, QB. Seattle. Matt had injuries galore last year and with a full season without injuries he could lead the Seahawks to the playoffs.

Offensive Rookie of the Year: Mark Sanchez, QB. NYJ. I don't think it will matter how many wins Mark gets the Jets. He has been announced as the savior of the Jets. The media will make him the ROTY.

Defensive Rookie of the Year: James Laurinaitis, LB. STL. I maybe being a little biased on this pick but I don't care. I love this kid. Yes, his dad was a wrestler and I am a huge wrestling fan. James will be a tackling machine and his new coach will put him in the right spot on a ton of plays. A 2ND rounder, James will be a force to deal with for the Rams.

Week 1 predictions
No depth on why I am picking them. Here are my week 1 winners:
Pitt, Atl, Cin, Min, Ind, Nos, Dal, Phi, Bal, Hou, Nyg, Ari, Sea, GB, NE, Oak.

Next week I will go in depth on the match ups.

J Call

Monday, September 7, 2009

Raw 9-7

I have to say I am feeling pretty bummed tonight. I was looking forward to a great weekend. I had 3 days off. College football was starting. Then it happened. No secret I am a sooners fan and when Bradford went down, I turned into a Patriots fan of a year ago. But I have to shake off what happened over the weekend and have fun watching Monday Night Raw! Nothing better to cheer a guy up then Bob Barker. Come on down you're the Raw GM on a special Labor Day Raw. I loved The Price is Right ever since I was a little boy. I dreamt that one day I would be Bob Barker. Tonight, I am hoping he has fun and we get a great wrestling show. Raw is live from one of the great wrestling cities of the United States, Chicago, Ill.

I have a few comments about Smackdown before I write on Raw. First, Thank you CM Punk. You pulled off one of the best promos you have ever done. You came out to gloat about taking out Jeff Hardy and the best way to capitalize on that is to dress up like him and mock Hardy. Bravo man! John Morrison and Rey Mysterio had one of the best all around contests Smackdown has had in a long time. What a contest! Sadly, Rey is suspended so we won't be seeing him for a while. I hope its Morrison, Ziggler and Rey when he comes back. Smackdown keep it up because it has been great!

Howard Finkel announces the legendary game show host, Bob Barker! I miss the Fink. Bob gets a huge ovation. How can you not love Bob Barker? Bob says we are really going to party tonight. Bob has been working in television for over 50 years. Now that is impressive. We have a pricing game to start Raw. Howard starts to announce wrestlers who come out of the crowd. Santino runs like hell towards the stage. Jillian Hall is next. IRS, Irwin R. Shyster, no clue on the spelling. Last but not least Y2J Chris Jericho. He takes his sweet time and comes from the back. They bid on the new Smackdown DVD. Santino bid 1,465 dollars. Jillian starts to sing and sings her bid, which was 75 bucks. I.R.S asks about taxes and bids 50 bucks. Jericho leaves the podium and comes up to Bob. They are eye to eye. Jericho starts to speak but Bob interrupts. Jericho starts to rant about nobody calls him Chris and should be called Mr. Jericho, cuz he is the best in the world at what he does. I can't agree. Jericho almost says he is one half and Bob interrupts and says he heard 1 which turns into Jericho's bid. Y2J wins the DVD and a chance at a trip to Hawaii if he wins his match tonight against MVP. The match starts right now.

MVP and Jericho start with some technical mat wrestling. This match is adding fuel to the fire for the MVP and Henry vs JeriShow match at Breaking Point. The match continue with MVP hitting a few moves and Jericho counters flipping MVP on the apron. Y2J goes to kick him off and MVP ducks as Jericho crashes to the floor. 1st commercial break of the night. I like what the WWE did in the first segment. I enjoyed Bob coming out and doing his old shtick from The Price is Right. Jericho played the perfect heel in the entire segment before the match. We come back and MVP goes for a big boot and gets dumped to the outside. Jericho gains the upper hand while MVP tries to retaliate. Small package for 2. Jericho hits a huge clothesline but only for 2. Crowd starting to get into it..finally, MVP chant. Running enziguri is missed and MVP starts to pick up the pace. Bulldog by Jericho followed by a lionsault but missed. MVP nails a few of his signature moves. Ballin elbow is countered into the Walls of Jericho. Reversal into another small package for 2. MVP with a vicious big boot for 2. MVP countered the Codebreaker by holding on the ropes. He flips over for the 1,2,3 and the win. I like that a lot. MVP and Henry need to look like they can beat the tag champs on Sunday night.

Bob is in the back with Kelly Kelly plugging his book. DX show up. They start to talk about Happy Gilmore. DX gets to spin a wheel you press a button and it picks who their opponents will be tonight. HBK lands on Chris Masters and Triple H gets Randy Orton. I believe it will be a tag team match. They never really said. The only question I have is why Chris Masters?

I guess if we can waste a segment a week on Hornswaggle why not a match with Masters. Chavo is in the ring and Bob announces he can win a new car if he wins his match against Evan Bourne. Thank god, we may not see Hornswaggle. I actually signed an online petition to stop the Chavo Hornswaggle segments. Match begins with what I expect fast pace action. I have to say that these two men should have a good match. Evan starts flying around the ring hitting a big kick off the second rope for a 2 count. Chavo goes for a tornado DDT but gets a knee to the face. A sick fall by Evan. Both men on the top Evan went for a hurricarana and Chavo leaped off the ropes and Evan crashed to the mat. The little bastard shows up after Chavo hits the three amigos. Hornswaggle gets in the ring and distracts Chavo. Rollup by Evan for the victory. Chavo losing streak is now at 212 matches.

Cody Rhodes comes to the ring. He is speaking tonight. Wow, there is a shock. He starts to talk about what happened last week on Raw. He says his dad didn't make him a main eventer Randy did. Cody says Dusty is an excellent father, but wasn't his choice. Family or Career. Cody chose his career. Cody says there is nothing he wouldn't do for his career. The huge Chicago crowd gives John Cena a huge ovation. A little different than back at Wrestlemania 22 when he faced the game Triple H. I remember that night being an anti Cena crowd. Cena goes for the FU quickly but Rhodes reverses into a ddt attempt that Cena throws Rhodes off him. Cody rolls to the outside as we head to another commercial. As a fan, you have to know Legacy is not going to stay together for more than a few more months. I have loved the group when they are shown together which is rare. I think last week was a test to see how the crowd would react if Rhodes turned face. Dibiase has been rumored to turn face for a few months now. I think its smart to see which one will get the bigger following before you turn either one face. Back from break, Cena with his fisherman suplex. A bulldog leads to a 2 count. Rhodes baits Cena to the outside and trips Cena into the announcer's table. Action is back in the ring now. Rhodes starts hitting Cena with boots and right hands in the corner. Cena gets trapped and Rhodes goes after the legs. Russian leg sweep by Rhodes for a 2 count fall. Rhodes locks Cena in a chinlock. Cena powers out but Rhodes gets an arm bar applied. Rhodes is trying many submission moves to get Cena to tap. Cena lifts Rhodes from the mat on his shoulders, guy has crazy strength. A few shoulder tackles and Cena heads to the top. Rhodes moves out of the way of the leg drop. WOOOOO!!! Figure Four is blocked into the STFU but Orton runs down to save his buddy. Orton runs away. FU to Rhodes! Randy stares down Cena to lead into the break. The match wasn't great but it served its purpose. Cena needed to face one of the Legacy members.

Next week Batista returns to Raw. I guess he has some special announcement he has to make. Bob comes back out for another bidding contest. We need another player. It turns out to be Chicago White Sox catcher, A.J. Pierzynski. The crowd loved that pick. The prize is a Wrestlemania trip package. A.J bids 1000, I.R.S 2000, Jillian sings 5000 and Santino 1200. Santino ends up winning and gets a chance to win the hot tub. Santino is in the ring asking if the Bella twins comes with the hot tub. Bob announces a bodyslam contest. The opponent turns out to be the largest athlete in the world, The Big Show. Santino has to bodyslam the Big Show to win the hot tub. Santino tried once but failed and Show picks him up to win. Bob announces we have another bodyslam contest opponent, Mark Henry. I have no idea if Herny can even pick up the Big Show. Both men make an attempt to pick each other up but can't do it. Show and Henry are trying to wear each other down so they could pick him up. Show goes for it again but falls down. Show hits an elbow and goes for it but Henry reverses and slams Show for the win. MVP comes out to embrace his tag team partner. Both men pick up victories over their opponents leading up to Breaking Point. I told you it only works if MVP and Henry look like legit contenders to win the tag team belts.

Batista is returning next week and the greatest women's champion is the GM next week. Trish Stratus will be coming back to the wrestling world. WOOHOO! Lawler and Cole in the ring run down the Breaking Point card. I usually do a prediction blog. If you recall I was 8-0 on my Summerslam predictions. For Breaking Point, I am teaming up with ShowStoppers on BBSD Radio. If you want to know what I think is going to happen at Breaking Point, you will have to listen to ShowStoppers (you should be anyway if you are a wrestling fan).

Bob is in the back with Chavo who whines about losing his chance at a car. He says Hornswaggle and Evan cheated him out of his match. Chavo continues until Bob throws a right hand in the gut and Chavo goes down. He says he had a great time and does his signature have your pets spade and neutered line.

Are you ready? The two sure fire hall of famers Triple H and Shawn Michaels, aka DX, come down to the ring. Main Event Time! Crotch chop pyro is followed by a little mic work from The Game. The whole DX schtick of Lets get ready to suck it and if you're not down with that suck it. Masterpiece Chris Masters gets a chance tonight to show he can hang with the big boys tonight. I hear voices in my head they council me they understand. They talk to me. Orton holds the gold for everyone to look at. I am a little perplexed at this match up. Where the hell is Dibiase? He makes sense in this match more than Masters. Last commercial break is over with. Currently its Triple H and Orton. Tag to HBK who lands a double axe handle followed by a stiff boot. HBK keeps the momentum with a neckbreaker. Another tag back to Triple H. The history between Orton and HHH is well documented. RKO attempt block and HHH hits a suplex and a knee drop. Faces are making the tags in the early going. HBK back in. Masters gets tagged in and starts landing some offense. Inside out throw to the turnbuckle by Masters and then a backbreaker. The viper back in now. Knee drop for a 2 count on HBK. Now the heels start to dominate with a few tags back and forth. Masters dumps Michaels to the outside and Orton lands the cheap shot. Good tag work going on in this match. I am seeing some double team moves, ref distractions and quick tags. Randy stalks Shawn and hit a perfect and I mean perfect dropkick. Right hand on Orton, Chops by Shawn. Flying burrito by Shawn. Nip up by Shawn to tag Triple H. Orton tagged Chris. Triple H starts to hit all his signature moves even the double a spinebuster. Shawn hits the elbow drop. Orton comes to stop it. Masters with enough time from the distraction to put HBK in the masterlock. HHH breaks up the masterlock. Sweet chin music on Masters. Orton comes in put HHH takes him down. Sharpshooter by HHH? WTF? Figure four by Michaels and Masters taps out. Legacy comes to the rescue of Orton. DX and Legacy are beating the hell out of each other in the back. Orton escaped everything and stayed by the entry way. Rhodes and Dibiase high tail it in a car.

Orton is in the ring now with microphone in hand. Randy says this Sunday Legacy will make DX submit and he will retain the title because that is the only thing he considers important. Cena rushes to the ring and the fight is on. Outside the ring Cena throws Orton into the table. Orton slides into the ring and Cena gets caught. DDT off the ropes and Cena is out. Orton grabs a chair and sets it up. RKO on to the chair and I start to hear some cheers from the Chicago crowd. Raw ends with Orton towering over Cena. What does that mean heading into Sunday? You will have to listen to ShowStoppers to find out what we predict. I will be back with an NFL blog Thursday morning to tell you who will win the MVP, Rookie of the Year, Conference winners and most important the Super Bowl winner.

J Call

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

AFC Preview

Last week I wrote about the NFC and gave you a preview of exactly how I see the NFC going down this year. I got a few hate emails from the Dallas Cowboys fans. I will talk about that a little later. For now, I will preview the AFC. I start in the worst division in the AFC, the west.

AFC West is going to be horrible, flat out horrible. My favorite team, Oakland Raiders won't win more than 4 games. Denver threw away their future when they traded away Jay Cutler. KC Chiefs have no shot even with Cassell. San Diego is the only bright spot and they could make a deep run into the playoffs. Lets take a closer look:

Oakland Raiders
Here is where I will tell Dallas fans to shut up. I am a huge homer to my Raiders but I am also a realistic fan. I didn't pick Dallas to be in the playoffs because of Wade Phillips and Tony Romo. I am a realist and don't see them making the playoffs. Send more of your hate mail to mccall316@yahoo.com. Oakland is terrible from top to bottom. I love Lechler and Asomugha and that's about it. I hope McFadden can break out and have a big year. The question marks are all over the place and I see no answers in sight. Final Verdict: 4-12 and Cable is fired.

Denver Broncos
Kyle Orton replaces Jay Cutler at the most important position on the field. Josh McDaniels might be shipping another stud on offense, Brandon Marshall before the regular season starts. What the hell are you doing? Denver had potential if it would have sat tight and fixed the defense. Instead, they went into overhaul mode and blew up the entire thing. Big mistake! The schedule is not forgiving either. I can't see this team winning more 5 games. Final Verdict: 5-11

Kansas City Chiefs
Hey Matt Cassell, I have one question for you. Would you like to go back to New England? I bet you would. Kansas City has no offensive line, no running game, and one established wide receiver in Dwayne Bowe. They traded away their best weapon in Tony Gonzalez. Again, this team will be looking at a top 10 draft pick. Final Verdict: 4-12

San Diego Chargers
If the Chargers weren't coached by one of the worst clutch coaches in the NFL, I would think about taking this team to the Super Bowl. The Chargers have a great offense with Rivers, Gates, LDT, and Sproles. The defense is solid to the core. The Chargers will win this division by week 11 and unless they are in the hunt for the top spot in the playoffs, San Diego can rest their starters. Final Verdict: 11-5 and West division winner.

The AFC North may not be the best top to bottom division but it could feature some of the best games. Baltimore and Pittsburgh will have 2 of the best games against each other. Cincinnati and Cleveland won't be great teams but could be at least competitive in games. But no one should stop the defending champs.

Cleveland Browns
If Cleveland was smart they would just had the starting qb job to Brady Quinn. I think Quinn has a bright future and will be the best option to win games. Cleveland has some talent on both sides of the ball. I like Braylon Edwards, Joe Thomas, and Shaun Rodgers. I look at their running backs and see absolutely no talent. Cleveland is rebuilding and should show some signs of promise after this year. Cleveland will struggle in a strong division. Although, Cleveland does play the AFC West teams so they may get a few more victories than last year. Final Verdict: 5-11

Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals have some of the worst luck in the NFL. Andre Smith signed on Sunday and was hurt by Tuesday. Are you kidding me? I like Carson Palmer, OchoCinco, and Rey Maualuga. If Palmer and Chad can stay healthy this team could be respectable. Marvin Lewis has to step up the defense or he will be searching for a new job. Like Cleveland, I see no talent in the running game for the Bengals. I say Palmer stays on his feet and helps his team get back on the right track. Final Verdict: 6-10

Baltimore Ravens
I watched some of Flacco in the preseason and I love his poise and arm strength. My buddy, Chris, will tell me Flacco doesn't have to do much for the Ravens to win, and I will agree. Joe has a stellar running game and a great defense. If Flacco can be mistake free, his team will win a lot of ball games. Baltimore has a fairly easy schedule and should roll into the playoffs. They may not win the division in my eyes, but they have a shot to make a run in the post season. Final Verdict: 11-5 and a wild card spot.

Pittsburgh Steelers
The defending world champion Pittsburgh Steelers! I know how much a lot of people hate hearing that lol. Big Ben is going to lead his team again deep into the playoffs. Does he get hurt? Yes but its never serious. I love the make up of this team. Great ground game, solid passing game, and a fantastic defense. Why wouldn't you pick this team to win the division? I have no clue. I have no doubt this team will make the postseason. Final Verdict: 12-4 division winner.

The AFC South is going to surprise a few people. I like the Texans if Schaub can stay healthy. Jacksonville should be much better than last year. Indianapolis is always a playoff contender. Tennessee is the team I think will fall apart. Why?

Tennessee Titans
I have a feeling Kerry Collins will not be able to carry this team again. They have a great running game, even if I hate LenDale White. The Titans signed Nate Washington to help out the air attack. The loss of Haynesworth will be the biggest hole to fill. The defense will be good but not as good. If Collins fails, the Titans have to rely on VY and I don't see how he can get it done. A brutal schedule does not help matters. Final Verdict: 6-10.

Jacksonville Jaguars
Maurice Jones Drew is going to be the heart and soul of this team. Jax adds Torry Holt but this isn't 2000, it is 2009. Last year, the Jags relied on a very young defense team and hopefully they will live up to their potential. David Garrard is a decent option as a starter but needs to stop turning the ball over. Eugene Monroe should help the offensive line. Jacksonville has a ton of young raw talent. It is to early for me to see them make the playoffs. Final Verdict: 7-9

Houston Texans
I can not stress how much I love Andre Johnson. If I had to choose one wide receiver it may be this man and not Fitz. The offensive line must help Schaub out and keep him standing up. The very expensive defensive line of Mario Williams and Amobi Okoye must produce. Mario is already on his way and so is DeMeco Ryans. If there was one team that could make the leap this year, its the Houston Texans. Final Verdict: 9-7 Wild Card.

Indianapolis Colts
One of the most consistent teams in the last decade should win the South. Peyton Manning still has a few good years in him. Reggie Wayne is going to be the number 1 guy this year. The ground game is a question mark, but it will still deliver enough. The defensive line is the other question mark and I think it will improve. New coach, new assistants, same result. Final Verdict 10-6 Divison winner.

The final division in the AFC is the East. Can the Dolphins repeat their incredible performance last year? Will T.O. help the Bills get over the hump and win some damn games? Is Mark Sanchez the hero New York wants him to be? Well I can answer those questions with one question of my own. Does it matter?

New York Jets
Slow down on saying Sanchez is the savior. I bet he learned a lot playing against the Ravens in the preseason. His first pass was a pick 6. The Jets have a great running game with Thomas Jones and Leon Washington. I really like the draft pick of Shonn Greene as an insurance in case Jones goes down. The wide receiving core leaves little to the imagination but you don't need superstars. Vernon Gholston has to start living up to his potential. The Jets have a bright future if Sanchez improves throughout the year. It just won't be this year. Final Verdict: 5-11

Buffalo Bills
I loved the Cowboys releasing Terrell Owens about has much as I loved Buffalo signing him. Lee Evans and T.O. together will be a nightmare for secondaries through out the league. The offense should score quite a few points once Lynch comes back from his suspension. If Edwards struggles with this offense, you know he is a bust. The defense must improve from last year and adding Maybin from Penn State should help. I like the make up of this team but in this division, they are going to be average. Final Verdict: 7-9.

Miami Dolphins
I would have voted for Chad Pennington for the MVP award last year. You read that correctly and I am not insane. He was the main reason this team won the division and made the playoffs. They used the wildcat last year and you can figure they will use it more with Pat White. The Dolphins suprised many people last year but won't sneak up on anyone this year. I love Jake Long, Ronnie Brown, and rookie Vontae Davis. The defense has to be better in the secondary but as I said will it matter in this division? Final Verdict: 8-8

New England Patriots
Why do I ask will it matter? Because the Patriots are going to run away with this division. I may not like New England but I am smart. They are a team on a mission. Tom Brady will want to prove he is back and as dominate as he was 2 years ago. He still has Moss and Welker to throw to. Oh and he has a brilliant coach. I get tired of hearing about them as much as I do about the Cowboys. The difference is the Patriots know how to back it up. They will again this year. Final Verdict: 13-3 division winner and top spot in the AFC playoffs.

To recap the AFC

Division winners: New England Patriots, Pittsburgh Steelers, Indianapolis Colts, and San Diego Chargers

Wild Cards: Baltimore Ravens and Houston Texans.

Next Wednesday I will have my playoff predictions and awards. If you have a problem with my predictions, I want to hear them. Send your hate mail to mccall316@yahoo.com.

J Call

About Me

Small town guy from Iowa. I went to school in Dallas and graduated. I work for 105.3 KNOD radio station in Harlan Iowa as the news director. I love sports and wrestling. You can catch my thoughts on everything sports and wrestling on bigbadsportsdaddy.com