Friday, October 29, 2010

The New Stars

The NBA is back! I know everyone has put up previews, picked their champion and other awards. I had plans to do that myself in a very unique way. Instead, I sat back, watched a few games and then make some observations. This isn't a preview blog. This is more about the over all look at the NBA and their budding stars. The league is full of young talent that is blossoming. I blame you if you're not watching.

I start with the man who had a spectacular debut on Wednesday night, Blake Griffin. How pumped was I to see the debut? Good question. I dvr'd the game since I wake up for my other job at 6am. I sent texts with the word BLAKE to random friends. I passed on the World Series game to focus on Blake and Durant. Blake, barring injury is going to win the Rookie of the Year. He's making the Clippers, yes the other LA team, seem relevant. I looked up the T'Wolves schedule (closest NBA team to me) to see when the Clips would be in town. Road trip. Blake is going to be special. The Clippers as a whole, not so much. They were dominated on the offensive glass. They lack jump shooters and Baron Davis needs to show he cares. Blake and Eric Gordon are the main attractions. Blake debuted with a 20 point 14 board, 9 offensive, night and we are only touching the surface.

Blake wasn't the only man who debuted this week. John Wall will try to revive a Wiz team in desperate need of a court leader and new identity. Wall is a work in progress. Point guards don't normally come out of college and lead an NBA franchise. Wall needs help and his mates won't provide a ton. That's not a knock on Wall. I think John is going to be a great NBA player. He's explosive, gets the hoop with ease and finishes. He has to work on his shooting abilities. We won't witness it this year because he will need time. I expect Wall to be playing in All-Star games and meaningful games in April in 2 years.

This is such an interesting time for the Association. You can find young studs all over the league. You can find 3 of them on one team. Oklahoma City is going to be on ESPN and TNT every other week. That's a great thing. Durant is worth the price of admission alone. Westbrook continues to amaze and Jeff Green is no slouch. The Thunder is the most fun group of players to watch. Durant is adding the MVP trophy after winning 60 games this year. The thing I love most about Durant is his personality. His team is put first. That includes the way he handled being the man at the World Championships over the summer. I heard a story about Durant that proves he's special. According to the story, Lebron was having a party and invited Durant. The party was on an off night for KD and he was scheduled to have a pre-season game the next night. Durant turned the invite down saying he doesn't go out on nights before games. Thank you Durant. My affection for him went to full fledged bromance in one moment.

Now talking about Wall, Blake and Durant is easy. They get a lot of love from everyone. I said the league is full of talent. Some quick hits on several more:

Derrick Rose- Chicago's point guard is the key to elevate the Bulls from middle of the pack to elite status. They are still the 4th best team in the East until proven.

Brandon Roy- Oden who? The real man to watch on the Blazers is Roy. He's a fantastic shooter and has talent around him. Portland is a playoff sleeper to make a long run with or without Oden. If Roy goes down, that's a whole new story.

Rajon Rondo- The talk of the Celtics always leans to Pierce, Garnett and Allen. The general to lead the Vets is Rondo. His defense is outstanding and the jumper is ever improving. He puts the ball in perfect positions for the Big 3.

Al Horford- Dwight Howard get the most attention as the best young big. Al should be getting more. He's a better offensive threat than Howard. Horford isn't quite the flashy player but that's fine with me. My favorite player ever is Timmy Duncan. I don't need big time dunks, I need a quiet workman like Power Forward. Horford fit that mold.

Stephen Curry- The T'Wolves didn't draft him and the Warriors benefited. The system might change without Don Nelson. Curry will still produce. His shot is beautiful, wonderful touch and is deadly from 3 point land (43% last season). Curry is undersized which hurts him a little. Still, I can't wait to watch this kid grow.

I haven't even mentioned O.J Mayo, Brandon Jennings and the very underrated Kevin Love. The media spends to much time hyping the Heat and the Melo fiasco. The league is better overall when you look at the big picture. I noticed TNT isn't playing the same teams over and over on their Thursday night double-headers. I think that's wonderful. We need to see all the young talent not a little. I wouldn't be a Spurs homer if I didn't talk about them.

The San Antonio Spurs are once again talked about being old and this is their last chance at a title. I thought last year was or the year before was their last chance. Duncan is back in great shape and DeJuan Blair slimmed down to be in better condition. The big addition was Tiago Splitter. Tiago was hidden in the Euro league for a few years before finally signing with the Spurs. He's a back to the basket player, perfect. The rumors are abound with Parker since it's his final contract year. I don't know what to make of that. He's their best weapon to drive to the hoop. He is also their best trade bait. The key for the Spurs is the mixture. Duncan and Manu can't play 35 a night. San Antonio needs Splitter, Blair and McDyess to help Timmy. James Anderson, Little George Hill and the disappointing Richard Jefferson can all take the load off Manu. I love the mixture but sometimes young and old together don't work out. The Spurs have one more run in them. Last year, I was content with a 1st round win since it was over the rival Mavs. This year, I'm hoping for a Western Conference Finals appearance.

No league is perfect and the NBA has its share of flaws. General managers continue to give undeserving 2nd and 3rd tier players fat contract. Sheriff Stern put the hammer down with stupid rules constantly. You can look past that and find a great product. I'm really hopeful the NBA can reach a new collective bargaining agreement. If they do and the NFL doesn't, it will only benefit Stern and the teams. Nobody wants to hear a bunch of bitchy athletes crying they can't afford to feed their 7 kids. NBA, don't be greedy, keep the rookie cap and keep tickets to games low. A professional league being fan friendly will go along way to help your image to the general public. If there isn't an NFL season, that casual fan that only watches the NBA after football is now going to watch more games. You can make more money in the long run if you get the deal done. Big picture people! The NHL would benefit big time if neither of them reach an agreement but that's a whole different topic.

I love the NBA. I was ready for a new season. The mix of young up and comers along with several veterans hanging on for one more year is interesting. I went this whole blog without mentioning the guys that get all the love. You know who they are. Lebron, Kobe, Howard, Wade and Anthony always get talked about. The NBA is in good hands for years to come. Almost every team has a franchise player and it's only going to get better with athletes staying in college for 2 years. Sorry Cleveland you will have to wait your turn again.

J Call

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Raw 10-25

I'm so happy that crappy pay-per-view has passed. What ppv? Exactly. The WWE seems to be making headlines all over the place. Between "Stand up for WWE" and Taker's confrontation with Brock at UFC 121, the Internet Wrestling Community has gone nuts. First and foremost, I must talk about Sunday's show. (I don't want to but it's in my contract.) We can then move on to what I felt was a great Raw.

As far as Bragging Rights, Edge looked great. I predicted the show stealer with Ziggler and Bryan and they didn't disappoint. The Nexus are tag champs and Taker is gone again. Cena and Otunga winning the tag titles pissed me off and made it even worse on Raw. I had this feeling before Raw started. I went back in wrestling history and wondered how Cena could become the villain in all this Nexus stuff. I remembered how The Rock became leader of the Nation of Domination. The NOD was in the ring with Farooq. He wanted them to attack The Rock. The group turned and Rock was the new leader. I thought that may end up a scenario with Barrett being pushed out. However, Raw changed my mind. Did Bragging Rights set up Cena Taker at Wrestlemania? If Cena turns out to be the brains behind the attack, then yes. The subject of a Brock Lesnar Taker match at Mania can be thrown out the window. He's not coming back to the E or pro wrestling. He's under contract with UFC and I doubt Brock wants to come back. People speculate after the moment. Child please. Get off of that and think logically. Wait, I said think logically about pro wrestling. Forget I mentioned that. Taker needs surgery anyway so we might throw every scenario out the window since he may not be ready by April.

Raw started with Nexus and I laughed Cena had to come out with them and not his lame music. Kids must have been hurt. He still isn't wearing the shirt which is stupid. Barrett didn't need to introduce the group, we know who you are. Here's why I said to forget logic. Wade gets a rematch for the WWE title as announced. Ok, where is Cody and Drew rematch for the tag titles? WWE must have forgot about them. I thought everybody got a rematch. You make it even worse by handing them over to Wendy and Gabriel. WCW use to do this stupid crap with the finger point of doom. Knock it off! I love titles and they mean something. You devalue the hell out of them when you make a guy give them up. I wanted to see Otunga and Cena interact and try to work as a tag team. I'm puzzled and pissed on how this story is written with Cena and Nexus. Is Cena ever going to turn or did Vince change his mind?

Ziggler and Bryan got to steal back to back shows. You wonder why I bitch about the lack of wrestling on Raw. Well, Bryan and Ziggler proved my point. I'd rather see an exciting back and forth contest between two young studs then 7 backstage skits and 2 in ring promos. The young men stole the spotlight and I have to say I'd pay to see them again. Bryan is proving why he was such an anomaly in the independent circuit. He and Dolph should be praised to the moon for their classic style of wrestling the past two days. We are brewing a Punk Bryan feud which I begged for. Literally, I called the WWE office and begged them to make this happen. I'm sure someone got the call. Bryan and Ziggler were fantastic, Punk and Bryan epic wrestling. Finally the WWE starting to showcase wrestling. A novel concept, a wrestling show with wrestling.

The "Stand Up for WWE" campaign has gotten a lot of positive and negative publicity. I've read plenty either way. I'm all for opinions, especially when I'm given free reign to write whatever the hell I want on this blog for BBSD. I respect others opinions even if they are different. I've been called a WWE homer (so true and I admit it). I don't think WWE does enough for the men and women who go out night after night and bust their ass. However, I still stand up for WWE. They do a ton for charities, make a wish and for our troops. What other event gives troops free tickets? Kids love the wrestlers and see them as heroes. The wrestlers respect that and most are great role models. I get why people believe this is stupid. I can even see wrestling fans saying, "I wouldn't stand up for WWE. I hate the PG era or etc..." What I don't understand is people who hate wrestling would bother talking up the campaign. I hate Nascar, MMA and reality TV shows, hence the reason you never see me write on those topics. If you don't like something you would never defend it. I love professional wrestling and will defend many aspects. If Vince McMahon knocked on my door and offered me a $100,000 contract to work for him. I'd ask if he had a pin and where to sign. I think a lot of folks, even haters, would sign if they were put in the same situation. Ask a buddy that same question, unless he makes more than $100,000 or simply loves his job, and says no, stone cold stun him. I give you permission. I wrote all of that during the fillers and the Diva match. They really helped Melina on that one. Laycool benefits, nothing for Natalya. Great job.

We now return to the regularly scheduled Raw blog. Miz in ring promo was quality. I thought Eve held her own. I'd like to see more of Truth and Miz. These two have no where to go after Bragging Rights. Miz could sit on that briefcase until April and Truth hasn't been in a real anything since coming from Smack. The match was solid for a TV match. I'm always wondering why the little stories don't develop more often. They help the show immensely. I hope that's the start and not the finish to Truth and Miz. Hell might have froze over with two matches given time to develop and provided quality ring work.

I said it about Miz and how he has no place to go. Enter the Irish Ghost. He has had nothing and I don't need to see a tiny feud with Santino. Kozlof and Santino should continue as a tag and enter the title picture. Thankfully, Morrison is another guy with no home. I didn't think I'd be saying this: Raw needs Triple H. We have to many heels and not enough faces. I like Morrison and Sheamus since I thought that was squashed. Trips can come back and be a big time face. Morrison should be elevated into the main event scene. Yes, I, the so called Morrison hater, just wrote that. My only concern is Sheamus can't be made to look weak at Morrison's expense. If this is going to happen, it needs to be a long feud with several matches where both men win. A one and done helps neither.

Harris and McGillicuty in Nexus is a bigger deal then it was made of on Raw. They are going to be on TV each week and should wrestle. I like both men and see a bright future for both talented individuals. Again, the problem is nobody is on the roster to feud with them.

Main event time with roles reversed from Sunday. The ending wasn't shocking and I think everyone saw it coming. Barrett costs Orton the match by clotheslining Cena. Cena is now the ref. The interesting part was the stipulation added by Wade. Cena is done with Nexus if Barrett wins. I like it. Survivor Series could finally be the time Cena turns on everyone. He could help Wade and do it with gusto and a smile. The WWE hasn't done enough with Orton since winning the title. He won it a few ppvs ago and has barely been seen. The odds need to be stacked against the Viper. You can write Orton as champ like when Austin was champ. Orton could start going off, beating up guys on Nexus to where the GM gets pissed. Then, use his power to place Orton in unfavorable positions. An Orton Cena match doesn't build Orton as a face. Sheamus may not be the biggest heel but he helped get the crowd behind Randy. Barrett could as well if written correctly. Miz is the other guy. Orton needs to be put in improbable situations and somehow survive. A cheap ass win in his 2nd title defense wasn't that build. Orton will gain momentum once Miz cashes in or Cena turns. Orton can be a great champion but WWE dropped the ball. You need him to chase again. My biggest gripe is still the WWE title taking a backseat to Cena Nexus. I'll say the match between Orton and Cena was ok for TV. We don't normally see guys kick out of their finishers on free matches. Perhaps, Orton was suppose to be shown tough by kicking out. No shock at the ending as I said before. It works in Orton's favor if Cena turns or has to help Barrett. The fans need to sympathize with Orton not Cena. They can do that with ease at Survivor Series.

Raw had 3, yes 3 quality matches. I'd love that to be the average and not a one time deal. I had hopes Raw would turnaround after Bragging Rights. It seems we are headed in the right direction 1 day after. WWE should continue down this path. Keep giving us wrestling and not drama. Provide us with stories and a reason to tune in week after week. You see how things started to become simplified. One on one feuds with Miz and Truth, Sheamus and Morrison, Barrett and Orton are so easy to set up and move forward. You don't need complexities. WWE writers seem to over think things to often. I'll be a happy WWE blogger if WWE continues to provide the basics and wrestling.

J Call

Friday, October 22, 2010

Bragging Rights Pick

I'm not softening my stance on this show. Bragging Rights sucks. I don't give a crap which team will win. I do care about a few other matches on the card. I look forward to a buried alive match, something we haven't seen in years. Also Bryan and Ziggler could steal the show. The big issue since Monday has been "Stand up for WWE". I'll have my own thoughts on that in the October 25th Raw blog. For now, the focus is on Bragging Rights.

Diva Championship
LayCool (c) vs Natalya
This feud started slow and built nicely over the past few weeks. I didn't think I'd actually be looking forward to a Diva match. I just hope these two are given time. My guess is McCool will be the opponent. I'd love to boldly pick Natalya to lock the Sharpshooter in and make McCool tap. Unfortunately, I feel Laycool keeps.

Champion vs Champion
U.S. Champ Bryan vs IC Champ Ziggler
Hey WWE, don't screw up this match. How you ask? Oh, they could bring Nexus down and kill both before the bell rings. Bryan and Ziggler have a real shot to steal Bragging Rights. They've never met so it's new, both are good in ring competitors and build stories. Out of all the matches, Bryan and Ziggler is the one I want to see most. I would say I win but I have to choose someone. I'll say Bryan.

Team Raw vs Team Smackdown
Do you even care that I didn't name all the participants? I figured you didn't. The build has been the biggest of all the matches. Now it's an elimination match so it will be even longer. I simply don't give a crap either way. I hope someone turns and sets up a feud for a show. Raw wins.

WWE Title
Orton (c) vs Barrett with Cena
Is Cena going to turn heel? Probably not this Sunday. He will down the line. I have a feeling Cena will do the opposite and cost Barrett the match. Orton and Wade had a TOTAL of 2 minutes worth of interaction. Even then, they didn't say a word. That tells me WWE put to much stock in Cena and not enough in the champ or challenger. Orton wins.

Buried Alive Match for the World Heavyweight Championship
Kane (c) vs The Undertaker
If you want to set up Taker and Cena at Mania, then Cena would screw Taker. Kane did it back in 2003 to set up their second mania match at XX. That's not going to happen. I'm still rooting for Sheamus and Taker at next year's Wrestlemania. Bearer has turned so what is left of this story? Well, Taker could take time off again and return for the Rumble. I'm not sure what the hell is going to happen. I wouldn't think Taker would leave again since he just came back at Summerslam. Kane meanwhile is on the biggest push of his career and having him off TV for an extended period wouldn't make much sense either. One man leaves while the other is world champion. It's a gamble but I'm taking Kane.

J Call

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Hawks and Badgers Preview

I was pretty happy I was wrong last week picking against Iowa. The game proved Michigan's offense can put up big numbers on Iowa. It also proved Iowa can take full advantage of takeaways. I don't think there is a need to talk much about the game last week. That is history and the Badger game is the current. I won't lie this game is going to be ugly. Both have a solid defense and the offenses are run heavy. If you're looking for a shootout, flip over to a Pac-10 game. The Hawks come back home and should be ready for a dog fight.

I haven't seen a whole lot of the Badgers this season. From what I have seen, they are a great running team and rely heavily on John Clay and James White. They combine for over 1,300 yards and we are only halfway through the season. The good thing is this run heavy offense plays into the hands of Iowa. Wisconsin isn't the high powered spread offense like Michigan was. Iowa can stack the box with 8 and play physical on the d-line. Last week, you had to worry about Robinson, until he got hurt, taking off for the big run. This week, it's all about the backs so you can come right at the huge Badger offensive line. The stats would show Iowa has been dominating Wisconsin the last few times they took the trip to Iowa City. Wisconsin is averaging 12.5 points per game in Iowa City. The only nervous thing I can say about the Badgers is if they start gaining 4 or 5 yards a carry, the play action comes into play. QB Scott Tolzien is completing 70.9% of his passes, but with only 7 touchdowns and 3 ints. Iowa's defense has 9 ints, thanks Michigan, and 4 fumbles for the season. The need for a turnover is huge. They can stack the box, keep the average carry to 2 or 3 and force Tolzien to beat them. I love the Hawks chances.

The exact same could be said for the Wisconsin defense. Stanzi has shown he has been much smarter with the ball than previous years. I don't know if I will call him the Manzi as our Michigan blogger Chris said when he broke down the Michigan side of things. I do need to give Stanzi more props and give him some love. The kid worked hard in the off season and its paid off. 145 attempts, 13 touchdowns and only 2 ints is a stat line every head coach would take by mid-season. Even so, the Badgers don't want Robinson going off on them. Adam is going to get the bulk of the carries (Who is left?). If Wisconsin can wear Robinson down and make Stanzi beat them, they have a chance. Albeit a slight one. I went back and looked at the stats from Wisconsin's last loss, which was Michigan State a few weeks ago. A few things stuck out to me.

One, Sparti was 50% on 3rd down conversions, 9 out of 18. Iowa needs to duplicate that and even improve. Michigan State was down early, withstood the early deficit and came back to take the lead by ten, 20-10, at halftime. Again, Iowa needs to do the same. A halftime lead by 2 scores will make Wisconsin get out of their rhythm. They will be forced to pass the ball. Against Mich. St. Tolzien was 11-25, way below his average percentage, and he had to play catch up. Iowa reminds me a lot of Michigan State and that's why I chose to compare the two for how to beat Wisconsin. The Spartans showed the recipe to beat the Badgers. Can Iowa find away to stir the pot the same way?

I'm really looking forward to this game and see how Wisconsin responds to such a huge win over the Buckeyes. They are in for a let down and traveling to Kinnick, a top 10 tough place to play, is just the way Iowa will like it. I called this in my Iowa preview. However, I thought the Badgers would be reeling from a Ohio St. hurting. I was wrong on that. Iowa played a tough game last week and found the way to victory. The Badgers fall into the trap and Iowa gets another conference victory. 24-10.

J Call

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Raw 10-18

The WWE continues to push two stories, Cena Nexus and Team Raw vs. Smack. I know Taker and Kane is up there but not as much as the other two. Those two stories have dominated WWE TV. I've said my peace with the Bragging Rights teams, they are worthless and waste of time. I hate this pay per view. I'll give credit to Smackdown since Ziggler and Edge had a beautiful match and Rey Rhodes was second. Raw was an eh last week. The rumor mill is flying high on one particular star on Smackdown. Before we get to Raw, let's discuss Montel Vontavius Porter, MVP.

Rumors had MVP contemplating retirement. I don't believe every rumor, this one seems to have legs. MVP has floated in the mediocrity pool for several months. WWE seems relentless on what to do. The rumors state WWE worries about Porter's past since he was in jail for many years. They also feed on that story to show how he's changed. They worry about the public if he had a big run as champ. Even though, MVP is the longest reigning United States Champion in WWE history. Let me tell you something, Vincent Kennedy McMahon, you of all people should know America is built on 2nd chances and redemption. Michael Vick and Big Ben in the NFL have done their time and we as fans forget and move on. Stop caring about what the hell the public thinks. MVP should be pushed to take on Ziggler. Smack needs him and MVP works hard. This is ridiculous to question whether to push him because of his past. Vince is suppose to have balls the size of grapefruits. Now he's to damn soft. Since the WWE went public and hit the stock market, they went to pudding. Oooh what will the public think about..? Please Shut the hell up! Put the best product you can and push boundaries. We are never going to get the attitude era. I'm fine with that. But if the E is worried about what the public truly felt, then read this: Stop being pussies and push who deserves it. MVP deserves a spot against Ziggler and a solid mid-card spot. While we are on the subject, once Christian comes back don't put him in losing situations. For example, toss him in the Rumble, lose and follow that up with a loss at Mania in the MITB match. We older fans respect the men that put it all on the line back in the late '90s and early 2000's. I can deal with kiddie crap as long as your reaching me with smart story lines and pushing the right guys. You can do both. You're just to lazy.

Wow, ok we can move on. I feel better. Raw kicked off with a bit of a surprise when Teddy Long opened the show. The banter between Long and Cole would have been better if Long told Cole, he doesn't belong on Smackdown. The show was fine before he came over. I liked Teddy taken over. What's a CPU going to do? Raw was full of surprises as Big Zeke is named the final participant on Team Raw. That's a great way to bring him back. I still don't care. I'm all for quality matches though. Smack will likely have some member vs. member matches which is what Raw should have done. As I mentioned, Edge and Ziggler was the best match on TV and the show opened with Rhodes and Rey. I continue to say Smack is better than Raw. The wrestling quality is far beyond Raw.

Drew and Rhodes are good tag team champions. They have really shined now that they have been given a ton of exposure. The WWE must have nothing else for the Dynasty to do. They will break up, feud with each other and then drift away. Where the hell was Bret? Raw was in his hometown and he couldn't make an on air appearance. Apparently, he made an off the air appearance and slapped the Sharpshooter on Wendy.

Speaking of Bret, that brings me to ShowStoppers segment 2 topic this week. They were exploring the top 5 wrestling regrets we would stop. Now, if I had a time machine, I'd keep Bret from signing with WCW. You can hear the rest of my list on SS except my number 1. You, my loyal reader, get that right here. My number one would be stopping Vince from buying WCW. Maybe I should say tell Ted Turner to sell it to anyone other than VKM. The merger ruined the wrestling world. WCW's linage would continue, another cable company would have picked them up and kept things going. I admit WCW needed to clean house. New company, new writers and some new talent. WWE needs competition and a revamped WCW would have been bigger competition than TNA. In fact, had WCW not gone under, TNA would be ECW of today. The wrestling world hasn't been the same and continues on the down hill path. For your information, I wrote all of that during the Dibiase Goldie segment. They have ruined Dibiase and stole what very little credibility Ryder had left. Nothing more to say than that. Did you notice Cole said the Show Miz match has been confirmed? How the hell are matches being confirmed when the Raw GM is unplugged. He said it later in the night too. Nothing like stupidity.

You saw on Raw what I have meant by the WWE title being slighted for Team vs. Team. Orton Cena tag match against McGillicuty (Change his freaking name) and Husky Harris could have easily ended the show. Orton and Barrett haven't even had 1 promo together. They were face to face for a minute two weeks ago. The positive is Harris and McGillicuty got TV time. Husky reminds me a lot of Umaga. Big guy, big body and very agile with good wrestling presence. I couldn't help but wonder if the entire Raw roster was taking a nap while Orton was getting his ass handed to him. Then I realized, they can't do anything they are tied up with this lame ass team concept.

The end with Barrett hitting Wasteland or whatever the hell its called was nice. Orton looks helpless and give Nexus the upper hand. I still wish Orton would have nailed Barrett with an RKO last week. Tonight would have meant more if he had attacked or done something to Barrett. This whole build has been what will Cena do. I don't care. I just don't care. Barrett go the final push on Raw so more than likely the Viper is going to win on Sunday and perhaps extract some revenge Friday night.

I'm starting to develop love for Ziggler. He's funny on the mic and his in ring skills continue to improve. Ziggler and Byran might steal the show Sunday. Seriously, a classic one on one wrestling match, given time will be a potential show stealer and match of the year candidate. Maybe Nexus will ruin that freaking match too. Bryan showed he has some personality. I laughed at his bad white guy dance moves. (Sadly, I have those same moves). Bryan is better than what the WWE has done with him since winning the U.S. title. There is no reason he shouldn't be winning matches and having a feud. He could have been put with Ryder until this week and then set up the IC vs. U.S. match. Once we get passed this horrible pay per view, Bryan and Punk! PLEASE Please make this match WWE. For the love of wrestling god, I want to see a long Punk Bryan feud.

The WWE may screwed things up with the Dynasty, they are making the most of Natalya. She can wrestle and she's starting to look very strong. At first, I was hesitant because they didn't do enough with LayCool. Now, I'm enjoying the story and would love to see them cap it off with a title victory at Bragging Rights. Call me part Canadian because I wanted Layla locked in the Sharpshooter to end the segment. They have teased and teased us with it and Sunday should be the pay off.

I was fine with Miz and Show going at it. I didn't like it finished the show and then Teddy changed it to a battle royal. Ok, a gimmick to end Raw. Why couldn't that been announced? Once Edge and Miz were outside, I figured one of them would win. Smackdown might have someone turn on them this year. They shouldn't win back to back years. I do like Edge and Show being strong. I knew Smackdown would use Edge correctly. If Edge wants to eliminate everything stupid, he'd break that stupid trophy. Again, I'm just not into the story. You may be and a lot of other people are probably with you. My opinion isn't going to change.

I can't wait for next Monday and this stupid ppv to be over. I like cross promoting (We do it on BBSD a lot) but not team vs. team. Raw still lacked a quality contest. Orton Cena tag was ok. I've grown tired of seeing Cena four times in one show. I have a feeling Sunday won't solve anything and the story will continue. I'll have my picks later in the week. Listen to SS for my other wrestling regrets. I'll catch up with you later in the week.

J Call

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Hawkeyes and Wolverines

Iowa has rebounded nicely since losing in the desert with wins over Ball State and Penn State. The latter was against a young inexperienced QB and the team almost shut him down. The same young quarterback managed to reach over 300 total yards of offense against this strong defense. Iowa takes a trip to the big house and against the most explosive player in college. You can talk and talk about players and break down this game anyway you want. I believe it comes down to 2 things.

Since I haven't watched much of Michigan football and don't care to see all that much. I reached out to a Wolverine buddy of mine. Lets see what he had to say the most important thing is for Michigan:

"Well the most important thing for the Michigan Iowa game is obviously how well Denard Robinson will play against the tough Iowa defense. After last weeks slump against Michigan state, he needs to rebound and get back to the top of the Heisman picture."

I couldn't agree more. The first important thing is Denard and the Iowa linebackers. You can't spy Denard, he will run right past them. But what alternatives do they have? This offense for Michigan is all about Denard. He's 9 yards away from having a 1,000 and their actual running back has only 286 yards. The Iowa d has to focus on limiting the giant Robinson run. Leading tackler, Jeff Tarpanian is the man to handle Denard. He can't over pursue on one play or get of position on those qb choice runs. Jeff should get some help though. Iowa is being praised as the best front four in the country. Time to show it off. They've certainly done their part so far giving up a measly 10.2 points per game. It won't be squarely on Jeff's shoulders either. The entire linebacking core, Jeremiha Hunter and Tyler Nelsen will need to do their part. You hear it constantly but it holds true for this game in particular, it will be an entire team effort to stop Denard. He's that good. I like their chances if they limit Robinson's explosiveness. I said in the Zona game, Stanzi couldn't throw a pick early and get the crowd involved. Well the defense can't lack and give up a huge run to Denard early. That would set off the large crowd.

The other thing to keep an eye on is Stanzi against the Michigan secondary. I can't say a lot of good things about a secondary giving up over 300 yards a game. Michigan's overall D isn't much better with opponents gaining 450 yards per game. Factor in they haven't played a ranked team, I'm not counting Notre Dame, except "little brother" and it doesn't look good. Soft is an understatement when you look at their stats. Since I don't want this to be a hate fest on the Wolverines, I'll go back to my buddy for something good to say about their defense.

"Our defense is very young and that's what i like the most about them, they are making freshman mistakes this year but they should learn over time."

He's spot on with that analysis. They are young and make mistakes. Next year, they will be much better. With that said, I still don't trust Stanzi. I should trust him, 10 touchdowns, 2 picks and one wasn't even his fault. Ricky is leading the Hawkeye passing attack to 32nd overall. He's the leader of the team. I still go back to the Arizona game. The loss was on the road in a tough environment. He lead them back and they should have had the lead. Shoulda and woulda doesn't count in football.

The situation Saturday seems to be particularly the same as the game in Arizona. Michigan's enormous crowd celebrating homecoming and hungry for revenge after a loss last week. The Big House practically rattling with the screams and stomps. Denard ready to show last week was a fluke, play like a Heisman candidate and prove his worth against a great defense. All this sounds like a formula for an upset. The Wolverine's defense won't have to work to hard if Stanzi gives them the ball a few times. I'm going against the Hawkeyes until they win a true road test. Wolverines win 30-24.

J Call

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Raw 10-11

I had many questions float through my head before Raw started last night. Can we see Randy Orton for more than 2 minutes? Can we see a match longer than 10? I was also begging for two segments or less of Cena, sadly it was three. Raw did have a few things I liked but sadly it was outweighed by the negatives. Once again, Smackdown was better. The trend needs to break. I have some random thoughts before Raw this week.

On 10-10-10, 10-10-10, 10-10-10, all I heard on TNA was this day will change the complexion of the TNA world. It didn't happen. Every time TNA says they are going to shock us or surprise us, it's a giant letdown. Turning Jeff Hardy heel is the worst. You can grow an entire wrestling company around him. No, they would rather waste him and turn the fan base on him along with Hogan (again) and Jarrett. Another case of TNA having no idea how to write a compelling story. Jeff in TNA is Bret Hart in WCW. The pieces don't fit.

As far as Smack goes, good show. They showed the tag titles, kept LayCool and Natalya going, Dolph Vicki is another story and the main event of Kane and Taker. The payoff for Rey's revenge was complete too. They start a story, build on it and then have it resolve. Raw jumps a little to often and fails to deliver at times. Raw can fix some of the problems and do more than Cena Nexus. Well I thought they could...

Cena opens with the same lame promo he always gives, never give up blah blah blah. I can't believe I'm saying this but I'm looking forward to Cena's turn so I don't have to listen to the same crap. You can't compare Hogan to Cena and say they are similar. The only thing similar is neither of them can act. The segment picked up once Miz and Barrett arrived. I can't get into the whole Bragging Rights teams. Raw and Smackdown are different shows but same company. I just don't care. Why wouldn't Barrett simply tell Cena he has to lose to the Miz? He has all the power. First segment didn't get me to excited for the rest of the show which has to be considered a failure.

First match for a spot on team Raw was a good call. Truth and Dibiase has been a small story. I realize Goldie has entered and will now be the focus for Teddy. The Truth Dibiase thing needed a resolution. The best part of the contest was Truth didn't win with school boy. We see that all to often. A clean win for Truth and he gets to do something at the ppv. The E set something up and finished it off. Now Ted and Goldust can have their story develop for the next several weeks. At least it gives them something to do.

Morrison and Kidd, albeit short, was a good back and forth match. Now a lot of people (read Larry from ShowStoppers) are going to give Morrison a ton of props for the finish. He deserves it. Kidd also deserves credit. Morrison can't do that with just anyone. The Dynasty is more than likely done. Morrison moves on and hopefully we see a promo with him and Miz next week. Who knows for Kidd? I don't suppose David Hart Smith is coming back with a bulldog.

Funny, Santino got a bigger pop than Cena. Ryder should have won though. Santino is more comic relief. Ryder has potential and wrestling skills. I don't get why he stays buried. The U.S. title has no one going for it. Throw Ryder a bone, woo woo woo.

Last week it took 2 hours and 8 minutes to see the WWE champ. This week, 45 minutes. Next week, Orton should open. I've said since I started this blog, the WWE title should take a backseat to nothing. Right now, Nexus Cena has been the headline. I hate it. The match wasn't bad except the flub finish. I'm positive it was Orton's fault this week. He should have rolled under not away. Nobody else in Nexus should even wrestle at this point besides Barrett and Gabriel. You can tell WWE has high hopes for Gabriel, putting him in matches with Cena and Orton in recent weeks. The RKO still looked goo and Orton didn't freak out that the finish screwed up. The mega push Orton received has came to a screeching halt though. Since winning the title at HIAC, Orton has barely said a word and no interaction with Barrett. You need the WWE title in the forefront not foreground.

The other title on Raw has been on the back burner too. Once this stupid Raw vs Smackdown Bragging Rights ppv is over, Sheamus and Bryan becomes a real feud. Raw has nobody left as far as heels. I said Ryder but that's not going to happen. Sheamus though needs a new opponent and push. Sheamus wins and Bryan will probably be off Bragging Rights. Again, the whole team thing is ahead of the mid card titles. Smackdown has Dolph and he's been battling MVP so hopefully that goes on Bragging Rights. It's really a shame how the WWE holds the titles in such disregard anymore. They are the things that put wrestlers over.

I asked for him and Punk's back. No more SES and that's fine. Punk will need someone to feud with and I can't think of anyone more suited than Morrison. I'd like to see a longer match between Bourne and Punk too. I might get that down the road since Punk "injured" Bourne. Evan needs shoulder surgery so he actually will be out for sometime. Once he returns, hopefully they start something. They did something right by bringing back the Chicago native.

Hey, the WWE developed the Diva story, clap clap. Guess what? I liked the segment even if the live crowd hated it. Natalya teases the Sharpshooter and Laycool continues to annoy the universe. I'm not saying Natalya has the best personality or talker. She is a great wrestler and fans will get behind her because Laycool gets massive heat. This works since they are opposites. The Divas don't have to be a joke. The division moved up and will continue if they keep this going.

I have to give credit when its due, Cena and Miz was good. The thing is we know Cena someday will turn heel and kids will cry. For the moment, he teeters. The fan reaction will be the thing to focus on for upcoming weeks. Will the fans, since a lot of them hate him now, turn and cheer for him when he's a heel? Or will the fans who hate him boo him harder? That's the compelling thing in all of this. I'm still confused on Harris and McGillicuty situation. We will know more next week since the main event sets up for them to join Nexus. I hope they join for the sake of Nexus. They need more guys who can wrestle. The ending could have been better. Barrett turned around and Orton should have slithered in and gave Barrett the RKO. That would have taken the focus off Cena and more on the WWE title where it belongs. I will say Barrett is playing the role very well. The "you can't see me" to end Raw was brilliant. Obviously next week Raw will end with everyone involved in the title match.

Raw was better than last week, which wasn't hard. We still haven't seen enough Barrett and Orton interaction. The Diva story moved forward and I couldn't be happier Punk is back on Monday nights. The teams are starting to develop and I don't care. The titles seemed lost especially the U.S. Bryan's not on a team and doesn't have an opponent. Congrats on being the first jobber with a belt. For a long time, I've called myself an old school wrestling fan and maybe that's why I just don't give a crap about the whole Raw vs Smack story. I get more interested in titles. I guess I'm out of the loop. After the pay per view, things better change. Check out ShowStoppers for more wrestling insight.

J Call

Monday, October 11, 2010

The Streak Ends

The perfect football weekend draws to a close with one more game tonight. How can I call this weekend the perfect weekend? Well my friend, when you beat an arch rival for the first time in 14 tries, I'd say that's a great start but that was the end. The beginning was Saturday where some big names fell, some hearts were broken and for all intent purposes the BCS is back to being a big fat can of worms.

Before we dive into the extremely exciting weekend of football, I must first rant on a thing that has been bothering me for quite sometime: fans. That's right fans piss me off. You know why I can't stand most fans is because they dish it and then can't take it. They make fun of every one's team, conference, division, hair color, etc. The fact is if you can't stand people texting you after your team loses, then don't make fun of someone else's team in the first place. Case in point, a good friend of mine and he called me out in his last blog so I will do the same. You see, he makes fun of every conference even the one his team is in and every one's team. They lost this weekend and I'm sure he will breakdown the loss soon. You can't complain when you get a 1,000 text messages from fans of other teams when your team loses. It's inexcusable. My phone blew up when Boise beat OU or anytime OU loses for that matter. Nebraska fans are the worst. They were the most uptight bunch of fans when they were winning Big XII titles and whipping every team in the nation. However, once Callahan showed up they couldn't handle it. I'd make fun of them and either they looked like they were going to cry or want to fight. These my friends, are what I'd call idiot fans. You should defend your team's "honor" if you are a fan. You shouldn't go overboard. Suck it up and take it like a man. We all make fun of each others teams, that's the nature of the beast in sports. Misery loves company. I will continue to text my good friend John when the Cowboys, Red Raiders, Rangers and especially the Mavs when they lose. He, in return, will text me when the Sooners, Raiders and Spurs get their asses handed to them. At the end of the day, I can still call him a friend because it's all in good fun. I love sports but I know it's not life and death. If I didn't have friends make fun of me for when they lose, I wouldn't be able to throw it right back in their face when they win. Where would be the fun?

I didn't think this weekend would be perfect after what happened on Thursday. Nebraska ran over Kansas State in nothing more than a glorified showcase of Martinez. They hadn't been on National Television yet this year. If you saw their schedule, you would know the reason. The Huskers showed off their talents and made K-State looked like, well a Big 12 team. Not the start I was looking for. However, the sun rose on Saturday morning to start a beautiful day, the mood suddenly changed. The early games weren't much to talk about except Ohio State continuing their dominance. I watched quite a bit of the Texas Tech Baylor game. I text John, BBSD blogger and radio host, right after the bonehead onside kick touchdown. I knew this was going to be a day to remember. The late afternoon games had 2 games I looked forward to the most. I claimed before the Bama game that South Carolina would be exposed as a fraud. Thankfully, I am not a betting man. South Carolina did exactly what Bama wants to do to everyone. Run the ball down their throat and come up with big passing plays. The Cocks upset goes down as the first good thing to happen for me. I hate the BCS and I root for 7 or 8 undefeated teams by seasons end. My hatred for Nick Saban and the Tide goes much deeper. The old ball coach got the big win and set the tone.

I watched most of the Michigan Michigan State game with a Michigan buddy of mine. You could feel his disappointment. "Little brother" handed Michigan a butt kicking and eliminated the hype. ESPN touts Michigan and many other programs when they win. I love to see those teams go down. I give credit to our Michigan blogger, Chris for being rational and saying Denard didn't deserve the Heisman hype so quickly. He's certainly not out of the running and will more than likely end up in New York for the presentation come January. His receivers didn't help him out by dropping wide open passes either. I'm giving a lot of credit to the Spartans though. They had the gameplan and played a damn good game. So far so good.

The Florida LSU and Florida State Miami games ended this stellar day of football. Florida has been so good for so long, that it's time they get knocked from their perch. I don't wish ill will on Urban as we all know he had some health issues. He loses a few more heartbreakers such as the one on Saturday, he might end up back in the hospital. The credit really goes to Les Miles. The ballsy fake field goal flip on the would be tying field goal and the game winning td were both reviewed, upheld and I went crazy. Another great game was the Noles and Canes. The game wasn't pretty but it helped OU's non-conference schedule. My only complaint on Saturday was Arizona lost which hurt Iowa.

Sunday, Sunday, Sunday! Oh sorry I thought I was doing a monster truck commercial. Sunday kicked off with the Chefs and Colts only on CBS. I hate KC and can't stand watching Matt Cassel pretend he's a franchise qb. I'll be honest after the first half, I was nervous. KC had a great defensive scheme for Peyton. He looked off all game long. Good thing the Chefs offense wasn't producing anything either. I've watched a few KC games and if you stack 8 in the box and make Cassel beat you, you'll win. Other teams failed, Indy didn't. Peyton put the game winning drive together and finally put the ball in the endzone for the W. KC, no longer undefeated and the NFL day was just getting started. The other early game that was on my television screen was the Pack and Skins. I've seen every team in the NFC East this year and the Skins are the most impressive. Granted, the Giants plowed through the Texans yesterday and the Eagles kept San Fran win less. I'll keep Dallas on hold for a moment. The Skins defense keeps coming after you with ruthless aggression and McNabb makes the plays to keep the game alive. Neither offensive line is that good giving up a total of 9 sacks and almost 20 hits on the QB. However, coming back from 10 down in the fourth to tie and giving up only 3 points to a good Packers offense should receive you some praise. The Packers keep getting hit with the injury bug, Rodgers included. The NFC East is wide open and if the Skins continue to play aggressive defense and McNabb stays healthy, they might make the playoffs and every Cowboy fan just threw up. Speaking of Dallas...

Where the hell is their season going? I can tell you, down in a blaze of shame. Hell even our Dallas homers, Larry and John are writing nasty blogs on how bad the Boys suck. Congrats on coming over to the dark side. I've ripped Dallas enough that I don't need to say much more. If you want a fans perspective, you'll find it here. Well said John. As I said, the East is wide open and they could still make a run. I hope not because I'm enjoying this way to much.

On to the best thing that has happened to a Raider fan in a long long time, a W over San Diego SuperChargers. I was so sick of hearing that stupid song. I watched after the game as Chris Berman couldn't even break down the game as he was mortified. The guys on NFL Primetime or whatever the hell that show is called gave Oakland no love. I'm fine with that because the Raiders never get love. We are a hated franchise. Oakland blocked two punts, changed quarterbacks twice and found a way to reverse the tuck rule for their first victory over San Diego in 14 tries. CBS flipped to the Oakland game right after the play happened. If you're not familiar or haven't seen it: Michael Huff, another 1st round bust, flew in knocked the ball away from Rivers before the arm went forward. Tyvon Branch scooped up the ball and ran it back for the game clinching td. The play was reviewed and that's when CBS flipped. I text my brother instantly because if the play was overturned it would have been circa 2001 all over again. Instead, the call stood and I did my best credit card leap off my chair. Incredible. A lot of writers called Moss, "the crazy hot chick" you don't marry but date for a while. Well the Oakland Raiders are my crazy hot chick. They do just enough good that just went I think I'm jumping ship or cutting ties, they come up with a huge win. I'm not saying this is going to turn the franchise around or begin a hot winning streak. I will say this was the game they had to win. San Diego has been the Raiders kryptonite.

This is why I love sports so much. The ups and downs throughout the year. You write a team off only to see them overcome. One week you are committing sports suicide and the next your at an all time high. It's what makes sports so great. Yes, I've been Debbie Downer in the past with the Raiders. Name me one fan of any team that hasn't been down. You can't and that's what drives us. Fans love to pick on each other and we must take the good with the bad. Eventually one day, your team from any sport, lifts that trophy high in the air and it might as well be the middle finger to all your sports buddies. That my friend is the best day for any sports fan.

J Call

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Raw 10-4

I don't have much to say about Sunday. Nexus didn't dismantle and gained 2 members. Orton is the champ and Miz didn't cash which surprised me. I wish I called the Bearer turn but that's ok because it's leading towards a buried alive match. Overall, WWE delivered a solid program and some questions remained afterward. Raw should have answered some and did. But after a great pay per view, the WWE failed to follow up. No 2nd paragraph, just Raw.

Of course, Nexus opened the show. Who the hell else would come out first? I'd hoped Husky and McGillicuty had joined but Barrett shot that down. They were shown backstage so there's hope these two men will get on Raw from now on and that's excellent. Cena played his part very well during the first segment. The slow burn to a hell is going to be great.

We pretty much figured Cena wasn't going to help Tarver during their tag. I did like what the GM had to say. I don't want Cena beating the crap out of the group but rather slowly turn. You can't rush this and Bragging Rights would be to quick. November's Survivor Series could be a perfect time. I guess Tarver is out now as well. They've gotten to the point we could end up seeing another faction aside from Nexus with the guys they kicked out. Perhaps that's what we will see at Bragging Rights as Nexus could be in another big match versus the rejected Nexus members.

What the hell was that Diva match at around 8:30 ct time on Raw? Natalya makes Fox tap in 30 seconds. Ok, push Natalya but do it in real matches. This gave the fans absolutely no reason to root for Natalya to take the title from LayCool. That was a freaking joke. I could have seen a real match if they didn't spend 30 mins on Cena. Huge letdown.

I hated Sheamus beating up Bryan. How does that help the mid card champion? It ruins what they've built up and creates nothing for Bryan. I hoped a Morrison heel turn and he face Bryan or Dibiase. This killed Bryan's momentum and push. I'd rather see Sheamus do another promo. WWE had something good and then crushed it. Bryan needs a new opponent and story, that wasn't accomplished. The only saving grace was the end of the night Sheamus didn't win the battle royal so Bryan could look for revenge.

All I can say about Edge's in ring promo is, Edge rules. The J.R comment, telling Cole he's a giant tool and everything in between was fantastic. I'm relieved Edge will go to Friday night. He can face Swagger and help that show. Smack got a whole lot better because they will use Edge in the right way, meaning the sarcastic funny Edge. After what we saw in the ring though and how upset Cole was getting, it's starting to build that Cole will be the GM. This segment really helped Bragging Rights too. Edge can lead Smack or be a part of the team and Miz can do the same for Raw. Good cross promoting and at this point it was the lone bright spot.

I found LayCool annoying before and now they have mics during the match. Oh great. I could tell the Diva title means a lot when Raw had a total of 3 mins in 2 matches. That is flat out lazy. I wanted 1 real feud with LayCool and Natalya. I guess that's to much to ask. I'd hate for the writers to become overloaded with work. By all means though give me 10 backstage skits and zero camera time for the man who won at HIAC, THE WWE CHAMPION!!! No wonder ratings suck. The in ring with Dibiase, Maryse and Goldust didn't help either. Goldie was to predictable. I was hoping for Brett Dibiase or someone new to show up and hit on the French Maid, Maryse. Instead, Goldie wants the Million Dollar Belt and it does set up a mini story. I don't think anyone cares. Moving on to the main event.

The Battle Royal was a nice concept if the guy Edge was traded for (Punk? Please!) was the final entrant. I wondered why Cena wouldn't let someone eliminate him. Lawler said if he did get eliminated he should be fired or if Barrett didn't win. That settled the debate in my head. The WWE did one thing right, they kept Morrison in until the final four. His push continues. Raw at least had a good build for Orton. The changing of the guard from Cena as the hero to Orton is complete. The very moment Cena stepped over the top, left the arena and Orton's music hit was the turning point for things. Cena won't be the hero for kids now and Orton is the new face of the WWE. As far as when he got to the ring, we wasted 2 hours and 8 minutes for Orton to arrive and not one word or even an RKO. That's a big disappointment and that sums up the whole show.

Let's not sugarcoat this: Raw was $#!t. A terrible show that spent nearly 3/4ths on Cena and Nexus. Yes, it's a big story. Yes, I'm excited for Cena to turn heel. I don't need an hour and a half on how he feels. They wasted all the Divas, Bryan's push, never found out who Edge was traded for and saw our champ for 2 minutes. Add it all up and TNA could be better this week. Best show will be Smackdown by a mile. This Raw was barely watching or even writing about this week.

J Call

Friday, October 1, 2010

Hell in a Cell Picks

I thought this was going to be a short pick blog with only four matches announced. Then, I listened to ShowStoppers and found out Christian is injured and had surgery. I hadn't heard this yet and sure enough I checked another wrestling site and it's true. Captain Charisma is out for 4 months just in time for the Rumble. So, before I get to my HIAC picks I need to tell the story of Christian's comeback as I see it.

I've said it for a long time, Christian vs Edge at Mania in a TLC match for the WHC. Rumors have the World and WWE titles combining at Mania. My dream match may not happen. Christian is out 4 months and I'd love to see him come and win the Rumble. John made that point on SS. However, that's a little predictable since Cena, Taker, Edge and HHH have all won coming back from injury. Taker and Kane is going to end in November hopefully in a buried alive match. The title will be on Taker and he needs an opponent. Ladies and Gentlemen, I present the Rated R Superstar Edge. Taker and Edge go until the Rumble. Since I'm begging for Sheamus Taker at Mania, Sheamus screws Taker out of the WHC to set their story. Edge now has the WHC and needs a feud. During the Rumble, keep Christian off. I say, the next Friday on Smackdown have him return when Edge is giving an in ring promo. This starts the motions but Christian can't come back and demand a title shot. He has to earn it. The Elimination Chamber is a perfect way for him to do just that. The Rumble is won by a Raw star so their EC is for the WWE title. The Smackdown is for a shot to headline Mania with their champ. Smackdown could have Christian, Rey, a returning Kane, Drew, Rhodes and Kofi while Edge faces off with Taker for their rematch. Christian manages to win the EC and Edge, again with help of Sheamus, holds on to the World. The dream match lives on, stakes are high and Christian adds the stipulation of TLC. I win. But what if WWE decides to unify the World and WWE? That throws a big fat monkey wrench into my plan. If they unify those two, then unify the IC and U.S. Edge could hold on and Christian comes to Raw and wins the other. If neither happen and toss the belts out, that's the easiest of them all. I wouldn't get my dream match of TLC but I would get the classic one on one grudge match. I'm good anyway it happens. I just want it to freaking happen at Mania. Edge and Christian is a huge payoff. With all that said, it's time for the best damn WWE blogger to finally get back to being the best damn WWE picker on BBSD.

One more thing before the picks, I think the WWE will announce an IC and Tag title match on Smackdown and since it's live I don't have spoilers to read. I'm going out on a limb. So if that were to happen, I'm going with Dolph to keep and Rhodes and Drew to keep as well.

U.S. Title Triple Threat Submissions Count Anywhere
Daniel Bryan (c) vs Miz vs Morrison
I'm happy and nervous Morrison is in the match. He's a good wrestler and getting recognition. His push doesn't need the U.S. title as I feel his next opponent should be Sheamus. Miz is in this as a formality. He gets the rematch he deserves. Bryan is the guy who needs the belt. I loved what they have done with him since returning and a long U.S. title reign is perfect. If he were to lose, it shows the E was making up for releasing him and didn't want him as champ. The U.S. hasn't been on a face for a long period of time since Kofi. I'm going with Bryan.

Cena vs Barrett
Stipulation Cena loses he joins Nexus, Barrett loses Nexus breaks up.
Would the E turn Cena heel? Probably not right now. If I were turning Cena, it'd be a slow burn like a candle. For example, Barrett wins and Cena hates being a part of Nexus for a while until he accepts it. He then turns full fledged heel at the Rumble. I don't see it happening tonight. I wish Nexus wouldn't go away because I like what they've done. Cena doesn't lose these matches. Cena wins but a heel turn down the line.

World Heavyweight Championship inside a Hell in a Cell
Kane (c) vs The Undertaker
Without blood, tosses off the cage or crazy spots, the Cell has lost its mojo. They should call the Cell, a big obstruction of view. The wrestlers don't use it anymore and really it gets in the way of the camera getting the good shots. If this match happened 2 years ago, we would see blood and a crazy spot or two. Taker and Kane is an old time rivalry and a Cell match is a great way to keep it going. I've really loved this feud and it's surprises. With Bearer back, I think h will turn heel and go back to Kane sometime. I mean where else can this go? We need twists and turns if this is continuing. The urn gave Taker is "power" and the Cell is his playground. I'm going with Taker.

WWE Title Hell in a Cell
Randy Orton (c) vs Sheamus
Is there anyone out there brave enough to pick Sheamus? Maybe brave isn't the word, perhaps stupid. I was dumb enough to think Jericho was walking out at last months ppv. I'm not quite this stupid though. Orton is having the biggest push since Austin. He's sky rocketed. I feel this match finishes the show with a surprise. Raw's ratings sunk to new lows and I said they shouldn't panic. I think they might. Orton is better at chasing the belt then holding it. Randy wins the Hell in a Cell and Miz cashes to become the new WWE champion. I really hope he cashes and loses.

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