Raw 11-29

The King of the Ring is back! I've always been a fan of this tournament. In fact, this is better than MITB. The winner isn't guaranteed a world title which makes the tournament even more special. You get the briefcase, you get a title. The King must take advantage and do something as momentum becomes his. Some men, Austin, Bret and HHH did and others, Billy Gunn and William Regal never did. It's a crap shoot. The WWE should give the matches time and allow the tournament to be the focus of the evening. They did just that. King of the Ring is a concept we need every year. I like it a hell of a lot more than Bragging Rights. Raw had focus, developed more story lines and mixed it all in with some great thrilling in ring action. Finally, a brilliant Raw to blog about for a change.

Riley almost spoiled the opener. Miz later in the night had a special feel and it would have been ruined if he came out first to gloat. The opening contest was very good. Del Rio is being pushed pretty hard since debuting with a submission win over Rey. Bryan and Del Rio showed off great in ring ability. They were given time, developed a story and had several near falls. The set up for the arm bar submission was beautiful. I couldn't have asked for a hotter start to the KOTR tournament.

You can say a lot about Truth and what he lacks. He has great charisma and always gets a good crowd reaction. The new Nexus shirt is much better than the old one. I didn't care for the use of McGillicuty getting beat down by Cena. He could have been used in a match with Truth. However, you saw later in the night nobody from Nexus was used other than Gabriel as a pin cushion.

I couldn't have been the only one to laugh at Cole and the long facial comment regarding Dashing Cody Rhodes. Morrison and Rhodes weren't given as much time but still did a fine job. I really liked the finish and how both men went for their similar moves. Morrison was my Raw favorite and Rhodes was my Smackdown favorite. I had a good feeling by this time that my Raw man might pull through.

The Chosen One hasn't been so dominant in the past few months. I don't get what happened with Drew's push. He started off hot and is colder than ice. He held the tag titles for a minute and a half. From the opening bell, Big Zeke looked like he was headed for another squash victory. I was pleasantly surprised that the match turned into a pure 6 brawl. The only thing I didn't like was the outcome. We see this in nearly every tournament. The outcome made the tourney predictable. If Sheamus wins, Morrison pins Del Rio. If Kofi won against Sheamus, Del Rio would have beat Morrison. The tournament was going nicely until this happened.

The real Raw started with the man who rightfully deserved to gloat, the New WWE Champion, Miz. Miz's two pictures were hilarious. That little girl is evil. Lawler and Miz had a good back and forth. I didn't want to see Lawler wrestle though. I get it, it's his birthday and the WWE did right by giving him a WWE title shot. Jerry is a good commentary man and can still provide a decent promo. A TLC match isn't something the King should partake in. The WWE was brilliant keeping Orton off for a week. Let Miz get his night and have Orton return a week later.

Sheamus and Kofi did another good job in the time they were allotted. They had a solid finish too. The bro kick was brutal. Kofi did a great sell job. I was convinced Morrison and Sheamus was the final. Two heels in the final takes the crowd out of the action.

WWE continues to throw guys together for a tag team. Seriously, find some new true teams. Oh boy, Cena tweeted he had tickets. Twitter and Cena are both lame. Cena made reference to it later on but seriously if a fan jumps the barricade, he's thrown out. Somehow the geniuses of WWE security are pissed off at Nexus. I know wrestling is fake and these are simply stories. How about some realism? No? Fine then have Cena keep doing the same crap so 8 year old and cougars can cheer. I guess I should be use to it by now. I've only hated Cena since...um forever.

I'm not a big fan of cheap victories and Morrison got one on Del Rio. Rey showing up made sense. They have a long history and are heading towards a 2 out of 3 falls. As I said earlier, Morrison was going to the finals. You knew it too. Morrison and Sheamus needed a rubber match to finish their feud and a KOTR crown was on the line. I give some love to the writers for providing the match on Raw instead of holding out for a pay per view.

Barrett's in ring promo was better than expected. I read reports and saw pictures of Cena in a mask at a house show pretending to be Juan Cena. I'm thankful WWE scraped the idea. We saw that years back, Hogan wore a mask and was Mr. America. We see rehashed ideas constantly in wrestling. This one was an idiotic idea. I'd much rather see this "war" on Nexus. The under card is getting used and Nexus have opponents. I just hope they get revenge on everyone and not killed off.

Maryse finally got an opportunity to wrestle. I believe that makes twice in 6 months. She's buried now and won't touch the Diva title. Unfortunate really because unless they continue with LayCool, which looks more than likely, Nattie has no where to go. The other one is Melina. She could turn heel sometime in the months to come and face Natalya. Smackdown is focusing on Beth and LayCool. The winner of that should be Natalya's opponent but before that she needs someone to match up against. I'm seeing plenty of options.

Morrison and Sheamus backstage promo really helped the KOTR feel important. If only the WWE would do that when it comes to belts. They throw IC and U.S. title matches together without so much as a week of preparation. Writing a story for those belts can't be to difficult. We aren't asking for much yet it feels like we are asking for the world.

The finals match was fantastic. Morrison did his best Hitman impression. He played the underdog role nicely. The crowd got behind John during the match. It shows Morrison is starting to gain a bigger fan base. The role gave Morrison sympathy much like Lawler in the TLC. I know Sheamus won and got the crown. I'm not so sure Morrison might have been the bigger winner. For one, the match was pay per view quality, built momentum and got the crowd excited. Two, Morrison gained a lot of respect in his performance. He certainly gained mine. In the loss, he showed heart, guts and good selling. Dare I say Morrison played a role a future Hall of Fame wrestler once held prominently, HBK. Speaking of Hall of Famers, a returning King of Kings will square off against the new King of the Ring. You have to believe Triple H is coming back very soon and had a hand in the outcome.

I thought a lot about Ric Flair and Edge's TLC match on Raw from January 16th, 2006. I believe that might have been the final shot for Flair to win a world belt. The similarities were eerie. Flair and Lawler were the old timers getting one last shot at glory against the young brash kid. The excitement built in the TLC match much like Flair's. Cole's interference brings in a whole new element to the broadcast table. I have no idea how they will explain that one. You knew Miz was going to win and successfully defend but they brought a hint of doubt to many fans. Miz wins and Orton will return next week for vengeance.

Raw was a solid show. It's been a long time since Raw was good back to back weeks. The KOTR tournament was a focal point as was the WWE title. Both were done with precision. I normally harp and whine when the product is bad and I would be no different if I didn't enjoy this show so much. Even Cena didn't ruin the night. He played a role and his story continues with Nexus. He didn't rule the entire episode and overall Raw had balance which is something it lacked for weeks. You can keep up on all the wrestling you need on BBSD and make sure you check out the ShowStoppers podcast. A new episode will be up on BBSD sometime Tuesday afternoon. You can always get a hold of the best damn WWE blogger on the planet by emailing me at jcall@bigbadsportsdaddy.com. I look forward to answering even more mail in my next mailbag right before Christmas.

J Call

Wrestling Mailbag

I told you I'm taking e-mails and prepared for this mailbag. You email in to giant networks, radio shows and other writers and they rarely answer your emails. We are different at BBSD. We are here for you, the fans. Sports fans, wrestling fans, NASCAR fans and any other thing you are looking for. I take pride that I have so many readers that respond to my work. I give back and that's what I am doing right here and now. I couldn't have done this without you. If you didn't make this one, you can make the next wrestling mailbag. Send your e-mail to jcall@bigbadsportsdaddy.com. I will try and make this mailbag a monthly thing. Real readers and real email.

I've been a wrestling fan for as long as I can remember. Stables are starting to make a comeback. I've witnessed the Horsemen, NWO, DX and the latest Nexus and Fortune. If you have to create a modern day stable, who would you put in and what would you call it?
Sam W. Cleveland, OH

Stables are great ways to elevate talent and I normally love them. When you talk stables, you can't put everyone in it. They need to be an elite group. Four is perfect, much like the 4 horsemen. I'd start with Ted Dibiase. He is the leader of the group. Husky Harris, McGillicuty and David Hart Smith would join him. The group is called Fortunate Sons. Husky is a guy to keep a watch on the next few years. McGillicuty is the worst name I've ever heard of for a guy with the talent he possess. The son of Mr. Perfect should get his name. DH Smith would play the enforcer role like Arn Anderson.

Besides Sting who is the best wrestler never to be in WWE/WWF?
Dan B. Kansas City, KS

Could Sting ever have been the face of WWE?
Josh M. Houston, TX

I figured I'd lump these two together since they are Sting related. First, I say A.J Styles and the Great Muta. Did I show my age with a Great Muta reference? Almost everyone has stepped in a WWE ring at some point so this was a tough question. The Great Muta was a great asset to WCW. He would have excelled in WWF. Styles is the new Chris Benoit. He is a better talker than given credit and damn the boy can wrestle.

The other question is a 100%, HELL YEAH! Sting replaces Warrior at Wrestlemania VI. He pins Hogan and since Sting isn't crazy like Warrior, the push lasts. Sting becomes an even bigger star than he is now. Fans would put Sting higher on every ones list as a great wrestler had he made it to Mania a few times. It's not to late Sting! Speaking of lists:

I'm a huge bigbadsportsdaddy.com fan. I listen to Showstoppers and read your blogs. You guys are always different which is a nice twist. Last week, they discussed WWE top 50 and this week they are going to make a top 25 list as totalled from guys on your site. I wondered what your top 25 list was?
Brian T. Dallas, TX

I'm sure I speak for the hosts of Showstoppers by saying 'Thank you.' My list was this:
1 HBK
2 Flair
3 Austin
4 Bret Hart
5 Kurt Angle
6 The Undertaker
7 The Rock
8 Steamboat
9 HHH
10 Chris Jericho
11 Sting
12 Mr Perfect
13 Hot Rod Piper
14 Macho Man
15 Hogan
16 Eddie G
17 Chris Benoit
18 Dusty Rhodes
19 Andre The Giant
20 Million Dollar Man Ted Dibiase
21 Jerry the King Lawler
22 Superfly Snuka
23 Bruno Sammartino
24 Rey Mysterio
25 Jake the Snake Roberts

I've always enjoyed wrestlers who can wrestle more than guys who can talk and have a big personality. Mr. Perfect, Benoit, Bret Hart and Angle rate high because I flipped over to see those guys in the squared circle. I don't care if some of those guys never carried the World Title or WWE title. Hell, half the time in the late '80's early '90's the IC belt had better matches. I appreciate the art of the story inside the ropes. Hence the reason Hogan didn't make my top ten and Cena doesn't make the list. Neither can tell me a story without 10 promos or interviews. Shawn is the all time story teller in the ring and with a microphone. My only omission is Randy Orton who is number 26 at the very moment. I write this again in 5 years, Orton makes the top 15.

Why do you hate me so much?
John Morrison, Los Angeles, CA

I don't hate you Morrison. I just don't love you like Larry from BBSD does. I already crowned you King of the Ring. What more do you want from me?

I've heard a lot about Cena turning heel and I don't get it. He's the face of WWE and wrestling. Does it really make sense to turn that big of a star heel?
Dustin W. Omaha, NE

In all reality, probably not at this moment. I think we all want it to happen because a lot of us hate Cena. I am one of the haters. All wrestlers become stale and Cena is 3 day old bread. His character is boring. Hogan had to revolutionize his All American character to the Hollywood character and it worked. I thought we would see that type of turn at Survivor Series. We might see it happen down the line. For now, I and many other fans will have to wait and keep booing his ass anyway.

Early in WWE, they use to have a ton of characters. Rick Rude, The Model, The Barbarian and the list goes on. Who is a character no one will duplicate?
Eddie B, Independence, KS

I loved this question. You did disappoint me because you didn't name the best character ever. No one can duplicate, replicate or any other cate The Undertaker's run. He's the greatest character of all time. The great thing is he's changed in minuscule ways. Yet, he kept the same name and character. The biker character never happen. You hear me, never ever was Taker a biker.

You say you're the best damn WWE blogger on the planet. I disagree because you can't pick make pay per view picks to save your life. Give it up man. You suck!
Marcus J, Rock Springs, Wyoming.

Thank you sir. I'm surprised you have a computer or the Internet in Wyoming. I was 5-2 at Survivor Series so suck it.

I just witnessed Miz cashing in and winning the WWE title on Raw. It was awesome and on free TV. What's your favorite WWE or World title change on free TV?
Billy C, Denton, TX

I can think of several to choose from. WCW gave away Goldberg and Hogan in the Georgia Dome in front of one of the largest Monday night crowds ever. Stone Cold demanded a rematch against Kane after losing the night before at King of the Ring. I love Austin and he was part of my favorite WWE title change on TV. Mankind taking the title from The Rock. Raw was a taped show and WCW spoiled the ending on Nitro. That helped the title change. The crowd went bananas when the glass shattered and Austin did the BMF walk down the aisle, hit Rock with a chair and pulled Mankind over for the win. I'd say that is easy a top 5 Raw moment. DX and the Corporation was going strong. Austin was returning and the Monday Night Wars was at the pinnacle. I don't think it gets any better.

J Call

Raw 11-22

I thought it was over. I thought for sure Survivor Series would end the Cena story and turn him into a heel. Instead, we got a cookie cutter, jolly ole’ finished that all the kids enjoyed. It was almost like Christmas came early for the Cenation. The WWE pissed me off last night with Survivor Series ending with that bull crap. Raw saved the day (sort of). I will get into Raw in a minute. I can’t live with that ending without dissecting the reasoning on why I hated it so damn much.

This spot is reserved for a good tongue lashing to one, Vincent Kennedy McMahon. With all due respect, and remember I’m saying with all due respect: You are a big pussy! I don’t care if you are going to turn Cena heel now, tomorrow, a week from now or at Wrestlemania. You screwed the pooch. Everything was right in front of you and you coward out. The scene was set, Cena as special guest at Survivor Series, (the best pay-per-view to screw anyone over). You put Cena in a position to finally give an F-U to all the children, the soccer moms and cougars of the WWE universe by having Cena team with Nexus. If you didn’t want to put Cena in Nexus, fine. John could have given both of them an AA and counted the 1-2-3 and declared himself the New WWE champion. You didn’t. He could have attempted to hose Orton and help Barrett and fail. Orton hits the RKO on both of them and grabs Cena’s lifeless hand and count the pin. You didn’t. Cena not counting 3 on Orton first was brilliant. Orton hits the RKO, 1-2…. Cena stops, attacks Orton and makes Barrett cover for 3. I don’t care how you manage to do it but you f’d up every situation. Piper even alluded to the situation on Raw a week ago. Piper told Cena, “If you do what I think your gonna do then you would spit on every legend. Cena don’t spit in my face.” The lead in was perfect. Vince, my man you had it all planned out. It was going to be a perfect heel turn and finally get everyone to boo Cena. You pulled out. I know why and so does the Universe. Money! It all came down to the fact, you’re afraid of losing merchandise sales. You’re afraid it would be a horrible pr move. The fear turned you into a coward. I don’t know if or when Cena will ever turn heel but it will never feel as right as what Sunday felt. You let me down Vince, you let me down.

Okay, with Raw they did save the day in one way. I will have more on that to come. We start with the opener with Nexus. I thought it was a good opener. Barrett played the role and whine about the ending to Survivor Series. The whole thing still keeps the focus off the the title and on Cena. That's been the real problem the entire time. A WWE title defense on Raw is certainly a change. Glad people spent $44.99 for the same main event Sunday and got robbed by that crummy finish. The World title match wasn't much better. Sorry, I'm moving on I swear.

I caught Punk on Superstars doing commentary and did a great job. Punk reminds me a lot of Macho Man. Both guys speak well and emphasize the right words, Macho usually was insane but I will let that slide, and their in ring ability is well above standards. I can't wait for Bourne to return to feud with Punk. I hope WWE hasn't forgotten about Bryan and Punk either. King of the Ring returns next week and fans under 16 have no clue that was a real way of elevating a star. Austin, Bret Hart, Owen, Harley Race and Booker were all Kings. I'm still waiting on a winner of my WWE DVD giveaway contest. Send a pic of you at a WWE event with a sign saying, "Sheamus the Irish Ghost". First to do so will receive a WWE DVD. Not very hard. Send your e-mail to jcall@bigbadsportsdaddy.com. Again this is a real contest and in conjunction with BBSD.

Sheamus and Truth proved they have chemistry. The match was solid, plenty of twists and turns and was given time to develop. Truth has stepped up and improved his wrestling skills. Sheamus shouldn't win the King of the Ring (KOTR, from here on out, got it) but deserves in the tournament. A former WWE champion doesn't need a crown.

Great job by the WWE to take Miz off the match with Big Zeke. I didn't know at the time the reason, I just thought it was good exposure for Riley. Zeke had to win and keep the push going. I'm glad Punk pointed out how stupid A-Rod is for Riley. Zeke wins in a glorified squash. WWE hasn't helped Riley since he started hanging with Miz. He has to get a win sometime.

Yeah, I really bought into the whole Cena fired promo. The lames thing since he's not going anywhere. Vince must truly love him to let Cena run his mouth about how great his company is. The promo was Cena's best acting ever. The fake tears, the mom card and a new baby, Cena should prioritize his time better. At least Cena knows his audience. I'm a guy over 18 and I'd be screaming Cena sucks. As evidence of the finish to Raw, Cena isn't leaving the company and we all knew this. A giant waste of time for all. Nexus should have came out and beat the crap out of him. I got a laugh at Barrett giving the you can't see me sign.

Bryan and Dibiase both belong in the KOTR tourney. I didn't like the rematch since I hoped the feud was continuing. Now, what's the point? Bryan won back to back contests so a 3rd match is irrelevant. No time given for the rematch on Raw. Once again, Teddy and Maryse get buried. A good thing ruined, like always on Raw.

I almost failed to mention, I was 5-2 on my Survivor Series picks. I can't tell you what a great feeling that was to get a few right. Yes, I gave myself the Kane pick. He kept the title and that's a win. Natalya, McCool, Layla and Beth combine to make a Diva division worth watching. All 4 can wrestle and LayCool can mock them. I believe LayCool will get a rematch. Natalya and Beth can tag against LayCool next week on the 3 hour long Raw. Natalya's squat suplex is impressive. She keeps rolling and smiling. I love it.

Congratulations Tyson got new music but not tights. Kidd is a heel and his 1st match is with the man who should win the KOTR tournament. Not a good sign for Kidd's future. He got some offense in so it was a little better than the Riley match. Raw was heavy on wrestling so I can't complain much. Morrison is my favorite on Raw to win. Rhodes is my Smackdown favorite if he qualifies.

I wondered why a face champion would come out first. You can say what you want about Nexus except they don't get heat. The Nexus has evolved and fans hate on them quite a bit now. I didn't like Orton coming out first and receiving his "injury". That could have been accomplished backstage. The knee injury put sympathy on Orton which worked. I already mentioned how much I hated seeing Cena again. My guess is Cena vs Barrett for Cena's job will be the main event for the next pay-per-view. Once Orton won, I knew Miz was cashing. I'm not just saying that. I felt it when I saw it was 9:58 central time when Orton pinned Wade. I wanted Miz to be the 1st to cash in and lose, I didn't get that wish. I'm good with the finish because Orton chases better. Miz gets more heat and finally Orton will have an opportunity to go one on one with someone and the story can build. No distractions from Cena, Nexus or anyone else getting in the way. One on one for the WWE title. I can't believe how long it took for us to get here. Randy will be on the attack. Riley could take a punt for Miz's actions. I thought Miz and Orton might be put on hold until Mania. Apparently, WWE had a reason for their crappy Survivor Series finish. I don't think tonight salvaged the fine folks that spent $45 bucks on Sunday night though.

Raw made up to a certain degree from what I ranted on in my 2nd paragraph. I like Miz cashing since it was unexpected. Orton can chase and get away from Nexus. Hey, the WWE title is the focal point to finish Raw. I can't believe it. Raw had some nice in ring work and KOTR helps next weeks long 3 hour Raw. The tournament will give Raw a story for the whole night and Orton will certainly be seeking revenge. You can find out more about the world of wrestling from the hosts of Showstoppers on BBSD. If you want to get a last second e-mail into me, I am preparing for the 1st ever all WWE mailbag blog for later in the week. You can send it to jcall@bigbadsportsdaddy.com and if you send me that picture, you might be lucky enough to win a WWE DVD. The best damn WWE blogger on the planet will return Thursday morning for the mailbag.

J Call

Survivor Series Picks

Finally Survivor Series is here. The Cena story ends Sunday. I've been dying for this to be over. WWE built and built Cena as the man in WWE and Sunday, he could be the ultimate heel for the company. We do have more than 1 match on Survivor Series. I'm pumped for Sheamus Morrison, that's about it. If you are a betting man or woman, stop reading. You may also want to call 1-800-bets-off because you are betting on WWE pay per views. My picks haven't been good for a while. I'm trying hard to get these right. I really am.

WWE Tag team championship
Gabriel and Slater (c) vs Santino and Kozlov
I called for Santino and Kozlov to be taken as a serious tag team. They haven't been serious and are still in this match. Survivor Series is going to be a night for Nexus. I can't see the tag belts leaving them. I'm taking Wendy and Gabriel.

WWE Diva Title
LayCool (c) vs Natalya
The Diva title seems to mean something. I'll hold while you catch your breath. This has been on both Raw and Smackdown. The girls have all had their moments. Natalya beat Layla. LayCool makes fun of Natalya and pinned her at Bragging Rights. I've fully enjoyed this feud. I wish I knew how close Beth Phoenix was to returning. I'm going to say she's close and a payoff with LayCool lays awake. LayCool successfully defend their title.

Team Mysterio vs Team Del Rio
The traditional Survivor Series match may be the hardest to chose. Big Show and Rey have been on a tear. Del Rio has been on several shows and winning matches. Rhodes and Drew recently lost their tag titles and broke up. MVP lost his shot at the IC belt. I think Drew and Rhodes hurt their chances and Big Show does enough to win. You make a movie, you win matches. Team Mysterio survives.

Intercontinental Championship
Dolph Ziggler (c) vs Kaval
The match will/was announced on Smackdown depending on when you read this. Kaval makes the challenge 2 days before the event is not a good sign. I like Kaval and down the line, he might win a match of this caliber. For now, Ziggler is on a roll and the best heel character on Smackdown. Ziggler keeps.

John Morrison vs Sheamus
The simple and effective story of one on one. The build for this has been better than all the other matches. Morrison has gotten the better until Sheamus knocked him out backstage on Raw. It's felt like an old feud where both guys hate each other. They've played their roles well. I want this to continue and both men to win one match against each other. If this is the only match, Morrison needs the win. I doubt WWE kills this after SS. I'm picking Morrison.

World Heavyweight Championship
Kane (c) vs Edge
Kane keeps on dominating Smackdown. Reports had him asking for a mega push and he's received. Edge has been the highlight of Smackdown since the trade a month ago. He's been written in great stories, wrestled some quality matches and the abduction of Paul Bearer was brilliant. Edge has been great but Kane rules Friday nights. Kane is still the world champ after Survivor Series.

WWE Title
Randy Orton (c) vs Wade Barrett with John Cena as special guest referee.
Your time is up Cena. The time to be a heel is now. I may not believe Barrett is championship worth yet but I thought the same thing about Sheamus. I like the Irish Ghost now. I might grow into believing in Barrett. Randy is the star of WWE and the reason I watch Raw. Orton chasing is written better than as champ. Cena as a heel will get the entire WWE universe to get behind Orton. No more half the fans hate, half the fans cheer for Cena any longer. The time feels right. Cena screws Orton and Barrett is the new WWE champion.

J Call

Raw 11-15

The Old School Raw might have been just what this WWE blogger needed to boost his spirits. The shows the past weeks have been sub par. Okay, in actuality they sucked. I'm trying to be nice but it's hard. Even Smackdown didn't do much for me. I'm not going to mention TNA and their lame ass new title. Before Raw, I have to get to a great email I received the other day from a loyal reader.

J Call,
I've been reading your blogs for a while. I'm disappointed you've never taken an email. You talk about several wrestlers past and present. The WWE roster is full of potential. Who do you see as an underutilized wrestler in WWE?

Mark Robinson, Portland, Oregon

My apologizes for not taking email before. I love your question because yo u could name several guys or Divas. I keep coming back to Teddy for the answer. Ted Dibiase Jr. could be a U.S. champion already. His body of work isn't huge. He was part of a great stable for 2 years. Dibiase, along with fellow Legacy brethren Rhodes, has only held tag gold. Daniel Bryan has nobody as a threat to his title. I'm sick of the Goldust thing. Teddy has the skills and tools. He should have had Million Dollar Challenges when he brought in that belt. He and Morrison never matured. Crowds don't feel he is relevant. The fans are right. I wouldn't have changed his music either. The way I see Teddy is getting in the U.S. picture once the Goldust deal finishes. He's going to be in the MITB match at Mania. In another year, things will be different for the Fortunate son. Thanks for you the email.

If you would like to email a question to me, send it to jcall@bigbadsportsdaddy.com. I am still conducting my WWE DVD contest. If you send me a picture with a sign that says, "Sheamus the Irish Ghost" and I can tell you took the sign to a WWE event. I will send you a WWE DVD. I'm not lying. This contest is in conjunction with BBSD.

I must say I'd love to see Raw start using that video package and music every week. They could keep the platform out front as well. I loved when they did live interviews in front of the crowd. It keeps them involved instead of staring at a large screen. Sometimes simplistic is better than trying to out do other and creating fancy backgrounds. I could tell after the 1st segment, I was going to love Raw. The feeling brought me back to my childhood.

I was very happy to see Ziggler on Monday night again. I hoped he was facing Bryan. Henry's sexual chocolate role was a sweet touch. I forgot all about that. They had a quality match. Nothing special but forged Ziggler in the right direction. My problem is Ziggler's finisher. Henry kicked out of the Zig Zag which makes me believe the sleeper is going to finish Ziggler's matches. The Zig Zag is much better. He can hit that for a surprise finish. The sleeper is to predictable.

The Dynasty finally broke up for good. The finish works much better now that Kidd is going to be the heel. David will make a better face. After the match, I couldn't help but wonder what the Nexus would do with the tag titles. They need a new contender. Luckily Raw later in the night solved the issue.

We haven't seen Harvey Whipelman or the Brawler in years. I don't need to see them again either. Big Zeke is on a tear but I think he's got to be a heel before he strikes it big. He has the look and he made a good heel on ECW. The change will come soon.

The GM is certainly not old school. The match made with Barrett and Truth was interesting. Barrett hasn't done enough to win over fans as a true main event star. At least Nexus was banned from ringside so it was a classic one on one contest. Barrett needs to win without interference week after week. Before Raw hit the airwaves, I worried this show wouldn't help continue stories. By this time of Raw, they had which eliminated my fears.

Miz weaseling out of his match with Cena wasn't what I had in mind. The match with Riley wasn't anything more than a typical match with Cena. Riley didn't show much offense. The finish was good. Orton and Cena furthered the story and the announcement of Piper's Pit to boot. I've said for weeks that I'm tired of Cena. Well I am. Survivor Series couldn't come soon enough for the send off.

The WWE needs to learn to stop giving the Shiek a live mic. He always rants on Hogan. Shocking, the tag titles have a future opponent. I've mentioned before Santino and Kozlov would make a good tag team match for Nexus. The Morrison save leads to a match at Survivor Series with Sheamus. Thank you! The setup with Brisco and Arn was really well done. Good to see Brisco and Arn needs to be on TV more.

Kofi's return was nice but he hasn't had much interaction with Nexus over on Friday night. He isn't doing anything on Smackdown. He feuded with Ziggler for the IC title for a long time and now has nothing to do. I'd like to see them start a Kofi Rhodes story. I think those 2 would mesh well. George "The Animal" Steel? Hilarious. I can't recall the last time I saw that guy. Kofi hit a beautiful Trouble in Paradise. Opponents need to take lessons from Otunga on that move. Sometimes it looks horrible.

Truth and Barrett put on a decent match. I thought it should have went 2 segments. They had it set up for 2 and instead of a commercial Raw stayed with it. Barrett still didn't show much offensive skills. That's why the match needed to be longer. He still hasn't proved enough to me that he can headline pay per views. WWE had to give Barrett time and failed.

Tito Santana looked great. Tito never got the credit he deserved as an in ring performer. I know some people don't like Del Rio. I'm in the opposite field. Del Rio does a good job and actually gets a crowd reaction. He gets serious heat. His mannerisms are a bit much at times. Even so, Del Rio is here to stay and I'm all for that. Got to love the Sarge except for his wrestling. I didn't need to see that. He could have called someone down to face Del Rio. I guess it got Alberto over. MVP isn't finished with Ziggler yet so the save didn't make much sense. MVP deserves one more shot for the IC title before moving on. Hell, Ziggler hasn't had many opponents since winning it from Kofi. Perhaps, they could make a triple threat and give the IC title meaning.

Mae Young didn't know what PG meant either. Bitches and sluts, sweetness. You see the world didn't collapse when she said that. WWE take notice. We like hearing that. It even got a big pop. I'll bet you if your grandma said slut or bitch you would laugh your ass off. The whole segment didn't help Natalya and LayCool. I'm sure Smackdown will do that.

My heart warmed up to see JR. Bryan and Swagger, with time, could put on a wrestling clinic. They did a nice job with the time given. To bad the entire match was ruined by douche bag Cole. He ruins everything and that's his character. Cole could be wiped off the face off the Earth and only his mom would miss him. Good Ole Jim Ross could have told him Raw got their highest ratings ever when he and King called the action alone. What should have been something cool was a cluster of 3 guys talking over each other. Vintage Cole. Bryan and Swagger is a match I would watch again. I swear I wrote about Dibiase way before Raw started. You know my feelings on the attack. Dibiase and Bryan, where do I sign up?

No main event but a Piper's Pit was sweet. You can give Piper a mic and he brings it every time. He can always deliver a great promo. The face to face with Cena was fantastic. It provided a different view for the heel turn on Sunday. The ending was a great prelude. I'm ready for the finish and see what Cena does. He got the final word on Raw. I honestly have no clue what is going to happen. I've always though Cena would turn on everyone. I don't know now. Orton should have been out longer in the segment. I've written it dozens of times, the WWE title takes a back seat to no one. The whole Cena thing took away from the title and made Cena the story. Yes, Cena is important but the title is what every body wants. Piper tried to make the title feel important. To little to late.

Raw felt special. This type of show was just what I needed. We saw some new things tonight. Dibiase and Bryan is a huge lift for the show. I can't wait for that to develop. The tag champs actually have a title defense ahead of them. We might see both on Sunday. Some of the backstage skits all the Rhodes and the Morrison segments worked and others, Atlas, didn't. Altogether, I felt Raw brought something to the table. I shall return later in the week with my Survivor Series picks. If you need more wrestling opinions, check out the podcast of Showstoppers on BBSD.

J Call

NFL Mid-Season Report

The NFL is halfway through the season. The final teams are getting their bye week this weekend. I wrote an NFL preview blog and I thought it would be fun to take a look at what I had then and see where we are now. I think I did pretty well considering the NFL is the most unpredictable league. I started with the NFC West back in August so we begin there.

NFC West
1st predictions: Divisional Champ San Fran 10-6, Arizona 8-8, Seattle 6-10 and Rams 3-13

At first glance, you would think this is a fat blunder. Well it was. I never thought Bradford was changing the entire landscape of football in St. Louis. I expected a fall off in Arizona and at 3-5, I was close. I had San Fran winning the division (so did everyone else) and Mike Singletary winning Coach of the Year. My bad. They stink and aren't sniffing either. Mike might be heading for the unemployment line. I have no idea what's going to happen in the 2nd half for the West. We could witness a 7-9 divisional champion. My rookie of the year is Bradford and I'm riding him and the Rams into the playoffs.

NFC North
1st predictions: Divisional Champ Green Bay 12-4, Wildcard Vikings 11-5, Bears 7-9 and Lions 5-11

I was right on line with the Packers, Bears and Lions. Detroit with Stafford may have been better than I predicted. We won't know because Stafford keeps getting injured. The Bears continue to be a roller coaster ride each week. Minnesota is the real fraud. Favre has stunk up the field and everyone around him has disappointed. The Moss trade was humiliating. Players are coming out to the media saying they wish Childress was gone already. Be patient because at the end of the year he will be fired. I'm taking away the Wildcard from the Vikings. I had the Packers winning and I still believe that. Rodgers was my MVP. With all the injuries Green Bay has had on the offense, he deserves more love for the award.

NFC South
1st predictions: Divisional Champ Saints 12-4, Wildcard Falcons 10-6, Panthers 6-10, Bucs 4-12

Who knew Moore and Clausen were going to suck and the running game was running away? I didn't. I felt Carolina had a legit shot to compete in the NFC. Instead they may not win more than 4 games. Tampa has been a huge surprise. The Bucs have a chance with a semi-easy schedule to make it 8-8. I won't push them farther than that. Other than having the bottom two in opposite positions, I'm sticking with the Saints and Falcons in the playoffs. Atlanta is good enough to win a wildcard and the Saints will do enough to win the division.

NFC East
1st predictions: Divisional Champs Cowboys 11-5, Giants 9-7, Skins 8-8 and Eagles 8-8

My biggest mistake in the whole preview. The Cowboys have one more than the Bills. They fired Philips (2 years to late). The Redskins and Eagles are right around what I thought they would be. The Redskins have made all the news and I still think they get to 8-8. The Cowboys have no chance for anything other than a top 5 draft pick. I'm giving the wildcard I had the Vikings with and picking the Eagles. The Giants have been much better than I believed. If they keep destroying teams, the NFC might go through New York.

AFC West
1st predictions: Divisional Champs Chargers 10-6, Denver 7-9, Oakland 7-9, Kansas City 5-11

Ok, Kansas City is playing good football and I thought they would suck. They also have the easiest damn schedule in the NFL. KC has played 2 teams with a winning record so far and have 2 left on the schedule. Denver is on the path of finding a new coach again. They are terrible. San Diego seems to be charging as of late. My Raiders are surging. A 3 game winning streak and the defense is coming together. The concern with Oakland is the schedule gets much tougher. I don't think they can over come the stretch of good games to make the playoffs. This division is still the toughest to predict. KC's easy schedule gives them the edge. But I'm a stand up guy and will stick with the Chargers to win the division.

AFC North
1st predictions: Divisional Champs Ravens 13-3, Wildcard Cincy 10-6, Pitt 9-7 and Browns 4-12

It's true, I bought into the Bengals. I thought with all the added talent on offense they would hold down Pitt. I was wrong. I still love Baltimore and think they are better than the Steelers. Cleveland has snuck up on the Saints and Pats in back to back weeks. The Browns will beat out the Bengals in the North standings. I'm swiping the Wildcard tag off Cincy and giving it to Pitt. Baltimore still wins the division.

AFC South
1st predictions: Divisional Champ Colts 12-4, Wildcard Texans 10-6, Titans 5-11, Jags 3-13

In my NFL preview I asked one simple question about the Colts, "Does Peyton Manning still QB this team?" Well he does and I'm sticking with Peyton and the Colts to hold off stiff competition from the Titans and Jags to win the division. Manning has lost several pieces of his offense and keeps winning. Houston hasn't found a secondary so that Wildcard prediction is wiped away. The Titans and Jag have played better ball than I believed. The South is very competitive. Tennessee adding Moss should keep them in the Wildcard hunt. I'm not willing to give it to them though.

AFC East
1st predictions: Divisional Champ Pats 11-5, Jets 9-7, Miami 8-8 and Bills 2-14

We end with my best predictions. I was spot on with Buffalo and Miami. Buffalo plays hard but can't get over the hump. Miami is 4-4 and switching quarterbacks. I don't fully comprehend that decision. New England dumped Moss for Branch and it worked. They are still winning the East. The Jets are now getting my other wildcard spot that went to Houston. Their defense is great and the Jets offense will survive.

I'm giving myself a chance for redemption. I hope I can do a little better the second time. I finished my first prediction with the Super Bowl pick of Baltimore and Green Bay. I'm not backing away from that. Baltimore and Green Bay both have great shots to make it. As good a shot as anyone in the wild NFL.

J Call.

Raw 11-8

I would like to move forward and not dwell on the horrible Raw from the previous week. You've moved on and so have I. Didn't happen like Rocky V. I will say I enjoyed Smackdown. The addition of Nexus was unforeseen and added to the story. I thought Raw might focus on wrestling in the United Kingdom. I was wrong. For the second straight week, Raw was a huge failure. I think it's mainly the Cena Nexus story since I can't stand it. I will get to what pissed me off most about Raw after we hit a different topic.

Brock Lesnar was all the talk two weeks ago. Everyone was speculating on Brock and Taker at Wrestlemania. We need to scrape that idea and toss it aside. Someone else makes much more since and will have a greater impact. I'm going on a trip back in time, 9 years ago to Wrestlemania 17. Vince had purchased WCW. McMahon vs McMahon, HHH vs Taker and Austin Rock were main eventing. Austin turns heel and teams with Vince to end Mania. The story goes that night another man was suppose to drop from the rafters. Fast forward to the present. Wrestlemania 27 is in Atlanta, GA, WCW's old stomping grounds. WWE is planning to do an entire WCW Hall of Fame. That same man who was planning to arrive from the rafters at Mania 17 is a free agent. The man is from Omaha, NE but was always announced from Venice Beach, CA. I'm sure you know by now I am referring to Sting. Sting should sign with the WWE. A Sting Taker match would trump everything. He would go into the Hall and wrestle the biggest Wrestlemania Icon in wrestling. Even if Taker is still hurt, Sting could meet Triple H. The stories are endless and would be a fantastic sendoff. Sting has never wrestled in a WWE ring. I don't think this would be Bret Hart in WCW situation. TNA can't do justice to Sting. WWE is the perfect place for a final run in one of the greatest wrestling careers of all time. It's showtime Sting!

We can focus on the b.s that was Raw. The reason I liked Nexus invading Smackdown was because it would develop something other than Cena and Barrett. I was wrong. The opener kept it to Barrett and Cena and a small mention of Otunga's failure from Friday night. The pop Orton received was deafening. I knew U.K. fans were smart. The announcement was fine until they added Cena as the ref again. We had seen this already. The 5 on 5 happened on Smack. The only difference is the wrestlers from Raw and Cena. I'm tired of the freaking Cena story. Orton made the point that Cena isn't his opponent, that's Barrett. We wouldn't know that unless he said it. I understand they are trying to build up the suspense. It's not working.

I thought Maryse stopped wrestling. The whole soccer thing was a good idea. I'd rather seen someone other than the Bellas though. Tamina looked good for the short time she wrestled. She has some skills and a future. I'm really pleased she is away from the Uso's. The only way she will be taken as a wrestler is to continue wrestling and stop managing. Right after the pin fall, Josh Mathews made me feel like I was watching Superstars.

The Dynasty and Uso's use to mean something. I know you laughed because it never did. The crowd didn't care and David Hart Smith is from the U.K. Just break the Harts up already. I guess they are waiting for Survivor Series and have them fighting and cost Natalya during her Diva title match.

The Goldust Dibiase thing hasn't gotten enough exposure. One week it feels like something. The next, Dibiase is doing something else. I'd much rather see Bryan and Dibiase for the U.S. The finish was even more confusion. Is the feud over? I have no idea. The writers don't know either. They throw something on the table and hope Vincent likes it. I said last weeks was awful and WWE wouldn't change. By the midway point of Raw, I was right.

Cena and Otunga was a glorified squash. Otunga was looked as a weak member when Nexus began. That part keeps going. There isn't much more I can say about Cena and Nexus. It's stale. The build hasn't developed like I thought it would. We aren't witnessing a Hogan like heel turn at Survivor Series. I just want it over no matter the outcome.

I'm still waiting for an email of you holding a "Sheamus the Irish Ghost" sign at a WWE event. I told you I don't care if you make it on TV. I want to see a picture that shows you are at any WWE event and I'll send you a WWE DVD. I don't know how much easier I can make it. Send your picture and email to jcall@bigbadsportsdaddy.com. This is freaking legit. A WWE DVD will go to the first person who sends a picture. The tea party was entertaining. Santino had some great lines and Kozlov was hilarious. I forgot how great it is when he use to say double double E. Morrison and Sheamus is setting up nicely. We have seen him make the save for two weeks straight. Next week it will be announced for SS.

Main event time. The great thing about foreign crowds is how much they respect the mat wrestling. They enjoy actual wrestling inside the squared circle. I love it and respect that. They are old school wrestling fans. The 5 on 5 match had some pros and cons. The pros are you see glimpses of how good guys like Harris and McGillicuty can be with Bryan, a few guys that have nothing to do get on TV and it helped Orton and Barrett. The cons are it did nothing for Miz, Bryan or Truth unless they are planning a traditional Survivor Series match. Miz hosed Orton which does nothing. Orton is set up with Wade not Miz. Where the hell is the pay off? Stupid.

Raw had to many backstage skits, fillers and not enough wrestling. Oh, so it was the same show we have seen for years. Pretty much except the main story bores the hell out of me. The mid-carders are doing nothing. I'm intrigued with next weeks three hour old school Raw. I am a self proclaimed old school wrestling fan. It can't be worse. The WWE needs changes, not fire Wade and make Garrett the coach changes. I'm talking real changes. I'm praying for those after Survivor Series. I don't know what to do if no changes arrive and we continue seeing the same bull crap. I look forward to seeing your emails.

J Call

Raw 11-1

A relatively quiet week for wrestling. The week finished with Edge becoming Kane's new opponent and Bryan and Ziggler finished with 3 great matches. It's crazy to think two guys who never wrestled together stole 3 out of 3 shows. Raw needs more than Cena and Nexus. I'm so sick of the story before Raw started. I thought for sure this weeks' show would continue to push a few new developments. Sheamus and Morrison was the only one. Punk's injury put a damper on the Bryan feud. After watching Raw last night, I questioned why I keep coming back to wrestling. Raw was awful.

The man who holds the most important title in wrestling opened Raw. About damn time. I enjoyed Orton and Cena's back and forth. Orton making fun of Cena was great. I'd still rather seen Barrett first. However Orton needs to be setup so when Cena turns, the fans will sympathize with Orton. Either way, we were going to see Cena in the first segment. May I have your attention please. I just wrote an email that says and I quote, "Cole sucks." The tag match was ok. I didn't like the situation though. The WWE is pushing hard with Cena and Nexus. It dominates the #1 show. I was fine with Orton opening. By the end, I was even more disgruntled with Cena and it wasn't more than 10 minutes into Raw.

The Hart Dynasty received their 90th opportunity to become number 1 contenders for the tag titles. If only the WWE had more tag teams this crap wouldn't be happening. Another story going wrong. The Dynasty shouldn't be breaking up. WWE has 2 maybe 3 tag teams we know. The Dudebusters, Nexus and uh um... well the Dudebusters and Nexus. The division is sorry. Instead of attempting to build it, Smackdown dismantled Rhodes and Drew and Raw splits the Dynasty. Not hard to keep your titles when there's no one to defend them against. Put Cryme Tyme back together, push the Dudes and keep the Dynasty alive. You can't tell me the FCW doesn't have some tag guys to bring to the main stage. This is why Harris and McGillicuty shouldn't have been tossed in with Nexus. I realize it gave them something to do but they weren't doing anything on this episode.

Sheamus had a sweet look after he said, "I beat myself." Yeah that sounds strange you Irish Bastard. Santino must read the blog or just thought the whole Halloween ghost thing was funny. I've thought for a long time 'Irish Ghost' would be a sweet sign. I tell ya what, if you go to a WWE event and bring a sign that says "Sheamus the Irish Ghost" and send me a picture to Jcall@bigbadsportsdaddy.com I will send you a WWE DVD. I'm dead serious. First one that sends me a picture will get a WWE dvd. I have to be able to tell you went to a WWE event. I don't care if you make it on camera or not. You just have to have a picture of the sign with you holding it up. As far as the match with Kozlov, it was ok. Morrison and Sheamus is picking up steam. Sheamus needs to find a partner, then tag against Morrison and Santino.

Nothing says PG like a guy caught in a x-rated movie playing with himself. Lita was a nice surprise. I figured she was close to signing with TNA. Although she might run from that place with the Hardys over there.

Big Zeke and Ryder are two men that can match with Bryan. They have ruined Ryder so its more about Zeke. He's not doing anything else. We don't know whether to boo him or cheer. Raw had 3 matches that were a total of 13 minutes. They may as well call Raw a variety show. Take wrestling out of it. Pathetic!

Speaking of doing nothing, Miz is floating around in the wrestling atmosphere. They had to bring Big Show in just so Miz had something. A giant waste of time came to mind about the entire segment. I had to sound like a broken record but use the damn roster you have. They bury half, a quarter is injured and the others are wandering. The roster is weak. This week proved it with Show having to wrestle Miz. You don't see Raw guys on Smackdown. Why would you? They use their roster so efficiently. A guy like Kavla all the way to Kane are used each week. They develop the talents of Rhodes, Drew, Truth and then Raw ruins them. Edge has been on Smackdown for a little less than a month and is already being pushed correctly. Even if Miz and Show put a decent match, there was still no rhyme or reason.

Dibiase's new music sucks and Bryan should get an original theme. It was funny once. I said it in the opening paragraph, I'm bummed about Punk's injury. CM and Daniel could have saved Raw. Punk's loss is Dibiase's gain. I'm very happy if they were to continue with Bryan and Dibiase. They had a short yet quality was there. I'd written Dibiase and Goldust off and then give Teddy a win over Bryan. He'd be #1 contender for the U.S. and fill in for Punk.

LayCool had to help Raw too. As stunning as it sounds, Natalya and McCool had a wonderful match. Natalya showed off some solid skills and LayCool didn't get one past her for a change. They have 3 weeks to create a build for a Diva title match. I prayed to the wrestling gods that LayCool and Natalya would have this long story. It came true. The writers are finally writing a good Diva story. They were perhaps the lone bright spot on Raw.

The whole McMahon coma political nightmare dream skit was simply not funny. I'd like to see the real Vince back if it makes sense. I made a point to bring up Triple H last week and I stand by it. I miss Triple H. If either were to come back and not be GM or leader of Nexus, then I'm happy. The right idea comes up, Raw would be a better show with Vince and Triple H. In the meantime, keep your stupid ass political views to yourself and give me what I tuned it for, wrestling.

Main event time with Truth and Otunga. Is that a main event? WWE must have forgot they have Skip Sheffield too. He is a guy who be trying to get revenge on Nexus. He could easily be written in against one of the other guys not doing anything. Horrible execution all the way around. Truth got the main event rub. I recall Bourne getting that a few months ago and then was buried. I'm sure nothing will come of Truth either. I did laugh at the finish. Orton dupes Cena and Barrett for a finishing RKO the camera nearly missed. That's all I found good with the tag match.

Raw was PATHETIC! The writers continue to focus on Cena Nexus and are finally incorporating the man Barrett is facing. That's great it only took an extra pay per view to make Orton a focal point. He's only the freaking champion of the company. Name me one thing Raw had that was memorable? You can't. I'm not going to remember 1 damn thing. The lame ass attempt at humor with Pee Wee or the McMahons. The 5 backstage segments were worthless. The 25 total minutes of wrestling is the real humor. I use to be pumped to watch Raw. Th crowd was bored and so was this writer. Raw had quality last week. I was ashamed at myself to miss the World Series being crowned and a good MNF game for that crap. Raw ratings will suck and WWE will do nothing. They will blame it on the two games. The product is why ratings sucks. Wrestling doesn't need new characters, it needs new writers. Stand up WWE grow some balls and change something or this WWE blogger might walk away from something I dearly love.

J Call

The Defining Moment

The NFL season is coming to the halfway point. Some teams are a sinking ship and others are playoff bound. This season has been crazy wacky and any other word you can find for absolute nuts. The season for teams comes right down to a single moment. It's a defining moment. Your team will make or break the year on this moment. We have seen many of these moments so far this year. The biggest thing is if your team's moment is an injury that's not the kind of season you want. If it's a pick 6 for a win, your season might take off like a rocket. We start in the desert.

Arizona Cardinals- They are a mess. They are still contending in the NFC West. They are only one game back of the Seahawks. I don't know if that shows competitiveness in the West or describes the pathetic West. Their moment was Kurt Warner deciding to put on his dance shoes instead of football cleats. The Cardinals would have had one more year of domination in the NFC West with Warner. Derek Anderson and Max Hall aren't cutting it. They needed the Hall of Famer.

Minnesota Vikings- Their moment was when Brad Childress decided to send the house after Favre. Favre returned and looks an old man because he is an old man. The media still loves him and continues to praise his toughness. We should substitute the word toughness for pride. You can praise his pride. He has the heart but he doesn't have the tools. Also, Jared Allen should have never cut his mullet. Allen was a sack machine last year. He cut it and now the defensive line puts pressure on no one. Bring it back Allen.

New Orleans Saints- Last night. That was the Saints moment. Beating Pittsburgh at home on a Sunday night game. They needed that win. The offense hasn't looked the same, the running game struggles and lack of turnovers by the defense has put everyone talking "hangover." Well beating a Steeler team that was the best team in the NFL was a season changer. They got the turnovers. They got the big plays from Brees. They may have saved their season in one night.

Dallas Cowboys- The team a lot of "experts" picked to win the Super Bowl might be lucky to win 3 games. The moment Jones decided to keep Wade comes to mind. Wade is receiving most of the blame and rightfully deserves it. I say Romo's injury though. They weren't good while he was playing but any hope for a turnaround was flushed when Romo broke his collarbone. Why the hell are they waiting on surgery? The Cowboys should pack it in and get ready for some house cleaning. A top left tackle should be on Jones mind right now not salvaging the season. That's history.

Saint Louis Rams- Are they the biggest surprise of the year? Yes in my opinion. You can look at any one's first preview and not find the Rams near .500 at the end of the season or even predict them to have 4 wins all year. Their moment was drafting Bradford. He's the real star out of the draft. The injuries were the focal point. I say were because we can't talk about them anymore. Bradford has proved his worth. The Rams have a fighting chance in a horrible division and a weak schedule.

Houston Texans- I can't predict games very well but the Monday night game tonight is the Texans moment. If they sweep the Colts with a convincing win, they will launch themselves to the playoffs. If their defense can't stop Peyton with half his targets out, the Texans will sit at home again. This is the game to define Kubiak's tenure. The term must win gets thrown out to often. I say it fits this scenario.

Cincinnati Bengals- I text the only person I know who is a Bengal fan for their moment: "When Palmer missed a wide open ochocince in the end zone at the end of the game against Cleveland and they lost. Or when he threw 2 ints against t.b (Tampa Bay) when they were ahead with 2 minutes left and should have just ran and punted and won the game." Hard to argue any of that. Palmer has been the defining picture for Cincy. Where did the franchise QB that was drafted out of USC?

Oakland Raiders- I had to finish with the team I love. Da Raiders moment was a few weeks ago against the Chargers. (I talked about it in the Streak Ends blog). The play with Huff diving for Rivers arm, getting the ball fumbled and Branch takes it to the house changed the complexion of Raider football. I realize since then they lost to San Francisco and beat up on two bad opponents. The fact they blew out 2 teams is proof enough they are well on their way. My only lame excuse for the Niner loss was McFadden was out with an injury. They are .500 at mid-season for the first time in years. I was begging for an 8-8 season. The Rivers reverse tuck rule play turned the whole season around. I still have my guard up, you would to if all you've gone through the heartache and despair like I have for a decade. Still, this is the first time in years I've been this pumped up to see a Chiefs Raider game.

The season is 50% over and some teams haven't had their moment. I'm sure I missed some but I only had so much time to write. The truth is your team's has 16 games to make their mark. You always know how the season will go in a matter of a few breaks. The pigskin needs to bounce your way. I can't wait to see how the rest of the year plays out. We are in for a treat and I thought Halloween was over.

J Call