8/5/08 – SPORTS REPORT
MY BASEBALL PICCS FOR TUESDAY WERE HORRIBLE AGAIN…I WAS 6-9, MAKING MY WEEK TOTAL 11-15-42%.
BASEBALL
WE GOT A FULL SLATE OF BASEBALL GAMES AFTER A PRETTY SLOW MONDAY IN THE MAJOR LEAGUES. HOWEVER, BEFORE WE START THERE, MLB SUSPENDED WHITE SOX MANAGER OZZIE GUILLEN, KANSAS CITY MANAGER TREY HILLMAN, ALONG WITH TWO KC PLAYERS, MIGUEL OLIVO AND ZACK GREINKE. IN AMERICAN LEAGUE ACTION, TORONTO BEAT OAKLAND 4-3 TO GIVE OAKLAND THEIR 8TH STRAIGHT LOSS. TAMPA BAY BEAT CLEVELAND 8-4. TAMPA BAY ROOKIE EVAN LONGORIA HIT HIS 22ND HOMER OF THE SEASON. TEXAS BEAT THE YANKEES 8-6 BEHIND JOSH HAMILTON’S 27TH HOME RUN OF THE SEASON. BOSTON BEAT KANSAS CITY 8-2 TO GIVE JOSH BECCETT HIS 10TH WIN (10-8). NEWCOMER JASON BAY WENT 4/5 WITH 2 RUNS AND 2 RBI’S TO CONTINUE HIS TEAR SINCE COMING TO BOSTON IN THE MANNY RAMIREZ TRADE. BOSTON IS 4-1 SINCE THE TRADE, BUT DAVID ORTIZ IS 2-20 SINCE THE TRADE. MY WHITE SOX BEAT DETROIT 10-8 TO TAKE THE LEAD BACC IN THE AL CENTRAL IN A WILD 14 INNING GAME BEHIND NICC SWISHER’S 3 RUN HOMER (16). CARLOS QUINTIN HIT HIS 29TH HOME RUN FOR THE WHITE SOX AND PLACIDO POLANCO HIT 2 HOMERS FOR DETROIT (5,6). BALTIMORE SHUT OUT THE ANGELS 3-0. BALTIMORE STARTER CHRIS WATERS WAS MAKING HIS MAJOR LEAGUE DEBUT (1-0) AND DID IT IN A BIG WAY. LUKE SCOTT HIT HIS 19TH HOMER FOR BALTIMORE. GEORGE SHERRILL GOT HIS 31ST SAVE. SEATTLE BEAT MINNESOTA 8-7 TO KNOCC THEM OUT OF FIRST PLACE IN THE AL CENTRAL. JASON KUBEL HIT 2 HOMERS (15,16) FOR MINNESOTA AND RAUL IBANEZ HIT HIS 17TH HOMER FOR SEATTLE. THE AL PLAYOFF PICTURE LOOKS LIKE THIS….TAMPA BAY STILL LEADS THE EAST BY 3 GAMES OVER BOSTON. THE WHITE SOX HAVE A ONE GAME LEAD OVER MINNESOTA IN THE CENTRAL. THE ANGELS ARE STILL DOMINATING THE AL WEST. THE WILD CARD LEADER IS BOSTON, FOLLOWED BY MINNESOTA. THE CURRENT LEAGUE LEADERS ARE…MILTON BRADLEY (TEX) LEADS IN BATTING WITH A .320 AVERAGE.CARLOS QUINTIN (CWS) LEADS IN HOMERUNS WITH 29.JOSH HAMILTON (TEX) LEADS IN RBIS WITH 108. CLIFF LEE (CLE) LEADS IN WINS WITH 15.JUSTIN DUCHSCHERER (OAK) LEADS IN ERA WITH A 2.33 ERA. FRANCISCO RODRIGUEZ (LAA) LEADS THE LEAGUE IN SAVES WITH 45.
IN NATIONAL LEAGUE ACTION, THE CUBS KICCED THE PIRATES ASS 11-7. CARLOS LEE HIT HIS 26TH HOMER FOR HOUSTON AND ALFONSO SORIANO HIT HIS 20TH HOMER. FLORIDA BEAT PHILADELPHIA 8-2. MILWAUKEE BEAT CINCINNATI 8-1 BEHIND PRINCE FIELDERS 26TH HOMERUN. THE METS BEAT SAN DIEGO 6-5 BEHIND FERNANDO TATIS’S 2 HOMERS (8,9). ADRIAN GONZALEZ (SD) HIT HIS 27TH HOMERUN. THE CARDINALS BEAT THE DODGERS 6-4 BEHIND ALBERT PUJOLS’S 22ND HOMERUN AND RYAN LUDWICC’S 28TH HOMERUN IN THE 11TH INNING TO ICE THE WIN. COLORADO BEAT WASHINGTON 8-2. ARIZONA BEAT PITTSBURGH 3-1 AS BRANDON WEBB GOES THE DISTANCE TO GET HIS LEAGUE HIGH 16TH WIN (16-4). FINALLY, ATLANTA BEAT SAN FRANCISCO 11-4. THE NL PLAYOFF PICTURE LOOKS LIKE THIS…PHILADELPHIA STILL LEADS THE EAST BY 1 ½ GAMES OVER FLORIDA. THE CUBS LEAD THE CENTRAL BY 5 GAMES OVER MILWAUKEE. ARIZONA LEADS THE WEST BY 2 ½ GAMES OVER THE DODGERS. MILWAUKEE HOLDS THE NL WILD CARD OVER ST. LOUIS BY ½ GAME. THERE IS DEFINATLY SOME TIGHT RACES GOING ON. THE CURRENT LEAGUE LEADERS ARE…CHIPPER JONES (ATL) LEADS THE LEAGUE IN BATTING WITH A .369 AVERAGE. ADAM DUNN (CIN) LEADS IN HOMERUNS WITH 32. RYAN HOWARD (PHI) LEADS IN RBIS WITH 96. BRANDON WEBB (AZ) LEADS IN WINS WITH 16. THE LEADER IN ERA IS JAKE PEAVY (SD) WITH A 2.59 ERA. THE LEADER IN SAVES IS BRIAN WILSON (SF) WITH 31 SAVES.
BASKETBALL
RUMOR IS THAT LEBRON JAMES WOULD MAKE THE JUMP TO EUROPE IF THEY OFFERED HIM $50 MILLION PER YEAR. GOD DAMN, THAT WOULD HURT THE NBA. EARL BOYKINS ACTUALLY MADE THE JUMP ON TUESDAY SIGNING TO PLAY IN ITALY AND IS CURRENTLY ITALY’S HIGHEST PAID PLAYER…WOW. SINCE FREE AGENCY STARTED, BOYKINS IS THE 9TH PLAYER TO JUMP TO EUROPE THIS YEAR. THERE DEFINATLY IS A NEW TREND STARTING.
FOOTBALL
BRETT FAVRE ASKED GREEN BAY TO “PLEASE, RELEASE HIM”…THE GREEN BAY COACH MADE IT CLEAR THAT FAVRE WILL NOT BE A PACCER DUE TO HIS MINDSET. IT ALSO LOOKS AS IF BRETT FAVRE WILL BE TRADED TO TAMPA BAY ON WEDNESDAY. RAMS RUNNING BACC, STEPHEN JACCSON IS STILL HOLDING OUT AND PLANS TO DO SO THE ENTIRE SEASON.
PRO WRESTLING
TODAY I WATCHED THE BRET HART DVD: THE BEST THERE IS, WAS, AND EVER WILL BE. NOW, FOR MANY OF YALL THAT DO KNOW WHERE I STAND ON PRO WRESTLING, THERE HAVE BEEN TWO TRUE GREATS…1) RIC FLAIR AND 2) BRET HART…SO, THIS DVD MEANT A LOT MORE TO ME CONSIDERING I JUST WATCHED THE RIC FLAIR DVD A FEW DAYS AGO. SO, I WILL POST A FEW RANDOM NOTES AS I WATCH THE DVD…
1) BRET HART’S EARLY MATCHES WITH HIS FAVORITE WRESTLER, THE DYNAMITE KID WAS THE GREATEST EVER.
2) HE WAS TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS WITH HIS BROTHER, KEITH HART.
3) HIS FIRST MAJOR TITLE WAS WHEN HE WON THE NORTH AMERICAN TITLE!
4) HE HAD A HELL OF A FEUD WITH BAD NEWS ALLEN (BROWN) FOR THE NORTH AMERICAN HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE!
5) BRET EVEN HAD TAG TEAM MATCHES WITH HIS FATHER, THE LEGENDARY STU HART.
6) WHEN STU LOST HIS COMPANY TO THE WWF, BRET HART WENT TO WRESTLE IN JAPAN.
7) IN THE BEGINNING, VINCE WAS AFTER BRET HART, DAVEY BOY SMITH, AND THE DYNAMITE KID
8) HIS FIRST WWF MATCH WAS AGAINST STEVE LOMBARDI
9) THEY WANTED BRET HART TO BE “COWBOY” BRET HART…JIM NEIDHART LAUGHED AND LAUGHED ABOUT IT, WHICH EVENTUALLY LED BRET HART TO THINKING THE GIMMICC WAS SILLY. THAT LED TO THE FORMATION OF THE HART FOUNDATION.
10) HART FOUNDATION VS BRITISH BULLDOGS WAS BEST TAG FEUD EVER…JUST LIKE BRET VS DYNAMITE.
11) BRET KNEW THAT HE NEEDED TO BREAK AWAY TO BECOME SINGLES STAR
12) HE SAID HE WAS WAY BETTER THAN THE WARRIOR!! LOL!
13) BRET BEAT MR. PERFECT TO WIN THE INTERCONTINENTAL TITLE FOR THE FIRST TIME!
14) HE BEAT RODDY PIPER AT WRESTLEMANIA 8 IN INDIANAPOLIS FOR IC TITLE!
15) PIPER SAID THAT IN 17 ½ YEARS, NO ONE HAD PINNED PIPERS SHOULDERS TO THE MAT UNTIL THAT NIGHT!
16) THE WWF REALIZED THAT BRET COULD BE WORLD CHAMPION AFTER HIS MATCH WITH BULLDOG AT WEMBLY STADIUM.
17) BRET BEAT LEGENDARY RIC FLAIR TO BECOME THE WORLD CHAMPION FOR THE 1ST TIME IS SASKATOON, WHICH WAS ALSO WHERE BRET HART WRESTLED HIS VERY FIRST MATCH EVER. GOD DAMN! WHAT A MATCH!
18) WHEN BRET LOST TO YOKOZUNA AT WRESTLEMANIA 9, HE WAS 100% AGAINST HOGAN GETTING IT FROM YOKOZUNA THE SAME NIGHT.
19) THAT SAME YEAR, HE WAS KING OF THE RING. BY BEATING BAM BAM BIGELOW IN THE FINALS.
20) BRET HART CONSIDERS HIM AND HIS “GENERATION” BETTER THAN HULK HOGAN.
21) AT WRESTLEMANIA 10, BRET BEAT YOKOZUNA TO WIN THE TITLE AGAIN!
22) BRET TOOK HONOR IN LOSING THE TITLE TO BOB BACCLUND
23) OWEN HART’S JEALOUSY LED TO SOME GREAT MATCHES WITH BRET.
24) OWEN BEAT BRET ON THE SAME NIGHT THAT BRET BEAT YOKOZUNA FOR THE TITLE AT WRESTLEMANIA 10.
25) BRET SAID THAT EVEN DURING HIS TITLE RUN THAT VINCE HAD PLANNED ON “MAKING” SHAWN MICHAELS.
26) BRET SEEMED TO HAVE ALWAYS HATED SHAWN…EVEN BEFORE THE IRON MAN MATCH.
27) HIS NEXT FEUD WAS WITH STEVE AUSTIN. MANY HAVE SAID THAT THIS MATCH IS WHAT MADE STEVE AUSTIN.
28) THIS FEUD WITH AUSTIN IS WHAT TURNED BRET HART HEEL AND BEGUN THE ATTITUDE ERA IN THE WWE AND HART’S ANTI-AMERICAN GIMMICC. THIS GIMMICC LASTED ALL THE WAY UP TO SURVIVOR SERIES OF 97.
29) CONVERSATIONS BEGAN BETWEEN BRET HART AND WCW ABOUT SWITCHING COMPANIES. VINCE BELIEVED THAT BRET WAS GONNA JUMP SHIP WITH THE WWF TITLE.
30) THEN CAME THE SURVIVOR SERIES MATCH IN CANADA AGAINST THE CHALLENGER, SHAWN MICHAELS. THIS WAS THE INFAMOUS MONTREAL SCREWJOB. VINCE TOLD THE REF TO CALL THE MATCH AND ROB BRET OF THE TITLE. AFTER THE MATCH, BRET SPIT ON MCMAHON AS HBK HIGH TAILED IT OUTTA THERE. AFTER THE MATCH, BRET HART HIT VINCE MCMAHON IN THE LOCCER ROOM.
31) BRET SIGNED WITH WCW, AND EVERYONE ADMITS THAT BRET WAS NOT USED PROPERLY.
32) WHILE IN WCW, HIS BROTHER OWEN FELL TO HIS DEATH DURING A WWF PAY PER VIEW.
33) IN WCW, BRET WRESTLED CHRIS BENOIT IN THAT SAME ARENA IN A TRIBUTE MATCH.
34) HE LATER BEAT CHRIS BENOIT IN A TOURNAMENT FINALS MATCH FOR THE WCW WORLD TITLE!
35) LATER IN A MATCH VS BILL GOLDBERG, BRET RECEIVED A KICC THAT ULTIMATLY ENDED HIS CAREER DUE TO A CONCUSSION AND EVENTUALLY LED TO A STROKE IN 2002.
36) BRET HART NOW LIVES WITH HIS WIFE IN ITALY.
37) VINCE MCMAHON AND BRET HART PRODUCED THIS DVD TOGETHER!
TODAY, I ALSO WATCHED A RF VIDEO SHOOT INTERVIEW WITH BRET HART.
HERE ARE SOME RESULTS FROM A WWE SMACCDOWN/ECW HOUSE SHOW ON 8/4/08
WWE Smackdown & ECW House Show Results - 8/4/08
Location: Macon, Georgia
- Finaly & Hornswoggle beat Mike Knox
- ECW Championship Match- Mark Henry & Tony Atlas beat Matt Hardy
- Cherry & Eve beat Natalya & Maryse
- United States Championship Match- Shelton Benjamin beat Mr.Kennedy
- Big Show beat The Great Khali
-WWE Tag Team Match- Ryder & Hawkins beat Jesse & Festus
- R-Truth beat The Brian Kendrick but got attacked by Ezekiel
- Main Event- Jeff Hardy beat MVP in a Falls Count Anywhere Match
ECW on Sci-Fi
Atlanta, GA
August 5th 2008
Commentators: Matt Striker & Todd Grisham
Stop “Questioning Your Heart” because it is time for ECW!
Video promo airs and we are in Atlanta, Georgia tonight. Matt Striker is filling in for Tazz tonight commentating alongside Todd Grisham.
Video recap is shown of Chavo getting disqualified in his match against Ricky Ortiz last week.
Chavo & Bam Neely v. Evan Bourne & Ricky Ortiz
Ricky and Bam start things off and Ricky proceeds to shoulder block the big man which causes Bam to roll out of the ring. Back in the ring the two exchange a few arm holds complete with plenty of spinning. Evan gets the tag in and kicks down Bam’s arm. Unfortunately he ends up in Chavo’s corner and Vicky’s nephew gets the tag. Chavo goes for a backdrop but Evan lands on his feet! Evan misses a high kick attempt but connects with a hurricarana. Evan locks in a spinning arm bar and Chavo is stranded in the middle of the ring. Evan goes for a pin attempt but no bacon. Ricky gets the tag and connects with a flying shoulder block from the second rope. According to our teacher, Matt Striker, Ricky Ortiz is the only WWE wrestler who played in the XFL. Fast fact from me to follow that up, Mike Adamle did a bit of announcing for the XFL. I’m just fool of knowledge [yes, that was a pun].
Bam gets the tag in and drops Ricky down to the mat. Ortiz gets his head slammed into the turnbuckle which is followed up by getting whipped and splashed into the turnbuckle across the ring. Bam goes for a pin but no scrapple. Chavo gets the tag in and also tries for a pin. Once that fails he locks in a side headlock. Chavo is able to escape and both men head for their partners. Bam gets the tag in and proceeds to stop Ricky from tagging in Bourne – but no! Evan gets the tag and comes flying into the ring ready to do some major damage. Bam is met with a few high kicks and then Evan climbs to the top rope. Neely turns around and Evan comes flying down double knee first and connects around Bam’s head which drives him to the mat. Bourne goes for the pin, but Chavo makes the save.
Chavo picks up Evan for a scoop slam, but Ortiz runs in for the save which allows Evan to hit a huge dropkick on Chavo. Neely follows this up with a clothesline that sends both Chavo and himself to the outside. Bam is starting to make his way up and goes for a clothesline, but Bourne ducks and rolls Bam up with a school boy pin. That was a crazy fast counter pin.
Winners via School Boy: Evan Bourne & Ricky Ortiz
Matt Striker and Todd were absolutely brilliant commentary wise during that match.
****Commercial****
Video recap airs of Mike Knox taking out Finlay last week.
In the ring we see Mike Knox who says he is not out here to explain what he did last week. He is here to expose the fraud called Finlay. A video airs of Finlay & ‘swoggles segment in the Summerslam promo video. Knox says that Finlay use to be a real fighter in this business, but now all he does is dance around with a leprechaun.
Out comes Finlay & Hornswoggle and Finlay looks to have something to say to the heavily bearded superstar in the ring. Finlay calls Knox “Fred”, then says he doesn’t care what Knox’s name is because he says that if Knox has a problem with Finlay and his family that he should take a shot at him because Finlay may love to fight, but he also loves his family. Finlay says that he better knock him out because if not, Knox is going to find out if he’s really gone soft or not. Mike backs his way out of the ring and sheepishly makes his way up the ramp.
RAW Rebound airs highlighting the awesomeness of last night’s RAW, in particular the main event Tag Match.
****Commercial****
Armando Estrada v. Tommy Dreamer
This is Armando’s last chance to earn an ECW contract. The rating system in effect is going to be what I like to call the “arbitrary system”.
Tommy starts by throwing Estrada over his shoulder and then locks in an arm bar. Armando manages to hit a couple shoulders into Dreamer but only finds himself clotheslined over the top rope for all of his efforts. Armando gets back in the ring and is met with a reverse neckbreaker. Dreamer puts up Armando in the tree of woe, but before he can hit anything, Colin runs to ringside and grabs a chair. Dreamer goes out to confront him and Delaney leaps over the announce table to hide.
Estrada tries to hit a cheap shot on Dreamer when he reenters the ring, but fails. As soon as Dreamer’s back is turned, Colin, jumps up on the apron. Tommy grabs Colin’s head and slams it into the corner but this allows Estrada to sneak in a roll up! Armando gets the three and he finally receives his ECW contract.
Winner via Colin Delaney’s interference: Armando Estrada
So, interestingly after all that Armando put Colin through in order to get his ECW contract, it was Delaney who in the end came through and helped Estrada regain his own contract. The plot thickens.
****Commercial****
In the back Estrada is seen talking with Colin Delaney. Armando asks why Colin would ever help him after everything he put him through. Coin says that at least he gave him a chance to get a contract. Teddy Long interrupts to say that next week Tommy Dreamer will give Colin the beating of his life in an Extreme Rules Match!
Video airs recapping the Edge/Foley segment from Smackdown last Friday.
In the back, Braden Walker is seen warming up.
****Commercial****
Braden Walker v. James Curtis
The two lock it up in the ring and exchange a few arm holds. Braden hits a nice hip toss on James Curtis and then holds a long Vertical Suplex. Braden goes for the pin cover, but only gets a 1 count. Striker lets us know that James Curtis is a certified captain and sails. Then Matt makes a comment about seeing if he can sail through Braden Walker which leads Grisham to say that hopefully Curtis’ time in ECW is longer than a three hour tour. Just when I thought I would never get Adamle like comments again, thanks guys.
Braden is holding Curtis in a strong arm bar but James makes his way to the ropes and the ref breaks it up. Curtis starts wailing at the back of Walker’s head. Braden hits an atomic drop and is able to deck Curtis with a few clotheslines. Walker gets whipped into the ropes, but dodges a splash and hits a huge flying clothesline. Curtis blocks a suplex attempt and throws some hard right hands. Walker hits another clothesline and then a fisherman’s suplex which he bridges for the 3 count.
Winner via Fisherman’s Suplex: Braden Walker
****Commercial****
We come back and it is time for “The Dirt Sheet”! Miz & Morrison are sitting in their set in the middle of the ring and are met with heavy boos. Morrison introduces himself and says that People magazine offered him $15 million dollars for pictures of him when he was a baby, but he turned them down because John Morrison is not for sale. Miz welcomes us to The Dirt Sheet.
Mark Henry is introduced and his face shows up on the Titantron. They ask him if he will be ok doing this interview without his translator, Tony Atlas. We quickly realize it is just a picture of Henry’s face with his lips open as the picture begins to grunt. They next ask Atlas a question to which we are met with some rapping. This type of thing continues for a while, even including a picture of ECW’s only Diva, surfer girl.
Henry has had enough of this and makes his way down to the ring with Tony Atlas. Tony tells him that when they agreed to be on his show that they weren’t there to be disrespected. Miz and Morrison decide it’s a better move to try their previous tactics with Matt Hardy. Morrison starts to ask Jeff a question before Miz tells him that they have Matt not Jeff. Morrison says “really? How’d that happen”. Matt’s voice for the interview segment is hilarious.
Matt makes his entrance to a tremendous ovation. Matt makes fun of Miz & Morrison for stealing Conan O’Brien’s material and lacking originality. [I didn’t catch this because I’m much more of a Craig Ferguson fan] Matt does compliment the two, however, by telling them that he loved them in Brokeback Mountain.
Miz is furious and tries to take out Matt but Hardy hits him and takes out Miz. Morrison tries to get involved but hits Mark Henry by accident! Henry unleashes on Miz & Morrison and then Hardy hits a Twist of Fate on Miz! Hardy and Henry stare each other down to close the show.
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