For those of you that don't know probably the sport I am most passionate about is hockey. I've been a Boston Bruins fan for decades and the NHL is one of the few leagues where I don't care who is playing if it's on I am going to watch it. This year has been exceptional in the fact that it almost feels like there is a changing of the guard with so many young first second and third year players making noise from Dylan Larkin in Detroit to Leon Draisaitl in Edmonton and so many others in between. I can't remember another time that there was an NHL youth movement like this since 2005 with Sydney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin and Patrice Bergeron.
I think one thing that has made this year even more exciting was the All-star game in which an 8 year journey man who is currently playing in the AHL on a minor league deal through the Montreal Canadians franchise was voted in by an internet vote to be the All-Star captain for the Western conference. I personally think this is great, I think this is what opening the vote to the fans is all about. For so many years all-star games in all sports have become more of a popularity contest then an actual interpretation of who's the best in the game at any given time. Then when you realize that every year there are deserving players who get left off the rosters because "every team needs to be represented", why are we making such a fuss about the fans voting in someone that normally would never be there.
John Scott has turned what started as a joke by an internet campaign into something I feel every NHL player should strive for. He, in one weekend, did something that the NHL and quite frankly all sports have been trying to do for years. He made this a must watch weekend and a feel good story and more importantly he made the all-star game matter. Why does it matter that he has played for 7 different franchises in his 8 year career. Why does it matter that he is considered more of an enforcer then a goal scorer. Why does it matter that he has more days of suspension (13) then career goals (5) or career points (11). John Scott will always be known as an all-star game MVP.
Not only is he an MVP but he earned that MVP by his play on the ice and his demeanor on and off the ice. Quite frankly I feel like this was the most entertaining all-star game I have seen in decades not only because of the 3 on 3 style which was fun with the open ice and fact that players actually felt like they were trying but also because it felt like the players were definitely out to enjoy themselves and put on a show for the fans. This was also history in the making and something I wish would continue going forward.
I say we keep the internet vote open and do it for all sports just the same way. I want to see back up offensive lineman, bench players, pinch hitters and fourth line enforcers in the all-star game every year. Lets face it the all-star game has been traditionally for the top talent and the elite players but what gets forgotten in the shuffle are the other very important players that contribute more to a teams success then they are ever given credit for.
Brian Scalbrine played for more teams then I can even remember and speaking to any of his teammates they will all say the same thing. He always had a great attitude who spent more time cheering for and pumping up his teammates then actually being on the court. Or Shawn Thornton who was a fourth line winger that would lead his team year after year in fighting majors which usually out numbered the amount of goals he scored but was able to give his team the energy boosts they needed at the right time. These type of players do just as much for the morality and togetherness of a team as the guy who is out there scoring 50 goals or the quarterback that throws 5,000 yards. These players should be honored and I for one would love to see then get there due in an all-star game.
I want to see this turn into a campaign. I want to see elite players campaigning for the teammate that they think deserves an all-star nod that we would never normally think of. I want to see players wearing shirts that say vote for Scal or Sydney Crosby in a post game interview wearing a hat that says vote for Macintyre.
I think this would be a great way to honor the players that do so many under the radar things.
John Scott opened up a great opportunity by not only accepting and playing in this all-star game, but by handling it with such amazing class and performing extremely well on the ice. Kudos to you John and congratulations on being what I hope is a pioneer for things to come.
Follow me on Twitter at @Reejecoap and tune in to enjoy some mindless babbling from Shane and I about the important things in Pop Culture on our podcast
Sunday, January 31, 2016
Saturday, January 30, 2016
The Phenomenal one finally in WWE
While going through my twitter account and cleaning up my profile I stumbled upon my old blog. Realizing that I kind of missed venting about things in my life and reviewing everything I ever came into contact with dusting off the keyboard sounded like a good idea. That being said unsurprisingly I have some thoughts about someone that I think is the best wrestler in the world making his debut with the WWE.
The Phenomenal One, AJ Styles made his WWE debut after spending many years as the face of TNA and also the last couple years in ROH and NJPW and I for one couldn't be more excited. I have followed his career since early 2002 when TNA would hold weekly PPV's, and to see the career path that he has taken has been breathtaking and I dare say phenomenal.
His accomplishments are mind boggling when you consider that he has won 48 championships through out different promotions. Let me say that again because even I didn't believe it when I first read it, he has won 48 championships. Now the beauty of a championship in wrestling is very rarely is it given to someone unless the promoter feels that person can sell tickets. Now I understand that in today's wrestling world the number of championships a wrestler has may be elevated in comparison because they seem to change from person to person like an employee at the Bunny Ranch. I mean after all this is no longer the 80's where you have title reigns that go on for years with the likes of Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair on top for ever but that doesn't make it any less of an achievement. The reason for the fact that title's change so often is simply because of exposure with the increased amount of pay per views and weekly television shows mixed with this planets ever declining attention spans and you can't have a champ on top for to long or people will get bored. But still 48 championships is a crap ton.
AJ spent some time in WCW in 2001 and then a couple of tryout matches with WWE after the whole Vince buying his competition thing happened but he really made a name for himself in TNA where he spent over a decade. During the mid oughts, as they are called, I found myself gravitating more towards TNA and away from the WWE due to story lines and what I felt was a better overall quality of the show and found myself in absolute awe of this little guy from Georgia who was night after night stealing the show with an incredibly innovated offense and knack for telling a story in and out of the ring that was able to change and evolve with the times. People don't put enough emphasis on a character being able to evolve and continue to relate and connect with the audience but AJ's ability to do that has kept him relevent for a long time unlike people like John Cena, Randy Orton, Triple H, both Jeff and Matt Hardy and so many others who's characters have become stale and fans have become somewhat complacent with them. AJ was a funny sidekick in the Christian Coalition he was a leader and bonafide star in Fortune, and was able to be a fan favorite and vile villain, a high flyer, a mat technician and the lone wolf and was able to make those gimmicks work every single time because it never felt like he was playing a part it felt more like they were extensions of himself.
After his tenure in TNA came to a merciful end AJ moved on the ROH and NJPW where he easily became not only the best wrestler in the world but also one of the best villains of the last 15 years as leader of Bullet Club.
And then he arrived on the big stage in America and finally came to the WWE, As a fan I was worried I must say because I have seen Vince bring in and destroy amazing talent before simply because they were stars elsewhere first but I must say I have been impressed with how they have handled him and maybe they have finally realized that it's a good idea to take advantage of the talent you get to sell the tickets you want. After an impressive Royal Rumble where as the third entrant in the main event match AJ was able to last for just shy of 30 minutes and easily received the biggest pop of the night he also was able to go toe to toe with the resident superman Roman Reigns and never once felt out of place. The music that they chose for him is fantastic and you know they are willing to invest heavily in AJ producing a great song by CFO$ called Phenominal (they don't want none) which immediately jumped to number one on itunes, and the announcers did a fantastic job of selling his arrival as a big deal. Byron Saxton with just a simple "oh My God!!!" did more to sell the importance of this man than any "I'm coming" vignettes would have done and with the exception of down playing championships ( more on that in a bit) the announcers have done a fantastic job of making him seem like a big deal.
His match on Raw continued to make the arrival seem important when he faced Chris Jericho and put on a great show. I must also give big props to Chris Jericho for taking time out of his highlight reel on Smackdown to put over AJ as well and then another great match against Curtis Axel later in the night.
My one complaint has been with the announcing and the fact that the "heels" Jerry Lawler I'm looking right at you when I say this, spend to much time putting down other organizations and not enough time concentrating on the hippocratic nature of his own words. During AJ's match on Smackdown Jerry said "I have won more championships then anyone else in the history of this business and the conventional thought is it didn't happen in the WWE therefore it didn't happen" Now while that statement is partially true Jerry Lawler is the most decorated champion in the history of wrestling. he made a name for him self while winning 168 championships and feuding with the late great Andy Kaufman. To say that non of that mattered because he didn't do it in the WWE is asinine. According to Jerry's logic there is no need for Cena to chase title number 16 because Ric Flair only won 2 title in the WWE and Jerry himself should not be a Hall of Famer since his wrestling career would only amount to a horrible feud with Bret Hart where he was forced to kiss his own foot. Or maybe that was just Jerry venting a little jealousy because AJ is being made out to be a big deal and Jerry really wasn't when he arrived in the early nineties.
I must say I, however, am incredibly excited and look forward to how they build AJ going forward. Strap in world this should be a fun ride.
Be sure to check out my buddy Shane and I as we due a pop culture podcast called Excuse the Aggravation and follow me on Twitter @Reejecoap
The Phenomenal One, AJ Styles made his WWE debut after spending many years as the face of TNA and also the last couple years in ROH and NJPW and I for one couldn't be more excited. I have followed his career since early 2002 when TNA would hold weekly PPV's, and to see the career path that he has taken has been breathtaking and I dare say phenomenal.
His accomplishments are mind boggling when you consider that he has won 48 championships through out different promotions. Let me say that again because even I didn't believe it when I first read it, he has won 48 championships. Now the beauty of a championship in wrestling is very rarely is it given to someone unless the promoter feels that person can sell tickets. Now I understand that in today's wrestling world the number of championships a wrestler has may be elevated in comparison because they seem to change from person to person like an employee at the Bunny Ranch. I mean after all this is no longer the 80's where you have title reigns that go on for years with the likes of Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair on top for ever but that doesn't make it any less of an achievement. The reason for the fact that title's change so often is simply because of exposure with the increased amount of pay per views and weekly television shows mixed with this planets ever declining attention spans and you can't have a champ on top for to long or people will get bored. But still 48 championships is a crap ton.
AJ spent some time in WCW in 2001 and then a couple of tryout matches with WWE after the whole Vince buying his competition thing happened but he really made a name for himself in TNA where he spent over a decade. During the mid oughts, as they are called, I found myself gravitating more towards TNA and away from the WWE due to story lines and what I felt was a better overall quality of the show and found myself in absolute awe of this little guy from Georgia who was night after night stealing the show with an incredibly innovated offense and knack for telling a story in and out of the ring that was able to change and evolve with the times. People don't put enough emphasis on a character being able to evolve and continue to relate and connect with the audience but AJ's ability to do that has kept him relevent for a long time unlike people like John Cena, Randy Orton, Triple H, both Jeff and Matt Hardy and so many others who's characters have become stale and fans have become somewhat complacent with them. AJ was a funny sidekick in the Christian Coalition he was a leader and bonafide star in Fortune, and was able to be a fan favorite and vile villain, a high flyer, a mat technician and the lone wolf and was able to make those gimmicks work every single time because it never felt like he was playing a part it felt more like they were extensions of himself.
After his tenure in TNA came to a merciful end AJ moved on the ROH and NJPW where he easily became not only the best wrestler in the world but also one of the best villains of the last 15 years as leader of Bullet Club.
And then he arrived on the big stage in America and finally came to the WWE, As a fan I was worried I must say because I have seen Vince bring in and destroy amazing talent before simply because they were stars elsewhere first but I must say I have been impressed with how they have handled him and maybe they have finally realized that it's a good idea to take advantage of the talent you get to sell the tickets you want. After an impressive Royal Rumble where as the third entrant in the main event match AJ was able to last for just shy of 30 minutes and easily received the biggest pop of the night he also was able to go toe to toe with the resident superman Roman Reigns and never once felt out of place. The music that they chose for him is fantastic and you know they are willing to invest heavily in AJ producing a great song by CFO$ called Phenominal (they don't want none) which immediately jumped to number one on itunes, and the announcers did a fantastic job of selling his arrival as a big deal. Byron Saxton with just a simple "oh My God!!!" did more to sell the importance of this man than any "I'm coming" vignettes would have done and with the exception of down playing championships ( more on that in a bit) the announcers have done a fantastic job of making him seem like a big deal.
His match on Raw continued to make the arrival seem important when he faced Chris Jericho and put on a great show. I must also give big props to Chris Jericho for taking time out of his highlight reel on Smackdown to put over AJ as well and then another great match against Curtis Axel later in the night.
My one complaint has been with the announcing and the fact that the "heels" Jerry Lawler I'm looking right at you when I say this, spend to much time putting down other organizations and not enough time concentrating on the hippocratic nature of his own words. During AJ's match on Smackdown Jerry said "I have won more championships then anyone else in the history of this business and the conventional thought is it didn't happen in the WWE therefore it didn't happen" Now while that statement is partially true Jerry Lawler is the most decorated champion in the history of wrestling. he made a name for him self while winning 168 championships and feuding with the late great Andy Kaufman. To say that non of that mattered because he didn't do it in the WWE is asinine. According to Jerry's logic there is no need for Cena to chase title number 16 because Ric Flair only won 2 title in the WWE and Jerry himself should not be a Hall of Famer since his wrestling career would only amount to a horrible feud with Bret Hart where he was forced to kiss his own foot. Or maybe that was just Jerry venting a little jealousy because AJ is being made out to be a big deal and Jerry really wasn't when he arrived in the early nineties.
I must say I, however, am incredibly excited and look forward to how they build AJ going forward. Strap in world this should be a fun ride.
Be sure to check out my buddy Shane and I as we due a pop culture podcast called Excuse the Aggravation and follow me on Twitter @Reejecoap
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)