Holy hell... the Cavs got the #1 pick!
For anyone complaining about this... the Cavs didn't tank, they tried to win, but a combination of factors, they failed. The had a 1.7% chance of winning, and luck favored them. Considering the amount of bad luck Cleveland has had sports wise, it seems really whiny for any fan who has had their team win a championship in my lifetime to complain about this.
So- now that the Cavs have the #1 pick, what do they do? I have a few recommendations, as a lifelong fan.
Rule #1: LeBron James is not coming back to Cleveland.
Rule #2: LeBron James is not coming back to Cleveland.
Rule #3: LeBron James is not coming back to Cleveland. Whatever decision you make, please do let any dreams of James rejoining this team be a factor. James has chosen his path, and I wish him well. But he is not coming back to Northeast Ohio. THe goal is to win, not to get King James back to Cleveland.
Rule #4: Do not attempt to trade for Kevin Love unless he agrees to sign an extension. I like Kevin Love, and think he is a top 10 player in the NBA. But he has one year left on his contract, and all statements indicate he is going to free agency. More power to him- but if the Cavs are thinking about trading for him, he's a one year rental unless he agrees otherwise. A one year rental is not worth the #1 pick in this draft.
Rule #5: Kyrie Irving (and Tristan Thompson) can sign an extension in July. He should be offered a max extension. Nate Silver argues that Kyrie is not worth a max contract, and I can see his reasoning. However, he is forgetting two important factors:
* The NBA is making money, and the trend indicates the salary cap is rising- meaning a max contract today may not be worth a max contract three years from now.
* There is an opportunity cost- if the Cavs lose Kyrie Irving by not signing him to a max contract, where are they going to get a player of his caliber?
So offer him a max. He either signs it (yay), or refuses, in which case he needs to be put on the trading block, and the team needs to accept not having him. I hope he stays, but I'm not rooting for a player who doesn't want to be here.
Rule #6: Pick a direction and determine your coach, free agents, and draft picks around that. Assuming Kyrie stays (and for a max contract, he should), there are two directions that clearly work.
* Full run & gun. In that case, hire a coach who fits the run & gun style (George Karl, Mike D'Antoni, Alvin Gentry, or a college or assistant coach with this mindset). That's my top choice. Then draft Wiggins, re-sign Spencer Hawes, and go with a lineup of:
- PG: Kyrie Irving
- SG: Dion Waiters
- C: Spencer Hawes
- PF: Tristan Thompson
- SF: Andrew Wiggins
- Bench: Anderson Varejao, Anthony Bennett, CJ Miles, Jarrett Jack, Matthew Dellanova
Constant running, stagger everybody's minutes so no one goes about 30 minutes, and try to win 140-130
* More standard lineup. Hire a coach the team will listen to (Lionel Hollins comes to mind), draft Joel Embiid with the #1 pick, lose Hawes, find the best SF you can in the free agent market.
I think this one is harder to pull off given the Cav's current lineup. It has two advantages over the run and gun style, though:
- If Healthy, Joel Embiid has a higher ceiling than Andrew Wiggins. But with his back, that 'if' will always be a question
- No run and gun team has ever won a NBA title; Phoenix came close but never made the finals even.
* To be honest, I'm torn here. I think the second path requires more rework of the team, but might have a higher chance of success. But the run & gun team would be fun to watch. And because I'm worried about Embiid's back, that's the direction I'm leaning towards.
* Also, if Kyrie indicates he's not signing even a max contract? Draft Embiid and go the standard path. I'm a Dion Waiters fan, but we need two great guards to pull this off, and I don't know where we get that second guard.
Sunday, May 25, 2014
Saturday, May 10, 2014
Seriously???
According to ESPN and Grantland writer Bill Simmons, "God Hates Cleveland". It's a popular meme because SO MANY awful things happen to sports teams. The last time any of their three major professional sports team any title was in 1964, and most NFL fans don't count championships before the Super Bowl (which started five years later).
Just some of our "highlights":
* An NBA owner who was so incompetent that the NBA gave the team draft picks when he sold the team, and established a rule named after him to prevent an owner from making trades as badly as he did
* "Red Right 88"
* "The Drive"
* "The Fumble"
* We just need better players? We had LeBron James. James quit on the team during the 2010 playoffs, then took less money because he wanted to party on South Beach instead of playing for his hometown fans.
* LeBron didn't have any good teammates, you say? Meet Carlos Boozer. The Cavs drafted him in the second round, and he was turning into a potential all star power forward. He was under conctract for one more year, so the Cavs and him had a handshake deal to release him from that contract in excahnge for signing a long term deal. The Cavs released him, and Boozer stabbed the Cavs in the back by signing with the Utah Jazz instead.
* We just need better coaches? We had Bill Belichick. He made all of his mistakes with the Browns, then decided to turn into a coaching genius on his NEXT NFL job
* Losing the 1995 World Series. Atlanta, during their run in the 90s, only won one world series, despite winning the pennant five times. Ah well- at least Atlanta is a real club...
* ... unlike the Florida Marlins, who bought a bunch of free agents and somehow won the 1997 World Series. I would have MUCH rather lost to the Yankees or Red Sox, and I don't like either team.
* And then there's Art Modell. Despite one of the most loyal fan bases in the country and a bill to improve Municipal Stadium, Modell stabbed the city in the back, stole the team, and moved it to Baltimore. You'd think fans of the former Colts would have not wanted to steal another team, but there it is. Cleveland had no football for four years, then was rewarded with an expansion team run by morons.
And to top it all off, the Modell's Browns never made it to the Super Bowl- but Modell's Ravens have won it twice now.
* To show you how bad the new expansion, I give you this: It's a list of all of the Cleveland Brown Quarterbacks since 1999. Not a pretty list.
So, with all of that background- the Browns had a good day on Thursday. They started out with the #4 pick and #26 pick, traded down, got an extra #1 for next year, picked up the best Cornerback in the draft and their newest Quarterback, Johnny Manziel. People are all over the map on how good Manziel will be in the NFL.
Now, at #4, people wanted to take Sammy Watkins. That was my choice. He is supposedly the best WR in the draft. Now, the Browns have one good WR- Josh Gordon- but they have been weak there otherwise.
But I liked the trade, and we have now have a better defense and a new QB. And we still have Gordon, right? Second best WR after Calvin Johnson? We should be good, right?
"God Hates Cleveland"
Josh Gordon is facing a year long suspension for multiple drug violations- this time for pot.
So now we have a new QB and no good wide receivers to throw too (I would love for Greg Little to prove me wrong here.)
Sigh.
Welcome to Cleveland.
Just some of our "highlights":
* An NBA owner who was so incompetent that the NBA gave the team draft picks when he sold the team, and established a rule named after him to prevent an owner from making trades as badly as he did
* "Red Right 88"
* "The Drive"
* "The Fumble"
* We just need better players? We had LeBron James. James quit on the team during the 2010 playoffs, then took less money because he wanted to party on South Beach instead of playing for his hometown fans.
* LeBron didn't have any good teammates, you say? Meet Carlos Boozer. The Cavs drafted him in the second round, and he was turning into a potential all star power forward. He was under conctract for one more year, so the Cavs and him had a handshake deal to release him from that contract in excahnge for signing a long term deal. The Cavs released him, and Boozer stabbed the Cavs in the back by signing with the Utah Jazz instead.
* We just need better coaches? We had Bill Belichick. He made all of his mistakes with the Browns, then decided to turn into a coaching genius on his NEXT NFL job
* Losing the 1995 World Series. Atlanta, during their run in the 90s, only won one world series, despite winning the pennant five times. Ah well- at least Atlanta is a real club...
* ... unlike the Florida Marlins, who bought a bunch of free agents and somehow won the 1997 World Series. I would have MUCH rather lost to the Yankees or Red Sox, and I don't like either team.
* And then there's Art Modell. Despite one of the most loyal fan bases in the country and a bill to improve Municipal Stadium, Modell stabbed the city in the back, stole the team, and moved it to Baltimore. You'd think fans of the former Colts would have not wanted to steal another team, but there it is. Cleveland had no football for four years, then was rewarded with an expansion team run by morons.
And to top it all off, the Modell's Browns never made it to the Super Bowl- but Modell's Ravens have won it twice now.
* To show you how bad the new expansion, I give you this: It's a list of all of the Cleveland Brown Quarterbacks since 1999. Not a pretty list.
So, with all of that background- the Browns had a good day on Thursday. They started out with the #4 pick and #26 pick, traded down, got an extra #1 for next year, picked up the best Cornerback in the draft and their newest Quarterback, Johnny Manziel. People are all over the map on how good Manziel will be in the NFL.
Now, at #4, people wanted to take Sammy Watkins. That was my choice. He is supposedly the best WR in the draft. Now, the Browns have one good WR- Josh Gordon- but they have been weak there otherwise.
But I liked the trade, and we have now have a better defense and a new QB. And we still have Gordon, right? Second best WR after Calvin Johnson? We should be good, right?
"God Hates Cleveland"
Josh Gordon is facing a year long suspension for multiple drug violations- this time for pot.
So now we have a new QB and no good wide receivers to throw too (I would love for Greg Little to prove me wrong here.)
Sigh.
Welcome to Cleveland.
Saturday, April 19, 2014
Requiem for a lost NBA Season
The NBA Regular Season is over, and I'll post my playoff predictions later. For now, I want to reflect on my Cleveland Cavaliers.
This was not the worst season I have experienced as a fan. It may have been the most disappointing. On paper, the Cavs improved by nine wins. But there were too many games that the team didn't appear to try, that they threw in the towel. Rumors of locker room fights. A #1 draft pick that is screaming a 'bust'. Andrew Bynum.
The GM was fired. I thought Chris Grant did a great job on paper. Kyrie was the best pick possible. Tristan Thompson and Dion Waiters were considered reaches, but when you look at who the alternatives were, I thought they were reasonable choices. Anthony Bennett- I'll get to him in a little bit.
But Grant's fatal flaw was that he drafted for talent, and not for chemistry. Basketball, much more than baseball, relies on the team working together and creating something bigger than the parts. So far, the individual players haven't shown they can work as a team on a consistent basis. They have shown flashes- and when they do, the team looks amazing- but it only lasts for a quarter or a half, and by the next game it doesn't appear again.
Should the blame be put on Mike Brown for not making them work together better? Sure, some. But it's also his first year with any of these players- and Brown's teams have always started slow and done better as the year goes on. With a young team like the Cavs, they should get better in years 2 and 3.
Anthony Bennett- here's my 'foot in mouth' statement that can be thrown back at me. I think, in ten years, Bennett will be one of the three best players in the draft class of 2013. He's young, he has talent. Yes, he was a complete bust. But he's 20, and his flaw (conditioning) can be overcome. A player like Victor Oladipo won't ever learn to be a consistent 20ppg player. If Bennett stays in shape- and I think he will- and he stays healthy- he will improve tremendously next year.
So- where do we go from here? There are a lot of open questions, and I'll go down the list:
1) Will Kyrie sign? This one is actually very simple. In July, Kyrie can be offered a five year extension. He can either accept, or refuse, take a one year contract, and then work towards becoming an unrestricted free agent.
I will be shocked if Kyrie doesn't sign. Partly because- who leaves $80 million on the table? And also- if Kyrie refuses, the fans will turn on him viciously. LeBron James left without notice- Kyrie could, in theory, have to play a full year as a pariah.
If he doesn't sign, the Cavs will look for a trade offer- but they'd have to be blown away. Otherwise, the next year will be ugly for everyone around. But I don't think that will happen.
2) Who is the GM? After Grant was fired,David Griffin became the interim GM. He made one trade (Spencer Hawes) that looks good for the Cavs. More importantly, the team improved (the team was 17-16 after Griffin took over). I think he deserves the chance to run the team.
3) Who is the Coach? Remember- despite everything that has happened, the Cavs improved by nine games. I would keep Mike Brown, unless Kyrie insisted on a different coach before an extension. And if Kyrie insisted on that, he'd better deliver.
4) Free Agents. The Cavs have two free agents. Luol Deng and Spencer Hawes. I like both players, but Deng will demand $12 million a year for 4 years. He's had injury problems, and while he is a good player, the team didn't turn around with him.
Hawes is younger, plays Center, works well with Kyrie, and will cost about $8 million a year. I think he can be resigned, and hope the Cavs pursue this.
5) The Draft. The draft takes play in June, and Kyrie's status won't be resolved until July. Damn. OK, the Cavs have enough project players. They really need a few things:
* Small Forward
* Three point shooter
* Shot blocking Center
Before the lottery, the Cavs are projected to pick ninth. Someone like Doug McDermott fits the bill.
If, on the other hand, the Cavs think they will need to trade Kyrie, they will need a point guard- an Tyler Ennis should still be on the board.
Overall- a disappointing season, and one I will be glad to move on from. But hope springs eternal...
PS- you'll notice I haven't mentioned that LeBron can opt out and become a free agent. He can- but he won't come to Cleveland. LeBron has his priorities, but the fans of Northeast Ohio are not one of them.
This was not the worst season I have experienced as a fan. It may have been the most disappointing. On paper, the Cavs improved by nine wins. But there were too many games that the team didn't appear to try, that they threw in the towel. Rumors of locker room fights. A #1 draft pick that is screaming a 'bust'. Andrew Bynum.
The GM was fired. I thought Chris Grant did a great job on paper. Kyrie was the best pick possible. Tristan Thompson and Dion Waiters were considered reaches, but when you look at who the alternatives were, I thought they were reasonable choices. Anthony Bennett- I'll get to him in a little bit.
But Grant's fatal flaw was that he drafted for talent, and not for chemistry. Basketball, much more than baseball, relies on the team working together and creating something bigger than the parts. So far, the individual players haven't shown they can work as a team on a consistent basis. They have shown flashes- and when they do, the team looks amazing- but it only lasts for a quarter or a half, and by the next game it doesn't appear again.
Should the blame be put on Mike Brown for not making them work together better? Sure, some. But it's also his first year with any of these players- and Brown's teams have always started slow and done better as the year goes on. With a young team like the Cavs, they should get better in years 2 and 3.
Anthony Bennett- here's my 'foot in mouth' statement that can be thrown back at me. I think, in ten years, Bennett will be one of the three best players in the draft class of 2013. He's young, he has talent. Yes, he was a complete bust. But he's 20, and his flaw (conditioning) can be overcome. A player like Victor Oladipo won't ever learn to be a consistent 20ppg player. If Bennett stays in shape- and I think he will- and he stays healthy- he will improve tremendously next year.
So- where do we go from here? There are a lot of open questions, and I'll go down the list:
1) Will Kyrie sign? This one is actually very simple. In July, Kyrie can be offered a five year extension. He can either accept, or refuse, take a one year contract, and then work towards becoming an unrestricted free agent.
I will be shocked if Kyrie doesn't sign. Partly because- who leaves $80 million on the table? And also- if Kyrie refuses, the fans will turn on him viciously. LeBron James left without notice- Kyrie could, in theory, have to play a full year as a pariah.
If he doesn't sign, the Cavs will look for a trade offer- but they'd have to be blown away. Otherwise, the next year will be ugly for everyone around. But I don't think that will happen.
2) Who is the GM? After Grant was fired,David Griffin became the interim GM. He made one trade (Spencer Hawes) that looks good for the Cavs. More importantly, the team improved (the team was 17-16 after Griffin took over). I think he deserves the chance to run the team.
3) Who is the Coach? Remember- despite everything that has happened, the Cavs improved by nine games. I would keep Mike Brown, unless Kyrie insisted on a different coach before an extension. And if Kyrie insisted on that, he'd better deliver.
4) Free Agents. The Cavs have two free agents. Luol Deng and Spencer Hawes. I like both players, but Deng will demand $12 million a year for 4 years. He's had injury problems, and while he is a good player, the team didn't turn around with him.
Hawes is younger, plays Center, works well with Kyrie, and will cost about $8 million a year. I think he can be resigned, and hope the Cavs pursue this.
5) The Draft. The draft takes play in June, and Kyrie's status won't be resolved until July. Damn. OK, the Cavs have enough project players. They really need a few things:
* Small Forward
* Three point shooter
* Shot blocking Center
Before the lottery, the Cavs are projected to pick ninth. Someone like Doug McDermott fits the bill.
If, on the other hand, the Cavs think they will need to trade Kyrie, they will need a point guard- an Tyler Ennis should still be on the board.
Overall- a disappointing season, and one I will be glad to move on from. But hope springs eternal...
PS- you'll notice I haven't mentioned that LeBron can opt out and become a free agent. He can- but he won't come to Cleveland. LeBron has his priorities, but the fans of Northeast Ohio are not one of them.
Sunday, April 6, 2014
Wrestlemania XXX Predictions
Wrestlemania XXX is tonight. Here are my predictions for tonight's event:
The Usos (Jimmy and Jey Uso) © vs. The Real Americans (Cesaro and Jack Swagger) vs. Ryback and Curtis Axel vs. Los Matadores (Diego and Fernando)
What should happen: Real Americans win the titles and start on a showdown with the Shield
What will happen: Usos retain. Ryback and Axel start arguing, but don't break up.
The Shield (Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns) vs. Kane and The New Age Outlaws (Road Dogg and Billy Gunn)
What should happen: Shield destroys Kane and the NAO. Under the command of the Authority, the New Age Outlaws attack Kane and leave him lying in the ring, "Guilt by association of knowing Daniel Bryan"
What will happen: Shield splits- Ambrose and Rollins team up and leave Reigns lying. As they walk away, Reigns spears Armstrong for the pin.
Vickie Guerrero Divas Championship Invitational
What should happen: AJ retains and keeps her stranglehold on the belt until Paige from NXT is ready.
What will happen: The other divas attack AJ, then let Tamina take the pinfall to end AJ Lee's streak.
André the Giant Memorial Battle Royal
What should happen: They need a new single mid to upper card face. Cody Rhodes and Golddust are the final two. They agree to flip a coin. Golddust loses, then attacks Cody to win the Battle Royal and start a feud with Cody
What will happen: Big Show wins, throwing out Shaemus in the end
John Cena vs. Bray Wyatt
What should happen: Wyatt wins, realtively cleanly (Harper puts Wyatt's foot on the ropes to break a pinfall). Cena takes time away from the ring as the Wyatts go on a rampage. After a couple months, during one of Wyatt's speeches, Cena calls him out from the rafters, claiming that he found his own Dark Angel to teach him how to fight the Wyatts. In Cena's corner for the rematch- Sting
What will happen: Attitude Adjustment after a great 15 minute match, 3 count for Cena.
Undertaker vs. Brock Lesnar
What should happen: Undertaker wins, and Brock Lesnar blames Paul Heyman, attacking Heyman, and leaving him in the ring. Lesnar vowsa to either win the title by next Wrestlemania or leave wrestling for good
What will happen: Undertaker wins
Daniel Bryan vs. HHH
What should happen: Thirty minute match with Bryan beating HHH with the running knee but the announcers wondering how much he has left in the tank.
What will happen: HHH sneak attacks Bryan on the way to the ring, and spends the first ten minutes destroying Bryan- but unable to put him away. As HHH gets more frustrated, he gets more desperate, finally going for the sledge hammer. As he goes for the hammer, Bryan dives onto HHH outside the ring and takes control, then pins him with a small package
Randy Orton © vs. Batista vs. TBD
What should happen: In the end, the storyline is too good to pass up. Daniel Bryan has proven himself a company man, willing to work with anyone. He's Bret Hart, but even more over than Hart was. He doesn't pull the power plays that CM Punk has. They've tried to kill off his heat, or push it to someone else, and it's failed. The crowd is behind Daniel Bryan.
It's so obvious that it would take WCW to screw this up. Bryan wins the title and the final shot of the show is the entire audience chating "YES!"
What will happen: The only way that doesn't happen is if Batista has an ironclad guaranteed win in his contract- and even then, don't be surprised if that's pushed back. Bryan wins.
Saturday, April 5, 2014
Money
George Will wrote a column over 20 years ago that we should redo who we honor on money. I think this is a fantastic idea.
Look- who's on the coins and bills of today? Politicians. Why? We're the United States! We mock politicians! Besides, I hate any idea that puts politicians on a pedestal above citizens. Yes, we've had some great leaders. But there are far greater things in the United States than who get elected to what office.
So I'm offering my suggestion for the bills- who should be honored on each of the denominations:
$1.00 bill (Current: George Washington). George Washington. Just because I want to reduce the number of politicians on our currency doesn't mean we should get rid of them altogether. In addition to being the Father of our Country and the First President, Washington was also a great general.
$2.00 bill (Current: Thomas Jefferson). Norman Borlaug. Not many people use the $2.00 bill, and not many people have heard of Norman Borlaug. Borlaug's research into agriculture may have saved a billion lives. He should be celebrated.
$5.00 bill (Current: Abraham Lincoln) Abraham Lincoln. Still keeping the President who kept the country together. Washington and Lincoln are the only elected officials that I'm keeping (but I'm keeping one more person)
$10.00 bill (Current: Alexander Hamilton) Jackie Robinson. Americans are obsessed about sports. I think I could argue that half the bills should have towering sports figures, from Babe Ruth to Jim Thorpe to Michael Jordan. But the $10.00 bill is popular, and Robinson represents the best in the United States- both as an athlete and as a person.
$20.00 bill (Current: Andrew Jackson) Mark Twain. Father of American literature. "Huckleberry Finn" and "Tom Sawyer" remain classics.
$50.00 bill (Current: U.S. Grant) Neil Armstrong. There are a lot of choices to honor the scientists, inventors, and explorers- Thomas Edison, the Wright Brothers, Alexander Graham Bell. But the Moon Landing is one of our greatest achievements, and should be celebrated.
$100.00 bill (Current: Benjamin Franklin) Benjamin Franklin. I'm keeping Franklin, because he was so much more than a politician. Inventor, writer, diplomat.
They don't make any bills over $100.00 anymore. But I'd like to bring back two bills, especially because prices keep rising and we might need them soon.
$500.00 bill (Formerly: William McKinely) Lucille Ball. Americans love their entertainers. And I can come up with several nominees (Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, Bob Hope, etc.). Ms. Ball a star on stage, radio, and television- she can hold her own with anyone else on this platform.
$1000.00 bill (Formerly: Grover Cleveland) I would like to nominate Andrew Carnegie for the $1000.00 bill, because I believe we should honor both the industrialists and the philanthropists. And having a steel magnate on the highest currency seems appropriate.
Thoughts and suggestions for other nominees welcomed.
Look- who's on the coins and bills of today? Politicians. Why? We're the United States! We mock politicians! Besides, I hate any idea that puts politicians on a pedestal above citizens. Yes, we've had some great leaders. But there are far greater things in the United States than who get elected to what office.
So I'm offering my suggestion for the bills- who should be honored on each of the denominations:
$1.00 bill (Current: George Washington). George Washington. Just because I want to reduce the number of politicians on our currency doesn't mean we should get rid of them altogether. In addition to being the Father of our Country and the First President, Washington was also a great general.
$2.00 bill (Current: Thomas Jefferson). Norman Borlaug. Not many people use the $2.00 bill, and not many people have heard of Norman Borlaug. Borlaug's research into agriculture may have saved a billion lives. He should be celebrated.
$5.00 bill (Current: Abraham Lincoln) Abraham Lincoln. Still keeping the President who kept the country together. Washington and Lincoln are the only elected officials that I'm keeping (but I'm keeping one more person)
$10.00 bill (Current: Alexander Hamilton) Jackie Robinson. Americans are obsessed about sports. I think I could argue that half the bills should have towering sports figures, from Babe Ruth to Jim Thorpe to Michael Jordan. But the $10.00 bill is popular, and Robinson represents the best in the United States- both as an athlete and as a person.
$20.00 bill (Current: Andrew Jackson) Mark Twain. Father of American literature. "Huckleberry Finn" and "Tom Sawyer" remain classics.
$50.00 bill (Current: U.S. Grant) Neil Armstrong. There are a lot of choices to honor the scientists, inventors, and explorers- Thomas Edison, the Wright Brothers, Alexander Graham Bell. But the Moon Landing is one of our greatest achievements, and should be celebrated.
$100.00 bill (Current: Benjamin Franklin) Benjamin Franklin. I'm keeping Franklin, because he was so much more than a politician. Inventor, writer, diplomat.
They don't make any bills over $100.00 anymore. But I'd like to bring back two bills, especially because prices keep rising and we might need them soon.
$500.00 bill (Formerly: William McKinely) Lucille Ball. Americans love their entertainers. And I can come up with several nominees (Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, Bob Hope, etc.). Ms. Ball a star on stage, radio, and television- she can hold her own with anyone else on this platform.
$1000.00 bill (Formerly: Grover Cleveland) I would like to nominate Andrew Carnegie for the $1000.00 bill, because I believe we should honor both the industrialists and the philanthropists. And having a steel magnate on the highest currency seems appropriate.
Thoughts and suggestions for other nominees welcomed.
Sunday, February 23, 2014
WWE Elimination Chamber 2014
The WWE has one of their monthly Pay-Per-Views (PPV) on tonight. Their biggest is Wrestlemania, which occurs next month. This PPV should finalize the card for the next show.
There's actually a fascinating meta-plot element going into this card, if you'll allow me to get theorhetical for a minute:
Wrestling is a form of entertainment, but with elements of sports. Unlike sports, the events are pre-determined. And the bookers usually determine the winners by what they think the fans will pay to see.
So, even if the millions of Super Bowl viewers want the Broncos to win, if Seattle is the better team, they'll win the game- regardless of what the fans want.
But in wrestling? If the fans get behind a wrestler, the bookers will give that wrestler a push. After all, the goal of the bookers is to have fans pay money to see the product. If the fans are clearly behind a wrestler, it makes sense to elevate them.
And in wrestling, unlike tv or music, there's real-time feedback. If the fans of a tv show go nuts for an actor that the producers wasn't expecting, they won't know until weeks or months after the show has been filmed. But wrestling occurs in front of a live audience every week. If the fans get behind someone, they'll know in time to change who wins the matches for the next week.
That's the theory. Here's the metaplot element:
The fans, over the past few months, have been going crazy over the wrestler Daniel Bryan. Besides being a great workrate guy and clearly cheered for by the fans, his "YES!" chants have crossed over in the mainstream. The fans clearly want Bryan to win the world title and main event Wrestlemania.
But the bookers have had other ideas. Part of it is the storyline- by having people keep Bryan from winning the title, they are building heels for the crowd to boo against.
But another part is that the WWE has a formula for which wrestlers they like to push to the top of the promotion- look at John Cena, or Hulk Hogan. Bryan is small by wrestling standards, a vegetarian, and looks more like a lumberjack than a muscleman.
At the Royal Rumble, Randy Orton held on to the WWE Title, and Batista won the Royal Rumble. Now, Batista is returning to the WWE after leaving some years ago. He looks like he's carved out of granite, and he'll be in a major motion picture this summer. By the WWE's formula, Batista-Orton makes perfect sense.
But at the Royal Rumble, the crowd completely booed Orton's match with John Cena, and booed when Batista (who the WWE has been trying to portray as a hero) won the Royal Rumble. And there is a legitimate fear that the Wrestlemania main event might have 40,000 people crapping on the match and chanting for Daniel Bryan instead.
The Elimination Chamber is the last PPV before Wrestlemania. It's the best- and possibly- only chance to change the main event in time.
The crowd wants Bryan. And the crowd might openly rebel if Bryan isn't in the Main Event.
Randy Orton defends the title against five other men in the main event of this PPV. Daniel Bryan is one of these men. If Bryan doesn't walk out with the title, the WWE is risking open rebellion.
And that, more than any writing, is the fascinating story to watch on tonight's PPV.
There's actually a fascinating meta-plot element going into this card, if you'll allow me to get theorhetical for a minute:
Wrestling is a form of entertainment, but with elements of sports. Unlike sports, the events are pre-determined. And the bookers usually determine the winners by what they think the fans will pay to see.
So, even if the millions of Super Bowl viewers want the Broncos to win, if Seattle is the better team, they'll win the game- regardless of what the fans want.
But in wrestling? If the fans get behind a wrestler, the bookers will give that wrestler a push. After all, the goal of the bookers is to have fans pay money to see the product. If the fans are clearly behind a wrestler, it makes sense to elevate them.
And in wrestling, unlike tv or music, there's real-time feedback. If the fans of a tv show go nuts for an actor that the producers wasn't expecting, they won't know until weeks or months after the show has been filmed. But wrestling occurs in front of a live audience every week. If the fans get behind someone, they'll know in time to change who wins the matches for the next week.
That's the theory. Here's the metaplot element:
The fans, over the past few months, have been going crazy over the wrestler Daniel Bryan. Besides being a great workrate guy and clearly cheered for by the fans, his "YES!" chants have crossed over in the mainstream. The fans clearly want Bryan to win the world title and main event Wrestlemania.
But the bookers have had other ideas. Part of it is the storyline- by having people keep Bryan from winning the title, they are building heels for the crowd to boo against.
But another part is that the WWE has a formula for which wrestlers they like to push to the top of the promotion- look at John Cena, or Hulk Hogan. Bryan is small by wrestling standards, a vegetarian, and looks more like a lumberjack than a muscleman.
At the Royal Rumble, Randy Orton held on to the WWE Title, and Batista won the Royal Rumble. Now, Batista is returning to the WWE after leaving some years ago. He looks like he's carved out of granite, and he'll be in a major motion picture this summer. By the WWE's formula, Batista-Orton makes perfect sense.
But at the Royal Rumble, the crowd completely booed Orton's match with John Cena, and booed when Batista (who the WWE has been trying to portray as a hero) won the Royal Rumble. And there is a legitimate fear that the Wrestlemania main event might have 40,000 people crapping on the match and chanting for Daniel Bryan instead.
The Elimination Chamber is the last PPV before Wrestlemania. It's the best- and possibly- only chance to change the main event in time.
The crowd wants Bryan. And the crowd might openly rebel if Bryan isn't in the Main Event.
Randy Orton defends the title against five other men in the main event of this PPV. Daniel Bryan is one of these men. If Bryan doesn't walk out with the title, the WWE is risking open rebellion.
And that, more than any writing, is the fascinating story to watch on tonight's PPV.
Wednesday, February 12, 2014
In Memoriam: Barbara Jo
One of my closest friends passed away suddenly. Barbara Jo Erickson was... the best way I can describe her is to say that she embraced life like no other person I ever met. She wanted to experience everything.
Ride a motorcycle? Sure!
Ski? Let's go!
Last-minute Trip to Western California for a License Plate show? When's the flight?
Hanging around her, you needed an open mind to try anything. She had about 10,000 hobbies, and she'd pick them up and drop them on a whim.
She was fun, and brilliant, and opinionated, and in-your-face, and she made life much much better just by being in it. And while we never worked out as a couple, I was so glad we could stay in touch, remain friends, and be a part of each others lives.
Barb was only 45, and while she had had health problems in the past, her death was so unexpected. Her mother and two of her grandparents are still alive, and this is so horrible for them.
I wish all of you could have met her.
I miss you, Barbara Jo.
See you in the next life.
Ride a motorcycle? Sure!
Ski? Let's go!
Last-minute Trip to Western California for a License Plate show? When's the flight?
Hanging around her, you needed an open mind to try anything. She had about 10,000 hobbies, and she'd pick them up and drop them on a whim.
She was fun, and brilliant, and opinionated, and in-your-face, and she made life much much better just by being in it. And while we never worked out as a couple, I was so glad we could stay in touch, remain friends, and be a part of each others lives.
Barb was only 45, and while she had had health problems in the past, her death was so unexpected. Her mother and two of her grandparents are still alive, and this is so horrible for them.
I wish all of you could have met her.
I miss you, Barbara Jo.
See you in the next life.
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