The Simpsons 1st Season Review

October 16, 2016 rdtworldofsport@gmail.com

We’re looking to review every single season of the Simpsons…but doing a short review of EVERY single episode. Each episode will get a grade, as will each season. First, a little preview.

Season 1

The Tracey Ullman Show was one of Fox’s earliest programs as it had recently taken off with Married…With Children. The Simpsons was an animated short, or bumper, in-between segments and commercials during the program. With Fox still looking to add content as a fledging network, the Simpsons would get spun-off into its own show. There were production problems early on as some of the animation looked terrible for the intended series opener (which in turn became the season finale, “Some Enchanted Evening”). The series began much later than expected and with a Christmas Special (intended to be the eighth episode in the series).

Episode 1 (1) – Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire

In a lot of ways this is a classic despite that a lot of peak Simpsons’ traits are absent here. There’s no crazy version of Homer, he wouldn’t really appear for a few more seasons. Instead Homer’s just a normal man trying to make his family happy for Christmas. He’s relatable in that sense. And while that version of Homer isn’t what made the character famous, it does work. We establish a lot of main and side characters here, which is quite impressive for a 23 minute episode. Bart does no less than three things that show he’s the bad boy, a character that carried early Simpsons seasons (those three things are ruining the school play, getting a tattoo and pulling “Santa’s” beard). Lisa has her moment as well when she defends her father against her aunts, using a detailed explanation that clearly seems advanced for an 8 year old. Marge shows to be the kind hearted matriarch of the family, and even gets a good moment herself (where she hides the Christmas money). Flanders, Mr. Burns and Barney also provide a lot in their few moments. Flanders becomes the neighbor that Homer sizes himself up against…and fails miserably in doing so. Mr. Burns says one thing and you already get an idea of the kind of boss he is. And Barney is, well Barney. There’s a lot here and it’s a great episode as a result. It’s just a bit jarring when you know what’s coming in the seasons ahead.

Grade: A

Episode 2 (2) – Bart the Genius

We learn a lot about Bart here and get to see him interact in the school environment. It’s pretty amazing that characters like Ms. Krabappel and Martin Prince didn’t really change much at all in regards to their core identities. Same goes for Principal Skinner in some respects, although he would become a much great source of comedy later on. While the strength of the episode lies within Homer being proud of Bart’s discovered intellect, the rest of the characters and episode falls flat a bit. It also isn’t drawn all that well either. There are a few great gags in there though (like Homer giving Bart his tie). There’s nothing really wrong with “Bart the Genius”, but it doesn’t really stand out either.

Grade: B-

Episode 3 (3) – Homer’s Odyssey

“Homer’s Odyssey” is the weakest episode so far, although that could be because it was the very first episode written. There are only a few highlights here, mostly centered around Bart and his antics. He provides an entertaining first few minutes and we also get the first prank call to Moe. Once Homer is fired from the Plant, the story takes a nosedive. Homer goes from being depressed and nearly committing suicide to realizing his purpose in life is to make sure Springfield is safe. This all results in Homer getting a new position at the Plant, Nuclear Safety Technician. While it’s funny that Homer (correctly) thinks to himself that he’s grossly underqualified for the position, the whole idea of course is silly in future seasons when we see Homer at work. Nonetheless that can’t be held against the episode as it was the first one written afterall. What can be held against the episode is that Homer’s story isn’t much and the episode suffers for it. On the bright side, we did get the first prank call to Moe from Bart and the first instance of Mr. Burns not knowing who Homer is, both of which would become two long running gags.

Grade: C

Episode 4 (4) – There’s No Disgrace Like Home

Another weak episode here, even weaker than “Homer’s Odyssey”. The entire episode is based around Homer feeling that his family is dysfunctional. Homer as the moral center of the family, a position Marge would usually be in, just feels odd and doesn’t work. While there’s a few solid jokes in this one, there’s really not much else. The fact that the family bonds because they are deemed too unfit for Dr. Marvin Monroe pales in comparison to the stories of the first three episodes. It’s also jarring a bit to see Lisa being as much a troublemaker as Bart. On the plus side, Itchy and Scratchy make their debuts here so there’s that.

Grade: D

Episode 5 (5) – Bart the General

A truly great episode as it foreshadows what made the Simpsons great. While we start off with another standard family story; Bart defending her sister and getting beaten up by a bully as the result, the conclusion is ridiculously over the top that it’s great. We get introduced to Nelson Muntz, who would become one of the most popular recurring characters. We also get introduced to Herman, who while having a big and entertaining role here isn’t used nearly as much in the future. Grampa Simpson is also here and has some funny moments, although like Homer he isn’t in peak form yet. With that being said everyone gets their moments, and Bart clearly breaks out as a star here. I’m pretty sure every 10 year old felt like and wanted to be like Bart after this one.

Grade: A

Episode 6 (6) – Moaning Lisa

Your opinion of this episode will probably be based on whether or not you like the Lisa Simpson character. We learn a lot about Lisa and how much playing the sax means to her. When she meets Bleeding Gums Murphy, a memorable character in his own right, Lisa finally finds someone she can connect with. The result of her arc here has a satisfying conclusion for sure. It’s a bit unfortunate though that the side story involving Bart and Homer steals the episode. Homer and Bart face off in video boxing, which reaches a funny conclusion in itself. We also learn a little bit about Marge and how she was raised. Overall a really good episode with memorable characters…but if you don’t like Lisa you may not like it. There’s a scene with Maggie that made me laugh out loud as well.

Grade: A-

Episode 7 (7) – The Call of the Simpsons

Pretty much everything that made the Simpsons great is here. The first third of the episode, where Homer looks to upend Flanders by buying a nice RV than him, is pure gold. The Simpsons getting stuck in the wild perfectly captures all the Simpsons and even gives us a glimpse of the crazy, insane Homer we get in future seasons. Maggie too has some highlights. Everything works in “The Call of the Simpsons”. The last act can’t be forgotten, where Homer is mistaken for Bigfoot! Of course hilarity ensues there too. Best episode so far and again, all the pieces that made the Simpsons such a great show in its first 10 years are here.

Grade: A+

Episode 8 (8) – The Telltale Head

This is yet another classic Simpsons episode, as well as another that primarily focuses on Bart. It does employ one of my favorite storytelling devices, a frame story beginning in media res. You see Homer and Bart with the head of the town founder Jebadiah Springfield and an angry mob looking to kill them. How the heck did we get here? Bart tells us what happens and it’s little more than a tale of a young boy succumbing to peer pressure and doing something stupid to fit in and be popular. The episode definitely continued to push Bart as the star of the show, and no doubt kids watching probably related with him (something the first season of the Simpsons has done quite well with Homer and Bart). There are some good moments too, Homer in church is definitely a highlight as well as the tormenting of the poor Sunday School teacher with ridiculous questions about who gets to heaven. We also see some characters for the first time (Apu, Krusty, Jimbo, Kearney, Reverend Lovejoy) which is cool, although we only get anything substantial with the bullies. With that being said for a classic episode it feels a little flat. The tone is closer to “Bart the Genius” than the greatness we got in the last few episodes. I also think the characters highlighted in the mob were a bit odd. I get Mr. Burns would care, but seeing him in this angry mob alongside the Skinner’s and Abe Simpson’s of the world felt off. Good, but not great episode.

Grade: B

Episode 9 (9) – Life on the Fast Lane

This is the first time we get an episode that focuses on Marge’s character. Her love for Homer is tested after Homer buys her a selfish birthday gift that he intends to use for himself (a bowling ball engraved with the name “Homer”). She decides to spite him and use it herself. She ends up catching the eye of Jacques, a professional bowler who clearly wants something romantic with Marge. The story is fine, although the actually conclusion seems undeserved from Homer’s perspective and that’s a major gripe from me. Homer doesn’t correct his wrongdoing or anything. He just fears his marriage is falling apart and he doesn’t offer much to fix it. So things working out for them solely works because of Marge’s love for Homer and her family. I suppose that’s great characterization for Marge but it feels so undeserved. Perhaps if there were more scenes with her and Bart and Lisa I’d buy it more. Interestingly the producers spoke about how female fans of the series were frustrated with the conclusion. I can understand why. With that all being said this episode still gets a good mark simply because of its moments and the performance of Albert Brooks as Jacques. The moment Homer unveils his gift for Marge is a great sequence. Marge’s dream about Jacques is visually amazing, especially considering this is still season 1 animation. Jacques is voiced in such an over the top way it’s nothing short of brilliant.

Grade: B+

Episode 10 (10) – Homer’s Night Out

There’s not much to this one. Homer gets caught dancing with an exotic belly dancer by Bart’s spy camera and Marge is furious. There’s ultimately a good lesson to be learned here about women not being treated as objects but other than that and a little of Bart’s mischief it’s a forgettable episode. Also, if you’re following each episode as a chronological story (which…it’s probably best not to) it’s really disappointing to see Homer in this spot after Life on the Fast Lane and the choice Marge made. There aren’t many laughs here either. Bart and his spy camera pretty much take up the good scenes and other than that and Carl’s debut (with a much different voice) this episode is just there.

Grade: C

Episode 11 (11) – The Crepes of Wrath

“The Crepes of Wrath” is a strange episode that foreshadows some of the over the top plots we’d get in future Simpsons episodes. In order to get rid of him for a few months, Principal Skinner comes up with the idea of sending Bart to France in a foreign exchange program. Homer’s fed up with Bart as well, so he and Skinner are both excited to send him off. The Simpsons get an exchange student in return who seems quite perfect. Bart’s side of the story takes an ugly turn as he’s forced into child labor which paints Bart as a sympathy figure who saves the day in France. Meanwhile it turns out the student the Simpsons got back is a spy for another country. Neither side is particularly entertaining other than Homer not realizing he’s giving a spy tons of blueprints and plans to “an unfriendly country”. Also in Homer’s case, these last three episodes showed a really disappointing turn in Homer’s lack of commitment to his family, especially from what we saw in the first few episodes. There are some high points for sure here though, basically all before the two stories come together. Bart’s prank on Skinner’s mother continued that bad boy image that made Bart a star. And, as we’ll get to in later seasons, slapstick violence on Homer Simpson just seems to be money and we get a little bit of that here. I can’t say I liked this episode though. It gets a little bit of a bonus for what I said about foreshadowing over the top storylines in the future though.

Grade: C+

Episode 12 (12) – Krusty Gets Busted

From a theoretical sense this episode probably isn’t considered to be that great. Other than a few moments (the moment Homer sees Krusty in the Kwik E Mart for example) it’s not really an episode played for laughs and the only characters who really get any screen time are Bart, Lisa, Krusty and Sideshow Bob. With that being said who cares! There’s a really good story here and a well done mystery as well. If you were watching it for the first time you can figure out what happened pretty quickly in regards to the crime. Both Krusty and Sideshow Bob are memorable characters right out of the gate and we also establish one of the great rivalries of the Simpsons that’s still being used today: Bart vs. Sideshow Bob.

Grade: A-

Episode 13 (13) – Some Enchanted Evening

This was supposed to be the Series Premiere as opposed to the Season Finale and it shows. The first season of the Simpsons really developed as it went on and as a result “Some Enchanted Evening” feels out of place. That’s not to say some things don’t work because they definitely do. Bart and Lisa’s prank calls to Moe are always good for a laugh and Ms. Botz is an entertaining antagonist. Everything else misses though. We already had two episodes focusing on Homer and Marge’s marriage and for the most part those episodes were stronger.

Grade: C

Season Review

To be honest I found the 1^st season of the Simpsons to be stronger than I remembered it. It’s rather impressive that so many characters that appeared in the season stayed true to their original selves. The only real changes you see over time is like to Moe, who really just becomes a more involved character, and others like Carl Carlson who just needed an identity. The template for the Simpsons peak that would take place over the next nine or ten years was set in stone here. You just have to weave through some of the growing pains too.

Grade: B+

Other (DC, Marvel, Disney etc.)

F1-USGP and Taylor Swift

October 9, 2016 SwiftiePGH13

F1 USGP –Austin, Texas

I wanted to write this article because the US F1 Grand Prix at Circuit Of The Americas in Austin, Texas is quickly approaching. This year’s race weekend, (October 21-23) is on pace to be bigger, better, and more exciting than ever! I am very excited to share that I will be attending the festivities all weekend long. The race is sure to be a good one!

The announcement that superstar performer and 10x Grammy Winner Taylor Swift would be headlining a concert (her only concert of 2016) during this year’s race weekend enticed a lot of non race fans to attend from all over the world. Speculation that this may be where Taylor debuts new music will likely even bring more attention to the race. But that is something we will just have to wait and see. More recently, additional festivities were added including a post-race concert from R&B artist The Weeknd, a downtown takeover fan fest, and performers and acts of all types at the track!

The just under 200 mile race will take place on Sunday, October 23 and is certainly going to be one to remember. Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton are neck and neck in the championship standings. Also of note is that this race will be one of the final events for talented Brazilian driver Felipe Massa, who tearfully announced his retirement earlier this year. Massa has been a driver for a long time and his career almost ended in a tragic fashion during qualifying for the 2009 Hungarian Grand Prix. Massa was struck in the head by a part that came loose from a car in front of him; that piece fractured his skull and nearly ended his life.

Fans from everywhere are hoping that the race weekend will be wonderful. Last year, the race did not go as planned because of a big rainstorm. Hopefully this year, the weather is sunny and rain free!

Since I am most excited about the Taylor Swift concert, I thought it would be fun to name the 15 songs that I think are going to make up the set list.

First up is music from Taylor’s self titled album which was released in 2006.

1) Tim McGraw- (her first single). This would be a throwback that would mean a lot to her fans.

2)Our Song-a song that Taylor wrote for a high school talent show. This song was very popular and is an exciting, cheerful hit that would be sure to bring smiles to the audience’s faces.

Other songs that did not make the cut: Teardrops On My Guitar—this song is wonderful and full of emotion but sadly, I don’t think Taylor would include it in the set list because the person this song was written about got into some legal trouble for abuse of a child earlier this year.

Next is music from Taylor’s second album, Fearless, which was released in 2008.

3) You Belong With Me- a mega hit that Taylor wrote during her time in high school that is totally relatable. This song is often requested and may be my favorite Taylor Swift song of all time!

4) Fearless- this song really encompasses the theme of going for something even if you are afraid.

5) Fifteen- a song about growing up and learning important lessons that Taylor wrote about freshman year of high school. The line “Back then I swore I was gonna marry him but I realized some bigger dreams of mine” would be the perfect time to pause and look at the crowd for some much deserved applause.

Speak Now, which came out in 2010, is next on the list.

6) Love Story- a very well known and well liked song. Taylor loves playing this one at concerts (it has been on every tour’s set list). Most recently, it got a 1989 remix. It will be exciting to see what she does next!

7) Mean- a catchy song with its country twang that she wrote about a critic has become an anti bullying anthem showing that whispers behind your back don’t define you.

8) Sparks Fly- This song has a great sound and seems to be loved by Swift and her fans. Taylor included this song on the set list for 2 tours.

RED is the next album and it was full of hits. It came out in 2012.

9)We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together- So catchy. Great Break Up Song that Taylor wrote when an ex came back to her.

10) I Knew You Were Trouble- Powerful song that got a remix for the latest tour but is sure to delight.

11) 22- Basically EVERYONE KNOWS THIS SONG. This will get people dancing and is so fun. I’m looking forward to it because this would be the only time I’d get to hear 22 live while being 22!

1989. Record Breaking and Iconic, 1989 is the album of the century….ok maybe the greatest of all time.

12) Blank Space- a satirical song about the media’s opinion of Taylor. Described by her as “the biggest song I’ve ever had”

13) Shake It Off- a true earworm. A well known , feel good song for all ages.

14) Out of The Woods- Swifties love the power that this song has. One of the most loved tour performances and the song Taylor decided to perform to open this year’s Grammy Awards

15) Style- A fun song that encompasses the feel of the album.

Basketball

Sports Oddities: Michael Adams

September 23, 2016 rdtworldofsport@gmail.com

This series of articles (looking to do it bi-weekly…but have failed at that) focuses on a bizarre or oddball statistical anomaly that played in professional sports. I probably will run out of players to do this with eventually though.

Only three players in NBA history have had a season where they averaged at least 26 points per game and 10 assists per game. Oscar Robertson did it during his statistical dominance in the early 1960s. Tiny Archibald did it during his famous (or infamous?) season where he led the league in PPG and APG. The third guy? It wasn’t a big name like Michael Jordan or Jerry West. No, not even close.

The third guy was Michael Adams.

How did this happen? Before the 1990-1991 NBA season Adams’ previously had a season PPG high of 15.5 and 6.3 APG. Not even close to his crazy 26.5 PPG, 10.5 APG season in 90-91. Adams didn’t even get recognition for these seemingly MVP level stats either, as he didn’t make an All-NBA or even All-Star team. What Adams was a product of was the Paul Westhead insane pace play no defense Denver Nuggets. The Nuggets scored 118 PPG but let up over 130.

The box scores against the Nuggets were insane. A few games into the season the Phoenix Suns dropped 107 on them…in the first half (and 173 total). Nine times they allowed over 150 points in a game, all in regulation. Too bad fantasy sports didn’t exist back then, streaming against and owning Nuggets would have been all the rage.

As for Adams, he got to be the star (along with Orlando Woolridge) of this team and as a result got the big stats. But to be fair to him, he played for the Bullets the next year, put up a solid 18-7 and made the 1992 All-Star Game. He looks rather out of place in the All-Star Game…but he got there at least, right?

Football

2016 NFL Season Predictions

September 5, 2016 rdtworldofsport@gmail.com

We are merely hours away from kickoff for the 2016 NFL Season! I wrote last year how parity had been escaping the NFL over the years, and no worries, that once again was the case. The Denver Broncos, a top 8 team for five straight years now (meaning they lost in the Divisional Round or better), took home a SuperBowl ring behind a vaunted defense. The Carolina Panthers, who I selected to win the NFC South (but I didn’t have the guts to pick them for the SuperBowl), continued to improve after winning their third straight division title. The Patriots were a top 4 team once again for the fifth straight year. Roger Goodell though, seems to be doing everything in his power to make sure that doesn’t happen again.

With that being said…RDT’s 2016 NFL Predictions.

NFC East
Giants: 9-7 (4^th)
Eagles: 8-8
Redskins: 5-11
Cowboys: 5-11

I feel like I pick the Giants every year for this division. I couldn’t even remember who won it last year (Washington). The Giants still have the steadiest presence as Quarterback in Eli Manning. Eli’s a bit of a Jekyll and Hyde QB at this point, either he’s great or he’s wildly inconsistent. He has Odell Beckham Jr. to throw to, so I’m sure he’ll be fine. I’m sure there are a lot of Kirk Cousins fans out there and he did play well last season. He’s not someone I’m willing to back and their defense is pretty bad. The Eagles have a rookie at QB and nothing else truly inspiring as they recover from the Chip Kelly era. Dallas just dropped lost Tony Romo again for half the season and I think we’re finished with Romo being a difference making QB. What a bad division overall.

NFC North
Packers: 12-4 (1^st)
Lions: 9-7 (6^th)
Vikings: 8-8
Bears: 3-13

Kind of a shame for the Vikings. Teddy Bridgewater seemed poised to break out after improving in most statistical categories last season but now he’s done for 2016 and probably part of 2017 too. Adrian Peterson should be regressing, but who knows really as he’s a physical freak. Unfortunately now the Vikings are going to have Sam Bradford at the helm, who’s pretty much known for winning 7 games in a season. The Packers should take the division with ease this year, although Detroit might be able to make it interesting as that’s a team that underperforms year in and year out. The Chicago Bears meanwhile just need to start over.

NFC South
Panthers: 12-4 (2^nd)
Falcons: 8-8
Buccaneers: 7-9
Saints: 7-9

The NFC South is full of incomplete teams. I still need to see an improved Saints defense (now that Ryan is gone it should happen) before I believe it. Buccaneers can be one year away if Winston develops. Matt Ryan continues to be perhaps the most overrated quarterback in football, posting big yardage with big attempts, a meager TD:INT ratio and a below average passer rating despite having Julio Jones to throw to. The only team to believe in here is The Panthers. I’m all in on “Riverboat” Ron and Cam Newton. I feel like I somehow doubted them last year when I made them 10-6 to win the South even though I was the only one it seemed who actually picked them to do so.

NFC West
Cardinals: 11-5 (3^rd)
Seahawks: 10-6 (5^th)
Rams: 4-12
49ers: 4-12

Seattle did regress last year, and they may again this year but they are still in the Superbowl hunt. A lot will bank on if Thomas Rawls can make the plays Marshawn Lynch made for Seattle in their peak years. I totally counted out the Cardinals as a fluke last year and was wrong…but their record here is more indicative of playing in the same division as the Rams and 49ers than my confidence in them. I wouldn’t be surprised if they fell off. I don’t think Los Angeles cares about football and while the Rams have been on that outside looking in level for years now, I don’t think they are breaking in unless Goff plays and is the real deal immediately. The 49ers have been a disaster since Harbaugh left and their biggest story is Kaepernick and the National Anthem, which isn’t a great sign.

AFC East
Patriots: 10-6 (4^th)
Bills: 9-7
Dolphins: 6-10
Jets: 5-11

I still have New England winning the AFC East although it should be a bit of a competition with Buffalo. A lot depends on how New England starts without Brady. The Bills will hang around…but there isn’t much to indicate that this year will be much different than the past two. Miami’s also a “just there” team and their running situation might make Tannenhill someone who has to throw a lot, which isn’t good. The Jets had a really easy schedule to start last year and did nothing with that, this year is a lot worse. Jets need to get past Ryan Fitzpatrick ASAP.

AFC North
Steelers: 11-5 (2nd)
Bengals: 11-5 (5^th)
Ravens: 9-7
Browns: 3-13

The Steelers were a few plays away from perhaps making their own Super Bowl run last season and as long as Ben Roethlisberger is around they will usually be 8-8 or better. The Bengals may have been robbed of their own Super Bowl run thanks to Pacman Jones and Vontaze Burfict giving Landry Jones an easy 30 years. While I have no faith in Marvin Lewis as a head coach, there is no reason to think a healthy Andy Dalton won’t at least guarantee them another playoff berth. The Ravens should be better than last year too…although there are a lot of depth problems there (which really showed on offense last year). The Browns are just a mess.

AFC South
Colts: 10-6 (3^rd)
Jaguars: 9-7
Titans: 8-8
Texans: 6-10

The AFC South should be quite a fun division to follow. Will Andrew the Giant reclaim his throne as the best young passer in football? Probably depends what his team can do around him. The Jaguars look improved all around and they may steal the division. There is a lot of Blake Bortles hype out there. Speaking of hype, if Marcus Mariota continues to develop and DeMarco Murray regains his form the Titans could storm through the division too. I’m not a fan of Brock Osweiler though. The fact he couldn’t keep his job over probably the worst starting QB in the league in Peyton Manning last year is a bad sign all around. Kudos for the Texans for taking a shot as their QB situation was a disaster last year though. I’m worried about J.J. Watt’s injuries too.

AFC West
Chiefs: 12-4 (1^st)
Broncos: 9-7 (6^th)
Raiders: 9-7
Chargers: 7-9

The Chiefs still rank as a stereotypical Andy Reid team to me. So once again they should lose early in the playoffs despite giving them the #1 seed here. I’d rather have Denver’s amazing defense with no quarterback than Oakland’s young, high upside offense. San Diego probably needs to hit the reset button at this point.

Superbowl feels wide open to me. Let’s go with Green Bay finally getting back there against a returning to form Pittsburgh Steeler team, with the Packers beating them once again.

Pro Wrestling

WWE Closed My Mind Towards Professional Wrestling

August 28, 2016 rdtworldofsport@gmail.com

I didn’t truly realize this until a few days ago, but WWE over the years successfully had made me think that it was the true, elite brand of professional wrestling. Everything else was the minor leagues (other than WCW for a few years in the 90s). Extreme Championship Wrestling, Ring of Honor, New Japan Pro Wrestling, Xtreme Pro Wrestling, Combat Zone Wrestling, even TNA in its earlier years were all looked upon as inferior. So what if CM Punk was already a super hot heel in Ring of Honor, or that Bryan Danielson was potentially better than Kurt Angle. Did it matter that AJ Styles could probably work circles around anyone in WWE in 2003? What about Christopher Daniels? I never appreciated Tyler Black or Chris Hero. Japan was another story as no one went from there to WWE, and those who did were usually WWE castoffs to begin with. I had high hopes for Tensai after rave reviews of his Japanese run…and he proceeded to become a joke character within a year.

WWE did this to me early in my fandom. As a kid ECW was pretty much the coolest thing around. I wondered how Taz, Sabu, Rob Van Dam and all would fair in a WWF ring. Raven did okay for himself in WCW in 1998. Not great, but he wasn’t a joke or anything, so there was promise from my viewpoint. And the WWF killed that for me with Taz. When Taz showed up at the 2000 Royal Rumble I was all-in on him being a major star, fighting the likes of HHH, Rock and when he came back, Stone Cold. And he wasn’t even close. Two months later he’s fighting in the Hardcore Battle Royal at Wrestlemania. The MAN for ECW was just a lower-card guy in the WWF. Interestingly enough, The Dudley Boyz shook this and became one of the top teams in the WWF, but even then I attributed their success to them changing their attire and acting more “WWF like”, even if that doesn’t make a whole lot of sense.

At some point I decided that it’s obvious these guys didn’t have what it took to make it in the WWF. Even Raven had floundered in his WWF run. Tajiri, who I remembered fighting Taz for the ECW World Title at Heatwave ’99, became a comedy character who was a Cruiserweight mainstay. Only Rob Van Dam made a huge impact, but then again I always thought RVD was ahead of others in ECW. At some point I just said to myself that anyone outside WWE was probably inferior to anyone in WWE. There were exceptions…but even those exceptions didn’t have me thinking much. Yeah, AJ Styles was clearly great, but would he even go above the Cruiserweight Title in WWE? Same goes for Daniels. Samoa Joe seemed like a bad ass, but when there were rumors he was going to fight John Cena in WWE in the gimmick given to Umaga I just assumed Cena was going over him. And while CM Punk made his way to WWE, I didn’t think much of him or his character until 2009 and the Straight Edge Society. Even when he surprisingly won the World Title in 2008, he didn’t feel like a main eventer (didn’t help that WWE didn’t treat him like one either). There were other misfires along the way: Paul London, Brian Kendrick, Colt Cabana as Scotty Bowman. The indies were the indies and that was that.

CM Punk got the ball rolling for sure in 2011. But even then he was pretty much a WWE guy to me. Still, when he and Danielson ended up holding the World Titles at the same time in early 2012 I felt that perhaps someone like AJ Styles could have done this at one time (not like, five years later, no way). But when WWE rolled out NXT, I didn’t watch it. I’ve been burned too many times in the past. It didn’t help that Adrian Neville, who was also an Internet Wrestling Community darling at one time as Pac, hasn’t really gained much traction. Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens though has helped change the perception, and the Finn Balor push to the Universal title was also helping, but my perception ended up completely changed at Takeover: Brooklyn II.

Austin Aries was a former TNA World Champion and a stereotypical guy who I’d peg for not getting anywhere in WWE. He looked like a star. Bobby Roode I’ve never cared about once, and he GLORIOUSLY looked like a star. And then, the moment Shinsuke Nakamura made his entrance for his NXT Title match against the aforementioned Samoa Joe, I asked myself…

What the hell have I been missing all these years?

Video Games

Ranking the Banjo-Kazooie Worlds

August 12, 2016 rdtworldofsport@gmail.com

Banjo-Kazooie even today can be argued as the greatest 3D platformer of all time. One major reason is its level quality. While I’m intending to rank these based on what I think is the best, the word best of course is subject to debate. Also, I am only ranking the main levels, so no Spiral Mountain or Quiz show stuff…

9. Clanker’s Cavern

The only world I would say I don’t like here. The swimming is a bit of a pain (although swimming physics are top notch here) and the world primarily revolves around a metal fish. It looks dull. There’s still some good stuff in this though, including my favorite empty honeycomb piece spot, Wonderwing and a cool jumping mini-game in the fish.

8. Rusty Bucket Bay

I appreciate the challenge of Rusty Bucket Bay, but the contaminated water and engine rooms are more pain than pleasure. Navigating the boat itself is fun though. Despite the engine room I appreciate the challenge of getting all 100 notes as well.

7. Bubblegloop Swamp

I think the top 7 levels are significantly better than Rusty Bucket Bay and Clanker’s Cavern. Mr. Vile’s challenge is a lot of fun and being a crocodile is a lot of fun. What holds Bubblegloop Swamp back is that it’s more of a chore to get around with the wading boots…and it’s not like there’s an easy way back to Mumbo’s everytime you want to switch.

6. Mumbo’s Mountain

One of the best examples of a first level teaching you through the ropes. You learn about Jinjos, Mumbo Transformations, throwing eggs and pretty much everything else you need. It’s a bit too easy for my tastes but still quite good. I think a terminate was an odd choice to introduce the Mumbo transformation though.

5. Gobi’s Valley

We’re already in the “A” tier here, and having five of the nine worlds be at that level is quite an accomplishment. Gobi’s Valley has a lot of fun jiggies and characters (like Gobi!). There’s a lot to do here such as wading through sand, getting access to the running shoes and beating short clocks or flying through small holes with spikes. There’s a magic carpet ride too! I actually dislike Donkey Kong 64’s Aztec level mainly because Gobi’s Valley owns so much.

4. Treasure Trove Cove

There are so many areas to explore in Treasure Trove Cove. Banjo-Kazooie smartly introduces flying here and it makes Treasure Trove Cove that much bigger. Fight an evil shellfish named Nipper, find gold for a pirate, fly up to the lighthouse or put some codes into a magical sandcastle. Just watch out for Snacker…

3. Freezeezy Peak

This snow/Christmas themed level has a lot going on as well. I find this to be the rich man’s Mario 64 Snowman’s Land. There’s a HUGE Snowman to climb this time around, a Christmas tree full of presents to explore and some polar bears to race. There’s also the legend of the ice key that you may encounter…

2. Mad Monster Mansion

We are now in the S tier. Mad Monster Mansion is super fun to explore. It has a clever Mumbo Transformation (Pumpkin!) and several smart jiggies. There’s a church and a haunted house to explore, and probably my favorite “race the clock” jiggy. My personal favorite world for sure.

1. Click Clock Wood

A purely genius world. Click Clock Wood is actually four seasons, and each season presents its own challenges. What you do in each season affects the other. Something you do in Spring may effect something that happens in Summer, for example. It also has an amazing theme during the Springtime. A really fun 100 note challenge lies here too.

Basketball

Sports Oddities: Yinka Dare

July 30, 2016 rdtworldofsport@gmail.com

This series of articles (looking to do it bi-weekly) focuses on a bizzaro or oddball statistical anomaly that played in professional sports. I probably will run out of players to do this with eventually though. This is the 2^nd edition of Sports Oddities!

With a mid-1^st round pick in the 1994 NBA Draft, the New Jersey Nets selected Nigerian Yinka Dare. By the time he was eligible for the NBA draft he wasn’t an unknown. He averaged a 13-10 for George Washington University and had led them to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.

To be blunt, Yinka Dare was objectively terrible in the NBA. Some of that seemed like bad luck as in his first game of his rookie season he tore his ACL in just three minutes of action. The Nets seemingly gave up on him already as they left him exposed in the 1995 expansion draft (Toronto and Vancouver wisely passed). In his first real season he shot 44% and averaged 2.8 PPG and 2.1 RPG in about 10 MPG.

And he didn’t register one assist.

Not one.

He set the NBA Record for most games played in a season without registering an assist (58).

So yes, he was quite the punchline at this point. It wouldn’t be until his 78^th game, a game against the Raptors, until he’d record one. He’d record four total assists in his entire career. The video above was about 10 games before he’d finally record an assist.

Four career assists against 96 career turnovers? In recent times Dare’s name had come up again as Hassan Whiteside started his career with 26 games without an assist. Still nothing like the Dare though.

Baseball

Sports Oddities: Herb Washington

July 19, 2016 rdtworldofsport@gmail.com

When I was a kid I had a baseball book that seemed to just be random stories (I really don’t remember except there was a Christy Mathewson and Grover Cleveland Alexander story in there). One story seemed quite odd and interesting. It was about a track runner whom the Oakland A’s signed to just run the bases. He was the team’s “designated runner”. This is about Herb Washington.

Washington had tied track world records and was signed by the As in 1974. Oddly enough, according to Wiki, his contract required he grow facial hair (which he couldn’t quite do). The statistical oddity? Washington never had one at-bat in 105 career games. Never. He was a “pinch runner” (as his baseball card said) and would replace players who got on base. He stole 31 bases in his career. Unfortunately, his big moment was a bad one as he was picked off in the 9^th inning of a World Series game.

Washington was released in 1975. He never went up to bat, played the field or anything. He just ran.

My personal story: I was playing the Sports Edition of “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire” with a friend of mine and this story came up as the $250,000 or $500,000 question. You would not believe how excited I got. Probably one of my best gaming moments ever.

Pro Wrestling

WWE Draft 2016! (Fantasy Booking)

July 5, 2016 rdtworldofsport@gmail.com

Myself and a friend of mine who we’ll call the “Anonymous RAW General Manager” decided in a preview of the real life upcoming WWE draft, we’d do one of our own. He took RAW (obviously), and I decided to take Smackdown. He won the toss for the first pick. There were a few rules.

First rule was that, since we are unsure if and how NXT would be affected, we would take three NXT males and two NXT females.

Second rule is that we could take teams, stables, or workers with managers as long as we used the appropriate amount of picks. I could take the Usos for example, but then RAW would get two straight picks.

Third rule is that we ruled out certain competitors for the draft. No Ryback due to the contract issue. No Undertaker. No McMahons or Triple H. If you see they weren’t drafted that means they weren’t on the main roster. Also, no Tajiri as we didn’t realize he had been signed as we did the draft.

Last note. After each selection RAW GM wrote a little tidbit about each pick. He refers to me as RDT, and I’ll refer to him as RAW GM.

Ok, let’s get picking!

#1 Pick –

AJ Styles

RAW GM: If this draft was held after Wrestlemania, I probably wouldn’t have gone for The Phenomenal One. After losing to Chris Jericho on the biggest stage, it was clear WWE did not value AJ as a major player, and thus diminished his value by losing to Jericho. Not that Jericho is a bad person to lose to, but that he had lost to Fandango at Wrestlemania within the past three years, so it wasn’t looking good for AJ. But since that time, he has had major feuds with Roman Reigns, and seamlessly turned heel to face off against John Cena. AJ has shown both in and out of the ring that he truly is one of the best in the world, and I’m not sure there is a single person in the locker room that should be taken ahead of Styles. That is why I chose him, and he will be the standard bearer for Raw moving forward.

#1 Pick –

John Cena

RDT: Smackdown, just as it did the last time the brand was split, has always struggled with being the B-Show. RAW is the flagship, blah, blah, blah. How do I kill that discussion right off the bat? By drafting the face of WWE, John Cena. Cena has one more monster run in him I feel and there’s enough new fresh workers in WWE that Cena can have great four to five star matches with.

#2 Pick –

Seth Rollins

RAW GM: Another guy who has shown major versatility is THE MAN and former WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins. In response to my first choice, you have to have a top heel. What I like about these two picks are that they can play both the babyface and the heel very believably. Rollins heel run the past two years has been a bit scattered, but it definitely is more or less how he was written and not his ability to play the character. With Styles and Rollins at the top of the list, they could easily have multiple programs with each other from both sides of the spectrum.

#2 Pick-

Kevin Owens

RDT: In my opinion he’s the best heel in the business right now. He’s incredible on the mic and one of the best workers in the world to boot. We already know he can work great matches with John Cena too, and that could be a feud that could kick off Smackdown in a big way.

#3 Pick-

Dean Ambrose

RAW GM: The current champ in real life, THE DUDE (ugh) comes in as another versatile player. The natural foil to Rollins, Ambrose has shown that he can be the type of babyface that gets crowds excited while not having the squeaky clean persona. The closest we might get to a Stone Cold esque anti-hero in this era.

#3 Pick-

Sami Zayn

RDT: RAW GM makes it tempting for me to look to ruin his SHIELD Triple Threat by taking Roman here. I think it’s more important for me to select the perfect complement to Kevin Owens in a workrate way in Sami Zayn. Having a built-in personal rivalry is what made Zayn and Owens both stars immediately in NXT and has helped Zayn on the main roster as well. Owens vs. Zayn could one day main event Wrestlemania and I want that to be a Smackdown main event. Also, is there any better underdog babyface worker in the world right now than Zayn?

#4 Pick-

Roman Reigns

RAW GM: RDT had no issue taking Cena with his first pick, so I thought it would be best to take advantage and complete the Shield trifecta. These three will always have a story to fall back on which definitely adds value to this pick. THE GUY is the least versatile superstar taken, as he could only believably be a heel to have the crowd accept him for the time being. But if he can show that he can hang in the ring and be a scumbag heel like he’s been recently, perhaps he could try another babyface run in the future.

#4 Pick-

Bray Wyatt

RDT: There’s still no better unique character than Bray Wyatt. Despite being misused horribly at times he still manages to be a special attraction because of his charisma and character. With less clutter among the top names on Smackdown, Bray can finally settle into that Undertaker-type special role without having to be shunted down the card.

#5 Pick-

Cesaro

RAW GM: Is there anything Cesaro can’t do? Well besides speak without a thick accent. I don’t know if Cesaro is a reach at 5, but I am very happy with grabbing him here. The Swiss Superman can do no wrong in the ring, and can jump into a feud for any title he’d like. If he was around in the era where the IC title mattered, he would be that workhorse champion. He isn’t the best on the mic, but he has one hell of a wingspan. His uppercuts are some of the most impressive moves of anyone in the entire draft pool. A top guy with upside to boot.

#5 Pick-

Sasha Banks

RDT: I knew by pulling off a pick like this, I would end up losing the other coveted woman for sure (Bayley), so I had to choose wisely. Women’s professional wrestling can be at an all-time peak with the talent available and I wanted someone who’s been getting huge cheers since her call-up to the main roster ten months ago. “The Boss” is just about ready to peak. Fans wanted her to win the WWE Women’s Championship at Wrestlemania. Now that she’s past her injury, the road to Smackdown’s Women’s Championship is wide open for Banks and that’ll probably get one of the biggest pops of the year. The only way I was getting Sasha AND Bayley was to hope RAW GM took a tag team, but I didn’t want to wait that one out.

#6 Pick-

Bayley

RAW GM: I was shocked that RDT took Sasha Banks with his fifth round pick. I knew right then and there my women’s division would be shot unless I had someone the crowd would be immediately into. Look no further than the most over person NXT has ever seen, the huggable Bayley. She would not be my initial champion, because the underdog babyface has to chase the title to be effective, so my strategy is to just lay low for now and see if I can grab someone like Charlotte a bit later. Definitely reactionary to Sasha though, and I can’t let RDT shake me moving forward.

#6 Pick-

Finn Balor

RDT: I’m trying to offset my lack of NXT knowledge by taking the best NXT has to offer early on. Balor has AJ Styles like potential in being a top worker on for the Smackdown brand. He’s currently the most intriguing NXT call-up at the moment and his character oozes potential. I’m already giddy as Balor vs. Cena in a high profile feud. And don’t get me started on Balor vs. Wyatt.

#7 Pick-

Chris Jericho

RAW GM: My entire draft has been about versatility, and do they get more versatile than Chris Jericho? He has proven that he does not have to speak for almost 20 minutes and can get an equal parts babyface pop and heel reaction in that time span. He definitely will not last forever, but his veteran presence makes him a huge value choice in the 7th round.

#7, #8 Picks-

Enzo and Big Cass

RDT: Enzo and Big Cass have the most upside as a tag team than any other tandem at the moment. They have great chemistry and are both mega-over with the fans already. Big Cass also showed flashes of potential in being a future singles star as well. After all, he’s 7 feet tall AND YOU CAN’T TEACH THAT!

#8, #9, #10 Picks-

The New Day

RAW GM: RDT took The Realest Guys in the Room, so that enabled me to have two consecutive picks. I took it a step further and took the most positive people in the company: The New Day. Xavier Woods, Big E, and Kofi Kingston have shown that they can go out and literally say anything, hit their proven beats, and get a great reaction from the crowd. Their act is a bit long in the tooth and there is a bit of smark fatigue out there, but they are much more valuable as a group than individuals at the moment, and I won’t be the one who breaks them up.

#9 Pick-

Becky Lynch

RDT: I had some freedom here with two selections in a row. I decided to bolster the Women’s Division a little bit and take Lynch. “The Irish Lass Kicker” is one of the best female wrestlers in recent Women’s Division memory and is right there with Sasha Banks in regards to talent, charisma and presence. Also, with Bayley gone I’d want a more traditional babyface female worker on the roster and that fits Lynch perfectly.

#10 Pick-

Shinsuke Nakamura

RDT: A risky pick with homerun upside here. Nakamura’s international presence is unmatched at the moment and the smark crowd think he’s the best worker in the world today. Will that translate into the big time WWE crowd? It remains to be seen. It can’t be said enough that that he’s over with the smark crowd though. He’s the 2014 Wrestling Observer Newletter Wrestler of the Year and already in the WON’s Hall of Fame. I say the gamble is worth it.

#11 and #12 Pick-

Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman

RAW GM: The most risky pick of the draft so far, I took The Beast, The Conqueror, One in Twenty-Two and One, Brock Lesnar. While he is only a part time act, he is still the main attraction, and is always a ratings draw. He won’t be wrestling on Raw, but he and his advocate will give a jolt to any story I need at any time.

#11 Pick-

Samoa Joe

RDT: I know many have called Cena vs. Styles a dream match because of AJ’s status as the face of TNA. Well, I think Samoa Joe vs. Cena is just as intriguing. We almost got that feud ten years ago too. When motivated, Samoa Joe is one of the best workers in the world who can work any style. There’s a built-in rivalry with Owens too that has potential to be an all-timer. Plus, he and Balor are killing it in NXT at the moment too!

#12 Pick-

Asuka

RDT: This might be a surprise with Charlotte still out there, but NXT Women’s Champion Asuka has upside as a great female heel. She’s an intriguing NXT call-up that would have intense rivalries with Becky and Sasha right away.

#13 Pick-

Randy Orton

RAW GM: A top draw for over a decade, Randy Orton has fallen out of favor a bit between injuries and an endless series of matches against Sheamus. His name on the roster will be able to draw the people that John Cena will be attracting on the blue brand. Plus you can never have too many former world champions.

#13 Pick-

Kalisto

RDT: Kalisto’s a fun wrestler who fills that Rey Mysterio void. He can fly like no one else and one day might one day have a run on top like Rey. There’s also a goal to maximize diversity on the Smackdown brand. Nakamura, Becky, Asuka and now Kalisto help that initiative.

#14 Pick-

Dolph Ziggler

RAW GM: Speaking of former World Champions, my next pick is The Showoff. Ziggler has really had his stock drop since the influx of “indy” talent from NXT that has been called up. I think he would’ve been a Top 5 pick for sure if this draft were held even a year ago, but constant losses to Baron Corbin and generally no direction had his stock fall hard. A good value pick in my humble opinion.

#14 and #15 Pick-

Rusev and Lana

RDT: Rusev’s proven to be an entertaining upper midcard heel in his entire run thus far. This is despite some horrid booking…especially that feud with Dolph Ziggler last year. And speaking of surviving horrid booking Smackdown also gets the beautiful Lana. Not only does Lana’s sex appeal keep her among one of the most popular acts in the company…she’s also been in the ring a few times and perhaps one day an be a top heel wrestler too.

#15 and #16 Pick-

The Club

RAW GM: These newcomers were beasts in Japan, and have made their mark continuing the Bullet Club gimmick with AJ Styles. They will be the top heel team in the tag division, and can also align with Styles whenever necessary.

#16 Pick-

Charlotte

RDT: The current WWE’s Women’s Champion still being available is a bit of a surprise here. Smackdown is determined to have the best Women’s wrestling in the world and I feel like Charlotte. I was considering Paige and Emma here too, but when you can take the current World Women’s Champion I feel like that should be the pick.

#17 Pick-

Paige

RAW GM: RDT took Charlotte which means I waited too long to give Bayley a top heel to chase. Paige was a good backup, but she definitely plays the anti-hero best, while she has yet to show great heel chops on the main stage. She is still incredibly young, and has more experience than most, so it is not the worst choice.

#17 Pick-

Alberto Del Rio

RDT: A personal favorite of mine that has barely received a mere thought when it comes to booking. Del Rio can go in the ring and seems to be in the best shape of his life. He’s also a backstage favorite of John Cena, which should only help the locker room. Anyone working with Del Rio will only get better as a result.

#18 Pick-

Nikki Bella

RAW GM: A more traditional heel and comes with a TV show on the E! Network. This should be a good way to add some different demographic to the ratings sheet, but her injury history leaves a lot to be desired. Can definitely be a heel, but the ring work is shaky at best.

#18 and #19 Pick-

The Miz and Maryse

RDT: The Miz has come a long way from being a Tough Enough Call-Up. Miz has proven to be one of the best heels in wrestling as every face who seems to feud with him gets mega-over as a result (see: Sandow, Damien). Now with Maryse returning, would it really surprise you if a few years from now Total Divas had Maryse as the primary draw? There’s a fun potential rivalry brewing too with Rusev and Lana against Miz and Maryse for Smackdown’s Power Couple.

#19 Pick-

Emma

RAW GM: Continuing my run on the women’s division, Emma represents a natural foil to Paige and Bayley both hearkening back to their NXT days. Her heel persona with her super heel aviator sunglasses and half gloves was just called up to the main roster before a fluke injury.

#20 Pick-

Alexa Bliss

RAW GM: The most improved player in NXT, Alexa Bliss is my fourth female choice in a row. I definitely wanted to make sure the women’s division was complete with a fourth player that can be a heel to the superstar Bayley. Alexa Bliss has the best facial reactions in the business, and is currently feuding Bayley in NXT at the time of this draft.

#20 Pick-

Sheamus

RDT: Sheamus has “X-Pac” heat at this point, but it doesn’t change the fact he’s a good bully heel who can have a hard hitting good match with the right opponent. Remember when Roman Reigns won the title on RAW against Sheamus and the crowd seemed like they were finally behind him? Some of that credit belongs to Sheamus as a heel. I can’t lie, I admittedly forgot about the injured Luke Harper here. But hey, two movie stars in a row ain’t bad!

#21 Pick-RAW-Luke Harper–Returning to the Y chromosome side of things, I was able to snipe Luke Harper away from RDT. He chose to draft Bray without his family, so I took advantage here almost 16 rounds later. I’m not sure why he didn’t take him before someone like Kalisto and especially Sheamus. In any event, his loss is my gain. Harper is highly skilled for someone his size, and doesn’t need his beard to get over.

#21 Pick-Smackdown-Tyler Breeze–I think Breeze has a lot of potential as a heel. I didn’t want Fandango as I think Johnny Curtis’ run is getting close to over.

#22 Pick-RAW-Neville–The Man Gravity Forgot was also forgotten by WWE’s draft game on their website. But luckily for this high flyer, I did not. Neville almost won King of the Ring when it returned in 2015, but he lost to King Barrett, which might not have been the worst thing in the world. Since that time he was lost in the shuffle a bit and then got injured. He will return as someone that could contend for the midcard title and buld up his profile to perhaps break through.

#22, 23 and 24 Pick-Smackdown-The Social Outcasts–You just have to have those fun lowercard heels. Heath Slater has been one of the most entertaining lower card guys for years now, whether it involved getting beat down by legends of Three Man Band. Bo Dallas will always get you to “BOLIEVE”, and Curtis Axel was one Hulk Hogan scandal away from getting Axelmania over, brother.

#23 and 24 Pick-RAW-The Dudley Boyz–Once again adding to my tag division, the most decorated tag team in WWE history joins the Raw squad. The Dudleyz have proven that face or heel they are a team to be reckoned with.

#25 Pick-RAW-Apollo Crews–If you want to use traditional draft terms, high ceiling doesn’t even fully describe how much potential Apollo Crews contains. To date he has no personality, but for a guy his size and shape, he has the ability to drop jaws in the ring.

#25 Pick-Smackdown-Titus O’Neil–He’s been getting a run as of late in a US Title feud with Rusev. Seems like a great guy backstage and has a great look. Potential is still there for him.

#26 Pick-RAW-Summer Rae–A criminally undervalued female who can play the conceited heel as good as anyone.

#26 Pick-Smackdown-Goldust–A veteran of the locker room that many wrestlers today can look up to. He can still get a good crowd reaction too…just look at the pre-show at Survivor Series 2015. For the record, I am disappointed I forgot about Summer Rae.

#27 Pick-RAW-Fandango–Officially breaking up Breezango, the dancing machine will still have his incredible theme song, and complete goofball playing the part.

#27 and #28 Pick-Smackdown-The Vaudevillians–An interesting tag team that might have questionable staying power is their gimmick doesn’t completely catch on. They’ve held their own on the main roster so far.

#28 Pick-RAW-Zack Ryder–A guy the crowd always seems to be behind, and not bad in the ring. The woo woo woo kid provides valuable depth.

#29 Pick-RAW-Baron Corbin–The defending Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royale winner, he hasn’t done much since his call up except for beating Dolph Ziggler. Another high ceiling pick.

#29 Pick-RAW-Natayla–Already with a strong Women’s Division, I see no reason not to add a great worker like Natayla. Perhaps if Tyson Kidd recovers I get him in the deal too?

#30 Pick-RAW-Mark Henry–The World’s Strongest Man’s best days are behind him. But he can still treat yall like a bunch of puppets when he feels like it. His salmon suit also adds value to this pick.

#30 and #31 Pick-Smackdown-Darren Young and Bob Backlund–Smackdown is the platform to make Darren Young great again. And if things don’t work out the Prime Time Players could always re-unite, and Bob Backlund could continue a years old rivalry with Heath Slater!

#31 Pick-RAW-Kane–I couldn’t believe in a draft that RDT is involved with that Kane was still available. I’m not sure I could let him slip any more than this. Can go to therapy and still be entertaining.

#32 Pick-RAW-Sin Cara–All wrestling shows need jobbers. At least you don’t have to see this one’s face.

#32 Pick-Smackdown-Jack Swagger–Real shame to see how far Swagger’s fallen. He truthfully just doesn’t have it despite showing potential some eight years ago. On the flipside I feel like pairing him with Backlund could do wonders.

#33 and #34 Pick-RAW-The Usos–Honestly, I think we were a little hard on letting the Usos drop this far. The fact that they have never had any character development in about 7 years though hurts their draft stock. Excellent in the ring makes them much more valuable than the next choice.

#33 Pick-Smackdown-Eva Marie–Sometimes you just need a model. She can sell posters and magazines. I wouldn’t put her in the ring.

#34 Pick-Smackdown-Big Show–Yes, we are way over Big Show fatigue at this point, but I still think he can make a solid tag team partner to someone not unlike the times he teamed with Jericho and the Miz in 2009/2010. Like maybe as Tyler Breeze’s bodyguard or something.

#35 and #36 Pick-RAW-The Ascension–A team that was absolutely dominant on NXT and then transformed into Road Warrior clones on their callup. Would need repackaged to appear on TV at this point.

#35 and #36 Pick-Smackdown-Primo and Epico–I’m admittedly not even sure of their current gimmick. Apparently they are the Shining Stars now? The heck? Anyway, two decent workers to have the random tag match with.

#37 Pick-RAW-Dana Brooke–A new face on WWE TV, she was destined to be the top heel on NXT. Called up inexplicably and an underling to Charlotte. Her being on her own now should allow her to build up her character a bit before going for the title.

#37 Pick-Smackdown-R-Truth–Just another veteran at this point to help the young guys. Still gets a pop with the “WUTS UP” stuff.

#38 Pick-RAW-Naomi–I didn’t want to be a homewrecker, so Naomi stays on tour with her husband J…immy? Uso?

#38, #39, #40, #41 Pick-Smackdown-Eric Rowan, Braun Strowman, Tamina and Alicia Fox–Since I picked my NXT people early I’m forced with the rest of the main roster here as RAW picks their NXT people. I don’t actually mind Rowan, although Strowman can end up as my dancing comedy heel for all I care. If somehow Smackdown got AJ Lee one day Tamina can be her bodyguard again. I actually like Alicia Fox a lot, but putting her on Team Bella last year just lacked any creativity. She should go back to that crazy gimmick where she stole JBL’s hat. That was awesome.

#39 and #40 Pick-RAW-American Alpha–Because RDT uses all of his NXT picks early in the draft, I was able to save mine for the end. American Alpha can easily be the top team on Raw, and should immediately compete for the gold. They definitely give off a Team Angle vibe, and are a huge boon to a tag division that can sometimes feel stale.

#41 Pick-RAW-Hideo Itami–My final choice is far from irrelevant. Hideo has been out for over a year from NXT, but upon his return can easily slot into the upper midcard as a top babyface. I’m not sure he has the heel chops in English quite yet, but is one of the best in the ring the world has seen. Top 10 talent with my final pick doesn’t get better than that!

#41 Pick-Smackdown-Nia Jax–I still needed a NXT female. She can be Eva Marie’s bodyguard I guess or have a Superstars feud with Tamina.

RAW	Smackdown
AJ Styles	John Cena
Seth Rollins	Kevin Owens
Dean Ambrose	Sami Zayn
Roman Reigns	Bray Wyatt
Cesaro	Sasha Banks
Bayley	Finn Balor
Chris Jericho	Enzo
Kofi Kingston	Big Cass
Xavier Woods	Becky Lynch
Kofi Kingston	Shinsuke Nakamura
Brock Lesnar	Samoa Joe
Paul Heyman	Asuka
Randy Orton	Kalisto
Dolph Ziggler	Rusev
Karl Anderson	Lana
Luke Gallows	Charlotte
Paige	Alberto Del Rio
Nikki Bella	The Miz
Emma	Maryse
Alexa Bliss	Sheamus
Luke Harper	Tyler Breeze
Neville	Heath Slater
Bubba Ray Dudley	Curtis Axel
D-Von Dudley	Bo Dallas
Apollo Crews	Titus O'Neil
Summer Rae	Goldust
Fandango	Simon Gotch
Zack Ryder	Aiden English
Baron Corbin	Natalya
Mark Henry	Darren Young
Kane	Bob Backlund
Sin Cara	Jack Swagger
Jey Uso	Eva Marie
Jimmy Uso	Big Show
Viktor	Primo
Connor	Epico
Dana Brooke	R-Truth
Naomi	Erik Rowan
Chad Gable	Tamina
Jason Jordan	Alicia Fox
Hideo Itami	Braun Strowman
	Nia Jax

Basketball

Top 100 Basketball Player of All Time – 2016 Edition

June 26, 2016 rdtworldofsport@gmail.com

We are a week removed from the NBA Finals and its result shook the foundation of my Top 100 (and should have shaken everyone’s Top lists). So let’s look through my Top 100 and see what’s changed.

Dropped out: Mark Price
Unfortunately for Price a new player has joined the Top 100, and that means Price drops out. Perhaps next year I’ll expand to a Top 125.

100. Tom Chambers (-1)
99. Tim Hardaway (-1)
98. Manu Ginobili (-1) – Could be a big playoffs away from going up about 10 spots, but it looks like he’s done and may retire.
97. Alonzo Mourning (-1)
96. Dikembe Mutombo (-1)
95. Yao Ming (-1)
94. Vince Carter (-1) – I feel like I have to re-evaluate Carter in the future. Is he really better than Mutombo, Mourning, Yao?
93. Carmelo Anthony (-1) – Needs something to move up. Not making the playoffs in the East these days is inexcusable if you’re a top player.
92. Kevin Johnson (-1)
91. Shawn Kemp (-1)

Everyone in this group dropped a spot as the new entry is already in the 80s.

90. Robert Horry (-1)
89. Chris Mullin (-1)
88. Bob Dandridge (-1)
87. Paul Westphal (-1)
86. Dan Issel (-1)
85. Artis Gilmore (-1)
84. Russell Westbrook (NEW) – With his first NBA 1st Team selection, as well as being part of a dangerous 1-2 punch with Kevin Durant that almost beat the 73 win Warriors, it was impossible to deny Westbrook a Top 100 spot. I feel like he’s at the level of Tracy McGrady at the moment, but Westbrook is still young and will probably only trend upwards.
83. Tracy McGrady
82. Joe Dumars
81. Sidney Moncrief

Westbrook’s the only new player in the Top 100.
80. Lenny Wilkins
79. Earl Monroe
78. Tony Parker – Looking like he’s close to done as well. Will need a big season or playoffs to really move up at all.
77. Chris Webber
76. David Thompson
75. Jerry Lucas
74. Pete Maravich
73. Dwight Howard (-1) – Drops a spot to Bosh, will explain below.
72. Chris Bosh (+1) – Passes Howard, will explain below.
71. Dennis Rodman

Really liked how Chris Bosh played this year, even though he unfortunately was done after 53 games because of his heart (and his career might be over). While Dwight performed below expectations once again Bosh was the leader of a Heat team that I think could have given Cleveland a run for their money had he been healthy. Combine this with Bosh’s transformation as a top role player/third guy on the Heat title teams and I think his career is slightly more impressive than Howards. Yeah, Dwight had a better peak, but I’ll take Bosh’s overall career this time. Dwight SHOULD be better than what he is though.

70. Adrian Dantley
69. Alex English
68. Bob McAdoo
67. Tom Heihnson
66. Tiny Archibald
65. Pau Gasol – Impressive that Gasol keeps going, but I think I need to see one more good playoff run to consider putting him in the Top 60.
64. Reggie Miller
63. Bill Sharmin
62. Dave Debusschere
61. Robert Parish

No movement here. Only one that can change their legacy is Gasol.
60. Bernard King
59. Elvin Hayes
58. Dolph Schayes
57. Paul Arizin
56. Dominique Wilkins
55. Billy Cunningham (-1)
54. Hal Greer (-1)
53. Nate Thurmond (-1)
52. Wes Unseld (-1)
51. Chris Paul (+4)

CP3 is one of the toughest to rank. His advanced stats are incredible and he’s clearly a positive on his team. How much of it is his fault that he can’t get out of Round 2? Yes, he keeps running into the juggernauts of the West, but he should have at least been able to get by some of them, right? (He had home court vs. the Spurs in 2008 in Game 7 and was up 3-1 on the Rockets in 2015). I think in terms of success CP3 isn’t much different than Dominique. They just can’t get past those juggernauts of their respective conferences. This year injuries cost Paul a chance at a deep playoff run. But he’s running out of time. He’ll probably inch towards the top 40 with these continual great seasons, but unless there’s some playoff success that’s probably as far as he’d go.

50. James Worthy
49. Dennis Johnson
48. Bill Walton (-1)
47. Ray Allen (-1)
46. Chauncey Billups (-1)
45. George Gervin (-1)
44. Sam Jones (-1)
43. Clyde Drexler (-1)
42. George Mikan (-1)
41. Jason Kidd (-1)

We had one player move up…we’ll get there eventually.
40. Paul Pierce (-1)
39. Allen Iverson (-1)
38. Gary Payton (-1)
37. Patrick Ewing (-1)
36. Dave Cowens (-2)
35. Steve Nash (-2)
34. Kevin Durant (+1) – It seems like a minimal move for Durant. On one hand I was super impressed that he got past the Spurs. On the other hand, he needed one more really big performance to get past Golden State and didn’t get it done. His career is impressive no doubt, but I’m going to need more for him to break into the Top 30.
33. Kevin McHale (-1)
32. Walt Frazier (-1)
31. Willis Reed (-1)

All of these drops are because of the player who went up from the 40s. Durant obviously has potential to move up a lot depending on how things go from here.

30. Rick Barry (-1)
29. Bob Cousy (-1)
28. John Stockon (-1)
27. Stephen Curry (+20) – I was ready to put him into the Top 15 until the collapse against the Spurs happened. Despite an incredible year (.318 WS/48!) and a unanimous MVP, we’re left at the end of the season wonder if he’s even the league’s best player (he’s not). He’s failed to dominate in two straight Finals now, winning the first one arguably because the 2015 Cavs were decimated by injuries and simply overmatched. He’s still headed to the Top 20 (and maybe Top 10), but the train definitely slowed down in the Finals.
26. David Robinson
25. Elgin Baylor
24. John Havlicek
23. Bob Pettit
22. Scottie Pippen
21. Isiah Thomas

Only change here is the addition of Curry.

20. Dwyane Wade – Had a chance to add onto his legacy but couldn’t get it done. His best days are past him, but a surprisingly good run could get him to the Top 15.
19. Karl Malone
18. Charles Barkley
17. Julius Erving
16. Oscar Robertson
15. Wilt Chamberlain
14. Kevin Garnett
13. Dirk Nowitzki – As impressive that he’s still the key member of some solid playoff teams, any shot at the Top 10 is probably dead.
12. Jerry West
11. Moses Malone

No changes here. Only Wade and Nowitzki can change their legacies (and perhaps Garnett?)

10. Kobe Bryant – These last three seasons did nothing for me to think he deserves to go any higher. This past season was especially embarrassing and held back the Laker future.
9. Hakeem Olajuwon
8. Shaquille O’Neal
7. Larry Bird
6. Tim Duncan (-1) – Looks like he’s run out of gas, which is a shame. While I wouldn’t rule him out of being an elite role player next year I don’t know if that’s going to be enough to get back into the Top 5.
5. Magic Johnson (-1)
4. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (-1)
3. LeBron James (+3) – We’ll get to the Kareem vs. LeBron vs. Russell arguments shortly.
2. Bill Russell
1. Michael Jordan

LeBron James obviously put himself into GOAT discussion with his 2016 NBA Finals performance. I still think he has a bit to go to get to MJ (but at least it’s a discussion. That wasn’t guaranteed at all at this point), but he CAN get there. I think he clearly gets to jump Duncan and Magic here. Kareem was a tough choice, but I think LeBron’s been more impressive against better average talent than Kareem was in the 70s (not to say Kareem wasn’t impressive against good teams, it’s just that I find LeBron to be better). Lebron vs. Russell you can go back and forth with all day and I thought about it for a few days. For me it becomes a bit of a hardware argument. It’s not to say LeBron needs 11 rings, but I’d like to see #4 or #5 before I’m taking him over the best winner in NBA history.

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