I figured I would take a couple of minutes to review the new USA Today. As you may know, the USA Today recently turned 30 yrs. old on Sept. 14 and with that they decided to give there newspaper a new design. To be honest, I really dont like it.
It seems like that the paper itself has gotten smaller. I know in 2012 reading a newspaper seems like a foreign concept to people but people, like myself, still read them. In this day in age with I-Phones, I-Pads, and Apps, newspapers seem to be going the way of the encloypedia. I have also noted that the headlines are more bolder although I didnt have a problem with the old format. It seems like the print has gotten smaller as compared to the old days. I mean you really have to squint to see it now. I believe USA Today were touting at the fact that there was more color in the new USA Today but that doesnt mean its better. One of the sections that I like, the Life Section, seems to have gotten smaller in length as well. I have the USA Today paper for the weekend of October 5 to October 7. The Life Section is 6 pages. Thats not really a lot considering that the Sports Section is 14 pages. Also, when you look at the tv section giving you all the listings for the weekend, you could hardly see it. I mean you want to talk about squinting. I think its even smaller than before. If they wanted to expand there Life Section, they could expand there tv listings by giving a more detailed description of the tv shows your watching. Thats what I would do. Also, the headings for each section isnt really appealing. It will say "USA Today-Money" and it will show a person's hand inside of a circle. "USA Today-Life" just has a big circle which I'm assuming is the earth. The USA Today heading itself isnt really appealing. For example, for this weekend it will say "USA Today" 10.05.12 and it has a circle next to it. Thats not that appealing or catchy or anything.
Despite some of the negatives that I have described, I will still by the USA Today because they still do a lot of good things. I like there sports section. I love the NFL Preview section they have each year before a season starts. I like each week they go through the college football and NFL previewing each game. Even though you could get them anywhere on the internet, I have always loved when the USA Today would give you a preview of each NFL game with the announcers that will announce the game. For some reason, I've always liked that and they have always done a good job. Another old favorite of mine is listing the college football games with what channel they are going to be on. Now, I know I can find the announcers and the television listings anywhere on the internet but I think I do it out of tradition more than anything else. I also think I do it just to support newspapers.
They also do a great job with all there preview sections. NBA, NHL, College Football, College Basketball, MLB. They also do a great job previewing various championships. World Series, Super Bowl, NBA/NHL Playoffs, NCAA Tournament etc. Very in depth and very interesting. I dont think that part of the newspaper has declined at all.
But its not just sports previews. They do a great job with the Fall Preview section as well as the Academy Awards. Very in depth and interesting. Also a personal favorite of mine is they do have some nice stories about Black Friday which is the day after Thanksgiving. I find that interesting and they do a good job. USA Today previews holiday movies and its very good because they preview each season and everything about that season.
So in closing, even though Im not too keen on the new look, I would still buy a USA Today. I would do it because my Grandfather introduced me to the paper about 20 yrs. ago, to the point where I wouldnt have to even describe it, every Friday I would have to get "The paper." I would buy it to support newspapers considering that newspapers might be or are becoming more and more extinct. I would do it out of tradition of seeing what announcers are doing what NFL game even though I know a day and sometimes a week before in advance. I would buy a USA Today because they do very good jobs previewing just about anything that people will do or watch. It could be Holiday Shopping, Holidays in general or it could be the Super Bowl. To this day, they do a great job with it. I mean not only that, how can you go wrong? After all, it only costs a dollar.
Saturday, October 6, 2012
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Remembering Steve Sabol
Very sad news today as Steve Sabol passed away from cancer at 69 years old. Anybody who is a true football fan knows who Steve Sabol is. He and his father Ed, created NFL Films in 1962. There first game they ever filmed was the 1962 NFL Championship Game between the Giants and the Packers. Over time, NFL Films became a soundtrack for what pro football is. It could be the music that they used and was created by Sam Spence or just the dialogue said by greats like Harry Kalas and John Facenda. I think to this day, there are goosebumps whenever you hear Facenda, Kalas or any of the popular NFL music. Its a part of the NFL just like the Super Bowl is.
Now in the art of full disclosure, I owe a lot to Steve Sabol and NFL Films. For those who know me and for people that don't, in high school I had a special talent. I could name all the Super Bowls. I can name when they were located, where, what year etc. My high school was dumbfounded when they knew I could this. Hey, it even made me popular with the ladies. I'll never forget that I was in my keyboarding class, sophomore year, 1997. Now to make a long story short, one of the people in my class was in my science class the year before. He was a grade or two higher than me. Well, anyway, he knew who I was and he was friends with a lot of people in my keyboarding class. I made an overture toward him and his friends one day and just started reciting Super Bowls. The location, the date, etc. One of the people I recited the Super Bowls with did the morning announcements on tv. So the next thing I know, I'm on the school tv reciting the Super Bowls and it changed me forever because people knew me after that. I would tell 2 friends about the Super Bowls and they'd tell 4 of there friends, etc., etc. The point of this story is that NFL Films, The Sabols, John Facenda, Sam Spence made that happen for me. I would come home from school and I would watch "Super Bowl Highlights" hosted by Steve Sabol and would be in awe of it. I just love when NFL Network shows those highlight shows every year because I enjoy so much. That's how I learned about the Super Bowls by watching those shows year after year.
It was Ed and Steve Sabol who laid the groundwork for NFL Films. They came upon and thought of a gold mine like NFL Films. They both are truly geniuses for what they did for people like me and the NFL in general. All these highlight shows you see now on ESPN or NFL Network wouldn't be possible without Ed and Steve Sabol. Sam Spence who did a lot of NFL Films music is a genius because of how good the music is and a lot of credit go to the Sabols for hiring him for making John Facenda and Harry Kalas the voices of NFL Films. If you want to know about a game or team, NFL Films was there. If you wanted to remember a game from the 1970s or remember a team from the 1970s, NFL Films was there to help you. Almost like a cliff notes for an NFL fan.
In closing, I'm sure Steve Sabol is talking football now with Art Modell, John Facenda, Harry Kalas, Pete Rozelle, Lamar Hunt and the countless others that helped build the NFL into a powerhouse that it is today. Steve, rest in peace and we sit down and watch the NFL on Sundays, Thursdays and Mondays, we will think of you. Its because of you we are able to do that. RIP.
Now in the art of full disclosure, I owe a lot to Steve Sabol and NFL Films. For those who know me and for people that don't, in high school I had a special talent. I could name all the Super Bowls. I can name when they were located, where, what year etc. My high school was dumbfounded when they knew I could this. Hey, it even made me popular with the ladies. I'll never forget that I was in my keyboarding class, sophomore year, 1997. Now to make a long story short, one of the people in my class was in my science class the year before. He was a grade or two higher than me. Well, anyway, he knew who I was and he was friends with a lot of people in my keyboarding class. I made an overture toward him and his friends one day and just started reciting Super Bowls. The location, the date, etc. One of the people I recited the Super Bowls with did the morning announcements on tv. So the next thing I know, I'm on the school tv reciting the Super Bowls and it changed me forever because people knew me after that. I would tell 2 friends about the Super Bowls and they'd tell 4 of there friends, etc., etc. The point of this story is that NFL Films, The Sabols, John Facenda, Sam Spence made that happen for me. I would come home from school and I would watch "Super Bowl Highlights" hosted by Steve Sabol and would be in awe of it. I just love when NFL Network shows those highlight shows every year because I enjoy so much. That's how I learned about the Super Bowls by watching those shows year after year.
It was Ed and Steve Sabol who laid the groundwork for NFL Films. They came upon and thought of a gold mine like NFL Films. They both are truly geniuses for what they did for people like me and the NFL in general. All these highlight shows you see now on ESPN or NFL Network wouldn't be possible without Ed and Steve Sabol. Sam Spence who did a lot of NFL Films music is a genius because of how good the music is and a lot of credit go to the Sabols for hiring him for making John Facenda and Harry Kalas the voices of NFL Films. If you want to know about a game or team, NFL Films was there. If you wanted to remember a game from the 1970s or remember a team from the 1970s, NFL Films was there to help you. Almost like a cliff notes for an NFL fan.
In closing, I'm sure Steve Sabol is talking football now with Art Modell, John Facenda, Harry Kalas, Pete Rozelle, Lamar Hunt and the countless others that helped build the NFL into a powerhouse that it is today. Steve, rest in peace and we sit down and watch the NFL on Sundays, Thursdays and Mondays, we will think of you. Its because of you we are able to do that. RIP.
Thursday, August 16, 2012
The WWE may have a solution to there tv shows right under there nose
What I mean is this. I have linked an article here: http://www.wrestlezone.com/news/259667-report-triple-h-expected-to-push-more-tag-team-a-less-divas-wrestling
saying that Triple H is going to push tag team wrestling and phase out the divas. Thats very good for the people, like myself, who grew up on tag team wrestling. The Midnight Express, The Road Warriors, The Hart Foundation etc., you know the rest. Lets face it, tag team wrestling, at least in WWE has gone downhill for the past 6, 7 years. Now, Im a fan of the Divas but the days of Trish Stratus, Lita, Molly Holly, Jacqueline and Mickie James are over.
My point is with Raw going to 3 hrs. and new show on Saturday morning and a show on Wednesdays on ION, maybe the WWE, with there thin roster, has made it work. If you focus on tag teams, divas and yes, cruiserweights, you can pretty much make a show out of these divisions. Or you can have one divison on each show, kind of like when the brand extension started when you had crusierweights exclusive to Smackdown and the divas exclusive to Raw. Superstars would feature the tag team titles and the divas title and WWE Main Event could have the cruiserweight title. For example, Superstars could have The PrimeTime Players vs. The Usos vs. Kofi/R-Truth and Beth Phoenix vs. Layla. If done right, with interviews and focus and match time theres your Superstars show for one week.
The WWE Main Event show could be your Tyson Kidd vs. Heath Slater for the crusierweight title and maybe have an exclusive interview from Raw or Superstars. What about a number 1 contenders match between Cody Rhodes vs. Sin Cara? Theres your WWE Main Event show.
The Saturday Morning Show, Saturday Morning Slam or whatever its called would be the guys that are left. You hate to be like that but its true. Probably Santino vs. Drew McIntryre, Alex Riley vs. Tensai and theres your Saturday Morning show.
Imagine on WWE Superstars you have a reginited tag team division and divas division? That can work. Your ION show would include your recaps, of course, and maybe the crusierweights. How about Tyson Kidd vs. Justin Gabriel for the cruiserweight title for 12 to 15 minutes? You wouldnt watch that? I would. And your Saturday show, which will be your kiddie show, would have everybody whos not on the other shows. The whole point of this is that at least you'll have direction. If you get the fans to care about the title, then your halfway home. Example. Look at the US Title. I like Santino as much as the next guy but the belt has become a prop. Antonio Cesaro vs. Santino for the US strap isnt that appealing. BUT, you have Cesaro vs. Christian, the interest of the US Title goes up. Maybe its not flashy or will headline a PPV but Cesaro vs. Christian for 15 mins. on Superstars or WWE Main Event(ION show) would put eyeballs to the set if done right.
I mean if your going PG and you have to emphasize something. And lets face it, its either wrestling or 3 hrs. of Hornswoggle.
saying that Triple H is going to push tag team wrestling and phase out the divas. Thats very good for the people, like myself, who grew up on tag team wrestling. The Midnight Express, The Road Warriors, The Hart Foundation etc., you know the rest. Lets face it, tag team wrestling, at least in WWE has gone downhill for the past 6, 7 years. Now, Im a fan of the Divas but the days of Trish Stratus, Lita, Molly Holly, Jacqueline and Mickie James are over.
My point is with Raw going to 3 hrs. and new show on Saturday morning and a show on Wednesdays on ION, maybe the WWE, with there thin roster, has made it work. If you focus on tag teams, divas and yes, cruiserweights, you can pretty much make a show out of these divisions. Or you can have one divison on each show, kind of like when the brand extension started when you had crusierweights exclusive to Smackdown and the divas exclusive to Raw. Superstars would feature the tag team titles and the divas title and WWE Main Event could have the cruiserweight title. For example, Superstars could have The PrimeTime Players vs. The Usos vs. Kofi/R-Truth and Beth Phoenix vs. Layla. If done right, with interviews and focus and match time theres your Superstars show for one week.
The WWE Main Event show could be your Tyson Kidd vs. Heath Slater for the crusierweight title and maybe have an exclusive interview from Raw or Superstars. What about a number 1 contenders match between Cody Rhodes vs. Sin Cara? Theres your WWE Main Event show.
The Saturday Morning Show, Saturday Morning Slam or whatever its called would be the guys that are left. You hate to be like that but its true. Probably Santino vs. Drew McIntryre, Alex Riley vs. Tensai and theres your Saturday Morning show.
Imagine on WWE Superstars you have a reginited tag team division and divas division? That can work. Your ION show would include your recaps, of course, and maybe the crusierweights. How about Tyson Kidd vs. Justin Gabriel for the cruiserweight title for 12 to 15 minutes? You wouldnt watch that? I would. And your Saturday show, which will be your kiddie show, would have everybody whos not on the other shows. The whole point of this is that at least you'll have direction. If you get the fans to care about the title, then your halfway home. Example. Look at the US Title. I like Santino as much as the next guy but the belt has become a prop. Antonio Cesaro vs. Santino for the US strap isnt that appealing. BUT, you have Cesaro vs. Christian, the interest of the US Title goes up. Maybe its not flashy or will headline a PPV but Cesaro vs. Christian for 15 mins. on Superstars or WWE Main Event(ION show) would put eyeballs to the set if done right.
I mean if your going PG and you have to emphasize something. And lets face it, its either wrestling or 3 hrs. of Hornswoggle.
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Television, what are you doing to me?
The name of this blog? "Do you know what honks me off?" Well, this blog is about something that honks me off so much, I might need to write another blog. In this economy, people are struggling. We all know that. All people want to do is relax when they get home and watch tv. Now people, including yours truly, have wanted and pleaded to the networks to bring back classic tv. Obviously, we will never have another "I Love Lucy" or a "Dick Van Dyke Show" but theres nothing to say we cant relieve some of those classics, among others. Now, your saying, "Jack, they do have classic shows on. Look at ME-TV, Antenna TV, The Hub, RTV." Yes, they do. They have a plethra of classic shows. The problem I have with The Hub, MTV2, Hallmark Channel etc. is that they do a bad job of showing those shows. Look at what they do. MTV2 has Saved by The Bell and Boy Meets World on. Both shows air the episodes out of order. They cut out scenes and have about 3 commerical breaks, 2 more than there needs to be. 3 commerical breaks in a 30 minute show? I dont think so.
I was watching I Love Lucy on The Hallmark Channel and as soon as the episode came on the air, an ad for one of there movies came on and took 1/3 of the screen!! What the hell is that??!! Thats all they do, same goes for The Hub, ABC, NBC, FOX and all the other channels. If there not plugging there shows all over the screens, the crunch the end credits to the shows. That bothers me to no end. Im trying to see the end credits or see who was the show and they cut it up and end crunch it. And for what?? For some shows that I have heard about and advertised during the show I was watching!! I mean its getting absurd. I watch The Simpsons locally on the CW affilate here in Connecticut. Now, The Simpsons are on for an hour and I hear and see the same commericals, once every 15 to 30 minutes in one hour. So you figure, I watch The Simpsons 5 days a week for one hour a week, so thats 10 episodes a week, 5 hrs. a week. If I see the same commericals once every 30 mins., we'll say, that means in one week I see the same commericals 10 times. I mean thats just overkill.
I know, cut the cable and buy DVDs. True and valid point but DVDs are expensive and they do edit jobs too. They dub over music on almost all shows and lets face it DVDs don't come on the cheap. Some of the best parts of shows is the music. How about The Wonder Years theme? What about Married with Children's theme? Hell, even Dawson's Creek theme is iconic in a way. You delete that or over dub the music, its not the same. If any of you are wrestling fans, they do that with DVDs as well as they over dub entrance music etc. and its just not the same. But if you bite the bullet and buy DVDs, that's an expense and in this economy, who has that kind of money?
Finally, I think Television networks and the television shows screwed themselves. I mean they show endless marathons of shows all the time. I mean how many times can you watch Seinfeld, Friends, Everybody Loves Raymond, Mash, etc.? There on all the time. Syndication and tv networks. And we are not talking one or two episodes. We are talking marathon blocks of these shows. I think when they do that they burn out the shows and people won't watch them and who can blame them? I mean I shudder to think about the shows that air on the broadcast networks now that are already in syndication. By the time the series ends on the broadcast network, you become pretty sick of it in syndication. I think I would. Look at a show like "Two and a Half Men" or "How I Met Your Mother"? The series have not even ended on CBS, yet its in syndication. So by the time the series ends on CBS, I think you'll be sick of it in syndication.
I don't know if there will ever be an end point to this. What is going to happen in a year? What about 5 years? What is the TV landscape going to look like? Will we even recognize it? Would you WANT to recognize it?
I was watching I Love Lucy on The Hallmark Channel and as soon as the episode came on the air, an ad for one of there movies came on and took 1/3 of the screen!! What the hell is that??!! Thats all they do, same goes for The Hub, ABC, NBC, FOX and all the other channels. If there not plugging there shows all over the screens, the crunch the end credits to the shows. That bothers me to no end. Im trying to see the end credits or see who was the show and they cut it up and end crunch it. And for what?? For some shows that I have heard about and advertised during the show I was watching!! I mean its getting absurd. I watch The Simpsons locally on the CW affilate here in Connecticut. Now, The Simpsons are on for an hour and I hear and see the same commericals, once every 15 to 30 minutes in one hour. So you figure, I watch The Simpsons 5 days a week for one hour a week, so thats 10 episodes a week, 5 hrs. a week. If I see the same commericals once every 30 mins., we'll say, that means in one week I see the same commericals 10 times. I mean thats just overkill.
I know, cut the cable and buy DVDs. True and valid point but DVDs are expensive and they do edit jobs too. They dub over music on almost all shows and lets face it DVDs don't come on the cheap. Some of the best parts of shows is the music. How about The Wonder Years theme? What about Married with Children's theme? Hell, even Dawson's Creek theme is iconic in a way. You delete that or over dub the music, its not the same. If any of you are wrestling fans, they do that with DVDs as well as they over dub entrance music etc. and its just not the same. But if you bite the bullet and buy DVDs, that's an expense and in this economy, who has that kind of money?
Finally, I think Television networks and the television shows screwed themselves. I mean they show endless marathons of shows all the time. I mean how many times can you watch Seinfeld, Friends, Everybody Loves Raymond, Mash, etc.? There on all the time. Syndication and tv networks. And we are not talking one or two episodes. We are talking marathon blocks of these shows. I think when they do that they burn out the shows and people won't watch them and who can blame them? I mean I shudder to think about the shows that air on the broadcast networks now that are already in syndication. By the time the series ends on the broadcast network, you become pretty sick of it in syndication. I think I would. Look at a show like "Two and a Half Men" or "How I Met Your Mother"? The series have not even ended on CBS, yet its in syndication. So by the time the series ends on CBS, I think you'll be sick of it in syndication.
I don't know if there will ever be an end point to this. What is going to happen in a year? What about 5 years? What is the TV landscape going to look like? Will we even recognize it? Would you WANT to recognize it?
WWE Class of 2013
Believe it or not, WrestleMania is almost here. We are near SummerSlam but the next thing you know Survivor Series will be here, then the Royal Rumble, then the big one, WrestleMania. I've been thinking for the past couple of weeks about the class of 2013 for the WWE Hall of Fame. Let's go through who I think should be in the WWE Hall of Fame.
1) Mick Foley. This really is a no brainer. I mean WrestleMaina is in Foley's home state and Metlife Stadium is near Foley's home on Long Island, right? I mean Foley deserves to be in. Look at all he's done in his career. I mean all the bumps and bruises hes taken over the years. All the injuries and the blood he's spilled. I mean he's been around forever. Go all the way back to when he was "Jack Foley" and he was a jobber against The British Bulldogs. I think the match is on youtube but even back then in the mid 80s Foley was around and he never quit. This guy was doing hardcore matches and doing ECW matches before ECW. King of the Death matches, Barbed Wire Matches etc. Nobody took as much punishment as Mick Foley. How about his WCW matches with Sting, The Nasty Boys and of course, Vader? Those matches still hold up today and they are and were brutal. What about the brutality in his matches against Tommy Dreamer, Terry Funk, The Sandman and Sabu in ECW? Some, if not most of those matches were some of the best ever. Is there anybody close to Mick Foley in today's business? And what about going to WWE and really making it. How about one of the best feuds ever with The UnderTaker? Buried Alive match. Boiler Room Brawl. Dont forget the epic Hell in a Cell match. For all the blood he's spilled, the pain he went through (including having his ear ripped off in Germany), the bumps, the bruises, who doesn't think he deserves it?
2)Paul Heyman. I think the WWE Hall of Fame needs to be taken to the Extreme. I think Heyman gets in for changing the landscape of the business with ECW. Remember in 1993 with the WWE and WCW? Buyrates were sagging, attendance was down, tv ratings were down etc. until ECW came along. With Heyman being the brains behind ECW and with Tod Gordon providing the money, ECW became the place to watch wrestling in the mid 90s. It was relevant, it was hip and it was cool. Very MTV style with MTV style videos (when MTV used to have music videos). Look at the ECW Alumni. Its a who's, who in the wrestling business.
2 Cold Scorpio, Cactus Jack, Raven, Dean Malenko, Eddie Guerrero, Rey Misterio, Juventud Guerrera, Psicosis, Konnan, Rhino, Rob Van Dam, Sabu, Terry Funk, Taz, Chris Jericho, Lance Storm, Shane Douglas etc. I mean do you think WWE or WCW would've picked up these guys without an ECW? To be fair, Scorpio, Foley, Raven, Funk etc. already were in those companies but do you think if they hadn't gone to ECW, that WCW or WWE wouldn't sign them again? Even though, some people may not like it but he changed the business. Thanks to him, WCW got tons of crusierweights creating the crusierweight division which was a strength in WCW. Thanks to him, WWE had the Attitude Era with the lewd and violent and sexual nature that was ECW. Because of the crusierweights and the NWO and the Attitude Era, WCW and WWE became huge in the late 90s, and to this day hasnt been replicated. And oh yeah, he was great manager as well. The Original Midnight Express, The Dangerous Alliance, The Samoan Swat Team. How about his feud with Jim Cornette? How about when he busted Cornette on national tv in 1988? What else is there to say? I'd like to hear an argument why he shouldnt be in the Hall of Fame.
3)Randy Savage. We don't know the circumstances why he's not in the Hall of Fame already but it's time to put him in. I mean he's passed away now so whatever animosity there is gone. Not only was Randy Savage a great talker but he could wrestle. His classic against Steamboat at WrestleMania 3 is and will always be a classic. What about his feuds with Tito Santana, Jake Roberts, Ric Flair, Hulk Hogan, The Ultimate Warrior, DDP? They were all good feuds and made money and tell me that if any of those matches came on today, that you wouldn't sit and watch. I know I would. I mean he was intense in the ring and on the stick and you know even if you hear but dont see him, who the "Macho Man" is. His flashy robes, flashy sunglasses, the matches he had, the interviews, he was a complete package. Do I think he goes to the Hall of Fame? Oh yeah!!
4)Vader. This guy I think is another no brainer. He, along with Yokozuna(RIP), were really the last two big men who could draw money and really suck the people in. I mean Vader was a monster. His interviews scared the hell out of you. He was intimating at 440 lbs. How many guys his size can do a moonsault? Vader could. How about his matches with Sting which are classics. The time he beat Sting for the World Title, The White Castle of Fear match, just to name 2 of them. How about Vader and Flair? The epic match they had at Starrcade 93? Mentioned above, Vader and Cactus Jack. Talk about brutality and Im not talking about Cactus Jack Lost in Cleveland, either. When Hulk Hogan and Vader were having dream matches and Hogan winning, of course, a year and a half earlier Vader and Cactus Jack were beating the hell out of each other. When he went to the WWE, he had a classic match with Shawn Micheals at Summerslam 96. Dont forget the fatal 4-Way with Vader/UnderTaker/Bret Hart and Steve Austin, where even though he didnt win, Vader lost a lot of blood. Also, what about the reaction he got against Heath Slater? People still remember Vader. They remember Vader time.
5) Regis Philbin. Obviously, I'm talking about the celebrity wing of the Hall. I can't think of a better wrestling fan than Regis. He was at Summerslam 1988 and WrestleMania 7 and he had wrestlers on his show for years. In fact, go all the way back to 1983, and there is a segment from his show with him, Fred Blassie and The Iron Sheik. Regis is a king in New York so why not put him in the Hall of Fame? I mean he more wrestlers on his show than anybody and if you listen to him interview the guys, he seems more of just a fan than anything else. I mean if you put William Perry and Drew Carey in, you have to put Regis in, right?
What do you guys think? Do you have any more people that should be in the Hall of Fame?
1) Mick Foley. This really is a no brainer. I mean WrestleMaina is in Foley's home state and Metlife Stadium is near Foley's home on Long Island, right? I mean Foley deserves to be in. Look at all he's done in his career. I mean all the bumps and bruises hes taken over the years. All the injuries and the blood he's spilled. I mean he's been around forever. Go all the way back to when he was "Jack Foley" and he was a jobber against The British Bulldogs. I think the match is on youtube but even back then in the mid 80s Foley was around and he never quit. This guy was doing hardcore matches and doing ECW matches before ECW. King of the Death matches, Barbed Wire Matches etc. Nobody took as much punishment as Mick Foley. How about his WCW matches with Sting, The Nasty Boys and of course, Vader? Those matches still hold up today and they are and were brutal. What about the brutality in his matches against Tommy Dreamer, Terry Funk, The Sandman and Sabu in ECW? Some, if not most of those matches were some of the best ever. Is there anybody close to Mick Foley in today's business? And what about going to WWE and really making it. How about one of the best feuds ever with The UnderTaker? Buried Alive match. Boiler Room Brawl. Dont forget the epic Hell in a Cell match. For all the blood he's spilled, the pain he went through (including having his ear ripped off in Germany), the bumps, the bruises, who doesn't think he deserves it?
2)Paul Heyman. I think the WWE Hall of Fame needs to be taken to the Extreme. I think Heyman gets in for changing the landscape of the business with ECW. Remember in 1993 with the WWE and WCW? Buyrates were sagging, attendance was down, tv ratings were down etc. until ECW came along. With Heyman being the brains behind ECW and with Tod Gordon providing the money, ECW became the place to watch wrestling in the mid 90s. It was relevant, it was hip and it was cool. Very MTV style with MTV style videos (when MTV used to have music videos). Look at the ECW Alumni. Its a who's, who in the wrestling business.
2 Cold Scorpio, Cactus Jack, Raven, Dean Malenko, Eddie Guerrero, Rey Misterio, Juventud Guerrera, Psicosis, Konnan, Rhino, Rob Van Dam, Sabu, Terry Funk, Taz, Chris Jericho, Lance Storm, Shane Douglas etc. I mean do you think WWE or WCW would've picked up these guys without an ECW? To be fair, Scorpio, Foley, Raven, Funk etc. already were in those companies but do you think if they hadn't gone to ECW, that WCW or WWE wouldn't sign them again? Even though, some people may not like it but he changed the business. Thanks to him, WCW got tons of crusierweights creating the crusierweight division which was a strength in WCW. Thanks to him, WWE had the Attitude Era with the lewd and violent and sexual nature that was ECW. Because of the crusierweights and the NWO and the Attitude Era, WCW and WWE became huge in the late 90s, and to this day hasnt been replicated. And oh yeah, he was great manager as well. The Original Midnight Express, The Dangerous Alliance, The Samoan Swat Team. How about his feud with Jim Cornette? How about when he busted Cornette on national tv in 1988? What else is there to say? I'd like to hear an argument why he shouldnt be in the Hall of Fame.
3)Randy Savage. We don't know the circumstances why he's not in the Hall of Fame already but it's time to put him in. I mean he's passed away now so whatever animosity there is gone. Not only was Randy Savage a great talker but he could wrestle. His classic against Steamboat at WrestleMania 3 is and will always be a classic. What about his feuds with Tito Santana, Jake Roberts, Ric Flair, Hulk Hogan, The Ultimate Warrior, DDP? They were all good feuds and made money and tell me that if any of those matches came on today, that you wouldn't sit and watch. I know I would. I mean he was intense in the ring and on the stick and you know even if you hear but dont see him, who the "Macho Man" is. His flashy robes, flashy sunglasses, the matches he had, the interviews, he was a complete package. Do I think he goes to the Hall of Fame? Oh yeah!!
4)Vader. This guy I think is another no brainer. He, along with Yokozuna(RIP), were really the last two big men who could draw money and really suck the people in. I mean Vader was a monster. His interviews scared the hell out of you. He was intimating at 440 lbs. How many guys his size can do a moonsault? Vader could. How about his matches with Sting which are classics. The time he beat Sting for the World Title, The White Castle of Fear match, just to name 2 of them. How about Vader and Flair? The epic match they had at Starrcade 93? Mentioned above, Vader and Cactus Jack. Talk about brutality and Im not talking about Cactus Jack Lost in Cleveland, either. When Hulk Hogan and Vader were having dream matches and Hogan winning, of course, a year and a half earlier Vader and Cactus Jack were beating the hell out of each other. When he went to the WWE, he had a classic match with Shawn Micheals at Summerslam 96. Dont forget the fatal 4-Way with Vader/UnderTaker/Bret Hart and Steve Austin, where even though he didnt win, Vader lost a lot of blood. Also, what about the reaction he got against Heath Slater? People still remember Vader. They remember Vader time.
5) Regis Philbin. Obviously, I'm talking about the celebrity wing of the Hall. I can't think of a better wrestling fan than Regis. He was at Summerslam 1988 and WrestleMania 7 and he had wrestlers on his show for years. In fact, go all the way back to 1983, and there is a segment from his show with him, Fred Blassie and The Iron Sheik. Regis is a king in New York so why not put him in the Hall of Fame? I mean he more wrestlers on his show than anybody and if you listen to him interview the guys, he seems more of just a fan than anything else. I mean if you put William Perry and Drew Carey in, you have to put Regis in, right?
What do you guys think? Do you have any more people that should be in the Hall of Fame?
Thursday, May 17, 2012
My Thoughts on Raw going 3 hrs. and live Impacts every Thursday
Just another news day today, right? Well, the big news that came within minutes of each other is that Monday Night Raw is moving to 3 hrs. starting July 23 and TNA Impact Wrestling is going live every week in the summer as well as moving to 8pm, which was already announced. I wanted to give you my thoughts on both.
Monday Night Raw going to 3 hrs. You know I have mixed emotions about this. I know some people are saying that Raw will be oversaturated and will become overexposed but there are a lot of wrestling fans, including yours truly, that are going to tune in July 23 at 8pm. Now, I will say that the 3hr.live shows usually stink. Remember the Blast from the Past Smackdown? The holiday edition of Smackdown where Hornswoggle won a battle royal? Your saying, those Smackdown shows were 2hrs. Yes, they were, but they were live. Usually, the live shows WWE puts out are not that great. Raw is struggling as it is. If your struggling with 2 hour live Raw shows plus the live Smackdowns that you occasionally do why add another hour to Raw?
Maybe, WWE shakes it up. Maybe, they will have longer wrestling matches and focus more on talent that has been overlooked. I cant see if they go the route of campy comedy, how that will benefit in the ratings? I think WWE going to 3 hrs. plus the PPVs is a lot to ask for people in this economy. I wouldnt really have a problem with this if there was talent that backs it up but lets face it, there has been a lot of talent overlooked (Ziggler, Swagger, Ryder, Kingston etc.) I wonder if they get pushed or not even though they should have been already. Time will tell how these 3 hr. shows go but with football season coming, I think if they dont get off to a good start, they will get buried in the ratings up against the NFL.
Impact going live every week. This could work. But if there are still the same problems that have been hurting TNA for a long time now (Pushing Garett Bischoff, lack of clean ppv finishes etc.) you could put TNA on the moon and it still wont draw. I think a part of me loves the live tv aspect. You get more of an adrenaline rush during live tv. The problem, like I said, is that if its the same old TNA, what difference does it make if its live? Like Raw going to 3 hrs., Impact will have to deal with the NFL, whether its live or not. Doenst help TNA that the NFL is having more Thursday night game starting this season. We have seen TNA live shows that might look good and not capaitalize on it. Remember the live show when Hogan, Flair and Jeff Hardy debuted? Yes, it was a hot show but did it help in the long run? No, it didnt because the ratings havent moved. They are still floundering around the 1.0 range. So, while I like the aspect of live tv, can TNA get a better rating with the live shows? Can these live shows turn TNA into a major player? We will have to wait and see.
Monday Night Raw going to 3 hrs. You know I have mixed emotions about this. I know some people are saying that Raw will be oversaturated and will become overexposed but there are a lot of wrestling fans, including yours truly, that are going to tune in July 23 at 8pm. Now, I will say that the 3hr.live shows usually stink. Remember the Blast from the Past Smackdown? The holiday edition of Smackdown where Hornswoggle won a battle royal? Your saying, those Smackdown shows were 2hrs. Yes, they were, but they were live. Usually, the live shows WWE puts out are not that great. Raw is struggling as it is. If your struggling with 2 hour live Raw shows plus the live Smackdowns that you occasionally do why add another hour to Raw?
Maybe, WWE shakes it up. Maybe, they will have longer wrestling matches and focus more on talent that has been overlooked. I cant see if they go the route of campy comedy, how that will benefit in the ratings? I think WWE going to 3 hrs. plus the PPVs is a lot to ask for people in this economy. I wouldnt really have a problem with this if there was talent that backs it up but lets face it, there has been a lot of talent overlooked (Ziggler, Swagger, Ryder, Kingston etc.) I wonder if they get pushed or not even though they should have been already. Time will tell how these 3 hr. shows go but with football season coming, I think if they dont get off to a good start, they will get buried in the ratings up against the NFL.
Impact going live every week. This could work. But if there are still the same problems that have been hurting TNA for a long time now (Pushing Garett Bischoff, lack of clean ppv finishes etc.) you could put TNA on the moon and it still wont draw. I think a part of me loves the live tv aspect. You get more of an adrenaline rush during live tv. The problem, like I said, is that if its the same old TNA, what difference does it make if its live? Like Raw going to 3 hrs., Impact will have to deal with the NFL, whether its live or not. Doenst help TNA that the NFL is having more Thursday night game starting this season. We have seen TNA live shows that might look good and not capaitalize on it. Remember the live show when Hogan, Flair and Jeff Hardy debuted? Yes, it was a hot show but did it help in the long run? No, it didnt because the ratings havent moved. They are still floundering around the 1.0 range. So, while I like the aspect of live tv, can TNA get a better rating with the live shows? Can these live shows turn TNA into a major player? We will have to wait and see.
Saturday, May 12, 2012
Forget The Ding Dongs and Oz, here are some moments that are even worse
The Ding Dongs, Oz. People have rolled there eyes when you mention these gimmicks. They were corny and stupid. I'll be honest, I kind of dig those gimmicks now. What about that Oz theme music? I know I'll get mocked forever for thinking this. But, I can give you even worse gimmicks or moments than Oz, The Ding Dongs and The Shockmaster. I want to thank WWE Classics on Demand because I think I got this topic from some of there OMG!! programming for the month of May. Here we go.
1) Robocop, Capital Combat 1990. The worst thing ever!! You actually had Robocop involved with a wrestling angle. How the hell was that supposed to happen? He supposed to be this robot or whatever, how would that work as far as a wrestling match. Whats worse, do you know who Robocop was doing at Capital Combat? Yes, he was working an angle. But with all people, Sting!! Sting is going to challenge for the World Title 2 months later and you have Sting stand side by side with Robocop??!!! And what makes it worse, The Four Horsemen, The greatest faction ever in pro wrestling have to back pedal for a robot. Thats terrible. Worse, you never see what happen to Robocop. He appeared, disappeared and the next thing you know Sting is standing next to El Gigante.
2) Sting vs. Rick Steiner, June 13,1999-The Great American Bash. This was at a time where WCW was going down the drain. So instead of talking about that, here is one of the reasons why it went down the drain. Sting and Steiner were having a feud, nothing wrong with that. Falls Count Anywhere, nothing wrong with that. So the match is going on and they go to locker room where Tank Abbott and Scott Steiner are there. So, your thinking 3 on 1 attack? Nope. The next thing I know, you see 2 or 3 dogs appear and they attack Sting??!!! Or at least you would think they were attacking Sting. So, now they pull the cameras away and the crowd boos and rightfully so. So now your lead to believe that the dogs ate Sting, I guess. Well, The Steiners came out and cut a promo but the damage was done. If Big Poppa Pump wants to vent on Hogan and Bischoff, he should list this because that could've killed his career. Remember, dogs attacked Sting. One more thing, at the closing credits of the show it says "No dogs were harmed on this television show" or something to that effect.
So there you have it so far. What do you guys think of my post so far? Do you agree or disagree? Do you have any other moments thats worst than what I listed?
1) Robocop, Capital Combat 1990. The worst thing ever!! You actually had Robocop involved with a wrestling angle. How the hell was that supposed to happen? He supposed to be this robot or whatever, how would that work as far as a wrestling match. Whats worse, do you know who Robocop was doing at Capital Combat? Yes, he was working an angle. But with all people, Sting!! Sting is going to challenge for the World Title 2 months later and you have Sting stand side by side with Robocop??!!! And what makes it worse, The Four Horsemen, The greatest faction ever in pro wrestling have to back pedal for a robot. Thats terrible. Worse, you never see what happen to Robocop. He appeared, disappeared and the next thing you know Sting is standing next to El Gigante.
2) Sting vs. Rick Steiner, June 13,1999-The Great American Bash. This was at a time where WCW was going down the drain. So instead of talking about that, here is one of the reasons why it went down the drain. Sting and Steiner were having a feud, nothing wrong with that. Falls Count Anywhere, nothing wrong with that. So the match is going on and they go to locker room where Tank Abbott and Scott Steiner are there. So, your thinking 3 on 1 attack? Nope. The next thing I know, you see 2 or 3 dogs appear and they attack Sting??!!! Or at least you would think they were attacking Sting. So, now they pull the cameras away and the crowd boos and rightfully so. So now your lead to believe that the dogs ate Sting, I guess. Well, The Steiners came out and cut a promo but the damage was done. If Big Poppa Pump wants to vent on Hogan and Bischoff, he should list this because that could've killed his career. Remember, dogs attacked Sting. One more thing, at the closing credits of the show it says "No dogs were harmed on this television show" or something to that effect.
So there you have it so far. What do you guys think of my post so far? Do you agree or disagree? Do you have any other moments thats worst than what I listed?
Friday, May 11, 2012
Why The Miz should've attacked Brodus Clay on Raw
I was thinking about this. The Miz was against Brodus Clay on Raw, this past Monday night. Brodus won, Miz lost and you probably dont even remember it come this Monday night. I had a scenerio that could help both the Miz and Brodus out. How about if The Miz, so upset about being overlooked and being on the pre-show at Extreme Rules, just snaps and attacks Brodus Clay. Here what that would have accomplished.
1) The Miz takes out Brodus Clay and Clay is out for a few weeks maybe months. It would help Clay because when he came back he would be fresh. Its getting pretty obvious that Clay has somewhat peaked. And adding Hornswoggle to his act didnt help. Clay would come back as the sympathetic babyface and The Miz would be the sinister heel.
2) Attacking Clay would give Miz his edge back. Hes been floundering as long as his sidekick Alex Riley. Attacking a strong babyface would give Miz some heel heat thats been lacking for a long time now. Maybe even do Miz vs. Clay at Summerslam? I dont think its the world's worst idea. Miz has to be built up anyway but it has to be done with baby steps. Also, if Clay gets injured and comes back, maybe he can come back a little fresh and maybe a new attitude. He could still be "funky" but he could add that edge that you saw in his promos and when he was on NXT and with Alberto Del Rio.
1) The Miz takes out Brodus Clay and Clay is out for a few weeks maybe months. It would help Clay because when he came back he would be fresh. Its getting pretty obvious that Clay has somewhat peaked. And adding Hornswoggle to his act didnt help. Clay would come back as the sympathetic babyface and The Miz would be the sinister heel.
2) Attacking Clay would give Miz his edge back. Hes been floundering as long as his sidekick Alex Riley. Attacking a strong babyface would give Miz some heel heat thats been lacking for a long time now. Maybe even do Miz vs. Clay at Summerslam? I dont think its the world's worst idea. Miz has to be built up anyway but it has to be done with baby steps. Also, if Clay gets injured and comes back, maybe he can come back a little fresh and maybe a new attitude. He could still be "funky" but he could add that edge that you saw in his promos and when he was on NXT and with Alberto Del Rio.
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Welcome to the Hulk Hogan Retirement Tour, brother!!
I have been thinking this for a while now. Hulk Hogan in TNA. How do you capitalize on the guy who put pro wrestling on the map? Well, for the money they are paying him and some of the off the wall ideas that he has including the latest one about having fans film the wrestlers, I would think of a different way to use Hogan. Not in a GM role like he is now but what about as a...wrestler?
Now I know what your thinking. "Hogan cant really wrestle anymore." Thats true but look at it like this. If you sell a best of Hogan in TNA DVD, it would fly off the shelves. The one thing about Hogan in general is that hes still well known, well liked by the fans and he can sell merchandise. I dont want you to think of me as an unfeeling human being. I know Hogan is old and has had numerous surgeries but Im not saying cast him as a threat for Bobby Roode or have him win the world title. Why make Hogan kind of like The Undertaker? A special attraction.
Think about this. You can put Hogan in with some of the lower TNA guys. Guys like Rob Terry or even Gunner. Hey, Gunner already lost to Garett Bischoff so why not lose Hogan, right? Also, what I would do is have him tag team with guys. Maybe Styles/Hogan vs. Daniels/Flair? Or how about Hogan/Abyss vs. Bully Ray and Gunner? Then, to get the most of my investment, how about Hogan vs. Sting, Hogan vs. Sting vs. Flair and obviously Hogan vs. Flair? Im not saying he has to bleed or go 30 mins. How about a typical Hogan match. Even if Hogan cant do a singles match anymore, what about tag team or 6 man matches? Heres somewhat of a line-up that I would put together for a Hogan DVD:
Hogan vs. Rob Terry
Hogan vs. Robbie E.
Hogan vs. Robbie E. and Robbie T.
Hogan/Abyss vs. Bully Ray and Gunner
Hogan/Sting/Abyss vs. Daniels/Kaz/Flair
Hogan/Styles vs. Flair/Daniels
Hogan vs. Sting
Hogan vs. Sting (Bound for Glory 2011)
Hogan vs. Sting vs. Flair
Hogan vs. Flair
Hogan/Abyss vs. Flair/? (Jan..2010 live show)
There you have it. 11 Hogan matches where he wouldnt really be doing much. Then you can somewhat justify Hogan's salary AND TNA gets to sell a DVD which people would buy. Its seems like a win-win situation. What do you guys think?
Now I know what your thinking. "Hogan cant really wrestle anymore." Thats true but look at it like this. If you sell a best of Hogan in TNA DVD, it would fly off the shelves. The one thing about Hogan in general is that hes still well known, well liked by the fans and he can sell merchandise. I dont want you to think of me as an unfeeling human being. I know Hogan is old and has had numerous surgeries but Im not saying cast him as a threat for Bobby Roode or have him win the world title. Why make Hogan kind of like The Undertaker? A special attraction.
Think about this. You can put Hogan in with some of the lower TNA guys. Guys like Rob Terry or even Gunner. Hey, Gunner already lost to Garett Bischoff so why not lose Hogan, right? Also, what I would do is have him tag team with guys. Maybe Styles/Hogan vs. Daniels/Flair? Or how about Hogan/Abyss vs. Bully Ray and Gunner? Then, to get the most of my investment, how about Hogan vs. Sting, Hogan vs. Sting vs. Flair and obviously Hogan vs. Flair? Im not saying he has to bleed or go 30 mins. How about a typical Hogan match. Even if Hogan cant do a singles match anymore, what about tag team or 6 man matches? Heres somewhat of a line-up that I would put together for a Hogan DVD:
Hogan vs. Rob Terry
Hogan vs. Robbie E.
Hogan vs. Robbie E. and Robbie T.
Hogan/Abyss vs. Bully Ray and Gunner
Hogan/Sting/Abyss vs. Daniels/Kaz/Flair
Hogan/Styles vs. Flair/Daniels
Hogan vs. Sting
Hogan vs. Sting (Bound for Glory 2011)
Hogan vs. Sting vs. Flair
Hogan vs. Flair
Hogan/Abyss vs. Flair/? (Jan..2010 live show)
There you have it. 11 Hogan matches where he wouldnt really be doing much. Then you can somewhat justify Hogan's salary AND TNA gets to sell a DVD which people would buy. Its seems like a win-win situation. What do you guys think?
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Ramdom Thoughts
I know I said I would be doing more of these blogs but I was going to do it and I kept putting it off and putting it off. Now, just to get back in the groove, here are some random nuggets or thoughts about what else, what honks me off.
* Now I have mentioned before but I hate darkness. There is no way that in the winter time, it should get dark at 4pm in the afternoon. Why does that have to be? Do you know how much we would save if it was lighter later? I mean its not like the roads are lit like Broadway. I think it should be lighter later. I mean is it ever sunny in the winter considering how early the sun sets in the evening and how dark it is in the morning?
* I know there are a lot of sports nuts like me that like this time of year with March Madness. There are people out there(Phil Mushnick) that look at the negative or seedy aspect of March Madness. You know, the gambling and the tv rights being so high etc. You know what. I dont want to hear it. I think March Madness is fun. If you look at the kids that win there conference tourneys, they treat that like they won the NCAA Championship. They know that they will probably get bounced in the first or second round but for them that one moment when they win there conference tourney, it means EVERYTHING to them and it shouldn't be tainted or tarnished by the likes of Phil Mushnick or anybody else. Sometimes, people just want to have fun or watch a game without thinking of all the negative stuff about it.
* I would like to know one thing or maybe more than one thing. When the hell is it going to get better? Let me clairify. Look at how much gas is. What about food. What about the bills in general? How can the bills be so high? Are they ever going to get lower and will there be ANY relief in sight? I mean this has to stop. I have never seen anything get lower in years. The gas has gotten higher, groceries have gotten higher and the bills (cable, electric etc.) have gone sky high. i don't think its fair. Cable Bill, for example. I will not tell you how much the bill is but its high. I go through all the channels and I have channels that I would never watch, yet we have to pay for them. What I would do, is pick the channels you want and pay for that, which I think is ala carte, which has been mentioned. I think that would be the best thing. As far as the electric, gas bills etc. I think they should be lowered ASAP. This might sound crazy but I would put EVERYONE on a budget, which I think people have but I'm not sure. For ex., in these bad economic times if your water bill is 200.00 dollars, let's say, I think you should be put on a budget to pay a little every month. Instead of paying 200, pay 50 or 75 dollars and the difference will be added to your next month's bill. Sometimes you may have more money one month than the other. Overall, there has to be some relief in sight, right?
* Something else that has been somewhat alarming is the fact that print media is disappearing. Newspapers are going out of business and so are bookstores. I think that's a shame. What about the people who don't have or know how to use a kindle, or an app, like yours truly. What about the people, like myself, that maybe can't afford kindles and apps etc. I don't see how something that's been around forever like newspapers or bookstores can just disappear. Do you know how many people lose there jobs because of that? How is that fair? You wouldn't even mind if a newspaper goes out of business as long as there are others you can get a job with. The thing is, ALL newspapers are becoming extinct. ALL bookstores are becoming extinct. I just dont understand why this is happening. A lot of people don't want tablets and kindles and stuff. They feel its too expensive and hard to understand. I dont blame them one bit either. People like simple things like reading a newspaper instead of looking for it on an app or tablet. To a certain degree, I couldn't agree more.
* Now I have mentioned before but I hate darkness. There is no way that in the winter time, it should get dark at 4pm in the afternoon. Why does that have to be? Do you know how much we would save if it was lighter later? I mean its not like the roads are lit like Broadway. I think it should be lighter later. I mean is it ever sunny in the winter considering how early the sun sets in the evening and how dark it is in the morning?
* I know there are a lot of sports nuts like me that like this time of year with March Madness. There are people out there(Phil Mushnick) that look at the negative or seedy aspect of March Madness. You know, the gambling and the tv rights being so high etc. You know what. I dont want to hear it. I think March Madness is fun. If you look at the kids that win there conference tourneys, they treat that like they won the NCAA Championship. They know that they will probably get bounced in the first or second round but for them that one moment when they win there conference tourney, it means EVERYTHING to them and it shouldn't be tainted or tarnished by the likes of Phil Mushnick or anybody else. Sometimes, people just want to have fun or watch a game without thinking of all the negative stuff about it.
* I would like to know one thing or maybe more than one thing. When the hell is it going to get better? Let me clairify. Look at how much gas is. What about food. What about the bills in general? How can the bills be so high? Are they ever going to get lower and will there be ANY relief in sight? I mean this has to stop. I have never seen anything get lower in years. The gas has gotten higher, groceries have gotten higher and the bills (cable, electric etc.) have gone sky high. i don't think its fair. Cable Bill, for example. I will not tell you how much the bill is but its high. I go through all the channels and I have channels that I would never watch, yet we have to pay for them. What I would do, is pick the channels you want and pay for that, which I think is ala carte, which has been mentioned. I think that would be the best thing. As far as the electric, gas bills etc. I think they should be lowered ASAP. This might sound crazy but I would put EVERYONE on a budget, which I think people have but I'm not sure. For ex., in these bad economic times if your water bill is 200.00 dollars, let's say, I think you should be put on a budget to pay a little every month. Instead of paying 200, pay 50 or 75 dollars and the difference will be added to your next month's bill. Sometimes you may have more money one month than the other. Overall, there has to be some relief in sight, right?
* Something else that has been somewhat alarming is the fact that print media is disappearing. Newspapers are going out of business and so are bookstores. I think that's a shame. What about the people who don't have or know how to use a kindle, or an app, like yours truly. What about the people, like myself, that maybe can't afford kindles and apps etc. I don't see how something that's been around forever like newspapers or bookstores can just disappear. Do you know how many people lose there jobs because of that? How is that fair? You wouldn't even mind if a newspaper goes out of business as long as there are others you can get a job with. The thing is, ALL newspapers are becoming extinct. ALL bookstores are becoming extinct. I just dont understand why this is happening. A lot of people don't want tablets and kindles and stuff. They feel its too expensive and hard to understand. I dont blame them one bit either. People like simple things like reading a newspaper instead of looking for it on an app or tablet. To a certain degree, I couldn't agree more.
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Whose Bright Idea was it to...
Some basic questions about television as of today as opposed to yesteryear. Remember when you used to watch television and actually enjoy it. What has gone wrong? When did all these marathons of tv shows come from? Everybody Loves Raymond, House, Psych, Fresh Prince etc. all have been done to death because of these marathons. All day, everyday a lot of these channels just show marathons. Is that just lazy programming or do they not have anything to show? This blog will highlight some of the "bright ideas" that a lot of these tv executives and tv channels have done over the years causing a lot of people to change there viewing habits. Here we go:
Whose bright idea was it to:1) Crunch the end credits at the end. Instead of hearing a tv closing theme song, we get another plug for a show, they've plugged already during the show you were watching!!! I mean you watch a network for an hour or two straight and you literally hear the same promos and plugs for a show after every commerical break. I mean some of tv's great theme songs have been butchered for endless promos for no reason at all. I mean its not like we are living in the stone age. I think people can find where there programming is. This is 2012 and not 1982.
2) Start shows off the clock. Instead of 6 pm, they start 6:15 pm etc. TV Land does this a lot. Now TBS used to do this. Growing up, TBS was really the only channel to do this and after a while you get used to it. I got used to it when they started shows at the top of the hour.If TV Land is going to do this at least SAY your going to do it. At 6 pm, if I flip on TV Land I want to see the beginning of an episode, not the very end. TV Land is really the worst. They start shows all crazy times. Ex. a show may start at 6:53 pm and end at 7:27 pm. What kind of programming is that? TV Land never, never did this before and people liked it. Why did they start this? What's sad is that its not going to stop anytime soon.
3) Create an abundance of Reality TV shows. I mean I watch the occasional reality show but now theres way too many. Believe it or not, I actually watch The Kardashians(thats another story as to why I watch them), The Real World etc. I'm not saying there are not some halfway decent reality shows but they are few and far in between.They are killing Game shows, westerns, soap operas and everything else because Reality TV is taking there spots. Im not saying there isnt a market for it but not at the expense of soap operas, game shows etc., that people have enjoyed for years and even decades.
4) Pop Up Ads during shows. I mean your watching a show and all of a sudden an ad for a show comes on. Its very annoying. And some of them, believe it or not make noise!! The promos actually make noise now!!! How annoying is that???!! You cant even watch a tv show anymore without hearing or seeing pop-up ads. Like I care what time a show is. If I'm a fan of the show, I KNOW what time the show is. Or a novel idea is to actually look it up. Not only that, but some of the promos take up part of the screen of a show your trying to watch.
Sadly, the 4 reasons I mentioned above are why people are changing there viewing habits. There the reason why people hate television right now. These tv executives "bright ideas" are destroying television. What's even worse is that I wouldn't expect anything less.
Whose bright idea was it to:1) Crunch the end credits at the end. Instead of hearing a tv closing theme song, we get another plug for a show, they've plugged already during the show you were watching!!! I mean you watch a network for an hour or two straight and you literally hear the same promos and plugs for a show after every commerical break. I mean some of tv's great theme songs have been butchered for endless promos for no reason at all. I mean its not like we are living in the stone age. I think people can find where there programming is. This is 2012 and not 1982.
2) Start shows off the clock. Instead of 6 pm, they start 6:15 pm etc. TV Land does this a lot. Now TBS used to do this. Growing up, TBS was really the only channel to do this and after a while you get used to it. I got used to it when they started shows at the top of the hour.If TV Land is going to do this at least SAY your going to do it. At 6 pm, if I flip on TV Land I want to see the beginning of an episode, not the very end. TV Land is really the worst. They start shows all crazy times. Ex. a show may start at 6:53 pm and end at 7:27 pm. What kind of programming is that? TV Land never, never did this before and people liked it. Why did they start this? What's sad is that its not going to stop anytime soon.
3) Create an abundance of Reality TV shows. I mean I watch the occasional reality show but now theres way too many. Believe it or not, I actually watch The Kardashians(thats another story as to why I watch them), The Real World etc. I'm not saying there are not some halfway decent reality shows but they are few and far in between.They are killing Game shows, westerns, soap operas and everything else because Reality TV is taking there spots. Im not saying there isnt a market for it but not at the expense of soap operas, game shows etc., that people have enjoyed for years and even decades.
4) Pop Up Ads during shows. I mean your watching a show and all of a sudden an ad for a show comes on. Its very annoying. And some of them, believe it or not make noise!! The promos actually make noise now!!! How annoying is that???!! You cant even watch a tv show anymore without hearing or seeing pop-up ads. Like I care what time a show is. If I'm a fan of the show, I KNOW what time the show is. Or a novel idea is to actually look it up. Not only that, but some of the promos take up part of the screen of a show your trying to watch.
Sadly, the 4 reasons I mentioned above are why people are changing there viewing habits. There the reason why people hate television right now. These tv executives "bright ideas" are destroying television. What's even worse is that I wouldn't expect anything less.
The Good Old Days of the NFL
To me, watching the NFL is fun. I enjoy it very much and on Sundays I just plant myself in front of the tv for 8 hrs. and watch the NFL. Now I know in this day of hearing about how we should eat right and exercise, watching 8 hrs. of football straight for 20 weeks (including playoffs) might not be the healthiest thing in the world to do. But you know how I look at it. I just think its enjoyment and fun. The drama of an NFL game shows you why its the number 1 sport in the world.
With that being said, even though I love the NFL, there are certain things I miss about the NFL. I think thats like that with all things, no matter what it is. It could be sports, television in general, soap operas, game shows, movies, food, strip malls etc. I know people would like things the way they were when they were going up. Who wouldnt want to get a hamburger for 25 cents like in the old days? Who doesnt want the old days of television where there wasnt any reality shows and no end credit crunch or off the clock programming? Or how about the days when there wasnt any computers or I-Pads or I-Phones and people were just as happy without those things?
The NFL has changed. Now, Im not talking about the basics. 7 pts. is still a touchdown, 3 pts. is still a field goal and its still takes 4 downs to get 10 yds. Im talking about the stadiums. I remember growing up and listening to Pat Summerall and John Madden on CBS with that epic CBS theme music. I also miss the days of when Summerall and Madden would do the games from RFK Stadium or Giants Stadium or Veterans Stadium. Sadly, those stadiums are gone and Summerall and Madden are retired. I miss days like that. I mean the Giants still play the Redskins and the Eagles still play the Redskins but its not the same. Now, despite great games and drama and huge ratings, its different. Now, you have graphics and what not all over the screen, more television timeouts and the scores of the games by the second. Remember, "The CBS Sportswire" or "The 10 Minute Ticker"? Those are the only times where you would get updates of the games. Now, its by the second.
Its not just the NFL. Everything has changed. Where you live, where you eat, what you watch are all sky high now. The sports have changed. I watched a documentary of Vince Lombardi, this morning and sometimes I wonder if the NFL was better in the old days with Lombardi at the helm. When Monday Night Football was Cosell, Gifford and "Dandy Don". The days of "Jimmy the Greek". I wonder if the days of Bradshaw and Namath were the best. You know, the good old days of the NFL.
But I wont lie to you. On Feb. 5, I'll be one of the millions watching Super Bowl XLVI. And when people, including yours truly, think and realize why the Super Bowl is so big. We can think of the good old days of the NFL.
With that being said, even though I love the NFL, there are certain things I miss about the NFL. I think thats like that with all things, no matter what it is. It could be sports, television in general, soap operas, game shows, movies, food, strip malls etc. I know people would like things the way they were when they were going up. Who wouldnt want to get a hamburger for 25 cents like in the old days? Who doesnt want the old days of television where there wasnt any reality shows and no end credit crunch or off the clock programming? Or how about the days when there wasnt any computers or I-Pads or I-Phones and people were just as happy without those things?
The NFL has changed. Now, Im not talking about the basics. 7 pts. is still a touchdown, 3 pts. is still a field goal and its still takes 4 downs to get 10 yds. Im talking about the stadiums. I remember growing up and listening to Pat Summerall and John Madden on CBS with that epic CBS theme music. I also miss the days of when Summerall and Madden would do the games from RFK Stadium or Giants Stadium or Veterans Stadium. Sadly, those stadiums are gone and Summerall and Madden are retired. I miss days like that. I mean the Giants still play the Redskins and the Eagles still play the Redskins but its not the same. Now, despite great games and drama and huge ratings, its different. Now, you have graphics and what not all over the screen, more television timeouts and the scores of the games by the second. Remember, "The CBS Sportswire" or "The 10 Minute Ticker"? Those are the only times where you would get updates of the games. Now, its by the second.
Its not just the NFL. Everything has changed. Where you live, where you eat, what you watch are all sky high now. The sports have changed. I watched a documentary of Vince Lombardi, this morning and sometimes I wonder if the NFL was better in the old days with Lombardi at the helm. When Monday Night Football was Cosell, Gifford and "Dandy Don". The days of "Jimmy the Greek". I wonder if the days of Bradshaw and Namath were the best. You know, the good old days of the NFL.
But I wont lie to you. On Feb. 5, I'll be one of the millions watching Super Bowl XLVI. And when people, including yours truly, think and realize why the Super Bowl is so big. We can think of the good old days of the NFL.
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