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Handoffs & Headlocks Update
Several readers have emailed me asking where the column has been and inquiring about the radio show. Just to give a little update, been busy finishing up the summer semester, that’s why the column has been missing as of late. As far as the radio show is concerned, the station is changing locations and Handoffs & Headlocks is changing days. Right now, we are on Tuesday and Thursday from 2-3 p.m. (Central Time). We might pick up another hour on either day and could possibly pick up two hours on Friday dedicated to Football alone. We are also taking a hiatus at the station until everything gets set back up. Stay tuned for news on that, if you want constant updates, become my friend on Facebook and I’ll invite you to join the Handoffs & Headlocks group, where you will receive the latest news on the show. Thanks for the support.
Smackdown still better than Raw, Edge makes Evil so Cool
Jim Ross and Tazz are officially the number one announce team in wrestling. They had been the top announcers for quite some time. Now, they are together and heads and shoulder above every other announce team.
I understand WWE trying to get some play off of the Olympics but the people that probably cared were watching the opening ceremonies. I also understand Maria screwing up and wearing skiing gear because get it, she’s dumb again. Why did her top say “Greece”? Maybe because she is Greek but isn’t she an American citizen? Wouldn’t she be a traitor and a heel for supporting another country other than the U.S.? Hacksaw would not be proud.
It was weird to see Shannon Moore wrestle on Smackdown, since I watched it on Tuesday morning and he got released. That being said, I think WWE shouldn’t have released him. There are way better people to release than him, not to mention, he and Wang Yang are entertaining.
MVP is great on the mic and definitely put over his feud with Jeff Hardy. Even if he didn’t interfere in Jeff’s match, his promo was enough to hype the SummerSlam match. MVP does the little things that make him have the bright future that he does in this business.
The Jeff Hardy-Shelton Benjamin match was definitely the best match on the show and better than anything on Raw on Monday (8/11). It’s a shame we lost out on Shelton having anything to do now with Kennedy getting hurt. I didn’t mind the finish with MVP interfering but it didn’t do much to help Shelton, but WWE can’t care about a guy with no direction anyway.
Triple H, in typical H fashion, takes a jab at his opponent in attempt to get a laugh. It was funny but not a way to build to the dastardly events of a glass arm wrestling match. So, WWE decided to open up the TNA Book of Stupid Gimmicks on Friday. A Indian Glass Arm Wrestling Match, what a concept? Surprisingly, the match ended with the heel taking a cheap shot before the baby face could beat him (I know groundbreaking stuff). Again, I feel sorry for anyone having to sell for Khali because he is so putrid in the ring and overall. WWE should have released him and kept Shannon Moore, or anyone over Khali for that matter.
The angle with the black roses building throughout the show was well done. I’m glad Edge is evil again and doesn’t need anyone to help him. It makes sense that he is cutting the dead weight to be evil and get in the mindset to face Undertaker. I thought when Bam got left laying that someone just really wanted his Chavo shirt.
The end of the show was great. I love seeing Chavo get beat up and I’ve got to believe Edge beating up Chavo and flipping over Vickie makes him an awesome baby face, at least to me.
Cena Respects Batista, WWE Frowns on Clean Living
WWE has really dropped the ball with the Cena-Batista feud. They are re-treading the angle they did to push the Shawn Michaels-John Cena match for WrestleMania XXIII. The guys really respect each other and they become tag champs. It seems like Cena gets stuck kissing up everyone he faces. The male fans are never going to like a guy that “respects” everyone he is supposed to be fighting. Batista got to get a Triple H like jab in on Cena, making fun of Cena’s fan demographic. This promo segment did not make me want to see their match at SummerSlam. I liked Cena for a while with him getting better in the ring, but his promos are so formulaic, simple-minded and long-winded now that you can’t help but not like the guy.
In the same vein of not liking John Cena, is it wrong that I feel like WWE pushes Cena’s love for the armed forces to try to get male fan support? The whole camo/Marines gimmick made sense to push his movie, but now it just seems a cheap way to get pops. If Cena’s gimmick changes with his movie roles are we looking to see Cena dressed like Ice T from Law & Order: SVU?
As always, Santino is hilarious. I like the dynamic between he and Beth Phoenix or Glamarella, as he has dubbed them. Beth Phoenix manhandling Kelly Kelly was nothing more than a backdrop to push the mixed tag match at SummerSlam. That being said, I’m more looking forward to more Santino promos than the match.
Cryme Tyme is being wasted. Wrestling the Highlanders? Seriously? There are two more guys who I didn’t even remember existed until Lillian said their weight in stone. Hopefully, Cryme Tyme will resurrect their feud with DiBiase and Rhodes after SummerSlam.
CM Punk is good on the mic, but every chance of the segment getting over or being good was killed by JBL being so long-winded. I couldn't be less enthusiastic about seeing these two wrestle again. When I saw JBL bust out the bottle of Jack Daniels, I wanted CM Punk to shatter the bottle on JBL’s face. I guess that’s just wishful thinking. Sometimes I wonder if WWE ever thinks through some of the things they push on TV. Great job WWE, make fun of Punk being straight-edged when countless superstars die from addiction problems. I guess they could not find cocaine to snort, steroids to take or pain killers to abuse to make the segment even more deplorable. I drink, hell I love Jack Daniels, but WWE, being a publicly traded company shouldn’t be playing up that angle. I laughed when Punk was talking about checking his body at the door for SummerSlam. JBL hasn’t checked his body since his long title reign that he pushes every time he gets a live mic.
WWE calling Jericho-Kane a SummerSlam worthy match was dumb. I don’t want to pay money to see Kane wrestle anyone. The backdrop of this match was Adamle trying to get Kane’s sack lunch. It turns out, Kane bought a Rey Mysterio mask because Rey needed the money to pay his hospital bills because he is hurt all the time. Or Kane stole it from catering where Rey was “rehabbing.” I’m not looking forward watching Kane and Rey feud because we’ve seen Rey versus the big man done to death. Let him wrestle contend for the Intercontinental title where the guys are more his size.
The main event was decent and that’s a stretch. DiBiase and Rhodes have been neutered and didn’t win the tag titles, Cena and Batista just lost them. I wish WWE would give the DiBiase-Rhodes team a name, like “Team Million $ Dream” or “Priceless.” But I guess I’m asking Creative to care about tag teams a little too much. The post-match activity between Cena and Batista did more to push their match than their stupid vocal make-out session to open Raw. WWE definitely put this feud on fast-forward and hopefully we’ll see the whole “I respect you, I love you” crap fall by the wayside.
Brett Favre is Jet and Aaron Rodgers is the Future
In my last column, I talked about how Aaron Rodgers was screwed. I’m sorry, I was thinking logically. Granted, Favre did pull a Mick Foley and fake retire but he is still better than Rodgers and makes Green Bay better. Rodgers is set up to fail because you can’t follow a legend. He won’t be allowed a bad game for at least six to eight weeks, if even then. Rodgers has to play the Ray Perkins role in Green Bay. Perkins followed Bear Bryant at the University of Alabama and 26 years later Alabama fans are still overly obsessed with every coach they have comparing to “The Bear.”
Favre will be the starter in New York, as indicative of Chad Pennington being released. The Jets could contend for a playoff spot because they weren’t a bad team, just haven’t had a talented quarterback for a while. Jets running back, Thomas Jones, as well as, wide receivers Jerricho Cotchery and Laveranues Coles have to be really happy that they have a guy that can open up their offense a little bit. The Jets still have to be hoping in the back of their minds that Favre plays likes its 2007 (28 TD/15 INT) instead of like its 2006 (18 TD/18 INT) or 2005 (20 TD/28 INT).
Aaron Rodgers has all the help he needs to be successful in Green Bay. Donald Driver and Greg Jennings at wide receiver and Ryan Grant at running back, not to mention a pretty stellar defense. The weight of a town is on Rodgers shoulders and I honestly don’t think he will be successful. He had a couple good years in college but college isn’t the NFL, just ask Ryan Leaf.
College Football: Injuries and Arrests Plague Top Teams
The Georgia Bulldogs are the preseason number one according to the USA Today/Coaches’ Poll. They also have had 5 players arrested this off-season, one (Michael Lemon-Defensive End) was kicked off the team. Darius Dewberry (Junior-Linebacker), Jeff Henson (Junior-Long Snapper), Fred Munzenmaier (Sophomore-Fullback) and Clint Boling (Sophomore-Guard) were the other players arrested. The charges are mostly alcohol related arrests (DUI-Public Intoxication-Urinating in Public), however, Lemon was kicked off the team for felony battery. He punched another student in the face, breaking the student’s eye socket.
Elsewhere in the SEC, the highly-ranked and touted Florida Gators lost their start tight end, Cornelius Ingram. Ingram tore his ACL last Tuesday during practice. Ingram caught 34 passes last season for 508 yards and 7 touchdowns. Florida has had five players tear their ACL preparing for the 2008 season. Starting junior safety Dorian Monroe and back-up senior safety John Curtis will both tore their ACL in July. Sophomore offensive lineman Jim Barrie and freshman linebacker Brenden Beal tore their ACL on Saturday and Monday respectively.
Injuries have hit hard in other places early this season as well. USC quarterback Mark Sanchez dislocated his knee but should be ready to start the Trojans opening game on August 30. Clemson, Washington State and Pittsburgh have also lost players for a considerable part of the season.
My column here is an extension of the topics I cover on my radio show on WEGL 91.1 FM on the campus of Auburn University in Auburn, Ala. You can listen to the show “Handoffs and Headlocks” online at www.wegl91.com by clicking streaming and selecting a media player. The show airs in the fall on Tuesday and Thursday from 2-3 p.m. (Note: All times are Central Standard Time).
Thank you for reading and if you would like to give feedback please send me an email at handoffsandheadlocks@gmail.com or DudleyAU@aol.com. You can also contact me on Facebook on my name in the Auburn network.
Handoffs and Headlocks: No Hype Necessary, Just That Damn Good
