2008

As I sit here and think back to the year all I can think of was it wasn't a good year. It wasn't a bad year, either.

A mediocre year would be the appropriate definition for 2008.

I can't even pinpoint key moments that happened which shaped this opinion. All I know is I haven't got much to remember from it if I were to look back in years from now. If I'm having trouble looking back today, I doubt I'll find anything when I look back further down the road.

2009 will be an interesting year. I can guarantee that.

S.V.R 2009

I think Smackdown vs Raw 2009 is much better than last year's game.

This time, the Wii version has introduced ladder and TLC matches which I thought was an unwise omission in 2008.

I was also glad to find the 'Hell in a Cell' stipulation in the Nintendo version after knowing it was on the Playstation and X-Box consoles for years.

One thing I found annoying about the new release was the change in controls. I got used to the buttons and motions in the 2008 game and I need to habituate myself with the different moves for 2009.

With all that said - the thing I welcomed the most about the 2009 game is online play.

I didn't expect it after it was missing last year so - when I opened the present and noticed the 'Wi-Fi' label on the cover - I was surprised.

I've had one go at the online mode and won. Those who know me will be reminded of the dreadful online record I hold at Madden '08 so the 1-0 on Smackdown vs Raw is something I am going to cherish.

Until the next game.

I know there's some young kid out in the world who will end up kicking my ass sooner or later.

Even scarier, I know it's going to happen sooner rather than soon!

Like Dead Wasps

I was unable to think of anything to write here this morning so I spent the majority of the day trying to find something interesting to note.

I didn't find anything other than a ridiculous metaphor that I heard on the darts commentary whilst channel hopping this afternoon.

First, I need to explain something otherwise you won't get what I am on about - Dennis 'The Menace' Priestly wears red and black striped shirts which is a play on the Beano character 'Dennis the Menace' and it just so happens his dart flights are patterned in the red and black stripe, too.

During the few minutes I saw of his match the camera did a close-up of a table filled with used dart flights and the commentator noted that they were 'Like dead wasps at the end of Summer'.

There is a crazy darts commentator named Sid Waddell and he always comes up with weird analogies and metaphors but he wasn't the contributor of this cracker.

American Football & Soccer Betting : Week 17

I'm thinking about calling this off.

The season was profitable to begin with but it has turned into nothing but a joke ever since. Once I place this week's bet, I'll be in the red and that was not what I had anticipated back in September.

I did vow to let it run until the Super Bowl but this is the final week in the regular season and the amount of games available to bet on will be shortened.

I'll spend the next of two weeks considering whether it would be wise to continue until the beginning of February. Remember, once we get past the wild card weekend and divisional games, we won't have many games to pick.

As this is the final week of the regular season, I thought I'd have one last stab at doing ten selections. I'm already in the red - what harm does it make to not try and save myself on the final day of normal games?

In the meantime, look at the miserable Week 16:

1) PSV vs Feyenoord OVER 2 goals
2) Volendam vs Heracles OVER 2 goals
3) West Bromwich Albion vs Manchester City OVER 2 goals
4) Kansas City +3.5
5) Detroit +7
6) Tampa Bay -3
7) Tennessee +2
8) Buffalo +6.5
9) Green Bay @ Chicago OVER 40.5 points total

We're now on a season of 69-74-3.

Week 16 stats:
Stake = £15.33
Returns = £1.88
Profit/Loss = -13.45

Overall stats:
Stake = £306.97
Returns = £312.33
Profit/Loss = +5.36

This week's selections are:

1) Chelsea
2) West Bromwich Albion vs Tottenham Hotspur OVER 2 goals
3) Blackburn Rovers vs Manchester City OVER 2 goals
4) New Orleans +2.5
5) St. Louis @ Atlanta UNDER 44.5 points total
6) San Francisco -3
7) Dallas @ Philadelphia OVER 42.5 points total
8) Arizona -7
9) Miami (Straight up win)
10) Denver +8

£20.46 block (1023 bets at 2p a line)

Not Seeing Red

Following the success I had in betting on a red card in the Celtic vs Rangers game earlier this season, I decided to follow suit again.

This time, I failed.

The previous meeting ended with two red cards so I got more than I needed.

The bookies must have taken a hit in that game as they offered odds at 3/1 that either team would get a red, they also had bets where you could back 'both teams to get a red' at something like 15/1. I noticed the odds this time around were 5/2 for either team and 14/1 for both.

Anyway, my fiver investment didn't get anywhere. There was only a small amount of yellows handed out let alone the elusive red I needed to win.

I guess the Old Firm were in the Christmas spirit or the ref had given enough cards out to his friends and family.

Bah, humbug.

Yesterday

It was a good Christmas here.

I went to bed early on Christmas Eve because I had this feeling I would get an early morning phone call from my Nephew.

The sound of the telephone was my alarm clock at a little after seven.

Out of all the presents he had at his house, the one he was most excited about telling me about was he had a pair of ..

wait for it..

WWE slippers!

Forget about the MP3 player and the BMX bike. The WWE slippers were the first things he told me about. I had to wait until he arrived here two hours later to find out what else he had.

He had asked me for the Monster Jam game on the Wii. I bought the Wall E and Spongebob Squarepants games as well and wrapped each separately. I put Monster Jam in one specific wrapping paper and put the other two in the same style of paper for my trick.

I handed him over a game and said 'I bet you know what this is' and he replied, 'Monster Jam'. He opened it up and it was funny to see the confused look on his face as he saw the Wall E game. He didn't know what to say and then he looked at me and announced 'It's Wall E' and I looked at it in feigned confusion 'wait there' I rang out of the room and picked up the second gift and did the same, this time it was the Spongebob game. By now, he guessed I was ribbing him so he knew that Monster Jam would eventually be his.

I also surprised him with the Britain's Got Talent board game and a Star Wars Millennium Falcon toy.

As for me - I got a pyjamas, box of Celebrations, Lego Star Wars on the Wii, the new Eddie Guerrero DVD set.

My friend also bought me an indoor helicopter and a copy of Smackdown vs Raw 2009 (I think there will be a separate post about this game in a few days).

It was a good day, Quiet once everyone had gone to the in-laws for lunch. Quiet if you discount the fact I was dogsitting again!

But, the good news is, he didn't have a poo on the four walks I took him on! That would have made it a shitty day.

A Diet Of Christmas Films

As I write this, it is Friday 12th December and I have just begun my diet of watching as many Christmas films as I can before the big day.

Below are a list of the movies I have watched in the past few weeks with my comments about them.

DECK THE HALLS (2006)

This isn't so bad, actually. It stars Danny Devito and Matthew Broderick as neighbours who don't get along. Their relationship reminded me of John Candy and Steve Martin in Planes, Trains and Automobiles with Devito playing the annoying-yet-likeable, Buddy Hall. Broderick plays his easily frustrated foil, Steve Finch.
The film centres around Hall's attempt to decorate the exterior of his house with enough lights so he can be viewed from space. It obviously annoys his neighbour which creates the animosity between the two.
I guess the theme is all about wanting to be something and doing everything in your power to achieve a dream or goal.

ROAD TO CHRISTMAS (2006)

I also liked this one.
Jennifer Grey (from Dirty Dancing) plays the part of an engaged photographer who is attempting to get to Aspen to marry her Italian lover for Christmas. She ends up delayed and having to make do with travelling by road. Along the way, she gets a ride from a father and his daughter.
As you've probably guessed - the father (Tom Pullman) and Claire fall in love despite bickering for the majority of the film.
They set up the end well. There are countless moments in the film where people ask Claire why she was marrying an Italian. The stereotype of them being love rats was played perfectly. So perfectly that I was anticipating her walking into the house and finding him with another woman. When she does arrive home, she finds him in bed with another man!
The movie ends with Claire returning to the Pullman's home and spending Christmas with the father, daughter and grandmother.
Yes, it was one of those soppy made-for-television Christmas movies but I seriously enjoyed it. I wouldn't watch it again, though.
Once you've seen it - there's little point watching again.

MR ST. NICK (2002)

Kelsey Grammer plays Nick St. Nick, Florida's most eligible bachelor. This is his public persona as he is actually son of Santa Claus.
The film sees Nick St. Nick refuse to take the torch from his father when the magical powers begin to be passed on.
Along the way, St. Nick gets deceived by a con artist, gets caught up in an online scam and falls for his housekeeper.
Oh, and he manages to decide to become Santa at the end.
It's okay. Nothing special. A typical cliched Christmas movie.

SANTA, Jr. (2002)

2002 was evidently the year of the Santa heir movies.
This film is about Chris Kringle Jr. who gets mistaken for 'The Christmas Bandit' and is sentenced to house arrest.
Kringle is the son of Santa Claus and has to make his lawyer and two detectives realise he was innocent as well as prove that he is the actual son of Father Christmas.
The story ends with a showdown between the babyface and heel Santa Clauses (I had to put a wrestling analogy in somewhere!).
It was alright, I suppose. Not as good as the Kelsey Grammer Santa's son film, though.

WILL YOU MERRY ME? (2008)

You would think that I am trying to link each film in relation to each other but that isn't the case. I'm watching them not knowing what they are about and then writing about them in the order of how they appear in this post so it should come as a surprise that the main character in this film also has the surname of 'Kringle'.
The movie is about an engaged couple - who are both from differing religions - whose respective families meet up for Christmas/Hanukkah.
Predictably, the families find it hard to get along at first and then the couple start having doubts about their union.
It all ends up well in the end, though.
I thought it was fairly good but it's one of those films that I'm not sure whether I would watch a second time.

THE CHRISTMAS CARD (2006)

This one tested me.
It is about a soldier who receives a Christmas card from a young lady who writes cards to people serving overseas. Cody is in Afghanistan and ends up being placed on leave after one of his colleagues is killed on tour. He decides to head off to the town where Faith lives. He meets her and falls in love with her but she is in a relationship. The guy she is dating isn't compatible with her.
You know the rest of the story.
As I mentioned in the opening paragraph - I found this hard to enjoy. Too slushy for my liking.
And the acting is terrible!

A CHRISTMAS BLESSING (2005)

After the last movie, I wasn't looking forward to this one. Surprisingly - I found it better than I anticipated.
It was a weepy and I admit I had a tear in my eye near the end of the film.
The story is of a doctor who fails to save the life of a young patient during an operation and he decides to return home for Christmas. Christmas holds some bad memories for him as his mother passed away on Christmas Eve when he was still young.
A pair of shoes that he bought for her plays an integral part of the this story as they are used to link the subplots together.
It was a really good story even though it was not one of those jolly tales I was intending to watch for this post.

A CHRISTMAS VISITOR (2002)

This was another one of those American patriotic festive films but I liked it.
It''s about a family that lost a son during the first Gulf War and they haven't celebrated Christmas as news of his death reached them at Christmas. This year, however, their daughter has undergone a biopsy for breast cancer and they decide to celebrate it again. The fear that this could be her last Christmas prompts this.
Anyway, the Father makes his regular visits to the war memorial in the town centre and prays to his son to send a message of hope. A number of days later - he is in his truck and he swerves off the road, he is helped back onto the road by a stranger who ends up going back home for the night as a guest. The guest is a war veteran who says to the two females of the family that he was in the same unit as the son and that he had always talked about them.
By the end of the film, the father realises that it's the ghost of the son who has returned for one final Christmas.
In hindsight, I probably should have hated this film but there was something about it that I found nice and enjoyable. In fact, it's a title I may be tempted to watch again.

MERRY CHRISTMAS, DRAKE & JOSH (2008)

I always get roped into watching episodes of Drake & Josh when my Nephew is staying over so it comes as no surprise we both had to sit and watch their Christmas film.
As part of a plea bargain, the pair have to make Christmas special for a bunch of foster children otherwise they will be sent to prison.
I don't need to tell you the rest, it's very predictable.
One of the most interesting appearances was by Kimbo Slice. He played the part of Josh's inmate at the prison and returns at the end.

JACK FROST (1998)

I had always wanted to see this film and when I noticed it was on Sky a few nights ago, I recorded it.
It's a good family film.
The story is of a musician who ends up getting killed on the road travelling home to be with his wife and son. He comes back to life a year later as a snowman. and gets to bond with his son for one last time.
It was one of the better movies I have seen this Christmas due to the special effects that were used.

PRANCER RETURNS (2001)

This was another film I didn't expect much from and was surprised at how much I ended up liking it.
It's about a young boy - Charlie -whose parents have split up and he lives with his mother and brother back in the town where the mother grew up.
The town's legend was that a young Prancer was found by a little girl and he was given back to Santa Claus on Christmas Eve.
Charlie ends up finding a reindeer and believes it to be Prancer's son and he decides he too must return the reindeer to Santa.
There were a few fun parts in the film with Charlie trying to hide the reindeer from his mother inside the house as well as seeing the evil school teacher get his comeuppance at the end when he attempts to get the reindeer put down by the pound.


Final Thoughts

It's now after 10pm on Christmas Eve and I've just finished watching the final film on my recorded list. I timed it well, huh?
I think it was a fun thing to do writing about the films as I saw them although I do feel full-up from Christmas themed movies. With all that said, by Boxing Day I'll probably be looking for more to watch.
Merry Christmas.

The Batista Injury

WWE's plans for WrestleMania XXV have met a stumbling block with the recent hamstring injury suffered by Dave Bautista.

Although we are months away from the big show in Houston, it was expected that a Batista vs John Cena match would be one of the main events.

This was a dream match of sorts. Both had been kept apart for a long time via the brand split so when Batista was moved to Raw this past Summer it was a given that they would slowly build to a feud for the twenty-fifth WrestleMania.

In one of the most random booking moves in history, WWE threw months of potential build-up and had the pair wrestle each other at SummerSlam last August.

It was one of the most ludicrous decisions the company had made as a feud between these two should have been held off until Mania.

The decision did manage to backfire on them.

Apparently, it was in this bout that John Cena suffered his neck injury which shelved him for the majority of the final half of 2008.

Now, it is Batista with the injury. Word is he won't be back until June so there is no way he will make it back in time for WrestleMania in April.

Such a shame, really. I was looking forward to them facing each other with a potential heel turn by Batista leading to match number two.

Doing Walkers A Flavour

When reading my emails on Hotmail a few weeks ago, I noticed a banner promoting a contest being run by Walkers Crisps.

The competition was looking for people to suggest a new flavour for their line of crisps. I thought I would have a go for a laugh and didn't think any more of it.

Until the other day.

I received an email from them saying that the winners will be announced on Friday January 9th. Apparently, there are going to be six flavours released on that day and then the public will vote on which one they think should be the winner.

The victor claims £50,000 as well as one-percent of all profits made from their flavour.

I didn't put too much thought into it. Had I known the kind of prize was available, I would have spent a little longer with my idea.

The contestants were given three spaces to make their suggestions and I can only remember one of the flavours I had entered.

Sausage in batter and chips.

The consensus of views I've received from my friends have ranged from 'Eurgh' to 'Mmm'.

The chip shop is an institution in the UK whether the Jamie Oliver brigade agree or not so - in the few moments I took to decide on the flavour - I thought it was a good idea to incorporate that into my picks. I know for a fact that my other two selections had 'and chips' at the end but I cannot remember exactly what I chose as the main ingredient.

It may have been 'pie and chips' and 'fish and chips'. I know I didn't do 'pineapple fritter and chips' but, in hindsight, I should have done something as intriguing as that.

A little over ten years ago, I worked on a 'Whitbread in the Community' programme at work and a local school got their pupils to create their own pizza. I was one of the judges and I had to look through all the paintings the young students had made.

One drawing stood out to me.

The girl had a cucumber pizza. Yes, it sounds disgusting and would never work but she showed the most thought and I chose her to win.

Let's hope the gods of ingredient competitions are looking down - they owe me one!

Escape From LA

David Beckham's loan move to AC Milan is his escape from LA.

He's meant to go back in March to resume his commitment to Los Angeles Galaxy but I have this feeling there's going to be some maneuvering in the two months at the San Siro that will lead to him becoming a long-term player in Serie A.

Beckham needs proper football if he is to have any hope of landing a place on the England team. Fabio Capello has told him this bluntly, hence the move back to Europe. American soccer just doesn't cut it.

The move to Los Angeles was nothing more than a publicity stunt, anyway.

After thinking his days as a competitive player were numbered following being benched for Real Madird and losing his place on the England team, the only way he could reprogram the public to think he had something left was to become the icon of American soccer.

He was better than a big fish in a small pond - a whale in a teardrop, if you will.

His PR team thought it was the best thing to do to save 'David Beckham' the franchise. It obviously wasn't the best thing for 'David Beckham' the person.

He's evidently had enough of playing the saviour of a sport in a country that never had life in it to begin with.

If Pele couldn't make USA soccer bigger than any of their other sports, Beckham had no chance.

I think he's finally realised he has done this at the expense of key playing years. He should have waited until the twilight of his career to try the America thing.

Like Pele did.

American Football & Soccer Betting : Week 16

I need a Christmas miracle.

Last week was dreadful! The profits are being eaten away and - unless I make any progress this week - we're looking at going in the red for the first time in months.

With 2 winners, 7 losers and one void - the stats have now become 65-69-3 with a strike-rate just below fifty percent at 48.5%

1) Real Madrid +1 (Asian Handicap)
2) Manchester City
3) Athletico Madrid vs Real Betis OVER 2 goals
4) Feyenoord vs AZ Alkmaar OVER 2 goals
5) Werder Bremen vs Wolfsburg OVER 2 goals
6) Glasgow Rangers
7) Baltimore -2
8) Atlanta -3
9) Dallas -3
10) NY Jets -7.5

Week 15 stats:
Stake = £30.69
Returns = £0.41
Profit/Loss = -30.28

Overall stats:
Stake = £291.64
Returns = £310.45
Profit/Loss = +18.81

There's not long to go. The regular season ends in two weeks and then we have a month of post-season games. Will I turn it around before the Super Bowl rolls around?

This week's picks are:

1) PSV vs Feyenoord OVER 2 goals
2) Volendam vs Heracles OVER 2 goals
3) West Bromwich Albion vs Manchester City OVER 2 goals
4) Kansas City +3.5
5) Detroit +7
6) Tampa Bay -3
7) Tennessee +2
8) Buffalo +6.5
9) Green Bay @ Chicago OVER 40.5 points total

£15.33 block (511 bets at 3p a line)

A Tribute To The Troops

It looks like WWE's Tribute to the Troops will air on Sky after all.

The current listing on my cable box has 'Saturday Night's Main Event' at 2am tomorrow morning and I am guessing that the tribute show has been incorrectly titled by the people in charge of the program guide.

NBC is airing it this year and they have the Saturday Night's Main Event specials once or twice a year so it's understandable that Sky would list it as SNME rather than what it really is.

I've read spoilers from the show and it doesn't look like there is much in-ring action. I suppose it will be filled with the usual messages and scenes of the wrestlers interacting with the soldiers.

I think this will be the third year we have been able to watch it in this country as Sky seemed to play year in review specials instead.

It's an interesting concept and worth recording to view at your leisure if you haven't seen it before.

The Beers Are In

The beers are in!

I just bought twenty bottles of Budweiser for the Christmas period.

I haven't had a drink since the beginning of the year so I think I'm going to be just a little bit tipsy in the days between Christmas Eve and New Year's Day.

You can't beat a bottle of Bud. However, with the time I've abstained from alcohol, it may end up with the Buds beating me!

Christmas Coral

I received an email from Coral Bookmakers offering me a five pound Christmas present.

All I had to do was deposit a fiver and place a bet and then the free money would be added to my account.

I did what was asked and deposited the money and placed it on the Indianapolis Colts to win tonight.

The free money went on a college basketball game that I was told was a lock.

And it was.

I woke up and there was ten pounds in my account. I withdrew it after doubling the money I invested and now I have everything to gain and nothing to lose in tonight's NFL game.

Fingers crossed.

Merry Christmas, Coral!

Owen Money

The deal is on the table for Michael Owen.

Newcastle United have offered him a new contract but one of the most notable changes to his current one is it's for less money.

And rightfully so.

The guy isn't worth what he is currently on. Hell, I don't even think he is worth what he is being offered.

He has spent more time in the fitness room than he has on the score-sheet since he joined the club in 2005 and it would be - pardon the pun - unwise for the owners and management team to offer him more than what he earned in those three years.

I doubt he'll sign the new deal. He'll find a better offer somewhere else. His words to the club will echo those of the supporters who thought he was the next black and white hope.

Thanks, but no thanks.

The Best Game Of 2008

The Virgin Media website has a list of the ten top video games of 2008 and I was shocked to see Mario Kart Wii missing from the line-up.

The only Wii game in this top ten is Super Smash Bros. Brawl, a game I have yet to play.

The list sure seems biased towards X-Box 360 or PS3.

1) Fallout 3 (360/PS3/PC)
2) Left 4 Dead (360/PC)
3) Grand Theft Auto IV (360/PS3/PC)
4) Fable II (360)
5) LittleBigPlanet (PS3)
6) Braid (360)
7) Gears of War 2 (360)
8) Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Wii)
9) Rock Band 2 (360)
10) Burnout Paradise (360/PS3)

I haven't played any of these so I cannot comment on any, all I know is Mario Kart Wii should have been somewhere - the game was robbed!

Hardy On Top

I don't know what to think in regards to Jeff Hardy becoming WWE Champion last night.

On one hand, it was right - on another, I'm not so sure.

Jeff Hardy had been put into the position of challenging for the belt on countless occasions throughout the year and it would have been bad for business had this continued. He had come up short in so many that they would have had to put the belt on him. WWE were backed into the corner on this one, they had to do it sooner or later.

The reason why I don't agree with the move is simple - Hardy has a poor track record and is unreliable.

He has major issues that have never been resolved and the company endorsing him in this way sets a poor precedence.

In the past few years he's had drug suspensions, refused to go to rehab and let's not forget his no shows in TNA.

WWE have shown a lot of bottle putting the strap on him.

I hope it pays off for both parties.

American Football & Soccer Betting : Week 15

Well, I came close.

Last week saw me get five out of the nine selections correct. It was not enough to make it a profitable week, though.

The standings are now 63-62-2 with a strike-rate of 50.4%.

1) NAC Breda vs ADO Den Haag OVER 2.5 goals
2) Willem II vs Heerenven OVER 2.5 goals
3) Juventus
4) Houston @ Green Bay OVER 47 points total
5) Chicago -6.5
6) Philadelphia +7
7) Real Madrid
8) New England -6.5
9) Dallas +3

Week 14 stats:
Stake = £15.33
Returns = £4.26
Profit/Loss = -11.07

Overall stats:
Stake = £260.95
Returns = £310.04
Profit/Loss = +49.09

As we have three weeks left in the regular season and a few of the European leagues are about to have a short Christmas break, I'm going to make a large bet this week and hope it yields a profit.

1) Real Madrid +1 (Asian Handicap)
2) Manchester City
3) Athletico Madrid vs Real Betis OVER 2 goals
4) Feyenoord vs AZ Alkmaar OVER 2 goals
5) Werder Bremen vs Wolfsburg OVER 2 goals
6) Glasgow Rangers
7) Baltimore -2
8) Atlanta -3
9) Dallas -3
10) NY Jets -7.5

£30.69 block (1023 bets at 3p a line)

Madrid Plus One

I quite like Real Madrid to win with an Asian handicap bet this evening.

Here is something I wrote on the View From Vegas message board:

Dating back to the 2001/2 season, Barcelona has only won three times whilst their opponents have been victorious on six occasions. The draw has occurred five times.

As this is a handicap play with Madrid getting the goal head start, we're looking at a Barcelona (3) vs Draw/Madrid (11) in historical stats.

I'm also taking into account that Barcelona are at home. So - looking back at the recent history at the Nou Camp Stadium - the home team has won once, the draw has occurred four times and Real Madrid have walked away victors twice.

Once again, we're talking a big difference between Barcelona wins against the draw or Madrid as it stands at 1 vs 6.

Current form does, however, favour Barcelona. They have won seven out of their eight games so far this season. Madrid, on the other hand, have only won half of their games.

You also need to take into account that Real Madrid has just brought in a new manager, Juande Ramos.

This will be his first league game in charge of the side after taking over on Tuesday. He oversaw their 3-0 victory against Zenit St. Petersburg in the Champion's League last night and I think the new charge, an uplift in morale and a number of players keen to impress the new boss will see either a draw or an important away win in Barcelona.

I won't be putting it in my weekend bet as I am leaving that for tomorrow. I will be doing a single on it, though.

Sucker-Punch

It seems the real story about the 'Iraq Knockout' was not what we first heard.

The Wrestling Observer Newsletter had a piece on it in the most recent issue and the word Dave Meltzer got was that Joey Styles threw the punch when John 'Bradshaw' Layfield was being pulled apart with his back turned.

I'm not one for bullying, and I don't blame Styles for doing what he did - I just don't think the story is as heroic as I first thought.

JBL deserves to be humbled but it looks like he'll always have the argument that he was defenseless when the fist was thrown.

Such a shame, really. I liked the first report better.

Christmas Post

I'm thinking I should do a Christmas special on here for Christmas Day.

I don't intend to sit here and type something on the day so I'm going to work on it over the next few days and have it set to publish on Christmas morning.

I've got an idea what I will do.

You'll have to wait 'til then to find out, though.

JBL Got His Ass Whooped!

John Bradshaw Layfield suffered one of his biggest defeats in his life the other day.

And it wasn't in a wrestling ring.

Nor on the Stock Exchange.

JBL is one of the tenured veterans in the WWE locker-room. It's this status that has placed him in a position to make people's life on the circuit hard.

For years I have read about - and on one occasion, witnessed - acts that were totally unprofessional yet accepted as part of the wrestling culture.

He's a bully.

There have been a number of people who have left the business because of his hazing. Apparently, the ribbing on the road is all par for the course as a rite of passage for newcomers.

A lot of people suck it in and take what they were dealt - those who don't come out hating the business.

Joey Styles is no newcomer. The former commentator became a household name in the nineties as the voice of ECW. In 2005, he became an employee of WWE and has recently been promoted to editor of WWE.com.

Styles' status in the company didn't prevent the hazing, though. As per usual. JBL took verbal and physical liberties on the much smaller Styles. This time, however, there was a different end to the story.

Layfield ended up knocked out.

Good for Styles. It was about time someone stood up to that fool.

I felt even more glad the bully got dealt with when I heard where this incident took place.

WWE were over in Iraq filming the Tribute to the Troops show which airs just before Christmas and it was on this excursion that JBL bullied his colleague.

You know - when you're in the country where people are putting their lives at risk on a daily basis, it would be best to step back and think about it rather than be a prick.

Ironically, it was Layfield's idea for WWE to do yearly visits to war zones to bring Christmas cheer to the armed forces. I hope this made the beating he took doubly worse.

It was incredible to read that his demeanor had changed backstage at Raw. The guy had been humbled and it was evident with the way he carried himself that night.

I'm sure the hazing and ribbing will continue. I just hope he'll always have that picture of retaliation in the back of his mind each time he does it from now on.

Blogger's Block

It's one of those days where I haven't got much to type.

Back tomorrow!

Return Of The Slammy Awards

WWE brings back their Slammy Awards in a three-hour episode of Raw tonight.

Great.

The problem I find with this special edition of WWE's flagship show is there is a pay-per-view this coming Sunday so they should build towards that rather than have the nonsense of an award show just to keep the people at the USA Network happy.

These three-hour shows don't do well for ratings, though. So - USA probably won't be that happy.

Below are the categories and nominations for tonight's show. I've highlighted the selection I think will win. Remember, it's WWE who pick the winners so you have to think of things politically (ie they won't have people like Randy Orton jobbing out to Kofi Kingston in winning awards just like they wouldn't have them losing to them in the ring).

-Superstar of the Year

Batista, Chris Jericho. Edge, Jeff Hardy, John Cena orTriple H

-Match of the Year 2008

Royal Rumble Match, HBK vs. Ric Flair (WrestleMania 24), Money in the Bank Match (WrestleMania 24) or Undertaker vs. Edge (SummerSlam)

-OMG Moment of the Year

CM Punk Cashes in MITB and becomes World Heavyweight champion (Raw), Undertaker sends Edge to hell (SummerSlam), Floyd Mayweather punches Big Show & Breaks his nose (No Way Out), John Cena surprise return to the Royal Rumble (Royal Rumble)

-Diva of the Year

Mickie James, Kelly Kelly, Beth Phoenix, Michelle McCool

-"DAMN!" Moment of the Year

Khali Kiss Cam, Jim Ross in a sailor suit, CM Punk disguised in Mariachi band lays out Chavo or Santino Marrella attempts Melina entrance

-Tag Team of the Year

Miz & John Morrison, Priceless (Cody Rhodes & Ted Dibiase), Cryme Tyme or Carlito & Primo Colon

-Best Musical Performance

R Truth's entrance, Santino rapping to Akon, Edge singing "heaven" to Vickie, Miz & John Morrison rap

-Best Finishing Maneuver

Randy Orton's RKO, Undertaker's hells gate, Big Show's knockout punch or Evan Bourne shooting star press

-Extreme Moment of the Year

Jeff Hardy's swanton bomb on Randy Orton from raw set, Undertaker falls off ladder through table as Edge wins TLC match, JBL throws John Cena off stage through car windshield or Chris Jericho smashes HBK head through jerri-tron

-Couple of the Year

Santino Marrella & Beth Phoenix, Edge & Vickie Guerrero, William Regal & Layla or Finlay & Hornswoggle

-Best WWE.com exclusive

Cryme Tyme's "word up", Miz & John Morrison present "The Dirt Sheet", Santino's Casa or Outthink the Fink

-Breakout star of the year

Kofi Kingston, Vladimir Kozlov, Evan Bourne or Ted Dibiase

-Announce team of the year

Jerry Lawler & Michael Cole, Jim Ross & Tazz or Matt Striker & Todd Grisham

-Best Impersonation

Charlie Haas as "Haas Hogan", Charlie Haas as "CHL", Charlie Haas as "Glamahaas" or Charlie Haas as Mr. Perfect

American Football & Soccer Betting : Week 14

I went 2-7 in last week's picks. Terrible.

1) Bayer Leverkusen vs Bayern Munich OVER 2 goals
2) Catania
3) Heerenven vs PSV OVER 2 goals
4) Oregon State -3 (NCAA)
5) NY Giants -3.5
6) San Francisco @ Buffalo OVER 42.5 points total
7) Indianapolis -5
8) Tampa Bay -3.5
9) New England -1

The win-loss-void standings are 58-58-2, which makes it a 50% strike-rate.

There are now four weeks remaining in the regular season so I need to make progress before the amount of games to bet on decreases. As I have mentioned in previous posts, I intend to run this thing all the way to the Super Bowl so winning weeks are a must for the next month.

Week 13 stats:
Stake = £15.33
Returns = £0.20
Profit/Loss = -15.13

Overall stats:
Stake = £245.62
Returns = £305.78
Profit/Loss = +60.16

This week's selections are:

1) NAC Breda vs ADO Den Haag OVER 2.5 goals
2) Willem II vs Heerenven OVER 2.5 goals
3) Juventus
4) Houston @ Green Bay OVER 47 points total
5) Chicago -6.5
6) Philadelphia +7
7) Real Madrid
8) New England -6.5
9) Dallas +3

£15.33 block (511 bets at 3p a line)

Amir Is No Draw

I don't think Amir Khan is as much of a pay-per-view draw than Sky would like us all to think.

Tonight, he faces Oisin Fagan in his second bout on the network. His first ended up being a disaster as he was knocked out in round one to Breidis Prescott in September.


As a way of enticing people to purchase this event, Sky have added a few other fights to the card as well as adding the Oscar de la Hoya fight which takes place in the early hours of tomorrow morning.


When they're throwing out the 'Amir Khan with supporting cast' type advertising you know the real sellers will be the others names like Audle... Well, like De la Hoya for instance.


Khan has failed to impress the public. His last display left a sour taste in the mouths of those who purchased the fight. Sky know this and that's why they strengthened the line-up with other named fighters.


It's a sad state of affairs when your big signing needs to pop the buys.

The Final Day In The Jungle

It's the final of I'm a celebrity..Get me out of here tonight and two of my original favourites are in the last three.

I guessed Joe Swash would be there at the end due to his popularity with female viewers stemming from his time in EastEnders.

I also had Martina Navratilova in my predictions. Her status as a tennis icon was my reasoning behind that suggestion.

They are both joined by George Takei, AKA Mr Sulu from Star Trek. I'm surprised he lasted so long when you consider how old he is and how weak he looked on his first trek into camp.

I developed a liking for David Van Day as the series progressed.

He played a great game winding them all up. Had it not been for him, this year was going to end up being boring as everyone got along. When the producers put Timmy Mallet and Van Day in a few days after the show started, it was the best example of the cat amongst pigeons analogy.

I don't care who wins tonight, now.

Betting lines indicate Joe will walk away but I'd have a gamble on either of the other two.

But, I'm not gambling.

Thoughts On The Flair Shoot

As you probably read last week, I bought the Ric Flair shoot interview. I have now watched all of it and think it's about time I reviewed it.

I cannot recommend it enough.

What more can anyone ask for than thirteen hours of Ric Flair talking about his entire career?

It was such an incredible journey and it is cool to have been able to capture it in a way where his autobiography failed.

There is something for everyone on these four-discs. He details the territory, the WCW and the WWE days.

My favourite stories are the ones from his time in both WCW and WWE as these were the times where I saw him the most. The parts of the interview where I was not knowledgeable on was good as it was a history lesson of sorts and added more respect to the career he had.

High Spots did a superb job, it is well worth checking out for a Christmas gift.

Another 'Police Academy 8' Rumour

Yet another rumour has recycled itself.

I was just reading an article online that claims Steve Guttenberg is ready to make Police Academy 8.

This is at least the third time I have heard this story in five years and I'll wager that it will slowly go away and come back again another day.

Hey - maybe I should copy and paste this post for the next time I hear this rumour.

Retro Computer Quiz

I took part in a fun quiz on Virgin Media's website. It was about retro computer games and I thought I'd share the results with you.

Question 1 of 8: You might remember this computer from school. What is it called?
ITV Major
C4 Middle
BBC Micro
Five Higher

You answered:BBC Micro
Correct answer:BBC Micro

Question 2 of 8: This Apple computer was released in 1983, but what was it originally called before ‘Macintosh 128k’?
The Macintosh
Apple Mac 128k
The Apple Macintosh
iMac

You answered:The Macintosh
Correct answer:The Macintosh

Question 3 of 8: In the '80s the most popular Amiga was the 500, but what was its immediate successor?
500 Ultra
1000
500+
550

You answered:500+
Correct answer:500+

Question 4 of 8: What is the name of this popular computer from the 1980s?
Amstrad Atari
Amiga 1
Sinclair Spectrum 48k
Commodore 64

You answered:Commodore 64
Correct answer:Commodore 64

Question 5 of 8: The Amiga 600. What year was it released?
1990
1991
1992
1993

You answered:1993
Correct answer:1992

Question 6 of 8: This is the Amstrad CPC, but what did CPC stand for?
Colour Portable Computer
Colour Personal Computer
Central Processing Computer
Crazy Portly Cumbersome

You answered:Colour Personal Computer
Correct answer:Colour Personal Computer

Question 7 of 8: The Amiga 1200 was the last home computer released by Commodore. How powerful was it?
16bit
32bit
8bit
64bit

You answered:64bit
Correct answer:32bit

Question 8 of 8: Who invented the Spectrum home computer?
Clive Sinclair
Terry Nation
Emma Éclair
Richard Branson

You answered:Clive Sinclair
Correct answer:Clive Sinclair

You have scored 6 out of 8.

The Santa Question

With my Nephew due to become a brother in 2009, I did the old routine of making him feel like being an older sibling has its importance by saying 'I know what it's like being an older brother so, if you have any questions, ask me.'

He then asked me a question which did not involve being an older brother.

'My friends in school told me there's no such thing as Father Christmas, is that true?'

I didn't know what to say for a moment. I then threw back at him, 'what do you think?' He responded with a 'yes, there is,' and I countered with - 'there's your answer.'

I can't recall the year I finally realised there was no Santa Claus. It must have been around the same age Josh is now. I do remember that I kept the knowledge away from my parents for as long as I could. One Saturday morning, I was in their bedroom watching TV and my Father asked me if I still believed and I lied.

Was it an actual lie, though?

I think what it was was me trying to hold on for one more year.

It seems that twenty or so years later, I'm still holding on.