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Bold Predictions : Elimination Chamber 2012

2012-02-19T09:42:00.000Z

Here is the monthly feature where I will predict the outcome of every WWE pay-per-view match in 2012 by simply bolding the name of the person I believe will be victor.

Elimination Chamber 2012

John Cena .vs. Kane in an ambulance match

Tamina Snuka .vs. Beth Phoenix (Divas champion)

Smackdown Elimination Chamber match - Great Khali .vs. Big Show .vs. Santino Marella* .vs. Daniel Bryan (champion) .vs. Wade Barrett .vs. Cody Rhodes

Raw Elimination Chamber match - Kofi Kingston .vs. Chris Jericho .vs. Dolph Ziggler .vs. CM Punk (champion) .vs. The Miz .vs. R-Truth

* I have a feeling Santino's spot will be taken by someone else and whoever that person is will end up winning.

Last month's score : 1/4

Overall score : 1/4

13 For '13

2012-02-18T00:00:00.108Z

In the days following the Super Bowl, I looked through a number of betting websites checking out the odds available on the winners of next year's game.

I compared the odds in all of the betting sites I am a member of and went on a mission to place a pound (or two pounds in one case) on some value picks.

There were some sites I hadn't been to in a number of years and I was surprised to see I had some spare cash in my accounts so - instead of going through the hassle of depositing money just so I could retrieve what I had left in it (it's often a minimum withdrawal of ten pounds) - I used what I had to place a few more bets.

I ended up betting on thirteen teams. I've decided to spend today's post writing down which team and where I bet on them.

The reason why I am doing it now is simple - I need to remember where I placed the bets in February!

Poor in 2012, better in 2013?

The NFL does tend to have teams that perform poorly in one year and then bounce back the following year. I'm hoping the following teams turn things around in 2013 after an abysmal 2012.

Tampa Bay 100/1 (Sky Bet)

St. Louis 100/1 (Sky Bet)

Good feeling teams

Below are the teams I have had good feelings about for quite a while and have bet on them to win the Super Bowl in the past. Their time could still come.

Chicago 40/1 (Paddy Power)

Detroit 25/1 (Sky Bet)

Dream team turnaround

The Philadelphia Eagles were labelled as a 'Dream Team' during the 2012 season and this tag became a nightmare to anyone associated with the franchise. It's going to be an important year for head coach, Andy Reid, because I think this could be his last swing of the bat.

Philadelphia 16/1 (Sky Bet)

Roaring on

Andy Dalton had an impressive rookie season as quarterback of the Cincinnati Bengals. The team seemed a lot better than it had done in years past. I am hoping things continue on the up for them.

Cincinnati 50/1 (Stan James)

The Manning landing spots

Regular readers will already know that the Indianapolis Colts are my favourite team. Peyton Manning - the team's leader - is my favourite player. Manning didn't play at all in the 2012 season due to injury. It's looking highly likely that he will be moving on by March 8th where he will either be paid $28 million or be released from his contract. Concerns about the state of his nerves following four neck surgeries may be enough for the Colts to let him go. Other teams could benefit from having Manning on their team in 2013 should he decide to continue with his career.

Seattle 80/1 (Bet Fred)

Tennessee 66/1 (Bet Fred)

New York Jets 33/1 (Paddy Power)

Washington 100/1 (William Hill)

Miami 50/1 (Blue Square)

Arizona 99/1 (Bet Fair)

Beginner's Luck

The Peyton Manning story in Indianapolis could still have a chapter added to it if the player decides to renegotiate his contract to take into account the concerns the team have over his neck. Should that be the case, the price I found on Indy to win the Super Bowl may be a nice price. With that said, I am 99% certain that Manning will be gone before March 8th therefore the person who will take his place on the team is possibly Andrew Luck who could be Indianapolis' first overall pick in the 2013 NFL draft. The team is in a rebuilding stage and the quarterback will either be (a) returning from a season-long layoff or (b) be a rookie straight out of college. Yes, it's a risky bet but the odds were too good to ignore.

Indianapolis 100/1 (Paddy Power)

Ready For WrestleMania XXVIII? Thought So. How About WrestleMania XXIX?

2012-02-17T00:00:00.000Z

WWE officially announced that next year's WrestleMania will take place at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey in a press conference yesterday.

The event will take place on Sunday April 7th 2013.

I'm looking forward to see how the weather holds up. It's a bit risky placing the show in an outdoor stadium in the Spring.

TV Times

2012-02-16T08:45:00.051Z

I received a £50 discount voucher for Currys/PC World a number of weeks ago with the condition I had to spend at least two hundred pounds in order to get the money off.

It could only be used from the 16th February so I have spent nearly a month having a look to see whether there was anything I wanted to buy.

I settled for a 3D TV. If you had read my post two days ago, I guess that explains why I brought up these models of television.

I read a lot of reviews, watched YouTube videos (what is it with people wanting to film themselves unboxing their purchases?) and checked out customer feedback on some of the main shopping sites and decided to get hold of a 23 inch.

And then - two days ago - I noticed it was classed as a 'TV Monitor'which means, if I wanted to experience the 3D properly, I had to sit right up to the screen.

The screen would be too far from my bed.

So, it was on to the next TV on the list.

And then the next.

And the next.

I finally decided I was going to get a 32 inch LED model by the same brand. I did a check to see if there was stock available in my nearest store.

You know where this is going, right?

Yes - you were right. It was sold out.

I would say it was a case of 'back to the drawing board' but I've given up for now. Sort of.

There is little point me buying a TV that I didn't want just for the sake of getting a discount. I'll wait and see if more stock of the one I want becomes available. If it does, good. If it doesn't - there's always the bank holiday sales.

This & That

2012-02-15T08:53:00.000Z

This is one of those days where I have a lot to cover so will do it in point form.

- I saw the Jesse Sorensen injury from Sunday's TNA pay-per-view and it looked very scary. For those who haven't heard, Sorensen took a hit to his head from a moonsault and was knocked to the floor where he remained for a while. The referee - after giving him a few seconds to get himself together - realised things were not okay and called for help. He's broken one of his vertebrae and has a spinal cord injury. Apparently, he has feeling in his upper body and legs (although he cannot move them). Here's hoping of a full recovery.

- Wow @ Glasgow Rangers going into administration.

- Randy Orton is now out of the Elimination Chamber event on Sunday. It appears he suffered a concussion in his bout with the Big Show on Raw. Has this thrown WrestleMania plans into chaos?

- I loved the headline on The Sun website yesterday where they announced that Carlos Tevez has returned to the UK. 'The Ego Has Landed'. So funny. So true.

Whitney Houston

2012-02-14T09:00:00.000Z

It was too late to post anything about Whitney Houston's passing when I awoke on Sunday morning as I had already published something. Yesterday was also booked out so today is the first opportunity I have to comment.

When I first heard, I wasn't shocked. I guess when you hear about these stars and the demons they fight, news of them being found deceased should never be shocking.

It doesn't make it any less sad.

A number of years ago, I dedicated a post on this blog to songs that have a place in my memory and I could have sworn I had written about Houston's I Wanna Dance With Somebody. Looking back at the post in question, I noticed that I hadn't. Instead - I found that I had written about her troubles and noted how that song was one of the most played songs on the TV and radio during my second year of junior school.

I wrote about how one of my best friends from school would break out and sing the song in the classroom. Without detracting from what I am doing today, I also mentioned that Mark had been in a lot of trouble due to his own addictions and, unfortunately, he doesn't seem to have overcome his demons. It seems every few months I read about him being sentenced to prison time for stealing things to help his habit.

The good I can get out of the song is that it reminds me of my summer holiday of that year.

1987 - Hahn Air Force Base, Germany.

The song was on all the time on the radios over there and whenever I hear it, I am taken back to that time.

It also brings me back to when I was reacquainted with it, too.

I don't recall how long it had been when I had last heard it but I was sitting at the bar of the Grosvenor Casino in December of 2002 and it was playing on the PA.

Years had gone by since I heard it and - as I waited alone for my friends to arrive - it dragged me back to 1987 in Mrs. Davies' standard two class (God, she was strict but very, very fair - that's a story for another day!) and going down the autobahns of Germany with the radio on in the large station wagon my American relatives owned.

I downloaded it as soon as I was back at the computer.

I've just looked at the Wikipedia entry on the song and it appears that it was released on my eighth birthday so there is even more reason for it to be my favourite Whitney Houston tune.

I think I'll listen to it now.

* * *

I guess a lot of people will remember her more for I Will Always Love You and it's ironic that the timing of her death was so close to Valentine's Day. I'm typing this at 10:34am on Sunday morning so, by the time this gets published, I think that song would have been downloaded a lot and could be on its way to being number one in this Sunday's charts.

Mirrors

2012-02-13T00:00:00.068Z

Nine years.

You know when people say 'it only feels like yesterday' when they are describing how time has progressed? Well, I can't do it here.

Even after these years, I still spare a thought for my uncle.

I see and hear about new things and often wonder how he would have felt about them. In most cases, I think about the advancement in technology and whether he would have bought himself a 3D TV by now.

And then a memory floods back to me and I know for a fact he either would have or, in the very least, considered it.

I recall being in the arcades with him in the summer of 1991. There was a game - I guess marketed by Sega - and its display was like a hologram. I don"t even recall either of us playing it. We just stood in awe at it as we figured out how the image was created.

I'm heading towards the ten years since I last spoke to him mark. I can recall that conversation, too. We were chatting about the Las Vegas magic shows he had been to. We discussed the special effects and trickery similar to how we did eleven years earlier.

The guess we came up with in 1991 was the same in 2002.

Flavour Flave

2012-02-12T00:09:00.011Z

Walkers Crisps sent me a sample packet of their new mystery crisps a few weeks ago. I have since tried the other two flavours and had a go at solving the mysteries.

I doubt I will get any of these right but here goes:

Mystery Flavour A - Blue Cheese

Mystery Flavour B - Hotdog and Ketchup

Mystery Flavour C - Chicken Tikka

Snow Way

2012-02-11T07:56:00.008Z

So much for the snow warning in Wales for Friday morning.

I was anticipating there being a lot of the white stuff on the ground when I awoke. My hopes were dashed when all I saw was rain.

And more rain.

Friday was the only day I would have been okay with having snow. Any other day and I wouldn't have been so keen on it falling.

A Repetitive Journey

2012-02-10T00:08:00.001Z

In the past, I've noted how much I have liked Channel 4's Coach Trip but I'm now going to have to be critical of the programme.

It's a few episodes into the current series and I'm finally getting bored with the concept.

Don't get me wrong, I still find enjoyment from it. I'm just fed up with the voting procedure.

I know it has happened a lot of times in previous seasons, but it's starting to get predictable when newer couples on the coach are voted off by the coach members who have been on for longer periods.

I've noticed that the programme makers have tried different approaches to the rules to try and stop this sort of thing being so blatant but it still occurs.

I'll continue watching for the time being but count me down as a viewer ready to switch off.

The above post was bumped after the announcement that Fabio Capello had resigned as England manager. I guess I had spoke too soon as a new couple did manage to get away when the voting went to a tie and the group picked a team that had been on from the start.

LOL Capello

2012-02-09T00:02:00.009Z

I sent my friend a text message when news reached me about Fabio Capello quitting as England manager.

Ir read 'LOL Capello'.

I can't fault the guy. And here's why.

He was always going to be the fall guy when it came to Euro 2012.

When England lose - and trust me, they will lose - he will be blamed for quitting on them this close to the tournament. Had he stayed, he would have been at fault for being a lame duck coach.

He was always going to be in a lose-lose situation when John Terry was forced to give up his captaincy last week.

He now gets the summer off before he takes up his new post wherever that may be.

The Final Numbers

2012-02-08T23:57:00.001Z

After twenty-two weeks of betting on American football and soccer, it's time to reveal what I made.

Or in this case - lost.

I ended the season £159.51 in the red.

On the positive, I had 110 selections right and seventy-three wrong. A strike-rate of 60.1% is good had I placed these bets into singles.Multiple betting is evidently my downfall.

With that said, I'll be doing the same thing from September.

I should be disappointed in not hitting profit after dedicating quite a bit of time into my picks but I'm not. I had fun and, like I wrote above, I'll be back doing it all again with a clean slate in seven months.

Waiting

2012-02-07T10:39:00.001Z

I've been holding back on giving out some news since the start of this year.

I have been waiting for something to arrive in the post and have been chasing it up for over a month but I don't seem to be getting anywhere.

That's as cryptic as I'll be for now.

I'll give it a few more weeks. If what I am expecting doesn't arrive, you'll hear about it because I'll have a giant axe to grind and will vent on here.

In the meantime, I'll keep looking for the postman each day.

Super Bowl XLVI Thoughts

2012-02-06T11:22:00.000Z

I'm dusting myself off after last night's Super Bowl.

I don't know why but it seems that the drama is a lot higher in these games with each passing year.

I loved the result. As a New England Patriot detester and Indianapolis Colt fan, it was the best result seeing Eli Manning take the Giants to their second Super Bowl title in four years.

And to do it in Indianapolis was the cherry on top.

Great game. That's all I can say.

Now begins the long lonely wait until next season.

Super Bowl Sunday 2012

2012-02-05T00:06:00.044Z

It's that time of the year again.

Tonight, the New England Patriots will go up against the New York Giants in what will be a rematch of one of my favourite Super Bowls.

The winners of the 2008 match were the Giants who defeated the undefeated.

I'd like a similar result this year due to this game being played at the Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis - the current home of Indianapolis Colts quarterback, Peyton Manning.

Manning's brother - Eli - is the quarterback of New York and it will be an interesting story to see the younger brother get one more Super Bowl win than his sibling.

The Peyton Manning .vs. Tom Brady rivalry that will also be addressed tonight.

Brady is looking to win his fourth Super Bowl and will be doing so - as I already mentioned above - in Peyton's place.

There has been a lot of debate over which player is the better when compared and contrasted and it's up to Eli Manning to prevent his brother's nemesis from getting a win and adding more fuel for those already on the 'Brady Is Better' bandwagon.

I have my fingers crossed that it will be a fun game because, after tonight, there will be a very long wait until the next NFL game.

Super Bowl XLVI Programme

2012-02-04T00:04:00.002Z

I managed to get my hands on a copy of the Super Bowl XLVI programme.

I haven't had a chance to read it all as it has 240 pages but it is great and packed with information about both the New England Patriots and the New York Giants.

It also has a week-by-week rundown of the entire season which will be cool to look at years from now.

Offline

2012-02-03T08:30:00.000Z

I sure pick my moments.

When I woke up yesterday morning, I noticed that my modem wasn't working. I tried doing the usual ways of rebooting it but it was all in vain. I ended up calling an engineer to come out. The next available appointment was today between twelve and four.

So, what was I to do for the rest of the day without Internet access?

Well, there was always the Internet on my iPhone, right?

Wrong.

Yesterday was the day that I had asked for my mobile number to transfer to a new network so I lost signal on that for most of the day as well.

It was a very boring day but - to be honest - it did fly by as I caught up with podcasts, watched afternoon TV and then watched a DVD.

At 11pm, I turned the modem off again in one last attempt to get online.

And it worked.

The engineer has now been cancelled but I have a gut feeling they'll show up.

Humming Along To A Jamaican Christmas Song

2012-02-02T20:56:00.000Z

It's well over a month since Christmas and it seems I cannot shake off a festive tune that keeps ringing in my head.

I bought a reggae Christmas album last summer but purposely held off on opening it until it was the right time to play it. In hindsight, it was a great idea because I would have probably been humming the song all the way to Christmas.

It's bad enough as it is.

I was going to have a listen to it yesterday while I was sitting at the computer looking through my iTunes library but I have opted to wait.

Let's hope I stop humming before the summer.

Taker/Hunter III

2012-02-01T20:13:00.000Z

The Undertaker versus Triple H will be one of the main matches on this year's WrestleMania.

It was teased during the end segment on Raw when Taker made his return after last being seen being carted off after defeating Triple H at WrestleMania XXVII.

The rumour circulating is this will be Triple H's retirement match and could feature Shawn Michaels as the special guest referee.

I guess we'll have to wait and see whether there is any truth to this speculation.

The bout will be the third time the pair have met on the WrestleMania stage.

Tyson Rumours

2012-01-31T00:00:00.001Z

TMZ is reporting that Mike Tyson will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame on March 31st.

WWE have yet to make the announcement but I'm guessing it will be done tonight's edition of Monday Night Raw.

I suppose 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin will be brought in to be his inductor. The two made mainstream news in 1998 when they had a pull apart showdown in the build-up to-WrestleMania XIV where Tyson worked as a ringside enforcer in the match where Austin first became WWF champion.

Other names who could potentially be brought in to induct Tyson is Shawn Michaels - who was the other part of the main event at WrestleMania XIV - or Triple H.

I believe Steve Austin is the right guy, though.

Rumble Ramblings

2012-01-30T10:41:00.001Z

So much for my Royal Rumble winner, eh?

I was in two minds on whether to watch the show. I went to bed early and was awoken at 1:30am so - seeing as I was awake - I decided I may as well have a look what was happening.

The Rumble match was dreadfully plotted out.

The criticism I have read about it this morning has centred on there being too much comedy. I sort of agree. My gripe was on the booking of the entrants.

The Miz came out number one. Alex Riley - his former protege and person he feuded with last year - came out number two. If rivals were seeded in first and second drawing in the past, it would have been a cause for the commentators to go nuts. Not here. It was a few moments after Riley came out that there was any acknowledgement to their history.

I wasn't okay with that but I had to deal with it. Having people feuding with each other drawn next to each other has been done before but it was overused last night. Case in point the third entrant: R-Truth. He is in a current feud with The Miz.

At least the announcers tried to get over the fact that these two have beef with one another.

The annoying placement order occurred later in the show when Jinder Mahal came out followed next by his rival, Great Khali.

And all the top stars coming out in latter numbers looked even more fixed and didn't help my displeasure with the match.

Don King Bingo would be the best way to describe the 'randomness' of the drawing.

***

Sheamus winning was also one of those 'we know better than the fans' swerves WWE likes to play now and again. They'll come up short doing that one of these days.

If they haven't done so already.

Bold Predictions : Royal Rumble 2012

2012-01-29T00:05:00.019Z

Here is the start of my new monthly feature where I will predict the outcome of every WWE pay-per-view match in 2012 by simply bolding the name of the person I believe will be victor.

I'll be keeping score throughout the year.

Royal Rumble 2012

John Cena .vs. Kane

Daniel Bryan (World champion) .va. Mark Henry .vs. Big Show

CM Punk (WWE champion) .vs. Dolph Ziggler

Royal Rumble winner - Shaquille O'Neal

Princess Picks A Winner

2012-01-28T00:00:00.001Z

Remember Paul the Octopus?

The aquatic prognosticator found fame during the 2010 World Cup tournament when he had a successful run of predicting the outcomes of some of the games.

The predicting king has since died.

But, now there is a princess.

Princess - a camel from a zoo in New Jersey - has successfully predicted five out of the last six Super Bowl winners and had fourteen out of twenty regular and post-season games correct this year.

The predictions are made when the zoo owner - John Bergmann - writes a team on his hands and then holds them both out with a cracker in each. Whichever cracker goes first indicates the team that is picked.

Princess has selected the New York Giants to beat the Patriots at the Super Bowl next Sunday.

God, I hope she's right.

I Missed National Peanut Butter Day

2012-01-27T23:59:00.000Z

It was National Peanut Butter Day in the United States the other day.

I would have liked to have known about the day so I could have celebrated it in style.

It would have been the perfect excuse to pig out on Reese's chocolates.

My Longshot Idea : The Rumble Winner Will Be A Superstar

2012-01-26T00:00:00.002Z

I spent quite a while typing up a blog post on Tuesday night predicting who would win this Sunday's Royal Rumble. I ended the write-up with two names as favourites; Chris Jericho and Randy Orton.

The post was set to publish today (Thursday) but - since writing the thing up - I have changed my mind radically.

I'm going out on a limb and predicting that it will be someone more famous than Jericho and Orton who will walk out as winner.

There has been an emphasis that 'any Superstar' can enter the Royal Rumble this year.

Any superstar? How about a superstar that made their name outside of professional wrestling? Maybe someone like Shaquille O'Neal?

I kid you not.

There has been a rumour circulating - coming out of Shaq's mouth nonetheless - that this year's WrestleMania will feature a bout between the former basketball player and The Big Show.

What better way to kick-off the road to WrestleMania than have Shaq win the Royal Rumble? It's got sports center story written all over it.

If it happens, you heard it here first.

And if it doesn't - I told you it was going to be Jericho or Orton.

Cardiff City Heading Back To Wembley

2012-01-25T12:00:00.000Z

Cardiff City booked their place in the Carling Cup final last night when they defeated Crystal Palace on penalties.Their opponents will be decided tonight when Manchester City take on Liverpool in the second leg of the semi-finals.

Liverpool are currently 1-0 up on aggregate. Can they hold on for ninety minutes against the current best team in England?

There is one image I cannot shake off and that is of Craig Bellamy scoring the winning goal against Cardiff in the final.

I hope my premonition is wrong - here's hoping that Manchester City wins tonight!

More Mania To My Collection

2012-01-24T07:03:00.000Z

I'm now back up to date with my collection of WrestleMania on either VHS or DVD..

For the past two or three years, I haven't bought the DVDs of the event when they initially go on sale because I know that they'll be on offer months down the line. After all, I don't need to buy them immediately as - if I have seen the show live on TV - why do I have to get it straight when it is released?

It's only £8.99 at the moment so I grabbed the opportunity when I saw it at a decent price.

I now have approximately two months to claim that I have every single WrestleMania, it will be back to playing catch-up in April.

Joe Paterno

2012-01-23T09:01:00.021Z

When Joe Paterno was fired from his role as head coach at Penn State University following the paedophilia scandal involving his assistant coach - Jerry Sandusky - I had a feeling he wasn't long for this world.

The eighty-five year old passed away yesterday after a battle with cancer.

I didn't want to wish ill on the man but I couldn't shake off the thought that coaching was his life so, when that was taken away, he was on borrowed time.

He had a record-breaking career but it can never be talked about without noting how Paterno kept quiet when it was brought to his attention that Sandusky was abusing children.

An ESPN article headline, that I saw yesterday, read: 'Paterno's legacy outweighs scandal'.

I'm not so sure about that.

Super Bowl Scenarios

2012-01-22T00:00:00.045Z

Last weekend, I listed the NFL play-off teams in an order based entirely on which teams I would have liked to have seen win the Super Bowl on February 5th.

The list was a failure as the two at the top (Denver and Houston) were eliminated within a day of my posting.

In today's blog, I'm going to once again look at the play-off road to the Super Bowl and run down the possible match-ups we can expect in two weeks.

I'd like to preface that the following list isn't in order. I learned from that mistake last week.

Baltimore .vs. New York Giants

I reckon this would be a low scoring game. I'm leaning, very slightly, on the Giants.

Baltimore .vs. San Francisco

This is one that is made for TV. Jim Harbaugh (head coach of the 49ers) will face-off against his brother, John (Baltimore head coach). I'm leaning on San Francisco here. The team lost to Baltimore in November and revenge could be on the cards should these two meet up in February.

New England .v.s San Francisco

If it ends up being this game, I'll be rooting for San Francisco but will end up being let down.

New England .vs. New York Giants

This would be a return match from the Super Bowl in 2008. With the same result, hopefully. Go Giants.

London Rams

2012-01-21T07:25:00.016Z

So, it's going to be the St. Louis Rams against the New England Patriots in London later this year.

And there's more.

The Rams will play a further two games at Wembley Stadium in 2013 and 2014.

It's an interesting scenario.

Is this testing the waters for an NFL franchise to make a permanent move to the UK? I doubt it, but I am sure it has to be in the back of a few minds in power.

The 2012 Wembley Game To Be Announced Today

2012-01-20T00:43:00.047Z

Some time today, the National Football League will announce the two teams that will play at Wembley during the 2012 season.

It's hard to speculate on the teams that will come over here and be the home team as a lot of the NFL team owners are reluctant to give up one of their eight local matches. It's even more difficult to guess which team will be the road team because of the belief that they would be more open to coming to London if they aren't losing a home game from the schedule.

If I were to make a guess, I'd go with Jacksonville or Minnesota. It's a stab in the dark because I have nothing to base my prediction on.

The Final Four

2012-01-19T07:59:00.024Z

I know who will win this year's Super Bowl.

I'm going out on a limb and announcing right here, right now, that it's going to be New England, San Francisco, Baltimore or the New York Giants.

Safe enough?

Those who read my list preferences on champion the other day will notice that the ones at the top of my list met their end in the divisional round of the play-offs.

Perfect Fit For 2013

2012-01-18T07:54:00.000Z

Whilst watching this week's episode of WWE Raw, it dawned on me that there is one name who would be a perfect main event star for the 2013 Hall of Fame should WrestleMania take place at the MetLife Stadium.

Mick Foley.

He's perfect as he is a New Yorker.

It all depends on there being a WrestleMania in the New York/New Jersey area. If it does happen - you heard it here first.

Virgin Media Subscribers Get F1

2012-01-17T09:36:00.000Z

Virgin Media has announced that the new Formula One channel - Sky Sports F1 - will be available on their service.

It's interesting to see a channel dedicated to Formula One. With that said, it is head scratching choice.

How are they going to fill time? I suppose there will be the vintage races being aired but what else?

Some would argue that news will be a key part of the channel. I agree to an extent. However, isn't that what Sky Sports News is for?

I can't see the channel being of any use outside of the live racing.

It seems like a waste of time and money when there are five sport channels on Sky that could have catered to fans without the need in establishing a new service.

More On Mania 2012 And 2013

2012-01-16T00:00:00.000Z

A number of days ago, I dedicated a post to the speculation that the 2013 or 2014 WrestleMania would take place at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. These rumours looked even more possible now that another potential site couldn't make a deal with World Wrestling Entertainment.

According to the Dallas Observer, a spokesperson for the stadium claimed that the stadium would be unavailable for the dates of WrestleMania XXIX and WrestleMania XXX due to NCAA basketball being played at the facility.

Toronto was another venue in the running for next year's event but the announcement of Canadian wrestler - Edge - being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame this year indicates that Toronto may be out of contention.

My Unofficial And Very, Very Biased NFL Play-Off Power Rankings

2012-01-15T00:00:00.001Z

It's the divisional round in the post-season of the National Football League this weekend. By the time this blog post gets published, either New Orleans or San Francisco would have been eliminated in their quest to make it further into the play-offs.

Denver or New England could also be gone if this is being read on Sunday morning so what I am going to do next may seem obsolete.

I've decided to rank the remaining eight teams in order.

My order.

I'm ranking the teams based on which one I would prefer to see lift the Vince Lombardi trophy in February.

As with all rundowns, I'm starting from the bottom and working my way to the top.

8. New England Patriots

My 'Anyone But New England' campaign from last season is still in effect. It's not that I don't think they would be worthy winners, It's because I'd rather see a different team end up as champs.

7. Green Bay Packers

They may be best team in anyone else's list. However, they aren't in mine. I would like an upset because it tells a far better story. Green Bay winning the Super Bowl two years on the trot would be great. It would mean that a lot of the press - and bookies - who had them enlisted as surefire winners at the start of the year, would be right. Green Bay are a superb team but not a team I would like to see on the winners' podium.

6. New Orleans Saints

Another great team led by an awesome quarterback in Drew Brees. I had predicted the Saints would make it to the Super Bowl in my annual predictions for 2012. The reason they arrive at number six on this list is because they are currently standing in the way of one of the teams higher up. on my card.

5. Baltimore Ravens

I didn't have much of an opinion on the Ravens this year. They played very well and I can definitely see them making it to the big game. In fact, I wouldn't mind seeing them in the big game if facing my number three pick.

4. New York Giants

No Peyton Manning in the play-offs this year. I guess I'll cheer on his brother, Eli, instead.

3. San Francisco 49ers

San Francisco head coach, Jim Harbaugh, is a rookie NFL head coach and- should be win the Super Bowl - he would have done so after the worst preparation ever. He took the job in 2011 and was met with the disruption of the player dispute with owners. This led to him being unable to make contact with any of his players. He was at a disadvantage from the start and has done well with what limited time he had to get ready for the season. Bearing this in mind, he deserves to progress further. It would be interesting to see Jim square-off against his brother John, the head coach of the Baltimore Ravens, should both teams get there. The two teams met on Thanksgiving night with Baltimore winning 16-6. Can you see any better way than getting your brother back than on the biggest stage of them all? Now, that's a story worth writing.

2. Houston Texans

It would be nice to see what happens should Houston progress and won this thing. The team lost quarterback's Matt Shaub and Matt Leinart to injury this year so third-string, T.J. Yates, is now leading the team. It would be such a great story if Yates takes the Texans all the way. Surely winning the Super Bowl would make him the number one quarterback on the depth chart going in to the 2012 season. If they win, Houston will surely have a problem.

1. Denver Broncos

I'd love it, love it, if Denver wins the Super Bowl. The Tim Tebow underdog story has been one of the fun adventures to follow throughout the season and I just hope there a few more chapters left to write. We've seen it all, though: over-time wins, coming back from behind with seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, written off as not good enough and then winning, crushing defeats after being in the lead and everything in between It's an inspiring tale that can have its denouement in Indianapolis this February.

The Favourite To Be Next Wales Manager

2012-01-14T08:51:00.011Z

Chris Coleman is the favourite to become the next Wales manager and I think he is the perfect man to take charge.

It's going to be tough for whoever has the task of taking the place of Gary Speed - who died late last year - but I feel Coleman is the sort of manager who can build on the good that Speed has left behind.

Mania Site Speculation

2012-01-13T07:04:00.001Z

There may be more to the story of Triple H appearing at a New York Giants training session the other day.

The rumour doing rhe rounds is that next year's WrestleMania. or the one the year later (Mania XXX) will take place at the MetLife Stadium where the Giants and Jets play.

I'd like the thirtieth event to take place at Madison Square Garden but it's not up to me, is it?

You Can Find 21 Reboot Street On The Corner Of Disappointment Drive

2012-01-12T00:00:00.000Z

Okay, I watched the trailer to the 21 Jump Street remake.

What in the hell did I just see?

21 Jump Street was my favourite television show when I was a child. The programme was launched on Sky TV in the late summer of 1990 and - for the next three years- I would religiously spend each Sunday at 7pm watching the show.

The series centred around an undercover police unit that tackled crime within US high schools. The concept was good for its day. It covered topical issues ranging from auto theft to AIDS.

When I heard that there was going to be a cinematic remake, my curiosity was piqued. I had heard of movie versions of the series being created from as far back as 2002 so I was always sceptical of these rumours.

And then I saw the trailer.

Oh. No. What. Have. They. Done?

They've turned the drama series into a comedy.

No lie.

Why did Hollywood think a 21 Jump Street reboot had to be a comedy. Could they have just done the film and use a different title instead?

Ironically, on the day that I am writing this, word has now reached me that a Police Academy remake has been given the green light.

Let's hope it isn't rewritten as a drama.

Two New Inductions

2012-01-11T00:02:00.027Z

WWE announced two acts that will be inducted into the 2012 Hall of Fame.

Edge - who retired last year after career ending injury - was named earlier in Monday's episode of Raw.

I was surprised that he is going to be added to the ceremony on March 31st because I was anticipating him being one of the headline acts in a future Toronto-based WrestleMania weekend.

The Four Horsemen were the other names announced.

I'm not surprised that this faction are going to be inducted. I'm shocked that Ric Flair will be involved in some capacity even though he is signed to TNA Wrestling.

As per usual, I will do a write-up about all the inductees on the day of the event.

Sporting Bets For 2012

2012-01-10T07:33:00.051Z

A few days ago, I noticed there were a few football bets specific to 2012 available on Stan James' website. I decided to have a laugh and place a pound on some of the ones that took my fancy.

Below are the bets I placed.

FABIO CAPELLO TO MANAGE A PREMIER LEAGUE CLUB IN 2012 (6/1)

A long-shot but stranger things have happened. Come the summer, Capello will be looking for a new job. He'll more than likely end up in Italy but the 6/1 on an English club securing his services was worth a pop.

MARIO BALOTELLI TO BE ARRESTED IN 2012 (4/1)

Anything can happen with this crazy cat.

DAVID BECKHAM TO PLAY FOR ENGLAND (25/1)

The long-shot of all long-shots.

STEVE KEAN TO MANAGE ANOTHER FOOTBALL LEAGUE CLUB IN 2012 (6/1)

Let's be realistic - Blackburn supporters don't want him. I can see Kean being let go sooner rather than later. I'm hoping he lands on his feet.

ALAN SHEARER TO MANAGE A PREMIER LEAGUE CLUB IN 2012 (5/2)

Well, if my Kean prediction comes true, who better to take over at Blackburn? Well...

The Decorations Are Down

2012-01-09T19:29:00.000Z

The decorations are down.

And there is now 350 days until Christmas.

Sorry, I couldn't resist.

Corey Feldman To Dance On Ice

2012-01-08T00:05:00.077Z

With Corey Feldman appearing on this year's Dancing On Ice, I took it upon myself to inform family members and friends of the major coup ITV has achieved in acquiring his services.

I wasn't kidding.

To me, Corey Feldman is one of the emblems of the 1980s. He starred in three of my favourite films when growing up (The Goonies, Gremlins and The Lost Boys) so when I saw he was on a reality TV show - a British one at that - I just had to announce it to the world.

The response was negative.

My best friend (a few months older than yours truly) didn't know who he was. I then told another friend (in her forties) and she didn't have a clue who he was, either.

Surprised at the response, I decided to conduct a fun social experiment in order to establish where Corey Feldman fits in the year 2012.

The age bands responses to 'Corey Feldman is going to be on Dancing On Ice' were as follows:

0-9 years old - "Yes. Whoa, whoa, whoa!" (the 'whoa' was because my two year-old nephew was pretending to fall while standing in his cot.)

10-19 years old - "who is he?"

20-29 years old - 'lol'

30-39 years old - 'who the f**k is that?'

40-49 years old - 'who's that?'

50-59 years old - 'things that bad for him then?! lol....'

60-69 years old - "WHO!?"

I don't know what conclusion I can draw from this experiment other than to wish Corey the best because there are now a lot of people wondering how he is going to do now that he is skating out of obscurity.

The New Race Row At Liverpool

2012-01-07T10:52:00.001Z

I've been following the latest news reports of racist abuse being shouted at Oldham Athletic player, Tom Adeyemi, by Liverpool supporters during last night's FA Cup third round game and the blame falls on Liverpool F.C. and their recent actions in regard to the Luise Suarez racism row.

It is alleged that the two Liverpool fans were wearing pro Luis Suarez shirts.

Liverpool players took to wearing similar t-shirts in protest of Suarez being handed an eight-match ban after being found guilty of racially abusing Patrice Evra in a game against Manchester United a number of months ago.

I guess the Football Association will be looking into this now.

And so they should.

The t-shirt support of Suarez was, without question, one of the most ridiculous decisions the club has made in recent history. It seems that this message of defiance is now being proclaimed by the idiot element.

The Weekend Cup Games

2012-01-06T09:28:00.016Z

Newcastle United beat Manchester United 3-0 the other day and it led me to think that Manchester City are going to be in for a rough ride on Sunday.

The Blues will face their local rivals in the FA Cup third round and I have a feeling that United are going to be out for blood after such a terrible result.

It's going to be a good game and - if I am to be honest - I would rather City won. I don't think so, though.

***

Another game I am interested in, for obvious reasons, is the West Bromwich Albion versus Cardiff City encounter.

Cardiff are priced at 4/1. What a very nice price for a team that has had a good track record of toppling top sides in this competition.

A biased viewpoint, I know!

A Little Easier

2012-01-05T07:44:00.006Z

My handicapping of NFL games has become a lot easier now that it is the post-season.

With four games this weekend, another four the next, then two after that followed a fortnight later by the Super Bowl, it's a shame to know that it's almost over for seven months.

I guess I'll have to find myself a new hobby.

Don't I say that every year?

Soaps @ Christmas

2012-01-04T19:34:00.000Z

It's the same old crap each year when it comes to a soap opera storyline.

There is misery of some kind in each of the main series'.

Here's an idea - why not let people enjoy their festive viewing and have stories where nobody dies, buildings don't catch on fire, planes don't fall from the sky, babies aren't kidnapped, cars don't crash, windows get smashed in..

I could go on but I think I've made my point.

This was orginally set to publish some time last week.

Is The Mystery Over?

2012-01-03T00:00:00.024Z

A return flight to Monday Night Raw for Chris Jericho?

A few days ago, I wrote about the returning WWE wrestler and acknowledged the speculation that Chris Jericho was going to be that guy.

This picture surfaced early on Monday morning adding more fuel to the fire.

We'll know for sure in a few hours.

What Next For Brock Lesnar?

2012-01-02T00:00:00.002Z

When Brock Lesnar retired from mixed martial arts after his loss to Alistair Overeem on Friday night, the pro wrestling world opened their eyes.

The much-rumoured Undertaker versus Brock Lesnar WrestleMania dream match was now a possibility.

In yesterday's predictions for 2012, I selected 'Brock Lesnar will return to WWE' instead of 'Brock Lesnar will wrestle Undertaker at WrestleMania' because I am unsure whether the match will happen this year.

There's no question now that the match will happen at WrestleMania.

I just don't know if they'll do it this year.

The Rock will be at this year's show. It's also speculated that Shaquille O'Neal will be involved. So, they have the mainstream star power on the line-up in 2012.

Lesnar returning to WWE will be big news and would be overshadowed or overshadow the other events on the card depending on personal opinion.

I guess what I am saying is, they should hold off for one year and have the main event for WrestleMania XXIX booked one year in advance just like they have had for the past number of months with The Rock and John Cena.

2012 : The Year In Preview

2012-01-01T00:00:00.007Z

Here are my annual predictions for 2012. I check how correct, or wrong, they are on the final post of each year.

- Unlike the movie of the same name, the world will not end in 2012

- Jim Tressel will become new head coach of the Indianapolis Colts

- The Rock and 'Macho Man' Randy Savage will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame

- War Horse will be the big winner at the Oscars

- Manchester City will win the Premier League

- The biggest fight in boxing will finally take place when Floyd Mayweather faces Manny Pacquiao

- Peyton Manning will either retire or become a New York Jet

- Robbie Savage will participate in I'm a Celebrity

- Pittsburgh will win the Super Bowl against the New Orleans Saints (Final score 19-14)

- Brock Lesnar is going to return to WWE. More on this one tomorrow.

2011 : The Year In Review

2011-12-31T00:07:00.047Z

And there goes another year.

And here is where I went wrong in my predictions for 2011:

- Triple H will return to wrestle Sheamus in a King vs King feud

He returned and more or less beat him down in a non-match. There was no feud.

- WCW will play a key part at this year's WrestleMania as it is in Georgia, former home of World Championship Wrestling

Nah.

- Manchester City will win the Premier League

2012!

- Manchester City will be playing great in the 2011/12 Champions League tournament

Well, they were in the 2011/12 Champions League tournament but weren't playing great.

-There will be no NFL regular season in 2011 after the threatened lock-out takes place

Thank God.

- TNA Wrestling will finally shut its doors

Not yet, anyway.

- Bill Goldberg will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame

I'm surprised at this one.

- Brock Lesnar will be involved in some way at WrestleMania but, by the middle of the year, he will be announced as back in the UFC title picture

He wasn't involved in WrestleMania but signed a WWE Legends deal and appeared in the latest video game. He also returned to the UFC yesterday (I'm writing this before his fight with Overeem. If he has won, he will be in the title picture.)

The ones I had right were:

- Roy Hodgson will be sacked as Liverpool manager

It wasn't a stab in the dark. It was looking extremely likely that he would be ousted when I made my prediction.

- A major Hollywood news story will be in the papers for weeks

I suppose I have to thank Charlie Sheen for 'winning' this one.

I Can See The Finish Line After Two Years

2011-12-30T00:24:00.000Z

It's only a few more days to go and I'll finally see the back of the competition a day challenge I set myself two years ago.

I've been entering competitions each day since I set myself a New Year's resolution at the start of 2010. I should have given up on it a year ago but decided to see whether I would be lucky in 2011.

I truly cannot wait until I finish this. It has been a waste of time.

My Guess

2011-12-29T12:46:00.001Z

The mysterious vignettes that have been airing on WWE TV hyping up the return of a wrestler ended this past week because the return date is this coming Monday.

I don't invest much time into the clues because - and knowing WWE - it probably doesn't mean anything, anyway.

When I viewed the first vignette my initial thought was 'ah, it looks like Chris Jericho is coming back.' Now, after watching all the others, I am thinking 'ah, it looks like Chris Jericho is coming back.'

Chris Jericho debuted on WWF TV in 1999 after a series of viral videos aired. A somewhat similar 'code' video was created in 2007 when Jericho returned after a two year hiatus.

And now this.

Jericho has been using Twitter to deny that these videos are promoting his return to World Wrestling Entertainment.

I have a feeling that, if these videos weren't about him, Jericho would be stirring things up and being ambiguous. Him flat-out denying it makes me suspicious.

We'll find out on Monday.

The Final Two?

2011-12-28T07:50:00.000Z

I played my final game of the season mode on Madden '12 the other day.

I spend the entire season playing the game in sync with the real season and haven't played that good this time.

The Indianapolis Colts finished 8-8 for the season and didn't qualify for the play-offs. Still, I did better than the real-life version of the team who are 2-13 with one game left to play.

I let the game continue to the Super Bowl to see which teams made it.

The Pittsburgh Steelers and the New Orleans Saints were the franchises my game had in the final game.

Both can achieve what their virtual versions did as they are still in positions to make it past the regular season.

It will be interesting to see how things play out for these two teams over the next six weeks.

Another Fine Bet, Stan

2011-12-27T11:55:00.003Z

I took Stan James bookmakers up on their Boxing Day football offer and ended up a (sort of) loser at the end.

The terms were to bet up to £20 on which Premier League team - playing in the 3pm games - would be the first to score. The winning bets won and the losers were to be given their stake back.

Manchester United and Manchester City were both up there as the top selections and I was thinking about backing either one.

Until a thought crossed my mind.

I thought I would take a risk (well, it's hard to call it a risk when I wasn't losing anything) and so I decided to pick a team in the middle.

Sunderland.

The bet ended up losing when Park scored the opening goal of Manchester United's 5-0 rout of Wigan Athletic.

Eighteen minutes later, the second goal of the 3pm kick-offs hit the net when Jack Colback scored.

And who does Mr Colback play for?

Sunderland!

Grr.

Yesterday

2011-12-26T21:22:00.036Z

So, that's another Christmas Day over with.

And it's another Boxing Day post simply titled 'Yesterday'.

It was a relatively quiet Christmas here this year as my sister, her boyfriend and my two nephews came over for only a couple of hours and then went off to the other side of the family for dinner.

The kids got everything they wanted so it was a success all around.

I was given a Monopoly board that I had asked for.

A few weeks ago, my nephew brought his game over here and I spent a few hours playing it with him. As I was the banker and had the responsibility of counting the money, I said to him that 'We would have been better off playing this on a computer so we don't need a banker counting the money out and consuming time.' He responded by telling me there were electronic Monopoly boards in the shops.

From that very moment, I wanted one.

I've yet to play it but the idea seems cool. You get credit cards and have to use a machine which looks like one of those handheld credit card machines you see in restaurants and the monies are added and subtracted using the device.

Monopoly for the 21st Century.

The Fourth Annual Diet Of Christmas Films

2011-12-25T00:00:00.033Z

'Tis the season for the Christmas movie and - once again - I have set the DVR to record a number of films based around the festive period.

I've been doing this for three years now but, for those who don't know what I do, here is how it works.

On December 1st, I begin watching films and then add a short summary/review/opinion to a blog post that is set to be published in the early hours of Christmas morning.

I am currently writing this on December 1st, and I have six DVDs ready to watch. I also have two movies on my Windows Media Center hard drive as well as a number of films set to record on the cable box downstairs.

So, here goes...

The Christmas Suit (2010)

It seems like I've started off with a good one.
This film is about an owner of a toy manufacturing company who inherited the business from his dead father. The products produced by the son are not as good as his father's. His drive for profit overlooks the need for quality so all of the toys produced by the firm - other than a doll that the father launched the company with thirty years earlier - break easily.
The owner comes across a Santa Claus who magically transforms him into Santa Claus without him knowing. He returns to his office only to be arrested for trespassing (everyone else in the movie sees him as a man dressed up as Santa while us at home see the original actor, just like Quantum Leap). The judge lets him get out under the condition that he seeks help from a social worker who puts him up in the shelter she runs.
He gets work as a store Santa, keeps meeting the same young girl who doesn't speak to him so he goes out to find out what her problem is. The youngster is from a single-parent household and her mother - who works for the toy firm - cannot afford to get the child the gift she wants for Christmas.
The businessman - now Santa - finds his Christmas spirit at the end of the film when he smashes the window of his own building in order to steal one of the dolls to give to the girl on Christmas morning. When caught, the real Santa reappears and congratulates him on finding himself.
Oh, and as you would expect, everyone lives happily ever after.
There are other subplots along the way that makes it an enjoyable film for Christmas.

Cancel Christmas (2010)

This film is the kind of Christmas flick that I like best. Cheesy yet fun.
It starts with Santa Claus being told that his services are under review by the people in charge of the Christmas holiday.
His employers give him the task of making three boys believe in the spirit of Christmas and - if he succeeds - he will retain his job for eternity.
With his elf along for the ride, the pair magically transforms into a normal looking people and get jobs as janitors of the private school where the three boys are pupils.
Yes, it all ends happily ever after although there are a few hiccups along the way.
I enjoyed it.

Disney's A Christmas Carol (2009)

I finally managed to get to see this after LoveFilm failed to send this to me last year.
There is no point with me explaining the story as it's the Disney version of the Charles Dickens story. However, what I will write about is how good it is.
The animation in this film was great.
It is the best version of A Christmas Carol that I have seen. Is that the best compliment I can give it? Not really, because the other versions that I have seen set the bar low. As far as I see, this adaption will be unbeatable for a very long time.

Santa Claus : The Movie (1985)

I remember going to see this in the cinema when it first came out.
Dudley Moore plays an elf who leaves the North Pole to try and make it as a toy maker on his own. He ends up in New York and is deceived by an evil toy manufacturer into making magical candy canes that allow children to fly. Santa Claus - and two young children - find out that the candy canes are hazardous so they set out to save Patch (Moore's character).
It must have over twenty-five years since I had last seen this film but there were a lot of things I remember from it.
I noticed that it was rushed near the end, though. I guess that's because I was watching it with adult eyes.

A Dream For Christmas (1973)

When I first started watching this, I wasn't impressed. I guess it was mainly due to the film being quite old and the acting wasn't on par with what you would expect from a TV movie of today. But, as I continued to watch and ignored my earlier reservations, I started to like it.
It is about a Reverend who moves his family from Arkansas to California only to find out that the church he is moving in to is set to be demolished in order to build a shopping centre.
As you would expect, it ends happily ever after after the Pastor manages to bring a large congregation back to the church over Christmas forcing the developer to change his mind on the project.

Moonlight & Mistletoe (2008)

When I first saw the title of this film, I guessed it was one of those corny romantic Christmas made-for-TV movies.
I was half right.
The film is about a daughter who returns home to her father's themed village - Santaville - to find that the tourist attraction is not making any profit. She falls for a conman who tricks her father into signing away Santaville if the park doesn't make enough money by Christmas Day.
Need I tell you how this ends?
It's very predictable but, and like I have probably emphasised each year I do these posts, you always have to throw that sort of criticism out the window when watching festive movies. Yes, it was predictable but I enjoyed the story very much.

A Nanny For Christmas (2010)

This film is about a female advertising executive who loses her job just before Christmas and is in need of new employment. She calls in a favour from a friend who gets her an interview with another agency. She is success in the job interview although right at the end of said interview, she realises she was being employed as a nanny for the owner's children and not as an ad agent.
The lady lives the lie and pretends to be a nanny because she needs to keep an income.
When I first read the synopsis of the film, I guessed the two children would give her hell and it will be one of those movies. It wasn't - the children are polite and friendly to her but are very reserved, the nanny brings some fun to their lives by giving them pancakes for breakfast and acting out Shakespeare rather than simply reading it (which was the mother's initial instructions).
It also has a romantic subplot that also involves the nanny ironically pretending to be an advertising agent to another employee of her boss'.
I found this film to be surprisingly good.

The Christmas Clause (2008)

This film is about a lawyer who finds it hard to cope with being a mother of three children so she asks Santa Claus to have a life like one of the people she knows who is a full-time mother with family commitments. She then spends the rest of the movie living in a alternate universe where she is the boss of a lawyer firm and has to try and woo back her husband so she can escape the wish and return to her normal life.
I did not like this film at all. In fact, it's possibly the worst films I have seen in all the years I have been doing this.
It didn't come across to me as a true Christmas movie.
The only festive theme seemed to have been because it was Santa Claus was the person who granted the wish. And even so, the Santa they used was a wise guy with a New York accent who only appeared in costume the once. They could have easily have a fairy godmother come in or - better still - have the woman throw a coin in a fountain to make the wish.

One Magic Christmas (1985)

This is a classic that I watched when it first came out. It seemed like me and my sister would rent this from the video shop every Christmas when we were youngsters.
An angel is sent by Father Christmas to seek out a young mother who has lost the Christmas spirit. It took a dramatic thing to do it, but the angel - Gideon - succeeds. Well, of course he succeeds, it's a Disney Christmas movie!
It was fun seeing this film again after probably twenty-something years.

Christmas Every Day (1996)

Very enjoyable.
The film is about a young teenager who has to relive the same Christmas Day over and over again until he makes things perfect. It's a festive Groundhog Day, if you will.
The film is about a young teenager who has to relive the same Christmas Day over and over again until he makes things perfect. It's a festive Groundhog Day, if you will.
The film is about a young teenager who has to relive the same Christmas Day over and over again until he makes things perfect. It's a festive Groundhog Day, if you will.
Sorry, I couldn't resist.

It's A Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie (2002)

Seeing as The Muppets seem to be on another one of their renaissances, I decided that this film would be on the list of movies to watch this year.
I hadn't seen it before but was what you would expect from a Muppet film. A lot of human and Muppet interaction.
In the film, The Muppets are about to lose their theatre to an evil developer (played by Joan Cusack). When they fail to pay the debt in time, Kermit the Frog becomes dejected and proclaims that every one's life would be better off without him. Cue the It's a Wonderful Life plot - God (played by Whoopi Goldberg) sends an angel down to Earth in order to show Kermit how the world would be without him.
As an aside, The angel was played by a former WCW World champion, I'll give you a few moments to ponder which legend it could be*.
It wasn't too bad. There were a few in-jokes that I have to admit I did laugh at so that is a positive. I guess the best thing I can say is: it's a Muppet movie. Take from that what you will.

Final Thoughts

It's now 3pm on Christmas Eve and the diet of Christmas films is over for another year. I still have two DVDs and an unaccounted number of films left on my cable box ready to watch in 2012 so I'll definitely be back doing this for at least one more year.
Looking back at the list of films I watched in Christmas 2011, I'll have to go with The Christmas Clause as the one I was disappointed with the most.
It's tough to decide which film was the best out of Disney's A Christmas Carol, One Magic Christmas, Christmas Every Day and Cancel Christmas. All brought something so they each deserve a thumbs up.

Merry Christmas.

*David Arquette

Christmas Present & Past

2011-12-24T10:32:00.000Z

I've been looking forward to Christmas a lot this year.

I suppose it has a lot to do with my two-year old nephew starting to understand this time of year. Well, what I mean by that is he knows that there is a fella called 'Father Crispmas' and he brings toys.

* * *

As I was typing the above bit up, I was trying to recall the first Christmas that I can remember.

And, as I think back, the memory that exists is of a toy police car.

There was a flashing light above it. When the light was pushed down, a voice - the police car's radio - would inform of 'hostages at the bank'.

I didn't hear it as that, though.

It took me a while to figure out that ostriches don't have bank accounts.

The Sack

2011-12-23T00:00:00.001Z

I was walking down the road the other day and an old man, who happened to be walking beside me, turned and said 'He's got the sack, you know?'

I didn't know who the guy was speaking to so looked around and realised he was talking to me.

Thinking he must have been talking about a football manager or something I asked 'who?'

'Father Christmas,' was his response.

He walked off laughing as I chuckled to myself.

I walked right into that one didn't I?

Such an old joke and I cannot believe I fell for it.

Business Is Picking Up In Terra Nova

2011-12-22T00:38:00.017Z

A few months ago, I wrote about how much I was enjoying the new TV series Terra Nova. I still am enjoying it.

I'd go one step further and say it's one of my favourite shows on TV.

It's the final two episodes this coming Boxing Day and I cannot wait.This past week's installment started the build-up to an attack from people who are about to come from the future via the portal.

I usually set the Virgin Media box to record it and I watch it the following morning but am changing all that and watching it as it airs this week.

I'm unsure whether there are plans for a second series. I hope they do.

Daniel Bryan's Win

2011-12-21T00:13:00.029Z

Daniel Bryan cashed in his Money in the Bank title shot at the WWE Tables, Ladders and Chairs pay-per-view on Sunday night to become World heavyweight champion.

The wrestler took his opportunity when Big Show - who had just won the title from Mark Henry - was knocked out so Bryan had an easy pin.

I was surprised that there was a title switch to Bryan.

I haven't been confident in WWE's confidence in the star so was anticipating them making him the first person to cash in his title shot only to fall short.

Don't get me wrong, Daniel Bryan - or Bryan Danielson - without question deserved to have his moment.

It just didn't seem the right way to do it.

Bryan's role is as a babyface underdog and him sneaking a win like that is a heelish move.

I'm hoping he does get a decent run with the belt. However, taking into account the WWE management's track record, I am guessing this will be one of those title wins that will mean nothing in the long run.

Getting Ready For The Expendables II

2011-12-20T00:16:00.021Z

I watched the trailer for The Expendables II yesterday and I'm looking forward to its release in the summer of 2012.

I enjoyed the first installment and I'm even more impressed with the cast of the sequel.

Chuck Norris and Jean-Claude Van Damme are two stars joining those from the original.

I am assuming - based on what few seconds I have seen in the trailer - that Arnold Schwarzenegger is returning for a bigger part than he had in the first film.

A Bold Idea For 2012

2011-12-19T00:07:00.006Z

I have decided to start a new monthly feature on this blog starting next year.

My plan is to have one of the Friday-to-Sunday posts dedicated to the WWE pay-per-view on that specific weekend and have the rundown of the card on the page with my prediction for the winner (or winners) highlighted.

I'm going to call it 'Bold Predictions' and it will start with the Royal Rumble at the end of January.

I was going to start with the Tables, Ladders and Chairs pay-per-view but realised that, if I did decide to keep a yearly record, it would be pointless to start with the final event of 2011.

Betting On A Latey Saturday Afternoon

2011-12-18T09:33:00.000Z

I didn't know whether to place my bet early or late this weekend.

I settled on placing them on Saturday evening.

It seems that whenever I add Saturday afternoon games to the betting slip, I have a game that loses causing me to contemplate having another bet.

I always talk myself out of the second bet but always - and I mean always - end up being annoyed with myself for doing it earlier than I could.

I was close to placing this weekend's early as well because I fancied Newcastle United and Bayer Leverkusen to win their respective matches.

The final scores were;

Newcastle 0 Swansea 0
Bayer Leverkusen 0 Nurnberg 3

Good job, eh?

My Thoughts On WWE All Stars

2011-12-17T09:06:00.000Z

I've been playing the WWE All Stars video game on the Xbox and I cannot help but laugh at the graphics.

The wrestlers are over-drawn. They are too muscular compared to how they actually look.

I used to like the Royal Rumble game that was available in the arcades in the early 1990s and thought that this would come close.

I was wrong.

My days of playing wrestling video games - and enjoying them - is definitely over. It's a shame I didn't realise it sooner, it would have saved me from playing this rubbish.

This Morning's Game Pt. II

2011-12-16T00:00:00.001Z

Last week, I tried to guess the score in the NFL Thursday Night Football and I have decided I'll have another go this week.

Jacksonville 20 Atlanta 21.

Harry Wants A Headache

2011-12-15T07:11:00.006Z

So, Harry Redknapp is looking to sign Carlos Tevez when the transfer window opens up in January.

It's not worth the headache..

Mark my words, he'll cause distress in the Tottenham dressing room and I can guarantee somewhere down the line the 'homesick' stories will resurface when he and his agent are looking to make another move.

Retro Kane

2011-12-14T17:18:00.001Z

Kane returned to World Wrestling Entertainment in the closing moments of this past Monday's episode of Raw.

His choke-slamming of John Cena will more than likely lead to the pair having a feud to give something for Cena to do for the next few months before his match with The Rock goes into the final straight.

One of the things that was worth noting in Kane's return was the fact he is once again wearing a mask.

The wrestler - when he first debuted in 1997 - wrestled under a mask. He eventually lost it in a bout against Triple H in 2003 and has been wrestling without one ever since.

Way back when he lost the mask, I thought the character would lose steam. I was wrong.

I'm intrigued to see how the character develops once again now that they have decided to cover his face up again.

Odds & Sods

2011-12-13T00:04:00.035Z

It's the Slammy Awards edition of WWE Monday Night Raw from 1am this morning and one of the most eye rolling things I have seen leading in to the night is the speculation on which wrestler - yes, I wrote wrestler and not 'sports entertainer' - will win the award for Superstar of the Year on WWE.com.

Here is a tip for writers who would like to add odds to their articles - be realistic.

The favourite wrestler to walk away as winner out of the nominees is CM Punk at 5/1. The second favourite - John Cena - is 10/1.

I'm hardly going out on a limb here but those kinds of odds are ridiculous.

It would be like having Barcelona priced at 5/1 to win La Liga in the pre-season odds markets. Even more crazy is the price on the second favourite.

Real Madrid 10/1, anybody?.

It's a good job the WWE.com writer hasn't opened a real book on the awards. He'd be a very poor man by now.

New Boss Wins Again (And So Do I)

2011-12-12T06:39:00.019Z

My favourite betting angle was ever present yesterday afternoon when Martin O'Neill took charge of Sunderland for the first time.

I always like betting on a team to win in the newly-appointed manager's first game at the helm.

I don't know what it is but part of me thinks it has to do with the psychology of players trying to impress the new boss.

What ever it is, I've enjoyed decent success with the betting approach over the years.

Sunderland won the game 2-1 and were a goal down early in the game. Their two goals came in the latter stages of the match so I could have very easily been writing about how the bet backfired today.

£50 On Menorah

2011-12-11T19:08:00.002Z

I received an email from Stan James bookmakers yesterday morning with an offer I couldn't refuse.

A free bet - up to the value of fifty pounds - on the 3:05 at Cheltenham.

The race was sponsored by Stan James so it was good publicity for the firm.

As you may know by now, I am dreadful when it comes to picking horses but this was a decent offer. I had everything to gain and nothing to lose.

My strategy was simple - pick the favourite.

I looked at the list and selected Menorah, a horse I had seen race before and I thought it was the favourite. I went downstairs to inform my father of the horse I had backed and told him the reason behind my pick. He then told me that Menorah was the second favourite.

It was too late for me to change the bet. I had to ride it out.

Not literally.

I may as well raced it as it didn't win.

The winner was the actual favourite at the time I placed the bet

Still, I didn't lose anything.

El Clasico Ponderings

2011-12-10T08:08:00.000Z

It's El Clasico tonight.

The big game on the La Liga calendar where Real Madrid face-off against Barcelona.

For the past few years, I have been tipping Madrid to win only to come up a loser.

I have a feeling it will be a different story this year, though.

The home team has been the better side in the league this season so Barcelona could be in for a letdown.

This Morning's Game

2011-12-09T00:00:00.012Z

As I have nothing worth writing about today, I'll predict the score in tonight's/this morning's NFL game and see how close I am.

For the record, I'm typing this at 8:30pm on Thursday night.

Hmm..

I'll go with Pittsburgh 27 Cleveland 3.

(Late edit - the actual score was Pittsburgh 14 Cleveland 3)

Brett Favre Rumours Resurface

2011-12-08T00:02:00.000Z

When the build-up to the 2011 NFL season began this past summer, there was something missing.
Favre Watch.

It seemed like every year there was a 'will be return for one more season?' question being asked.

And Brett Favre always answered by coming out of retirement for one more go.

Then another.

And another.

Last year, the ex-Green Bay Packer quarterback - then playing for the Minnesota Vikings - vowed that he was done once the 2010 season was over.

He seemed to have kept to his word

I heard the other day that the player would be interested in talking to the Chicago Beats if they were to call him. The Bears need some help after key players (Jay Cutler and Matt Forte) have been hit with injuries that could potentially leave them out for the remainder of the regular season, if not more.

The rumour was what it was.

For a few hours, Brett Favre was going to come back albeit at the tail end of the season but he was going to lead the Bears into the playoffs and step aside when Jay Cutler was ready.

But then - as most of the world breathed a sigh of relief - reality kicked me in the mouth.

No Brett Favre this season, folks.

Not yet, anyway.

Stirring Opinions

2011-12-07T08:06:00.000Z

I've been stirring it up with a few letters I have written to the letters page of a newspaper I get each week.

I wrote the initial letter criticising the paper's decision to suggest Athletic Bilbao as having a chance to beat Barcelona in the game they played on November 5th.

My letter was published a few days later. Luckily for me - and especially my ego - Barca managed to draw after falling behind twice in the game.

A guy took exception to me and wrote complaining that it was a value bet even though it didn't pay off.

My response was published a week later where I pointed out that a value bet is worthless if it isn't a winner.

Fair point, yeah?

Well - according to another reader - I am in the wrong on that one.

I can't be bothered writing in again but it's pretty obvious who is right.

Analogy time.

If you bought 'value milk' in Tesco at a decent price, returned home only to find that the product was out of date would that represent value?

We all know the answer to that one. Unless, of course, you like the taste of sour milk.

Lohan In The Big House?

2011-12-06T00:15:00.000Z

According to the press, Linday Lohan is being lined up to appear on Celebrity Big Brother in January.

The last name being touted for the recent Celebrity Big Brother relaunch a number of months ago was Charlie Sheen.

The public got Jedward.

I guess what I am saying is take the news with a pinch of salt.

Better still, make that a fist of salt.

Indy Covers

2011-12-05T09:26:00.007Z

On Friday, I noted how the New England Patriots were 20-point favourites in their game against the Indianapolis Colts.

The Colts are my favourite NFL team - so I was going to bet on them, right?

Nope.

They have had a disastrous season which explains why they were a high figured underdog in the game. I couldn't justify betting for or against them so ignored the line.

The final score was Indianapolis 24 New England 31.

Indy covered but there were times during the game were they looked like their opponents were going to beat the pointspread.

First Down

2011-12-04T00:00:00.000Z

Every time I have a Saturday game in my weekend bet, I am always worried that it will be the first loser.

It bugs the hell out of me when this happens as I have to wait until Sunday's games to get back on track.

I was close to ignoring the Saturday card and pick Sunday games yesterday.

Until I saw West Ham United were favoured against Burnley.

I felt they would win and, neglecting the opinion of the doubting angel on my right shoulder, I added them to the bet.

The Hammers went 1-0 up so I was cautiously happy as I closed the web browser that was showing me the live scores.

I returned a little later and the team had let in a goal so the game was tied 1-1.

And then things went even more awry.

Burnley finished the game as 2-1 winners.

The new rule is no more Saturday selections.

Well, not until next week.

The Final Two

2011-12-03T10:41:00.001Z

It's down to Dougie Poynter and Mark Wright in the running for winner of I'm A Celebrity and I don't care which one wins.

Don't get me wrong - I didn't hate this year's version of the show.

I just didn't like it that much.

Fatima Whitbread was my favourite to win. She was voted out last night.

Bronze medal for her.

Minus 20

2011-12-02T07:16:00.015Z

The New England Patriots are minus 20 points in their game against the Indianapolis Colts on the pointspread at the time of writing.

What an unbelievable number.

I think it's the first time I have seen an NFL team laying that amount of points - it shows just how poor the Colts have been this season.

I will be avoiding this game, though.

The Patriots are good but I am not comfortable taking them with that handicap. However, I am uncomfortable taking the points with a team that has given up on the season.

Christmas Wallpaper

2011-12-01T00:01:00.002Z

It's the first day of Advent but it has been seven days since I put up my Christmas decorations.

No, not regular decorations.

I've changed the wallpaper on my PC with the special Christmas one that Windows have.

The pictures are really cool and change every fifteen minutes. I'm not sure how many there are but they are a good change to the wallpaper I have during the rest of the year.

WWE's Cock Up

2011-11-30T00:09:00.025Z

The WWE merchandise website uploaded a new Sin Cara T-shirt on Sunday only for the item to be taken down not so long afterwards.

The reason behind the removal of the shirt was because the image on the design had an apparent phallic symbol just below Sin Cara's lower body.

The design was titled 'goto de oro' which - when translated - means 'dripping with gold'.

I saw a picture of the shirt but don't want to upload the image to this page. If you want to see it - use Google.

It's surprising how someone along the chain didn't notice that the design could be construed as offensive especially when you consider that the Sin Cara merchandise is a major seller to children. Even so - I don't think an adult would want it, either.

People who did order the item are going to be refunded.

Sunday

2011-11-29T00:44:00.001Z

It's over twenty-four hours since the news broke about Gary Speed and I am still taken aback by it all.

I didn't even know the guy personally and I was in a daze for all of Sunday as the tributes and news reports kept pouring in.

The Mondays papers were even more heartbreaking. I feel so sorry for Speed and everyone else who will be affected by their loss.

Gary Speed

2011-11-28T00:00:00.001Z

It's 12:44pm on Sunday afternoon and I am absolutely stunned at the breaking news of Gary Speed's passing.

I followed his career because he was a Welsh international as well as a player at Newcastle United and even sort of met him a number of years ago.

I say 'sort of' because he came in for a meal where I worked and I was his waiter. I didn't want to bother him in any way so pretended I didn't know him and just treated him like I would have done to any customer.

His current job as the manager of the Welsh team was starting to become fruitful. The team played well in their final few games of the Euro qualifiers and there was a lot of hope for the World Cup qualifiers which will begin next September.

Such a sad ending.

Posted Sunday after hearing the news.

The Storyteller

2011-11-27T00:00:00.002Z

I have been sitting through hour-upon-hour of daytime children's television for most of this year and it's making me remember programmes that I used to watch when I was young.

There was one certain series that I had tried to find on YouTube because the opening song and cartoon was something I could only remember from it.

All my memory allowed to me to recall was a man playing a folk song on his guitar. The only words I could recollect were 'I'm the storyteller'.

So, I assumed the programme was titled The Storyteller.

Wrong assumption.

I gave up trying to find it on YouTube and didn't think about it again.

Well, not until this past Friday.

Another one of my nephew's programmes was on and, once again, I thought about The Storyteller song. I decided to have another stab in the dark and Googled some things on my iPhone as I sat in the living room.

I finally found the programme after finding a message board where someone else had been looking for the programme as well.

Storybook International featured a different live-action story each week. The tales were based on folk stories from around the world. I don't remember seeing any of the episodes. As I mentioned previously, all I could remember was the cartoon at the beginning.

After finally finding out the title of the series, I did a YouTube search and found the theme song. My mind is now finally at rest.

I'm the storyteller,
and my stories must be told...

Hardy In Jail

2011-11-26T20:28:00.001Z

It has been over a week since I heard that Matt Hardy had failed his court-ordered rehab stint prompting him to be sent to jail.

I have been very critical of both Hardys for not dealing with their issues and it's evident that the lies and covering up of a problem has once again caught up with Matt.

I hate to wish bad luck to Matt but I hope being imprisoned will help him realise the wrong route his life has taken and is a wake-up call.

Thanksgiving Pussycats

2011-11-25T13:06:00.000Z

I suppose picking the Detroit Lions to win in their game against Green Bay yesterday was enough to put a jinx on the outcome.

The Lions lost the game 15-27.

Thankfully, I didn't bet on the game in the end. In fact - I didn't bet on any of the three games.

The system I use singled out Green Bay -6 but I was uncomfortable betting against a gut feeling so I decided to leave the game alone.

The system also suggested I take Dallas -7 and San Francisco +3 and I wasn't sure on those teams covering the spread as well so, in the end, I didn't stake anything.

It's a good job as well.

Dallas and the 49ers failed to cover the pointspread.

I live to fight another day.

Thanksgiving Lions

2011-11-24T08:18:00.019Z

I'm looking forward to tonight's three NFL games.

The Thanksgiving triple header has been on Sky each Thanksgiving Thursday for quite a few years and the games haven't been so appealing on paper.

Blame Detroit for that.

The Lions are a traditional fixture in these holiday games. Their past form has meant that they were heavy underdogs in their games. And the scorelines have indicated such.

Tonight, the team will face-off against the current Super Bowl champions - the Green Bay Packers.

The Packers are currently undefeated this season but I think today is the day they lose.

Call it a gut feeling.

I'm not going to bet the outright win, I'll cover myself and go for them on the handicap. At the time of writing they are +6.5 on the handicap.

The Xbox Factor

2011-11-23T07:34:00.014Z

I finally did something that I had been considering for a number of months - I bought an Xbox 360.

I have no intention of playing any games on it, though.

I had been looking for a Windows Media Center extender so I could watch cable in my bedroom and - when researching online - I realised that an Xbox can act as an extender.

This means I now have the main three consoles. I use the Wii for games, PlayStation 3 to watch Blu-rays and now the Xbox for watching Sky in bed.

Under-Fire AVB

2011-11-22T10:06:00.000Z

The back pages are speculating on Andres Villas-Boas' chances of staying at his post of Chelsea manager after the Blues lost to Liverpool over the weekend.

The 2-1 loss was the team's fourth defeat in the Premier League this season so it's evident that there are problems somewhere along the line.

I don't think it's with AVB.

Not yet, anyway.

Roman Abramovich should give the guy time.

I know that's a hard ask of the Russian owner bearing in mind his track record of hirings and firings.

My suggestion is based on the lame duck manager mentality where players don't perform well for managers if they know that the axe could be wielded at any moment. If you take out this threat and add a bit of time - the players should perform better.

'Should' being the operative word.

I Guess I Missed A Good Show

2011-11-21T10:11:00.000Z

I have just read the results of last night's WWE Survivor Series pay-per-view and am a little angry with myself for deciding not to watch it.

Things were - and are -too busy for me right now to have even entertained the idea of staying up until 4am to watch it.

Yes, it's a lame excuse when you consider that this was The Rock's return to the ring and was therefore a not to miss show.

I'm definitely going to seek it out, though. Still would have been better to watch it live.

Yes & No : Should Cena Turn Heel?

2011-11-20T00:09:00.046Z

I'm going to do something different today and look at two sides to a question that has been asked quite a lot recently and that is: 'Should John Cena turn heel?'

The reason why this question has been more prominent over the past few weeks is due to the fact that Cena is teaming up with The Rock at the Survivor Series pay-per-view tonight.

Yes

- Some people are speculating that Cena's change in shorts (denim to camouflage) could be a signifier towards him changing from babyface to heel. Yes, it's clutching at straws but it's something to consider.

- If Cena does turn heel then tonight has to be the night. His match with The Rock at next year's WrestleMania should be huge and it will play off a lot better with an obvious hero or villain for the crowd to side with.

- John Cena has been a babyface since 2004 (or maybe late 2003) and so him switching sides could be a refreshing change to his character. When Hulk Hogan turned heel in 1996, it was at a time when his popularity was dimming. His heel turn created an upswing to WCW's business and made them the number one wrestling company for a few years.

- WWE would be stupid to turn their number one drawing star when he is generating so much money for them.

- Let the fans decide who to cheer and who to boo in Florida next April.

- Cena as a heel could damage the WWE iu the long-run. It would be equivalent to turning Hulk Hogan during the middle of the Hulkamania era.

Can They Splatter Blatter This Time?

2011-11-19T00:11:00.005Z

It seems that Sepp Blatter has once again put his foot in his mouth and has angered a ton of people. Considering his latest stance on racism in football, so they should be angry.

The problem I have with all the calls for his head is the same issue I have every other time people are critical of him.

Nothing happens.

For some reason, this guy is bulletproof and I wouldn't be surprised if he manages to tightrope walk through the latest controversy.

Don't get me wrong, I think it would be great to see him forced out of FIFA. I just cannot see it happening especially when you look at his track record.

The Christmas Channel Is Back

2011-11-18T10:48:00.009Z

I was looking through the on-screen cable guide on the living room television yesterday afternoon and noticed that the Movies 24 channel has already been renamed Christmas 24.

It has done this for the past two years but I always thought it was at the start of December so I was quite surprised that the channel title was changed this early.

I had a look at some of the films on the list and I have seen most of them. There are one or two titles I don't recall seeing so I guess that means I will have something to write about for the annual Christmas Day blog post.

I'm A Celebrity 2011 : Initial Thoughts

2011-11-17T00:05:00.000Z

It's the time of the year when my favourite reality show is on.

And no, it's not X Factor.

But you know that already, right?

I cannot pinpoint why I like I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here but I do. I suppose it's because I know that a large percentage of it is not as worked as other shows.

With that said, I am not totally in to the current series but I guess that's because it's only a few episodes in. I need to watch a bit more to work out who I think will win it.

I'm currently leaning on Mark Wright being the winner due to him being a big hit with the main demographic of voters - young females.

I originally thought Antony Cotton from Coronation Street would win it due to him playing a popular character on the show. I've changed my mind, though. I get this feeling he is going to harm the public opinion of him within the next three weeks.

Jessica-Jane Clement is one of the most beautiful contestants in the history of the show but she isn't going to appeal to the aforementioned voting demographic.

Fatima Whitbread winning would be cool and I can see that happening.

I also thought Martina Navratilova would a few years ago and she ended up a runner-up so what do I know?

Dr. What?

2011-11-16T00:29:00.001Z

While watching the news yesterday evening, I saw that there are plans on making a feature length movie of Dr. Who.

I couldn't help but roll my eyes.

Now, don't get me wrong - I'm no Dr. Who fan but surely those that are are worried about what will happen to the brand if the Americans get their hands on it.

I seem to recall a dodgy and utterly rubbish American TV movie offering of it in the 1990s.

My money is on everyone being up in arms when - or if - this thing hits the silver screen.

The End Of Raw

2011-11-15T10:46:00.000Z

I have just watched last night's episode of WWE Monday Night Raw and was mad at the conclusion.

Well, I was mad at the conclusion that I saw.

The three hour episode must have overran. My computer recorded three hours and six minutes so missed the end.

I saw up to the part where The Rock did a Rock Bottom on The Miz. I'm going to check out what I didn't see once I have posted this.

A part of me is hoping they weren't stupid enough to have John Cena beat up The Rock six days before they are to pair-up against The Miz and R-Truth. The logical end should have seen the heels beat down the babyfaces. It definitely didn't seem to be heading in that direction when the recording stopped so that is why I am wondering whether they took the stupid route.

Win A Friendly, Rule The World (Yeah, Right)

2011-11-14T00:10:00.001Z

So, England beat the current European and World football champions over the weekend.

I guess that means England are going to win the 2012 Euros and 2014 World Cup.

I have purposely avoided all radio and newspaper coverage of the England 1 Spain 0 result because I know that they will be littered with prognostications of victory in the big tournaments.

It's going to be a long road to the Euros for yours truly.

Failure With Dishonour

2011-11-13T00:00:00.002Z

Written Saturday 12th November, 9pm.

I've just finished watching the college American football game between Nebraska and Penn State - a game I was intrigued in seeing for all the wrong reasons.

This time last week, it was revealed that a former assistant coach at Penn State - Jerry Sandusky - was charged with molesting children and, just as shocking, it was revealed that a lot of people who worked for the college had been aware of Sandusky's crimes and merely swept them under the rug.

It made me sick to hear of the things that went down at the college. Every single radio programme I listen to during the weekdays covered this terrible story all week.

Every show, every day.

By the end of the week, heads at the university had resigned. The long-time head coach, Joe Paterno, vowed to retire at the end of this season but he was given his marching orders a number of hours later.

In sheer coincidence, I was going to write about Paterno in last week's post which I dedicated to Alex Ferguson's twenty-five year reign as manager of Manchester United. I was going to refer to Paterno as he himself had spent a lifetime coaching at one place.

Forty-six years according to the Yearbook I have here (I have heard other numbers passed around in all the coverage I have read and heard this week).

What ever number it was, Paterno was Penn State.

And he aided and abetted a paedophile.

The Grand Jury was told that an assistant coach found Sandusky raping a young boy in the showers of Penn State some time in 2002. This coach did nothing at that moment. What he did do was inform Paterno the following morning.

Paterno did little.

If anything at all.

It was the most sickening things I have ever heard about in sport and I was even more concerned when I saw the fans in the crowd during the game with signs saying words to the effect of 'This is for Joe'.

Hero worship is all well and good if the person you are hailing is a hero.

From where I sit, I see cowards.

Good riddance.

Is This WWE's New Logo?

2011-11-12T00:00:00.027Z

Is WWE finally changing their scratch logo?

Here is the ident that will be featured on WWE's new television project - The WWE Network.

I'm assuming that this new, futuristic take of the current WWE emblem will soon find itself on all other WWE labelled products and merchandise.

As for my opinion of it - I don't dislike it nor am I thrilled with it.

With that said, it's a refreshing change.

The scratch logo has been around since late '97 to early 1998 with a small change made in 2002 when WWF had to 'Get the F out' following the courtroom loss to the World Wildlife Fund for Nature