Like Thieves In The Night

Today is the fortieth anniversary of a moment in sports business that kind of is of interest to me.

On March 28 1983, the Colts packed up everything and moved from their home of Baltimore to Indianapolis.

All of this was done overnight and turned out to be one of the most controversial moments in the history of the NFL.

The city of Baltimore was obviously livid.

I wasn't a fan of the Colts back then. In fact, 1983 was a few years before American football became popular here in the UK. 

It's such a crazy story. 

I would state that 'you wouldn't see that in our football', but we kind of have with Wimbledon Football Club moving to Milton Keynes to form MK Dons. However, even though it was controversial back when that move occurred, it wasn't done like thieves in the night.

The Wimbledon to MK Dons move happened a little over a year after the club was granted permission to move.

It's WrestleMania Week

It's WrestleMania Week!

Even though - and as I noted in yesterday's post - I am not keen on the event now being a two-night thing, I still enjoy the celebration.

I had envisioned that this weekend's main event would be Roman Reigns .vs. The Rock. The setting of Hollywood was a perfect spot for a match between the two cousins. 

Instead, we're getting Cody Rhodes as Reigns' challenger.

I am in two minds about the result.

On one hand, they're telling a good story with Cody. He's aiming for something his father, Dusty Rhodes, was unable to accomplish in his glittering career: the WWF/E's biggest price. 

Cody winning the strap would close out a story that, if you want to be technical, began the moment his father - Dusty Rhodes - first wrestled in the then WWWF. 

The flip-side is this: Roman Reigns losing the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship ends one of the longest, errr, reigns in the current era of pro wrestling. 

I've enjoyed everything about the Roman Reigns and The Bloodline storyline that has been played out on WWE TV for almost three years.

Reigns is also nearing one thousand days as champion. 

The Headaches Of 2-Night Manias

I woke up with a very mild headache this morning.

My initial thought, upon realising my little problem, was this:

It could be a bigger headache this time next week

That's because it'll be the morning following night one of WrestleMania 39. I will then have to battle my way through Sunday to make it to night two.

This is going to be my thirty-fourth WrestleMania as a fan of World Wrestling Entertainment. Thirty-four years.

I love WrestleMania. As almost everyone who knows me is well aware. What I don't love, however, are two night WrestleManias.

I know, I know - I have to get used to them because they're the in-thing nowadays. It's unlikely they'll go away any time soon.

The younger me would have loved them, though. He would have loved them a lot.

Karen's Diner In The News Again

I came across yet another story about Karen's Diner in the news this week.

This time, the Manchester branch of the gimmick restaurant - where staff are rude to customers - was of interest because a family had been thrown out for breaking one of it's 'house rules'.

The rule in question - body shaming.

According to the story, one of the patrons called his server a 'fat slag'. The entire family were then told their business was not required.

On the surface, some - I suppose - would say 'ah, you can give it but cannot take it?' but then - when you delve further - it becomes clear that the insults delivered by the staff do not go down the body shaming route.

It seems fair enough to me when you consider the diner's house rules. This obviously works both ways for both staff and customers.

- No racist, sexist, homophobic or ableist comments or slurs will be tolerated

- No body shaming

- No sexual harrassment 

- Any damage or vandalism of the venue will lead to instant removal from the venue (Charges may also apply)

- Keep your food and drink on your tables, don't throw them, it's not fun

All customers are told about these rules upon entry whether that be by having them displayed or by having them thrown by their server.

NeIghbours Resumes Filming Next Month

The next stage in the Neighbours comeback takes place on April 17th.

That's when filming is set to begin on the relaunched soap opera. 

Neighbours' official Twitter page relayed the news of the date in a post sent out last night.

The first (or should that be next?) episode is still set for later this year. It will be available on Amazon's Freevee platform.

The Flash Is Back (Thankfully For One Last Run)

I rolled my eyes and let out a big sigh when I saw the list of recorded programmes on my cable box yesterday.

The Flash is back.

It's set to be the ninth, and most importantly: final, season. I've watched every episode so far, so I am not going to quit at the final furlong.

I'm a glutton for punishment, though. I really have soured on this series. It has never been the same since its big brother - Arrow - ended its run in early 2020.

One Year On

I am close to certain that today is the one-year anniversary of the day when I found out that Spiky - my sister's family dog - had passed away. 

It was like hearing a human family member had died. Stunned at first, I recall walking out of the room trying to make sense of it.

Now, a year on, I still find that I grieve over him. Every now and again something pops up to remind me of the days he would stay here. 

With that said, I have his dog bowl right in front of my television. I am reminded of him every single day. And I'm glad about that because he was such a character.

I began today's post with no idea what to write other than to note the significance of the day. I have already written a trio of tributes to Spiky. 

One was written at the end of 2018 when I dedicated a post to sharing how much I enjoyed his company. The other two were published last year. My Sidekick was written not long after I learnt of his death and then there was another one - at the end of last year - in which I reflected on things that happened in 2022.