I've Tried Coke Zero Cherry Float, I Wasn't Keen On It Compared To The Other Version

On Sunday March 22nd, I published a post after trying Coca-Cola's latest flavour to hit the UK.

I thoroughly enjoyed Cherry Float pointing out how my taste buds were able to grasp both the cherry and vanilla flavours sip-by-sip.

Unfortunately, I have some bad news in regard to the zero sugar version of Coca-Cola Cherry Float.

I had a bottle of the pop a few days ago and noticed something which contradicted the great taste experience I had over a week ago.

I couldn't taste any cherry. It felt like I was drinking the sugar free Coke Zero with vanilla. 

The good news for me is I still have a couple of the regular Cherry Float cans left. I won't bother with the Zero version, of Cherry Float, in future. 

Going For 4 Gets A Thumbs Up From Me

Other than a few clips on social media, I haven't watched anything from the UFL American football league in the two years since it has been active following a merger between the XFL and USFL.

With that said, I have been intrigued by one of the new rule changes that have been implemented from this season.

The new ruling gives four points for field goals converted from sixty yards or further. 

I caught the first-ever successful attempt over the weekend. I think it will make for some tense closes to games so I am all-in on such a move.

I'm also hopeful that the NFL and team owners are paying close attention to the move. I'd love to see a sixty-yard plus field goal seal a game rather than a field goal sending one into overtime in the dying hours.

Not that I dislike the latter. Those are dramatic. However, I feel going for four would be even more fun for the viewer.

The Clocks, The Clocks!!

I am sure I've written it before, but I shall repeat myself once again: I hate having to change the clocks twice a year.

To be fair, the jump to BST is more easier than falling back to GMT later in the year. However, it still bugs me having to work out the oven clock (my biggest challenge!).  I always end up hitting the wrong button resulting in me having to pull out the plug to restart things (a rookie move I've been doing since, well.. my rookie year!).

The thing that irks me the most about this year's move is that I had to turn the electrics off in my home a fortnight ago. So, I've had to do the clock changing twice within the past few weeks. 

I might come across as barmy stating this, but I should have spent the past two weeks with the wrong clock in preparation for today.

With all that said - microwaves, ovens and radios aside, thing have improved as the years have gone on. Other devices automatically change.

I also welcome another thought during the spring - next time I have to mess with the clocks, it'll be the NFL season.

Unless, of course, I have to switch the electricity off for a random reason before September's kick off.

I Try Asda's Easter Gooey Chocolate Spread

I bought an Easter-themed spread from Asda the other day.

I had a feeling the Easter Gooey Chocolate Spread would remind me of Cadbury's Creme Eggs. 

Bad assumption on my part. It didn't.

By the time I had spread the product over my toast, the 'yolk' (yellow part of the spread) had vanished. I was left with.. well, I was left with chocolate spread.

And that's all it was. Chocolate spread which looks prettier when you look at its jar. 

It's pointless. Buy regular chocolate spread instead.

Wales Out Of World Cup Contention

Wales have boycotted the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

I kid.

They won't be off to the Americas for this summer's tournament following their elimination in a qualifying playoff last night.

After going 1-0 up, and holding the lead, they ended up letting Bosnia-Herzegovina score in the closing moments of regulation. 

With the game still tied after extra time, penalties decided Wales' fate.

Just like in the game itself, Wales were ahead at one point but ended up losing momentum at the most imperfect time.

And that's that. 

For two to four years.

25 Years Ago Tonight.

25 Years ago tonight.

That's how long it has been since the last episode of WCW Monday Nitro aired on TV.

I was quite bemused, the other day, when it dawned on me how long it had been since the infamous episode of WCW's flagship programme went off the air for good. 

That week's instalment aired a few days after Vince McMahon's Titan Sports bought out the WWF's main competitors.

McMahon appeared on Nitro via a live link up from where the WWF was filming WWE Monday Night Raw.

It was quite surreal to see the two shows merged at certain points during the night. Especially in the closing angle which had Vince McMahon brag about owning the competition only for Vince's son - Shane - to appear live from the WCW ring to announce that it was he who had purchased WCW from under his dad's nose.

The simulcast ended with a fuming Vince and a happy Shane mere weeks before the pair would do battle against each other at WrestleMania XVII.

All an angle. Obviously.

I think it's safe to state that the world of professional wrestling has never been the same, good and definitely bad, since those few days in March 2001.

A Couple Of Heroes, A Couple Of Links

Yesterday was quite a day for a couple of my heroes from the past.

As noted in the most recent post, I realised it was Peyton Manning's 50th birthday. I wrote about how he is my favourite American football player ever and linked to the post from over twelve years ago when I shared my experience of receiving his autograph in the mail from the GOAT.

Another bit of news from yesterday was wrestling-related.

Sid Eudy, who worked for some of the top promotions during the 1980s into the early 2000s will be posthumously inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in a few weeks.

Sid Vicious, Sid Justice or whatever other name he would be known as, was one of my favourite wrestlers back in the day.

I wrote a huge blog post about Sid shortly after his passing. I think that highlights just how much of a fan I am.

I obviously welcome the news of Sid being honoured during WrestleMania Week. It'll be nice for his family to experience it all. It would have been cooler to have seen Sid take the stage himself, though. I'm not pointing fingers. It could have been a combination of reasons why WWE didn't choose Sid sooner. It could have also been a choice Sid made to not accept any earlier invitations.

Yesterday's couple of news items aren't just linked by me being a fan of both men. Another thing I thought was cool about the coincidence of them both are linked to a certain building.

Sid headlined Indianapolis' Hoosier Dome for his match against Hulk Hogan at WrestleMania VIII in April of 1992. Manning is also tied to that stadium because that's where he began his pro football career as quarterback of the Indianapolis Colts.

Sid Justice at the Hoosier Dome in 1992

18 Turns 50

I didn't have a plan for today's post, when I was sat at my laptop this morning. I concluded I would wait until later in the day. See if something in the news inspired me.

Well, look what we have here:

Peyton Manning is 50 years old today.

If you've followed this blog throughout its entire twenty-plus years, you will - without a doubt - know that Manning is my favourite American football player of all time.

One of my favourite possessions, as a sports fan, is the signed autograph Manning sent to me twelve years ago. You can read all about it IN THIS POST.

Backstage Pass By David Sahadi

If I were to rank the opening titles of WWE Monday Night Raw, from its entire thirty-three year history, high at the top of such a list would be the late-1995 open which had a ring set up on the roof of WWF's then headquarters - Titan Towers. The action-packed intro saw the top stars of that period wrestle in the abnormal setting.

Speaking of peculiar surroundings - the intro from a few years after that, with 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin walking into a derelict warehouse accompanied to the sound of sirens before the Raw is War theme tune fully kicks in, would be right up there close to the 1995 sequence.

Both of those intros came from the mind of David Sahadi, who worked for the World Wrestling Federation between 1992 and 2003 as one of the main behind the scenes personnel on the production arm of the company.

Sahadi has recently published a book about his life and career in the crazy world of professional wrestling. 

Backstage Pass: Tales from Behind the Squared Circle covers Sahadi's early roots working for NBC Sports right through to his recent gig working as an executive producer for Court Bauer's Major League Wrestling.

As a huge fan of the WWF/E's content from the 1980s right through to this very day, I found the pages of Sahadi's time working for the McMahon Empire to be the most intriguing.

Before reading the autobiography, I came across a few Good Reads and NetGalley reviews which suggests Sahadi comes across as boastful of his career achievements. One went so far as to point out that he bragged about people crying at some of the videos he produced for the then WWF.

I feel it necessary to add something to those suggestions after reading Sahadi's book for myself.

Yes, I did find that Sahadi boosted himself up at certain points in his book. However, there are moments which capture a humble Sahadi. The main example is how he expresses his deep love for his father. You can see the man just by the tribute he shares of his times with his father. Those struck me.

As for the part about how Sahadi appears to make people emotional - the part in the book which highlights that the most is when Sahadi recounts Vince McMahon's reaction to the video the director produced in 1998 which contained a plethora of old school wrestlers from an age earlier. Filmed mostly in black-and-white, the promo has the old school wrestlers talk about their days contrasted with the styles of the new period. 

It truly is one of my favourite wrestling adverts ever, so I was fascinated to learn that it was Sahadi's idea. 

Sahadi writes that Vince McMahon broke down in tears after first witnessing the video. This reader wasn't in the room, but - I have a strong opinion the author was not using licence when he painted this scene of McMahon's reaction.

I believe it happened considering the people in the video are from Vince McMahon's father's era.

Another fascinating part of Sahadi's story is how he witnessed the rise of Dwayne Johnson from a humble third generation wrestler having left college football to pursue a career in the WWF to becoming a Hollywood star.

The professional relationship between the wrestler and director didn't end well.

Sahadi details how Johnson became difficult to work with once he became a movie star. Sahadi felt disrespected by The Rock's lax attitude to getting a film project shot in the limited time he was available.

Following his departure from WWE, Sahadi eventually found employment from then opposition: TNA Wrestling.

Sahadi shares his experiences with TNA. He was there for a lot of the biggest moments in that company's history.  Going from memory: the Hard Justice 2006 fire, Kurt Angle .vs. Samoa Joe, Hulk Hogan's TNA era, the failed Monday Night Wars II experiment, the Vince Russo controversies and more are all spotlighted in this memoir. 

I've grown used to reading professional wrestling content from wrestlers, promoters and others within the industry. With Backstage Pass, it was unique to read about the topic from the viewpoint of someone who worked in production.

A professional wrestling autobiography with a view from a different lens, if you will.

⭐⭐⭐/5

Thanks to ECW Press for giving me an advanced reading copy of Backstage Pass: Tales from Beyond the Squared Circle. The title was released on March 10 2026.

Order Backstage Pass by David Sahadi from Amazon UK

Riding Coke's Nostalgia Train, I Try Cherry Float Coca-Cola

Look what I tried last night.

It's the new offering from Coca-Cola to the UK market.

Cherry Float absolutely intrigued me, when I first learned of the flavour''s existence. That's because Cherry Coke is my favourite version of Coca-Cola. I also enjoy Vanilla Coke. So, it was more than a win-win to see that this flavour is doing the rounds in this country of ours.

Upon opening the can, I sensed a smell of cherries very unlike the strong cherry aroma those who take whiffs of Cherry Coke upon popping open a can or twisting a bottle get (I hope you know what I mean). 

The best way I can describe the aroma is it was like glacé cherries. Yes, it was like those. A rich, mature cherry scent.

It didn't last long, however. Vanilla came along and overpowered my sniffing senses.

Drinking from the can offered a similar experience.

On the first sip, I sensed the cherry. On my second go, I caught the vanilla. That cycle repeated many times. 

Cherry.

Vanilla.

Cherry.

Vanilla.

To be fair, it was quite an experience. A collision of my two favourite Coca-Cola flavours in what seemed like a fair rotation. 

Coca-Cola states that the drink 'blends bold cherry and creamy vanilla' and is 'designed to mimic a nostalgic ice cream soda fountain drink'.

I can't answer for the nostalgia part of that mission statement. I can when it comes to the vanilla flavour being creamy and especially for the boldness of the cherry.

This a winner. 

Will I try it again? Of course - I bought an eight pack. But, even if I had only one sample can, I would go out of my way to have more.

It was a refreshing collision of tastes. I hope it sticks around for a while.

Update: I tried the Coke Zero version of Cherry Float a few days later. You can see how they contrasted by following THIS LINK.

Chuck Norris Passes Away

On Thursday night, I read a report which stated that Chuck Norris had taken ill and was then hit with yesterday's news that he had passed away.

I can remember exactly when - and where - I was when I first came across Mr. Norris.

It was late summer of 1986. I was staying at a hotel in Greece. My father and I went to the film room at the complex and watched Delta Force.

I loved it.

Upon my return home, and for a chunk of years which followed, I went on a mission of my own. I caught other movies like the Delta Force sequel and the Missing in Action. 

Oh, and Firewalker. I liked that one a lot.

I even had a signed autograph from him around those few years of my childhood.

I would later be surprised when I noticed him as the bad guy in Bruce Lee's Way of the Dragon. As I wrote back in July of 2023, that's my top Lee flick.

It was cool to see Chuck Norris involved with one of my other favourite things when he was shown in the audience of WrestleMania VII. However, his most famous WWF involvement was when he worked as a special enforcer for the Yokozuna versus The Undertaker casket match which was the main attraction of the WWF Survivor Series in 1994.

As a fan of The Expendables movies, it was also fun to see him pop up in the second movie in the franchise. It would turn out to be a farewell because I cannot remember seeing him in anything since.

Frank And Spidey

I am not as all-in on Marvel TV and movies as I could be. I had no idea there is a new Spider-Man movie on the horizon, so I was like 'oh, okay' when I read that the trailer was set to come out earlier this week.

I didn't go out of my way to watch it. My nephew asked if I had seen it and I responded with a 'not yet'. 

'Well, I'm surprised seeing as one of your favourite Marvel characters is in it.' was his reply.

'Who?!'

'The Punisher.'

Okay. Business has picked up.

The best thing about Spidey and The Punisher being together in a movie is this: my first-ever introduction to Frank Castle was through an association with Spider-Man in a series of comic books.

Back in 1988, when I was staying with my American relatives, I would be treated to a bunch of Marvel publications whenever we'd visit the bookstore on the air force base. This bookshop was where residents would buy newspapers and there were rows-and-rows of American publications.

One of the series of comics was called Marvel Tales. In the storyline run I found myself reading, Spider-Man and The Punisher teamed up to take on the villains. I believe I have at least three issues of that particular title. I've added an image of two covers from a Google search. 

I've written about the base's bookshop many times in the past. I most recently mentioned the store when I pointed out I had bought a magazine with a feature about the 1987 Masters of the Universe movie in it. 

As I finished that last paragraph, I thought to myself 'how funny' considering Dolph Lundgren played He-Man in Masters of the Universe (1987) and would later go on to be Frank Castle in a not well received Punisher movie from 1989 (you might not be surprised to know I loved that film!). 

The Punisher we have in 2026 is the same one we've witnessed in the Netflix Marvel TV Universe and has also appeared in Daredevil: Born Again on Disney Plus.

I like John Berthnal's version of Frank Castle. I very much am looking forward to seeing Frank Castle teaming up with Spidey almost thirty-eight years after I first saw them do so in ink.

My younger self would have loved the idea of those two in a movie. 

Spider-Man: Brand New Day is scheduled to be released in the USA on July 31st 2026.

The Visitor

I had a visit from an old friend this morning.

While I was out the backyard, a cat I've known since the pandemic came by. They used to show up and cautiously sit near me during those crappy summer days of 2020. It took  a while, but it eventually came closer and allowed me to pet it.

Nowadays, it pops up out of nowhere, has a chat with me, takes some treats and then vanishes. 

I rarely see this cat across the winter months. I look out for it, though. But, often to no avail. Now that the simmer is on its way (it's quite warm outside as I write this), I am sure I'll see a lot more.

The cat has aged quite a lot since 2020. Has gained a lot of weight and now owns a bit of a tear in one of it's ears. 

They've seen better days. But - haven't we all!?

At The Pace...

I have been working some things out in regards to how Taylor's Pro Football Gambling Annual 2026 is coming along.

The main content of the book is getting there. At the pace I'm keeping, that part should be complete by March 25th. 

I then have a few other ideas I want to cover. New ideas at that. I obviously don't know how long those will take because I haven't delved into the subjects I plan to write about.

Anyway, I aim to have everything ready for the week the NFL releases the 2026 schedules. That's when everything will pick back up and I'll have to put everything in order.

The bottom line is this - it's getting there.  

And it will be out sometime over the summer. 

I Try A McDonald's McGriddle For The First Time

It's late on Monday March 16th '26 as I start this post. By tomorrow, which will be today (or later!) when you read this, I would have finally tried something I've wanted to tick off my fast food bucket list.

I first became aware of McDonald's McGriddles in one of the chats I had with my friend, Vicki, a long time ago. I'd make a guess it was around the time when McDonald's brought back the Breakfast Wrap after the lockdowns. Vick asked me something along the lines of 'have you ever tried a McGriddle?'

I had no clue what they were. Vick explained they're a breakfast sandwich with the food contained between 'maple cakes'. I don't know why I quoted 'maple cakes' (there, I did it again!). I cannot recall if that's how Vick worded it. However, upon doing my own research, I concluded they sounded very intriguing. Kind of like hard pancakes (scones? biscuits?) Whatever it was, I wanted to try one!

A few weeks back, I came across a video on YouTube. The man in front of the camera ran through a handful of new products set to be a part of the new McDonald's menu.

McGriddles are set to debut here in the UK for a limited time. Starting in a few hours from when this post sees the light of day, in fact. 

I'm ordering one on DAY ONE. I have to.

It has been a long time since I ordered McDonald's for breakfast. It looks like June, so would have been when Vick was still with us. I would have loved to have been able to break the news as soon as I found out these items are finally making their way here. 

What I'm going to do is let this post go live at midnight and then update it once I've had the breakfast.

If all goes to plan, you'll witness my initial thoughts immediately below the timecard.

I woke up earlier than I would have liked. The first thing I did was wonder which day of the week it was. I initially thought it was the weekend and then realised it was Tuesday. It then dawned on me 'Ahh, it's the McGriddle today.'

After figuring out the day, I checked both the UberEats and Just Eats apps to see if the new product was available on the menu. 

The good news - it is.

My ordered arrived a little after 8:30am.

We ordered three Sausage and Egg McGriddle meals. I noticed a strong whiff of coffee when the courier handed over the bags. I thought it had spilled. Anyway, I wanted to mention the coffee because - as soon as I put that bag aside (it hadn't spilled) - I was left with the one containing the food. The aroma of maple was strong before I had even opened up the bag. It would have been the first sensation I experienced at the handoff had one of us not ordered coffee today.

The maple scent was even more empowering once I unwrapped the product. As you can see above, it has the M stamped into it.

Before I continue, I'd like to draw attention to something I wrote in the first part of today's post.

I mentioned the word 'maple cakes' because, when Vicki described them to me, I had a vision of the sandwich holding items between two pancakes. That imagination was thrown off a few days ago when I was talking about McGriddles in a chatroom. One of the users stated that they were 'like a biscuit', so I began to explore the thought they were more like scones rather than the pancakes I had assumed them to be for the past six plus years.

It turns out my initial guess, prompted by Vick's explanation, was spot on. They lean heavily more to being a thick pancake rather than a biscuit (scone!).

So - I suppose - that's what it felt like to eat one. Two maple-flavoured thick pancakes with sausage, egg and a slice of cheese.

Over the years, one of my favourite McDonald's breakfast meals has been sausages and pancakes. I never really went for the McMuffin. Only when I felt like a change. It has either  been the sausages and pancakes or a breakfast wrap/roll.

The McGriddle seems like a collision between the sausages and pancakes meal and some of the contents of the other breakfast meals I go for.

A nice collision. Sweet and savoury.

I will surely have a McDonald's McGriddle again. Maybe not during this current run, but when - or if - the company brings it back in the future.

Vick was right to point the McGriddle out to me. I did enjoy it. 

The product took its time to get here. Apparently, the McGriddle has been around for twenty-three years.

I can now officially tick a McDonald's McGriddle off the list of things Vick shone a spotlight on during our many chats over the years. I still have a lot of other things I'd like to try out. Such as a Little Caesar's pizza or one of those Frosty drinks from Wendy's.  I hold out hope those franchises branch out local to me. They're apparently on the rise in England, so I hope they eventually find their way across the bridge.

I bought a 'fountain Coke', as Vick called them, with today's breakfast. I've left it in the fridge to have later. When I do, I'll toast her.

Hogan And The Academy Awards

I had the Academy Awards on for a couple of hours before I fell asleep last night.

One of the things I made sure to watch was the In Memoriam tributes where the ceremony honours those who passed away within the past year.

I thought it was splendidly done. I must have dropped off shortly after that, but woke up to find out who won the remaining Oscars.

Upon searching through news, it stumbled across something I should have actually been on the ball about.

There are a few wrestling news sites covering the fact that Hulk Hogan wasn't mentioned in last night's tribute.

The fact I hadn't even noticed it should speak volumes. It's not something I was looking out for, but - with all that said - I find myself in two minds about the exclusion, whether it was intentional or not.

Yes, I state this knowing fully well how Hogan's star fell late in his life due to things he was caught saying on a hidden video. 

I've gone back-and-forth on this today. Hogan should have been included.

He was likely going to be a major star in professional wrestling. However, Hulk Hogan's first step into being a cultural emblem of the 1980s (and beyond, but let's just argue for the 80s only) was through his appearance as Thunderlips in Rocky III.

Rocky III - the second sequel to a film which won a trio of Oscars including Best Picture, from ten nominations, in 1977.

There are other Hulk Hogan films that followed. I'd be a fool to argue he should have been mentioned based off those titles, but - the one that makes the case the most is the one which drove him to the mainstream dance.

Hogan's wasn't the only name missing from the list, however. Other prominent exclusions were Robert Carradine, Richard Chamberlain, James Van Der Beek, Eric Dane and Brigette Bardot.

John Alford Dies

As a Grange Hill and London's Burning fan, I was obviously intrigued to see John Alford back in the news over the past few years following allegations of him sexually assaulting teen girls. 

The former actor was found guilty of those crimes and was jailed earlier this year. That, I thought, would be the last I'd read about him for some time.

Well - it didn't turn out like that.

Last night's news announced that Alford was found dead in his cell on Friday. 

I don't have much to say. I was obviously stunned to read it. 

It's hard to write anything positive about John Alford knowing how his life turned out. And the lives his actions affected. 

What I will say is this: his character of Robbie Wright was always there as the sidekick to my all-time favourite: Ziggy Greaves. So, it's somewhat difficult for me to think of Alford but not remind myself of all the shenanigans Ziggy would get up to during that era of the high school drama. 

Cheltenham Festival 2026 Betting: The Aftermath

Here's how Cheltenham 2026 went for me.

The last three days were annoying, but that's obviously because things kicked off so well on Tuesday.

As you can see, I spent a total of £51.30 across the week. I returned £190.12. Therefore, I was up by £138.82 once all was said and done yesterday evening.

It's annoying that the luck didn't carry through from Wednesday into Friday. However, it's difficult to say that Cheltenham was a betting failure when I walked out in the black.

I cannot even consider it bittersweet. I came out ahead. That's great. 

But - if only I had more than one great day!

Cheltenham Festival 2026 Betting: Day Four

I'll be straight up with you - Microsoft Copilot has been worked to the bone this morning to the point where it has made a bunch of errors in the final furlong of the picking strategy I have asked it to follow for me.

The AI program had given me horses for incorrect races, so I told it to hang things up for the day. I'll run with my own choices using the top three from 100-run simulations Copilot ran for me today before the late errors became prominent. 

1:20 Triumph Hurdle
Proactif

2:00 County Handicap Hurdle
Murcia

2:40 Mares Chase
Panic Attack

3:20 Novices Chase
Thedeviluno

4:00 Gold Cup
The Jukebox Man

4:40 Challenge Cup Open Hunters' Chase
Its On The Line

5:20 Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle
Air Of Entitlement

Results

Today turned out to be another crap one in regards to winners.

The only win came in the final race of the day when Art of Entitlement took the Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle. Before that, I had a 2nd placed finish for Its On The Line in the Hunters. 

Panic Attack finished third in the Mares Chase.

The £12 total stake turned into a £10.57 loss.

Cheltenham Festival 2026 Betting: Day Three

After the brilliance of Tuesday, and yesterday's implosion, I'm back for another day of Cheltenham 2026.

And so is Microsoft Copilot. 

I've once again asked the AI program to select a horse from each race. 

Below are the seven picks it has chosen for today's race card. I've made an important change with today's betting in that I've split the selections up so I have four horses in a Lucky 15 and the rest in a patent. 

The Lucky 15's stakes are 30p each-way. I've opted for:

1:20 - Carrigmornaspruce

2:40 - Jetara

3:20 - Ballyburn

4:00 - Banbridge

The Patent gamble is for 45p each-way. The selections are:

2:00 - Regent's Stroll

4:40 - Kikijo

5:20 - Jeriko Du Reponet

I have also used the free £2 bet on Jetara £1 each-way because the selection has the longest odds. 

Results

Another abysmal day. I had two horses place, but they were in opposing multiples.

Regent's Stroll finished third in the Handicap Chase while Banbridge's third place , in the Paddy Power Stayers' Hurdle. The results returned 95p for the patent and 69p for the Lucky 15.

Copilot? More like Kamikaze pilot.

Cheltenham Festival 2026 Betting: Day Two

Realistically, after yesterday's good results, I believe I should enter today's Cheltenham betting with low expectations. 

With that stated, I've done the same thing as yesterday. I've given Microsoft Copilot all of the races for today and it has simulated the results. I have then asked it to pick one horse from each race pointing out I'd like a mixture of value and sensible plays.

Here's what it has given me.

1:20PM Supreme Novices Hurdle
Sober 13/2

2:00PM Novices' Chase
Kaid D'authie 5/1

2:40PM Premier Handicap Hurdle
Kateira 9/1

3:20PM Cross Country Chase
Desertmore House 6/1

4:00PM Queen Mother Championship Chase
Marjborough 10/11

4:40PM Grand Annual
Be Aware 4/1

5:20PM Champion Bumper
The Mourne Rambler 7/1

Just like yesterday, all seven of these selections have been placed in a Super Heinz worth £12 in total. As well as that, Sober is the selection I've used as a £1 each-way punt from a £2 free bet. 

Results

Dire.

That's the best way to describe today's results.

The Super Heinz didn't work at all. I had only one winner, and that was The Mourne Rambler in the Champion Bumper. By then, all was lost because I needed at least two wins for any sort of return. 

Here's how each horse did in order: 16th, Fell, 6th, 8th, 7th, 12th, 1st.

Back tomorrow.

Cheltenham Festival 2026 Betting: Day One

It's Cheltenham Festival week, so - as per usual - I plan to place bets on each race and share my picks and results here on the blog.

With all that said, I've decided to go in a different direction this year. I haven't bought, nor read, any of the Cheltenham Festival guides I check out in the days and weeks before the meeting. 

The new direction, for at least this year (depending on how it goes!), is to run with results from simulations I ran with Microsoft Copilot.

I gave the AI program the information for all of today's races. It ran each horse against each other and it came away with its own order. To be frank, I was unhappy with some of its predictions. I sensed it was simply running the order by their odds. 

So, to shake things up, I requested Copilot to select one horse from each race 'using a mixture of value and sensible plays'.

Here's what it came up with:

I dislike a few of these. The one I am not keen on whatsoever is 'The Mighty Celt' to win the Juvenile Handicap Hurdle. However, all of these bets are each-way, so - at 18/1 - I would  consider myself fortunate if the horse places.

All seven horses have been combined into an each-way Super Heinz. The results will be added later today.

Results

What a day!

Four horses won. The other three placed. I turned £12.00 into £187.05.

The winning horses were:

Old Park Star (Supreme Novices' Hurdle)
Kargese (Arkle)
Lossiemouth Champion Hurdle)
Madara (Sun Racing Plate Handicap Chase)

As I wrote above, I wasn't keen on The Mighty Celt. I suppose my instinct was spot on because it finished in sixth place. Fortunately for me (and Microsoft Copilot), the betting website I used paid each-way finishers to six places. That was a flukiest win I've had in a while.

Well, it was the flukiest win until the last race of the day when Iceberg Theory finished fifth in the National Hunt Challenge Cup. The each-way terms paid to five places for that race.

The third horse, in the list of each-way covers, was Jagwar which came close but finished in second place in the Ultima.

Speaking of Jagwar -  I also had a free £1 each-way punt at 3/1. That gamble returned 60p. It's included in the overall returns.

After one day, I am £175.05 in profit. 

It's more than safe to say Cheltenham 2026 will be a winning festival for yours truly what ever happens over the remaining three days.

Buffalo Hunt Update: Well, I've Found My First Colt!

I had a good result, when it came to last weekend's opening of NFL Panini stickers.

Pay close attention to the left and right stickers on the top row of the image.

Upon opening Saturday's packet, I found the first Indianapolis Colts player after three-or-four weeks of trying. I don't think you can get any better than unearthing Jonathan Taylor in this 2024 set.

That's not all. 

Immediately following Taylor was Taysom Hill - one of my favourite fantasy football players because of his versatility as a tight end, running back and quarterback. 

I couldn't believe I had both of them back-to-back.

As of right now, I have yet to find a Buffalo Bills player. Kinda. You see, also in Saturday's set was Amari Cooper. He was traded from Cleveland to the Bills around the time these stickers must have been in shops. However, he is representing Cleveland on these stickers. 

Cooper has since retired.

NFL free agency begins on Wednesday. It looks like I found the Devin Lloyd sticker at the right time because he'll no longer be a Jacksonville Jaguar come 1pm ET on Wednesday. 

Unless, of course, Lloyd and the Jags make a deal.

Carlito Was Magnum

I was yesterday-years-old when I realised Jay Hernandez - star of the Magnum PI reboot series which ran from 2018 to 2024 - played Carlito Brigante in a Carlito's Way prequel movie which was released in 2005.

No, I am fully aware of the movie's existence. I wrote about it in 2008. It was only until yesterday, when I randomly came across the DVD cover I managed to make the connection.

Hernandez is the most centred face on the cover above. Below is a photo I found from him in his role of Thomas Magnum.

By the way, it has been a long time since I've seen Carlito's Way: Rise to Power. I cannot recall much about the film. However, I most importantly remember thinking I would hate it, but came away surprisingly happy with myself for not passing on it.

The original Carlito's Way, starring Al Pacino, is one of my favourite films of all time. So, that's why I was not sold on Rise to Power before I checked it out.

Cody Rhodes Regains WWE Title, Set To Face Randy Orton At WrestleMania 42

Cody Rhodes regained the Undisputed WWE Championship from Drew McIntyre on last night's episode of WWE Smackdown. 

The result seemingly sets up Rhodes defending the strap against Randy Orton at WrestleMania 42 in six weeks time.

It was quite a hectic story to get to Mania (if that is the match) because McIntyre beat Rhodes earlier this year. 

I had Rhodes either winning last week's Elimination Chamber match to determine the Mania challenger or to backdoor his way into the WrestleMania title match another way. And when I write 'another way', I mean not as champ.

So I was doubly wrong. Although I was right by assuming Rhodes would be in one of the major bouts for next month's big event.

I had predicted a McIntyre .vs. Rhodes .vs. Jacob Fatu triple threat match because Fatu's interference in the three stages of hell match earlier this year was what led to McIntyre snaring the title away from Rhodes.

Fatu involved himself in last night's match as well. He stopped McIntyre from using a steel chair.

I am keen to see what now becomes of Drew McIntyre.

He has a potential feud with Jacob Fatu on the horizon. However, he has been beefing with the Smackdown GM - Nick Aldis. Could Mania see the two Brits battle it out?

I'd rather see McIntyre and Fatu involved in the title match although, as of right now, it looks like WWE is running with the Rhodes .vs. Orton singles match.

There's still time. I guess.

'High Pollen Today'

I've just seen an alert on my laptop that hasn't been around for quite some time.

It's March, by the way.

I usually get the itchy eyes, runny nose and everything else associated with hay fever in May and June. Not this early.

Coming to think of it, I've just recalled having to rub my eyes when I was outside doing the recycling earlier this week. I thought to myself back then that 'not long 'til Hay Fever Season'. Little did I know it would hit sooner than even I had envisioned (with my blurry eyes). 

'BAM - It's Time..'

Even though I know when it takes place, the Cheltenham Festival always finds its way to sneak up on me. 

I suppose it could be because it's the first sporting event I care about to pop up following the Super Bowl. I find myself in the post-season lull and then - BAM - it's time for Cheltenham.

This year's meeting takes place from Tuesday 10 March through to Friday. 

I haven't done any research at all for this year. There's a reason why. That'll become clear in Tuesday's post.

Today's Task

My task, for the start of the day, has been to check out new tumble dryers and washing machines.

I'll tell you this: it's a pain in the buttocks.

I have no idea whether the ones I am looking at will be able to stack up together. And other things.

I am looking to move away from the usual brand we use for these appliances - Hoover. I'm getting to the point where I feel that I might just stick with them.

You know that saying about better the devil you know? At least I know I can stack those together!

Reaching The Fortress

I have finally reached the first checkpoint in my preparations for the 2026 edition of Taylor's Pro Football Gambling Annual.

It has been a slow process because I want to try and make everything perfect before I have to go through the editing stages further on down the line.

The part I completed today took me almost two months. I have a lot left to do but it feels like I've battled my way through the forest and have now reached the fortress. 

I have to get my way up to the top of the figurative landmark. It won't take as long as it took to get through the figurative forest, but it'll be more challenging.

Demolition Announced For The WWE Hall Of Fame, Enters Class Of 2026

Hell has once again frozen over in regards to the WWE Hall of Fame.

It was revealed today that the infamous tag team from the 1980s and early-90s - Demolition - is set to be inducted into the company's Hall of Fame during WrestleMania Week.

WWE announced the news today. As well as that, a video of The Undertaker informing both Ax and Smash of the news via a video conference was published on social media channels.

It's big news because Ax, real name Bill Eadie, has been on the outs with WWF/E since 1990. He had been in a couple of lawsuits directed towards the company across those multiple decades.

Demolition was a big part of WWF's tag team division during the bottom half of the company's initial boom period. 

Wearing studded leather and face paint, they were WWF's version of The Road Warriors - a popular tag team from companies the WWF was in competition with. The teams would eventually feud when Hawk and Animal, then going by the name of The Legion of Doom, entered the WWF in 1990.

In my opinion, it was the signing of Hawk and Animal which made the team of Demolition redundant considering how similar the two acts were.

As I stated, there was tension between the company and Bill Eadie (Ax) which got in the way of either party doing business together, aside from merchandising, from late 1990 through to today.

There's no word on whether Crush (Brian Adams), who was introduced as a third Demolition member in 1990, will be part of this induction. Adams' time in the team was short-lived but he's still part of Demolition's WWF story. I surmise, going by the press release, that only Ax (Eadie) and Smash (Barry Darsow) will be inducted as a pair. With that stated, Randy Colley was the original Smash in the unit. He only lasted a short time in that role before Darsow took over.

Adams and Colley are no longer with us with Adams passing away in 2007 and Colley dying in 2019.

Demolition will join Stephanie McMahon and AJ Styles who have already been revealed as members of the Hall of Fame's Class of 2026. The ceremony is scheduled for April 17th at Dolby Live at the Park MGM in Paradise, Nevada.

The One When I Write About McDonald's Friends Gimmick

Tasting KFC's new Cheesy Melt Burger wasn't the only interaction I had with limited edition products from fast food establishments in recent weeks. A little under a fortnight ago, I had a McDonald's meal which included a figure of one of the characters from Friends.

I'll share images of the statue below. First I have to ask.

Why? Why Friends? Why now?

I was alive during the American sitcom's peak, so I understand how big Friends was back in the day. I am also aware it still gets repeated even to this very day. It simply seems a bit surreal for McDonald's to run promotions about the series so far since it was 'new'.

Wouldn't it be like McDonald's running a MASH promotion in 2005 or something? 

The takeaway bags have Friends imagery on them. See immediately below:

I ordered a box of the new pizza mozzarella dippers They were nice. They came in a Friends-themed box. I also had a dip called Monica's Marinara to dip the sticks into. I surmise Monica is a chef or something in the series.

I was given free chicken nuggets as well (okay, Chicken McNuggets!). They came in a box with a caricature of Joey on the packaging. I guess he didn't share food with people in the programme.

I had a Big Mac meal. The characters come in meals including that burger as well as ones with 9 McNuggets and the McPlant burger. 

Here's what the box looked like from one of its sides:

Inside was:

David Schwimmer's character of Ross. Oh, and a monkey. I did some research and the monkey's name is Marcel.

I've had a look on eBay. People are apparently bidding on these things. That's interesting. I suppose it covers a lot of ground with fans of the programme (it was huge) wanting to get all the characters. And then you have collectors of memorabilia looking for complete sets. 

I still don't get why now. But I get why the company chose Friends.