RIP Dean

Dean Smith was the reason I fell in love with North Carolina Basketball. He was the God father. I'm just happy I've been able to read about his life over the years. 

Never Forget

So the Popeyes Bahamas Bowls was one of the best bowl games of the year. The game featured a classic comeback from Central Michigan that fell short against Western Kentucky. The game was played more than a month and a half ago and Popeyes is still giving out stuff promoting the game. Come on enough is enough. 

NSD in Twitter

The hats are chosen and the NLI have been signed. Here are some of the best tweets highlighting another wild National Signing Day. 

 

Ranking Rutgers Greatest Recruits

The commitment of 4-star defensive tackle Marques Ford got me to thinking, who are the best recruit that Rutgers got since the start of the Schiano/Flood era. Here are my 10 recruits that have pledge to play on the Banks. My rankings take into account several things including: who RU beat for their services, the player they became, and the impact that they have had on the program.

1. Anthony Davis, 2007, 4-star: Davis picked Rutgers over USC and Ohio State during the US All America game. To turn down those nationals powers and pick Rutgers on national TV was huge for this growing program.

2. Savon Huggins, 2011, 4-star: While it has not worked out on the field, Rutgers went to war with some of the powers in college football to get Huggins.

3. Darius Hamilton, 2012, 5-star: According to Rivals, he is the only 5-star to play at Rutgers over the last decade. Hamilton has been warrior on the defensive line and showed the player he was during the knights first year in the Big Ten.

4. Tom Savage, 2009, 4-star: The QB out of Philly was supposed to be the man who replaced Mike Teel, while it never happened, Savage found success at Pitt and now is with the Texans.

5. Scott Vallone, 2008, 4-star: Vallone was the type of player that showed the continued growth of the program. He was a lunch bucket type of player who have everything on every play.

6. Logan Ryan, 2009, 4-star

7. Leonte Carroo, 2012, 4-star

8. Khaseem Greene, 2008, 2-star

9. Brandon Coleman, 2010, 4-star

10. Gary Nova, 2010, 3-star:  

Frozen Tundra Golf

So it's 31 degrees put and I decide to head out to the golf course. Let's just say it's hard to a tee into frozen ground. 

What's the ruling on playing your ball from ice. 

Hitting over an ice hazard. 

Professional Tailgating: Wait this is not the WWE

Instead of spending the night at home, the crew headed out to watch Rutgers wrestle defending national champs Penn State. For a WWE fan it was interesting to see a college wrestling match. 

More than 6,000 people attended the match the largest in the history of the program. 

A cool giveaway for kids. Califlower ears for all. 

Calendar Fail

Gotta love NFL Calendars. On the 2015 Eagles calendar one of months features a photo of Bryce Brown. Yes the same Bryce Brown that was traded to #bills before the season started. I guess Ricky Watere was unavailable.  

My Matches of the Year

It's been a fun year to be a wrestling fan from the rise of NXT to the continued growth of Indy promotions all over the country. So here are my top matches of the year.

1. Neville vs Zayn: NXT Evolution. Amazing match that showed why these two are the next generation of the business. 

2. Young Bucks vs Red Dragon: ROH War of the Worlds. I'm a mark for both teams. These two are the best teams in the world. 

3. John Cena vs Randy Orton: Hell in a Cell. This 25 minute war showed how good these two can work together. 

4. Hardy Boyz vs. Dudleys vs. the Wolves: Their match series in TNA this year where some of the best you will ever see.
5. World Cuties Tag Team vs. Young Bucks: PWG 11: This matches spawn the debate over female wrestlers bleeding. A great match with tons of crazy spots.

Shoe Wars: Champions League Style

Around the world shoe companies are battling to grab attention of consumers. One way that they do that is by supplying uniforms to teams and in soccer that is no different. The Champions League Round  of 16 is a who's who of shoe companies.

A breakdown below: 

Paris Saint-Germain vs Chelsea: Nike vs. Adidas

Manchester City vs Barcelona: Nike vs. Nike

Bayer Leverkusen vs Atletico Madrid: Adidas vs. Nike

Juventus vs Borussia Dortmund: Nike vs. Puma

Schalke 04 vs Real Madrid: Adidas vs. Adidas

Shakhtar Donetsk vs Bayern Munich: Nike vs. Adidas

Arsenal vs Monaco: Puma vs. Nike

Basle vs Porto: Adidas vs. Warrior  

Nike has seven  of the 16 teams including an all Nike game in  Barca vs. Manchester City.  Adidas has six including an all Adidas match up of Schalke vs. Real Madrid. Also this years Round of 16 marks the first time that Warrior has had a club make the knock out round.

Deja Vu is not always good

So Kevin Owens finally made his much hyped debut in the WWE on Thursday night during NXT Evolution and boy did he impressed. Owens showed that hard hitting style that made him a fan favorite in Ring of Honor and Pro Wrestling Guerrilla. 

The one thing that I was not a fan of is the direction that they are taking Owens. After the end of Sami Zayns world title win Owens came down and congratulated his friend and new champ. After a couple of minutes Owens came back and attacked his friend. 

While giving Owens a feud with the champ, in most cases, is a great thing. Here it is not. 

Watching them feud in NXT is never going to surpass their feuds in ROH and PWG. The program that they put on a couple of years ago is never going to be surpassed especially in the WWE PG era. That feud was up there with some of the best in the history of the business. There is mo way they are going to recreate that madness. I just hope at the end of the day they don't ruin it and let the two take the thing and run with it like ROH and PWG did. 

ROH PPV Fun but not great

I'm an Ring of Honor fan boy, always have been always will be. I love their product and the way the talent sells out in the ring. Their matches are always fun to watch and last night was no different with Final Battle.

Every year Final Battle is billed as their version of WrestleMania. While the show was good it lacked that moment that sent everyone home talking, like Sting at The Survior Series. Last year ROH used Final Battle to announce the home coming of Chris Hero and it was a great success.

Maybe its because I'm getting older but the blood fest main event between Jay Briscoe and Adam Cole was good it lacked that wow  factor. The tacks in the mouth spot is something that Pro Wrestling Guerilla did during its Young Bucks/World Cutest Tag Team match and it bored me in truth. Seen the staple gun thing in ECW.  

Also expected more from Jay Letheal and Matt Sydal match, while  it had good spots it was sloppy in a lot of respect. The only matches that really had me on the edge of my seats: The six man match featuring the Young Bucks/the Addiction and the Red Dragon/Time Splitters. Both matches showed how great tag team wrestling can be. Maybe the WWE can learn from this event.

Out of a scale of 10, I would give Final Battle a 6.5. 

Professional Tailgating: Maybe things are OK

So we made the trip down to College Park for Rutgers game vs. Maryland. Little did we know what we witness and aren't I glad we didn't leave at halftime. 

   Now this is a basketball arena 

   

    Not bad tickets for $6 

    

    Proof that we made it to the end. 

    

   My son's message for the Maryland fan  base 

   

Professional Tailgating: Fly Eagles Fly

It was off to the Linc yesterday as I took my 4-year-old to his first Eagles game. And the birds didn't disappoint as they destroyed the a Titans. 

    

    

   

Professional Tailgating: Going Bowling

For a first season in the Big Ten, going to a bowl game has to be considered a success. On Saturday, Rutgers beat Indinana to secure their sixth win and get bowl eligible. 

    

   

Cup Fail

On Monday night I went to the Eagles/Panthers game, while I had a great time and my Eagles played well. But one thing drove me nuts I went to get a Diet Coke. While getting the drink the lady said the tops didn't fit right. The Eagles are a $4 billion company and they can't get the right size tops. Come on.

Professional Tailgating: MNF is fun

Monday Night Football has always been a big game and the Eagles played like it Monday night. We road dirty with Mark all and all it was a good night for us. 

    

   

   

    

Professional Tailgating: We're talking about practice.

As Allen Iverson once said: "we're talking about practice." The Flyers hold an open practice at Boardwalk Hall in AC and it was entertaining. 

    

Professional Tailgating: That was not good

So this is what the Big Ten is like. Rutgers get smashed by Wisconsin in a driving rain. 

    

    

    

Professional Tailgating: #chopmichigan

So Gary Nova played the game of his life last night at Rutgers beat Michigan for its first ever Big Ten win. What an amazing night. 

What a nice night for a blackout

People taking the field after the win. 

The magic ticket stub 

 

Professional Tailgating: Let's Get to your Seats

I'm one of the more positive Rutgers fans out there but Saturday something happened that annoyed me. Let's get to our seats before the game started. With a nation audience watching on ESPN News, the game kicked off in a more than half empty stadium. This should not happen. It looks bad.