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. 

Professional Tailgating: Going Home

Saturday the gang headed to William Paterson for their annual homecoming celebration. The Pioneers won their game and we had some fun. 

Nothing says Pioneers like a bear mascot

Good sausage 

Nothing says homecoming like cupcakes 

A little different than a Big Ten game 

It's always great to see the water tower 

Professional Tailgating: Cup Final Day

For the first time, I attended a competitive Philadelphia Union match but it may have been the biggest in their history. The Union played the Sounders in the final of the US Open Cup. Here are some of sights.

 

It's a Cup Final

I have not been to a Philadelphia Union game but tomorrow that changes as I head to US Open Cup final vs. Seattle Sounders. Can't wait. 

Professional Tailgating: We're here

So Rutgers played their first Big Ten game last night and rest of the conference was treated to Classic Gary Nova. Here are some of the sights from Rutgers first conference game. 

A pregame Fat Blunt Sandwhich from the Rutgers Grease Trucks 

Rutgers fans are not a fan of James Franklin's economic policies. 

Big Ten Network was their to witness Gary Nova being Gary Nova 

A packed house 

Prospect Plus: Summer's Best

It's been a busy summer for Only Time Will Tell. Baseball games in three different states, two trips and ton of golf. But over the summer, I've been able to see some of the best prospects in baseball in the South Atlantic League and the Florida State League.

Here are the list of the top prospects I've seen during my travels this summer:

1. Dominic Smith, 1B, Savannah (SAL): The former Mets first round pick looks the part of major league power hitter despite just being a year out of high school. Smith is still a couple of years away but could be the power bat the Mets have been waiting for. 
2. Adam Brett Walker, OF, Fort Myers (FSL): While there is the concern of a college player still playing in the Florida State League, Walker has both the power and the speed that scouts crave. When we say him he had an inside the park home run. A week or so earlier he won the home run derby at the All Star game. 
3. JP Crawford, SS, Lakewood (SAL): The former first round pick of the Phillies really grew during his second year in pro ball. Last year he looked over matched, but now he seems like he has a solid bat to go along with his plus glove.

Professions Tailgating: A taste before the main course

So Rutgers beat Howard today in a sloppy game but now we can focus on what we all want to focus on that school from Pennsylvania. Here are some sights from today's game. 

Today's game shirt 

20 minutes before the game 

During the game, not a bad crowd. 

The New Look United

We new that there would be big changes at Manchester United this season but none of us thought the squad would look like this. Wow. This has been a watershed transfer window for the club. The Glazers, to their credit, have put their money where their mouth is. 

With all of the new pieces here is how I think United will lineup when the Premier League returns in two weeks. 

This has look of a very good starting 11. I think that they could go 4-3-1-2 but it could morph into anything.