Des Moines Sports Freak Friday 6pack

1-LSU was manhandled in the SEC West Division Rematch by Alabama.  Are you satisfied with the way the season for college football? 

Matt – I’m not satisfied, the few moments I had it turned on it just had no flavor, it was a leftovers game.  I want to see a 16 team Death to the BCS format.  Really how can you argue with what LSU did this year too, they beat the BCS Champ on their home field, Rose Bowl/Pac12 Champ, Orange Bowl/Big East Champ, Cotton Bowl Champ, Peach Bowl Champ, Gator Bowl Champ, Music City Champ, and SEC East Champions.

Wendt – The SEC dominated college football this season (they were that damn good) until another conference can find a way to $pend more (errrrrrrrrrr) recruit better the SEC will dominate

Blake – I guess.  Alabama showed they were the better than LSU.  They were probably the best team in the Nation.  I'm glad it's the offseason.  I hope this year, there really is an offseason, for two years there hasn't been.  No news will be good news this offseason.

2-Ok get your Crystal Ball out, its 235 days till Iowa-NIU at Soldier Field…who’s in the national title game next season?  And I’m going to be taking these bets to Vegas.

Matt – Last year I picked LSU vs Oklahoma in January…I was half right.  Right now looking ahead I’m going to say USC vs LSU.  Can’t wait for the NIU game in Soldier!  Cubs are home that weekend too.

Wendt – USC vs Alabama

Blake – Northern Iowa...oh, you were talking about FCS?  USC.

3-TebowMania is sweeping the nation more so after the OT win in the wild card round vs the Steelers.  Now the Broncos go to Foxboro to take on Mr Brady and Company.  On the other side Houston with some dude off the street is playing Baltimore…is it inevitable that it will be Patriots-Ravens in the AFC Championship game?

Matt – No way we are not headed to Pats-Ravens.  This is going to be a blood bath this weekend for the AFC.  If you’re an AFC fan just get ready for next weekend.

Wendt – Yup, get ready for New England/Baltimore, like it or not

Blake – That's where I would put my money.  I don't think Houston has a chance, and I think this is the year the Patriots remember how to win a home playoff game.

4-The New York Football Giants head to Green Bay in the NFC this weekend and on the other side the Saints take their high octane offense to the Bay to take on the Defense hardened 49ers.  Any chance of upsets in the NFC this weekend?

Matt – I called the Giants beating the Packers early in the year and was off a bit, but it could happen here, I don’t see it happening but I think it’s a close game for the Packers.  The 49ers have a great D against the run, will be curious to see how they do vs the Air Attack of New Orleans.  I think we are headed for Saints-Packers.

Wendt – Absolutely a chance this weekend for an upset in fact I'm 95% sure we won't see New Orleans vs Green Bay in the NFC Championship game (take it to Vegas)

Blake – Define upset.  Any team left in the NFC could legitimately get to the Super Bowl.  All the games should be exciting, and I won't be surprised by any result. 

5-Carver Hawkeye Arena housed 15,000+ this weekend……FOR WRESTLING.  Iowa lost its first dual meet in a few years to the Oklahoma State Cowboys in a 1 vs 2 match up.  Any chance this derails Iowa’s run to a 4^th title in 5 years?

Matt – I think this loss in the dual will only fuel the fire in Tom Brands.  Last year the Hawks were unbeaten and lost the title to Penn State.  This loss will just drive Brands harder and I think in March in St Louis the Hawks hold up some more hardware.

Wendt – I have to be honest, I don't know alot about Iowa Wrestling this season (guess I better study up)

Blake – Um, huh?  Hulk Hogan still play?

6-Speaking of Wrestling, the Royal Rumble is coming up in the WWE/WWF….who’s your favorite all time wrestler?

Matt – Chris Jericho!  Thank you for coming back to RAW last week!

Wendt – Bret Hart

Blake – Blue Pulaski from Old School.

Best and Worst of the Weekend – 1 on 1 with Ice and Electricity!

Hey another 3 day weekend, I can get used to this.  It should be the norm! 

Speaking of Norm, the Hawkeyes couldn’t send Norm Parker out with a win.  Though I did think they played pretty well.  Mike Daniels where have you been all year?  When it was 14-24 I thought there might be a chance but then the ESPN Sky Cam attacked Marvin McNutt and it was just gone from there.  With the loss to I had to change my Twitter avatar to Boomer, a fuzzy horse OU mascot for a week.  It’s almost over!

All winter last year and since Thanksgiving my oldest has been bugging me about taking her to Brenton Skating Plaza to go ice skating.  So Saturday I finally gave in.  It was nice out, and she needed to get out doing something.  I was shocked that it was only $15 bucks for the two of us to rent skates and to skate.  Pretty good for the money.  After battling the ice skate with my foot we finally got on the ice.  I went straight for the railing.  I did my internship with a minor league hockey team but never skated, I was always on the ice in just shoes.  Who ever thought of putting on a sharp piece of metal and going on ice is a moron too.  How are you supposed to do that?  I went around once and Addy followed me on the railing.  Stopped and asked her how she was doing, she wanted to skate, not talk.  Second time around I tried to not use the railing so much.  Then I took a break and let Addy just go.  She was trying without help of the railing a few times and was doing ok.  When she did a full lap I went out again.  Half way I was getting a little cocky and veered away from the railing.  Bad idea.  Ice Rink-1 | Matt – 0.  Landed on my butt and shoulder.  The couple behind me even said “ouch that looked like it hurt” As soon as I got out the skates were off and it was all Addy.  She got a walker type thing to help her go around and she flew with that.  Then after 3-4 laps like that she went without the walker and was doing really good.  She stated she wants to go back again, sooner rather than later.  I’ll take her, but next time it’s all her! 

Sunday I decided to do some interior lamination in the laundry room.  There is only one light and no switch or string to pull so every time I have to twist it to turn it on or off.  So after a couple trips to Menards I was working on it.  Let’s say I had some successes and 1 failure.  I got all the lights working!  Score one for me.  Light switch wouldn’t work.  Redid it and got the switch working!  Score one for me.  Lost power to my daughter’s room didn’t work now and only 1 light of the 3 worked on the switch.  After some frustrations and kids asking to do stuff I got it back to normal and will get back to it another day. 

Monday I had off from work while the two older kids had school and there was a full day of football on!  After dropping those off I needed a nice base of breakfast for the full day of bowls.  Went initially to the Waveland but it was packed with a CNN Caucus bus out front.  Next the Drake Diner.  There was CNN there too but only a camera man and a news chick.    While watching them they panned the Diner and me and my youngest got on TV on CNN.  It was only a second but that counts! 

The bowls were good Monday too.  Michigan State thriller in the Outback bowl, the Rose was great and though I missed the end of the Fiesta (crashed hard) it was a great game too.  Even last night the Sugar Bowl was good.  Some of these colleges need to get better kickers though.  So far in my picks I’ve got 17 right straight up.  My 4yo son picked the winners to by logo…well he’s got 17 right too.  Bout how it supposed to go.

Few other things

·         Great win in the Kohl Center by Fran and the boys.  Not “Getting Mad” yet but that was a nice win.  Another big game tonight at Minnesota

·         I’ve started my diet back up again after thanksgiving and have lost 15 pds, still need to get running and lifting again, want to lose 15-20 more before softball starts.

·         Ugly injury and bad way to end the year for Brian Urlacher.  Bears at least didn’t lose to the Vikings but Urlacher I doubt is ready for 2012.

·         Bears also made moves with GM Jerry Angelo canned and Mike Martz resigning.  I wonder how different Halas Hall would be had Jay and Forte would have not got hurt?

·         The Iowa Caucus was last night; the smell is burning rubber of the candidates campaign’s getting out of Iowa.  Dead heat of Santorum and Romney.  Perry and Bachman are done.  Newt needs to come in 2^nd in NH and first in SC to stay alive.  Santorum and Paul need to stay strong too or this will be done quicker than the 8 day war.

·         This week is my most stressful week of the year with Year End, creating tax statements is always stressful.  My 3^rd year doing it and I’m still nervous.

·         Monday night on WWE Raw my fav wrestler returned.  CHRIS JERICHO!  He is by far the best wrestling entertainer EVER! 

·         Also over the past week since Christmas I’ve been on XBOX a lot.  Call of Duty: MW3 and my NCAA football online dynasties.  I still haven’t opened up Batman: Arkham City.

·         Google+ where’d you go?  There is so much cool stuff on google, it needs to attack facebook and not just enhance something facebook offers, give us something new! 

So that’s about that. 

How I'd fix the WWE

Welcome to the WWE....notice things haven't changed in a while.  Cena with a title belt.  How long has it been like this?  Like for the past 3-4 years.  It was like this before that when it was HHH who held the belt for years, and then long before that it was Hogan for like 5 years straight.  At least in the 90s you got Stone Cold, the Rock and Mankind fighting over the belt with a little Brock Lesnar, Chris Jericho and Big Show too.  But yes I get it, I get it, Cena sells shirts and the kids love him.  He's Vince's cash cow.  


What they don't seem to understand is that Cena doesn't need the belt to still sell all the shirts and merchandise. Cena doesn't need a belt to make Wrestlemania matches sell.  I don't understand why the WWE doesn't get this?


And for the past 5 or 6 years there have been 2 champions.  Huh?  How can 2 be champs.  It's like 1990 when Georgia Tech and Washington tied for the College Football National Championship.  Just not right.  There should only be 1 champ.


How I would fix the WWE.  And before we get into it all, yes i know its staged.  But here we go.  The talent is so thin the Rogain guy needs called in for help, the rosters of Smackdown and Raw need combined.  You get to much of the same crap over and over.


When you do that you have a 32 men bracket for the WWE Championship.  The World Heavyweight championship is gone.  No more.  Sorry Big Gold Belt.


As each person loses they get thrown into one of 2 battle royals, one for the Intercontinental Championship and the other for the US Championship.  Your roster all gets exposed here pretty much.  New feuds can be created than the normal ones we see.  


With only 3 belts there and a full roster, you can build up the Tag Team titles.  Remember back in the 80s when there was Demolition, the British Bulldogs, and the Hart Foundation.  Now we get Santino and someone.  The tag titles have taken a hit.  You build that up and newer talent can build off each other.


Finally bring back the Hardcore title.  This can be something like the ECW title where it was EXTREME!  When Big Show had the ECW title he KICKED ASS, TOOK NAMES!  Now he gets beat by dudes 1/3 his size.  Not right!  Let him roll with the Hardcore title and just beat the tar out of people!


Finally to go in further with the WWE title bracket, you need Cena to go far, maybe final four, and lose.  Then run in on the championship and turn heel!  No one would expect it.


That's how I'd fix the WWE.  What do you think?

Wrestlemania 27 Predictions

5 days way is Wrestlemainia, the Super Bowl or Daytona 500 of Wrestling.  I haven’t watched wrestling religiously like I have in the past in the last year.  Couple reasons, it was getting repetitive and then also Chris Jericho left for a break.  But I’d follow over email on clicking on the website, and well nothing has really changed.  A few new guys and face and heel turns, but you can catch up quick.  I caught the last 15 mins of Raw last night.  Rock got beat down by the Miz, fought back then got dropped by Cena, take a guess how Wrestlemainia is going to go?  So I will....

World Heavyweight Championship

Edge(c) vs Alberto Del Rio

--Don’t know much of this Alberto Del Rio character, but I think they give him the belt.  Maybe setting up a chance for the Taker to get a final championship run.

WWE Championship

The Miz (c) vs John Cena

--No Way, repeat NO WAY The Miz leaves with the title.  Cena wins, but after what happened to him on Raw, The Rock comes out and drops Cena to end the show.

HHH vs The Undertaker

--easy, Taker wins, its Wrestlemainia

Jerry Lawler vs Michael Cole : Stone Cold as guest referee

--Lawler’s first (and only) WM match, he’s a hall of famer, not losing to Cole. 

Randy Orton vs CM Punk

--I think this is the match of the night, and there’s not a title on the line.  You might see this match next year for a belt.  Orton wins.

Rey Mysterio vs Cody Rhodes

--Mysterio has been to the top, Rhodes is getting a push, Cody wins

Trish Stratus, Snooki, John Morrison vs Dolph Ziggler and LayCool

--as much as I hated to write Snooki, a bane on our society, Stratus and her and Morrison win

United State Championship

Sheamus (C) vs Daniel Bryan

--Sheamus destroys Bryan

Kane, Big Show, Santino, Vladimir Kozlov vs The Corre

--hey 2 guys the WWE misuses terribly, Kane and the Big Show…they’ll continue and they will lose to the Corre

***Should more matches be added through the week, I’ll add them.***

How does Christian not have a WM match?

Holy Hannah Montana

So I’m sitting at work and about 30 mins in I throw the iPod on. I know there are playlists I have set up, which I will have to use more often, but today I just selected randomly all songs. Well the first dozen or so songs have played and my iPod is on a love fest with Hannah Montana! Now those songs aren’t on there for my listening pleasure. I have an almost 5 year old girl who LOVES Hannah and her songs. I put those songs on there for her when we drive to preschool to let her listen and sing them. She knows all the words. And I love hearing her sing. I don’t think she’s the next American Idol but love hearing her sing “Best of Both Worlds” and watching her little dance to the line “mix it all together”. She loves it too when she can hold the iPod. So along with Hannah, she loves Taylor Swift, and she’s all over my iPod too. Surprisingly though I haven’t heard any of her yet. I’m sure she’s yet to come. Hopefully after a little Tim and Toby and Kid.

That being said my funeral song just came on. Kind of morbid random thought, but I think it’s a good song. Leave the Memories Alone by Fuel. Was introduced to it by the WWE when Ric Flair retired after WrestleMania 24. He’s since come back as a manger with AJ Styles in TNA. But that was one of the best retirements the WWE has done. Specially the dark – secret tributes by Vince and the Undertaker after Raw went off the air.

Wrestlemania 26 picks

The Grandaddy of the WWE is here for the 26th time. This time from the desert in Arizona at Univ of Phoenix Stadium. A decent card but Wrestlemania has probably had better ones too. That being said here are my picks.

Diva Tag Team Match...I'll take Mickie James team since they don't have a champion on their team, but who really cares?

Rey Mysterio vs CM Punk...I'll take Rey just because I don't see Rey joining the straight edge society. I don't think that's how the WWE will want to market him.

Orton vs Dibiase vs Rhodes...Either will be a platform from Dibiase to jump up a notch or for Orton to go more face. I think it will be Dibiase getting the win, and start and Orton-Dibiase only feud.

Sheamus vs HHH...Would be better if this had the belt on the line, I think if Sheamus loses he falls fast on the main event spotlight, so I'll take him to win.

ShoMiz vs Morrison/RTruth...There isn't a good tag team anymore, and I dont see Morrison/RTruth as one either, so I'll take ShowMiz.

Money in the Bank...I see only 2 of the 10 as players for the title this coming year, Kofi and Christian. I'll take Kofi.

Streak vs Career...easy, taker goes to 18-0.

Bret vs Vince...Bret gets the W

Batista(C) vs Cena...I think Cena comes out on top, but the feud doesn't end.

Jericho(C) vs Edge...The WWE would be smart to keep it on Jericho for 2 more months, but they wont, Edge walks out champion.

2009 Survivor Series Picks

Survivor Series is here...and there are 3 traditional matches, 3 regular matches. I think we see some twists here to start to set up towards WrestleMania.

WWE Championship:I think John Cena keeps his title over DX, but I think we either see a DX split and either HHH turns heel, or both of them turn heel on Cena and after the match, bust him up pretty good.

World HeavyWeight Championship:I think that Jericho pulls out the win here and starts a feud against Y2J. I think this may be a split for the tag team champs too where they drop the titles soon too. I think that it would be stupid for the WWE to do that, Big Show and Y2J are doing good things together.

Batista vs Rey Mysterio: Batista continues to DESTROY his old friend.

Team Orton vs Team Kingston: The Viper destroys Team Kingston, and Kofi vs Orton is teased for the next PPV.

Team Miz vs Team Morrison: Probably one of the more exciting matches...Team Morrison gets the last laugh vs Team Miz. New feuds brew between the participants.

Team Mickie vs Team Michelle: McCool's team gets the last laugh.

Breaking Point Predictions

Jericho & Big Show beat MVP & Henry and keep the titles and prolong the fued.

John Cena finally beats Randy Orton to win the WWE Championship

CM Punk loses World Heavyweight Championship to Undertaker.

DX keeps on beating Legacy because the WWE won't push anyone against HHH/HBK, they want to sell tshirts.

Kane beats the Great Kahli

William Regal wins the ECW title over Christian.....the Instant Classic goes to SmackDown

The Miz ends Kofi's US title run

Summer Slam 2009 Predictions

2009 SummerSlam Predictions

World HeavyWeight Championship - CM Punk ends Hardy's regin and Hardy takes a break.

WWE Championship - Age or Orton in 2009 continues in win over Cena

Tag Team Championship - Cryme Tyme takes titles from Jericho and Big Show to split them up

Intercontinetal Championship - Rey drops to Dolph to go after a different title

ECW Championship - Christian vs William Regal - Christian retains ECW title for now.

Jack Swagger vs M.V.P. - Swagger gets win in continued push he is getting on Raw

Great Kahli vs Kane - Great Kahli gets W over misued Big Man in Kane

DX vs Legacy - DX will get the win but the old guys should put the young guys over

WWE Extreme Rules Predictions

Chris Jericho wins the Intercontinental Title for the 9th time over Rey Mysterio.

Randy Orton keeps his championship, beats Batista in the Steel Cage.

John Cena takes out the Big Show.

Match of the Night:Edge defeats Hardy to keep title.

Umaga takes out CM Punk

Santina hogwashes Vickie.

Christian loses the ECW title to Swagger....moves to Smackdown to take on Edge/Jericho

*note Predictions posted to late to do the 1st match*

Armageddon Predictions

WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP - John Cena (c) vs Chris Jericho....Jericho wins via DQ, no title movement

WWE CHAMPIONSHIP - Edge (c) vs HHH vs Jeff Hardy....Edge wins, Hardy is brought up to another level.

Batista vs Randy Orton....Orton wins the with the help of Manu and Cody Rhodes

ECW CHAMPIONSHIP - Matt Hardy (c) vs Vladimar Kozlov....The Russian gets the Extreme Belt.

Finlay vs Mark Henry....The world strongest man comes out on top

Intercontinental Championship Tournament Final - Rey Mysterio vs CM Punk....Rey Rey is a 619 away from taking the belt off Regal.

WWE Unforgiven picks

WWE World Heavyweight Championship Scramble--Punk somehow I think comes out as the winner in the end with a pin over JBL that will continue their feud. I could see maybe Punk & Batista simultaneously pinning JBL to have that feud go on with Batista.

WWE Championship Scramble--What a joke....HHH all the way. Jeff Hardy shows the most competition, MVP-Shelton will cost Hardy the title.

ECW Championship Scramble--Hardy shocks the strongest man in the world.

Divas Championship Match--Michelle McCool will hold on to the title for a long time.

Cody Rhodes/Ted Dibiase vs Cryme Tyme--CT is up, but the Priceless team needs to have the belts to be relevant. They screw Cryme Tyme. Rematch will happen on Raw.

HBK vs Chris Jericho--The match of the night. Jericho will win the match, and take out HBK for a while (to let him rest and heal up) and to prolong and make Jericho a bigger heel.