Just John

You're thinking of Mania 18. I think the only other times Arn Anderson has been on tv are: 1. As an announcer during that horrible Raw is WCW main event 2. As part of a security contingent to break up random brawls 3. Getting peed on by Steve Austin

Phoenix won that game because they did a better job playing their pace. Boris Diaw should be getting more recognition for his great performance. Completely cancelled out Devin Harris' good showing. Nash again showed why he's the MVP, although I'm sure people will continue to say he isn't for some reason. Where was Dirk down the stretch in this one? If Dallas wants to win, they'll have to get back on defense quicker. They got burned to the basket way too many times on made buckets.

I hope this doesn't mean Henry injures Benoit.

I also like the Tongan death grip. I liked the Angle slam before everyone from HHH to Funaki could kick out of it.

This year's draft pool is pretty shallow. I don't think either of the big 2 college names (Reddick and Morrison) will have spectacular NBA success. That could affect a lot of potential trades, because draft picks this year have less value. Tyrus Thomas is the only guy I see who could make an immediate impact. I was hoping Joakim Noah and Corey Brewer would come out this year, because I think they'll be good NBA players. As it stands, draft picks this year are like pesos instead of dollars.

I can't believe I forgot Alabama Slamma. I was ragging on that name for the entire 3 weeks they tried to get it over. I always thought "human suplex machine" was kinda lame too.

They certainly not the butchest guys out there. They look like a bunch of metrosexuals. I'm pretty sure they're going for the preppy high school douchebag thing. They're supposed to act like hotshots, even if they're not really that tough.

The thing about both LA teams taking Phoenix to 7 games was that they had big men went inside and took advantage of the size mismatches. Dallas doesn't really have that, as they like to take longer shots. Dallas finally offers Phoenix a chance to play their pace.

If I'm the Clippers, I'm seriously thinking about getting KG. Trade Maggette (because any big Clipper trade will probably involve him), then Mobley and/or Radmonavic plus picks. The problem with the Clips is that they have lots pretty good players, but minus Elton Brand, they don't have any great ones. That's a formula destined for a 2nd or 3rd round playoff exit every year. The plus side is, they have enough pieces to spare for a shot at making a huge move while still keeping a solid core. A starting five with Garnett, Kaman, Brand, Cassell, and Mobley (or another outside threat guard if he's traded).... Now that could win a championship. I think the Hawks and AI thing is interesting. It would definitely create some interest in their franchise, but I'm not sure if it fills their needs. I don't follow the Hawks closely at all, so could someone who does inform me on their big-man situation?

Goooooooo Spirit Squad! Ok, this is a horribly unfair judgment on Kenny. He botches one spot, and all of a sudden he no longer has any talent? Come on. Ric Flair has botched spots. Bret Hart has botched spots. Chris Benoit has botched spots. And the list goes on. When you're performing as much as wrestler's do, no one's going to bat 1.000. And I'd like to see Stephanie do a leg drop as well as Kenny.

Predictions: Detroit d. Miami (6): I badly, badly want Miami to win, but I just don't see it happening. The Pistons know how to defend Shaq, and even though Wade is awesome, the Heat don't have another consistent offensive threat. The only redeeming quality of this series is that it can't end with SA/DET waiting to happen. Phoenix d. Dallas (6): Somewhat of an upset pick, but I like the way Phoenix matches up offensively. I'm not convinced Dallas has enough D to stop the Suns. Also, Dallas doesn't have any major inside presence to speak of (like Elton Brand), but they do have lots of guys who like to take mid-range jumpers... I think that means a Suns basketball series. Should be fun to watch at the very least.

That theme was originally used for Zodiac.

Triple Post.

Double post. My bad.

"Manster" gets my vote for worst.

Austin beat him clean at Summer Slam 98. Angle beat him perfectly clean at NWO this year too.

To me, this match combined everything good about wrestling into an explosive 13 minutes of greatness. As a huge proponent of this match (it's my favorite match ever, and one of only two I give *****), I'll try to give you some insight from supporter's perspective on each of the elements. Storytelling - The story and character portrayals were done to perfection. Rey was fighting to defend his mask and honor against a sleazy, yet very focused Eddie Guerrero. Rey had pinned Eddie in a couple of non-title situations prior to this match, which plays right into the story. It would seem going in that Rey had the advantage or had Eddie's number, but as the match got underway the tables seemed to turn. Mike Tenay mentions during the match that "it's difficult to defeat someone the caliber of Eddie three straight times" and it became apparent that Eddie did his homework and scouted Rey's offense, as he had a counter for almost everything. Eddie played the dick heel to perfection as he would wear Rey down then try to rip the mask off. Eddie appears to have Rey scouted to the finest detail, but showing his greatness, Rey adapts throughout the match and pulls out some never-before-seen offense. The finish plays right off the rest of the story as Eddie counters Rey's springboard huricanrana finisher, and Rey reacts out of desperation to counter Eddie's top-rope splash mountain attempt. Rey also works the never-say-die face role to perfection, which leads to Eddie getting frustrated, and ultimately to his undoing. Psychology - The psych isn't the main focus of the match, but it does provide some important framework that keeps it together. By constantly working over Rey's back, it gives Eddie's methodical offense some focus and makes the submissions more effective. It also helps that any time Eddie counters one of Rey's move, it's with a back-impact move. The back work also makes the top rope splash mountain attempt seem like a logical move. Sure, on its own the move would be devastating, but Eddie never uses the move so it would seem a bit out of place. However, with the combination of the back work and Rey's never-say-die attitude, it makes sense to use back-impact move that would be big enough to end the match. Pacing - One of the most underrated aspects of this match is the pacing, and more importantly the change in pace throughout the match. It's a classic case of each guy trying to impose his will on the other. The phrase "wrestle at his own pace" gets thrown around a lot by announcers, but often inapporopriately or with little meaning. Here is a case where you could actually see each guy trying to wrestle "his pace." Whenever Rey was on offense, the pace was fast with Rey going for quick, high-impact, strikes or aerial moves. When Eddie was on offense, he would slow the pace down with high-impact slams or submissions. Whenever one guy would counter the other, the pace would change almost instantaneously. It's truly a thing of beauty, and just makes it that much more "real." Moves - Of course, the main thing that catches your eye when first watching the match is the incredibly cool spots these guys hit. On top of that, every move hit in the match is done about as well as it could possibly be. From simple things like a powerbomb to the awe-inspiring moves like the backflip DDT and Springboard Dragon-rana to the floor. What makes them really special, though, is how they all make sense and flow with the match. Rey's big spots are timed very well and show desperation, as well as smart, spontaneous adaptation. There's also never a slow or awkward transition, as the moves flow together very nicely. Putting it all together - I've known for a long time that I love this match, but it took a while to actually express why. I think it boils down to this match is very stylized, yet realistic at the same time. Sure, the spots like the backflip DDT aren't realistic on their own, but the way Eddie and Rey timed the spots, controlled the pace, and made every move mean something made the match seem very believeable in the context of pro wrestling. The emotion and story also helps quite a bit. I think this match combines the best aspects of spot wrestling, mat wrestling, and emotional storytelling while avoiding the pitfalls of all of them (doesn't seem to be a thrown-together spotfest, doesn't get too boring with the mat work, and doesn't sacrifice logical wrestling for the sake of a story). Just a truly brilliantly worked match from every angle in my book.

Yay! More spin the wheel make the deal. Unfortunately, since all of the little people got fired, there won't be any capture the midget matches.

I'm very excited that a Booker title run is looking more and more likely. Unfortunately, when I went to Buffalo Wild Wings to watch the show they said they weren't carrying it, even though they said they would when I called them earlier in the day. That was really gay. I can't wait to get a DL of this show. It sounds pretty good.

You and Pistons fans must be the only people who want to see Detroit/Miami 2. On a side note, I fucking hate the Detroit PA announcer.

Cleveland can't buy a decent shot at this point. Looks like we're well on our way to Boring Conference Finals rematch #1.

Cleveland could very well be leading, but their making some mistakes that are holding them back. Lebron looks great, but what else is new? Someone else needs to step up, though. Detroit's poor free throw shooting could be huge late.

Hey Ya - Andre 3000

So what exactly is he adding to the product? I also suspect the reason he hasn't hurt anyone yet is because he has done nothing since showing up. If you saw the "hype" package for Khali on SD last night, at least half of it was the head chop or a kick to the face. I guess he also has that choke powerbomb where his opponent just sits on his shoulders for a few seconds before falling backwards. Khali might have an intimidating look, but when your primary job is to, you know, wrestle, a look doesn't do that much for you. I'm not saying he has to be Benoit in the ring, but when his offense consists of one chop, one kick, and one kinda-powerbomb-ish thing, that's detrimental to his duties as a wrestler. He also seems to have trouble getting the heat that an upper-midcard heel should have.

Khali adds nothing to the WWE product. There's absolutely nothing they can do with Khali that they couldn't do with Big Show if they wanted. Show even has more mobility, moves, comedic talent, can take a bump, and is more careful in the ring. Calling Khali a "valuable asset" sounds like the call of a rebel smark who just wants to be different. And I think the prayer was the same one they used in the Hassan/UT video package when they got to the clips of UT being beat down by the "terrorists."