Say It Ain't So...Yep I am a wrestling fan!!! Why & How?

Jimmy Snuka Vs Don Muraco 1982 Steel Cage Madison Square Garden

I often get asked of course by non-wrestling fans...why pro-wrestling Rick? Do you know it's all fake and predetermined? No & yes to both questions. No that the injuries are very real and having done security for a  independent organization I have seen how hard these guys and gals do train to make sure everyone is safe from injuries to their partner and themselves. 

People have died in the ring to put on the "entertainment" for it's fans and have been paralyzed or career cut short due to injuries...Droz-(Paralyzed)  comes to mind, Stone Cold Steve Austin from a neck injury and most recently WWE Superstar Edge...

Anyways, I can blame my mother for turning me into a fan of the sport...she would talk about legends like Bobo Brazil, The Sheik and others that would do shows from Detroit...We are from the East side of the State! Imagine my surprise when one day after church we stopped by my Grandmother's house for Sunday dinner and found on Channle 50 from Detroit a wrestling show with no other than the legendary Sheik on it. Did that guy scare the beJesus out of me...he would throw fireballs-(Flash paper) and would occasionally use a spike or fork to man-handle his opponent...something his nephew Sabu would do much later on...but that is another story...

I was hooked....I saw people booing this guy who was to a 12 year old was a very mean and nasty person and the people hated him...and he loved it!! So, I had to find more on this "new" addiction I had....low & behold I caught a small promotion at the time who would film from a territory of New York and the North Eastern part of the country called the WWF....they were not HUGE as they are now but did show a lot of promise...later from the south I was able to find Georgia Championship Wrestling and the NWA....back then and to this day the formula is simple...you have a bad guy-(Heel) and a good guy-(Face) talk trash and what they are going to do to each other etc....called a promo.

When the "Feud" needed to be settled once and for all it was decided in a steel cage....15 feet of either chain link fence or steel piping...the winner was decided by one of the wrestlers going over the top and landing on the ground first or through the door and touching ground first.

So rewind to 1982...this feud of Don Moroco and Jimmy Snuka was tearing up arenas through-out the North East and finally was decided in Madison Square Garden in New York City...this is what finally made me decide YEP...I am a fan for life. Enjoy everyone!!

What is this? The Detroit Lions ON Monday Night Football???

FORD FIELD

So what did you have to think when the NFL had confirmed that the Detroit Lions were in fact going to be hosting a Monday Night Football game? The first at Ford Field ever and the first since 2001...when the Lions were shut-out 35-0 to the St. Louis Rams at the famed Silver Dome?

I was excited and couldn't help contain that excitement with my fellow co-workers who could not believe me and who the opponent was going to be....Oct. 10 they will be hosting the Chicago Bears! Ironically the same Chicago Bears the Lions played for the first time on Monday Night Football back on Oct.5 1970! The Lions ended up winning that game 28-14!

The Lions Monday night record is nothing to brag about as they are under .500 with a 11-13-1 record with a win percentage of .460

I for one am happy to see the Lions and it's young talent being showcased for America to watch...sure we got blown out by the Patriots last Thanksgiving and we gave much of the nation heartburn that day but with the high of the final 4 game winning streak to finish off last season...we should be looking good for this upcoming season under Coach Schwartz. Hopefully Matthew Stafford will have no issues with his newly operated shoulder...with Calvin Johnson ready to finally show what Mega-Tron is about.....I am for one am looking forward to this game and the upcoming season....if we have one!

Thanks for the read and see you at the games...

Rick.

Doan's Dirty Cheap Shot on Johan Franzen 4/16/11

I swear to God if  Probert was alive or this was old time hockey this ass-clown would have been toast....bring back the goons of the NHL!!

Throwing Octopus in Detroit Lands Man A Court Date & Fine! HUH?

The above image has been a tradition in Detroit since well let's say my mom was a one year old little girl...in July she will celebrating her 60th birthday-(sorry mom)...leave me in the will please.


To understand what I am talking about let's look at how the tradition of throwing a Octopus on the ice started and if any other teams have been caught doing something of the sorts at their arena's.


(Courtesy of WIKI) The Legend of the Octopus is a sports tradition during Detroit Red Wings home playoff games where octopodes are thrown onto the ice surface. The origins of the activity go back to the 1952 playoffs, when a NHL team played two best-of-seven series to capture the Stanley Cup. The octopus, having eight arms, symbolized the number of playoff wins necessary for the Red Wings to win the Stanley Cup. The practice started April 15, 1952 when Pete and Jerry Cusimano, brothers and storeowners in Detroit's Eastern Market, hurled an octopus into the rink of  The Old Barn. The team swept the Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens en route to winning the championship, as well as winning two of the next three championships.

Since 1952 the practice has persisted with each passing year. In one 1995 game, fans threw 36 octopuses, including a specimen weighing 38 pounds (17 kg). The Red Wings' unofficial mascot is a purple octopus named Al, and during playoff runs two of these mascots are also hung from the rafters of the Joe Louis Arena, symbolizing the 16 wins now needed to win the Stanley Cup. It has become such an accepted part of the team's lore, that fans have developed what is considered proper etiquette and technique for throwing an octopus onto the ice.

SO for almost 60 years what we Red Wings fans have called tradition is now trying be stopped by the NHL and it's head boss Gary Bettman. My question is why is Detroit being the example set for the league and now fans are being ticketed and even have to appear in court? Really? Court? Teams such as Florida use to throw rubber rats on the ice...Boston had fans throw lobster.... Nashville fans would throw cat-fish and now Vancouver, salmon can be seen hurled on the ice during the first goal scored by the team...so what gives Bettman?

Hence the story of Tom Balish who threw an octopus onto the ice in the second period of Wednesday’s game. It was game one of round one against the Coyotes. He said after he did, security grabbed, took him to lock-up and had him issued a ticket. 

“Above subject did throw an octopus onto the playing surface of a hockey game, is how it’s stated,” said Tom Balish. The shocked Canton man said he was told the fine was $500. He says no one warned him at the door when he showed several security guards the octopus in a clear bag.

“They asked me at the front door, sir what’s in your bag. I showed the young lady and she said, come right in, come on in,” said Balish. 
When it came time to throw the sea creature, he said he was swinging it around his head while he ran to the glass.

“I walked past eight to nine guards who said, hurry up, go ahead, go down. When I was done the lady usher told me to go back to my seat,” said Balish. “A man who liked like he was a security guard near the Phoenix bench came up to me then and said, Sir, you’re going to jail!”

That’s when Balish was escorted to the lock-up in Joe Louis Arena. He said security forced Detroit Police to issue him a ticket even though the officer did not want to. Then he was kicked out of the game. The guards told him the ticket was a $500 fine.-(Courtesy of WXYZ.com)

Bettman, you have caused a firestorm in the motor-city with this ridiculous rule. No one is getting hurt by it but my gf did bring up what if someone is allergic to sea-food and can't have contact with that stuff? Interesting point but I have not found a story of that happening to anyone at the Joe? I love the t-shirts and how the fans and players have spoken out for the tradition to continue....please keep the Octopi free...till the next time...see you at the games!

Rick Solis 

Sports Tv Listings 4/14/11

NHL: Playoffs, Eastern Conference quarterfinals, Montreal at Boston (Versus, 7 p.m.); Western Conference quarterfinals, Los Angeles at San Jose (Versus, 10 p.m.)


MLB: Detroit Tigers Vs Oakland A's 10:05pm FSD....

Rostislav Klesla Vs Todd Bertuzzi April 13th 2011

I think it's great to see Bert drop the mitts once again. After the two in Nashville-(still can't believe they have a hockey team) he was due for another. Bert back in the day was on one the most feared on the ice...good job Todd!!

First Blog...Wish Me Luck?

Hi everyone and for those that choose to follow this blog thank you! It's something else to give me the chance to express myself and what I am most passionate about outside of the family and relationship aspect of my life and that is sports.

I always get asked...did I ever play? Yes and no...yes to basketball, football, soccer but no to like hockey and some others. As I have gotten older I have become more of a quarterback of the remote and couch..my recliner...RIP.

I will be the first to admit I am no guru on the stats aspect of the game but will give a strong opinion of something that is going on in the world of sports....you can take it or leave it and I am always ready for a good debate...so beware! Thanks again for following, reading, disagreeing or what have you...this is for you the other fans of sports. This will be a trial by fire as I will be learning from scratch on how to do one of these things...wish me luck and see you at the games!

Rick Solis