The Oriole’s & the Contract Curse

Simply put The Oriole’s are abysmal as ever at the midway point of the season. At the beginning of the season Dan Duquette mentioned after Memorial Day the team would re-evaluate things, well all the signs point to rebuild now. After the late season collapse the team incurred last year, fans speculated things would be bad this year, maybe average if we caught a few breaks but not downright miserable.  

              

   The Oriole’s fell hard very fast into the season, and it seems like everything that has been a achilles heel for the team in past seasons came back to bite them in the ass. Lack of solid pitching, lack of depth at various positions and minor league players who could make an immediate impact if called up, relying on the long ball, and lack of timely baserunning.

     In addition to all of those I’m starting to wonder if the Oriole’s are in fact cursed. I’m not one who believes in curses and superstitions but damnit something is up. I believe it’s the Curse of contracts, everytime this team steps out and gives big contracts to players it bites them in the ass.

  Back in the late 90’s the Oriole’s got bit big time by the highest contract given in team history to Albert Belle at five years for $65 million, after a couple of lackluster seasons he was forced to retire after a chronic hip condition and the Oriole’s were stuck with this contract for a few more seasons. Paying out dead money, Albert was only the tip of the iceberg as similar situations occurred with other players such as Scott Erickson, Sidney Ponson, Charles Johnson, even Brian Roberts among others.

 During the 14 year drought fans often complained that the Orioles were reluctant to spend the money necessary to compete in the AL East Division. After some smart rebuilding from Andy Macphail and the hiring of Buck Showalter things started to turn around. Once Mcphail resigned and Dan Duquette came aboard the tide shifted for the better and playoff baseball returned to Baltimore.

  That streak of winning baseball was a little hampered by the signing of Ubaldo Jimenez signed in 2014 to a 4 year $84 million dollar deal the richest team contract given to a pitcher. He underperformed all 4 seasons during his team here often unreliable he spent time in the bullpen, and many blame him for the Orioles early exit out of the 2016 playoffs.

The damaged doesn't stop there, in 2016 Chris Davis was a free agent. Fan’s called for him to be resigned and he eventually was given the richest contract in team history at 7 years for $161 million. He has not done jack since signing that massive contract significantly underperforming. In fact this season he has been bounced around the lineup from lead-off to cleanup in hopes of sparking a fire underneath him, all the while fans calling for his riddance.

Chris Davis isn't the only culprit who has failed since cashing in. Mark Trumbo and Darren O’Day have also notoriously regressed since resigning with the team. Andrew Cashner and Alex Cobb were bought in this season to stabilize the starting rotation and while decent at times, at others they perform horribly.

Now with the team about to enter another rebuilding mood,  it’s kind of hard to argue with the Orioles hesitation to award players with bank breaking contracts. Whether by injuries, age catching up with players, or some bizarre circumstances big contracts don't seem to work for this team.

Being a small market team in a division with teams who have deep pockets, the Orioles aren't getting good returns on their investments. They listened to the fans to keep the core together and so far its not working out for them. You have to spend to compete but I’d be shocked if they didn't tighten the pockets during the next rebuilding phase. The organization really needs to reevaluate their scouting from pitching prospects to international talent. Don't know who they pissed off but the O’s truly are under a contract curse.

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WrestleMania 34 Experience

    Another WrestleMania is in the books and man did I have a great time. This was my third WrestleMania weekend and I think my experience at WrestleMania 34 trumps my other two experiences. My first Mania experience WrestleMania 27 I didn’t fully know what to expect and how to plan and navigate through the activities. WrestleMania 33 last year I did way more that time around and loved every moment of it. This year WrestleMania 34 was by far my best experience.


    Let’s start my experience off with WrestleMania Axxess and that whole atmosphere. Axxess is the annual fan festival WWE hold’s during Mania weekend. Before Axxess even began I stopped in the Axxess Superstore, which pretty much had every type of WWE merchandise you could think of. Diamond encrusted replica championships that cost $2,000, customized jerseys and hats, slammy awards, authentic turnbuckles, autographed signatures, pop figures, toys, pin collections. If you could think of it they had it, and people bought all that stuff up. I spent wayyyy more than I intended to in that store and WWE knows what they are doing.


    I did 3 of the 6 Axxess events this year and once again it was worth it. In addition to meeting superstars at Axxess, there are replica environments to take photos in, superstar entrances you can replicate, the Axxess staple the foampit, promos, even call a match with a member of the commentary team. The replicas this year included a set of Piper’s Pit along with replica fruit in case you want to smash a coconut over someone’s head. The steel “WCW” letters that were featured on WCW Monday Nitro during its heyday, the ECW entrance included with the brick backdrop and chain link fence. Also included was a trash can in case you needed to smash some heads on your way out. The old school RAW sign was back in addition to the Neon Raw entrance which you could walk through and make your own entrance.


   Every superstar and legend I met this year were all very nice, personable and took a few seconds to be playful or hold small talk to make your interaction memorable. This year I met Bo Dallas and Curtis Axel, Zack Ryder, The Revival, Aiden English, Dolph Ziggler, AJ Styles, Finn Balor, Teddy Long, Jimmy Hart, Cedric Alexander, The Brian Kendrick, Mike Bennett, Tye Dillinger, Tony Nese, Drake Maverick, Gran Metalik, Lince Dorado, Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville who I was shocked were so playful and outgoing, and of course I had to meet Naomi again. As with every Axxess expect long lines and a lot of waiting for autographs, I waited in line for WCW legend DDP Diamond Dallas Page, he was very personable with every person in line which held the line up and unfortunately I didn’t get to meet him. I was also unable to meet the million dollar man Ted Dibiase which I was kind of bummed about. I often wondered why Axxess is held in “sessions” as opposed to all day and after observing all the activities going on, I realized it’s to give the staff and volunteers a break to rest and eat. If I’m tired from standing in line for a while I know those guys are tired, they work hard and are unsung heroes to making this process as smooth as it is.


    I also attended WrestleCon for the first time this go round if you’re use to Axxess, WrestleCon could be a bit of a culture shock. WrestleCon is just that..a traditional convention, you buy the initial ticket to get in the doors and then you walk around the room meeting various wrestlers, but to get a picture or autograph it’s going to hurt your pockets. The prices ranged from $10-$50 or even more for a pic or autograph depending on the wrestler, most of them were very friendly even if you didn’t want a pic or autograph. I heard some didn’t want to be bothered unless you were getting one but I didn’t experience any of that. I allocated some funds for this purpose and met D’Lo Brown, Eli Drake, James Storm, X-pac, and Al Snow. But after those funds were gone I was fine with just seeing what the vendors had to offer and doing some people watching. I would have liked to met some more wrestlers but as I mentioned the pockets talk. Even with having to pay to for autographs or pictures I would attend WrestleCon again.  I skipped the WWE Hall of Fame this year as one time attending was enough for me and I hear it was way to long.


   On the wrestling front I went to Impact vs. Lucha Underground Friday night. I regularly watch Impact Wrestling and hope that the tide turns for them as they have a talented roster, I haven’t watched Lucha Underground regularly but based on the crowd reactions I need to start watching it more. The best match of the night to me was LAX vs. Killshot and The Mack, Killshot and The Mack really impressed me. LAX is the best tag team in Impact and if given more tv time could really show people what they have to offer. The main event was Austin Aries vs. Pentagon Jr and Fenix, Alberto Del Rio was supposed to be included in that match but we all know how that went.  I enjoyed the event and hope people that never watch Impact will give it a chance, as Lucha Underground has a new fan in me.

   Saturday night was NXT Takeover, the six man ladder match with Adam Cole becoming the first N XT North American champion was everything fans were hoping for. Aleister Black vs. Andrade “Cien” Almas was very enjoyable and the right guy won. Roderick Strong joining the Undisputed Era was a complete shock and I look forward to seeing how it goes. Johnny Gargano vs. Tommaso Ciampa told a dope, psychological wrestling story, and was hard hitting and vicious. The story of best friends turned enemies is highly relatable, and had a curve ball ending. I just knew Gargano would lose and show up on Raw or Smackdown, so the next phase in their story should be interesting.

    Which leads to the big day WrestleMania 34, the day started off with the “feeling” in the air. A WrestleMania block party was thrown for fans leading up to the big event. Once inside the atmosphere was restless waiting for WrestleMania and for the most part the show did not disappoint, I give it a B-. The opening Intercontinental championship match was probably the best match on the card, followed by Charlotte vs. Asuka. AJ Styles vs. Shinsuke was a good match but maybe expectations from fans was a little to high.

   Overall it was a good show but ran into the issue I complained and several other fans complained about, WrestleMania is too damn long. Including the pre-show it lasted around seven hours, people cannot sustain energy or interest that long. Especially when you have been up all day enjoying some of the celebrations surrounded around WrestleMania. The WWE has to figure out a way to trim the fat back to a respectable time, making everything bigger does not mean it’s better. It has gotten to bloated.

     The experience of WrestleMania is unmatched and I highly recommend any wrestling fan try to bask in the glory of WrestleMania. There is truly a experience that cannot be replicated, I even was part of a focus group which shows just how much work goes into this event. There is a awful lot to do and you'll feel torn between doing things, fearing you'll miss one thing if you do another. That fear often turns out to be true.  I’ll live off the high I experienced for quite some time.

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WWE Honorable mentions

    I previously wrote an article covering surefire WWE hall of fame omissions, that need to be rectified very soon in the near future. In this article I will cover members of professional wrestling history who deserve an honorable mention, in regards to be inducted into the hall of fame.
  First up Miss Elizabeth, the “Macho Man” Randy Savages valet. While she never wrestled during her career, she was an integral part of storylines involving Macho Man. Her most notable storyline was playing a part in the “rift” between Macho Man and Hulk Hogan. She was also the first “pretty” face in WWF and sole job was to stand by Macho Man and look attractive. She should be inducted solely off being the first true valet, and the first “diva” before WWF started using that term. Sadly the circumstances of her unfortunate death are what I believe are keeping her from being inducted.
   If Miss Elizabeth was the first diva, Sable was the first superstar diva. At the height of the Attitude era Sable was what came to mind, when people thought of WWF Divas. She was attractive, had sex and crossover appeal, and had enough wrestling training to do what was asked of her. She was also the first WWF diva to make the cover of Playboy. She had some mainstream crossover appeal and surely contributed to the popularity of the WWF during the attitude era. It could be debated who was the first diva her or Sunny, but Sunny has been inducted and so should Sable.
   Lex Luger deserves a honorable mention to be in the hall of fame. While never the most technical wrestler, he displayed power moves in his arsenal which made him exciting. He may have failed when WWF gave him the honor of being the “top guy” but that was not his strength.  His strengths were his look, his power moves, longevity, and the ability to be a good bit player in some good moments in wrestling history. He was a Horseman, a WWF and WCW champion, bodyslammed Yokozuna, was a front line player in WCW battle against NWO, and was a member of NWO Wolfpack. He even managed to stay somewhat relevant in WCW dying days, by rebranding as the Total Package. I believe his role in Miss Elizabeth’s death, and his lifestyle before turning it around is holding him back.
    Big Van Vader as he was known in WCW, or simply Vader in WWF is next on the list. He may never be in the conversation as a true legend, but he was just as damn good to be on the next tier. When he was “the mastodon” in WCW, his size made him scary enough when he walked to the ring, throw in the mastodon helmet that breathed smoke he was damn near terrifying. Once he was in the ring he was even scarier, very agile for his size, vicious, and a devasting powerbomb he was unstoppable. He didn’t make much of an impact in WWF, truthfully because they probably didn’t understand him but he deserves consideration based on his body of work in WCW and in Japan.
   WWE has started acknowledging the guys who made ECW what it was by inducting the Dudley Boyz this year, and with that Tommy Dreamer deserves a spot in the hall. Plain and simple he was ECW and what it stood for. His feud with Raven is a classic, and not just the matches but the whole backstory of their history as youths. Their story included childhood bullying, acceptance, and love triangles pretty much one of the greatest and relatable storylines in wrestling history. A bland persona, and ok skill set didn’t stop his determination. He was very loyal to ECW and lived and breathed it, he was also a great teacher of younger wrestlers. To this day there are so many people who give credit to Tommy Dreamer for teaching them so much about the business. With a great mind for the business, and being the epitome of ECW he should be inducted.
   While we’re on ECW you can’t leave out “Mr. Monday Night”, “The Whole F’N show” Rob Van Dam. He had a laid back Mr. Cool demeanor about him, and a Arsenal that had you on your feet, he produced hundreds of exciting bouts in ECW. His five star frog splash, rolling thunder, spilt legged moonsault were just some of his signature moves that had folks anticipating when it would come. Just like Tommy Dreamer, Rob Van Dam was ECW even if people never saw a ECW show they knew Rob Van Dam wrestled for ECW. When you talk about ECW, his name is one of the first that come up. During his heyday he was the personification of a human highlight reel. For that he deserves to be in the hall.

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Black Panther is Here

  Black Panther is HERE!! The culture can celebrate as it hits on all cylinders. This isn’t a review of the movie, but why I think it’s so important for the culture.           
   First this movie is special because it was crafted with love and appreciation. A majority black cast, and major players behind the scenes being black. Having the deeppppp pockets of Disney and Marvel offered the filmmakers a opportunity to create a world unlike any other and they don't disappoint.
   Honoring traditional African customs and culture. Celebrations of African culture, and spirituality of the culture. All the while implementing the possibilities of a future way of life improved by technology, but not “enslaved" by the technology. It’s a perfect blend of the past and present in this fictional country. Even though Wakanda is a fictional Country , hopefully it inspires people to take a trip to culture rich Africa.
   Representation is another important factor in this film. Besides a black superhero who is first and foremost a royal and second who kicks ass, there’s the Dora Milajae fierce female warriors who display you can be a female and take care of yourself. T’Challa sister Shuri who encompasses the STEM (Science Technology engineering mathematics) trait and mentality, she is a role model to show young girls they can become inventors and much more in those fields. We have Killmonger one of the MCU’s better villians, his ideals whether right or wrong will resonate with a lot of people.
   The underlying message of Black Panther is very important. The importance of family, humanity being humane to one another. Past transgressions affecting future progress. Issues that are very much contemporary and will be for the foreseeable future.
    We’ve had Black superhero movies before. Blade, Spawn, Meteor Man, Steel. While for the most part they are good movies, those movies are what they are. Much like the new CW show Black Lighting,  Black Panther is released at a time when there is a cultural awakening so to speak, a new found appreciation of us as black people, where we came from, where we been, and where we’re going. Black Panther taps into all that energy to make something that will be talked about for years to come. Wear your dashikis, your Kentes, embody black excellence and shout Wakanda with pride.

    

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Say goodbye to compact disc

  Compact disc simply known as CD’s have been dying a slow death since the introduction of iPods and mp3 players. Once technology improved and streaming music became more common, everyone knew the clock was ticking for CD’s.
  CD’s are now on life support as Best Buy recently announced they would no longer sell CD’s beginning July 1st. At the same time Target announced a change in how they will work with distributors and labels, and carry CD’s in their stores.
  While streaming music has definitely taking over with services like Pandora, spotify, and Apple music among others. As well as home devices such as Alexa, Google home, and the forthcoming homepod, the majority of the population just isn't using cds any longer.
  However there is a still a good portion of the population who still prefer physical CD’s. Whether their collectors, don't want to use streaming media for certain reasons, not receptive or not familiar with new technologies, or just plain old school. They still want their CD’s.
That had me wondering once CD’s finally get the nail in the coffin. Will labels and distributors think outside the box and start selling music on USB drives or find another physical medium?
  Usb devices would cater to those who still prefer physical media, at the same time embracing the future and staying in business. Packaging cost would be significantly lower and special offerings and features could be included on the USB device, to entice buyers.
   USB slots are built into every device now Tv’s to cars and everything in between. If done right USB's would become the go to physical media for music. Let's see how record labels respond.
   It will definitely be a interesting time seeing how much longer CD’s are around. Just don't toss any CD’s you currently have, 20 years from now CD’s will experience the nostalgia comeback that vinyl and cassettes are currently experiencing.

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WWE Hall OF Fame

   It’s that time again where the WWE selects their hall of fame class. While not a physical hall of fame, and some question the authenticity of it, year in and year out there is still consistent debate about who hasn’t been inducted that should. While the WWE has began to announce their inductees for this year, I’m listing my top 5 who need to be inducted sooner rather than later.
   First up Arn Anderson “The Enforcer”, it can be difficult to really shine when your standing next to Ric Flair. Which I believe is a major reason Arn Anderson was so underrated, he wasn’t as charismatic as Naitch but he had enough charisma. He got the job done in the ring, and was responsible for naming the Four Horseman. His spinebuster finisher always looked devastating, and he was a master of the tag team game with Ole Anderson and Tully Blanchard. His work behind the scenes with younger talent shouldn’t go unnoticed either. While a Hall Of Fame member via the Four Horseman, it’s time he’s inducted as a individual.
   The “British Bulldog” Davey Boy Smith should be inducted as well. In all honesty he should have been WWEs first UK born world champion. Big, strong, and quite agile, he wasn’t the most technical, but had brute strength and enough charisma to keep folks engaged in his presence . His Summerslam match against Bret Hart for the Intercontinental championship is a classic. Sadly drug abuse held him back, but he was consistent if not spectacular and left a mark on the world of wrestling.
   Paul Heyman...the manager of the Dangerous Alliance, the advisor to the Beast Incarnate, the founder of ECW! One of the greatest talkers in the game, one of the best minds for the business, and a eye for talent Paul Heyman is one of a kind. ECW pretty much was the inspiration for WWEs attitude era, he brought several “smaller” guys like Chris Benoit, Eddie Guerrero, and Rey mystero to ECW before WCW swiped them. Along with Brock Lesnar he advocated for and helped groom Stone Cold Steve Austin,Tazz, RVD, and CM Punk among others. When he was the head writer of Smackdown during the first brand spilt, it was consistently better than Raw. His financial management skills of ECW was his biggest downfall, but it’s a crime he hasn’t been honored yet.
    Vince McMahon’s biggest competitor is next on the list, Mr. Eric Bischoff. The guy who challenged McMahon head on and started Monday Night Nitro to go head to head with Monday Night Raw. He turned WCW from a afterthought to the premiere wrestling company in the world at one time. The guy who bought luchador style wrestling to the mainstream. The man who created the NWO and nearly put Vince McMahon out of business. Eric Bischoff deserves a spot in the Hall Of Fame, if for nothing else simply off the intense competition between him and McMahon during the Monday Night Wars. Sadly his letting the inmates run the asylum mentality was his downfall, and lighting could not strike twice when he tried to turn TNA around. However he contributed a great deal to some of the most iconic moments in wrestling history and should be rewarded for that.
    With the divas revolution, the first woman’s hell in the cell, and the first woman’s Royal Rumble, one woman initially broke that ceiling CHYNA. The fact she has not been inducted yet is beyond a crime, and I think it was more of a personal issue than anything else. Chyna evolved from a brooding mute bodyguard of Triple H and DX to a superstar in her own right, making the cover of playboy and a few acting gigs outside of wrestling. Winning the Intercontinental title, being the first female in the Royal Rumble and King of the Ring tournament , she also was a number one contender for the WWF championship where people legit believed she could be the first World Champion. While most of the woman superstars of today credit Lita and Trish Stratus as their inspiration, Chyna really set the standard for Woman being talented wrestlers paving the way for them to be taken seriously. One of a kind, it’s time WWE grows up and gives Chyna her rightful place in the hall.

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Diddy, Vince McMahon, & the NFL

  It’s playoff time in the NFL, and after a rough season fueled by protests, fans picking their sides in the protest and choosing to stay away, 45 and his vendetta against the NFL, over saturation, and fan remarks that the product has fallen off. The NFL is hoping for some very good playoff matches that will bring fans back.
  In the meantime there are two things that are possibly brewing that could change the NFL, or provide some stiff competition. I’m talking Diddy's bid to buy the Carolina Panthers and rumblings that Vince McMahon is angling to bring the XFL back.
  Diddy buying the Panthers would be a event of historic proportions that would deserve all kinds of praise and parties. I truly believe it would put Diddy over the hump to Billionaire status, but for the culture having a black owner in a league dominated by black players could really help address several issues between players and owners. Throw in Diddy becoming the second youngest owner in the NFL, he would be able to connect to a lot of the players, more than the current owners ever can. He may be able to convince the powers that be, to bring a little more showmanship to the game. It could also help usher in a new age of sports ownership, I believe Diddy is smart enough to let football people do football work. But he surely would put his spin on the Panthers, and breathe new life into it. He’ll face opposition from other owners of the “old guard” but I’m sure he’s ready for that.
  Vince McMahon revitalizing the XFL, if done right could bring serious competition to the NFL. The first time around it tried to go overboard with the extreme aspect of football, which ended up injuring some players unnecessarily and suffered from having mostly second rate players or has-beens. The anticipation for the XFL was initially high, but quickly deflated as the season went on.
   There are a few things that were successful the first time in the XFL, the overview camera angle which years later the NFL implemented, and letting the players place nicknames on the back of their jerseys to stand out. In today's NFL where players are often punished for standing out and showing personality that would be a welcome change.
   There are several players still in their prime who are out of the NFL preview, but still have more than enough in the tank. If the XFL can acquire enough playmakers, tone down the extremeness of their rules which was the wave the first time around, and make player safety a priority. They would actually have a chance at being more successful this time around and being an true alternative to the NFL. Of course there will be people who will doubt it because it’s not the NFL, and others who will use Vince McMahon’s association with wrestling as knock not to watch it, but if there is quality, consistent gameplay those factors will become nonexistent.
   Vince McMahon is a very competitive guy, and he wants to be known as more than just a wrestling promoter. A revamped XFL could be his chance to show he can be successful businessman outside the NFL.
    Diddy is the man, ambitious, a go-getter, game changer and a motivator. If these two gentlemen get what they want, professional football will definitely change...for better or worst only time would tell.

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