Basic Bloganomics

2011 Oklahoma Sooners Upper Deck Cards Review

2012-02-13T09:00:00.003-05:00

This is a post about 3 months overdue, but here's a review of the 2011 Oklahoma Sooners Upper Deck cards that came out in November 2011. But first, here are some details about the cards:

Card set: 80 regular cards, 20 monumental moments
Box break: 24 packs of eight cards in hobby boxes(192 cards), 10 packs of eight cards in blaster boxes.
1 Autograph insert per hobby box
2 Icon inserts per hobby box
All-Time Alumni and National Champion inserts
NCAA All-American inserts
1 of the 7 Mini national championship replica pennants per blaster box

I used to be an avid collector for many years until I stopped about 10 or so years ago due mainly to finances. But as a lifelong Oklahoma fan, I absolutely had to check this out. So I bought a hobby and blaster box.

Most of the main past and present OU stars and coaches in the set. Bosworth, Adrian Peterson, Josh Heupel, Lee Roy Selmon, Barry Switzer, Sam Bradford, Steve Owens, and more.

Here are some of the cards I pulled:

This is an autograph of former star Jim Grisham. This is what the base card looks like as well. You get one autograph per hobby box and this was it for me.

This is an Icons insert of Jimbo Elrod. You get two of these per hobby box. The other one I pulled that is not pictured is Rickey Dixon.

Out of the two boxes, I was able to get all the monumental moments cards. These three are my favorites. The White House, Schooner, and marching band cards look great!

These are three All-Time Alumni cards with three stars on each one. Love the QB and RB trios in the first two, and the Selmon brothers in the third!

A 2000 BCS Championship mini pennant pulled out of a blaster box. I can talk all day about this team!

My Review:
The bad: My only complaint which may or may not have been due to contractual issues is the number of past stars that are not in the set. This includes OU iconic head coaches Bennie Owen and Bud Wilkinson. Also not included are past stars such as Rod Shoate, Roy Williams, Jack Mildren, and former Heisman Trophy winner Billy Vessels. Wilkinson was the biggest miss to me.

The good: Upper Deck did a great job in providing cards of past OU legends and bringing back history and memories for every Sooners fan like myself. There's a little something for all Sooners and college fans in the boxes. The hobby boxes are affordable at $50 as are the blaster boxes at $20.

Overall: While I was a little disappointed in some stars missing from the set, I think Upper Deck has tapped into a niche market for college sports fans. And it's about time. They are affordable and if you're a fan of the Sooners, you'll like how Upper Deck made us proud of Oklahoma. Past stars, moments, history, and memories are all there. Even non-Sooners fans will appreciate this.

I would give the overall concept a 4 and a half stars out of five. The concept to target the audience of college fans outweighs certain omissions of stars from the set.

Other colleges that Upper Deck has made sets for include Texas Longhorns football and UNC basketball. Since Upper Deck has an exclusive agreement with the Collegiate Licensing Company, you can bet that more college programs will be produced.

You can check out the Upper Deck store to buy Oklahoma trading cards.

Playing Table Soccer

2012-02-08T22:16:00.001-05:00

If you know me, you know that I do enjoy having my fun playing slots at casinos. But there's another game I used to have a lot of fun with.

I used to be very active into bowling leagues before I got into my current line work that involves a lot of traveling.

In fact, I would go to the bowling alley all the time on nights I wasn't involved in league play. One of the reasons why I did was to play the soccer foosball game they had there. Eventually, I got hooked on playing it.

Depending on what night it was, you couldn't get a lane to bowl on due to leagues or special promotions going on. So in waiting for a lane to open up(if it happened), I didn't want to go up there for nothing. That's how I got into playing foosball as well as playing at the pool table, too.

At a hotel in New Jersey I stayed at last year, they had an actual MLS Soccer Table along with a pool table. Those tables occupied my time away from work since there wasn't much around where I was at. It brought me back to the days when I played both very actively.

Maybe the next hotel I'm in will have one or I could go to a bowling alley where I'm at to play again. It is a fun time.

All Funked Up Site

2012-02-02T20:00:00.001-05:00

This is a quick post to update those that still follow this blog that my new site called All Funked Up is up now.

It's a site where I'll post broadcasts and episodes of All Funked Up in which I'll talk about sports, wrestling, travel, and more.

You'll also see that I have few galleries of photos to view as well as other features on the site. I may eventually add a blog to the site, but I'll decide that later.

Anyway, you can click the logo above that I created that will take you to the site.

Thanks to all that stop by!

Happy Funkin New Year!

2012-01-02T23:10:00.000-05:00

It's 2012 and another 3-month absence for me from blogging on the site. As most of you know from following me on Twitter or Facebook, 2011 was a busy year for me which is evidenced by the fact I didn't blog much here. Nonetheless, it was my best year ever.

From going to WrestleMania XXVII in Atlanta to SummerSlam Axxess in Los Angeles as well as front row seats to two WWE Smackdown shows, I did my fair share of going to wrestling events. But I did so much more in those cities including a baseball game at Angel Stadium, too.

I kinda felt like a celebrity meeting WWE stars as well as athletes from the Kansas City Chiefs organization during their training camp. That also includes General Manager Scott Pioli and former coach Todd Haley. I also went to a Royals game.

Puerto Rico was a place I went to in September for the first time. What a beautiful country, but you better pay attention at all times if you drive! I did win some money at the Ponce Hilton Golf & Casino Resort, too. I hope to go back there one day.

I went to Wildwood, NJ and stayed at a hotel on the shore for a week before stops in Pleasant Point and Oakhurst. Then to end the job assignments for 2011, we ended it in Indianapolis where the highlight was a tour of Lucas Oil Stadium. Indianapolis is hosting the Super Bowl in February.

On my birthday on November 29, I had front row seats to WWE Smackdown right where I live in Charlotte, NC. I even got a birthday wish from WWE diva and SD announcer Eden Stiles. That really made my night!

To end the year, I decided to go to Phoenix to support and root for my Oklahoma Sooners in the Insight Bowl against Iowa. They won 31-14. But even better for me was that I won $1200 at the casino(the first time I won $1000 and second was $200). I got back in town to Charlotte about 30 minutes before the new year.

As far as 2012 goes, I'm still gonna keep this site up. However, my activity won't be often. I'm still making a little bit of money off this site which is a major reason I'm keeping it up.

I'm gonna be creating at least two more sites with one of them being a sports show I plan on launching. I've already got the name for it and I hope to launch it at the end of the month. Another will likely be of photography and/or traveling which I'll decide on that later. I'll have my own personal travel schedule on there, too.

I've got another major project that I'm working on in hopes that I fulfill a dream. I won't get into much detail on here. But if you've read this blog enough as well as some of the creativity in them, then you can probably figure out what I'm looking to accomplish.

I want to be clear about one thing before I finish this post. When I travel, I travel for work FIRST. Despite what you see here as far as what I've been able to do in this line of work, we don't have as much free time as you might think due to work. I travel for work, and that's how it is. However, I make time for things I want to do away from work.

As you can see, I did change the template on the site. I'll eventually get it fixed up like I want. I'm gonna get the links fixed and checked as well. If you want linked or if you changed yours, then leave a comment.

I plan on making 2012 the most FUNKED up year ever. If you, yourself, want to make it good, then go do it. Make time to do it, NOT excuses.

Happy 2012 to you all and hope it is the best year ever for you.

Really? Are You Funkin' Serious?

2011-10-07T12:25:00.003-04:00

I mean seriously, has it been 3 months since I posted a blog? Well, the answer is yes and it is obviously for good reason. Let's see if I can remember how to blog or what one is as I type this entry out as I tell you what I've been doing....

Work, play, work, play....okay, you get the idea. I went back on the road in June and have been out of town every week working and taking in what those places I've been to has to offer. Sometimes, I've only had 1-day weekends, but the year I've had has been enjoyable beyond words.

If you're friends with me on Facebook or follow me on Twitter, then you already know what has been going on with me. If not, here's where I've been and what I've done briefly:

-Atlanta for WrestleMania weekend which I've already posted about. That also includes visits to some of Atlanta's best attractions.

-Two more WWE events in NC in April which I posted about, too. I'm going to at least one more on November 29 for my birthday here in Charlotte. Maybe one in Columbia, SC the day before, too.

-Bloomington, IN, though it was during a slow time of the year in the summer. Indiana University is cool though.

-Kansas City/St. Joseph, MO: I went to Kauffman Stadium to watch the Royals play for the first time and attended 3 Chiefs training camp practices where I met head coach Todd Haley and GM Scott Pioli as well as players such as quarterback Matt Cassel, too. AmeriStar Casino was cool, too.

-Los Angeles: I was out there for WWE SummerSlam as well as to meet my long-time friend Kenny, who you all can follow @cashewredneck. Like at WM in Atlanta, I got to meet WWE stars while in LA again. Oh, and I squeezed in time in Hollywood as well as an LA Angels game, too. I gotta get back to check out a Dodgers game which I will do soon. My boy Kenny has a new restaurant in Glendale near LA, so checkout India's Flavor if you get to LA. Tell the peeps there that you know me! Love LA!

-Puerto Rico: Just when I think things couldn't get better, I was sent to Puerto Rico after LA! Though this job assignment was incredibly busy, I seen more than enough of the country's mountains, beach, and architecture which is captivating. I even won close to $300 at the Ponce Hilton Golf & Casino. I will warn you if you're in PR or Ponce: watch out for the drivers and potholes! Also, don't park on the side of the street at a place called "The Point" which was directly across the block from where we were working. It's where drug deals happen and if you park your car there, they will have a gun on them and tell you to move it. My co-workers and I were warned by the hotel clerk, so we didn't deal with that. But all in all, I want to go back to PR and have more time to check the country out. This marked the first time I was out of the U.S. since my very early childhood when I was in Guam as a result of my dad being stationed there through the Air Force, so I was excited about going.

-Jersey Shore: First it was Wildwood and I've been working in Point Pleasant for the last 3 three weeks. One of my hotels was on the shore where I could walk across the street to beach. The job site I'm working at now is 3 blocks away from the shore. The weather is very tolerable as of now which has been good.

Work will be slowing up around Thanksgiving which is good since I've got a big project going on that I plan on finishing while I have the time off. Oh, and the WWE is coming back to NC then, too.

As far as my blogging goes, my activity will be the same as it has been. In fact, I'm thinking of starting/restarting a site that is photography and travel-related as well as adding sports feeds to it. I've been having a few problems with this site in the last year and have been thinking of doing something different anyway. We'll see what happens and I'll decide all that later. Take that for what it is.

For those that have a Twitter account, you can do so @davidfunk74 and/or add me as a friend on Facebook. I update more on Twitter than Facebook though.

Thanks to ya'll for the visits since I've been gone.

Daily Income Career Network Payment Proof

2011-07-06T20:00:00.001-04:00

If you read my recent entry Is Daily Income Career Network Real?, here's a follow-up with proof of a payment from them sent to me today:

I've gotten a few questions on here as well as elsewhere as to exactly what this is about. Simply, it is placing ads on various places across the internet. If you know how to copy and paste, then it's most beneficial because time efficiency is very important.

They pay daily which means you could actually earn money the very day you start! And it is 100 percent free to signup.

Again, this is only available to those living in the U.S. and Canada at this time(Believe me, I wish it were available to my many friends in the Philippines, Malaysia, and Indonesia since I know many of you read this blog). Maybe in time.

You can check it out by clicking on the banner below.

I don't really know what else to say, but that payment sent to me today should convince you that this is as real as it gets.

Is Daily Income Career Network Real?

2011-06-29T19:30:00.002-04:00

Whether the Daily Income Career Network is real or not, it's a question that has been asked repeatedly by those interested in trying it out.

I can in fact say that this is real and what they say is true. It's a real opportunity to make extra money that I know many people can use. You won't get rich quickly nor is it implied that way either.

The best thing about it is that it cost you nothing to start. Nothing. As long as you understand how to use the internet and email, you can do this.

DICM is only for those living in the USA or Canada.

You can check it out by clicking on the banner below.

Happy Birthday Kayce!

2011-06-18T08:50:00.000-04:00

It is a day late(almost two days late in her country), but yesterday was the birthday of my very good blogging friend Kayce. Her first name is Karen and she is a drop-dead gorgeous Filipino woman who is married as a stay-at-home mom to her children.

She writes on multiple blogs at Fashionably Trendy, My Daily Notes, Kayce's Online Diary, I Heart Them All, Food, Culture, and Everything in Between, A Young Momma's Journey, Our Home Sweet Home, Money Matters, and From Flab to Fab. Yes, she's quite active with her blogs.

I recall meeting her at the first of last year through YouSayToo when she decided to donate her winnings to her church back home. I didn't know we had a few of the same common friends at the time. Nonetheless, she's as sweet as they come and I've never once heard her say a negative thing about anyone. She's a happy woman that everyone just adores in the blogging community. Though we don't cross paths that often, we've always supported each other's blogs. She's a great friend in the blogging community to many which I'm glad to be one of them.

Anyway, I was arriving back home from Boston the other night, and noticed a sign that grabbed my attention after driving from the airport. Forever 21 posted this birthday sign of Karen. Once again, I'm not sure how my blogging friends pull these kinds of gigs off, but I can't blame anyone for not wanting to put up her very beautiful, model-like pic at all. One of these days, I'll figure out how ya'll blogging friends can do this(not that I'm complaining since I can claim I know you when I see the signs, LOL). HAPPY BIRTHDAY KAREN!

A Frank Angle Movie!

2011-06-12T13:00:00.003-04:00

Note: This is NOT to be taken seriously, and is only for fun. Please check the credits to see the bloggers I listed on the poster. You can click the poster for a better look.

A Frank Angle
Starring Frank Angle, Larry Novak
Director/Writer: David Funk
Chief Editor: Ryan Lester
Studio Coordinator: Maxi Velasco
Music: 3rdStoneFromTheSun
Comment Manager: Fish Hawk

Narrator: In the world of politics, one can never be sure what you're getting from elections or candidates running for office. But one such politician is set to alter the course of history in a way never seen before!

(Scene shows Frank Angle on podium)
Frank Angle: I'm announcing today that I'm running for President of the United States of America. It's time for a new Angle to come into office!

Narrator: Frank has a vision and is determined to make an impact on the blogging community while in office.

(Scene shows Frank back on another podium)
Frank Angle: Vote for me if you want to make the blogging community better than it is. Vote for me if you want to see trolls be dealt with and also to be held accountable. It's time for a new Angle!

Narrator: As Frank is gaining momentum and support from Americans, he's also gained enemies that want no part of him being in office.

(Scene shows a dark man-like figure on the phone threatening Frank)
Man: I'll make sure you never make it into office! There's a place for us in the blogging community and you will no longer be relevant after the elections are done! Quite Frankly, you're done!

(Scene shows a group of men holding up a campaign rally for Frank)
(Scene then shows them following Frank in his limo)

Narrator: But Frank has help. His running mate as well as security officer are there to make sure he makes it to the election that would change everything if he won it!

(Scene shows security officer Larry Novak talking to Frank)
Larry: Don't worry, Frank. We'll get those guys and make them pay! They'll pay even more if you get elected to office!
(Scene shows supporters with "Vote For Frank Angle" signs)
Frank: It's time for a new Angle!
(Scene shows supporters erupting in cheers after saying that)

Narrator: Will Frank be the next President, and bring a new Angle into office? How far will his enemies go to stop him? A Frank Angle is an action-packed movie about a man that wants to change America his way! Frank Angle and Larry Novak star on the box office hit, A Frank Angle! Coming to theaters July 31!

Be sure to look for the DVD to be released shortly after the movie. Frank talks about how he was pressured by some on the set for link exchanges as well as changes to his character. Plus, Larry talks about why he took the role. Also, deleted scenes and interviews from other cast members!

Previous Blogger Movie Posters:
Double Standard Starring LAINY
Seismic Blogging Starring Monica
Hit Me! Starring Dhemz
WOAFS Starring Mariuca
Bionic Blogger Starring Stacey Tee
SPAMMERS starring Mileka
Pynk Candy starring Sharon Chong
I Love/Hate America Starring Bingkee
Lady Java The Movie
Hideaway starring Chuchie
LOL! starring Cacai Miller
Lester's Legends starring Ryan Lester
Walking Newspaper Starring Gagay
Disconnected Starring Elai
Blogging With Children Starring Shydub
Our Stories Starring Caroline May Ling & Eric Lee
Blugging Empire Starring Maxi Velasco
Will Blog For Food

First Three Commenters:
Bluedreamer
Kian Fai
Caroline May Ling

Fernbank Museum of Natural History Pics!

2011-06-09T10:00:00.001-04:00

As I continue on with my Atlanta vacation, this entry focuses on the Fernbank Museum of Natural History.

Since I had a CityPass, I was able to view an iMax show which featured a show called Animalopolis. It was a great look at animals from around the world in what was a feature that had plenty of humor and insight.

The museum opened in 1992 and is home to many presentations about the planet, people, and animals from around the world. It is a very good place for field trips for children as well as adults to be educated about natural history.

I was running short on time when I went, but I did happen to catch these shots with my digital camera:

I still have more pics from Atlanta to come as well as Raleigh including the Georgia Aquarium. Thanks for viewing!

First Three Commenters:
Bluedreamer
Gagay
Tripzibit

Top 10 Sports Teams of the 1960s!

2011-06-08T11:10:00.005-04:00

I'm going to provide my picks for the best teams in the 1960s. I'm factoring in championships, playoff appearances, amount of winning and losing seasons, and overall consistency throughout the decade. This isn't a list of the best teams in an individual year, and it is of who I think were the best franchises/programs throughout the decade.

Note: In order to make the top 10, a team had to have won at least one championship in their respective sport. Also, the NBA, NHL, and college basketball seasons start in 1959-60 and end in 1968-69. College football and NFL includes the bowl games played in January 1970 which determined the 1969 champions in each sport. Here are my top ten teams for the 1960s starting with No. 10:

No. 10.....

New York Yankees: The Yankees began the 1960s where they left in the 1950s by appearing in the first five World Series playoffs winning two of them(1961-62) in the 1960s. But between 1965-69, they missed the playoffs every year and had only one winning season. Legends such as Mickey Mantle, Roger Maris, and Whitey Ford were the stars that led the franchise in the decade, but all were gone by the time the 1960s came to a close. In the 1970s, changes were coming as new ownership took over and the team would return to its winning ways.

No. 9.....

USC Trojans football: Head coach John McKay became head coach for the Trojans to start the decade and they proceeded to win two national championships in the 1960s. In 1962, USC won the national championship and the Rose Bowl by defeating Wisconsin. They won another national championship in 1967 finishing 10-1 when the final regular season poll was released, but they defeated Indiana in the Rose Bowl anyway. Great players such as Heisman Trophy winners Mike Garrett in 1965 as well as O.J. Simpson in 1968 came through Southern California in the 1960s, too. Overall, they finished 3-2 in bowl games and had five AP Top 10 finishes in the 1970s. USC would continue to contend for national titles in the 1970s under McKay and later John Robinson.

No. 8.....

Texas Longhorns football: After Texas hit rock bottom as a program in 1956 going 1-9, it was head coach Darrell Royal that turned the program around as he never had a losing season in 20 years there. His mentor was Oklahoma head coach Bud Wilkinson, and they would face one another many times in the Red River Rivalry. The Longhorns won the national title in 1963 going 11-0 beating Navy in the Cotton Bowl that were led by Heisman Trophy winner Roger Staubach. They also beat Alabama in the Orange Bowl after they were voted national champions in the 1964 season. And they ended the decade in style winning the national title while beating Notre Dame in the Cotton Bowl. Overall, Texas went 6-1-1 in bowl games and six AP Top 10 finishes with no losing seasons in the 1960s.

No. 7(tie).....

Arizona State Sun Devils baseball: Coach Bobby Winkles took over for Arizona State in 1959, and built a legacy of a rock-solid program with future Major League stars. They won three College World Series titles in 1965, 1967, and 1969 in the decade. Future big league stars Sal Bando, Rick Monday, and future Hall of Famer and World Series hero Reggie Jackson played for Winkles during the 1960s. Winkles was also named NCAA Coach of the Year in 1965 and 1969. The foundation was set for the program as many other stars such as Barry Bonds would later play their collegiate ball at Arizona State.

USC Trojans baseball: The legendary Rod Dedeaux had already won the College World Series in 1958, and would win three more in the 1960s doing so in 1961, 1963, and 1968. But more than that, it was the great players and future big league stars that he also coached. Slugger Dave Kingman as well as future Hall of Fame pitcher Tom Seaver played for Dedeaux in the 1970s as did future baseball GM Larry Himes. His program would win six CWS in the 1970s and he would remain in his position until 1986 as more future stars such as outfielder Fred Lynn, pitcher Randy Johnson, and first baseman Mark McGwire would play at USC during his tenure there. Dedeaux is the most successful collegiate baseball coach in history.

No. 6.....

Alabama Crimson Tide football: When Paul "Bear" Bryant took over as Alabama coach in 1958, it was only a matter of time before they became a national powerhouse program. In 1961, Alabama claimed the national championship with an 11-0 record. In 1964, Bryant won his second national title despite losing the Orange Bowl to Texas as future Super Bowl legend Joe Namath was their quarterback on that team. They won another title in 1965 after defeating Nebraska in the Orange Bowl. All in all, they finished in the AP Top 10 eight straight seasons(1960-67) and went 5-3-1 in bowl games. Bryant would win three national titles in the 1970s before stepping down after winning a bowl game during the 1982 season. Bryant's dominance as coach at Alabama is why he's one of the greatest American coaches ever and why the program is one of the best of all-time.

No. 5.....

Toronto Maple Leafs: As winners of four Stanley Cup titles in the 1960s including a three-peat(1962-64), the Maple Leafs easily make the top 10 list for this decade. They made five Stanley Cup appearances with their lone loss in the finals to the arch-rival Montreal Canadiens. But Toronto would gain a measure of revenge in 1967 by beating the Canadiens to prevent a three-peat by Montreal. Under new ownership in the earlu 1960s, the team was led by head coach Punch Imlach and Hall of Famer Frank Mahovlich, who won a total of six Stanley Cups in his career. The 1967 title remains as the last one they've won to date and the last appearance in a Stanley Cup final.

No. 4.....

UCLA Bruins men's basketball: What many may not know is that John Wooden's UCLA squad had failed to ever make a Final Four appearance in his first 14 seasons as coach. But in 1962, things turned in the program's favor after UCLA made it to the Final Four. Two years later, college basketball's most storied dynasty began as they won their first national championship. They would win ten national championships in 12 seasons beginning in 1964 including five in the 1960s. Wooden's dynasty included players such as Lew Alcindor(legal name is now Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) and Gail Goodrich. He's considered by many to be the greatest coach in American sports history and not just in college basketball.

No. 3.....

Montreal Canadiens: Continuing right where they left off in the 1950s, the Canadiens won their 5th Stanley Cup in a row in 1960. By the end of the 1960s, they would have five Stanley Cup titles having won them in 1965-66 and 1968-69. Their rivalry with the Toronto Maple Leafs reached its peak during the sixties as both of them combined to win all but one of the Stanley Cup Championships in the 1960s. Toe Blake won a total of eight Stanley Cups as head coach, and Claude Ruel won one in 1969. Maurice "Rocket" Richard led the Canadiens in the 1940s and into the 1950s last winning a title in 1960. A new generation of Canadiens led by Hall of Famer Jean Beliveau helped keep the winning tradition alive in Montreal. In fact, Beliveau is the all-time individual record holder with 10 Stanley Cup trophies(1956-1960, 1965-66, 1968-69).

No. 2.....

Green Bay Packers: When Vince Lombardi took over as head coach in 1959, it was the beginning of a dynasty that would dominate the NFL in the 1960s. His team lost the NFL Championship in the first year of the decade to the Philadelphia Eagles, but he wouldn't lose another playoff game as head coach the rest of his career. Lombardi's Packers won three NFL titles(1961, 1962, 1965) and the first two Super Bowls(1966-67). The Packers as a franchise fell back to mediocrity until the mid-1990s after he left his position as coach. Lombardi is one of the greatest coaches in American sports history and the Super Bowl Trophy is named his honor. With five total championships and one of history's most legendary coaches, the Packers easily make this list.

And my No. 1 team for the 1960s is.....

Boston Celtics: The dynasty of this franchise began in the late 1950s, and they continued to dominate like no other in the 1960s. They won nine championships in ten seasons during the decade including the first seven years in the 1960s. Red Auerbach, as he always did, built the Celtics team into a dynasty led players Bill Russell and Bob Cousy. Russell won 11 NBA titles including his final season in 1969 while Cousy won six overall. Auerbach orchestrated this dynasty by emphasizing defense, team work, and of course the fast break offense that Russell excelled at doing. The franchise rebuilt themselves again in the 1970s and in the 1980s. They won their 17th(and to date last) NBA Championship in 2008. There's no doubt they are the clear cut choice of as the top franchise in the 1960s!

Here are the other teams I considered for the list:

Los Angeles Dodgers: A case can be made for the Dodgers since they won two titles in three World Series appearances in the 1960s, and had three losing seasons in the decade.

St. Louis Cardinals: The Cards won two World Series in 1964 and 1967 with ace starter Bob Gibson on the mound. They also the lost 1968 World Series to Detroit. They have a case to make the list.

Baltimore Orioles: The Orioles won a World Series, but famously lost the 1969 World Series to the Miracle New York Mets. However, they would be a consistent contender through most of the 1970s.

Detroit Tigers: They won the 1968 World Series, but never made another post-season appearance in the 1960s.

Pittsburgh Pirates: They won the decade's first World Series, but it wouldn't be until the following decade before they finally made it back to the playoffs.

New York Mets: The Miracle Mets won the 1969 World Series, but were absolutely dreadful up to that point as a franchise after they came into the league in 1962.

Philadelphia 76ers/Syracuse Nationals: Philadelphia was the only other NBA team to win a championship besides the Boston Celtics in the 1960s. But other franchises/programs are more deserving.

Houston Oilers: The team won the first two AFL titles in 1960-61 with a powerful offense led by quarterback George Blanda and lost a chance at a third in a row against the Dallas Texans who later became the Kansas City Chiefs.

San Diego Chargers: Sid Gillman put together great Chargers teams in the early 1960s in the AFL winning a league title in 1963. But it's not enough to make this list.

Buffalo Bills: Yes, long before their Super Bowl disappoints in the early 1990s, the Bills did win two consecutive AFL titles in 1964-65. However, others are more deserving of making the list.

Kansas City Chiefs/Dallas Texans: As the Dallas Texans, they won the AFL title in 1962. Later as the Chiefs, they appeared in the first Super Bowl losing to Green Bay before winning Super Bowl IV(4) against the Minnesota Vikings following the 1969 season.

Cincinnati Bearcats men's basketball: The Bearcats won consecutive NCAA tournaments in 1961-62 as well as runner-up in 1963, but that was overshadowed by the emergence of UCLA in college basketball.

Texas Western men's basketball: As winners of what many consider a major breaking point in equality in sports, Texas Western, with a starting five consisting of all African-American players, defeated the all-white Kentucky Wildcats in the NCAA Tournament Championship in 1966. They get a mention here.

Ohio State men's basketball: They won the decade's first NCAA Tournament, but as with the case with Cincinnati, that is largely overshadowed by UCLA as well as other dominant teams in the 1960s.

Minnesota Golden Gophers baseball: The Gophers won two College World Series titles in the 1960s under Dick Siebert.

Ohio State Buckeyes football: Woody Hayes' team won an AP National Title in 1968, but other NCAA football teams were a little better for them to make the list.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish football: The Irish won the national title in 1966, but that was their only one in the decade.

Chicago Blackhawks: They were the only other team to win the Stanley Cup in the 1960s besides Montreal and Toronto doing so in 1961. Others are clearly more deserving to make the list.

Philadelphia Eagles: They won the decade's first NFL title by handing Vince Lombardi his only loss in post-season play in 1960. But it was downhill from there for the Eagles for the rest of decade.

Chicago Bears: George Halas won his last NFL title as coach in 1963, and despite future Hall of Fame legends Dick Butkus and Gale Sayers being drafted in 1965, the team would falter by the end of the decade.

Cleveland Browns: The franchise did win the NFL title in 1964 behind the legendary Jim Brown, but the team would fall after he retired the following season.

Top 10 by sport in the 1960s:

College football: 3
College baseball: 2
NHL: 2
MLB: 1
NFL/AFL: 1
College basketball: 1
NBA: 1

Here are the number of different teams that won a championship in their sports for the decade of the 1960s:

MLB: 7(Yankees, Dodgers, and Cardinals each had two)
NBA: 2(Celtics had the most with nine)
NFL/AFL: 10(Packers had the most with five)*
NHL: 3(Canadiens had the most with five)
College basketball: 5(UCLA had the most with five)
College football: 7(Alabama had the most with three)**
College baseball: 5(USC and Arizona State each had three)

*-The list includes NFL/AFL Champions in the seasons from 1960-65. From 1966-69, only Super Bowl Champions are counted in the list.
**-The list only includes AP and UPI winners as there were split national champions one time in the 1960s.

Check these out:
Top 10 Teams of the 1990s
Top 10 Teams of the 1980s
Top 10 Teams of the 1970s

First three commenters:
Caroline May Ling
Bluedreamer
Bill V

Bluedreamer Wins FCSB for May 2011!

2011-06-04T13:43:00.004-04:00

The month of May is over and that only means that summer is here for us residents in the USA.

In the month of May, Milton aka bluedreamer who is from the Philippines, garnered the most points on this site's First Commenter Scoreboard(FCSB) for the first time. He writes on a blog called the Top Five where he randomly creates a best five list of the subject he's referring to. You can also find him at his Super Blog
and follow him on Twitter @bluedreamer_27, too.

For those that don't know about the FCSB, I award a point to the first three commenters on all entries for that given month. The one with the most points at month's end will be featured on this site's slider and receive ad space or EC credits. Also, anyone that receives a point on the FCSB for a given month will have their site linked when the announcement for the winner is revealed as is the case with this entry.

Here are the point totals on the FCSB for May:
Bluedreamer: 6
Mariuca: 5
Caroline May Ling: 4
Bill V: 3
Lainy: 3
Gagay: 2
Lady Java: 2
Monica: 1
Maxi: 1
Noypi: 1
Hazelicious: 1
Bella Enveeus: 1
Georyl: 1
Don Chute: 1
Kian Fai: 1

Congrats again to Bluedreamer who will be featured on this site's slider as well as receive 1,000 EC credits to his account. Thanks for viewing!

First three commenters:
Bella Enveeus
Bluedreamer
Bill V

Wrestling Legend Randy Savage Dies at age 58

2011-05-20T23:37:00.004-04:00

As most wrestling fans around the world have heard, wrestling legend Randy "Macho Man" Savage(real name Randall Mario Poffo) died earlier today at the age of 58. He died of a heart attack behind the wheel of his vehicle which led to him going off the road causing an accident.

Savage was a very skilled in-ring wrestling entertainer that was as good as there was on the microphone, too.

He had legendary feuds with Ric Flair, the Ultimate Warrior, and Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat. But no other feud was he noted for more than with Hulk Hogan.

As a kid, I still can remember to this day when the Mega Powers formed on Saturday Night's Main Event when Miss Elizabeth brought out Hogan to the ring to help Savage from being beat down by the Honky Tonk Man and the Hart Foundation. This was after Elizabeth was shoved down by the Honky Tonk Man after he was wanting to use his guitar to hit Savage in the head.

I recall how this feud began as Savage won the WWF Title for the first time in his career at WrestleMania IV in Atlantic City, NJ in 1988. He defeated "The Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase in the finals of a tournament to determine a new WWF champion after the title was held up as a result of what happened in a match between Hogan and Andre The Giant on The Main Event earlier that year. I watched that Pay-Per-View.

Later, tension escalated between Savage and Hogan with Elizabeth being caught in the middle. Savage turned on Hogan which culminated in the main event between the two for the WWF title at WrestleMania V.

I was able to see Savage out a house show in 1988(the first time I watched WWF). He and DiBiase put on a great match that night. Well, Savage always worked hard to put on a great match.

At WrestleMania III, he and Steamboat put on what I would call a wrestling classic and clinic. The match told an amazing story and came off so well that it stole the show at that event. Savage would be in the main event the next two years during the WrestleMania events.

As time went on, Savage began to compete less in the ring for the WWF. So like other former WWF stars had done, Savage left for WCW in 1994.

In WCW, he was back in the ring full-time winning the main title in the promotion on two occasions. It was during a time when WCW was the top wrestling promotion in the world. But as time went on, injuries started to catch up with him which led to him leaving WCW by 1999.

I was always fascinated by the fact that Savage was a minor league baseball player before he wrestled full-time. He even taught himself to throw left-handed due to throwing out his right arm. That's how competitive he was.

Not only was he a professional athlete, he held his own as an actor in movies and commercials. But no one will ever forget his appearances in the Slim Jim commercials.

Savage had limitless charisma and was very competitive in everything he did. He was always known to be strict on detail and it showed when performing for wrestling promotions in the ring and on the microphone. He was flamboyant, but you'd be hard-pressed to find many that combined a cool voice that many often imitated with awesome athletic ability. He was really gifted and talented.

I was fortunate to see Savage a few times at live events. Most of those were in his WCW days, but he could still put on very high-quality matches. He never settled for anything less than putting up the best matches that he could whether he was a face or heel.

Thanks Macho Man for the entertainment and for the competitiveness and drive you always showed not only in the wrestling business but in all you did.

My condolences for the family Randy Savage.

RIP "Macho Man" Randy Savage

Photo shows Savage with Miss Elizabeth after winning the WWF title for the first time at WrestleMania IV in 1988.

Be sure to checkout Jim Ross with his take on Randy Savage. He put it very eloquently and it's a great tribute to the legend.

Happy Birthday Shemah!

2011-05-19T13:50:00.000-04:00

May 19 is the birthday of my good blogging friend Shemah. Not only does she have a blog at My Sweet Escape, but she has two more at Never Enough Stuff and Reel Madhouse.

I met Shemah about a year or so ago since we have many of the same common blogger friends. She's quite the blogger and has always left thoughtful comments everywhere I see her leave them. She's a real sweetheart to those friends who know her.

She is married and lives in Malaysia with her adorable family at this time. I recall sometime last year that she told me that she visited Oklahoma City as a kid when she replied to an entry of mine. So being I grew up there, it grabbed my attention. Hopefully one day soon, she'll be able to visit the USA again.

Anyway, I was out enjoying myself last night and came across this sign while out driving! I'm not sure of the entire story about this, but apparently Shemah has gained some popularity here. Either that, or she knows someone high up that I don't know. So those in charge of the advertisements sure picked a winner here. I just wonder now how many autograph requests she's getting right at this very moment! Okay, don't answer that! LOL! Happy Birthday Shemah!

Click the pic to see a larger view!

I know I haven't posted any of the birthday posts in a long time, and that is due in large part to my schedule. So sorry to those blogger friends I missed this year. I'm hoping to keep up with it better for the rest of the year. Anyway, Happy Birthday again Shemah!

World of Coca-Cola Museum Pics!

2011-05-18T09:35:00.004-04:00

After my visit to the CNN Studios, my next stop on my first day on my Atlanta vacation was the World of Coca-Cola museum.

The taste of Coca-Cola was born in Atlanta in 1886, and this month begins their 125th anniversary celebration. You can partake in many activities during the celebration including mini-golf as well as get a 125th anniversary commemorative bottle and purchase an anniversary book while supplies last.

As far as the visit for me, I enjoyed the experience of being able to see the museum as well as try out the many flavors of Coca-Cola from countries around the world. For many of my friends that live in Asia, I tried out most of them. It sure can hype you up after trying them. LOL!

Anyway, here are some pics I took on my trip to the museum that day:

The large Coca-Cola bottle displays that are in the lobby.

Coca-Cola wall display

The Happiness Factory

Coca-Cola bar

Statue of a man stirring Coke.

Coca-Cola signs, displays, and buttons.

How the Coca-Cola brand became a business and more displays.

More Coca-Cola products on display.

Car with a Coca-Cola sign

This is where you can tell exactly how far away you came to this museum and compare it to other visitors, too.

Many Coca-Cola wall displays

Old school Coke machines

Old style Coke machine when they were five cents a bottle. Yeah, way before my time. Haha.

Coca-Cola ads from here and other countries around the world.

More Coke ads from around the world.

This talks about Coca-Cola and the partnership with the Olympics back when the games were played there in 1996.

Popular Coke ads from the past from celebrities such as The Supremes.

Coca-Cola pin collection on display.

More Coke pins on display from countries around the world.

Powerade display of LeBron James and more Coke pins.

Coca-Cola bottles and cans of the brands that they carry are on full display.

The Syrup Tank

A "How to Make a Coke" sign.

Bottle Inspector

The Packaging Robot

The Packaging Robot is in action.

The Bottle Rinser.

The Blender

The Density, Volume, and Carbonation Tests.

Coca-Cole bottles from New Caledonia, Poland, Peru, Burkina Faso, Norway, Bosnia, and Herzegovina.

More Coca-Cola bottles from other parts of the world including Singapore, Indonesia, Spain, and Taiwan.

Even more Coca-Cola bottles from other parts of the world including Germany, the Bahamas, Sweden, and Australia.

Large Coca-Cola bottle displays in the main lobby.

Coca-Cola bottle display.

The Environment and Smart Glass Art Collection.

Coca-Cola Bottle at Turner Field.

Refresh Your World is what you see on the wall as you collect a souvenir bottle to take with you.

These are all the Coke bottles to pick from as you can take one with you.

There's still more pics to come from my Atlanta vacation! Thanks for viewing!

WrestleMania XXVII Pics!

2011-05-16T11:00:00.000-04:00

I'm finally posting my WrestleMania XXVII pics that I took when the event happened on April 3, 2011 at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, GA. It was the first time I've ever been to a WrestleMania event. And after attending WrestleMania week, it sure won't be my last.

The return of The Rock for this WrestleMania made big headlines as did the return of "Stone Cold" Steve Austin. The Miz defended his WWE Title against John Cena, and the Undertaker kept his perfect WrestleMania record intact at 19-0 by defeating Triple H in the best match on the card. You can check my WrestleMania 27 Recap & Thoughts to see my opinions of the event.

I was able to take many pictures although many were blurred as I was sitting in a club seat on the second level at the Georgia Dome. Here are the pics I took, and I'm just going to let them do the talking for this entry:

I still got plenty more pics from Atlanta as well as from Raleigh coming soon. Thanks for viewing!

WrestleMania Axxess: April 3, 2011

2011-05-15T10:00:00.000-04:00

It was on the day WrestleMania XXVII was set to take place that the last sessions of Axxess also happened as I attended both the morning(8am-12pm) and afternoon(12:30-4:30) events.

When I first arrived inside the morning session, I immediately went to the diva shoot as then-WWE Divas Champion Eve Torres was up first. That was a great way to wake up to get a pic with her since I came in on only two hours of sleep! Ha!

After that, I got my second pic with diva Natalya at the magazine photo shoot.

When I was done getting those early morning pics, I walked around before watching some in-ring action as the "World's Strongest Man" Mark Henry made an appearance and beat Primo in a match. I watched Yoshi Tatsu in action later on as well, since I was close enough to the ring to see it.

As the second part of the morning session came upon us, I was interested in seeing which stars were taking over for Eve and Natalya. It turned out to be Kelly Kelly in the diva shoot which I had to get a pic with her. She's really so much more beautiful in person!

Then I made my way over to the magazine photo shoot where it wasn't a diva this time. It was R-Truth that was up. I missed out on a chance to get an autograph of him the day before because the line was too long. But I got a pic with him unexpectedly because I didn't know he was going to be there that morning. As many of you know that have read this, he lives close to where I do in North Carolina, so I was glad to have met him.

So after the photo shoots were done, I watched more in-ring action before it ended. Being that there was only one more session, I decided to buy a ticket for it being I didn't have anything else going on until WrestleMania that evening.

As I entered the afternoon session, I started out once again at the diva photo shoot where this time it was Gail Kim that was up. I was up on stage with her longer than expected which provided some comedic moments since I wanted to stay up there. Haha.

After my pic with Gail, I went to the magazine photo shoot as Kaitlyn was there this time. She let us choose are own type of pose as security reminded us of that before taking the stage with her. I chose a "biceps flex pose" that came out really good.

I walked around to take some pics of some memorabilia and I spotted another star I had to get a pic with. I noticed in the area where you can get a pic with Skittles tour that the line was backed up more than usual. So I was curious, and looked towards the beginning of the line to find out why. That's because Hornswoggle was there taking pics with everyone! The only thing about that it is they had us sign a waiver form apparently because some either got hurt on the inflatable ring area or had a lawsuit. Of course, I didn't get hurt and got the pic with him!

In second half of the last session, Alicia Fox was up again at the diva photo shoot. So I got my third pic with her which she was so kind enough to put up three fingers for me to commemorate the moment.

For the last magazine photo shoot was diva Rosa Mendes. So she was the last WWE star that I got a pic with.

I finished off the last session walking around taking as many pictures as possible of memorabilia and getting pics at the broadcast center and one more pic of Mr. McMahon's office. I went to get something to eat before walking across the street to go WrestleMania XXVII that night. I enjoyed Axxess and can't wait to go to them next year especially to get pics with the stars again!

Here are some of the pics from the last two sessions of Axxess:

A pic of me at the broadcast center with my shades on.

My second pic inside Mr. McMahon's office.

Another pic of the broadcast center without my shades on.

D-Generation-X gear of Triple H and Shawn Michaels.

Triple H and Shawn Michaels jacket that they've worn in the past.

Rey Mysterio attire including masks he's worn in the past.

John Cena shirts that he's worn at past and have done extremely well sales-wise.

Pictures on the wall from the first WrestleMania event that took place in 1985.

More pics from past WrestleMania events including the first ever one held outside the U.S. in Toronto where WM VI took place.

Pics and posters from WrestleMania events in the mid-1990s which had many stars such as Michaels, Bret Hart, the Undertaker, and Triple H.

WrestleMania pics from the Attitude Era that took place in the late 1990s into the 2000s.

Pics of high spots in matches including the Ladder Matches that have often stole the show at past WrestleMania events.

WrestleMania XXVI showing a record attendance and you can see a pic of John Morrison and the Miz, too.

WrestleMania XXVI jersey shirt signed by Batista, Rey Mysterio and others.

Gold record album from 1985 which featured entrance themes of stars from that era. Also, Jack Swagger's wrestling gear that he wore at WM XXVI when he won the Money in the Bank Ladder Match.

A chance to enter some challenges and autographed memorabilia from stars such as CM Punk.

Austin 3:16 moments and pics

Honky Tonk Man ring attire

Original photos of past wrestling greats such as "Classie" Freddie Blassie and George "The Animal" Steele.

"Hacksaw" Jim Duggan collection, who was a 2011 WWE Hall of Fame inductee.

The Road Warriors/Legion of Doom collection, who were 2011 WWE Hall of Fame inductees.

More memorabilia of LOD and other past stars such as Buddy Rogers.

Ring attire for diva Sunny, who was also a 2011 WWE Hall of Fame inductee.

"Bullet" Bob Armstrong attire, who was another 2011 WWE Hall of Fame inductee.

Ring attire for WWE Hall of Fame legend Sgt. Slaughter.

Outfits worn by multi-time WWE Women's Champion Trish Stratus, who will eventually have her named called for the WWE Hall of Fame.

More Trish Stratus attire.

Championship belts from the past including the U.S. Heavyweight Championship.

Past Women's title belts including one with WWE Hall of Fame legend, the Fabulous Moolah on it.

WWE Championship with the Big Show's name on it, Intercontinental Championship, and past WWF Championship belts.

This is the Superstar Entrance where you can video to come out to a theme song of your favorite WWE star. I didn't get a chance to do this one because the line was always backed up, but you may see me try it next year. I might do my best Cena or Triple H imitation with it. Ha!

Shawn Michaels attire from past WrestleMania events.

More Shawn Michaels attire from past WrestleMania events.

This is Kevin Nash aka Diesel signing autographs at Axxess!

This is me with the Irish leprechaun known as Hornswoggle. I'm certainly not Irish, but I must have luck on my side having met many stars such as this WWE star. He's provided some very comedic moments since he arrived in WWE. They say he's just over four feet tall, but I wouldn't bet on that.

Action figures of stars from the past such as "Macho Man" Randy Savage and the Ultimate Warrior.

WWE action figures of D-Generation X members Triple H and Shawn Michaels.

This is me at ringside at Axxess. This was the last pic I had taken as they were ready to end the final session to get ready for WrestleMania XXVII!

So I went to four Axxess sessions, and loved them all. I want to go to all of them next year in Miami because I enjoyed this more than the WrestleMania event itself. I just love being able to meet the stars and get pics with them as well as autographs. I'll be posting WrestleMania XXVII pics soon!

My previous 2011 Axxess entries
WrestleMania 27 Axxess: April 1, 2011
WrestleMania 27 Axxess: April 2, 2011

CNN Studios Atlanta Pics!

2011-05-10T21:37:00.001-04:00

Before I attended any WWE events in Atlanta during WrestleMania week, I went to CNN Studios and took a VIP tour. It was an awesome time as I got to see live broadcasts inside the studios as they were happening.

Inside the CNN building is a mall slammed full of restaurants as well as other places to shop which includes a CNN souvenir shop. They have an Atlanta Hawks gift shop on the other side of the building which runs into Phillips Arena where they play.

When going on the actual studio tour, you are NOT allowed to take pictures. However, a VIP tour allows you to go to the CNN broadcast room, CNN news room, HLN(Headline News) broadcast room, and HLN news room. They take you to the control rooms of both as well as explain how weatherman/meteorologists deliver the forecasts for us. You also got to go to the control room where they show you how they switch cameras and focus on certain anchors when needed.

I was able to see CNN anchor Suzanne Malveaux on a live broadcast because she handles the newsroom at 11am which is when I took the tour that Friday before WrestleMania. But obviously, I have no pictures because cameras aren't allowed to be used there.

After seeing the CNN broadcast and news rooms, they took us to the HLN room. I was able to see Susan Hendricks delivering a live broadcast. While we were in the HLN control room, the lady(I can't remember her name, so maybe someone can help me?) in charge of the control room had me laughing because she was having a tough time communicating with Hendricks. She then took time out of her hectic schedule to welcome us on the tour.

I thoroughly enjoyed the tour and would go again when I go back to Atlanta. Anyway, here are just a few pics from inside the CNN building:

The CNN logo outside the building.

Inside CNN World Headquarters. This is a CNN logo several stories up.

An American flag, CNN flag, and world globe above me from the floor inside the building.

CNN Store with flags from other countries around the world above it.

Atlanta Hawks logo and store.

Anderson Cooper 360 sign which you can see as soon as you walk into the building.

HLN's Dr. Drew sign as soon as you walk into the building.

More of what you see as soon as you walk into the building.

CNN Center logo on the outside of the building.

I've still got plenty more pics from my Atlanta vacation which includes WWE Hall of Fame, WrestleMania XXVII, Coca-Cola Museum, Fernbank Museum, Atlanta Aquarium, and Zoo Atlanta. Plus some more pics from Raleigh, North Carolina, too. Thanks for viewing!

3rd Blogoversary Award From Lainy & Windy!

2011-05-07T11:03:00.000-04:00

When looking at Lainy's Musings 3rd Blogoversary - The Sequel, I noticed that she gave out awards to the top commenters on her blog for the previous three years. I was fortunate to be one of them.

Windy was the one who designed these awards for the top commenters. Once again, another fantastic job in creating badges!

Though I couldn't take part in the contest due to my always changing schedule, I would like to thank Lainy and Windy for the gesture. It shouldn't surprise anyone that they've done this since they are very willing and generous people to begin with.

Thank you Lainy and Windy for this as well as being genuine friends to me in the blogging community.

WrestleMania Axxess Photo Shots: Rosa Mendes!

2011-05-05T09:00:00.000-04:00

This is my last WrestleMania Axxess Photo Shot with this entry focusing on WWE Diva Rosa Mendes.

Mendes was born in Vancouver, but she is of Czech and Costa Rican descent. She was a highly active girl where she eventually trained in kickboxing and Jui Jitsu. After leaving school, she took up modeling and also acted in some commercials.

In 2006, she was a WWE Diva Search contestant, and finished fourth overall in the contest. This was the same contest that featured current WWE divas Maryse and Layla, who eventually won it that year. Mendes was signed by the WWE to train in Ohio Valley Wrestling.

In OVW, she won the Women's Title there and eventually moved to Florida to be in WWE's new territory Florida Championship Wrestling. She was called up to the WWE roster in November 2008.

At first, she was Beth Phoenix' No. 1 fan and interfered in her matches. She was associated with Santino Marella as well during this time. Later, she was in an onscreen relationship with Zack Ryder on ECW before she was drafted to the Smackdown! brand in 2010.

While sporadically appearing in FCW, she won the Queen of Wrestling title in November 2010 and held it for about three months. She worked as a heel for WWE, but turned face at the end of 2010.

Mendes was the last person at the magazine photo shoot during the final WrestleMania Axxess session this year. I loved the attire she was wearing, and she was looking very hot indeed. I didn't get to say much other than greet her while I was on stage, but she was very nice to fans though. I certainly didn't have a problem getting my last pic with a star/diva from her at all. Here's the pic of me with Rosa:

So as I've done for all the other WWE stars, I'm going to post a rap/poetry for Rosa Mendes:

"Rosa was an active in her youth and said she was a tomboy,
She got into fights as well, so she wasn't one to annoy,

She trained in kickboxing and her hard work on that showed,
And she could knock you into the next zip code,

She signed with the WWE wanting to be a divas champ,
She's a hot novelty like a lava lamp,

She was Beth Phoenix' No. 1 fan,
But Rosa wants a Divas title as part of her plan,

One time, she attracted the attention of Zack Ryder,
She made opponents to need a health care provider,

Moving onto Smackdown, she wanted to be a part of LayCool,
They turned her away as they were often very cruel,

She did win a 2010 Slammy Award for Best Equipment Use,
That was used against LayCool after all their abuse,

Rosa is a red-hot diva and is sweet outside the ring,
I hope your career continued to go on the upswing!"

You can follow Rosa Mendes on Twitter @LaRosaMendes. Thanks Rosa!

Previous WrestleMania Axxess Photo Shots:
Melina
Natalya
Maryse
Alicia Fox
Tamina
The Bella Twins
Eve Torres
Kelly Kelly
R-Truth
Gail Kim
Kaitlyn

WrestleMania Axxess Photo Shots: Kaitlyn!

2011-05-04T10:00:00.003-04:00

I'm finally continuing on with my WrestleMania Axxess Photo Shots with this entry focusing on WWE Diva Kaitlyn.

Kaitlyn was involved in bodybuilding/fitness competitions prior to signing with the WWE. In fact, she finished in fifth place in the Arnold Class(named after Arnold Schwarzenegger) bodybuilding contest in 2007.

In 2010, Kaitlyn signed with the WWE and she reported to Florida Championship Wrestling, their developmental promotion. She made her FCW debut that August before she was announced as a participant in Season III of NXT.

Vickie Guerrero was her pro trainer for NXT, and they would eventually feud on the show over time. In fact, she won her first singles match against Guerrero. She won the third season of NXT and was signed by Smackdown! to compete on that brand.

She continued to feud with Guerrero as well as LayCool in matches on the brand. Recently, she reappeared on television during last night's episode of Monday Night Raw.

Kaitlyn was one of the last stars/divas I met during the final WrestleMania Axxess session before the big event. Before getting on stage to take a pic with her, security personnel had asked to have a pose in mind and ready to go so that everyone can get their pics done more quickly. The people in front of me had great ideas for pictures with her, and I thought that was very cool by Kaitlyn to be willing to do that for fans. I had one in mind, but wanted to be sure no one else would do the same thing as I had been thinking about. As it turned out, no one did the "flex biceps" pose, so that's the one I wanted. She's really beautiful in person, and she said she liked the pose when it was done. Who am I to argue? LOL! I shook her hand and thanked her for the pic. She was nice to me the whole time. Anyway, here's the pic of me with Kaitlyn:

So as I've done with the previous stars/divas I got pics with at WM Axxess this year, I'm going to post a rap/poetry for Kaitlyn:

"Before WWE, she was into bodybuilding and fitness,
She was successful and a sight to witness,

She signed with WWE, and was sent to FCW,
That is where she also made her debut,

She was announced to compete on NXT,
And so she ended up winning on Season 3,

She feuded with Vickie Guerrero along the way,
And she was Dolph Ziggler's valet,

She made it to WWE and onto Smackdown,
That's when she became the talk of the town,

Her finishing move is called the Wedgie Flatliner,
She's not there to be some fashion designer,

I liked the pic I got with her and that pose,
And she really did like the one I chose,

She's very beautiful diva and a pleasure to meet,
So that's why I follow her on Twitter to see what she'll tweet!"

You can follow her on Twitter @KaitlynWWE! Thanks Kaitlyn!

Previous WrestleMania Axxess Photo Shots:
Melina
Natalya
Maryse
Alicia Fox
Tamina
The Bella Twins
Eve Torres
Kelly Kelly
R-Truth
Gail Kim

WWE Smackdown Pics 4/26/11 Tapings!

2011-05-03T14:10:00.005-04:00

As some of you know that follow me on Twitter and/or Facebook, I went to WWE Raw last Monday and met The Miz before then, too.

The next night, I was front row ringside for the Smackdown! tapings which included NXT Redemption, too. As a bonus, we were also privileged to be a part of John Cena's next movie Fred The Movie 2 after the taping was done. The filming was announced by the announcer when we got there, and I had no idea about that until then. So it was an awesome night, and a great first time for me to have ringside seats! I'll never forget it, and I want ringside seats for WWE events from now on!

Anyway, here are some pics that I took from my cell phone for this show. Some are blurred, but many came out well:

This is from where I'm sitting as I got to my seat when this pic was taken.

The announce table from where I'm sitting.

Alex Riley is the first star to appear on the taping. Riley says he doesn't need The Miz and will show everyone why.

Johnny Curtis faced Alex Riley in the opening dark match. Curtis won against Riley.

Maryse and Matt Striker are in the ring for NXT! As always, Maryse was looking sexy!

Maryse, Striker, and the NXT competitors are in the ring as questions for them begin.

Titus O'Neill after he beat Darren Young for the third time on NXT.

William Regal on the mic after Jacob Novak called him out.

Yoshi Tatsu and Maryse on the TitanTron!

Lucky Cannon heads towards Maryse and he's been chasing her on NXT for awhile.

Maryse standing up after Byron Saxton turned on his trainer Yoshi Tatsu. Cannon won by DQ.

Maryse back at her chair and after Cannon took out Saxton to end the show.

Matt Striker gave me a wide-eyed look for my cell phone camera while at the announce table. Ha!

Tyson Kidd in the ring after winning against Trent Barreta in a Superstars match.

The Cole Mine is being constructed for the Smackdown! taping!

Booker T and Josh Mathews are at the announce table read for Smackdown!

Randy Orton introduces himself to the crowd!

Alex Riley interrupts Orton and later pays the price with an RKO! This was after Drew McIntrye did the same thing and suffered the same fate!

Orton is interrupted again. This time by Alberto Del Rio and Brodius Clay!

Alberto Del Rio and Brodius Clay are getting in the ring to approach Orton!

Smackdown! GM Teddy Long comes out to announce the main event tag team match between Del Rio and Clay against Christian and Orton! This was after Christian came down to the ring to assist Orton before being attacked by Del Rio and Clay.

Sheamus is on the attack after he ambushed Kofi Kingston as he was on his way to the ring.

Sheamus celebrates with his U.S. title after beating down Kofi.

This is the damaged barricade after Sheamus threw Kofi into it right in front of me. During the break, the crew repaired it before the next match. Turns out, it was needed for later in the night!

Michael Cole addressing the crowd and insulting them as well as Jim Ross before their match at the Extreme Rules PPV.

Jack Swagger is in the ring as Sin Cara makes his way to the ring!

I tried my best to get Sin Cara's leap into the ring on camera, and this is what I came up with.

Sin Cara gets the win over Jack Swagger!

Michael Cole was very upset after Swagger lost to Sin Cara. I took this pic after Sin Cara jumped off the ropes with a flying body press to Swagger on the outside of the ring.

The Corre members Heath Slater(pictured in front on the turnbuckle) and Justin Gabriel are ready for tag team action!

The WWE Tag Team Champions The Big Show and Kane as the Big Red Monster is ready to set off his fire pyros in the ring!

The Corre vs Big Show and Kane for the WWE Tag Team titles!

The Big Show and Kane celebrate after retaining the titles against the Corre!

Justin Gabriel on the outside of the ring after the tag team title match is done.

Rey Mysterio in the ring after talking to the capacity crowd about his move to Monday Night Raw!

The World's Strongest Man Mark Henry telling Rey Mysterio that he's gonna hurt him tonight!

Mysterio is down in the ring after Henry hit him with the World's Strongest Slam!

Cody Rhodes had attacked Mysterio causing a disqualification and attacked him. After Henry did his damage, Rhodes put a paper bag(as part of his gimmick) on Mysterio's head.

A look at the Smackdown! table and the Cole Mine where Michael Cole calls the action from.

Michelle McCool posing on the turnbuckle!

McCool and Layla are fighting on the ring floor just before the refs came to break them up! A very loud "Let them fight!" chant broke out after that!

Layla is right in front of me, and she was trying to grab a microphone to address McCool.

Layla on the microphone addressing McCool after the fight was broken up between them.

A very angry-looking Michelle McCool in the ring after she wanted a Loser Leaves WWE match. On the live taping, she accidentally said "Loser Leaves Smackdown!" match, but it was corrected when the show aired that Friday night.

Alberto Del Rio's entrance with his pyros going off.

Ricardo Rodriguez, the ring announcer for Del Rio, sitting down right in front of me at ringside!

Alberto Del Rio and Brodius Clay in the ring as Christian's theme music hits!

Christian and Del Rio stare down each other as they were opponents at Extreme Rules for the World Heavyweight Title in a Ladder Match this past Sunday!

And here comes the Viper and the Apex Predator Randy Orton to the ring

Del Rio and Clay on the outside of the ring waiting for their opponents, Randy Orton and Christian.

Del Rio, Clay, Christian, and Orton in action in the main event of Smackdown!

Christian and Randy Orton in the ring after they won their match!

Randy Orton on the turnbuckle in front of our section after the match!

Christian on the turnbuckle in front of us after the match!

Randy Orton came to our area at ringside and gave high-fives to us fans including me! This was as he was leaving!

To the surprise of everyone, here comes John Cena to the ring with Fred! This happened immediately after it was announced that scenes from his movie Fred 2 would be filmed there in Greensboro! The crowd was going nuts when he came out!

The fire pyros go off for Cena and Fred's opponents for Fred 2. They are the Devlins and are bullies that Fred has had to deal with.

Cena and Fred are set to square off against those bullies!

Cena is on the mic thanking the great Greensboro crowd for helping him out with his movie. He said our crowd was on fire that night(and later said the same on Twitter)! Damn right we were!

Cena and Fred posing for the camera in a scene for Fred 2 The Movie.

Sheamus comes out to interrupt Cena and cast!

Cena delivers the Five Knuckle Shuffle to Sheamus followed by an Attitude Adjustment!

Cena is preparing to throw his wristbands into the Greensboro crowd!

The Fred 2 cast gives us a curtain call before leaving the ring!

I still got plenty more pics to come from WrestleMania XXVII, Hall of Fame, and other places I visited in Atlanta and Raleigh! Thanks for viewing!

Bill V and Caroline May Ling Win FCSB for April 2011!

2011-05-01T22:17:00.001-04:00

The month of April is now over, and there are new winners for the FCSB. Yes, I said winners in plural form.

That's because Bill V and Caroline May Ling tied for the most FCSB points in the month of April. Mariuca has been nearly a permanent fixture atop the FCSB for this site. However, due to her increased work schedule, this opened the door for others to get the most points this month. But we still love ya, and you're still the queen of commenting as well as the one who created the FCSB in the first place.

For those that don't know about the FCSB, I award a point to the first three commenters on all entries for that given month. The one with the most points at month's end will be featured on this site's slider and receive ad space or EC credits. Also, anyone that receives a point on the FCSB for a given month will have their site linked when the announcement for the winner is revealed as is the case with this entry.

Here are the official Basic Bloganomics standings on the FCSB for the month of April:
Bill Vieira: 7
Caroline May Ling: 7
Georyl: 5
Monica: 5
Mariuca: 4
Levian: 3
Lainy: 2
Hazelicious: 2
Gagay: 1
3rdStoneFromTheSun: 1
Foongpc: 1
Tejan: 1
Lily Arbee
Shydub: 1
Lady Java: 1

Congrats again to Bill V and Caroline for getting the most FCSB points for April. Both of you will be on the slider for May as well as 1,000 EC credits, too. Congrats to the others for making the list. And thanks to all of you that commented, too. Thanks for viewing!

WWE Raw Pics 4/25/11; Meeting The Miz!

2011-04-28T16:50:00.002-04:00

I decided a week or so ago that I wanted to go out to Raleigh for Monday Night Raw at the RBC Center before going to Smackdown! in Greensboro on Tuesday. I know Greensboro well having lived closed to there for a long time, and so another trip to see WWE action was on!

But before all that, I went on wwe.com to see that The Miz was signing autographs at an auto mall in Smithfield, NC near Raleigh. So instead of leaving in the afternoon for Raw, I left in the morning to meet The Miz and get an autograph from him. This also allowed me to sight-see a little bit at museums in Raleigh before the Raw show.

My impression of meeting the WWE Champion was like the rest of the stars and divas I've met in the WWE: Very good. He signed my WrestleMania XXVII hat and took note of my WM shirt that I had on. He asked me how it was, and I told him using his own line "Awesome!". He then said, "That's because I won the main event!" That's when the following pic was snapped. I shook his hand and thanked him for the time. He flew all the way(14 hours according to him) to Raleigh from Qatar on Easter Sunday. Then had media day early Monday morning, this autograph session, and the Raw show that night. That told me a lot about him, and he was cool to me and other fans there. All the WWE stars and divas I've met are cool. You can follow him on Twitter @mikethemiz.

Anyway, here are some pics from meeting The Miz and also from the Monday Night Raw show in Raleigh

This is a pic of me meeting WWE Champion The Miz in Smithfield, North Carolina on Monday morning. He signed autographs at an auto mall to the first 300 fans that showed up.

Raw performers are in the ring ready to take on Smackdown! performers in a 20-man battle royal to determine the first pick in the 2011 Draft.

Cena comes out after being announced as Smackdown's first pick in the 2011 Draft. Of course, he was sent back to Raw at the end of the night.

Cena is interviewed after being picked by Smackdown! only for the WWE Champion The Miz to interrupt him.

R-Truth is on stage addressing the capacity crowd in Raleigh. He had by far the funniest and most entertaining segment of the night. If you haven't seen it, check YouTube to see the segment. He went with the flow from the crowd, and we were seriously into the segment. Too funny!

Mysterio introduced as the first draft pick for Raw!

It's Kofi vs Sheamus for a draft pick!

Orton comes out after being the latest pick to Smackdown!

Michael Cole and Jack Swagger are on their way to the ring!

CM Punk interrupts the draft picks for Smackdown! to address his opponent Randy Orton at Extreme Rules

John Cena in the ring after Raw is off the air. He takes a shot at The Miz for saying "NC Wolfpack" in his promo before the main event. Cena says that Raleigh is home of the NC State Wolfpack. He leads a chant and that ended the show.

I've got a ton of pics left to put up from my trip to Atlanta earlier this month and for the following night's WWE Smackdown! event in Greensboro. Thanks for viewing!

WrestleMania Axxess Photo Shots: Gail Kim!

2011-04-24T21:13:00.005-04:00

It's time for another WrestleMania Axxess Photo Shot with this entry focusing on WWE Diva Gail Kim.

Kim is of Korean descent and was born in Toronto where she would eventually start her wrestling career on their independent circuit.

In 2002, she signed with the WWE before she debuted in 2003. It was during her debut that she won the WWE Women's Title in a battle royal. She held it for about a month and became heel before she was let go in late 2004.

She would end up in TNA in 2005 where she won the Women's Knockout Championship and was also the named the Knockout of the Year in 2007. She was a manager during the early part of her tenure in the promotion before having great feuds with other knockouts such as Awesome Kong.

After her contract expired in 2008, Kim returned to the WWE in 2009 on Smackdown! She made it to the finals of the tournament that determined the first ever Divas Champion which was won by Maryse. Recently, she has been in a storyline with star Daniel Bryan as her on-screen boyfriend.

Kim is one of the best in-ring workers and is extremely beautiful as well. She has worked herself into being one of the top female performers in the world.

It was an interesting time when I took my pic with Gail Kim during the afternoon session the day of WrestleMania XXVII(which was the last Axxess session). She looks even more lovely in person which I told her when I shook her hand. For some reason(and I still don't what happened), there was a delay with camera personnel when I was up on stage. Therefore, I was up there standing alongside Kim for longer than is expected. And a funny conversation that left me leaving the stage laughing took place. Here's how the conversation with Kim and I went:

Kim: It looks like you get extra time up here.
Me: I want to stay up here longer. I'm not complaining.
(Kim laughs lightly)
(Still a delay with the camera personnel)
Me(sarcastically): Sure, hold us up here longer. Sure.
Kim: Are you complaining?
Me(Laughing lightly): Of course not. I still want to stay up here longer.
(Kim laughs lightly again)
(Finally the photo is taken and I thank her for the extra time before leaving the stage laughing at what happened).

Hey, which guy wouldn't want to stay up there longer with a very beautiful diva like Kim? Ha! Anyway, here is the pic I took with the beautiful Gail Kim:

As I've done with the previous WWE stars I've featured with these Photo Shots, I'm gonna post a rap/poetry for Kim(or at least attempt it, lol)

"Kim is not only sexy, but always puts on a good match,
Though I know she always wants opponents to dispatch,

In fact, she's one of the best female wrestlers around,
I hope she's the next to win the women's triple crown,

Gail was born in Canada but descends from Korea,
She's not retiring, and don't be misled by the media,

Whether it's TNA or WWE, she's won titles in both promotions,
And she's performed across all the oceans,

The WWE Divas title is the only one alluding her,
Okay, I'll avoid making this sound like a lecture,

She deserves to be recognized as one of the diva's best,
Cuz her in-ring work has always impressed,

It was a fun time to meet you Gail Kim,
She's a nice lady and also works hard in the gym,

She's hot enough to burn up any temperature gauge,
And I enjoyed the time meeting you on that stage!"

She'll appreciate it if you give her a follow @gailkimITSME on Twitter. You can also check her official Gail Kim site. Thanks Gail!

Previous WrestleMania Axxess Photo Shots:
Melina
Natalya
Maryse
Alicia Fox
Tamina
The Bella Twins
Eve Torres
Kelly Kelly
R-Truth