Alright, what may have been the most anticipated draft lottery since it's inception in 1985 took place last night and was one of the most suprising results ever.
For the first time in NBA Draft Lottery history all three of the teams with the top three picks fell out of the top three. That obviously opened the door for three teams to move up into the top three and the big winners were the Portland Trailblazers, Seattle Sonics and Atlanta Hawks. And you would have to count the Knicks as winners too since they traded the rights to their pick and they did not move into the top three. Had the Knicks secured one of the top two picks there is no doubt in my mind that James Dolan's House, Isaiah Thomas' House and Madison Square Garden would all be on fire right now.
So anyway, the big losers ended up being the Memphis Grizzlies and the Boston Celtics, the two teams with the worst records and the best percentage chances of landing the top two spots last night. No one cares about the Grizzlies, though their lack of luck in the lottery over the years has been stunning, but the real story here is obviously the Celtics. The Celtics are obviously a legendary franchise who have had their share of dynasties, but over the past 20 years they have had nothing but heartache. From Len Bias to Reggie Lewis to missing out Tim Duncan, the Celts can't catch a break. This was supposed to be their moment, it seemed like just about everyone geniuinely believed they were finally going to land the big one. Instead they fell all the way to 5th, one of the biggest drops for a team in lottery history. The shot of the Celtics fan at the bar during the "celebration party" with his mouth agape for minutes on end absolutely said it all.
Now as a "knicks fan" (Note: That is in quotes because it may be only in theory at this point), I am not a fan of the Celtics at all, but part of me desperately wanted to see them land either Oden or Durant, just because it would have been the most interesting situation as a sports fan. However, part of me also found it hysterical that they failed so miserably. Especially since their fans were all so arrogant coming in and for the fact that they literally tanked the last quarter of the season to secure one of the top two picks. Perhaps it was justice after all.
Of course if that was the case, the Blazers certainly wouldn't have won the thing as they are the all-time NBA leader in felonies. When I first saw that the Blazers won the lottery I was actually disappointed, I wanted to see Oden or Durant go to a team like the Hawks where they have the potential to complete turn around the franchise like Michael and LeBron. Plus, correct me if I am wrong, but don't the Blazers always just seem like a boring franchise.
Ohh wait, I will correct myself, as I said, that was just my initial thought. Then I started to think about the current crop of Blazers and how exciting that team can become. They already have Brandon Roy, LaMarcus Aldridge and Jarrett Jack, now add Oden or Durant to that mix and they have the potential to build a dynasty. On the other hand, like so many other promising phenoms, Oden or Durant could just go to Portland and embrace the culture of laziness and crime and never live up to their potential. As you can see I am completely torn on whether or not I like the Blazers at number one, but the one thing I do know is that I love the Sonics at number two. Combining either Oden or Durant with Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis could make the Sonics a tough team and perhaps give Ray Allen a shot at the title that has eluded him.
Ok, I have rambled on long enough and although the draft is still over a month away I wanted to just quickly break down my first best guess on how the lottery might go. Obviously a lot can change between now and the draft, again, this is just my first early projection:
1) Blazers - Greg Oden (C) - The Blazers already have Zach Randolph and drafted LaMarcus Aldridge last year, so Durant could be a much better fit, but its hard to pass on seven-foot franchise centers. Just ask them about Sam Bowie.
2) Sonics - Kevin Durant (SF) - The Sonics have perhaps the easiest pick in the history of the draft. In some respects it's almost better to be picking second. You know you are getting a superstar but without the pressure and no matter what happens, no one can ever second guess you.
3) Hawks - Mike Conley Jr. (PG) - Ahhh the Hawks, it would have been great if they landed one of the top two picks just to see them pick Conley over Oden or Durant. This is obviously still a reach for Conley, especially considering they have the 11th pick as well, but that means nothing. After years of passing on point guards at the appropriate positions when that was their biggest need expect them finally to take one but to completely ruin the moment by reaching so far for one.
4) Grizzlies - Brandan Wright (PF) - The Hawks mistake is the Grizzlies gain.
5) Celtics - Corey Brewer (SF) - The Celtics will be looking to make a big splash here to make up for losing out on Oden and Durant. Look for them to botch it.
6) Bucks - Yi Jianlin (PF) - The Chinese KG could be a steal.
7) T-Wolves - Al Horford (PF) - Speaking of KG, the Wolves will finally get him some help up front here.
8) Bobcats - Julian Wright (SF) - The need a true center and Hibbert is still on the board, the only problem is that bumps Sean May out of the lineup. Instead they keep Okafor at center and May at PF and go for the number three.
9) Bulls - Joahkim Noah (PF) - A Bulls team that is already loaded with talent now adds a lottery pick in a very deep draft. They need size up front and Noah is the perfect fit to slot right into a championship contender.
10) Kings - Spencer Hawes (C) - It's rebuilding time for the Kings and Hawes is definitely a project.
11) Hawks - Roy Hibbert (C) - The Hawks could have added Conley here and would have had Wright with their first pick, but Hibbert and Conley isn't a bad days work either.
12) 76ers - Al Thornton (PF) - He is 24 years old otherwise he would be listed right under Oden and Durant as the stars of this draft.
13) Hornets - Acie Law (PG) - Hornets go for the best player available.
14) Clippers - Derrick Byars (SF) - Clippers don't really have one strong need so they take the guy that is most ready to contribute.
That is all for this first installment of mock draft, of course as we get closer to draft night I will have a lot more on the subject.
Thats all for now, any thoughts on these projections or anything else on your mind at all? Get at us......bigjandmax@gmail.com
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Big J's Top 10: Favorite Fights - Part 2
I apologize for the delay but there is something you need to know about me.......I am a very, very busy guy. Sure I haven't had a full-time job in over a year, but still.....busy, busy, busy.
Anyway, I am finally here with the conclusion of my top 10 fights, I know you have been anxiously awaiting the results despite the fact that the interest in boxing has slowed to a quiet murmur over the past week. But I know from the influx of e-mails I have received (Zero), demanding that the top 5 be posted, that it is something I have to follow through on. So here we go.........
Big J's Top 10 Favorite Fights Of The Last 20 Years - Part 2
5) Diego Corrales vs. Jose Luis Castillo I - This was one of those fights that didn't have much fanfare going in but ended up being the talk of the sports world after it happened. It became one of those rare fights that everyone was trying to get a copy of within days of it taking place. Dubbed "The Fight of the Century" by some and "The Greatest Fight of All-Time" by others. I think that is laying it on a little thick, but it's an all-time classic nonetheless. Words can't justify what happened in this fight, however the video of the 10th round below sums it up completely. Sadly Diego Corrales passed away last week after a motorcycle accident, but he will forever be remembered for this fight, perhaps the greatest comeback in boxing history.
4) Oscar De La Hoya vs. Fernando Vargas - Sure Oscar has had better fights and sure Oscar has had bigger fights, but this one stands out for me for several reasons. First of all, Vargas was probably a bigger villain entering this fight than Mayweather was against Oscar 10 days ago. Vargas talked a lot of personal trash about De La Hoya while De La Hoya just kept his mouth shut, looking to do his talking in the ring. That was the same situation with the Mayweather fight, the difference here being that Vargas had not accomplished nearly as much as Mayweather and Oscar was in his prime. It was very disrectpul and also pretty stupid. Plus, the fact that Vargas insinuated that De La Hoya wasn't a real Mexican because he embraced the United States made him even more of a bad guy, at least in the U.S. Making things even greater was the fact that Vargas actually gave Oscar a beating for the first 5 rounds befor he came back and beat the holy hell out of the cocky Vargas. To top it all off, this fight features the greatest call in boxing history outside of "Down Goes Frazier", by the great Jim Lampley. Check out the video below to see the knockout and Lampley's emotional call.
(Note: Also, this fight sums up Larry Merchant's incompetence perfectly in a one minute span. Pay close attention to his comments just as Oscar records the first knockdown and then after Lampley makes his incredible call Merchant almost completely ruins the moment with a rambling line about six-packs. Please don't try to figure it out, I promise that no matter how much time you spend thinking about it, it will never make sense)
3) Mike Tyson vs. Buster Douglas - Probably the most famous fight of the last 25 years other than maybe Tyson biting Holyfield's ear. It has been called "the biggest upset in sports history", not just boxing mind you, all sports. At the time of this fight Tyson was "the baddest man on the planet" and was thought to be invincible. There wasn't a heavyweight alive thought to be able to even give him a run for his money, let alone knock him out. In comes James "Buster" Douglas who entered the fight already having had 4 loses and as a 20 to 1 underdog. What followed was the most improbable result imagineable. Of course Buster had very little success afterwards and Tyson was the never the same again, but this still remains the most shocking fight in boxing history.
2) Evander Holyfield vs. Riddick Bowe I - Heavyweight fights rarely live up to their billing in this day and age, but this was one for the ages. To me, easily the best heavyweight fight of the last 20 years. The two battled toe to toe for ___ rounds with ____ ultimately winning the ____. Of course they went on to have two more fights with a lot of famous moments like involvement from Rock Newman and of course, fanman, but this was the epic fight of the three. And although Holyfield lost the decision, this was the fight that earned him the reputation as a true boxing warrior. See below for round 10 from this fight, the 1992 round of the year.
1) Arturo "Thunder" Gatti vs. "Irish" Mickey Ward Trilogy - In my opinion you cannot have a discussion about the greatest fights of all-time, let alone the last two decades, without mentioning these three fights. I listed the trilogy instead of one fight because I just can't choose between them and I didn't want to litter the top 10 with three of the same fights, which would have happened had I ranked them individually. For starters, the great thing about these fights is that both of these guys are very likeable and seem to be genuine good guys. On top of that, their hearts are unmatched. They are both warriors and leave everything they have in the ring. It was expected that the match up would produce a good fight entering the first contest, but no one had any idea that boxing history would take place. Over the course of 3 fights and 30 rounds, these two fighters put on what I consider to be the greatest show in boxing history and one of the greatest shows in sports history. Every second of the 30 rounds is enjoyable and fun even though the two men seem to be killing each other. The first fight is probably the best of the bunch by a narrow margin while the third is the worst, but the third fight gets bonus points for the energy in the arena when the crowd rises to its feet at the end of round 10 to salute two of the greatest warriors in sports for the performance they had given over the span of 30 unprecedented rounds. Below is video of round 9 from the first fight, the round and fight of the year in 2002.
That will do it for my 10 favorite fights, I hope you enjoyed them. If you did, let me hear from you at bigjandmax@gmail.com or if you hated it, let me hear from you are bigjandmax@gmail.com. Until next time.......Big J....OUT......Yeah sorry about that, just got done watching American Idol, if you never want to come back I understand.
Anyway, I am finally here with the conclusion of my top 10 fights, I know you have been anxiously awaiting the results despite the fact that the interest in boxing has slowed to a quiet murmur over the past week. But I know from the influx of e-mails I have received (Zero), demanding that the top 5 be posted, that it is something I have to follow through on. So here we go.........
Big J's Top 10 Favorite Fights Of The Last 20 Years - Part 2
5) Diego Corrales vs. Jose Luis Castillo I - This was one of those fights that didn't have much fanfare going in but ended up being the talk of the sports world after it happened. It became one of those rare fights that everyone was trying to get a copy of within days of it taking place. Dubbed "The Fight of the Century" by some and "The Greatest Fight of All-Time" by others. I think that is laying it on a little thick, but it's an all-time classic nonetheless. Words can't justify what happened in this fight, however the video of the 10th round below sums it up completely. Sadly Diego Corrales passed away last week after a motorcycle accident, but he will forever be remembered for this fight, perhaps the greatest comeback in boxing history.
4) Oscar De La Hoya vs. Fernando Vargas - Sure Oscar has had better fights and sure Oscar has had bigger fights, but this one stands out for me for several reasons. First of all, Vargas was probably a bigger villain entering this fight than Mayweather was against Oscar 10 days ago. Vargas talked a lot of personal trash about De La Hoya while De La Hoya just kept his mouth shut, looking to do his talking in the ring. That was the same situation with the Mayweather fight, the difference here being that Vargas had not accomplished nearly as much as Mayweather and Oscar was in his prime. It was very disrectpul and also pretty stupid. Plus, the fact that Vargas insinuated that De La Hoya wasn't a real Mexican because he embraced the United States made him even more of a bad guy, at least in the U.S. Making things even greater was the fact that Vargas actually gave Oscar a beating for the first 5 rounds befor he came back and beat the holy hell out of the cocky Vargas. To top it all off, this fight features the greatest call in boxing history outside of "Down Goes Frazier", by the great Jim Lampley. Check out the video below to see the knockout and Lampley's emotional call.
(Note: Also, this fight sums up Larry Merchant's incompetence perfectly in a one minute span. Pay close attention to his comments just as Oscar records the first knockdown and then after Lampley makes his incredible call Merchant almost completely ruins the moment with a rambling line about six-packs. Please don't try to figure it out, I promise that no matter how much time you spend thinking about it, it will never make sense)
3) Mike Tyson vs. Buster Douglas - Probably the most famous fight of the last 25 years other than maybe Tyson biting Holyfield's ear. It has been called "the biggest upset in sports history", not just boxing mind you, all sports. At the time of this fight Tyson was "the baddest man on the planet" and was thought to be invincible. There wasn't a heavyweight alive thought to be able to even give him a run for his money, let alone knock him out. In comes James "Buster" Douglas who entered the fight already having had 4 loses and as a 20 to 1 underdog. What followed was the most improbable result imagineable. Of course Buster had very little success afterwards and Tyson was the never the same again, but this still remains the most shocking fight in boxing history.
2) Evander Holyfield vs. Riddick Bowe I - Heavyweight fights rarely live up to their billing in this day and age, but this was one for the ages. To me, easily the best heavyweight fight of the last 20 years. The two battled toe to toe for ___ rounds with ____ ultimately winning the ____. Of course they went on to have two more fights with a lot of famous moments like involvement from Rock Newman and of course, fanman, but this was the epic fight of the three. And although Holyfield lost the decision, this was the fight that earned him the reputation as a true boxing warrior. See below for round 10 from this fight, the 1992 round of the year.
1) Arturo "Thunder" Gatti vs. "Irish" Mickey Ward Trilogy - In my opinion you cannot have a discussion about the greatest fights of all-time, let alone the last two decades, without mentioning these three fights. I listed the trilogy instead of one fight because I just can't choose between them and I didn't want to litter the top 10 with three of the same fights, which would have happened had I ranked them individually. For starters, the great thing about these fights is that both of these guys are very likeable and seem to be genuine good guys. On top of that, their hearts are unmatched. They are both warriors and leave everything they have in the ring. It was expected that the match up would produce a good fight entering the first contest, but no one had any idea that boxing history would take place. Over the course of 3 fights and 30 rounds, these two fighters put on what I consider to be the greatest show in boxing history and one of the greatest shows in sports history. Every second of the 30 rounds is enjoyable and fun even though the two men seem to be killing each other. The first fight is probably the best of the bunch by a narrow margin while the third is the worst, but the third fight gets bonus points for the energy in the arena when the crowd rises to its feet at the end of round 10 to salute two of the greatest warriors in sports for the performance they had given over the span of 30 unprecedented rounds. Below is video of round 9 from the first fight, the round and fight of the year in 2002.
That will do it for my 10 favorite fights, I hope you enjoyed them. If you did, let me hear from you at bigjandmax@gmail.com or if you hated it, let me hear from you are bigjandmax@gmail.com. Until next time.......Big J....OUT......Yeah sorry about that, just got done watching American Idol, if you never want to come back I understand.
Saturday, May 12, 2007
Diary of a Madman #2: The meaning of ABC's LOST
Welcome everyone to the second edition of Diary of a Madman, the weekly column of one half of the most dynamic blogging tag-team to hit the net since......well....ever. Now that I've got that blatant self-promotion out of the way for Big J and I...the latest installment of DOAM sets its sights on pop-culture and TV as I breakdown and try to answer one of the most complex questions in the history of television, "What the hell is happening on LOST?" So without further adieu.....here we go!
Now, I'm assuming that if you've chosen to read this column that you are a fan of LOST. I'm not going to explain the concept of the show or it's background as if you are a fan you know this would take me at least 4-5 columns and around 500 man hours. I'm just going to assume that you are a die-hard fan that is completely up to date and ready to read my theory as to what I feel the show means.
So last Wednesday (5/9) we finally got a glimpse of the man The Others call "Jacob" and learned that Ben was originally a member of the DHARMA Initiative who turned his back on his people to side with the Hostiles. And siding with the Hostiles meant orchestrating a mass killing of the DHARMA members with poisonous gas that left him in power and control of the island. We also learned that Richard met a young Ben around thirty years ago in the jungle when Ben was searching for his deceased mother and he hasn't aged since. We also learned that Locke could hear and briefly see Jacob which upset Ben and eventually led to the him shooting the former box company manager in the chest and leaving him for dead. And while many new questions were formed in this episode, many others were answered. So last night after a few drinks, the only time to contemplate the meaning of LOST, I can up with a theory that I have to admit is pretty good.
And the theory goes like this:
The island is a portal between the "real" living world and the afterlife. That's why so many Losties have been able to see dead relatives/things that have been important in their lives:
Jack --His dad
Mr. Eko--His brother
Kate---Her white horse
Ben--His mother
Etc...etc...etc...
This island is not, I repeat, NOT, purgatory. This theory has been bumped around by LOST fans for years and I am proposing something completely different. Look at the island as a tunnel with one entrance and one exit. On one side you have real life, on the other you have the afterlife. Everything that exists on the island exists in between these two worlds. And the specific magnetic properties of the island is what allowed this portal to be opened in the first place. The "numbers" are what keeps the portal "door" open to the afterlife and must be reset every 128 minutes or else the door will close. The fail safe key that Desmond turned is a way to bypass the numbers and keep the door open indefinitely.
Now that we have established the theory that the island is in between the real world and the afterlife, let me be the first to tell you that Jacob is GOD. He is a spirit trapped in that shack in the jungle by Ben who has some how figured out a way to manipulate the afterlife to further enhance his power and control in the real.living world. Why? I have no idea. It may be to keep the communication open between him and his mother whom he longed for as a child. Truthfully, I don't know yet. But that the best that I got. Anyway, LOST has always focused on the duality of life and man. The Yin and the Yang. The black stone vs the white stone on Adam and Eve, etc... And with that said, there must be a dual being to compliment Jacob/GOD. In Christianity, that being would be Jesus Christ. Sitting at the right hand of the father, Jesus had the same ability as GOD, however he was born into a human form via immaculate conception. His goal on Earth was to die so that humanity's sins could be forgiven. Remember this as we move forward.
The Jesus character or being in LOST is John Locke. John's ability to not be injured regardless of the severity of his wounds seems to indicate that he's divine in some form. His mother also told him in Season One after stalking him in a shopping mall parking lot that he was immaculately conceived. The most glaring observation that John could be divine is his obvious connection to the island, which has been explored in depth through three seasons, and the fact that he could see and hear Jacob when the spirit asked for help. This occurrence clearly upset Ben and ultimately set up the cliffhanger for this past episode. Remember Ben's parting words as he left John for dead in that ditch were along the lines of waiting to see Jacob saves him.
Since the start of Season Two, many of the Other's have been looking or asking for "him". Desmond asked for "him" when the Losties first broken into the original hatch, Kelvin asked Des the same question when he washed up on shore after being shipwrecked, and Richard and the remaining others asked the same question when Locke was brought to their group after being captured for blowing up the submarine. In fact, one Other said, "we've been waiting for you." It seems as those Ben's followers believe more in Locke than they do Ben right now and are holding out hope that Locke is indeed "him."
And the infertility on the island? Well, only the living can procreate. The dead obviously cannot, but Ben needs to figure out how his utopia can continue to exist on the island since no babies and or their mothers can survive. So, he brings in infertility experts (Ethan Rohm and Juliet) to help him try and defy mankind.
So what does this all mean???
Yeah, I have no idea either. After sitting here for the last few hours typing this out I don't think I believe my theory anymore.
So let's see what you guys and gals can do.....
Please email your LOST theories to bigjandmax@gmail.com and be apart of the yet to be written column based on your feedback. Maybe we can get to the bottom of this show, probably not. But it will be fun anyway.
Stay tuned for Big J's Top 10: Favorite Fights - Part II as I know he's getting ready to churn that badboy out soon.
Also, look for my newest TV column which is going to be called "The Madman's TV Upfront Diary: A look at all the new and renewed shows for next television season. And, yes, it's reputable. I work in the media and advertising industry during the day....I know...I know...my writing is so witty and entertaining that I should do this full-time...I've heard that a million times (that was a joke). But seriously, it will be a first-person perspective on all the upfronts as I attend them all and I'll give you my top 10 best shows to look out for next season and my top 10 shows destined to go the way of Andy Richter's latest sitcom.
Until then......keep coming back!
Max
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Big J's Top 10: Favorite Fights - Part 1
I know the subject is a little past its due date now what with the "fight of the century" almost a week old, but I feel like there is still a little juice left in the boxing topic. Especially since last Saturday's fight was so wildly disappointing as I had mentioned previously. I really, truly did not enjoy the fight as some boxing fans seem to have and I really found it to be hypocritical on both fighters parts how much they fought not to lose or to get hurt rather than to win like they had claimed they would do. Bill Simmons pointed out in his latest column that it seemed much more like a prearranged meeting between business associates rather than fighters and a more accurate assessment I can't come up with. This fight was destined for a rematch from day one and hopefully that one will live up to the hype (Note: Despite the fact that I didn't enjoy a second of the first one I would fork over another $55 to see them fight again, yes I am a sucker, but you are too, admit it).
Anyway, while I was thinking about what made this fight so poor, I also began thinking about what makes great fights great. Initially I intended to write a column about the best fights of the last 20 years but then came to the realization that it was almost impossible. I have not seen nearly enough fights and it would be way too hard to even research and rank the ones I have seen. Instead I decided to rank my favorite fights of the last 10 years as it is much more subjective and therefore I can do it off the top of my head based on preference. These are the fights that have stuck with me the most and the ones that I have most enjoyed rewatching over the years. So with that in mind, I present the first installment of "Big J's Top 10".
BIG J'S TOP 10 FAVORITE FIGHTS OF THE LAST 20 YEARS - Part 1
10) The Contender - The Contender (season 1) to me is one of the greatest and most underrated television programs of all-time. In addition to the great storytelling and the drama involved, the show actually produced a number of great fights. Now obviously you are not exactly seeing real fights in their entirety since this is a tv program they are edited to some degree, but you still got a sense that many of the bouts were real dogfights. There were many fights that were too close to call and the decision was always a tense moment. My favorite fight of the whole series had to be Jimmy Lange versus Joey Gilbert in the first round but I couldn't find video of it, so instead here is the Sergio Mora versus Ishe Smith fight from Round 2.
9) Arturo "Thunder" Gatti vs. Ivan Robinson I - This was the fight that really solidified Gatti as the warrior of boxing who left everything he had out in the ring. Robinson was no slouch either but Gatti was heavily favored coming in despite the fact that he was entering the fight off a loss to Angel Manfredy. Robinson went on to win in a split decision in a fight that many consider one of the greatest of all-time. Below is the 10th round from this, the 1998 Fight of the Year.
8) Roy Jones Jr. vs. Bryant Brannon - This is by far the least heralded fight on the list, but just happens to be one of my personal favorites. Roy Jones was the king of entertaining boxing which more than made up for his lack of competition. He always found a way to make his fights interesting even if he was fighting a ham and egger, as Bobby Heenan would say. Most people prefer his hands behind his back knockout of Glenn Kelly, but I'll take this one. In this fight, Jones was destroying Brannon in the second round when he looked at the referee almost urging him to stop the fight. Jones was soo good that he knew he had this guy and was worried he might kill him if it wasn't stopped. When the ref did nothing in response Jones shrugged his shoulders as if to say "ok, I warned you, if you're not gonna stop it, I'm gonna have to" and proceeded to knock Brannon out. Sadly I could not find a clip of this fight, but I am sure most of you have seen the highlights at one time or another. That moment personifies all that Roy Jones Jr. is and all that made him one of the greatest of all-time.
7) Mike Tyson vs. Michael Spinks - One of the most famous and shortest heavyweight fights of all-time. Spinks entered the bout with an undefeated record of 31-0 and was thought to be a legitimate threat to be the first to defeat "Iron Mike". It was one of the most hyped heavyweight fights ever with tickets selling for upwards of $5000 for a seat in Convention Hall. What you got for that $5000 was just 89 seconds of boxing and one of the biggest disappointments in boxing history. Tyson told the story years later that he could see fear in Spinks face and knew he was beaten before it even started. Watch the video below and you can see it too, damn right he's scared, you can see it eyes. In fact Spinks was so scared that he never set foot in a ring again.
6) Roy Jones Jr. vs. Antonio Tarver II
- Let it be known that I have always been a big Roy Jones fan and never been much of a fan of Antonio Tarver (well not until "Rocky Balboa" that is") but there was still something very enjoyable about this fight. Perhaps it was the sheer shock of the whole thing, after all in 50 previous career fights Jones Jr. had never really even been in trouble much less knocked out. Plus the two had fought six months earlier and Jones won majority decision after going the full 12 rounds in that one. There was absolutely no reason to believe this one wouldn't go the full 12 again, until the unthinkable happen. Tarver didn't just knock Jones down, he knocked him out, clear into the middle of next week. Next to Tyson-Douglas, the second most shocking knockout I have ever watched. Check out the video below.
That will do it for Part 1, check back tomorrow as I will reveal my top 5 favorite fights of the last 20 years.
Anyway, while I was thinking about what made this fight so poor, I also began thinking about what makes great fights great. Initially I intended to write a column about the best fights of the last 20 years but then came to the realization that it was almost impossible. I have not seen nearly enough fights and it would be way too hard to even research and rank the ones I have seen. Instead I decided to rank my favorite fights of the last 10 years as it is much more subjective and therefore I can do it off the top of my head based on preference. These are the fights that have stuck with me the most and the ones that I have most enjoyed rewatching over the years. So with that in mind, I present the first installment of "Big J's Top 10".
BIG J'S TOP 10 FAVORITE FIGHTS OF THE LAST 20 YEARS - Part 1
10) The Contender - The Contender (season 1) to me is one of the greatest and most underrated television programs of all-time. In addition to the great storytelling and the drama involved, the show actually produced a number of great fights. Now obviously you are not exactly seeing real fights in their entirety since this is a tv program they are edited to some degree, but you still got a sense that many of the bouts were real dogfights. There were many fights that were too close to call and the decision was always a tense moment. My favorite fight of the whole series had to be Jimmy Lange versus Joey Gilbert in the first round but I couldn't find video of it, so instead here is the Sergio Mora versus Ishe Smith fight from Round 2.
9) Arturo "Thunder" Gatti vs. Ivan Robinson I - This was the fight that really solidified Gatti as the warrior of boxing who left everything he had out in the ring. Robinson was no slouch either but Gatti was heavily favored coming in despite the fact that he was entering the fight off a loss to Angel Manfredy. Robinson went on to win in a split decision in a fight that many consider one of the greatest of all-time. Below is the 10th round from this, the 1998 Fight of the Year.
8) Roy Jones Jr. vs. Bryant Brannon - This is by far the least heralded fight on the list, but just happens to be one of my personal favorites. Roy Jones was the king of entertaining boxing which more than made up for his lack of competition. He always found a way to make his fights interesting even if he was fighting a ham and egger, as Bobby Heenan would say. Most people prefer his hands behind his back knockout of Glenn Kelly, but I'll take this one. In this fight, Jones was destroying Brannon in the second round when he looked at the referee almost urging him to stop the fight. Jones was soo good that he knew he had this guy and was worried he might kill him if it wasn't stopped. When the ref did nothing in response Jones shrugged his shoulders as if to say "ok, I warned you, if you're not gonna stop it, I'm gonna have to" and proceeded to knock Brannon out. Sadly I could not find a clip of this fight, but I am sure most of you have seen the highlights at one time or another. That moment personifies all that Roy Jones Jr. is and all that made him one of the greatest of all-time.
7) Mike Tyson vs. Michael Spinks - One of the most famous and shortest heavyweight fights of all-time. Spinks entered the bout with an undefeated record of 31-0 and was thought to be a legitimate threat to be the first to defeat "Iron Mike". It was one of the most hyped heavyweight fights ever with tickets selling for upwards of $5000 for a seat in Convention Hall. What you got for that $5000 was just 89 seconds of boxing and one of the biggest disappointments in boxing history. Tyson told the story years later that he could see fear in Spinks face and knew he was beaten before it even started. Watch the video below and you can see it too, damn right he's scared, you can see it eyes. In fact Spinks was so scared that he never set foot in a ring again.
6) Roy Jones Jr. vs. Antonio Tarver II
- Let it be known that I have always been a big Roy Jones fan and never been much of a fan of Antonio Tarver (well not until "Rocky Balboa" that is") but there was still something very enjoyable about this fight. Perhaps it was the sheer shock of the whole thing, after all in 50 previous career fights Jones Jr. had never really even been in trouble much less knocked out. Plus the two had fought six months earlier and Jones won majority decision after going the full 12 rounds in that one. There was absolutely no reason to believe this one wouldn't go the full 12 again, until the unthinkable happen. Tarver didn't just knock Jones down, he knocked him out, clear into the middle of next week. Next to Tyson-Douglas, the second most shocking knockout I have ever watched. Check out the video below.
That will do it for Part 1, check back tomorrow as I will reveal my top 5 favorite fights of the last 20 years.
Monday, May 7, 2007
The Return of the Rocket and the Top 10 Returns in all of Sports and Entertainment!
As I’m sure all of you already know, and by all of you I mean our 7 loyal readers, that Roger Clemens has decided to return to the New York Yankees. Not surprises here as the Yankees were one of the three teams that Roger said he would only play for.
Now, it's important to note that I am indeed a Yankee fan and am extremely excited to see the Rocket back in pinstripes. The Yanks pitching has been so depleted by injuries and ineffective hurlers from the Far East that something needed to happen. And in typical Big Stein fashion, something did happen and it happened without anyone even knowing about it beforehand. That's the real story here. Not that Roger returned to baseball and chose the Yankees as many baseball people were prediciting that for the last few months. The story is how the Yankees unveiled their "new" starter to the public.
In a scene that is usally reserved for Monday nights at 9pm on the USA Network, Clemens return to the Yankees was more WWE than WWE is WWE. In the middle of yesterday's 7th inning stretch while 50,000 plus were singing, "Take me out to the Ballgame", the music went silent and the famous voice of Bob Sheppard hit the stadiums speakers.
"Ladies and gentlemen...please direct your attention to the owner's box behind home plate."
Suddenly, the jumbotron came to life to aid those less fortunate people in the nosebleeds see what the commotion was all about. The camera focused and shockingly showed Roger Clemens standing in George Steinbrenner's luxury suite with a microphone in hand seemingly ready to talk. For the next 6 seconds, Clemens delivered a promo that only his mother and "The Masterpiece" Chris Masters could love. This was followed by an out of place and awkward fist pump and suddenly Roger Clemens was a Yankee again.
When has something like this happened in legitamite sports? Never has an athlete showed up during a team's home game, STOPPED the 7th inning stretch, and announced he is going to return to the sport and said team. Not even MJ back in 1995 got this type of return. It was dramatic and shocking and no one saw it coming. Not the media, not the fans, not even the Yankee players. It was as if Brian Cashman and Steinbrenner had a conference call with Vince McMahon that morning to discuss how to coordinate Roger's return.
Now if I had my way, here is how The Rocket's return would have went down.....
As Sean Green gets ready to start the 8th inning, his first pitch is derailed by the precisely timed thumping up of Roger's theme music which has just hit the stadium speakers. Before anyone in attendence realizes what is happening, Ol' Rog jumps the guardrail on the third base side and BMF walks his way to the mound. The jumbo-tron now focuses on Green's face as he performs the famous "Vince McMahon throat gulp" which Vinny Mac always did without fail whenever Stone Cold Steve Austin interrupted his interview segments.
As Green scurries away in fear, Roger grabs a mic and channels Scott Hall from 1996.
"Ju know who I am. But ju don't know why.... I'm here."
Now that my friends is how to script a return!
So all this talk about returns got me to thinking.....what are the greatest returns of all-time in sports and entertainment?? We've had too many to mention over the years, so in the interest of time, I have decided to only consider the last fifteen years. So without further adieu, I present to you my Top 10 Returns of the Last 15 Years in Sports and Entertainment....
The Top 10 Returns in Sports and Entertainment of the Last 15 Years
10)Bret Hart's faux return to WWE, Monday Night RAW August 2005
I know, I know, not good to start a "Top Ten Return" list by listing an actual non-return. But I had to include this "return" as the moment itself was simply brilliant in its execution. To set the stage, let me give you some background. Shawn Michaels is gearing up for his Summerslam match against the immortal Hulk Hogan and RAW is coming to us live from Montreal. Due to the Montreal Screwjob back in '97, HBK is more hated in Canada than Satan himself. So in order to make Shawn a little more heelish in his feud with Hogan, Vince has Shawn come out to the ring and bury Bret to the extent of saying that he would screw him again if given the chance. Suddenly, the Hitman's music hits and it's the first time in 8 years that any WWE fan has heard that tune. In the words of Pat Patterson, "the crowd simply went BANANA." I honestly saw grown men punching their children because they couldn't control their exitement. This level of hysteria qualifies this moment to be on this list. If you've never seen this segment, join me giving a big THANK YOU to Youtube as I've posted it below for your enjoyment:
Still not convinced it belongs?? Well, attached is another clip of a poor Canadian Bret Hart fan whose friends have decided to play an April Fools joke on. The subject? The return of Bret Hart via a video they made to screw with him. Watch and you'll see that number 10 truly does belong:
9) Mario Lemieux's return to the Penguins, December 27th 2000
I've got to say that I've been lucky to live in a time when many legendary sports moments have occured. MJ's career, Tiger, The Subway Series, the list can go on and on. Here is another moment that I am particularly close to as I was attending college in Pittsburgh when it took place. To say Mario is a hero and legend in Pittsburgh is an understatement. Anyone who grew up or lives there will basically tell you that if you didn't or don't play for the Steelers then you really didn't or don't matter. Except for two individuals. These two individuals are two men whom are affectionately known by Pittsburgher's as Mario and Roberto. Super Mario's return in December of 2000 was speculated for a few weeks beforehand. The team was doing just fine in terms of W and L's, but was struggling with attendence and team identity as Jaromir Jagr was simply not suited at the time for the Captain's role. Enter Lemieux who became the first player/owner in the history of the NHL, helped steer the team to a 42-28-9 regular season record and established the Pens as must see attraction again. Enjoy the clip from that unforgettable night back in December of 2000.
8)Dylan McKay returns to 90210, September 1998
It had been 3 years since 90210 fans had last seen quintisential bad-boy Dylan McKay. After the death of his beautiful bride, Antonia, McKay literally rode off into the sunset on his motorcycle seemingly leaving Los Angeles and the ever changing 90210 gang behind in his dust on November 8th, 1995. Just a short three years later, after several TV and movie bombs, Luke Perry resumed his role as Senor Dylan by appearing as a more knowledgable and mature McKay. Having flown planes in South America and reaching the summit of K2 during his 3 years "away", Dylan returned to Beverly Hills just in time to save David Silver from giving his life away to drugs. The only man in history to have taken crystal meth while drinking orange juice. Regardless of the circumstances, Dylan was back and all 90210 fans rejoiced. I know I did. I'll spare you all a video montage as I guarantee my gushing over Dylan McKay has prompted you to consider NEVER visiting this blog again. We'll just move on to number 7.
7) Mike Piazza Returns to Shea Stadium, August 8, 2006
No one personified the New York Mets more than Mike Piazza over the last ten years. I was in attendence for his first game with the Mets against Milwaukee back in May of 1998 and the move made the Mets truly relevent again. Yes, it's true the team had won 88 games the year before and ended up winning the same amount of games the year Pizza arrived, however ask Big J, the feeling around the team and Shea had changed. In eight years with the Mets, Piazza made enough memories that he will always be remembered as one of New York's greatest athletes. Who can forget his dramatic game ending home run against the Braves in the first game in New York after 9/11? That's why when he returned as a member of the Padres in 2006, Mets fans packed Shea Stadium for his return to give a New York hero his due. Below is a clip of Piazza's return captured on video by a Met fan in attendence.
6) Mark Messier Returns to the Rangers, September 2000
When The Captain burst onto the New York scene in 1991, it didn't take long for Messier to become local cult hero. Embodying everything that is New York, Messier's hard noised style of play, determination to win and love of the nightlife turned him into a Broadway attraction. The Stanley Cup he brought to the Rangers in '94, the first Cup in 54 years, cemented his status as a legendary New York sports icon. The tears he shed when retuning to the Garden for the first time as a member of the Canucks only goes to show you that the love affair was mutual. There have been MANY tought tickets to get in New York over the years, and Messier's return to MSG in 2000 was no exeption. Sadly, I could not find video of this spectacular return, however, the video below is from his retirement ceremony on January 12, 2006. If this doesn't give you the chills.....then you flat out don't get sports.
6) Ric Flair Returns to WCW and The Four Horsemen, September 1998
In April 1998, Flair became embroiled in a dispute with WCW president Eric Bischoff when he failed to appear at a televised event. Bischoff had placed Flair on the show only three days prior, and Flair had earlier requested time off on the same night to see his son, Reid, wrestle in a Greco-Roman wrestling tournament. Bischoff filed a multi-million dollar lawsuit against Flair, and kept him off television for over 5 months. He returned on September 14, 1998 to reform the Four Horsemen (along with Steve "Mongo" McMichael, Dean Malenko, and Chris Benoit) in Greenville, South Carolina. During his return speech, Flair would shoot on Bischoff, saying that Bischoff didn't care about the fans and kept shouting the words "abuse of power" and "Fire me! I'm already fired!". Flair feuded with Bischoff for several months afterward, eventually winning the "Presidency of WCW" from Bischoff. (Credit: Wikipedia.org) This was a mixture of reality and storyline which was so prevelent in wrestling during the late 90's. Call wrestling whatever you want, but the genuine emotion on Richard Fliehr's face as he came out from behind the curtain to greet his fans deep in the heart of Flair Country was simply breathtaking.
5)Roger Clemens Returns to the Yankees, May 2007
Okay, okay, I know. This just happened and you already spoke about it ad nauseum, how can it already make the list? I agree completely but I have to include the Rocket's return on this list AND at number 5 because it was the first return of it's kind in mainstream sports. Like I said a bunch of paragraphs above, no sports team had ever introduced a player with quite this way. Was it pretentious, sure. Was it pompeous, absolutely. Was it hokey and contrived, you betcha. Was it shocking and brilliant, damn right. And that folks was what it was supposed to be. To Big Stein and Cash...mission accomplished.
4) Magic Johnson Returns to the Lakers, January 1996
Magic returned to the team that had made him a household name for the final 32 games of the 95-96 NBA season after retiring four years earlier due to the HIV virus he had contracted. I remember the day that I heard Magic had HIV back in '91. I was coming back from a school field trip in Philadelphia and I saw footage of his announcement on the evening news when I got home. I felt as though someone had punched me in the stomach. Magic....AIDS? How? The realities of the disease did not hit home for most Americans back in 1991 as AIDS was still considered a homosexual or drug addict's disease. Magic changed all that. And, yes, even though I grew up in New York I was still a HUGE Magic fan as he personified the flash and pizazz that was "Showtime". Everytime Magic suited up and played in front of Jack, Diane and Penny.....it felt like an event. So it was with great pleasure that I watched Magic's short comeback in '96 during my first year in college. I looked at it as a gift as I felt Magic's career had been robbed from me a few years earlier. Here are some highlights from that historic return against the Golden State Warriors.
3) Triple H Returns to the WWF/E, January 2002
Out nearly a year due to a quad tear, The Game, Triple H, returned to the WWE in the only arena perfectly suited for this type of event, Madison Square Garden. Now, I'm sure you non New York readers are by now firmly pissed off at the sheer number of New York events and athletes on this list. And I apologize. But then again....this is MY list, so I actually apologize for nothing. If you don't like, write your own damn list. Okie-dokey....now that I got that off my chest....back to HHH. This return was extra special and really cemented Hunter as a future WWE Hall of Famer because he was a heel before his injury. The babyface pop he received the night he came back can be best described as the fans outpouring their true feelings and emotion for a man who has given his body to entertain them since 1995. No storylines, no gimmicks....just one man returning to the sport he loves and the fans letting him know they never forgot him. Sit back and enjoy because I don't think I've seen the Garden this electric EVER.
2) Hulk Hogan Returns to Wrestlemania, WM X-8 April 2002
Oh man, two wrestling returns in a row. Yeah, well, this is justified. This is the greatest crowd reaction to any one single human being in the history of ALL SPORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT. Period. There is no debate if you think otherwise, you lose. And, yes, I know that Hogan actually returned at the No Way Out PPV, but this is Hulk Hogan returning to the event HE made famous. This is the only match I can think of where the crowd not only switched the babyface and heel mid-match, but also was the determining factor in why storylines were re-written and Hogan was turned face so quickly during his comeback. Look at the reaction when Hogan flexes.....UNREAL. I honestly thought when watching this live 5 years ago that those crazy Canadians were going to storm the ring. Believe it or not, this is actually my favorite match of all-time and I've been watching wrestling for about 24 years. So I know a thing or two about a thing or two. Enjoy this compilation video soundtracked by Aerosmith's "Dream On."
1) Michael Jordan returns to the Bulls, March 1995
Arguably the greatest athlete of all-time makes his return to a sport that wasn't the same without him. And that's coming from me, a die-hard Knicks fan, who Jordan destroyed over the years with clutch performance after clutch performance. But I'd be a fool if this moment in NBA history wasn't my number #1 return of all-time. I'd be a fool and I'd be a liar because MJ's return was more than a sports story. It was a news story. After a 17th month absence and a failed baseball career, basketball's Babe Ruth returned home on March 18th, 1995 to a sold-out Market Square Arena in Indianapolis as his Bulls took on the Indiana Pacers. Yes, some may say Jordan really returned a few weeks later when he dropped 55 on the Knicks at the Garden, but this is the original. Come take a walk with me down memory lane and enjoy this rare video from a time when Michael wore number #45 for a little bit and reminded us all just how great he truly was.
Well, that does it for "My Top Returns in all of Sports and Entertainment in the Last 15 Years." Hope you enjoyed it and I would really love to hear your feedback on this list. Hell, I would love you to submit your own or you can just critque mine. Whatever's clever.
Please send all emails, notes, comments etc....to bigjandmax@gmail.com
Until next time.....keep coming back!
Max
Now, it's important to note that I am indeed a Yankee fan and am extremely excited to see the Rocket back in pinstripes. The Yanks pitching has been so depleted by injuries and ineffective hurlers from the Far East that something needed to happen. And in typical Big Stein fashion, something did happen and it happened without anyone even knowing about it beforehand. That's the real story here. Not that Roger returned to baseball and chose the Yankees as many baseball people were prediciting that for the last few months. The story is how the Yankees unveiled their "new" starter to the public.
In a scene that is usally reserved for Monday nights at 9pm on the USA Network, Clemens return to the Yankees was more WWE than WWE is WWE. In the middle of yesterday's 7th inning stretch while 50,000 plus were singing, "Take me out to the Ballgame", the music went silent and the famous voice of Bob Sheppard hit the stadiums speakers.
"Ladies and gentlemen...please direct your attention to the owner's box behind home plate."
Suddenly, the jumbotron came to life to aid those less fortunate people in the nosebleeds see what the commotion was all about. The camera focused and shockingly showed Roger Clemens standing in George Steinbrenner's luxury suite with a microphone in hand seemingly ready to talk. For the next 6 seconds, Clemens delivered a promo that only his mother and "The Masterpiece" Chris Masters could love. This was followed by an out of place and awkward fist pump and suddenly Roger Clemens was a Yankee again.
When has something like this happened in legitamite sports? Never has an athlete showed up during a team's home game, STOPPED the 7th inning stretch, and announced he is going to return to the sport and said team. Not even MJ back in 1995 got this type of return. It was dramatic and shocking and no one saw it coming. Not the media, not the fans, not even the Yankee players. It was as if Brian Cashman and Steinbrenner had a conference call with Vince McMahon that morning to discuss how to coordinate Roger's return.
Now if I had my way, here is how The Rocket's return would have went down.....
As Sean Green gets ready to start the 8th inning, his first pitch is derailed by the precisely timed thumping up of Roger's theme music which has just hit the stadium speakers. Before anyone in attendence realizes what is happening, Ol' Rog jumps the guardrail on the third base side and BMF walks his way to the mound. The jumbo-tron now focuses on Green's face as he performs the famous "Vince McMahon throat gulp" which Vinny Mac always did without fail whenever Stone Cold Steve Austin interrupted his interview segments.
As Green scurries away in fear, Roger grabs a mic and channels Scott Hall from 1996.
"Ju know who I am. But ju don't know why.... I'm here."
Now that my friends is how to script a return!
So all this talk about returns got me to thinking.....what are the greatest returns of all-time in sports and entertainment?? We've had too many to mention over the years, so in the interest of time, I have decided to only consider the last fifteen years. So without further adieu, I present to you my Top 10 Returns of the Last 15 Years in Sports and Entertainment....
The Top 10 Returns in Sports and Entertainment of the Last 15 Years
10)Bret Hart's faux return to WWE, Monday Night RAW August 2005
I know, I know, not good to start a "Top Ten Return" list by listing an actual non-return. But I had to include this "return" as the moment itself was simply brilliant in its execution. To set the stage, let me give you some background. Shawn Michaels is gearing up for his Summerslam match against the immortal Hulk Hogan and RAW is coming to us live from Montreal. Due to the Montreal Screwjob back in '97, HBK is more hated in Canada than Satan himself. So in order to make Shawn a little more heelish in his feud with Hogan, Vince has Shawn come out to the ring and bury Bret to the extent of saying that he would screw him again if given the chance. Suddenly, the Hitman's music hits and it's the first time in 8 years that any WWE fan has heard that tune. In the words of Pat Patterson, "the crowd simply went BANANA." I honestly saw grown men punching their children because they couldn't control their exitement. This level of hysteria qualifies this moment to be on this list. If you've never seen this segment, join me giving a big THANK YOU to Youtube as I've posted it below for your enjoyment:
Still not convinced it belongs?? Well, attached is another clip of a poor Canadian Bret Hart fan whose friends have decided to play an April Fools joke on. The subject? The return of Bret Hart via a video they made to screw with him. Watch and you'll see that number 10 truly does belong:
9) Mario Lemieux's return to the Penguins, December 27th 2000
I've got to say that I've been lucky to live in a time when many legendary sports moments have occured. MJ's career, Tiger, The Subway Series, the list can go on and on. Here is another moment that I am particularly close to as I was attending college in Pittsburgh when it took place. To say Mario is a hero and legend in Pittsburgh is an understatement. Anyone who grew up or lives there will basically tell you that if you didn't or don't play for the Steelers then you really didn't or don't matter. Except for two individuals. These two individuals are two men whom are affectionately known by Pittsburgher's as Mario and Roberto. Super Mario's return in December of 2000 was speculated for a few weeks beforehand. The team was doing just fine in terms of W and L's, but was struggling with attendence and team identity as Jaromir Jagr was simply not suited at the time for the Captain's role. Enter Lemieux who became the first player/owner in the history of the NHL, helped steer the team to a 42-28-9 regular season record and established the Pens as must see attraction again. Enjoy the clip from that unforgettable night back in December of 2000.
8)Dylan McKay returns to 90210, September 1998
It had been 3 years since 90210 fans had last seen quintisential bad-boy Dylan McKay. After the death of his beautiful bride, Antonia, McKay literally rode off into the sunset on his motorcycle seemingly leaving Los Angeles and the ever changing 90210 gang behind in his dust on November 8th, 1995. Just a short three years later, after several TV and movie bombs, Luke Perry resumed his role as Senor Dylan by appearing as a more knowledgable and mature McKay. Having flown planes in South America and reaching the summit of K2 during his 3 years "away", Dylan returned to Beverly Hills just in time to save David Silver from giving his life away to drugs. The only man in history to have taken crystal meth while drinking orange juice. Regardless of the circumstances, Dylan was back and all 90210 fans rejoiced. I know I did. I'll spare you all a video montage as I guarantee my gushing over Dylan McKay has prompted you to consider NEVER visiting this blog again. We'll just move on to number 7.
7) Mike Piazza Returns to Shea Stadium, August 8, 2006
No one personified the New York Mets more than Mike Piazza over the last ten years. I was in attendence for his first game with the Mets against Milwaukee back in May of 1998 and the move made the Mets truly relevent again. Yes, it's true the team had won 88 games the year before and ended up winning the same amount of games the year Pizza arrived, however ask Big J, the feeling around the team and Shea had changed. In eight years with the Mets, Piazza made enough memories that he will always be remembered as one of New York's greatest athletes. Who can forget his dramatic game ending home run against the Braves in the first game in New York after 9/11? That's why when he returned as a member of the Padres in 2006, Mets fans packed Shea Stadium for his return to give a New York hero his due. Below is a clip of Piazza's return captured on video by a Met fan in attendence.
6) Mark Messier Returns to the Rangers, September 2000
When The Captain burst onto the New York scene in 1991, it didn't take long for Messier to become local cult hero. Embodying everything that is New York, Messier's hard noised style of play, determination to win and love of the nightlife turned him into a Broadway attraction. The Stanley Cup he brought to the Rangers in '94, the first Cup in 54 years, cemented his status as a legendary New York sports icon. The tears he shed when retuning to the Garden for the first time as a member of the Canucks only goes to show you that the love affair was mutual. There have been MANY tought tickets to get in New York over the years, and Messier's return to MSG in 2000 was no exeption. Sadly, I could not find video of this spectacular return, however, the video below is from his retirement ceremony on January 12, 2006. If this doesn't give you the chills.....then you flat out don't get sports.
6) Ric Flair Returns to WCW and The Four Horsemen, September 1998
In April 1998, Flair became embroiled in a dispute with WCW president Eric Bischoff when he failed to appear at a televised event. Bischoff had placed Flair on the show only three days prior, and Flair had earlier requested time off on the same night to see his son, Reid, wrestle in a Greco-Roman wrestling tournament. Bischoff filed a multi-million dollar lawsuit against Flair, and kept him off television for over 5 months. He returned on September 14, 1998 to reform the Four Horsemen (along with Steve "Mongo" McMichael, Dean Malenko, and Chris Benoit) in Greenville, South Carolina. During his return speech, Flair would shoot on Bischoff, saying that Bischoff didn't care about the fans and kept shouting the words "abuse of power" and "Fire me! I'm already fired!". Flair feuded with Bischoff for several months afterward, eventually winning the "Presidency of WCW" from Bischoff. (Credit: Wikipedia.org) This was a mixture of reality and storyline which was so prevelent in wrestling during the late 90's. Call wrestling whatever you want, but the genuine emotion on Richard Fliehr's face as he came out from behind the curtain to greet his fans deep in the heart of Flair Country was simply breathtaking.
5)Roger Clemens Returns to the Yankees, May 2007
Okay, okay, I know. This just happened and you already spoke about it ad nauseum, how can it already make the list? I agree completely but I have to include the Rocket's return on this list AND at number 5 because it was the first return of it's kind in mainstream sports. Like I said a bunch of paragraphs above, no sports team had ever introduced a player with quite this way. Was it pretentious, sure. Was it pompeous, absolutely. Was it hokey and contrived, you betcha. Was it shocking and brilliant, damn right. And that folks was what it was supposed to be. To Big Stein and Cash...mission accomplished.
4) Magic Johnson Returns to the Lakers, January 1996
Magic returned to the team that had made him a household name for the final 32 games of the 95-96 NBA season after retiring four years earlier due to the HIV virus he had contracted. I remember the day that I heard Magic had HIV back in '91. I was coming back from a school field trip in Philadelphia and I saw footage of his announcement on the evening news when I got home. I felt as though someone had punched me in the stomach. Magic....AIDS? How? The realities of the disease did not hit home for most Americans back in 1991 as AIDS was still considered a homosexual or drug addict's disease. Magic changed all that. And, yes, even though I grew up in New York I was still a HUGE Magic fan as he personified the flash and pizazz that was "Showtime". Everytime Magic suited up and played in front of Jack, Diane and Penny.....it felt like an event. So it was with great pleasure that I watched Magic's short comeback in '96 during my first year in college. I looked at it as a gift as I felt Magic's career had been robbed from me a few years earlier. Here are some highlights from that historic return against the Golden State Warriors.
3) Triple H Returns to the WWF/E, January 2002
Out nearly a year due to a quad tear, The Game, Triple H, returned to the WWE in the only arena perfectly suited for this type of event, Madison Square Garden. Now, I'm sure you non New York readers are by now firmly pissed off at the sheer number of New York events and athletes on this list. And I apologize. But then again....this is MY list, so I actually apologize for nothing. If you don't like, write your own damn list. Okie-dokey....now that I got that off my chest....back to HHH. This return was extra special and really cemented Hunter as a future WWE Hall of Famer because he was a heel before his injury. The babyface pop he received the night he came back can be best described as the fans outpouring their true feelings and emotion for a man who has given his body to entertain them since 1995. No storylines, no gimmicks....just one man returning to the sport he loves and the fans letting him know they never forgot him. Sit back and enjoy because I don't think I've seen the Garden this electric EVER.
2) Hulk Hogan Returns to Wrestlemania, WM X-8 April 2002
Oh man, two wrestling returns in a row. Yeah, well, this is justified. This is the greatest crowd reaction to any one single human being in the history of ALL SPORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT. Period. There is no debate if you think otherwise, you lose. And, yes, I know that Hogan actually returned at the No Way Out PPV, but this is Hulk Hogan returning to the event HE made famous. This is the only match I can think of where the crowd not only switched the babyface and heel mid-match, but also was the determining factor in why storylines were re-written and Hogan was turned face so quickly during his comeback. Look at the reaction when Hogan flexes.....UNREAL. I honestly thought when watching this live 5 years ago that those crazy Canadians were going to storm the ring. Believe it or not, this is actually my favorite match of all-time and I've been watching wrestling for about 24 years. So I know a thing or two about a thing or two. Enjoy this compilation video soundtracked by Aerosmith's "Dream On."
1) Michael Jordan returns to the Bulls, March 1995
Arguably the greatest athlete of all-time makes his return to a sport that wasn't the same without him. And that's coming from me, a die-hard Knicks fan, who Jordan destroyed over the years with clutch performance after clutch performance. But I'd be a fool if this moment in NBA history wasn't my number #1 return of all-time. I'd be a fool and I'd be a liar because MJ's return was more than a sports story. It was a news story. After a 17th month absence and a failed baseball career, basketball's Babe Ruth returned home on March 18th, 1995 to a sold-out Market Square Arena in Indianapolis as his Bulls took on the Indiana Pacers. Yes, some may say Jordan really returned a few weeks later when he dropped 55 on the Knicks at the Garden, but this is the original. Come take a walk with me down memory lane and enjoy this rare video from a time when Michael wore number #45 for a little bit and reminded us all just how great he truly was.
Well, that does it for "My Top Returns in all of Sports and Entertainment in the Last 15 Years." Hope you enjoyed it and I would really love to hear your feedback on this list. Hell, I would love you to submit your own or you can just critque mine. Whatever's clever.
Please send all emails, notes, comments etc....to bigjandmax@gmail.com
Until next time.....keep coming back!
Max
Saturday, May 5, 2007
De La Hoya vs. Mayweather Running Diary
WARNING: Big J and I are wholeheartedly against stealing. One of my biggest pet peeves is hearing or seeing stand-up comics steal jokes from one another and attempt to pass them off as their own. Yes, Carlos Mencia, I'm talking to you. So it's necessary before I write this column to state that I am not stealing. I'd like to call it, "paying homage."
How does that sound? Paying homage....yeah....that's the ticket.....paying homage.
Anyway, I am paying homage to the man who invented the "Running Diary" column, Mr. Bill Simmons of ESPN.COM's Page 2, by writing a running diary of my own for De La Hoya vs Mayweather. My goal is to make the technique proud by entertaining all of you with a minute by minute account of a fat white guy watching a sporting event via PPV on his couch. Wow, never thought about it like that.....maybe this isn't a good idea after all.
Oh well, too late now. The wings are just about done as they are getting that crispy, grizzled look to them and the woman is heading off to bed. Time to take my pants off and......I mean, turn on the PPV, grab a wing, sop it with bleu cheese and get ready for a fight!!!!
8:49pm: Okay, just pressed the "confirm your purchase" button on my remote and there goes $54.95 down the drain. $54.95!!!!!! For $54 dollars I want Jim Lampley to come over my house and actually call the fight from my living room. Larry Merchant however would not have made it as he would have been hit by a speeding bus on his way to my apartment. Now that folks is worth $54.95.
8:51pm: A montage of celebrities making predictions on tonight's fight is the start to the "Countdown" program and WHOA....Vinny Chase in the house. Now, I love Entourage and all, but that might have been the most obvious "product placement" so to speak by HBO to promote one of their shows. If I want an opinion on banging hot chicks, I definitely want to hear what Adrian Grenier has to say. But boxing? Let's stick to Sugar and Kellerman, shall we?
8:52pm: Oh God, the girlfriend has awoken from her slumber. SHE'S ONLY BEEN ASLEEP FOR 20 MINUTES!! I swear she must have come to the moment I typed "banging hot chicks" in the last paragraph. Be right back. Time to put on the charm and make her go back to sleep so I can enjoy myself. And by putting on the charm I mean making her drink a glass of water spiked with horse tranquilizers.
9:00pm: Okay, I'm back. The horse tranquilizers didn't work, so I just hit her in the head with a heavy book. I knew saving my college textbooks rather than selling them for cents on the dollar back to the bookstore would come in handy some day.
9:01pm: Some undercard fighter named Bautista has the nickname of "Boom Boom". It ain't Ray Mancini, but I still gotta watch this.
9:09pm: AWESOME!!! Sergio Medina is coming out to "Eye of the Tiger"!! When was the last time you actually heard a boxer come out to that song? Wow, and there isn't a damn soul in the building to enjoy that fantastic selection of ring music.
9:14pm: In honor of the NBA All-Star game, what's the over/under on murders and robberies in Vegas this weekend? It's gotta be pretty high as the element that follows boxing makes NBA fans look like school girls. Trust me, Big J and I went and saw a Don King triple-header highlighted by Chris Byrd vs Andrew Golota at Madison Square Garden in 2005 and we saw more blood shed in the bathroom than we did in the ring. We actually witnessed a "fight" between two black kids and a crazy group of drunken Polish men that was an amazing thing to behold. And I put fight in quotes because there wasn't even a punch thrown. One of the Polish guys just threw roundhouse kicks in the direction of the black kids which sent them running down the hallway in retreat. I'm serious, he must have kicked about 20 times in a row. It was something out of an action flick that I thought could only be accomplished with CGI. The moral of the story is that I highly recommend attending a boxing event if you haven't been to one. And the more dangerous, the better.
9:31pm: For some reason Emmanuel Stewart is determined to call Bautista, "BAH-TISTA." You know, like Batista in WWE. And just like WWE's resident Animal, this guy looks stiff in the ring too.
9:33pm: BAUTISTA IS CUT!! GOOD GOD ALMIGHTY, BAUTISTA IS CUT!!!
9:35pm: Wow, Lederman has Bautista leading 48-46 through 5. So, Medina is winning the fight.
9:37pm: Okay, no way I'm going to be able to keep up this pace with a running diary especially since I'm even covering the undercard which no one really cares about. So I'm off to eat 20 wings. HMMMMMMM.....WINGS......WITH BLEU CHEESE........Be back when it's main event time.
10:08pm: Okay, I lied, I'm back. Bautista won in 12 by unanimous decision. I guess old Harold was right. Juarez and Hernandez are up next and......I could care less. Seriously this time, I'll be back for main event time.
10:49pm: Is that The Predator or Floyd Mayweather Sr.? I never thought that we would see a black man's version of the mullet, but that's about as close to describing what Floyd Sr. is sporting. Rather than a ticket to the fight, can Oscar get this guy a stylist? My God, even a decent barber would do. Oh no, Merchant is asking questions. Wow.....this is priceless. I've never seen a more incoherent interview on the part of both interviewer and interviewee. This is a Youtube moment. And Lampley just summed it up, "Poignant comments by Floyd Mayweather Sr." The broadcast has just been halted as Jim Lampley's nose has grown to the size of the Eiffel Tower.
10:56pm: OSCAR IS GETTING TAPPED UP, GOOD GOD ALMIGHTY, HE'S GETTING TAPED UP!!
11:00pm: OH MY GOD.....I'VE LOST THE FEED.....Oh, okay, no biggie. Just my TIVO automatically switching channels to record the TNA Impact replay. Yeah, okay, like you don't love Christian Cage?? I'm a PEEP and proud of it.
11:07pm: HERE WE GO!!! In the words of my friend Devon Jurgensen's brother Jarrod, IT'S RUMBLE SH*T TIME!!! Oh wait....a couple more minutes of promos...silly me. Wow, one of my favorite fighters of all-time, Arturo "Thunder" Gatti, is fighting on my birthday. If you've never seen Gatti fight, please, please get a DVD or tape off the internet and watch this Italian via Montreal/Atlantic City go. He's like the Braveheart of boxing. Gatti fight on my birthday, wow, nothing better than that.
11:13pm: Okay, finally, main event time.....oh wait, Lampley just said 15 minutes till fight time. Good Christ, I'm about 10 beers deep right now and I'm fading fast. Maybe another 10 wings should do the trick. When in doubt, ALWAYS reach for something fried. Be back in a sec. Wait a minute, celebrity sightings, can't miss this.....P Ditty...check....Leo DiCaprio.....check.....Jack Nicholson....check.....John Cusack....che....wait......WTF? John F'N Cusack? How did he get in? Much like Larry Merchant, John Cusack would be better off dead.
11:20pm: Larry Merchant just said, "blinged out." I'm going to bed.
11:22pm: VIVA MEXICO!!! (That's MEH-HEE-COE). Shots of Oscar doing that weird jaw contraction he does before fights....Sing it Marc!! Wait, was that 50 Cent in Mayweather's dressing room praying?? If it was, look out Strip, I'm taking the over on murders. I'm even taking the money line on shots fired too.
11:29pm: OH SNAP!! Mayweather in a sombrero!! Wow, that's a WWE heel move. Vince, are you there? He's even got Fitty leading him to the ring. Wow, replace 50 with Motorhead and this is a Triple H like entrance.
11:31pm: Here comes The Golden Boy! Wow, he looks all business. Entering to a babyface pop, Oscar is ready for war. Say what you will about De La Hoya, he is the epitome of class. PERIOD.
11:35pm: Kenny Bayliss needs a Mills Lane like scratch of the nose when he's introduced. All he did was look into the camera.....C'mon Kenny, show some charisma!!
11:36pm: OOOOOSSSSSSSSSSSSSS----CARRRRRRRRRRRRR........DE LA OOOOOOOOOYYYYYYYYAAAHHH!
11:38pm: Ding, ding, ding, and we're off! Right hand across the top by Floyd.....De La Hoya strikes back with a right hand of his own....HOYA!!! HOYA!!!....Sticking jabs by Mayweather and Oscar continues to dance....end of round!
11:42pm: Round 2 begins...left hook by Oscar! Lederman card had round 1 10-9 in favor of Mayweather.... quick FLURRY by De La Hoya.....OSCAR!!! OSCAR!!! OSCAR!!!....body shots by The Golden Boy.....end of round 2.
11:45pm: Max analysis: Wow, De La Hoya looks to be in great shape. I thought his stamina was going to be a problem against the younger Mayweather, and it's still early, but Oscar looks good so far.
11:46pm: OSCAR PUMMELING!!! SLEDGEHAMMER RIGHT ACROSS THE TOP......OSCAR!!! OSCAR!!! Wow, this crowd as expected is 100% De La Hoya.....slower pace now, Mayweather dipping and jukeing and being defensive while still hitting some jabs.....open round right now.....TIME!!!!
11:50pm: Okay Jim, I got the first two rounds for De La Hoya, the last two for Mayweather, 29-28, Floyd Mayweather through 4.....
11:51pm: BODY SHOTS, BODY SHOTS, BODY SHOTS, GOOD GOD ALMIGHTY, BODY SHOTS!!
11:53pm: Whoa....little bit of late shot by Oscar. Is it me or has Oscar's corner gotten white-er over the years? I think I saw Wilford Brimley giving The Golden Boy advice on how to slip Mayweather's right hand...
11:56pm: Right cross by De La Hoya....toe to toe for a moment.....BIG RIGHT HAND BY FLOYD!!!! TIME!!!!!!!!! Wow, 21 of 37 for Mayweather that round comparative to 9 for 37 for Oscar. Here comes that stamina I was talking about. 49-46 Mayweather through 6 due to faster hands.....
11:59pm: Chopping wood by De La Hoya, still....great defense by Mayweather....ducks and slips by Oscar...a little taste of his own medicine....good round for Oscar here.
12:08am: OSCAR!!! OSCAR!!!....De La Hoya...two good rounds now.....Larry Merchant lost his mind back in round 6 as he's clearly making no sense, rally by De La Hoya....OVATION FROM THE CROWD!! Where is Max Kellerman when you need him??? Lampley said that, not me.
12:10am: Wow, Mayweather is still hitting a better percentage of his punches yet it doesn't seem like it...round 8 goes to Floyd....
12:12am: Slowing down a bit here in 9...NO!!! De La Hoya mini flurry against the ropes....a little urgency by Mayweather and yet another reference to the Zab Judah fight by Lampley......TIME!!!
12:13am: Some great scientific boxing consultation by Mayweather's corner as they tell him to, "whip some ass." God, I love boxing.
12:14am: Uh-oh controversy between the Lampley and Lederman card!! Oscar has to kick it into overdrive here. He needs to repeat his finish against Vargas to win this fight, but it's not really looking good. THROW YOUR JAB!!!!!!!! Tie-up by Mayweather and we are down to 10 seconds......TIME!!
12:17am: Max analysis: Terrible round for Oscar. 7 out of 62 punches connected and that's simply not going to get it done. Big one sided round for Mayweather. Start of the 11th, Mayweather is stalling and Oscar is tired. Right hands by Mayweather.....surgeon like precision....1 minute left in the 11th.....some booing by the crowd now as both fighters are slowing down.....RIGHT HAND BY OSCAR TO END THE ROUND. May be too late though.
12:21am: FINAL ROUND!!! CROWD ON THEIR FEET......OSCAR ON OFFENSE.....Lampley with some good info in saying that a 12th round KO would be the first of Oscar's career.....OSCAR!!! OSCAR!!! CROWD TRYING TO GET DE LA HOYA GOING....FLURRY BY DE LA HOYA.....TEN SECONDS LEFT.....FLURRY BY BOTH FIGHTERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! TIME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
12:25am: And we're done. Big pop for Oscar, but I don't think it'll be enough. Let's wait for the decision......115-113 DE LA HOYA....116-112 MAYWEATHER......115-113 FOR THE WINNER BY SPIT DECISION.... AND NEEEEEWWWWWWW WBC WELTERWEIGHT CHAMPION OF THE WORLD...PRETTY BOY FLOOOOOOOOYYYYYYYYDDDD MAYYYYYYYYYYYWEATHER!!!
Alright folks, that'll do it for my first shot at a running diary. I hope you enjoyed it as it was really fun writing it.
Please send across all feedback to bigjandmax@gmail.com and let me know what you thought of the diary.
Until next time............
Keep coming back,
Max
Diary of a Madman #1: The Derby, De La Hoya vs Mayweather and some random thoughts...
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