WWE Raw: 1000 Episodes and Counting: Video Blog

WWE Raw celebrated a milestone on Monday, airing their 1,000th episode. Raw has been on either the USA Network or Spike TV every Monday night for over 19 years, and has provided me countless hours of entertainment growing up.

There was a time in the mid-90's during the Monday Night Wars when it looked like WCW and their show Nitro might eventually kill WWF, but due to the Attitude Era, and Superstars like The Rock, Stone Cold, and Triple H, WWF eventually won the war and put WCW out of business.

Like a lot of sports entertainment fans from the Attitude Era, the current product has become stale, and I've become a casual viewer. However, I'm not here to complain about the present, instead I want to celebrate the past with some of my favorite memories from Monday Night (in chronological order).

February 11, 1993: The First Show

September 22, 1997: Austin Stuns McMahon

After winning the 1996 King of the Ring, The Ringmaster became "Stone Cold" Steve Austin. Stone Cold made a career out of giving Vince McMahon hell. After spending months delivering the Stone Cold Stunner to Vince's Henchmen, Austin delivered the "shot heard 'round the world" to the chairman himself.

October 13, 1997: DX Forms

Triple H and Shawn Michaels started messing around with Bret Hart and the Hart Foundation, making sophmoric jokes that would become a staple of the attitude era. Degeneration X would eventually turn into one of the most popular factions in WWF History

January 19, 1998: Tyson V Austin

Vince McMahon brings out Mike Tyson, and Steve Austin "ruins" it. WWF received a lot of national media attention from this angle.

July 6, 1998: DX Parodies the Nation of Domination

Triple H led D-X were in a battle with the Nation of Domination led by The Rock. DX's parody of NOD was one of the funniest moments in Raw history

January 4, 1999: Mick Foley wins first WWF Title

Raw beat Nitro in the ratings, and never lost again the night that Mick Foley won the WWF Title. Raw was previously taped and WCW announcer Tony Schiavonne spoiled the result. It backfired, and tons of fans switched over to Raw (most never came back to Nitro)

August 9, 1999: Chris Jericho's debut

WWF was running a Countdown to the Millennium Clock during the summer of '99. When it ticked down to triple zeroes Chris Jericho debuted

November 29, 1999: Triple H "Marries" Stephanie

No wrestling wedding ever has a fairy tale ending. Stephanie McMahon was supposed to marry Test, but the wedding was interrupted by Triple H, who showed a video of how he drugged Stephanie and married her first.

March 26, 2001: The Death of Nitro

WCW finally died in 2001. The WWF bought them out for pennies on the dollar (mostly for their tape library). The last segment in Nitro history turned into an angle between Vince McMahon and his son Shane. The WCW/ECW Invasion turned more into a battle between the McMahon family, and was nowhere near as memorable as it should have been.

February 18, 2002: The Rock Challenges Hulk Hogan

When Hulk Hogan and the NWO returned in 2002, it opened up the door for a clash of Icons. On Raw, the Rock challenged Hogan to a match at Wrestlemania 18.

June 26, 2006: D-X Parody of The McMahons

In the summer of 2006, D-X returned. Triple H and Shawn Michaels turned their attention to Hunter's Father in Law, Vince McMahon.

February 14, 2011: The Rock Returns

Following a contract dispute in 2004, The Rock left WWF to pursue a full-time movie career. In 2011, he returned, and it looked like he never missed a beat.

June 27, 2011: CM Punk drops a Pipebomb


CM Punk cuts a "worked shoot" promo about his plan to win the WWE Title at Money in The Bank and leave the company.

These are just some of my favorite Raw moments, and I can keep posting videos all nigh. For now, I toast to Raw, for 1,000 episodes and hopefully 1,000 more.

Top 10 Sports Moments of My Lifetime

I just hit the milestone 25th birthday, and I thought it would be fun to sit down and figure out my top 10 sports moments of the past 25 years. It's moments like these that you can recall as if they happened yesterday, and are the reason we keep coming back to a team despite more than enough heart-breaking moments (more so as a Jet fan than a Yankee fan).

1) Aaron Boone HR, Game 7 2003 ALCS vs Red Sox

After falling behind 5-2 in the eight inning following a homer from David Ortiz, panic spread across the Bronx thinking that the Curse of the Bambino could be over (and it ended in an even crazier fashion the following season). However, Grady Little made a decision that will be questioned until the end of time, when he brought Pedro Martinez out to pitch the bottom of the eight. With only 5 outs left until their season ended, the Yankees rallied to tie the game following a Jeter double, a Bernie RBI single, a Matsui double, and finally a 2 RBI double by Posada to tie the game. That was just the beginning of the magic, as the game went into the bottom of the 11th inning still tied at 5-5. Aaron Boone became Aaron "F-ing" Boone as he hammered the first pitch he saw from the knuckler Tim Wakefield over the left-field wall and into history. That moment was as sweet as any of the five World Series wins I was lucky to be alive for. It was also the last time the old Yankee Stadium saw an ALCS win.

2) Shonn Greene's TD, 2011 AFC Divisional Playoff vs Patriots

Unlike the Yankees, the best Jets moment I can come up with is winning a second round playoff game. Ever since 2001 the Patriots have humiliated the Jets while collecting three Super Bowl wins, and two more appearances in the big game. In 2010 the Jets brought in a new coach, Rex Ryan, who brought with him a different attitude. He called out Bill Belichick from his opening press conference, and now less than two years later he had a chance to knock the Pats out of the playoffs and to schedule a date with the Steelers for the Jets. The heavy underdogs took a 14-3 lead at halftime, but no Jets fan was feeling comfortable. Both teams traded TD's in the second half, and the Jets led 21-14 with under 2 minutes left in the game. Instead of running out the clock, Shonn Greene hit the hole hard and scored on a 16-yard TD romp. The lasting images of Rex Ryan running down the sidelines with him celebrating the whole way, and Shonn Greene sleeping on the football will always stick with me.

3) Del Piero scores a goal in his final game at Juventus

This is the most recent moment on the list, but it means a lot to me. Being a fan of the Bianconeri is in my blood, and on May 13th it was time for a party. The week before Juventus clinched their 30th Scudetto for being the best Italian club team on the road, but they had a final game against Atalanta, in their brand new stadium, to celebrate with Juve fans. The day was also a celebration because it would be the last time that Alessandro Del Piero would don the black and white. Del Piero, Il Capitaino, was a fan favorite throughout his 19 year career (sticking with the team along with GiGi Buffon after getting relegated to Serie B following a match fixing scandal in 2006) but his contract was up at the end of the season, and management was ready to let him play elsewhere. It was only fitting that ADP hit a 25-yard shot into the bottom left corner of the net just before the 30 minute mark. The rest of the game served as a farewell party to the iconic footballer, as he finished his Italian career off with a championship for the Turin fans.



4) Frankie Edgar's KO of Gray Maynard, Edgar v Maynard III

Following a grueling draw against Gray Maynard in January of 2011, where Frankie Edgar was almost finished multiple times in the first round before fighting back, the October rematch had plenty of hype. Nobody could have predicted what actually happened during their third fight, and it will be a fight that I will never forget. The first round started the way their second fight did, with Gray coming close to stopping Edgar. However, the Champ from Toms River, New Jersey wouldn't let a little blood stop him. Frankie took over the fight and showed his famous heart and grit over the next three rounds. Edgar didn't want this fight to go into the judges hands like the January fight did, so he knocked Maynard out cold with a barrage of punches 3:54 into the fourth round, officially bringing the belt back to the Garden State, and proving that he belonged as a champion in the lightweight division.

5) Hideki Matsui's 6 RBI Game, 2009 World Series vs Phillies

Going into the 2009 season, the Yankees were going through a little slump (they hadn't won a playoff series since blowing a 3-0 series lead to the Red Sox in the 2004 ALCS) but this season would be different. The team had a season to be remembered, no lead was safe with the modern era Bronx Bombers. They brought that attitude all the way through the playoffs, dismissing the Twins and Angels.   After jumping out to a 3-1 series lead, they lost game 5 in Philly, and brought the series back to the Bronx. Some Yankees fans still had nightmares from the '04 ALCS, and panic spread as they thought of losing Game 6 and forcing a Game 7.  Hideki Matsui calmed the nerves by going 3-4 with 6 RBI as the Yankees went on to win the game and the World Series 7-3. 

6) 2006 World Cup Final Italy vs France

In 2006, Italy made a magical run to the World Cup. After getting out of group stage fairly easy, they needed a Francesco Totti penalty kick in added time to get out of the next round. The Azzuri proved that the Ukraine is weak and feeble (Ukraine is game to you?), beating them 3-0 to move into the semifinals. The game against Germany was another nailbiter, with Italy scoring two goals a minute apart in the 119th minute narrowly avoiding penalty kicks.  That was all childs play compared to the World Cup Final against the French. Zinedine Zidane scored off a penalty kick 7 minutes into the game, but Marco Materazzi answered back in the 19th minute. The former Juventus star Zidane, was involved in more controversy, getting red carded for headbutting Materazzi in extra time. The game went into penalty kicks, with Italy hitting all 5 shots (Pirlo, Materazzi, De Rossi, Del Piero, Grosso), and David Trezeguet being only the French player to miss.


7)  Jeter's 3,000th career hit

Derek Jeter has always been my favorite Yankee, and on July 9, 2011, he solidified his Hall of Fame career by hitting his 3,000th career hit. In typical Jeter fashion, it wasn't any hit, instead he deposited a David Price pitch into left field. The Captain also went on to record hits number 3,001, 3,002, and 3,003 as he went 5-5 against the Rays that day.


8) 2000 World Series

From the opening pitch until Bernie Williams caught the final out off of the bat of Mike Piazza, this was one of the most hyped, and fun World Series. This was the Yankees third straight World Series win, and beating the team out of Queens made it my favorite in that era. In the first game, the good guys needed a Chuck Knoblauch sac fly to tie the game in the ninth, and finally Jose Vizcaino got a walk-off single off of Turk Wendell in the 12th inning. The second game will always be remembered for Roger Clemens throwing Mike Piazza's bat at him, but a Mets 9th inning rally was cut short by Mariano the Great. Derek Jeter shut up Mr. Met and millions of Mets fans by taking the opening pitch of Game 4 into the seats in the first World Series Game at Shea Stadium since 1986. The Yanks won the Series in Game 5 after a Louis Sojo 2 RBI single.




9) 1998 Jets

After going 1-15 in 1996, the 1998 Jets were on a miracle run led by Vinny Testaverde and Bill Parcells. After starting the season 0-2, Glenn Foley was replaced by the veteran Vinny Testaverde. The Jets finished the season on a 12-2 run, winning the AFC East by a 2 game deficit, and earning a first round bye. In a divisional round matchup against the Jaguars, Gang Green jumped out to a 31-14 lead in the 3rd quarter before winning the game 34-24. The only thing between the Jets and a Super Bowl was John Elway and the Broncos. Despite jumping out to a 10-0 lead early in the 3rd, they couldn't hold on and lost their second of what will become a four-game AFC Championship losing streak. This season turned me into a Jets fan, and despite all the pain I've endured, I would never change. When they eventually win it will be that much sweeter. 




10) Brock Lesnar vs Shane Carwin

Brock Lesnar coming from WWE to the UFC is what turned me eventually into a big fan of MMA. After beating Frank Mir at UFC 100 to retain the UFC Heavyweight Championship, it was discovered that Brock suffers from the disease diverticulitis. At the time it was feared that Lesnar may never fight again. Over a year passed though, and "The Next Big Thing" was ready for competition. After almost being stopped in the first round, Brock flashed a smile going into the second round. It was there that Lesnar locked on a arm triangle choke forcing Carwin to tap. Lesnar would eventually lose his title to Cain Velasquez, and return to the WWE after another bout with diverticulitis.


Runner-Ups


Jets Monday Night Miracle vs Dolphins
Derek Jeter Flip Play vs A's
Jets beat Patriots, Week 2 2009 Season
Don Mattingly Playoff HR vs Mariner 1995

Life hasn't been all roses as a Jets and Yankee fan. Here are the 5 worst moments I've had as a fan

Bottom 5

5) Doug Brien misses two field goals in 2004 AFC Divisional Round Playoff vs Steelers
4) Luis Gonzalez Series clinching hit, 2001 World Series
3) Vinny Testaverde tears Achilles, Season Opener 1999
2) William Gay fumble recovery vs Jets, 2011 AFC Championship Game
1) 2004 ALCS

Knicks Don't Retain Lin, Silva Retains His Belt

I wanted to keep my last post on topic about baseball's second half, so here are some thoughts on other sports news from the week.

Knicks

It appears that Jeremy Lin is on his way out of New York, and I cannot be happier. Lin made millions off of a great two weeks, and I'm happy for the guy, but I'm more excited that it's coming out of the Rocket's wallet. Lin signed the Rockets offer sheet last night, 3 years $25 million ($5 mil for the first two years, and $15  mil for the third and final year), and the Knicks have until Tuesday to sign him or he is gone. 

From his breakout game against the Nets on February 4th, until Amar'e and Carmelo returned against the Nets on February 20th, he averaged 25 points, 9.2 assists, and 5.9 turnovers per game during that nine game stretch. In the 17 games that followed though, Lin averaged 15 points, 6.8 assists and 3.8 turnovers per game. 

Lin could still be an average point guard, but his value is more off the court (merchandise, ticket sales), and with one of the NBA's biggest stars in Carmelo Anthony plus their rich history, the Knicks don't need help in that category. With the acquisitions of Jason Kidd and Raymond Felton to secure the point guard position, they could produce around the same or better than Lin on the court without the long term cost.

Landry Fields is another Knick that is trading his blue and orange for Raptors red and purple. After a good rookie campaign, Fields took a step back last season (he hasn't been the same player since the Carmelo trade). With the re-signing of JR Smith plus Iman Shumpert showing a lot of promise (when he was healthy), Fields became expendable.   

Silva-Sonnen II

Anderson Silva successfully retained his championship stopping Chael Sonnen in the second round of their fight at UFC 148. After getting taken down, and smothered for almost the whole first round, I thought that we could be seeing a repeat of their first fight. Even after the fight Sonnen said he thought he broke Anderson Silva. However, it didn't take long for the Spider to recover, after a failed spinning backfist by the challenger, Silva turned it up to another level. After a knee to the chest of Sonnen, Anderson unleashed a flurry of punches that signaled the end of the fight. 

There was some controversy after the fight, because Anderson's knee may have illegally been thrown to Sonnen's face, as well as Anderson grabbing Chael's shorts during a takedown attempt in the second round.  Sonnen took the loss like a man, and said Anderson was the better fighter that day, and won't appeal the loss. It looks like their feud is over, after Silva told the Brazilian fans in Vegas to cheer Sonnen for putting on a good fight, and even invited him over his house for a barbeque.

The question is where does the future Hall of Famer go now? Anderson is arguably the greatest MMA fighter of all time, and there isn't too much more for him to accomplish. The Middleweight Division is probably one of the weaker ones in the company, with the main contenders being: Chris Weidman after his impressive win over Mark Munoz, Hector Lombard former Bellator Champion making his UFC debut next week, Michael Bisping, and Brian Stann. Silva already holds the UFC for Most Consecutive Title defenses, and with dream matchups against GSP or Jon Jones looking more fantasy than reality, what else does he have to prove?

Chael Sonnen also has a tough career decision. He said himself you don't retire from the UFC if you never won a championship, you just quit. A third fight with Anderson Silva seems almost inconceivable, so unless Silva retires soon Sonnen won't get another shot at the Middleweight belt. There are rumors that he may move up to Light Heavyweight, but they have their own unstoppable champion. Chael still has a grudge to settle with Wanderlei Silva, but that won't bring him any closer to a title. Chael holds the gift of gab and is assuredly has a commentator/analyst job waiting for him in his post-fighting career.

Ortiz-Griffin III

Tito Ortiz and Forrest Griffin finished off their trilogy with a rubber match at UFC 148. Just like their first two fight, the judges' decision was controversial (All 3 judges scored it 29-28 for Griffin). Tito took Griffin down in both the first and third rounds, hitting him with vintage Tito Ortiz hellbows, but Forrest looked a lot crisper than Tito standing. Both guys were clearly gassed in the third round. It was disappointing to see Tito go out with another loss, but it no matter who won the fight, the other guy would have had a legit complaint.

Ortiz was more upset with Forrest's post-fight antics, running out of the cage after the fight before Dana told him to "Get the Fuck back in there", and taking the mic from Joe Rogan for Tito's retirement speech.

UFC 149

Next weekend is probably the most cursed card in UFC history (which I talked about in a previous post), headlined by Urijah Faber and Renan Barao in an interim Championship fight and the UFC debut of Hector Lombard, the top of the card should deliver in entertainment value.

After going 4-2 in my UFC 148 predictions bringing my record to 7-4 in the last two PPV's after getting off to a cold start that I'm going to erase from the record books (since this is my blog), here are the quick picks for 149:

Urijah Faber over Renan Barao by Decision

Hector Lombard over Tim Botesch by KO

Cheick Kongo over Shawn Jordan by KO

Brian Ebersol over James Head by Decision

Chris Clements over Matt Riddle by KO

NFL

I don't want to rush summer and the days down at the Jersey Shore, but training camps are opening in a couple weeks, and I CAN'T WAIT for Jets football. With a great draft and the intrigue of Tim Tebow (will Tebow-Mania replace Lin-Sanity as the most over-hyped player in NY?) (see how I turned it around full circle) the circus that has become the New York Football Jets will be as exciting as ever this season. With preseason predictions, and a weekly betting guide, there will be a lot more NFL talk in the coming months!

The Show: 2nd Half Preview

Now that we're at the All-Star Break, it's time to look at where all 30 teams are, and take a look back at some of my pre-season predictions.


AL East 

NYY (52-33)


Despite injuries to Mariano Rivera, Brett Gardner, Andy Pettitte and CC Sabathia the Yankees still hold the best record in the majors. The fact that they rely so much on the long-ball may come back to bite them in October, but they shouldn't have a problem getting to the postseason. Robbie Cano is having another MVP-calibre season (.313, 20 HR, 51 RBI) while the young starters Phil Hughes and Ivan Nova continue to pitch well.


BAL (45-40)


The O's have been carried by their offense for much of the first half, and I am shocked that they are still second in the division. Adam Jones is having a great season (.289, 20 HR), while closer Jim Johnson (26 SV, 1.21 ERA) has been a pleasant surprise.


TB (45-41)


The Rays offense has struggled for much of the season, with no individual batter hitting above .280. Meanwhile David Price has been the lone bright spot in the rotation (11-4, 2.82 ERA) while Big Game James Shields has struggled (8-5 4.17 ERA) to reach his form that he had last year.


BOS (43-43)

The Sawx are the most disappointing team in the AL, and Bobby V has been a disaster. "Tooooo Be Fair" (Kyle Barlics) Jacoby Elsbury has only played in 7 games this season, and Kevin Youkilis was having a nighmarish season before being traded to the White Sox. Big Papi has bounced back well this season (.312, 22 HR, 57 RBI), but their "aces" Jon Lester and Josh Beckett going a combined 9-13 is inexcusable.

TOR (43-43)


The Jays offense has been strong, with 3 batters with 17+ HR (Bautista, Encarnacion, Rasmus), but their young pitching staff hasn't matured yet.

AL Central

CHW (47-38)


Robin Ventura should be a lock for Manager of the Year if the White Sox keep this up. With Paul Konerko (.329, 42 RBI) and Adam Dunn (25 HR, 61 RBI) finding the Fountain of Youth, and Jake Peavy and Chris Sale (combined 17-7 record) leading a good pitching staff Chicago could have a playoff team.


CLE (44-41)


The Indians have been a streaky team this year. Nobody on their roster is having a great statistical season, but they play well together.

DET (44-42)


Many people predicted Detroit to run away with the division, but they have struggled early on. Fielder and Cabrera have been a great 1-2 punch in the lineup, but none of their young pitchers (Scherzer, Porcello, Fister) have stepped up.


KC (37-47)


Mike Moustakas (.268, 15 HR, 47 RBI) has been the lone bright spot for this Royals squad. Jonathan Sanchez (1-5, 6.75 ERA) isn't looking like the same guy that pitched in San Francisco.


MIN (36-49)

The Twins never recovered from their 6-16 start. The M&M Boys, Mauer and Morneau have been injury free for the most part, but can't do it on their own. Francisco Liriano (3-7, 5.08 ERA) is having another disappointing season.


AL West

TEX (52-34)

The Rangers still look like the team that made it back-to-back World Series. Josh Hamilton (.308, 27 HR, 75 RBI) is having another ridiculous season. Yu Darvish (10-5, 3.59 ERA) is having a good rookie season, and the addition of closer Joe Nathan (18 SV, 1.73 ERA) has worked out well.

LAA (48-38)


The Angels are 40-23 since May 1st. Mike Trout (.341, 40 RBI) is an early favorite for Rookie of the Year, add him in a lineup with Mark Trumbo and Albert Pujols (36 HR combined), and you can see why the Angels have turned things around. Jered Weaver (10-1) and CJ Wilson (9-5) are as dangerous as any 1-2 starting pitching duo in baseball.

OAK (43-43)

Moneyball is alive and well in Oakland. It's shocking that the A's are .500 at this point in the season, with a roster filled with nobodies. Their 319 runs scored is an AL low, while their 316 runs allowed is best in the AL.


SEA (36-51)


The Mariners have the worst record in the AL, and are looking at a future without Ichiro and King Felix (they are both free agents after this season). Hector Noesi (2-11, 5.77 ERA) and Jesus Montero (.245, 8 HR) whom they traded Michael Pineda for have underperformed.


NL East

WAS (49-34)


The Nationals future is now. The 19 year old Bryce Harper is playing well (.282, 8 HR, 25 RBI) and the 23 year old Stephen Strasburg (9-4, 2.82 ERA)  is leading a good young rotation that also includes Gio Gonzalez (12-3, 2.92 ERA).


ATL (46-39)


The Braves bounced back from barely missing the playoffs last season as they continue the farewell tour for future Hall of Famer Chipper Jones (.318, 33 RBI). Their rotation took a hit when Brandon Beachy suffered a season-ending elbow injury. Ben Sheets (Yes, that Ben Sheets) will make his debut for the team after the All-Star Break.

NYM (46-40)


The Amazins are in the middle of a Cinderella season. David Wright (.351, 11 HR, 59 RBI) and R.A. Dickey (12-1, 2.40 ERA) are MVP and Cy Young candidates respectively. Johan Santana has exceeded even the most optimistic Mets fans' expectations. The scrappy, never-say-die attitude the team has is infectious and may lead them to an unlikely playoff berth.


MIA (41-44)


The team's first season in Miami is taking a turn for the worst. Jose Reyes is only batting .264 after being the NL Batting Champion last season, and Josh Johnson (5-5, 4.06 ERA) hasn't looked like an ace following a season-ending injury last season.


PHI (37-50)


The Phillies are not used to being in the basement of the division. Divsion Champions for the past 5 seasons, the Fightin' Phils are starting the show their age. With Ryan Howard and Chase Utley returning right before the break might give them a boost, but is it too little too late?

NL Central

PIT (48-37)

The Pirates! Yes, the Pirates! Are in first place at the All-Star Break. Andrew McCutchen (.362, 18 HR, 60 RBI) is having a phenomenal season. A.J. Burnett!!! Yes, A.J. "Shitnuts" Burnett (10-2, 3.68 ERA) is looking like a Cy Young candidate.


CIN (47-38)


The Reds are a real solid team. They hit well with Joey Votto (.348, 14 HR) and Jay Bruce (18 HR, 56 RBI) leading the way. Their starting pitching lead by Johnny Cueto (10-5, 2.39 ERA) and Mat Latos (7-2, 4.13 ERA) is doing great too.

STL (46-40)

The reigning World Series Champions have done well without Albert Pujols. They have 5 hitters with double digit HR totals (Beltran, Molina, Craig, Furcal, Holliday), and rookie Lance Lynn (11-4, 3.41 ERA) leading the rotation, they are a dangerous team in the second half.


MIL (40-45)


The Brew Crew meanwhile haven't done as well after losing Prince Fielder. Ryan Braun (.306, 24 HR, 61 RBI) is having another great season after being named NL MVP last season.


CHC (33-52)


The Cubbies are not having a good season under new President Theo Epstein. Starting pitcher Chris Volstad (0-7, 7.94 ERA) has yet to win a game this season!


HOU (33-53)


The Astros have some competition for the worst record in the majors this season. Nothing is going well for them this season.


NL West

LAD (47-40)


The Dodgers are in first place, a huge turnaround for their new ownership group, including Magic Johnson. Despite an injury that has knocked Matt Kemp out for almost half of their games, they've had good pitching performances from Chris Capuano and Clayton Kershaw (both guys have an identical 2.91 ERA).

SF (46-40)


The Giants are benefitting from a career year from the "Melk-Man" (.353), and an injury-free season to catcher Busty Posey (.289, 10 HR). Despite a nighmarish season from Tim Lincecum (3-10, 6.42 ERA), Matt Cain, Madison Bumgarner, and Ryan Vogelsong are a combined 26-12.


ARI (42-43)


The D-Backs are hanging around despite the fact that their two breakout stars from last season, Ian Kennedy and Justin Upton, haven't performed as well this season.


COL (33-52)


Despite a good offense, the Rockies aren't pitching well enough to keep them in games. They have allowed a Major League-worse 479 runs this season. Carlos Gonzalez has continued to put up good numbers in Colorado.

SD (34-53) 


The Padres look like they will finish in the basement of the division again. They scored a Major League low 305 runs in the first half of the season.

Second-Half Predictions

Here are some changes I'm going to make to my predictions from April

                                         April                  Now

AL EAST                      Yankees              Yankees

AL CENTRAL             Tigers                  Tigers

AL WEST                     Angels                 Rangers

WILD CARDS     Red Sox, Rangers     White Sox, Angels

NL EAST                      Phillies              Nationals

NL CENTRAL             Reds                  Cardinals

NL WEST                     Giants                Dodgers

WILD CARDS   Marlins, Cardinals      Pirates, Mets

ALCS: Angels over Yankees             

NLCS: Nationals over Dodgers

WORLD SERIES: Angels over Nationals

AL MVP: Mark Trumbo

AL Cy Young: Jered Weaver

NL MVP: Andrew McCutchen

NL Cy Young: R.A. Dickey

Tito Ortiz: From Huntington Beach Bad Boy to The People's Champion

Aside from the huge main event which I previewed earlier, UFC 148 will be the last fight for one of the most polarizing fighters in UFC history, Hall of Famer Tito Ortiz. From his first fight in The Octagon in 1997, Ortiz knew how to get under other fighters skins, which made him a man fans loved to hate, but they had to respect him.

1997-2002: The Huntington Beach Bad Boy 

Jacob Christopher Ortiz, better known as Tito, made his UFC debut at UFC 13, back when they were having one night tournaments. He defeated Wes Albittron in his first fight, but lost to Guy Mezger later that night. After beating Jerry Bohlander at UFC 18, he had a chance to avenge his loss to Guy Mezger  at UFC 19. After his win that night, he began his image as The Huntington Beach Bad Boy, by putting on a shirt that said "Guy Mezger is My Bitch", and flipped the bird to Mezger's corner. This angered Mezger's Lions Den trainer Ken Shamrock, and that started their legendary feud.

Tito's next fight was for the Light Heavyweight Championship against Ken's adopted brother, Frank Shamrock. In what is still widely regarded as one of the best fights in UFC history, Shamrock got Tito to tap to punches at 4:42 of the fourth round. After that fight, Frank Shamrock retired from the UFC, and Tito wound up beating Wanderlei Silva for the vacant UFC Light Heavyweight Title at UFC 25. Tito defended his belt successfully five times beating Yuki Konodo, Evan Tanner, Elvis Sinosic, and Vladmir Matyushenko before his finally getting his first fight with rival Ken Shamrock at UFC 40 in 2002.

Shamrock was known as "The World's Most Dangerous Man" fighting in the early UFC's before leaving for WWF from 1996-2000. Shamrock went back to MMA fighting for the Japanese organization Pride, before returning to the UFC in 2002. Ortiz beat Shamrock after his corner threw in the towel before the fourth round. It was reported that Shamrock had torn his ACL in training. The fight is seen as a huge turning point for the sport. The feud captured a large audience, and even gave the UFC main stream publicity on ESPN and USA Today.

2003-2008: The Most Hated Man in the UFC

Tito had a year long layoff following his win against Shamrock, and his toughest challenge to date, "Captain America" Randy Couture, stood opposite the Octagon from him at UFC 44. Couture dominated Tito, winning the fight by unanimous decision (50-44, 50-44, 50-45). Tito's three and a half year reign as light heavyweight champion came to an end (this is still the longest reign of a UFC Light Heavyweight Champion). Towards the end of the fight Couture spanked Tito's backside to teach him a little respect.

Next up for Ortiz was former training partner, Chuck Liddell. While Tito was champ, he kept putting off a fight with The Iceman, saying he didn't want to fight his friend. Liddell didn't think of Tito as a friend, and accused him of ducking him. At UFC 40, titled "It's On!", the two men finally went to battle. Chuck won with a flurry of punches in the second round, but it wouldn't be the last time these two men faced each other. 

Tito went on to beat Patrick Cote, Vitor Belfort before leaving the UFC for a gig with TNA Wrestling (This wouldn't be the last time Ortiz left the UFC for financial arguments with Dana White) . After trying his hand at scripted fights, Ortiz returned to UFC to beat TUF 1 winner Forrest Griffin, before being asked to coach the reality series opposite of old rival Ken Shamrock. Ortiz made quick work of Shamrock, knocking him out in the first round due to elbows. Dana booked them in an immediate rematch on  Spike TV, which Tito won easily again with a first round knockout.

After the five-fight winning streak, Ortiz got his rematch with Chuck Liddell for the Light Heavyweight strap. It was The Iceman that came out on top again, knocking Tito out in the first round. Ortiz went on to draw in his next fight with Rashad Evans, and lost a close decision to Lyoto Machida in his last contracted fight in the UFC in May 2008.

A few months after his last fight Ortiz underwent back surgery, a problem he said he had since the Randy Couture fight. Tito also got a job announcing for Affliction, during the clothing company's short run of promoting pay per views.

2009-2012: The People's Champ

In July of 2009, Tito and UFC President Dana White decided to bury the hatchet, and let Tito Ortiz back into the UFC. In October of 2009 at UFC 106 Tito was scheduled to make his return fight against Forrest Griffin. Ortiz lost that fight via split decision, and was outwrestled by Matt Hamil in another decision loss at UFC 121.

Heading into his July 2011 fight, Dana said if Tito couldn't beat Ryan Bader it would be hard to give him another fight. With his back against the wall, Ortiz pulled off one of the more inspirational wins in UFC history by getting Bader to submit to a guillotine at 1:56 of the first round. Ortiz got one of the loudest ovations in his career, and it was clear that he had won the fans over despite all his years playing the bad guy.

Despite that moment of glory, Tito showed his age in a loss to the younger and hungrier Rashad Evan in a rematch of their 2007 draw. In December of 2011 at UFC 140, Ortiz lost to Little Nog, bringing his record to 1-6-1 in his last eight fights. Tito announced that his next fight will be his retirement fight.

That brings us to this Saturday, as Tito Ortiz and Forrest Griffin look to complete their trilogy. (It should be noted that there are rumors that if Griffin loses he may retire also, ending the careers of two fighters that were essential in bringing MMA to the mainstream). This fight is very difficult to predict because you really don't know which version of each fighter you're going to see. Will we see the Tito that came out with a different fire inside like he did against Bader, or will he be the aging superstar that we saw against Little Nog? The same holds true for Griffin who is 2-3 in his last five fights. The fact that their first two fights were very close also makes this hard to predict. I think the longer the fight goes, the more it benefits Forrest, so Tito's going to look for a quick KO or take him down and look for a submission. You can never count a legend out when things get tough, so I'm taking Tito Ortiz to end his Hall of Fame career with a final win.

Quick Predictions for the main card

Anderson Silva over Chael Sonnen via KO
Tito Ortiz over Forrest Griffin via Submission

Cung Le over Patrick Cote via KO

Demian Maia over Dong Hyun Kim via Submission

Chad Mendes over Cody McKenzie via Decision

Ivan Menjivar over Mike Easton via Decision

  

Sonnen Silva 2: All You Need To Know About UFC's Biggest Fight of 2012

"People can't understand why I'm not getting caught up on the hype of Anderson Silva, but he can't take the magazine covers and press stories into the Octagon with him. He's just a man with two arms, two legs - and I'm going to beat him on July 7 because I want it more than he does. I don't need anything in my life - but I have to have that belt, everything I've done, everything I've worked for and sacrificed - everything I have in life - I would give it all away to be the UFC Champion for just one night.-Chael Sonnen

" I’m gonna break his face! I’m gonna expel him from the UFC! He’s gonna have a beating like he never had in his life. I’m gonna beat him so he can learn some manners. I’m gonna give him the beating that his mommy and daddy should have gave him when he was a kid so he can learn some manners. Learn to respect other people and other countries! ....... After I finish, a lot of people are going to be scared about the path that our sport is going to take. I’m dedicated, focus, prepared and, most of all, on a mission to make something that anybody did before at the UFC: break every single bone of Sonnen’s body. He’s gonna walk out with his face broken, arms broken, legs broken. I’m gonna break him up entirely. He’s listening. He’s gonna get his ass kicked. He’s gonna get a beatdown. He’ll need a stretcher to get out from the octagon!"-Anderson Silva

On Saturday July 7th, UFC's biggest fight of 2012, a rematch between Anderson Silva and Chael Sonnen for the UFC Middleweight Championship, at UFC 148. With all the story lines heading into the fight here's a timeline of their rivalry.

April 10, 2010: UFC 112

Anderson Silva successfully defended his belt against Demian Maia in controversial fashion. Despite arguably being the pound for pound best fighter in the world, Silva made a mockery of the fight by dancing around, and even playing air guitar at one point! Anderson had Maia hurt several times, but lacked the killer instinct he usually shows in the Octagon. Dana White was so mad at The Spider for making a mockery of the sport, that he was debating cutting the wildly popular fighter.

May 2010-August 2010: Chael Sonnen Hypes Fight


Chael Sonnen, the #1 Contender for Silva's Middleweight Championship, made a name for himself with a constant stream of trash talk. Nothing was out of bounds for "The American Gangster from West Linn, Oregon", taking shots at Silva, Silva's wife, Brazil, and the Nogueira Brothers. Some of his comments included:

“Oh, that's very nice. You guys brought a gift for me? That's wonderful, considering all of the tremendous gifts that my country has given you. For example, the Internet, which I heard you (Brazil) have now ... You got it from America, you are welcome.”

"[Anderson Silva's] got a black belt under the Nogueiras. I think a black belt under the Nogueiras is saying, like, I got a free toy in my Happy Meal. I don’t really understand what the big deal is. One of em's a punching bag, and the other one I just ignore; he’s really irrelevant."


“People tell me he’s a great fighter. I say ‘Really? When did you see him fight? Cause I haven’t seen him fight."


“I want an easy fight. Anderson Silva, Wanderlei Silva. Either of the Silvas. Bigfoot Silva. They all suck. Gimme a Silva.”


"You tell Anderson Silva that I'm coming over and I'm kicking down his backdoor and patting his little lady on the ass and I'm telling her to make me a steak, medium-rare just how I like it."

August 7, 2010: UFC 117

After all the hype their first fight not only lived up to expectations, but exceeded it. Chael proved to be more than a worthy contender, taking Anderson Silva down at will, and dominating through 4 rounds. Sonnen landed more significant shots in just the first round than anyone landed in an entire fight against Silva. After four rounds, Silva spent twice as much time on his back against Sonnen then he had in his entire UFC career! One mistake with less than two minutes left in the fight though cost Sonnen the fight. After 3:10 into the fifth and final round, Silva caught Sonnen in a triangle choke and forced the contender to tap out. If you've never seen this fight, I strongly recommend you go out of your way to watch it. After the fight, Anderson Silva claimed he injured his ribs in training.


September 10, 2010


A little over a month after the fight, while the UFC was trying to get an immediate rematch, but the California State Athletic Commission had some bad news. Sonnen's post-fight drug test came up positive for having a high T/E (testosterone to estrogen) levels, which is indicative of steroid use. His level, 16.9-1, is almost 17 times over the legal limit. Sonnen would eventually go on to say that he was approved to used TRT (testosterone replacement therapy) because of a disease he had. Despite several appeals, the athletic commission held up his suspension. 


January 3, 2011

Chael received more bad news, as he plead guilty of money laundering. To save you from the boring details, Sonnen received two years probation and paid a fee of $10,000.

February 5, 2011 UFC 126

With Chael sidelined, Silva defended his title belt against fellow Brazilian Vitor Belfort. Silva didn't play around knocking Belfort out with a front kick to the face at 3:25 of the first round.

August 27, 2011 UFC 134


Silva continued his dominance by beating Yushin Okami in Rio. Silva won via TKO at 2:04 in the second round. It was his 15th straight win, and his 9th straight successful title defense.

October 8, 2011 UFC 136

Chael Sonnen's suspension was up, and had a tough test against fellow middleweight contender Brian Stann. Sonnen looked impressive against the former Marine, defeating him via arm triangle at 3:51 of the second round. After the fight Sonnen called out Silva WWE-style saying


"Anderson Silva, you absolutely suck! Super Bowl weekend, the biggest rematch in the history of the business. I'm calling you out, Silva, but we're upping the stakes. I beat you, you leave the division. You beat me, I will leave the UFC forever."

In the meantime it was announced that Anderson Silva needed shoulder surgery that would keep him out until 2012. 

January 28, 2012 UFC on Fox 2


Chael and Michael Bisping fought in the co-main event of UFC's second event on FOX to become the number one contender for the Middleweight Championship. Sonnen and Bisping fought a close fight that went to the judge's decision. Sonnen won by unanimous decision, and the rematch the world wanted to see was official again.

February 2012-July 2012

The fight was on, but the question was where and when will they fight. At first, Dana wanted to have the fight in Brazil in June, but due to several complications it was moved to Las Vegas on Fourth of July weekend.


Sonnen once again had a number of things to say about Anderson.

"Well, for those of you who can't see, this is the championship belt that I took from Anderson Silva. In this country, possession is 9/10 of the law. Finders keepers, losers weepers. If he wants it back, he knows where he can find it."

 “In what parallel universe can you punch a man 300 times, he wraps his legs around your head for eight seconds and they declare him the winner? On the streets of West Linn, Oregon, if you lay on your back with your legs wrapped around a man’s head for eight seconds, that does not make you a winner. That makes…not a winner.” 

On June 24th, during a conference call with MMA media, Silva finally snapped. He threatened to give Chael the beating he should of gotten as a kid, and to change the image of the sport because of how badly he's going to get beaten. Silva, who is usually knocked for not doing a lot to hype a fight, has finally had enough of Chael Sonnen. The question is if Chael was trying to get under Silva's skin, or if we are going to see a side of the Spider that we haven't seen yet in the Octagon.


July 7th 2012 UFC 148

Almost two years of anticipation is over, and the fight is now less than a week away. After both fighters walk out, Bruce Buffer does the introductions, and the door to the Octagon is locked, it is time for Sonnen and Silva to put their money where their mouths are.

Nobody sells a fight better than Chael Sonnen, but I think he may have crossed a line one too many times. While I'm not a fan of his, Anderson Silva is one of the best fighters in UFC history. In their first fight Chael did things to Anderson that nobody else ever has inside The Octagon. You have to wonder if the heart-breaking loss did anything to Chael's confidence. Sometimes it is hard to catch lightning in a bottle twice, and that is why I'm predicting Anderson Silva to successfully defend his Middleweight Championship once again, and probably doing it with a highlight reel knockout.



Coming up later this week UFC 148 Preview Part 2: The Career of Tito Ortiz