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Let Us All Find Out Who Drew…#1 (and #2)

January 27, 2019 rdtworldofsport@gmail.com

I didn’t want to just do some Royal Rumble preview (if you are curious, I am picking Asuka, Lesnar (although I have this weird feeling about Balor, wish I had the guts to go with it), Rollins and Charlotte). So let’s do something different. Let’s take a look back at #1 and #2 of all the main Royal Rumbles.

royal rumble bret hart — Bret Hart kicked off the ’88 Rumble, and it wouldn’t be the last time.

1988
#1 – Bret Hart
#2 – Tito Santana

The 1988 Royal Rumble is quite different than what we are used to today. It was the first televised one (there had been Rumbles before, notably one at a house show in 1987 won by the One Man Gang). Bret would have a long run (about 25 minutes), starting a theme of a smaller worker having a long run from #1. Santana lasted about 10 minutes himself, before Bret (and The Anvil) got him out. It’s also worth noting that #1 and #2 didn’t even get an entrance.

royal rumble ax smash demolition — The formula was already being tinkered with

1989
#1 – Ax
#2 – Smash

It’s interesting that Vince was already playing with the Rumble formula by having Demolition be #1 and #2. Neither Ax or Smash had a notable run, lasting 5 and 14 minutes respectively. Jesse Ventura on commentary insinuated that Ted Dibiase paid money to make sure some of the tougher guys got an early number. While it was the first thirty-man Rumble, we still didn’t know what the Rumble was going to be. But at least we had an interesting start with the Demos.

royal rumble dibiase — Dibiase’s riches didn’t get him a good number this time.

1990
#1 – Ted Dibiase
#2 – Koko B. Ware

Interestingly, Howard Finkel announces that this year’s #1 had #30 the year prior. Dibiase would have a long run, over 44 minutes. Dibiase would dump Koko before #3 ever made it out. The 1990 Rumble is probably the first to really have a certain prestige attached to it, as Hulk Hogan would win it (as WWF Champion). Still, through three Rumbles, #1 and #2 were not particularly notable.

royal rumble bret hart dino bravo — Bret was probably more annoyed about having to wrestle Bravo than being #1 again.

1991
#1 – Bret Hart
#2 – Dino Bravo

Poor Bret Hart. Four Rumbles in total he already has two #1s. I’m sure he was thrilled to be in there with Bravo as well. It’s amazing to see how different Bret looks from 1988. While he was still in the Hart Foundation tag team, it’s obvious that he was primed for bigger things. He got 20 minutes here, while Bravo lasted three.

royal rumble British bulldog — No one talks about anyone but Flair, but the Bulldog was a strong early face in the ’92 Rumble

1992
#1 – The British Bulldog
#2 – Ted Dibiase

Surprisingly, Dibiase gets a second top two spot. The Bulldog is a solid face to be #1. Bulldog made quick work of Dibiase while lasting 20 minutes himself. Of course, no one really cares, because this is the infamous Rumble where Ric Flair won from #3 (winning the WWF Title with it). It was nice to see a time where drawing an early number was considered a death knell in regards to winning the match.

royal rumble Ric Flair — No one talks about Flair’s 2nd Rumble, Heenan was great here too.

1993
#1 – Ric Flair
#2 – Bob Backlund

Definitely the highest level of prestige for #1 and #2 so far. Flair of course won from #3 the year prior, so he wasn’t counted out at all. Backlund is a former WWF Champion who would last over an hour and basically finished 3rd in the match. The idea that #1 or #2 could win was firmly entrenched here. Notably, this was the first Rumble where the winner was guaranteed a World Title shot at Wrestlemania.

royal rumble steiners samu — The only “highlight” early on in the ’94 Rumble

1994
#1 – Scott Steiner
#2 – Samu

A bit of a throwback to the first two Rumbles (Rick Steiner would be #3). Instead of having top guys start out, the 1994 Rumble started out quietly and that’s a good thing. Samu didn’t even make it to when Rick got in, and Scott lasted until Diesel went on a rampage and became a star.

royal rumble michaels bulldog — A memorable moment wasted by the short Rumble.

1995
#1 – Shawn Michaels
#2 – The British Bulldog

It’s kind of a shame this Rumble exists. Michaels and the Bulldog of course were known for both being able to go coast to coast, which on paper is a great story. The problem is with how it was done. The timer between each competitor was lowered to one minute, and the Rumble itself was only 38:41. Michaels and the Bulldog’s time wasn’t even top 5 all time at that point, despite going from 1 and 2 to the end (Backlund, Flair, Valentine, Martel and Dibiase all lasted 40+ minutes in a Rumble at this point). At the time it was cool, but what a waste of the concept.

Royal Rumble HHH — HHH got himself DQed…and had to enter #1.

1996
#1 – Hunter Hearst Helmsley
#2 – Henry O. Godwinn

HHH got his first #1 by getting a decision reversed in the Free-For-All against Duke “The Dumpster” Droese. Godwinn was feuding with him, which is another Rumble theme that would repeat itself. HHH has one of my favorite performances in the ’96 Rumble, as he lasted 48 minutes and didn’t eliminate anyone. Godwinn got 16 minutes himself, which unfortunately shows how thin the roster was at that point.

royal rumble 1997 — Contender for worst #1 and #2.

1997
#1 – Crush
#2 – Ahmed Johnson

Like last year, #1 and #2 were in a feud (as Crush was a member of the Nation of Domination). Ahmed took himself out 3 minutes in chasing after Faarooq, and Crush only lasted a few minutes past that. Good argument for the weakest #1 and #2 here.

royal rumble cactus jack — Foley and Funk added a lot of fun that had been missing from the Rumble.

1998
#1 – Cactus Jack
#2 – Chainsaw Charlie

This was different. Mick Foley and Terry Funk had a friendly “who can hit the other with a chair harder” contest and then took out Tom Brandi as well. Very entertaining #1 and #2. Funk’s 1998 performance is quite entertaining overall. He lasts 25 minutes and is very animated throughout. Interestingly Funk was eliminated by Foley…but Foley was Mankind. So far, this is probably my favorite #1 and #2 and it really set the stage for what the WWF was becoming.

royal rumble 1999 mcmahon austin — Austin vs. McMahon would recreate 1995, although in a strange way.

1999
#1 – Stone Cold Steve Austin
#2 – Mr. McMahon

Oof. #1 and #2 were determined through storylines on RAW. This was a super hot feud and of course a really smart way for Austin to legally get his hands on McMahon. Of course, the rest of the Rumble is treated as a joke as after a trip to the women’s bathroom and a hospital, Austin and McMahon ended up as the last two competitors in the match. And McMahon won it. That’s WWF Attitude for you.

royal rumble 2000 — D’Lo and Grandmaster Sexay were lower profile than years prior.

2000
#1 – D’Lo Brown
#2 – Grandmaster Sexay

Holy midcarders Batman! What a change from 1999. D’Lo’s peak had passed and Grandmaster was about to get there, but neither were above the midcard even then. Neither would last particularly long, but Grandmaster was part of a famous elimination when dancing with Rikishi.

Royal Rumble 2001 Hardy — A variant of 88, 89 and 94.

2001
#1 – Jeff Hardy
#2 – Bull Buchanan

Another callback to 1988 and 1994, as Matt Hardy was #3 and Buchanan was part of the Right to Censor faction and teaming with the Goodfather. Once again neither lasted long, as the ring has to be cleared for the Drew Carey-Kane angle.

royal rumble goldust — Goldust got a great reaction in his WWF return.

2002
#1 – Rikishi
#2 – Goldust

The most interesting combination for #1 and #2 since 1999 for several reasons. One, Rikishi (who was #30 the year prior, the first since Dibiase in 89/90 to accomplish this) went from near top guy to midcarder in a year, and he’s treated as such (he eliminated The Undertaker the year prior, and was tossed out as part of the deadwood clearing portion of the Rumble by Taker this year). Goldust had a lot of hype as he was one of the returning four wrestlers advertised for that year. He got a big pop and looked good as well (he also was taken out by Undertaker).

royal rumble 2003 jericho michaels — Jericho and HBK was one of the all-time great starts, with a shocking ending.

2003
#1 – Shawn Michaels
#2 – Chris Jericho

A contender for my favorite #1-#2. Jericho said he could do whatever HBK could, which led them being #1 and #2 here. Jericho though would cheapshot and brutalize HBK in the opening two minutes, taking him out. Brilliant. HBK would come back later and attack Jericho, allowing Test (???) to eliminate him. Excellent storyline build for what turned to be a great match at Wrestlemania XIX.

royal rumble 2004 orton — Randy Orton had a great showing from #2 in 2004.

2004
#1 – Chris Benoit
#2 – Randy Orton

It’s a shame I can’t appreciate Benoit’s run in the 2004 Rumble today, because it’s excellent and the 2004 is still the greatest Rumble of all time (yes, better than 1992). Benoit of course would go coast to coast and win the whole thing. Orton was fantastic here as well, and he got a good run in until Mick Foley made his return and took him out. Two years in a row we’ve gotten excellent #1 and #2s.

royal rumble guerrero — One of Eddie Guerrero’s last fun moments before he turned heel in 2005.

2005
#1 – Eddie Guerrero
#2 – Chris Benoit

Another enjoyable #1 and #2. While Guerrero was hurting at this point in his career, he still put in a solid and entertaining 28 minutes. Benoit would go 47 this year and made it past #30. I’m not sure if I should, but I still enjoy what Guerrero, Benoit and Hardcore Holly did to Daniel Puder early on.

royal rumble mysterio — Rey Mysterio put on one of the all-time great Rumble performances.

2006
#1 – Triple H
#2 – Rey Mysterio

A very interesting #1 and #2 as Mysterio wasn’t quite at the top guy level yet, which made for a great underdog story. Both HHH and Mysterio would last to the end, and Mysterio would complete the coast to coast eliminating Randy Orton. For years now, WWE were definitely did right with #1 and #2.

royapl rumble 2007 — Flair and Finlay was an awesome old school start.

2007
#1 – Ric Flair
#2 – Finlay

While lower profile that previous years, this is still a strong top two. Unfortunately, Flair (his second #1) would only last a few minutes, but Finlay got in a strong 30.

royal rumble undertaker hbk — Michaels vs. Undertaker was another chapter in their amazing feud of the late 2000s.

2008
#1 – The Undertaker
#2 – Shawn Michaels

Another contender for best #1 and #2. There were so many great things about this that we need to make a list. First off, they were the last two remaining the year prior and had a great match. Second, each of their performances were excellent and should be included in the HBK-Taker that followed in 2009 and 2010. Third, Michael Buffer was brought in for the introductions. Undertaker also joined Dibiase and Rikishias someone who got #30 one year and #1 the next. Anyway, Undertaker and Shawn both lasted a little more than a half hour, and HBK would finally avenge his 2007 defeat by superkicking Taker out of this one.

royal rumble rey morrison — Rey vs. Morrison was a fun start.

2009
#1 – Rey Mysterio
#2 – John Morrison

Not particularly notable this year, but Rey would get a long 49 minute run and Morrison had a good showing himself at 20 minutes. Still, you could do worse with Mysterio and Morrison as your #1 and #2.

royal rumble 2010 — Two good workers, but we all remember CM Punk at #3

2010
#1 – Dolph Ziggler
#2 – Evan Bourne

For the first time since 2002 we get a couple midcarders to start. CM Punk would wipe them both out as soon as he came in at three and proceed to be awesome. As great as the 2010 Rumble is, it’s #1 and #2 were rather bland. Ziggler would come a long way though, as we will get to.

royal rumble 2011 bryan punk — I mean…it’s Bryan vs. Punk

2011
#1 – CM Punk
#2 – Daniel Bryan

I mean, just read those two names. Unfortunately, the booking and structure of the 2011 Rumble somewhat deflated these two at #1 and #2. For one, there was a confusing Corre vs. Nexus brawl right before Bryan came out. Second, this was the first ever 40 man Rumble, while really put into question whether #1 or #2 could win. Lastly, Bryan wasn’t established yet as a guy that mattered. Still, Punk vs. Bryan is a pretty cool way to start. Punk would take out Bryan about 20 minutes in, and John Cena would wipe out Punk.

Royal Rumble miz — Miz had a solid showing in 2012.

2012
#1 – The Miz
#2 – Alex Riley

Unfortunately, the Miz was on the way down after a successful 2011, mostly because he and R-Truth were blamed for the low 2011 Survivor Series buyrate. Alex Riley got cheers for turning on the Miz in 2011, but then people realized he was Alex Riley. WWE realized it too, and he was gone in a minute. Miz got a long run though.

royal rumble 2013 jericho ziggler — Jericho’s surprise return in 2013 was nothing short of amazing.

2013
#1 – Dolph Ziggler
#2 – Chris Jericho

One of the all-time great Rumble surprises. “And I don’t even care who #2 is, so just send him out already!” Ziggler had sent Jericho packing at Summerslam 2012, so this was perfect. Both were brilliant in the match as well, 45 minutes later Ziggler would eliminate Jericho. Ziggler was out a couple minutes later. I would have bet serious money on Ziggler being a big star in 2013, but by Summerslam he was just another guy.

royal rumble 2014 — This turned out to be CM Punk’s last match.

2014
#1 – CM Punk
#2 – Seth Rollins

Poor CM Punk. His last three Rumble entry numbers were 3, 1 and 1. I also rolled by eyes at #2. As soon as Punk came out, I said #2 would be Rollins. Anyway this would prove to be CM Punk’s last match. Despite getting concussed by Kofi Kingston he lasted 49 minutes before Kane came in and tossed him out. Rollins got in 48 minutes himself, a performance that’s very overlooked, before fellow SHIELD member Roman Reigns tossed him.

2015
#1 – The Miz
#2 – R-Truth

We just did this in 2012, as Truth was #3 there. Both were complete midcarders at this point, and Miz was just fodder for the returning Bubba Ray Dudley and R-Truth Dudley’s signature moves. It’s amazing how long it took for the Miz to rebuild himself.

Royal Rumble AJ Styles, Roman — Roman had to defend the title, but this is another where we only cared about #3.

2016
#1 – Roman Reigns
#2 – Rusev

Roman being #1 was a storyline, as he was defending the WWE Title here (not the worst concept in the world actually). Rusev and Roman were the last two in 2015 (officially, the whole finish was a mess). Unfortunately, Rusev didn’t make it to #3. Of course, this is overshadowed by A.J. Styles making his debut at #3.

royal rumble 2017 jericho — Jericho looked like he had a lot of fun in 2017.

2017
#1 – Big Cass
#2 – Chris Jericho

Rather forgettable, but somewhat saved by Jericho having one of my favorite runs. Jericho lasted an hour basically being a troll. Big Cass lasted 10 minutes and there’s not much else to say there.

royal rumble balor rusev — Balor vs. Rusev was a fun start in 2018.

2018 (Men’s)
#1 – Rusev
#2 – Finn Balor

Because of his entrance, I would have put money on Shinsuke Nakamura being #1 or #2. Nonetheless, we have a very entertaining #1 and #2. Rusev got in a good 30 minutes amid “Rusev Day” chants. Balor lasted almost an hour, making the Final Four and putting on a great performance.

royal rumble sasha banks becky lynch — Could the first Women’s Rumble start with anyone but Sasha and Becky?

2018 (Women’s)
#1 – Sasha Banks
#2 – Becky Lynch

It was a safe bet that we’d get these two for #1 and #2. I expected them both to get to the end, but Becky was surprisingly eliminated midway in. Sasha would make it to the end and got played by the Bella Twins. Both were great though.

Pro Wrestling

2018 RDTWorldofSport Wrestling Awards

January 1, 2019 rdtworldofsport@gmail.com

RDTWorldofSport 2018 Wrestling Awards

Honesty time. This is pretty much my opinion with some searching around to see what some respected wrestling forums and writers think. Also this will mostly be WWE (but not all), basically because that’s what I watched 99% of the time. But if something else catches my eye, it could make the awards. 2018 was an interesting year, for sure. Again, if you disagree, fine. But just remember, I don’t watch NJPW or anything else really.

Moment of the Year

Winner: The Man Comes Around RAW

You know what the easiest way to determine if what someone is doing is great? Take an angle that’s been pretty horrible for years (in this case, the forced RAW-Smackdown “invasions” or whatever for Survivor Series) and turn it into a masterpiece. And that’s what Becky Lynch did. In a pretty lame year for WWE angles, this ridiculously stood out.

Second Place: Penta-Jericho at All-In

Third Place: Ronda Rousey Debuts at the Royal Rumble

Fourth Place: Asuka wins the Smackdown Women’s Title at TLC

Fifth Place: The Undertaker Returns to Confront John Cena

Debut of the Year

Winner: Ronda Rousey in WWE

Her actual debut at the Rumble felt like an absolute shock, and then she proceeded to string together good match after good match all year. Has anyone felt so natural in WWE as Ronda (samoan drop and awkward smiling aside).

Second Place: Ricochet in NXT

Third Place: War Raiders in NXT

Fourth Place: Matt Riddle in NXT

Fifth Place: AOP in WWE

Return of the Year

Winner: Daniel Bryan (WWE)

It wasn’t even the strongest return as Bryan was saddled with trying to make something of Big Cass. But like always, he was too good to be kept in the midcard for long. His heel turn is perhaps the 2^nd best story in the company at the moment, and winning the world title and having an excellent match with Brock shows Bryan hasn’t lost a step.

Second Place: Drew Mcintyre on RAW

Third Place: Rey Mysterio at the Royal Rumble/Smackdown

Fourth Place: The Undertaker at Wrestlemania

Fifth Place: Nikki Bella at the Royal Rumble/Smackdown

Match of the Year

Winner: NXT Championship: Andrade “Cien” Almas vs. Johnny Gargano

I feel like I need to add the “I didn’t watch much NJPW” disclaimer like I did last year. I think it’s also worth mentioning, while great matches, the Gargano vs. Ciampa series didn’t completely do it for me for whatever reason (probably because Ciampa was gone too long). Gargano vs. Almas had a perfect story. Gargano’s focus was on becoming Johnny Wrestling again after a post-DIY slump, while Almas had just recently went through the same thing before Zelina Vega got him back on track. The match itself is incredible. Not only did it give Gargano a legit argument at best in the world, it elevated Almas into something special as well (that’s been wasted on Smackdown, but whatever).

Second Place: WWE Smackdown Women’s Championship – Evolution: Charlotte vs. Becky Lynch

Third Place: WWE Women’s Championship – TLC: Charlotte vs. Asuka vs. Becky Lynch

Fourth Place: WWE Survivor Series – Brock Lesnar vs. Daniel Bryan

Fifth Place: NJPW WrestleKingdom 12 – Chris Jericho vs. Kenny Omega

Feud of the Year

Winner: Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte

Becky Lynch’s heel turn on Charlotte launched one of rare moments of someone getting megaover (the last one I can remember is Daniel Bryan in 2013). Becky and Charlotte’s beef makes a lot of sense from a storyline perspective and while Becky has just absolutely killed it, Charlotte’s done quite well herself. As a result, we’ve had some great matches and launched a megastar in Becky.

Second Place: Johnny Gargano vs. Tommaso Ciampa

Third Place: AJ Styles vs. Samoa Joe

Fourth Place: AJ Styles vs. Shinsuke Nakamura

Fifth Place: Aleister Black vs. Johnny Gargano

Biggest Disappointment of the Year

Winner: The Roman Empire Crashes

While the very end of Roman’s run wasn’t his fault at all, the rest of it was an unnecessary mess it didn’t have to be. First, Wrestlemania vs. Brock was an embarrassment. Whoever wrote that needed to be fired. The cage match at the Greatest Royal Rumble was there. The Summerslam main event, where Roman FINALLY won the title was bad (and we needed Braun Strowman to be taken out just so people wouldn’t root for a cash-in). Nonetheless, I was all for a fighting champion Roman storyline and perhaps a strong feud with Braun (who he has great chemistry with; it was my 2017 Feud of the Year). Somehow the writing got worse, where Braun turned heel (no one wanted this), wasted his Money in the Bank contract (what) to face Roman in Hell in a Cell…which went to a no contest (sigh). For as strong as Roman gets pushed, he didn’t get a clean run once he won the title. Sadly, Roman was forced to vacate the title due to real life Leukemia returning. Roman’s ridiculously talented and quite frankly I think the WWE Universe would love to cheer for the guy as a top guy. But his booking is atrocious. The way Roman’s been booked not only hurts Roman, it hurt Samoa Joe (Backlash), Brock (the whole thing), Braun (for his forced heel turn that wasn’t needed), Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose (for the botched SHIELD reunion and Ambrose turn). Roman has megastar potential. But not this way.

Second Place: Asuka pre-TLC

Third Place: Sasha Banks and Bayley’s never ending storyline

Fourth Place: AJ Styles vs. Shinsuke Nakamura feud

Fifth Place: Finn Balor doing next to nothing

Best Show of the Year

Winner: All-In

A non-WWE show! I don’t know if All-Elite Wrestling is going to make it or anything, but wow did Cody Rhodes and company make waves for the American wrestling landscape not really seen for a long time. Good matches (Omega vs. Pentagon was considered for my Top 5), good stories (Cody Rhodes’ path to the NWA title), big names (Rey Mysterio was in the main event), good surprises (Jericho as Penta is my #2 moment of the year) and some other fun stuff (the Battle Royal) far exceeded my expectations. It takes a lot for me to watch a non-WWE show. It takes a real lot for me to enjoy one.

Second Place: NXT Takeover: Philadelphia

Third Place: NXT Takeover: New Orleans

Fourth Place: WWE Survivor Series 2018

Fifth Place: WWE Royal Rumble 2018

Non-Wrestler of the Year

Winner: Kurt Angle, RAW

Not a great year for non-wrestlers. Angle did wrestle here and there, so this may be cheating. He did fine with what he had to work with though, especially since his main feud ended up being with Baron Corbin (almost made my disappointments list, what a mess that’s turned out to be). Bringing back the Conquistador though, hard to top that.

Second Place: Zelina Vega, Manager (A stretch I know)

Third Place: William Regal, NXT General Manager

Fourth Place: Paul Heyman, Manager

Fifth Place: Paige, Smackdown General Manager

Best Surprisingly Good Angle

Winner: The Ultimate Deletion

One of the few feel good stories in WWE this year. Br Woken Matt Hardy got to do a WWE-style Ultimate Deletion match…and it was a lot of fun! And while Bray Wyatt is capable of much more, the post-Deletion team, the Eater of Worlds, were fun and a good way for Matt Hardy to go out.

Second Place: Daniel Bryan Turns Heel

Third Place: Kurt Angle as a Conquistador

Woman of the Year

Winner: Becky Lynch (WWE)

Like this was a question. Becky’s the most over act in WWE at the moment and arenas everywhere are chanting her name. I’m begging that WWE doesn’t give her the 2012-2013 CM Punk treatment. To give an idea of how big Becky’s year was, she didn’t even make my Top 5 in this category last year.

Second Place: Ronda Rousey (WWE)

Third Place: Charlotte (WWE)

Fourth Place: Asuka (WWE)

Fifth Place: Shayna Bazsler (NXT)

Tag Team of the Year

Winner: The Undisputed Era (NXT)

It was a rough year in WWE land for tag teams, let me tell you. Thank goodness the Undisputed Era continues to be awesome. New Day, Bar and Usos, good as they all are, are stale. Bo Dallas and Curtis Axel were champions at one point. And so was a 10 year old kid? Thank you Undisputed Era.

Second Place: The New Day (WWE)

Third Place: The Bar (WWE)

Fourth Place: The Deleter of Worlds (WWE)

Fifth Place: The Bludgeon Brothers (WWE)

Wrestler of the Year

Winner: Becky Lynch (WWE)

This one was a tough one for me between three people – Becky, AJ Styles and Kenny Omega. Each had pros and cons. Omega did a lot for wrestling that isn’t non-WWE, was called the most important World Champion by Sports Illustrated and won Pro Wrestling Illustrated’s #1 spot on the PWI 500. He had a lot of great matches and I would guess would be the top draw not named Jericho for All Elite Wrestling if it happens. But the truth is, I don’t watch enough to comfortably judge Omega and his influence. If it wasn’t Jericho I wouldn’t have even watched his match at Wrestle Kingdom. If he came to WWE would he even start on the main roster? Tons of people would say of course not. Others would call me stupid for even suggesting it. So I don’t feel he’s #1. AJ Styles’ year is quite strange, but as WWE does whatever around him, he’s a constant top guy where no one else can be consistent. He would have easily won this year (for the third straight time in three WWE years), but unfortunately a lot of his dream feuds fell a little flat. The feud with Nakamura wasn’t bad at all, but it was built as this dream feud and we got…a string of good to very good matches. Samoa Joe, same thing. The feud with Bryan has some potential and I think could be the dream match in the right situation. Still, AJ still put together a very good year (and I don’t even think any of this was his fault). The knock against Becky is she didn’t get a chance to do anything notable before Summerslam. So basically, can she win a year-long award for a strong four-five months. But wow what a four-five months it was. As I wrote earlier, this is the first time since Daniel Bryan in 2013 where the fans are all-in and WWE has a transcendent star in their hands. Becky has delivered ever since. And, it’s not like Becky’s pre-Summerslam was bad. Had AJ had a stronger year or had I saw more of Omega, I would have given one of them the nod most likely, but Becky stole 2018 with a super strong finish.

Second Place: AJ Styles (WWE)

Third Place: Kenny Omega (NJPW)

Fourth Place: Johnny Gargano (NXT)

Fifth Place: Aleister Black (NXT)

Basketball

A Quick Preview of the 2018-2019 NBA Season

October 17, 2018 rdtworldofsport@gmail.com

Yes, I know I am a day late. But hey, the NBA season began two weeks earlier! What can I do?

Eastern Conference

Boston Celtics (60-22): As much as everyone wants to push the narrative that the East is wide open, the Celtics are far and away the best team in the Conference. Remember they almost went to the Finals missing Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward. Undervalued as the favorite in the Eastern Conference. Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum are only going to be better, and Al Horford is an experienced playoff banger who doesn’t have to face LeBron anymore.
Philadelphia 76ers (53-29): Still the future of the East obviously. Still disappointed I picked them to beat Boston in the playoffs last year. They’ll need Markelle Fultz to figure things out to challenge Boston.
Milwaukee Bucks (50-32): Hate to say it, but I think Giannis is leaving. But he’ll finish this season with Milwaukee and they’ll lose to Boston at some point, if not Philly. They only improvements will come from Giannis and Khris Middleton.
Toronto Raptors (49-33): Following things that worry me about Toronto: Kawhi Leonard’s commitment to the team (and how healthy is he really?), Kyle Lowry and his disappointed with DeMar DeRozan being gone and a new head coach. Despite the talent upgrade this feels like another disappointment in Toronto.
Indiana Pacers (48-34): Exciting team that looks quite good in the post PG era. Fully expect them to be in the mix again and wouldn’t shock me if they were better than this. I think a lack of a true stretch four will hinder them. Not sold on Tyreke Evans being a positive either.
Washington Wizards (44-38): The Wizards are who they are. Although theoretically Dwight Howard should make them better, I think we’ve played that game enough to see how that works over the past few years.
Miami Heat (42-40): Toughest one for me to judge because I feel like Jimmy Butler will end up here. Hassan Whiteside could always get it together I guess. A well coaches team that has just enough to be good but won’t bottom out.
Detroit Pistons (36-46): The rest of the East is a bit of a mess. Detroit is not a well-structured team and every season I’m down about bad their spacing should be. And with Andre Drummond and Blake Griffin in the frountcourt, that spacing should be worse than ever.
Cleveland Cavaliers (34-48): I don’t expect Kevin Love to revert to his pre-Cavs self, but he should allow Cleveland to win some games. Don’t be surprised if he’s traded at the half-way point though.
Charlotte Hornets (33-49): Sounds about right. Going to be weird seeing Tony Parker in a uniform that isn’t the San Antonio Spurs.
Chicago Bulls (31-51): Jabari Parker is an interesting offensive addition, and Wendell Carter should be a decent piece. While Chicago seems like a team on the rise, I wonder about the money Zach LaVine just got though.
Brooklyn Nets (30-52): Getting rid of Mozgov is a plus. Sad Jeremy Lin didn’t make it. Upcoming Free agency is huge for the Nets.
Orlando Magic (27-55): A long way to go here. Aaron Gordon is pretty much the only exciting piece on this mess of a franchise.
New York Knicks (25-57): I am truthfully ecstatic for the Knicks to be honest. Finally, a real rebuilding process! Only took 18 years.
Atlanta Hawks (17-65): Another rebuild. If Doncic becomes the man though they would have set themselves back a bit.

Western Conference

Golden State Warriors (63-19): The chemistry cracks are showing, but there’s way too much talent here to think they’ll fall off much. I think they get another ring in June, especially because…
Houston Rockets (56-26): …the Rockets replaced Trevor Ariza and Luc Mbah a Moute with Carmelo Anthony. That’s going to be quite the hit on the Rockets defense. Chris Paul isn’t getting younger either.
Los Angeles Lakers (52-30): I kinda have to see LeBron fail before I drop a team led by him to an under 50 win prediction. Team is a bit of a mess to be honest (Rajon Rondo should not be starting over Lonzo Ball), so I expect a slow start. But it’ll fix itself by the end.
Utah Jazz (51-31): Love the way this team is built, especially on defense, but unless Donovan Mitchell becomes a true big time scorer this is their ceiling.
Oklahoma City Thunder (50-32): They should be better without Carmelo Anthony’s inefficient offense gobbling up possessions, but Dennis Schroder isn’t anything to write home about either so it feels like a wash.
New Orleans Pelicans (48-34): Anthony Davis should make a strong MVP candidate this season. West is just stacked. There’s just not much else here except Nikola Mirotic. Davis and Mirotic is a better combo than Davis and Cousins, for what it’s worth.
San Antonio Spurs (47-35): Fun fact, there is one NBA team this season that has two players were on either All-1^st or All-2^nd NBA teams last season. And that team is the Spurs (Aldridge and DeRozan). They are practically adding DeRozan for free compared to last year (as Leonard barely played), so all this missed playoffs stuff is nuts. I actually wish I had some courage and ranked them higher.
Portland Trail Blazers (46-36): I was a bit underwhelmed by how they finished last season, and losing Ed Davis isn’t a positive thing either.
Denver Nuggets (43-39): Fun team that could break out. Jamal Murray might be a real keeper.
Minnesota Timberwolves (41-41): What a mess. Jimmy Butler doesn’t want to be there and while I am a big fan of KAT, Wolves need Butler to be good. I think he ends up in Miami before the trade deadline.
Dallas Mavericks (38-44): A bit under the radar. Dirk Nowitzki can still play at a decent level, and if he matches last season’s production that’s a solid role piece. DeAndre Jordan is a sneaky grab. Let’s see how far along Dennis Smith is, and if Luka is the real deal.
Los Angeles Clippers (33-49): Not going to lie, I have no idea what happens here this season except they won’t make the playoffs. They could bottom out to 15-67 and I wouldn’t be surprised. I’ll guess Doc Rivers does what he can to win games and then leaves/gets fired (despite the contract extension).
Memphis Grizzlies (32-50): Kudos to the Grizzlies for still going against the grain with the Mike Conley-Marc Gasol combo. If Conley stays healthy they should be a bit better than last year.
Sacramento Kings (28-54): I like Fox and Bagley. Team is a disaster otherwise.
Phoenix Suns (23-59): Devin Booker had more PPG than Suns’ wins last season. I know that the Suns want to win or something, but unless DeAndre Ayton is a monster right away, which I doubt, it isn’t happening.

Warriors over Celtics in 7 in the Finals. Boston is better than people are giving credit for.

Basketball

Top 100 NBA Players of All-Time: 2018 Revision

June 30, 2018 rdtworldofsport@gmail.com

We are a few weeks removed from the NBA Finals and its result shook the foundation of my Top 100 (and should have shaken everyone’s Top lists). So let’s look through my Top 100 and see what’s changed.

Dropped out: No One…AD is coming though.

As time goes on, new players get in. And that means someone has to drop out.

100. Tim Hardaway
99. Manu Ginobili
98. Alonzo Mourning
97. Dikembe Mutombo
96. Yao Ming
95. Vince Carter
94. Carmelo Anthony – To say he did nothing this season to raise his position is an understatement.
93. Kevin Johnson
92. Shawn Kemp
91. Robert Horry

No changes here.

90. Chris Mullin
89. Bob Dandridge
88. Paul Westphal
87. Dan Issel
86. Artis Gilmore
85. Tracy McGrady (-1)
84. Joe Dumars (-1)
83. Sidney Moncrief (-1)
82. Lenny Wilkins (-1)
81. Earl Monroe (-1)

Someone rose through the ranks.

80. Tony Parker (-1)
79. Chris Webber (-1)
78. David Thompson (-1)
77. Jerry Lucas (-1)
76. Pete Maravich (-1)
75. Dwight Howard (-2) – Charlotte just dumped him for Mozgov. MOZGOV! His early career stuff will always be great, but things just went downhill from LA on.
74. Russell Westbrook – He got elite help, averaged another triple-double and promptly lost in Round 1 again. Can we agree that his style of play is damaging to winning a NBA Championship at this point? Dwight’s damaged his own rep so much I felt Westbrook could pass him at least.
73. Chris Bosh (-1)
72. Dennis Rodman (-1)
71. Adrian Dantley (-1)

Only change is Westbrook-Dwight swap.

70. Alex English (-1)
69. Bob McAdoo (-1)
68. Tom Heihnson (-1)
67. Tiny Archibald (-1)
66. Pau Gasol (-1) – Great career. His peak was amazing.
65. Reggie Miller (-1)
64. Bill Sharmin (-1)
63. Dave Debusschere (-1)
62. Robert Parish (-1)
61. Bernard King (-1)

No movement here.

60. Elvin Hayes (-1)
59. Dolph Schayes (-1)
58. Paul Arizin (-1)
57. Dominique Wilkins (-1)
56. Billy Cunningham (-1)
55. Hal Greer (-1)
54. Nate Thurmond (-1)
53. Wes Unseld (-1)
52. James Harden (+33) – The NBA MVP! He was one game away from the Finals against a Warriors team that would destroy the Cavs the next round. Even looked competent on defense at times. Sky is the limit for Harden, especially if Paul sticks around and can stay healthy. Heck if Paul were healthy, we could be talking about the NBA Champs right now. Shame.
51. James Worthy (-1)

Another player rose in the rankings, which is why Worthy drops one spot.

50. Dennis Johnson (-1)
49. Bill Walton (-1)
48. Ray Allen (-1)
47. Chauncey Billups (-1)
46. George Gervin (-1)
45. Sam Jones (-1)
44. Clyde Drexler (-1)
43. George Mikan (-1)
42. Jason Kidd (-1)
41. Paul Pierce (-1)

Everyone dropped one spot because of the rising player.

40. Allen Iverson (-1)
39. Gary Payton (-1)
38. Patrick Ewing (-1)
37. Dave Cowens (-1)
36. Steve Nash (-1)
35. Kevin McHale (-1)
34. Walt Frazier (-1)
33. Willis Reed (-1)
32. Rick Barry (-1)
31. Bob Cousy (-1)

Someone moved up.

30. John Stockon (-1)
29. Chris Paul (+22) – Almost as good as you could expect. Made a Mike D’Antoni-James Harden team great on defense. Was able to share the ball with Harden, which was a big concern. Got a team to a 3-2 lead in the Western Conference Finals, only to get injuried and watch the Rockets lose games 6 and 7. Put up a 41-10-7 with 8 threes to finally get past Round 2. If only he stayed healthy we’d probably be talking about his Top 20 candidacy. What a shame.
28. David Robinson
27. Elgin Baylor
26. John Havlicek
25. Bob Pettit
24. Scottie Pippen
23. Isiah Thomas
22. Dwyane Wade – Whacky season for Wade. Done as an impact player, and unfortunately didn’t jive with LeBron’s Cavs.
Curry moved up and we are still taking into account the other player who moved up, which explains all the drops.
21. Karl Malone (-1)

Curry’s moved up.

20. Charles Barkley (-1)
19. Julius Erving (-2)
18. Stephen Curry (+3) – Got hurt so didn’t get a full season, but still was great when he played. Set a NBA Finals game record for threes and had a legit case for NBA Finals MVP.
17. Oscar Robertson (-1)
16. Wilt Chamberlain (-1)
15. Kevin Garnett (-1)
14. Dirk Nowitzki (-1)
13. Jerry West (-1)
12. Kevin Durant (+6) – He’s knocking on the door of the Top 10 and put a huge Game 3 away in Cleveland. That’s two rings, but of course the discussion will be about how he got them as opposed to him actually owning while he got them.
11. Moses Malone

Curry is in, Durant is getting awfully close to the Top 10.

10. Kobe Bryant
9. Hakeem Olajuwon
8. Shaquille O’Neal
7. Larry Bird
6. Tim Duncan
5. Magic Johnson
4. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
3. Bill Russell (-1)
2. LeBron James (+1) – It’s time. LeBron’s 2018 playoffs were ridiculous and while it’s disappointing he got swept, it shouldn’t knock dragging this team to the Finals. Jeff Green was his 2nd best guy in Game 7 vs Boston. Jeff Green! He hit a bunch of game winners. Had some ridiculous statlines. He inched closer to Jordan, but unfortunately he’s quite old to just be inching. Still, it’s remarkable.
1. Michael Jordan

Basketball

The Disappointing State of the NBA All-Star Game

February 20, 2017 rdtworldofsport@gmail.com

My favorite All-Star game among the four sports is a mess.

Don’t get me wrong. Apparently the NBA All-Star Game and the weekend as a whole is a success. Early reports stated that ratings for the weekend have been at its highest point in four years. Which perhaps is all that matters.

But watching the game last night? Watching 24 (estimate, way too lazy to look up just how many players were in the game) of the greatest basketball talents in the world drift through the game like it was a random scrimmage rings empty and hollow. And ultimately disappointing.

All-Star games aren’t supposed to matter. They are exhibitions. But that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be meaningful in some way. Those who watch or attend want to see exciting plays from their favorite players, and since this is a game, want to see a winner. This couldn’t be more apparent than at the 2002 Major League Baseball All-Star game, which infamously and embarrassingly ended in a 7-7 tie as both teams ran out of available players. Major League Baseball decided that beginning in 2003 the best idea would be to bastardize their world championship each year by having homefield in the World Series be decided by the result of the All-Star Game. Combine that with the other silly rule about each time having a representative in the All-Star Game and you can’t help by laugh at Major League Baseball. The NFL is no better, although this is less of a fault of the NFL. The game resembles a flag football game by necessity as no one wants to risk injury. This didn’t stop the NFL from messing around with its locations and rules anyway. And I’m not quite sure what’s going on with the NHL’s All-Star game other than it seems to be a four team tournament or something. Whatever.

But the NBA’s All-Star Game? It was pretty perfect all things considered. It obviously had some problems by All-Star Game standards: fan voting, players not going all out for 100% of the time, etc. But the nature of basketball means player competitive juices flow at all times. In no other league can you have 10 of the best players in the world on the court at the same time looking to beat one another. Individual pride is something that seems to matter more in the NBA than any other big sport. And if the game was close, things got good at the end.

Want proof? Remember in 2013 when Kobe blocked LeBron over and over in the final few minutes? Commentary told us how this was Kobe’s chance to remind LeBron who the best was. LeBron of course got heckled the year before in the 2012 All-Star Game when LeBron passed off a potential game winning shot to Deron Williams. We all cared about that one too. (Side note: One of the hecklers was Kobe…which was funny since he did the same thing in 2001). Speaking of Kobe, how about his coming out party in the 1998 All-Star Game? Knowing all eyes were on him and that he had Michael Jordan on the other side of the ball, Kobe showed off his best moves to show he arrived. What about in 1987, where Magic Johnson, looking to win at all costs, fed Tom Chambers in the pick and roll down the stretch to win the game? How upset were all of us when Michael Jordan’s potential winner in 2003 was ruined by Jermaine O’Neal’s dumb foul on Kobe? My favorite example of this is in 2001. The East were big underdogs because the West had all these monsters (Shaq, Duncan, Garnett, etc.) and the East were led by guards. Only Dikembe Mutombo did all the big man work (22 rebounds) and the East completed a comeback because Allen Iverson and Stephon Marbury refused to let them lose. That’s what I miss about the NBA All-Star Game.

But last night? It was all about getting the hometown boy the MVP with his 50 points and breaking a Wilt record. Or some Durant vs. Westbrook drama that didn’t go anywhere. Last night there was no one challenging LeBron like Kobe did in 2013, or like Kobe challenged MJ in 1998 (Side Note to this too: MJ did win the Game MVP, so he accepted the challenge obviously). The game was close in the 4^th, and Reggie Miller kept bring up during commentary that “this is where the game usually buckles down and players play hard”. Only they didn’t. Someday a team will drop 200 (we’re getting pretty close now). Or even an individual player will drop 100. Maybe NBA fans will like that.

I’ll just be thinking about when players actually had some pride.

Basketball

2016-2017 NBA Predictions!

October 25, 2016 rdtworldofsport@gmail.com

It’s finally time for some NBA basketball! Last season was historic for plenty of reasons as Golden State broke the 96 Bulls’ record for wins with 73…but fell to LeBron and the Cavs in the NBA Finals. Of course, for the city of Cleveland that was historic of itself. Other crazy stuff happened too…like Kevin Durant joining those Warriors and spurning the Oklahoma City Thunder (can we just make the late 90s Magic/2010s Thunder comparison documentary now). Dwyane Wade also switched teams to Chicago. The Knicks also built an alleged superteam, even though all of those guys peaked from 2010 through 2013. We also had one stacked retirement class in Tim Duncan, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett, Amar’e Stoudemire and Elton Brand. Sadly, Chris Bosh may be added to that if he isn’t cleared to compete. Sorry for the spoilers, but all of this is just going to lead to Warriors-Cavs III anyway. Yeah the NBA is predictable, but when that predictability gets toppled (like the Cavs beating the Warriors) those moments are incredible.

Atlantic Division

Celtics: 51-31 (2)
Raptors: 42-40 (7)
Knicks: 41-41 (8)
76ers: 18-64
Nets: 13-69

Boston is correctly the off-season darling as they are a well coached team (President Stevens!), added Al Horford and already have a solid team overall. There are a lot of Cavs hangover-Celtics in the Finals predictions, but Boston will probably lose in the Eastern Conference Finals to Cleveland. Even though Toronto was a good team last year (and I didn’t even believe in them), the team will go as far as Kyle Lowry takes them and I don’t really know what to make of DeMar Derozan. I sense he’s that good stats guy who’s not really that great. The Knicks might have been a title contender in 2011, but Derrick Rose, Carmelo Anthony and Joakim Noah just isn’t going to make for a high profile offense at this point. They’ll have their nights for sure. But Noah has been one of the worst offensive centers in his last full season (and he was good at one time), and all he’s going to do it logjam the middle for Melo and Rose (and Brandon Jennings), none of whom are great outside shooters although Melo gets hot once in a while. The 76ers still have a long way to go and I sadly believe Embiid, great as he’s looked, has Greg Oden injury potential written all over him. The Nets are the laughing stock everyone predicted when they traded their future for old Paul Pierce and old Kevin Garnett.

Central Division

Cavaliers: 54-28 (1)
Pacers: 49-33 (3)
Pistons: 45-37 (5)
Bulls: 40-42
Bucks: 29-53

Once again, there are a lot of “Cavalier hangover” articles out there, but they’ll get over it before the playoffs anyway. I mean this is a team that overcame a mid-season coaching change and beat the greatest regular season team ever. Yeah, maybe LeBron is slightly past his prime, but so was Jordan in the 2^nd three-peat and that worked out fine. They are going to the Finals again. Paul George was great in his return season and I see no reason he won’t be better next year, and in the East that’s enough. They almost beat the Raptors in Round 1 afterall. Detroit is a team that I need to see get it done before I can put them higher, but Andre Drummond has best center in the league potential. He just needs to hit a free throw. Putting the Knicks over the Bulls might have been homerism from me…but Chicago has a lot of the same issues the Knicks have in regards to spacing, and it may actually be worse. They’ll miss Pau Gasol too. I know the Bucks have Giannis, but he seems more highlight reel worthy than actually leading to wins.

Southeast Division

Wizards: 45-37 (4)
Hawks: 43-39 (6)
Hornets: 33-49
Magic: 32-50
Heat: 31-51

What a mess of a division. I think it’s time for John Wall to put up or shut up. He has the talent to be an elite guy, but whether he will be is another question. The Hawks mainly dropped Horford for Dwight Howard. I think there’s some homerun upside here…but it’s probably leading to a small regression. Hornets are one of the teams I don’t believe in this year. Kemba Walker had a good year and all, but just look at that roster. I think it falls apart. Serge Ibaka isn’t going to lead to wins for a Magic team with no identity. The Heat are a mess. Goran Dragic gets another chance I guess to make something happen and return to All-NBA 3^rd Team form, but Hassan Whiteside is either really good or deceptively bad, Chris Bosh is gone and I think Miami has to start from scratch.

Northwest Division

Thunder: 50-32 (4)
Utah Jazz: 49-33 (5)
Timberwolves: 48-34 (6)
Trail Blazers: 42-40
Nuggets: 28-54

The Thunder will still be there because Russell Westbrook is a Top 5 guy. Victor Oladipo may find a new lease on life playing with him too. And you know Westbrook is determined to show he can do it without Durant. Utah’s put all the pieces together over the last five years and it should finally show something. Minnesota has Tom Thibodeau as coach and an exciting young core led by KAT. They remind me of the 09-10 Thunder. Portland looked good thanks to a big year from Lillard and big improvement from CJ McCollum, but all the pieces fell in place perfectly last year for them just to end up at 44-38 (bad Anthony Davis year, no Wolves, Rockets falling apart). The Nuggets are just there and that’s the best way to describe them at the moment.

Pacific Division

Warriors: 64-18 (1)
Clippers: 52-30 (3)
Kings: 40-42
Lakers: 36-46
Suns: 30-52

I was absolutely wrong about how this division would shake out last year. This year it’s clear the Warriors will be at the top adding Kevin Durant, and they’ll settle for a nice 60+ win season while probably resting key guys down the stretch. That’s because the Clippers have peaked (and really peaked in the 14-15 season). While Blake Griffin should be amazing now and Chris Paul is still the best pure point guard, the chemistry isn’t there anymore and all the Blake trade rumors from last year has to take its toll. I think it may be time to start over really. The Kings will improve because Cousins is hitting his prime, although the roster is still a mess. Lakers should automatically improve without having Kobe on the roster and adding Ingram. I know I picked D’Angelo Russell as ROTY last year, but I think the toxic Laker make-up cost him that chance. Not much to be happy about post Goran Dragic with the Suns to be honest.

Southwest Division

Rockets: 53-29 (2)
Spurs: 48-34 (7)
Pelicans: 45-37 (8)
Mavericks: 41-41
Grizzlies: 34-48

The Rockets ended up being an embarrassing division winning prediction last year, but I love the idea of a Mike D’Antoni coached James Harden point guard team. If Harden can be efficient, he may swipe MVP. Chemistry should only be better too. The LaMarcus Aldrige grumblings have already begun. Gregg Popovich is an amazing coach and the Spurs still seem stacked, but Gasol is on his last legs, Aldridge is unhappy and I want to see Kawhi Leonard be the man. I think that post Duncan era regression begins slowly. Anthony Davis got a shooter in Buddy Hield, but either a star needs to be put with him or we need to prepare for Davis to leave New Orleans in a few years. It’s too late for the Mavericks. And we are way past the correct era for the Grizzlies with their $153 Million man to succeed.

Warriors over Cavs in 7 for the title. I think LeBron is top 3 all time…but the Warriors just added Kevin Durant for free. Imagine if Jordan had to run into the 98 Jazz but they added Grant Hill or something? This is actually worse!

Other (DC, Marvel, Disney etc.)

The Simpsons 1st Season Review

October 16, 2016 rdtworldofsport@gmail.com

We’re looking to review every single season of the Simpsons…but doing a short review of EVERY single episode. Each episode will get a grade, as will each season. First, a little preview.

Season 1

The Tracey Ullman Show was one of Fox’s earliest programs as it had recently taken off with Married…With Children. The Simpsons was an animated short, or bumper, in-between segments and commercials during the program. With Fox still looking to add content as a fledging network, the Simpsons would get spun-off into its own show. There were production problems early on as some of the animation looked terrible for the intended series opener (which in turn became the season finale, “Some Enchanted Evening”). The series began much later than expected and with a Christmas Special (intended to be the eighth episode in the series).

Episode 1 (1) – Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire

In a lot of ways this is a classic despite that a lot of peak Simpsons’ traits are absent here. There’s no crazy version of Homer, he wouldn’t really appear for a few more seasons. Instead Homer’s just a normal man trying to make his family happy for Christmas. He’s relatable in that sense. And while that version of Homer isn’t what made the character famous, it does work. We establish a lot of main and side characters here, which is quite impressive for a 23 minute episode. Bart does no less than three things that show he’s the bad boy, a character that carried early Simpsons seasons (those three things are ruining the school play, getting a tattoo and pulling “Santa’s” beard). Lisa has her moment as well when she defends her father against her aunts, using a detailed explanation that clearly seems advanced for an 8 year old. Marge shows to be the kind hearted matriarch of the family, and even gets a good moment herself (where she hides the Christmas money). Flanders, Mr. Burns and Barney also provide a lot in their few moments. Flanders becomes the neighbor that Homer sizes himself up against…and fails miserably in doing so. Mr. Burns says one thing and you already get an idea of the kind of boss he is. And Barney is, well Barney. There’s a lot here and it’s a great episode as a result. It’s just a bit jarring when you know what’s coming in the seasons ahead.

Grade: A

Episode 2 (2) – Bart the Genius

We learn a lot about Bart here and get to see him interact in the school environment. It’s pretty amazing that characters like Ms. Krabappel and Martin Prince didn’t really change much at all in regards to their core identities. Same goes for Principal Skinner in some respects, although he would become a much great source of comedy later on. While the strength of the episode lies within Homer being proud of Bart’s discovered intellect, the rest of the characters and episode falls flat a bit. It also isn’t drawn all that well either. There are a few great gags in there though (like Homer giving Bart his tie). There’s nothing really wrong with “Bart the Genius”, but it doesn’t really stand out either.

Grade: B-

Episode 3 (3) – Homer’s Odyssey

“Homer’s Odyssey” is the weakest episode so far, although that could be because it was the very first episode written. There are only a few highlights here, mostly centered around Bart and his antics. He provides an entertaining first few minutes and we also get the first prank call to Moe. Once Homer is fired from the Plant, the story takes a nosedive. Homer goes from being depressed and nearly committing suicide to realizing his purpose in life is to make sure Springfield is safe. This all results in Homer getting a new position at the Plant, Nuclear Safety Technician. While it’s funny that Homer (correctly) thinks to himself that he’s grossly underqualified for the position, the whole idea of course is silly in future seasons when we see Homer at work. Nonetheless that can’t be held against the episode as it was the first one written afterall. What can be held against the episode is that Homer’s story isn’t much and the episode suffers for it. On the bright side, we did get the first prank call to Moe from Bart and the first instance of Mr. Burns not knowing who Homer is, both of which would become two long running gags.

Grade: C

Episode 4 (4) – There’s No Disgrace Like Home

Another weak episode here, even weaker than “Homer’s Odyssey”. The entire episode is based around Homer feeling that his family is dysfunctional. Homer as the moral center of the family, a position Marge would usually be in, just feels odd and doesn’t work. While there’s a few solid jokes in this one, there’s really not much else. The fact that the family bonds because they are deemed too unfit for Dr. Marvin Monroe pales in comparison to the stories of the first three episodes. It’s also jarring a bit to see Lisa being as much a troublemaker as Bart. On the plus side, Itchy and Scratchy make their debuts here so there’s that.

Grade: D

Episode 5 (5) – Bart the General

A truly great episode as it foreshadows what made the Simpsons great. While we start off with another standard family story; Bart defending her sister and getting beaten up by a bully as the result, the conclusion is ridiculously over the top that it’s great. We get introduced to Nelson Muntz, who would become one of the most popular recurring characters. We also get introduced to Herman, who while having a big and entertaining role here isn’t used nearly as much in the future. Grampa Simpson is also here and has some funny moments, although like Homer he isn’t in peak form yet. With that being said everyone gets their moments, and Bart clearly breaks out as a star here. I’m pretty sure every 10 year old felt like and wanted to be like Bart after this one.

Grade: A

Episode 6 (6) – Moaning Lisa

Your opinion of this episode will probably be based on whether or not you like the Lisa Simpson character. We learn a lot about Lisa and how much playing the sax means to her. When she meets Bleeding Gums Murphy, a memorable character in his own right, Lisa finally finds someone she can connect with. The result of her arc here has a satisfying conclusion for sure. It’s a bit unfortunate though that the side story involving Bart and Homer steals the episode. Homer and Bart face off in video boxing, which reaches a funny conclusion in itself. We also learn a little bit about Marge and how she was raised. Overall a really good episode with memorable characters…but if you don’t like Lisa you may not like it. There’s a scene with Maggie that made me laugh out loud as well.

Grade: A-

Episode 7 (7) – The Call of the Simpsons

Pretty much everything that made the Simpsons great is here. The first third of the episode, where Homer looks to upend Flanders by buying a nice RV than him, is pure gold. The Simpsons getting stuck in the wild perfectly captures all the Simpsons and even gives us a glimpse of the crazy, insane Homer we get in future seasons. Maggie too has some highlights. Everything works in “The Call of the Simpsons”. The last act can’t be forgotten, where Homer is mistaken for Bigfoot! Of course hilarity ensues there too. Best episode so far and again, all the pieces that made the Simpsons such a great show in its first 10 years are here.

Grade: A+

Episode 8 (8) – The Telltale Head

This is yet another classic Simpsons episode, as well as another that primarily focuses on Bart. It does employ one of my favorite storytelling devices, a frame story beginning in media res. You see Homer and Bart with the head of the town founder Jebadiah Springfield and an angry mob looking to kill them. How the heck did we get here? Bart tells us what happens and it’s little more than a tale of a young boy succumbing to peer pressure and doing something stupid to fit in and be popular. The episode definitely continued to push Bart as the star of the show, and no doubt kids watching probably related with him (something the first season of the Simpsons has done quite well with Homer and Bart). There are some good moments too, Homer in church is definitely a highlight as well as the tormenting of the poor Sunday School teacher with ridiculous questions about who gets to heaven. We also see some characters for the first time (Apu, Krusty, Jimbo, Kearney, Reverend Lovejoy) which is cool, although we only get anything substantial with the bullies. With that being said for a classic episode it feels a little flat. The tone is closer to “Bart the Genius” than the greatness we got in the last few episodes. I also think the characters highlighted in the mob were a bit odd. I get Mr. Burns would care, but seeing him in this angry mob alongside the Skinner’s and Abe Simpson’s of the world felt off. Good, but not great episode.

Grade: B

Episode 9 (9) – Life on the Fast Lane

This is the first time we get an episode that focuses on Marge’s character. Her love for Homer is tested after Homer buys her a selfish birthday gift that he intends to use for himself (a bowling ball engraved with the name “Homer”). She decides to spite him and use it herself. She ends up catching the eye of Jacques, a professional bowler who clearly wants something romantic with Marge. The story is fine, although the actually conclusion seems undeserved from Homer’s perspective and that’s a major gripe from me. Homer doesn’t correct his wrongdoing or anything. He just fears his marriage is falling apart and he doesn’t offer much to fix it. So things working out for them solely works because of Marge’s love for Homer and her family. I suppose that’s great characterization for Marge but it feels so undeserved. Perhaps if there were more scenes with her and Bart and Lisa I’d buy it more. Interestingly the producers spoke about how female fans of the series were frustrated with the conclusion. I can understand why. With that all being said this episode still gets a good mark simply because of its moments and the performance of Albert Brooks as Jacques. The moment Homer unveils his gift for Marge is a great sequence. Marge’s dream about Jacques is visually amazing, especially considering this is still season 1 animation. Jacques is voiced in such an over the top way it’s nothing short of brilliant.

Grade: B+

Episode 10 (10) – Homer’s Night Out

There’s not much to this one. Homer gets caught dancing with an exotic belly dancer by Bart’s spy camera and Marge is furious. There’s ultimately a good lesson to be learned here about women not being treated as objects but other than that and a little of Bart’s mischief it’s a forgettable episode. Also, if you’re following each episode as a chronological story (which…it’s probably best not to) it’s really disappointing to see Homer in this spot after Life on the Fast Lane and the choice Marge made. There aren’t many laughs here either. Bart and his spy camera pretty much take up the good scenes and other than that and Carl’s debut (with a much different voice) this episode is just there.

Grade: C

Episode 11 (11) – The Crepes of Wrath

“The Crepes of Wrath” is a strange episode that foreshadows some of the over the top plots we’d get in future Simpsons episodes. In order to get rid of him for a few months, Principal Skinner comes up with the idea of sending Bart to France in a foreign exchange program. Homer’s fed up with Bart as well, so he and Skinner are both excited to send him off. The Simpsons get an exchange student in return who seems quite perfect. Bart’s side of the story takes an ugly turn as he’s forced into child labor which paints Bart as a sympathy figure who saves the day in France. Meanwhile it turns out the student the Simpsons got back is a spy for another country. Neither side is particularly entertaining other than Homer not realizing he’s giving a spy tons of blueprints and plans to “an unfriendly country”. Also in Homer’s case, these last three episodes showed a really disappointing turn in Homer’s lack of commitment to his family, especially from what we saw in the first few episodes. There are some high points for sure here though, basically all before the two stories come together. Bart’s prank on Skinner’s mother continued that bad boy image that made Bart a star. And, as we’ll get to in later seasons, slapstick violence on Homer Simpson just seems to be money and we get a little bit of that here. I can’t say I liked this episode though. It gets a little bit of a bonus for what I said about foreshadowing over the top storylines in the future though.

Grade: C+

Episode 12 (12) – Krusty Gets Busted

From a theoretical sense this episode probably isn’t considered to be that great. Other than a few moments (the moment Homer sees Krusty in the Kwik E Mart for example) it’s not really an episode played for laughs and the only characters who really get any screen time are Bart, Lisa, Krusty and Sideshow Bob. With that being said who cares! There’s a really good story here and a well done mystery as well. If you were watching it for the first time you can figure out what happened pretty quickly in regards to the crime. Both Krusty and Sideshow Bob are memorable characters right out of the gate and we also establish one of the great rivalries of the Simpsons that’s still being used today: Bart vs. Sideshow Bob.

Grade: A-

Episode 13 (13) – Some Enchanted Evening

This was supposed to be the Series Premiere as opposed to the Season Finale and it shows. The first season of the Simpsons really developed as it went on and as a result “Some Enchanted Evening” feels out of place. That’s not to say some things don’t work because they definitely do. Bart and Lisa’s prank calls to Moe are always good for a laugh and Ms. Botz is an entertaining antagonist. Everything else misses though. We already had two episodes focusing on Homer and Marge’s marriage and for the most part those episodes were stronger.

Grade: C

Season Review

To be honest I found the 1^st season of the Simpsons to be stronger than I remembered it. It’s rather impressive that so many characters that appeared in the season stayed true to their original selves. The only real changes you see over time is like to Moe, who really just becomes a more involved character, and others like Carl Carlson who just needed an identity. The template for the Simpsons peak that would take place over the next nine or ten years was set in stone here. You just have to weave through some of the growing pains too.

Grade: B+

Basketball

Sports Oddities: Michael Adams

September 23, 2016 rdtworldofsport@gmail.com

This series of articles (looking to do it bi-weekly…but have failed at that) focuses on a bizarre or oddball statistical anomaly that played in professional sports. I probably will run out of players to do this with eventually though.

Only three players in NBA history have had a season where they averaged at least 26 points per game and 10 assists per game. Oscar Robertson did it during his statistical dominance in the early 1960s. Tiny Archibald did it during his famous (or infamous?) season where he led the league in PPG and APG. The third guy? It wasn’t a big name like Michael Jordan or Jerry West. No, not even close.

The third guy was Michael Adams.

How did this happen? Before the 1990-1991 NBA season Adams’ previously had a season PPG high of 15.5 and 6.3 APG. Not even close to his crazy 26.5 PPG, 10.5 APG season in 90-91. Adams didn’t even get recognition for these seemingly MVP level stats either, as he didn’t make an All-NBA or even All-Star team. What Adams was a product of was the Paul Westhead insane pace play no defense Denver Nuggets. The Nuggets scored 118 PPG but let up over 130.

The box scores against the Nuggets were insane. A few games into the season the Phoenix Suns dropped 107 on them…in the first half (and 173 total). Nine times they allowed over 150 points in a game, all in regulation. Too bad fantasy sports didn’t exist back then, streaming against and owning Nuggets would have been all the rage.

As for Adams, he got to be the star (along with Orlando Woolridge) of this team and as a result got the big stats. But to be fair to him, he played for the Bullets the next year, put up a solid 18-7 and made the 1992 All-Star Game. He looks rather out of place in the All-Star Game…but he got there at least, right?

Video Games

Ranking the Banjo-Kazooie Worlds

August 12, 2016 rdtworldofsport@gmail.com

Banjo-Kazooie even today can be argued as the greatest 3D platformer of all time. One major reason is its level quality. While I’m intending to rank these based on what I think is the best, the word best of course is subject to debate. Also, I am only ranking the main levels, so no Spiral Mountain or Quiz show stuff…

9. Clanker’s Cavern

The only world I would say I don’t like here. The swimming is a bit of a pain (although swimming physics are top notch here) and the world primarily revolves around a metal fish. It looks dull. There’s still some good stuff in this though, including my favorite empty honeycomb piece spot, Wonderwing and a cool jumping mini-game in the fish.

8. Rusty Bucket Bay

I appreciate the challenge of Rusty Bucket Bay, but the contaminated water and engine rooms are more pain than pleasure. Navigating the boat itself is fun though. Despite the engine room I appreciate the challenge of getting all 100 notes as well.

7. Bubblegloop Swamp

I think the top 7 levels are significantly better than Rusty Bucket Bay and Clanker’s Cavern. Mr. Vile’s challenge is a lot of fun and being a crocodile is a lot of fun. What holds Bubblegloop Swamp back is that it’s more of a chore to get around with the wading boots…and it’s not like there’s an easy way back to Mumbo’s everytime you want to switch.

6. Mumbo’s Mountain

One of the best examples of a first level teaching you through the ropes. You learn about Jinjos, Mumbo Transformations, throwing eggs and pretty much everything else you need. It’s a bit too easy for my tastes but still quite good. I think a terminate was an odd choice to introduce the Mumbo transformation though.

5. Gobi’s Valley

We’re already in the “A” tier here, and having five of the nine worlds be at that level is quite an accomplishment. Gobi’s Valley has a lot of fun jiggies and characters (like Gobi!). There’s a lot to do here such as wading through sand, getting access to the running shoes and beating short clocks or flying through small holes with spikes. There’s a magic carpet ride too! I actually dislike Donkey Kong 64’s Aztec level mainly because Gobi’s Valley owns so much.

4. Treasure Trove Cove

There are so many areas to explore in Treasure Trove Cove. Banjo-Kazooie smartly introduces flying here and it makes Treasure Trove Cove that much bigger. Fight an evil shellfish named Nipper, find gold for a pirate, fly up to the lighthouse or put some codes into a magical sandcastle. Just watch out for Snacker…

3. Freezeezy Peak

This snow/Christmas themed level has a lot going on as well. I find this to be the rich man’s Mario 64 Snowman’s Land. There’s a HUGE Snowman to climb this time around, a Christmas tree full of presents to explore and some polar bears to race. There’s also the legend of the ice key that you may encounter…

2. Mad Monster Mansion

We are now in the S tier. Mad Monster Mansion is super fun to explore. It has a clever Mumbo Transformation (Pumpkin!) and several smart jiggies. There’s a church and a haunted house to explore, and probably my favorite “race the clock” jiggy. My personal favorite world for sure.

1. Click Clock Wood

A purely genius world. Click Clock Wood is actually four seasons, and each season presents its own challenges. What you do in each season affects the other. Something you do in Spring may effect something that happens in Summer, for example. It also has an amazing theme during the Springtime. A really fun 100 note challenge lies here too.

Basketball

Sports Oddities: Yinka Dare

July 30, 2016 rdtworldofsport@gmail.com

This series of articles (looking to do it bi-weekly) focuses on a bizzaro or oddball statistical anomaly that played in professional sports. I probably will run out of players to do this with eventually though. This is the 2^nd edition of Sports Oddities!

With a mid-1^st round pick in the 1994 NBA Draft, the New Jersey Nets selected Nigerian Yinka Dare. By the time he was eligible for the NBA draft he wasn’t an unknown. He averaged a 13-10 for George Washington University and had led them to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.

To be blunt, Yinka Dare was objectively terrible in the NBA. Some of that seemed like bad luck as in his first game of his rookie season he tore his ACL in just three minutes of action. The Nets seemingly gave up on him already as they left him exposed in the 1995 expansion draft (Toronto and Vancouver wisely passed). In his first real season he shot 44% and averaged 2.8 PPG and 2.1 RPG in about 10 MPG.

And he didn’t register one assist.

Not one.

He set the NBA Record for most games played in a season without registering an assist (58).

So yes, he was quite the punchline at this point. It wouldn’t be until his 78^th game, a game against the Raptors, until he’d record one. He’d record four total assists in his entire career. The video above was about 10 games before he’d finally record an assist.

Four career assists against 96 career turnovers? In recent times Dare’s name had come up again as Hassan Whiteside started his career with 26 games without an assist. Still nothing like the Dare though.

RDT World of Sport

Tag Archives: rdtworld

Let Us All Find Out Who Drew…#1 (and #2)

2018 RDTWorldofSport Wrestling Awards

A Quick Preview of the 2018-2019 NBA Season

Top 100 NBA Players of All-Time: 2018 Revision

The Disappointing State of the NBA All-Star Game

2016-2017 NBA Predictions!

The Simpsons 1st Season Review

Sports Oddities: Michael Adams

Ranking the Banjo-Kazooie Worlds

Sports Oddities: Yinka Dare

And Games….And All Fun Stuff!