The Post with the preview of Wrestelmania 23
We are just two days away from the biggest wrestling event of the year. Almost 75,000 fans will back Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan to see Wrestlemania 23 almost 20 years to the date after 78,000 people packed the Pontiac Silverdome in Pontiac, Michigan for Wrestlemania III. As I mentioned that one was widely considered to be the event that made Wrestlemania the spectacle it is today. Hulk Hogan defended the belt against Andre the Giant and the whole atmosphere was amazing for the show. To symbolize the 20th anniversary of this event the tagline for this year is "All Grown Up." They've been running some neat vignettes with young kids posing as their favorite wrestlers, while the wrestler does voiceovers stating how this was always their dream.

The official theme song for this year is "Ladies and Gentleman" by Saliva off of their new album Blood Stained Love Story. Ludacris is scheduled to be in attendance and on the show. Also becuase she was there at Wrestlemania III to sing, "America the Beautiful" they are welcoming back Aretha Franklin.

Also they have made this a huge weekend of wrestling the past few years and the WWE Hall of Faem introductions will take place Saturday night with an hour of it being shown on USA at midnight. This year's class is maybe the most diverse and includes a number of guys who have been extremely influential. The list includes: The Wild Samoans, The Sheik, Nick Bochwinkle, Mr. Perfect, Jerry "The King" Lawler, Jim Ross, and "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes . Without further adieu let's take a look at the card that is being presented this year




We might as well start with the match that will have lot sof casual viewers purchasing this show. For weeks Vince McMahon and Donald Trump argued over who was the richest, and over who coined the phrase, "You're Fired." Finally Trump showed up on Raw and issued a challenge to Vince for a match. It eventually became each man selects a representative and whoever loses the challenge will have thier head shaved bald. McMahon selected "The Samoan Bulldozer" Umaga. Trump selected the ECW champion Bobby Lashley. The WWE board of directors added "Stonecold" Steve Austin as a special guest referee. Someone is leaving Wrestlemania bald.





John Cena (on the left) has been WWE champion for roughly 2 years. He has fought off every challenger in his path. This Sunday he meets the legend Shawn Michaels in what might be his last chance at glory. The tow are also tag champions and tension has grown between the two of them the past couple weeks until HBK finally superkicked Cena this past MOnday night and sent the message he is there to win. Should be an outstanding match.

Batista was as hot a guy as anyone before getting injured a little over a year ago. He went on the shelf and when he came back the fans were no longer really interested in him. The Undertaker has been with the WWE for 17 years almost and held gold twice. This might also be his last run at the top and he has signaled Batista for doom this Sunday.

- posted by Brian @ 3/30/2007 08:35:00 AM

 
The Post with the Greatest Wrestlemania Matches of All Time #5-1
We have reached the pinnacle of our countdown. I researched, re-watched, and pondered over all 22 previous years of the WWE's biggest show and boiled down a top 20. We have hit the mother load. 5 matches that are so good they are all remembered as pinnacles of the sport. All those have received between ****1/2 and ***** stars from the major wrestling newsletters (5 stars is the highest they give out) and all of them could have a compelling argument made they were the best of all time. But it's my list so it's my call- here we go.


5. "The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels vs Kurt Angle
Wrestlemania XXI
Staples Center- Los Angeles, California

They had some early mat wrestling exchanges, and Michaels ended up locked Angle in an early headlock. Angle suplexed Michaels, but Michaels held onto the headlock. Michaels remained in control on the mat for several minutes. Angle eventually took control and went for an ankelock at 6:30. Michaels countered quickly and clotheslined Angle. They both flipped over the top rope to the floor. Michaels got a pop as he ripped apart the ringside announcers' table. Angle ended up lifting Michaels onto his shoulder in a fireman's carry and then charged backward, driving Michaels into the ringpost. They went back to mat work for several minutes, clearly pacing themselves for a long match. Michaels hit a crossbody block of the top rope onto Angle at ringside at 14:00, although his knee seemed to give out or he slipped on the launch so he didn't have as much height as you'd expect. Angle attempted to back suplex Michaels off the ring apron. Michaels held onto the ropes, elbowed Angle's head, and then mule kicked him to the floor. Michaels caught his breath, and then springboarded over the top rope onto Angle on the announcers' table. The table didn't give much. Michaels stomped the mat and went for Sweet Chin Music, but Angle caught his foot and applied the Anklelock at 19:00. Michaels escaped, but Angle rolled through and applied it again. Michaels quickly leveraged out and went into a roll-up for what Ross described as a "long two count." Angle blocked another Michaels superkick and gave him an Angle Slam for a very near fall at 21:00. Angle yanked his straps down, and then went to the top rope. He went for a moonsault, but Michaels moved out of his path. He landed on his left hand and then clutched it in pain afterward. Angle suplexed Michaels off the top rope and scored a convincing near fall at 22:30. As Angle trash-talked Michaels, Michaels came out of nowhere with a burst of energy and superkicked Angle, KOing him. Michaels eventually draped his arm over Angle's chest for a near fall. Ross said it was a long two count. Yes, it was, as Angle didn't lift his shoulder. He added that both will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame some day. After Michaels stood first, Angle slipped on his Anklelock finisher. When Michaels crawled toward the ropes, Angle dragged him back to the middle. Michaels attempted two spirited escapes, but Angle kept it locked on. Angle's facial intensity was awesome during the hold, and Michaels's selling matched it. Ross was in danger of losing his voice as he screamed about Michaels doing all he could to withstand the pain or counter the hold. Michaels considered tapping, and finally did in 27:21. Angle returned to the back first. Michaels struggled to his feet, hobbled around the ring, and accepted a standing ovation from the fans.

- What kind of held this match back is the first 10-12 minutes of mat wrestling are kind of ordinary (they are necessary to the story being told but aren't particularly engrossing. However the last 15 minutes with the reversals and near falls get the crowd majorly into it and it becomes an edge of the seat type match.


4. "The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels w/ Diesel vs Razor Ramon- Ladder match For the vacant Intercontinental Title...Winner must climb the ladder and retrieve the belts
Wrestlemania X
Madison Square Garden- New York City, New York

As Razor enters he walks under the ladder so apparently he was never told that means bad luck. Razor gets dumped to the floor early and gets knocked down by Diesel- a move which causes the ref to throw Diesel out of the area. Razor gets the upper-hand and sets up Michaels for the Razor’s Edge but gets dumped onto the concrete. This gives HBK the chance to go and get the ladder in the aisleway. Michaels jams the ladder into Razor’s abdomen twice and then crashes it across his back. With Razor down, Michaels sets up the ladder and begins to climb to the top. Razor catches him, but gets caught with an elbow off the ladder. HBK then sets the ladder in the corner and slams Razor. He climbs to the top of the ladder and comes off the top with a splash on Razor. Michaels again climbs the ladder but Razor catches him and drops him throat first across the top rope. Both men bounce off the ropes and collide heads leaving them both down. The ladder gets set up in the corner and Shawn gets sent into it and tumbles to the floor. Razor rams the ladder into the chest of HBK and follows him around ringside ramming him. Michaels gets sling-shot into the ladder and then rolled back in the ring. Razor then sets up the ladder and begins the climb for the belts. Michaels however comes off the top rope and knocks Razor to the mat. They then both climb up different sides of the ladder and exchange punches at the top. Michaels gets suplexed to the mat and Razor tumbles with the momentum. Razor gets close to the belts but Shawn hits a dropkick and Razor falls to the mat again. Shawn then hits Sweet Chin Music and signals for the Razor’s Edge, but turns it into a piledriver. He then picks up the ladder and props it in the corner. He comes off with the ladder and drives it into the chest of Ramon. The ladder is again set up and Michaels begins his climb. Razor however shoulder-blocks the ladder and Michaels gets crotched on the top rope and then has his leg stuff between the ropes. Razor climbs the ladder and just before HBK can get to him Razor pulls the belts down for the win in 18:44

- This was basically the first time the ladder match was done on a national scale and it blew people's minds to see it for the first time. Michaels was a crash test dummy in this one and really helped get the match across to the fans. I re-watched it this weekend though and I got to say it kind of doesn't hold up. As ladder matches have become more commonplace they have continually topped the original. However, it still is a solid match, and you have to respect its place in history. So while some may think the TLC match at #8 is maybe better- it doesn't hold the historic value of this one. That's the difference



3. Randy "Macho Man" Savage (c) w/ Miss Elizabeth vs Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat w/ George "The Animal" Steele- Intercontinental Title Match
Wrestlemania III
Pontiac Silverdome- Pontiac, Michigan

Steamer uses his speed and armdrags Savage, then chokes him out and Savage bails. Back in, Savage suckers him in and chokes him out on the ropes, dropping an elbow for two. Blind charge misses and Steamboat goes to work with a wristlock and works the arm. Ricky Steamboat pops up on a video clip as well, listed as being “Ricky Steamboat,” so I guess they must have settled with Bonnie. Also of note: He says “buyrate” for the first time I can remember on a WWE release. Savage backdrops him out of the ring to take over while George Steele pops up and comments in a totally normal voice, which is just totally weird to hear. Steamboat goes to the apron and Savage stomps the crap out of him, then snapmares him in over the top. Elbow to the head gets two. Kneedrop gets two. Steamboat comes back with a chop and Savage gets tied up in the ropes, but escapes, only to walk into a bodypress from Steamboat that gets two. He shoulderblocks Savage down for a pair of two-counts, but Savage lays into him with a high knee to the back and tosses him. Steamboat skins the cat back in, however, so Savage (right on the same level with Steamboat in a nice touch) clotheslines him right back out again. Savage knees him in the back again while he’s regrouping, sending him crashing into the front row, and the Animal rescues him and brings him back in. And Savage tosses him right back out again, and follows with the double axehandle. Back in, another axehandle and he elbows him down for two. Necksnap gets two. Atomic drop gets two. Suplex gets two. They slug it out as Steamboat starts with the chops, but Savage pulls out at gut wrench suplex for two. Backdrop suplex is reversed by Steamboat and he keeps chopping, but puts his head down. Savage charges and Steamboat dumps him, showing that he’s also thinking a few steps ahead, and the flying chop from the top gets two. Running chop gets two. Chops to the head and Savage bails to the apron, so Steamboat hammers him to the floor and chases him. Savage tries to sucker him in again, but Steamboat sunset flips in for two to counter. Rollup gets two. Jackknife pin gets two. Small package gets two. Catapult into the post gets two. Rollup gets two, and Savage reverses for two. It’s so great to see guys just trying to PIN each other and trying a whole variation of moves to do so. Steamboat charges again and hits the post, and the ref gets bumped when Savage sends him into the corner again. Clothesline sets up the big elbow, but there’s no ref. Savage grabs the ringbell in a nod to continuity, but Steele steals it from him in another nod to continuity, then shoves him off the top rope. Savage is dazed and tries to slam Steamboat, but he reverses for the historic pin and the title at 14:35.


- Steamboat was far more known for his work in the NWA but him and Savage completely stole the show at the biggest Wrestlemania in history. The storyline really helped this out as Savage had "crushed" Steamboat's throat months early so The Dragon was looking for revenge. In the months prior to this bout they wrestled at house shows all across the country perfecting all the stuff for the match and that made it seem crisper on pay per view.


2. Bret "Hitman" Hart vs "Stonecold" Steve Austin- Submission Match...you must make your opponent quit to win- Special guest Referee: "The World's Most Dangerous Man" Ken Shamrock.
Wrestlemania XIII
Rosemont Horizon- Chicago, Illinois

No lock up to start as Austin tackles Bret to the mat and they begin brawling to the floor. Bret throws Austin into the post, but Austin comes back by dumping Bret onto the railing and then knocking him into the front row. They then fight into the crowd and Austin kicks Bret into the hockey boards surrounding the floor. They fight up the steps of the first deck and Austin gets back body-dropped down the steps. Back to ringside Bret comes off the rail with a fist into Austin. Stonecold throws Bret hard into the steps and then measures him before connecting with a forearm. Bret connects with a kick before Austin can use the steps on him though. Back in the ring and Bret connects with a swinging neck-breaker and then begins working over the leg and back of Austin. Stonecold moves out of the way of one attempt at the leg and hits the Stone Cold Stunner, but Bret kicks again at the leg. He then wraps the leg around the ringpost and applies the Figure Four around the ringpost, but Austin refuses to quit. Bret then picks up the bell and throws a chair in the ring. He puts the chair around Austin’s ankle. Austin gets up though and hits Bret with the chair and then connects with a wicked chairshot across the back of Bret. Up on the ropes and Bret gets an elbow driven into his throat by Austin. Steve then locks a stretch on Bret, and then turns him over into the Boston Crab. Shamrock asks him if he wants to submit but Bret continually says no. Bret gets to the bottom rope forcing Austin to break the hold. Austin then goes to lock in Bret’s move the Sharpshooter but Bret blocks and begins kicking away at the knee again. Austin however has enough and dumps Bret out on the floor in front of his family. Bret throws Austin into the ring railing knocking over the ring announcer and time-keeper in the process. Steve comes up bloodied and Bret focuses his attack on the cut. He throws Austin into the steps and then the ringpost before rolling him back into the ring. Austin is cut pretty bad and blood is dripping off his forehead. Bret then picks up the chair and drives it into Austin’s legs a couple times. He goes for the Sharpshooter but Austin counters that with an eye-rake. Stonecold hits him low and then comes back with stomps in the corner and a double middle finger. A superplex off the top rope and both men are hurt. Again they go back to the floor and Austin grabs an extension cord to choke out Bret with. Bret counters though by hitting him with the ringbell. He knocks him down and locks in the Sharpshooter on Austin in the middle of the ring. Austin screams in pain as blood just pours down his face. He screams no while Shamrock asks him if he wants to quit. Shamrock yells, “Answer me Steve.” Austin tries one more time to power out of the move but Bret holds the move and cinches it back in. Shamrock yells again, “Steve do you give up. If you do not answer me I’ll stop the fight.” Austin is knocked cold so Shamrock calls for the bell and Bret wins at 22:05. After the match Bret starts kicking at Austin and Shamrock throws him off then goes into his fighting stance. The crowd goes wild in anticipation but Bret decides discretion is the better part of valor and goes to the dressing room. After the match Austin knocks out all the refs that try to help him and he stumbles to the back by himself which the crowd cheers for.

- Maybe the most important match in WWE's history. This match solidified Austin as the top guy and they built around him for the next 2 years and it made them the hottest wrestling program at the time, and made them arguably hotter than they had ever been in thier history. Bret became a bad guy and formed a group with his buddies from Canada that led to some great television over the next couple months before he went to WCW. Also it was a rare double-turn match where Bret was the good guy going in and the bad guy coming out, and vice versa with Austin. Excellent match, and great intensity.

I poured through over 230 matches in Wrestlemania history, 22 years of stuff and settled on this as the greatest match in Wrestlemania history. It was a historic moment to fans as a well-respected wrestler finally got his shot to be champion.

1. Triple H (c) vs "The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels vs "The Crippler" Chris Benoit- WWE Title Triple Threat Match, first man to pin an opponent or make him submit wins.
Wrestlemania XX
Madison Square Garden- New York City, New York

Benoit and Michaels knocked Hunter out of the ring and then went after each other with hard chop exchanges. Michaels cradled Benoit for a two count at 1:00. At 2:30 Michaels then flipped off the top rope onto both Benoit and Hunter at ringside. Later, Lawler complained about Michaels and Benoit working together against Hunter. Michaels nipped up. Benoit then nailed Michaels with a hard clothesline, sending him over the top rope. When Benoit later climbed to the top rope, Michaels knocked him off balance. Benoit slipped Hunter into a Crossface. Michaels broke it up at 9:45. Michaels went for a back suplex series on Benoit. The crowd booed at Michaels for stealing Benoit's move. Michaels nailed Hunter with the Sweet Chin Music. Benoit yanked Hunter out of the ring before three. Benoit catapulted Michaels over the top turnbuckle and into the corner ringpost. He came up bleeding heavily from the forehead. Benoit then went for a Crossface. Michaels struggled, but Benoit got it locked on. Michaels hinted at a tap, but Hunter grabbed his arm and wouldn't let him tap. Later, Hunter began dismantling the Smackdown announcers' table. Benoit recovered enough to ram Hunter into the Spanish announcers' table. Benoit set up a back suplex of Hunter off of the Spanish table and onto the Raw announcers' table. Hunter blocked it and set up a Pedigree on the Spanish table. They didn't remove the monitors on those tables, so you knew nobody was bumping on them. A very bloody Michaels met Hunter and Benoit on the table. He paused and looked at Hunter. The two then decided to work together in suplexing Benoit onto the Smackdown table, which collapsed underneath Benoit when he landed. They had removed the monitors from that table. Michaels then entered the ring and called for Hunter to enter the ring. "It's you and me!" shouted Michaels. Michaels's face was completely red and blood had dripped onto his chest. When Hunter entered the ring, Michaels threw him over the top rope to the floor where he bumped into the cameraman. Michaels threw Hunter into the ringpost. Fans began an "HBK, HBK" chant. Hunter gave Michaels a Pedigree, but was slow to make the cover. Benoit made the save to prevent the three count. Hunter was a bloody mess at this point, too. Hunter went for another Pedigree, this time on Benoit, but Benoit escaped and applied the Sharpshooter at 21:15. Hunter screamed Flair-style in agony. The crowd went nuts. Hunter lifted himself and tried to power out as he continued to scream. Hunter crawled to the bottom rope and touched it, but then Benoit yanked him back to center ring. Michaels then re-entered the ring to stop Benoit from winning by giving him a superkick. That was a very dramatic near tapout. Michaels draped his arm over Benoit for a near fall. The crowd chanted "Benoit, Benoit, Benoit." Michaels stomped the mat several times and the crowd booed, clearly having sided with Benoit. Benoit ducked Michaels's superkick and backdropped him over the top rope. Hunter then kicked Benoit in the belly and went for the Pedigree. Benoit reversed it into a Crossface at 23:15 and the fans popped huge. Hunter reached for the bottom rope, but couldn't reach it. He began fading. He managed to reverse out of it, but Benoit immediately reapplied it. Hunter then tapped out in 24:07. The crowd popped huge. The ref handed Benoit the belt. He began crying. He stood and held the belt in the air. Eddie Guerrero came out and congratulated him. They hugged. Eddie began crying, too. Confetti dropped from the ceiling as they both held their titles in the air.

- Chris Benoit had gained popularity with some of his amazing matches he had in Japan, then in ECW, then in WCW throughout the years. When he went to WWE in 2000 fans wanted so badly for him to become World Champion one day. When this finally happened fans were just really happy because it's the classic story of a guy who busted his ass to become good and respected at his job and he gets rewarded for it. The ending with Guerrero and Benoit in the ring was especially nice considering they had become best friends in the business and were both told they would never be main event guys. Here they were at the biggest wrestling show of the year and they were the champions and had center stage. The last 5 minutes from when Benoit gets back in teh ring are as dramatic as anything you'll ever see and Jim Ross (arguably the greatest wrestling announcer ever) is on his game and really drives home the final couple minutes and the moment at the end. If anyone ever asked me why I love wrestling this would be one of the first things I would show them.

There you have it- In my opinion the 20 greatest Wrestlemania matches of all-time. Join us tomorrow as we take a look ahead at Sunday's Wrestlemania and what could be the matches on that card that stand out.
- posted by Brian @ 3/29/2007 12:58:00 PM

 
The Post with the Greatest Wrestlemania Matches of All-Time #10-6
So we whittled down 15 matches to 10 and like I said yesterday 8 of what's left in the top 10 I could make an argument for being top 5. All for different reasons. So without further adieu let's hit these next 5 songs

10. The Ultimate Warrior vs Randy "Macho Man" Savage w/ Sensational Sherri- Loser Must Retire
Wrestlemania VII
Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena- Los Angeles, California

The loser of this match must retire (which in wrestling speak means 6-12 months). We start off with a couple tentative lock-ups before Savage tries to cheat his way into an advantage. Sherri tries to interfere but Warrior throws Savage into her sending Sherri to the floor. Warrior gets caught by a boot and a clothesline before he catches Savage off the top rope and slaps him across the face. Savage tries using a chair to distract the Warrior but it fails. The Warrior goes for a splash into the corner but Savage moves and Warrior tumbles to the floor, where Sherri attacks him. When Warrior goes after her Savage attacks from behind and takes control of the match. Savage picks up and slams the Warrior, and continues to try and shortcut his way into the upper-hand. He moves out of the way of Warrior’s running shoulder-block and gets a 2 count. He then locks on the sleeper to wear down the Warrior. The Ultimate one gets out of it and he and Savage try to hit something off the ropes before knocking each other down with a clothesline. Warrior rolls Savage up in a 2 count and then argues with the ref. Savage drives the knee into his back knocking the ref down in the process. Sherri comes off the top rope with her shoe but Warrior moves and she hits Savage. Warrior chases Sherri out of the ring allowing Savage to roll him up for another 2 count. Savage drops him neck first over the top rope and then goes up top for his patented elbow-drop, which he hits. Back up top for another one that finds the mark. A third time Savage goes up top and he lands another one to the throat. Savage drops a 4th one onto the Warrior which he follows up with a 5th one. He covers and gets a long 2 count before Warrior kicks out. Savage I shocked that didn’t do the trick as Warrior shakes it off and begins a comeback knocking Savage down with right hands and clotheslines. He then hits Savage with his finishing move the gorilla press slam into a splash. Warrior covers….1…..2…..Savage kicks out. Warrior begins talking to the sky asking if this is his destiny. The Warrior walks out of the ring and the ref asks him what he is doing. Savage recovers and attacks knocking the Warrior off the apron and onto the floor. He drapes the Warrior throat first over the railing and goes to drop an axe-handle but Warrior catches him on the way down, and decides he wants to finish the fight. Warrior picks Savage up and knocks him down and to the floor. He throws Savage back in the ring and does the shoulder-block again with the same result. Again the Warrior throws him into the ring and a third time he knocks him down and out of the ring. He pulls Savage back in and covers him with one foot for the 3 count and the win in 20:47.

After the match- Sherri attacks Savage for losing and Miss Elizabeth jumps out of the crowd to help the Macho Man and we have a reunion that the crowd goes crazy for

-This was supposed to segue Savage into a career as an announcer and help push Warrior further up the card as he retired a legend. Neither came to pass as Savage returned to the ring 7 months later and Warrior left the WWF about 5 months later. Still though a great match and the best one Warrior ever came close to being in. Really good storyline in it as well.

9. Bret "Hitman" Hart vs Owen Hart
Wrestlemania X
Madison Square Garden- New York City, New York

To begin the bout, both hooked up for a brief second, after which Owen gloated, although he hadn't done anything worthy of praise. Owen then kicked out of a head scissors by Bret and gloated again. The crowd booed. After Owen reached the ropes to break a go behind by Bret, the crowd booed. Owen then charged Bret, who shoved back at Owen. Owen then slapped Bret for the first non-wrestling exchange of the match. Bret then walked toward Owen, who ducked under the ropes. At 2:05, the two exchanged moves with Owen flipping and handstanding out of an armbar. At 3:04, Owen charged Bret and Bret leaped over him and rolled up Owen for the first near fall.Owen left the ring but was dragged back by Bret. At 5:40, Owen hit Bret with a spin wheelkick, then rammed Bret into a steel post outside of the ring. At 6:58 Owen applied the camel clutch. After an offensive series by Owen, McMahon and Lawler speculated on Bret losing. At 8:53, Owen hit Bret with a belly to back bridge for a near fall. At 9:24, Bret small packaged Owen for a near fall. Owen then reversed a salto by Bret and tombstone piledrived him. Owen missed a top rope splash. At 10:40, Bret hit Owen with a series of near falls. The pace became somewhat methodical at this point, although executed with precision.At 11:43, Owen hit an enziguiri, then attempted to apply the sharpshooter. Bret stopped it and attempted one of his own. Owen countered with a leg to shoulders roll-up for a near fall. Bret flew over the top rope after a bodyblock on Owen. Bret "injured" his knee upon his landing, so Owen went to work on it. Owen applied a modified figure-four leglock at 13:50 as a loud "Let's Go Bret" chant began. At 14:50, Owen applied a traditional figure-four leading to Bret getting his shoulders counted down for two two-counts. Bret then rolled over the figure-four and reached the ropes. Owen began working on Bret's knee, but ended up getting enziguiried by him. Bret swung Owen chest-first into the corner and dropped a knee on his chest for a near fall of his own at 16:50.At 19:04, Bret hit a solid bodyblock, then an awesome piledriver. Bret then placed Owen on the top rope and gave him a top rope superplex to a big pop. Bret forearmed Owen, Owen missed with a right roundhouse. Bret then applied the sleeper. Owen mulekicked Bret in the groin and at 19:20 applied the sharpshooter. Bret powered out of it, shoving Owen into the ropes. At 20:21, Owen pinned Bret by falling out of a victory roll by Bret and landing on him with a roll-up for a pin. Owen looked shock, then taunted a dismayed Bret after the match. Owen then gave a great post-match interview.

This was as flawles a match as you will ever see. All the exchanges looked crisp and both guys looked like two brothers who had trained together a lot. What holds it back some is there is a lack of coneection with the crowd and it becomes real methodical about 9 minutes in. Still though perfect scientific wrestling and had a great storyline with the younger brother trying to beat his older brother- and it worked.

8. The Hardy Boys (Matt & Jeff) vs Edge & Christian vs The Dudley Boys (Bubba Ray & Devon)- WWF Tag Team Championship Match----Tables, Ladders, & Chairs 2...Winners must climb the ladder and pull down the belts from a hook hanging above the ring.
Wrestlemania XVII
Astrodome- Houston, Texas

E&C both stood on Matt's crotch as he was hanging upside down in the corner. The Dudleys then attacked Christian at ringside as Edge set up a ladder in the ring. Edge climbed it to get at the hanging belt, but Matt stopped him. Matt then began to climb the ladder, but still sold his injured crotch. Edge knocked the ladder open. As the Dudleys carried a ladder at ringside, the Hardys slidekicked them. They set up two ladders in center ring. The Hardys each leaped off the ladders onto Christian in center ring. The Dudleys reentered the ring. D-Von headbutted Edge's exposed crotch. The Dudleys set up two tables in the ring. Buh Buh powerbombed Jeff into Edge, breaking the table underneath Edge in half. Three ladders were set up in the middle of the ring. All six wrestlers chose a side and climbed a ladder. All six ended up knocked down and were slow to get up. A great overhead camera shot provided a unique perspective on replay. Spike Dudley ran out at 8:00. Spike attacked both Edge and Christian. An audible "ECW" chant began. Rhyno then came out and attacked D-Von with a ladder, then speared Buh Buh Ray, then gored Matt into a table in the corner. As Edge climbed the ladder, Lita ran out and knocked him down. Rhyno lifted Lita, but Spike low-blowed him. Lita then gave Rhyno a huracanrana. Edge then reached for the belt, but Rhyno knocked the ladder over and Edge straddled the top rope. Lita gave D-Von a stiff chairshot. Buh Buh then attacked Lita. Jeff set up a huge ladder that while set up on the floor was as high at its peak as the ladders in the ring. Jeff climbed to the top of it and flew onto Rhyno and Spike with a Swanton Dive. Edge set up the extra tall ladder in center ring. Christian and D-Von climbed opposite sides of the ladder. Matt moved the ladder out from underneath them. They both swung from the belts without a ladder underneath them. D-Von dropped. Christian hung by one arm and dropped himself. Jeff then walked from one ladder to another, but couldn't quite keep his balance and fell. He reclimbed the ladder. Buh Buh moved the ladder out from underneath him. Jeff's feet were almost stuck in the ladder rungs which could have led to a very scary bump. Edge then speared Jeff off the tall ladder in one of the better looking moves ever. Buh Buh and Matt then climbed the tall ladder, but it tipped over and they bumped onto four tables stacked below. Great looking bump. Christian, with help from Rhyno lifting him on his shoulders, got the belts down for the win in 15:50.

- Just way too much action going on to keep up with. This wasn't so much a wrestling match as it was a stunt show, and it was great. These same 6 guys had stolen the show at Wrestlemania XVI in a similar match but upped the ante in this one the following year. 6 years later it is still a spectacle to watch.

7. Kurt Angle (c) vs "The Next Big Thing" Brock Lesnar- WWE World Title Match
Wrestlemania XIX
Safeco Field- Seattle, Washington

They had a brief staredown before the bell. They did amateur style wrestling for the opening few minutes. Angle had the first impact on the back of his neck when he back suplexed Lesnar at 4:20. He let out a "whoo!" afterward. The crowd understandably was a bit drained at this point, so the pacing of building this match slowly worked well given all circumstances. Brock pressed and slammed Angle at 5:15. Angle caught a charging Lesnar with a boot. He then back suplexed Angle into the turnbuckles and seemed to land hard himself. Brock bailed to ringside. Angle followed and rammed him back-first into the ringside barrier. Angle gave Brock a vertical suplex for a two count at 7:00. Angle then applied a bow and arrow. Angle shifted into a chinlock. Brock rose up and backed Angle into the corner to break it. Angle came back with an overhead released suplex. Angle then hit Brock with a flying knee, sending Brock to the floor. When Brock returned to the ring, he surprised Angle with a spinebuster. Both Angle and Brock lay on the mat as the ref began to count toward ten. Brock gave Angle a released overhead suplex and then scored a two count. Angle came back with three unreleased German suplexes, clearly landing to the side on his shoulder instead of the back of his neck as much as possible. At 13:40 Brock went for a surprise F5, but Angle escaped and twisted Brock into an Anklelock. He yanked Brock away from the bottom rope. He turned it into a half Boston crab. Brock reached the ropes. Angle charged toward Brock, but Brock backdropped him over the top rope. Angle landed on his feet and then tumbled to the ringside bat. Back in the ring Brock attacked Angle with shoulders in the corner. Angle reversed Lesnar with an overhead released German suplex that got "oohs" and "ahhs" from the crowd. Angle followed with an Angleslam for a near fall at 16:25. Cole said he thinks that is the first time anyone has ever kicked out of the Angle slam. The crowd didn't know that since they didn't pop as you'd think they would for such a historic moment. Brock rolled up Angle for a surprise two count out of nowhere. He followed up quickly with his F5 for a very near and convincing near fall. Angle went right into an Anklelock. Brock crawled toward the bottom rope, but Angle dragged him back toward the middle. Lesnar, though, forced his way to the bottom rope. Lesnar then kicked Angle off of him. Lesnar kicked Angle in the gut and went for an F5, but Angle escaped and turned it into a small package. Angle went for the Angleslam, but Brock escaped and set up the F5. Rather than go for the cover, he rolled to the bottom rope. The announcers wondered what he was doing. He left the ring, climbed to the rope rope, and went for a shooting star press (Imagine a guy doing a jumping back flip in mid-air, now imagine a guy 6'6" trying to do it). He couldn't pull it off and landed on the side of his head in a scary moment. Angle covered him for a very near fall. Lesnar, still hurting, pulled off a rushed F5 and scored the pin in 21:07. Lesnar looked extremely groggy, almost as if he weren't aware of his surroundings, as he grasped at his title belt. Angle approached him and they shook hands and hugged after the match.

- This was two guys who were amateur stand-outs in college who showed they are the real deal at Wrestlemania. It brought some legitimacy to the "fake" sport. If Lesnar hits the Shooting Star Press for the win this would've been a historic moment. As it was it was still historic but more becasue Lsnar almost killed himself. Angle saved Lesnar becasue he saw he was falling short and moved so he would hit the mat clean. Still though- an amazing match.

6. The Rock (c) vs "Stonecold" Steve Austin- WWE World Title Match
Wrestlemania XVII
Astrodome- Houston, Texas

Howard Finkle announced before the match it was a no-DQ match and Ross made a big deal out of how that stip seemed to come out of nowhere. Ross stressed what a legendary star Austin has become in his home state of Texas. They fought instantly without a staredown or any pre-match routine. A minute into the match they fought to ringside. Austin scored the first two count of the match at 3:48. Rock scored his first two count at 4:32. In a strange moment, the ref tripped backward over the ring stairs and dropped a blade he was supposed to hand to Rock. Rock then dropped to his knee and picked up his blade. He then bladed, but barely drew blood. At 7:20 they returned to the ring and Austin pummeled Rock with fists. By 8:30 Rock began to bleed much heavier than at first. Austin grinded his knee into Rock's bloody face in the corner. Rock burst out of the corner and dropped Austin with a clothesline. Rock received a mixed reaction, but mostly boos, during his offensive flurries. Rock grabbed the ring bell and nailed Austin with it. Austin was bleeding at this point. Rock covered Austin and scored a near fall at 11:15. They brawled at ringside again at 13:00 around a completely destroyed announcing area. Austin catapulted Rock into the ringpost. Rock took the bump really well. At 14:20 Austin nailed Rock with a monitor. Back in the ring Austin scored a near fall. When Rock got up, Austin gave him two middle ringers. Rock kicked Austin and applied the Sharpshooter. Both Rock and Austin bled heavily from their faces. Austin reached the ropes. Rock gave Austin the finger. Austin then applied a Sharpshooter of his own on Rock. Rock tried to power out, but couldn't. Rock finally reached the ropes at 18:25. Loud booing could be heard. When the ref tried to get Austin to break the hold, he gave the ref the finger. In a no DQ match, why break when the ref tells you? Ross and Heyman argued about whether Ross was biased in favor of Austin because he is close friends with him. Austin applied the Million Dollar Dream at 19:00. Ross mentioned that Austin learned that move when he was managed by Ted DiBiase and wrestled as Ringmaster. Rock's arm dropped twice, but not a third time. Rock pushed off the ropes with his feet and rolled Austin up for a very near fall. At 20:25 Rock surprised Austin with a Stone Cold Stunner. He was unable to follow up right away. He crawled over to Austin and made the cover. He scored a two count at 20:50. Vince then walked to the ring.Austin covered Rock for another two count. Rock came back and struck with the People's Elbow at 23:00. As Rock went for the cover and the ref began to count, Vince yanked Rock off of Austin. "What the hell was that for?" Ross asked. Ross said he isn't sorry the match is continuing, but he didn't understand Vince's stake. Rock chased Vince around the ring and back into it. Austin caught a charging Rock with the Rock Bottom - using his own finisher against him. He scored a very near fall. Austin set up the Stunner, but Rock shoved him off of it and Austin bumped into the ref in a sloppy looking spot. Austin low-blowed Rock. Austin then asked Vince for a chair. He then invited Vince into the ring. Austin told Vince to swing and hit Rock as he held him. Vince swung and hit Rock (Rock didn't duck, as almost always happened with that spot). Austin covered Rock. The ref returned to the ring and made the count, but Rock kicked out. Austin became irate, yelling "Shit!" Austin picked up a chair himself. Ross and Heyman wondered what Vince and Austin were up to. Rock surprised Austin with a Rock Bottom, blocking an Austin chairshot. Vince distracted the ref as Rock used the ropes to get to his feet. Rock threw Vince into the ring. Austin gave Rock a Stunner and scored another near fall. Vince handed Austin another chair. Austin smiled and nailed Rock flush on the forehead with it again. Vince cheered on Austin as he covered Rock for another two count. Rock kicked out. Austin again got frustrated. He looked at Rock, then Vince, wondering what he had to do to win the match. Vince stood inside the ring and watched. Austin rammed a chair into Rock's chest several times, then bashed him across the back as Vince cheered Austin on, went for another cover, and finally scored the pin in 28:08.

- This was to be the beginning of the Stonecold era of being a bad guy again and siding with his enemy Vince. It didn't work out as the fans rejected it. Still though this was the second time these guys has faced each other at Wrestlemania and it worked better than the other two because it told a different story than their matches usually did. The crowd solidly behind the hometown boy helped the match a lot as well.


We've got two more days of hype coming. Friday we will run down this year's card and some of the fun surrounding it and tomorrow we will count down the top 5 matches in Wrestlemania History.....Join us tomorrow when we have maybe the most important match in WWE history, a guy most known for his work in the NWA (a rival promotion) having his Wrestlemania moment, and one of the most respected wrestlers in the business finally given his due. See you then
- posted by Brian @ 3/28/2007 12:27:00 PM

 
The Post with the Greatest Wrestlemania Matches #15-11
This was stuff because there were 15 matches I could easily have made an argument that belonged in the top 10 so it was a matter of eliminating 5 matches from the Top 10. Some of the matches were better actual wrestling stuff, some were better brawls, and some were really good at the time but don't held up as well (Which raises the question to you judge with hindsight or by imapct at the time). So I knocked out 5 and came up with these matches that are all good enough to be Top 10 but they just didn't make it.


15. Hulk Hogan (c) vs The Ultimate Warrior (c)- Title Unification Match
Wrestlemania VI
Skydome- Toronto, Ontario, Canada


Referee Earl Hebner hoists both title belts as both IC and World Titles are on the line for this one. It's a guarantee that one man will walk out with both titles. . A brief stare down between both men in the middle of the ring took place. Warrior drew first blood by shoving Hogan, overpowering him in the process. Hogan retaliated by shoving him back, posing to the crowd to a big pop. Since both men showed their power, it was time for test of strength. Warrior got Hogan on his knees first, but then Hogan rebounded with power of his own, and soon Warrior was on his knees as well. By this time, it was pretty much even for both men. Hogan did the first move of the night with an elbow. Afterwards, Hogan did a shoulder block and both men criss-crossed the ring. Both did a shoulder block and nobody moved. Hogan slammed Warrior, but he got up fast. Warrior clotheslined Hogan to the outside of the ring. Hogan landed on his knee and got hurt. Credit goes to Hogan for continuing the match. Warrior worked on Hogan's knee for a while. Hogan had to come back with a thumb on the eye. Hogan cornered Warrior, but the referee had to break it up. Hogan slammed Warrior and gave him two elbows. The first rest hold of the night was a front headlock by Hogan. You can see that Warrior's face paint is falling off. Hogan also did a small package for a near fall. Hogan then did a different rest hold with a chin lock. He did several moves on Warrior, and then applied another chin lock. Warrior managed to escape a third chin lock and made his come back. Both men went to the ropes and clotheslined each other. Both men are down. Warrior got up first and starts to hear his warriors. He clotheslines Hogan and then applies a suplex. Warrior does his first rest hold with a bear hug. Hogan breaks the hold, followed by a referee bump. Warrior missed a flying tackle, then Hogan pinned him. Referee was not there for the count, so Hogan counted himself, but that was not official. Warrior also pinned Hogan, but the referee was still down. Both men brawled to the outside. When both men went back to the ring, Warrior clotheslined Hogan again. He hoisted Hogan for a gorilla press. Warrior splashed Hogan for the pin. Hogan kicked out and started his Superman Comeback. Hogan went for his finisher, the leg drop, but he missed. Warrior got up and did his splash again, this time scoring the pin in 22:51. Hogan was shocked and broke up in tears. Hogan grabbed the WWF Title belt and went back to the ring. Hogan gave the belt to Warrior and both men embraced. Warrior celebrated after the match with fireworks.

- Just a really awesome moment and it looked at the time like Hogan was telling his fans that Warrior was the new deal. That didn't actually happen as Hogan would win the title again a year later and Warrior would eventually turn crazy. Still an amazing moment. I remember being shocked- I was also 8.

14. "Rowdy" Roddy Piper (c) vs Bret "Hitman" Hart- Intercontinental Title Match
Wrestlemania VIII
Hoosier Dome- Indianapolis, Indiana

Before the match Piper cuts a really funny promo about Bret’s family. They lock-up and Piper takes down Bret with an arm drag. They lock up again and Bret scores with the arm drag. They then go into some mat wrestling and Bret leverages Piper to the floor. They start getting chippy with a slap and Piper spitting at Bret. They go back into the mat wrestling with Bret controlling the advantage with a wrist lock. Bret catches Piper with a dropkick but he clutches his shoulder on the landing. The ref backs Piper off but Bret was sandbagging and rolls him up for a two count. Piper gets pissed and slaps Bret. Hart comes at him with a cross body-block but Piper catches him and they both tumble to the floor. Piper gets back in and holds the ropes inviting Bret back in the ring. The fans applaud the sportsmanship. The ref gets told by Piper that Bret’s boot is untied and when Hart looks down Piper hits him with an uppercut. Piper scores a bulldog out of the corner and covers Bret for a 2 count. Piper busted open Hart with the uppercut and blood starts getting left on the mat. Whip-in by Piper but Bret counters with a sunset flip for a 2. Bret then connects with a flying forearm knocking Piper to the floor. He gets back in the ring and they double clothesline each other leaving them both lying. Piper is the first one up and goes to the top rope, but Bret catches him. He then drops Piper face first to the match and hits his not-yet-named 5 moves of Doom. He then goes for the Sharpshooter but Piper blocks it. Bret goes to the middle rope to fly at Piper but gets caught with a foot. They battle each other on the mat exchanging punches. They tie up and Piper throws Bret into the ref then dumps him on the floor and into the steps. He rolls Bret back in and grabs the ring bell. Piper makes like he is going to use it but the crowd screams its disapproval. Announcer Bobby Heenan says, “Remember the old saying- What the hell, use the bell.” As Bret tries to crawl to his feet, Piper decides to not use the bell. They exchange punches and Piper slaps on the sleeperhold. Bret positions himself towards the turnbuckle and kicks backwards ending up with Piper’s shoulders on the mat. The ref comes to and counts the 3 and Bret is once again the Intercontinental Champion in 13:51.

- Really fun match and easily the best one Piper was involved with during his WWF tenure.


13. "Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels vs Chris Jericho
Wrestlemania XIX
Safeco Field- Seattle, Washington

Very slow pace to start. After a couple minutes of typical back and forth action Michaels locks in the figure four which causes Jericho to hurriedly get to the ropes. Michaels misses a charge and goes shoulder first into the ringpost. Jericho goes to throw HBK out but he skins the cat and pulls Jericho to the floor. He then hits the plancha to he floor. Jericho regains momentum and locks on the Walls of Jericho on the floor, then runs HBK back first into the ringpost. Chris hits a dropkick then continues to work over Michaels’ injured back. He then screams at HBK “I’m better than you.” Jericho goes to a chinlock but Michaels fights back and hits a DDT to reverse momentum. Michaels fires back with some punches but Jericho counters with a forearm. He then kips up and mimics HBK. Behind his back though Michaels kips up as well and begins working over Jericho. Michaels hits a moonsault off the second rope for a 2 count, and then they exchange a series of reversals for 2 counts. Shawn goes for a backslide but Jericho counter out and then hits the Lionsault for a 2 count. Michaels goes for the hurricanrana but Jericho blocks it into the Walls of Jericho. An “HBK” chants starts up in the crowd and he gets to the ropes. Chris hits a double-underhook backbreaker and then goes up top. He comes off with a reverse elbow and then starts tuning up the band to hit Sweet Chin Mucis on HBK, and he does. The ref goes down an we get a 2 and a half count. Michaels turns momentum with a crossbody and then tries to use Jericho’s move- Walls of Jericho but decides to catapault, Jericho into the post. Jericho goes for a back suplex off the top but Michaels counters with a crossbody for a 2 count. HBK goes up top but Jericho kicks the ref into the ropes which causes Shawn to lose his balance. Jericho tries for a superplex but gets dumped and Michaels hits his elbow drop into the chest of Jericho. He then begins tuning up the band himself for Sweet Chin Music. Jericho ducks and puts HBK back into the Walls of Jericho, screaming “Tap out” to Shawn. Michaels refuses to tap and gets to the bottom rope to break the hold. Jericho argues with the ref then charges at Micahels but gets caught with Sweet Chin Music. HBK covers for a long 2 count. They stand in the corner and Michaels gets hung upside-down in the corner. Jericho goes for a back suplex and Michaels reverses out and rolls up Jericho for the 3 count at 22:34. Afterwards Jericho begins to cry, and HBK asks him to shake his hand. Jericho decides he’d rather hug but then he kicks HBK between the legs and pie faces him to the mat.

- That started out a little slow but really picked up steam by the end and had the crowd into it. One of the more underappreciated matches in Wrestlemania history. Kind of got lost in the shuffle at the time.

12. "Nature Boy" Ric Flair (c) vs Randy "Macho Man" Savage- WWF Championship Match
Wrestlemania VIII
Hoosier Dome- Indianapolis, Indiana

The story here was Flair made claims that Savage’s wife Elizabeth dated the Nature Boy beforehand and he promised to show some revealing photos. Savage got pissed and we eventually ended up with the world title match. Savage charges into the ring and chases everyone out. He then runs after them outside the ring and attacks in the aisleway. Mr. Perfect throws Savage off and distracts him enough that Flair can gain the early advantage. Savage quickly comes back and blocks everything Flair tries to do. Flair takes control again on the floor. He hits a couple chops in the corner and then a pair of suplexes. They both get 2 counts. Flair methodically works over Savage and gets another 2 count. He then argues with the referee over a slow count. Flair throws him into the turnbuckle and then stomps him on the mat. He then goes to the chops and Savage tries to counter with right hands. Savage hits the swinging neck-breaker but it isn’t enough to change the tide. Thumb to the eye and Flair goes up top but gets caught and dumped off. Savage takes control of the match hit a couple clotheslines. Flair flips up over the turnbuckle and gets caught with a clothesline off the top for a 2 count. Savage then sends him out of the ring goes to the top and hits an axehandle. Flair stumbles and flops to the floor. Savage takes control by dumping Flair into the steps which busts Flair open. Instead of covering him Savage just pounds on him. He hits a move off the top for another 2 count and the crowd boos the perceived slow count. Savage slams Flair and heads up top for the elbow. He hits it and gets a 2 before Perfect crawls in the ring and pulls him off. They head into the ring and Perfect throws Flair brass knuckles which he uses to KO Savage. He tucks them away and covers-1….2…..no. Savage kicks out at the last second. Flair starts throwing punches and then distracts the ref while Perfect hits Savage in the knee with a chair. This brings Miss Elizabeth out to ringside while officials try to stop her. In the ring, Flair continues working over the leg trying to set up for the Figure Four Leglock. He cinches it in and the ref asks Savage if he wants to give up. Meanwhile behind his back, Perfect adds extra leverage to the hold. Savage starts to try and counter it, which he does. Flair picks him up and gets caught with a small package for a 2 count. Flair puts Savage in the corner and yells, “This is for you baby,” at Elizabeth then chops Savage. He toys with the Macho Man and gets his punch blocked which allows Savage to roll him up for the win at 18:03. Flair goes irate and begins screaming at Elizabeth and then kisses her. This causes Savage to go nuts and the officials scramble to pull them apart.

- Fantastic match as Flair finally got a chance to perform at Wrestlemania and delivered big time. Savage came through again as well.

11. The Rock vs "Hollywood" Hogan
Wrestlemania XVIII
Skydome- Toronto, Ontario, Canada

12 years after having a great match with the Warrior, Hogan again steps into the ring against the hot wrestler at the time.

Hogan was cheered when he came out, and the crowd support grew as the match progressed. Hogan seemed genuinely moved at the crowd response and the enormity of the moment. Rock seemed a bit thrown by the crowd, which began to boo him anytime he showed flashes of offense early in the match. Jim Ross really hurt his credibility by trying to downplay the transcendent moment taking place in front of everyone's eyes, at one point actually trying to explain that Hogan was getting more cheers merely because his fans were "more vocal" than Rock's. There comes a time to just accept that something unexpected happened and not try to spin it differently. It's amazing how announcers (or promoters talking into the announcer's headset) react when a crowd responds in a way different than Pavlov intended.Hogan shoved Rock down at the start of the match after a collar and elbow hook up and the crowd popped for Hogan. Fans began a loud "Rocky sucks" chant. Rock didn't do anything to deserve it or encourage it. Hogan posed and played to the crowd's enormous cheers. Hogan took Rock down with a clothesline and the crowd popped again. Rock came back with a punch and then we got a really mixed reaction—about 50/50 cheers and boos. Rock hit Hogan with another clothesline and the boos were louder than the cheers. Hogan fought back again quickly, hitting Rock with an elbow to the face. Hogan then stomped on Rock's face. A loud "Hogan, Hogan" chant began. They had a missed spot where Hogan tossed Rock into the corner, and then raised his boot, but Rock didn't step out to meet the boot. The missed spots were quickly forgotten, though. Rock hit Hogan with a series of punches and played to the crowd, but the crowd kept booing. Rock began selling moves like a heel rather than a face. Both wrestlers seemed to accept the crowd's choice and played into it with subtle adjustments to facial expressions and selling. Later in the match, Hogan tapped out to Rock during the Sharpshooter, but the ref was down. It seemed to be a classic Patterson swerve, since usually when someone taps out when the ref is down, that wrestler will end up winning; the blind tap-out is meant to give the losing wrestler a claim to moral victory. In this case, it was a clever swerve that subtly gave the impression Hogan might actually win in the end. Hogan hit Rock with a low blow and the crowd popped. Hogan gave Rock a Rock Bottom and the crowd popped wildly. Rock DDT'd Hogan, although Hogan dropped awkwardly and thus it didn't look good. Rock began whipping Hogan, but rather than play it as a babyface getting revenge, his facial expressions were similar to a heel (not because that was the plan, but because he had to). Rock then gave Hogan a Rock Bottom, but Hogan kicked out and then began his Hulking up routine. Hogan pointed at Rock and waved his finger in his face. Hogan whipped Rock into the ropes and gave him the big boot followed by the legdrop. Rock kicked out. They went to a wide shot and the fans were on their feet. Hogan gave Rock another Big Boot and went for another legdrop, but Rock moved. Rock then gave Hogan a Rock Bottom. The crowd booed. Rock didn't go for the cover. Instead, he gave Hogan another Rock Bottom. Rock nipped up and did get some loud cheers. He then went for the People's Elbow. Lots of cheers, but not as many as Hogan for his first legdrop. He then got a clean three count in 17:00

- Just an amazing spectacle. It wasn't a great match in the traditional sense, but the crowd reaction to this match made it seem like Red Sox-Yankees. The bigger story backstage was Hogan kind of played into the cheers a lot which made Rock look dumb because he was supposed to be the good guy. Toronto is still kind of stuck in the late 80's when it comes to wrestling.


If you think it was tough whittling 15 down to 10 imagine how tough it is when you could make an argument for probably 8 of the top 10 to be in the top 5 of all time. Join us tomorrow as we have two amateur wrestling standouts main eventing Wrestlemania, a match where the loser must retire, and Tables, Ladders, and Chairs (Oh My!)
- posted by Brian @ 3/27/2007 01:04:00 PM

 
The Post with the Greatest Wrestlemania Matches #20-16
We are 6 days away from Wrestlemania 23. 2 years ago the WWE put out the Wrestlemania Anthology collection. It was the first 21 DVD's for like 150-200 dollars. Including the Wrestlemania 22 DVD, we have seen over 230 matches at the biggest stage of them all. I went through some stuff inpreparation for this year's event and made a list of the Top 20 matches (my opinion) in Wrestlemania history. So here we go.

20. The British Bulldogs (Davey Boy Smith & Dynamite Kid) w/ Captain Lou Albano & Ozzy Osbourne vs The Dream Team (c) (Greg "The Hammer" Valentine & Brutus Beefcake) w/ Johnny Valiant- WWF Tag Team Championship Match
Wrestlemania 2
Rosemont Horizon- Chicago, Illinois

Valentine and Smith start and a lock-up gets Valentine dumped to the ground. Quick tag and Dynamite comes in with a snap suplex.. Davey comes back in and he and Valentine fight over a suplex until Smith finally wins the battle. Smith and Kid make quick tags in and out doing their best to keep Vaelntine off balance. Valentine mounts a comeback with some power moves of his own. He hits a piledriver for a two count. With Dynamite down he goes to drive his knees into the thighs of Kid but Dynamite blocks it with 2 shins into the groin area. Valentine goes to the top rope but is met by Kid who throws him almost to the other side of the ring. The Hammer motions for Beefcake to come in and he does but he is met by Davey Boy who throws him to the floor. All four men start brawling and then Davey Boy picks up Dynamite to throw him onto Valentine but The Hammer bails to the floor. Davey Boy comes in and hits a powerslam onto Valentine. Again he hits him with a suplex and gets a two count. Valentine then reverses an Irish whip and throws Smith shoudler first into the post. Beefcake gets tagged in and he comes off the middle rope with a fist. He then hits a modified slam and slams Davey Boy’s shoulder into the buckle. Valentine tags in and hits the shoulderbreaker but pulls Davey Boy up at a 2 count. He puts Davey Boy in a headlock but Davey reverses by throwing Valentine headfirst into his teammates head. Valentine falls backward into the middle of the ring and Davey covers for the 3 count. Beefacke tried to interfere at the end but the outside referee grabbed his leg and prevented it. After the match Gene Okerlund interviews the champs but they are both hurt so it basically is an interview with Albano and Osbourne. Match went 12:02

- WWF wasn’t known for their tag wrestling on pay per view and this was a really great tag match for the time period. It was weird because it was really some ugly power wrestling as opposed to speed which was being featured elsewhere.


19. Eddie Guerrero (c) vs Kurt Angle- World Title Match
Wrestlemania XX
Madison Square Garden- New York City, New York

Guerrero drove a bouncy red Cadillac pick-up to the ring. They went into a slow build in the opening minutes. Angle applied a side headlock at 2:00. A fun chant began where half the crowd chanted "Let's Go Angle" and that was immediately followed by the other half chanting "Angle Sucks," leading to a "Let's Go Angle, Angle Sucks, Let's Go Angle, Angle Sucks" chant. At 3:45 Angle rolled out of the ring for a breather after he came out on the short end of a shoulder tackle. After some mat holds by Angle, Guerrero avoided an Angle slidekick. Angle then went for a back suplex off the ring apron, but Guerrero held onto the ropes. Eddie dropkicked Angle as he attempted to re-enter the ring. Angle worked over Guerrero with suplexes and scored some two counts. He grew frustrated with his inability to get a three count. At 13:00 Angle went for a top rope suplex, but Guerrero headbutted out of it and shoved Angle to the mat. Eddie then went for a sudden frog splash, but Angle moved out of the path. Angle finally began throwing punches. Guerrero got fired up and asked for some more. Angle punched him. Guerrero jumped up and asked for more. Guerrero then went on an offensive flurry against Angle to very little crowd heat. Guerrero then gave Angle a back suplex. Angle came back with consecutive suplexes. Guerrero countered into a roll up for a near fall. He followed up with a tilt-a-whirl head scissors. Guerrero then gave Angle his three consecutive vertical suplexes. Late in the match, Angle applied an Anklelock out of nowhere. Guerrero reached for the ropes, but couldn't grasp them. He teased tapping several times, then managed to flip Angle out of the ring. A loud "Eddie, Eddie" chant began. Guerrero untied his boot and grabbed at his ankle in pain. Angle recovered at ringside and entered the ring. He put Guerrero in another Anklelock. Guerrero yanked his leg and the boot came off. Angle was surprised. Guerrero then rolled him up for the three count, IN 21:30

- This would not be everyone's cup of tea. Very slow building match, but the crowd was buying into everything by the end. Also this was during the run of Eddie with his "Lying, Cheatin, & Stealing" persona so the end fit perfectly into that.


18. Edge w/ Lita vs Mick Foley- Hardcore Rules Match
Wrestlemania XXII
Allstate Arena- Chicago, Illinois

Edge starts by swinging with the baseball bat but Foley ducks and ties Edge upside down in the corner and drives an elbow into his face. Lita looks under the ring and throws a cookie sheet into the ring which gets bent over the head of Foley. A road sign gets dropkicked into the face of Foley by Edge. Foley gets speared by Edge but opens his flannel at the last minute- Foley’s abdomen is covered in barbed wire leaving Edge’s arm busted open. Mick cuts the wire off and then begins whipping Edge with it and grates it across the shoulder of Edge. Foley looks under the ring steps and pulls out a baseball bat covered in barbed wire. Lita comes in and jumps on Foley’s back but he still clotheslines Edge over the top rope and they all go to the floor. Foley gets a couple 2 counts. He charges Edge but gets hip-tossed into the ring steps. Edge whips Foley up and over the steps and into the broadcast table. A table gets pulled out from under the ring by Edge and he sets it up next to the ring. Foley gets set up on the table but rolls out of harms way until he gets dropped head first on the steel entrance. Back in the ring and Lita throws Edge a bottle of lighter fluid which he douses Foley with. Foley gets back to his feet though and hits a stump piledriver for a 2 count. Edge gains the momentum again with Lita’s interference so he grabs the barbed wire bat and hits Foley with it a couple times. He then hits Foley in the forehead with it and Foley comes up bloody. Edge then bulldogs Foley into the bat for a two count. Out on the floor Edge moves another set of steps and pulls out a bag of thumbtacks, which he dumps all over the ring. Foley reverses though and back suplexes Edge into the thumbtacks which stick all over his back. Mick pulls out Mr. Socko and wraps it in barbed wire,. And he shoves it into the mouth of Edge. Lita tries to interfere and she gets the same treatment, cutting her around the mouth. The barbed wire bat then gets driven into Edge’s stomach, and then in the forehead. The crowd is going crazy for this with Foley smiling as blood pours down his face. Edge screams in pain as the bat is dug into his head. Foley then grabs the lighter fluid and covers the table at ringside with it. Lita comes out of nowhere with the barbed wire bat to the stomach of Foley who is standing on the apron. She pulls out another bottle of lighter fluid and douses the table some more. She then lights it on fire. Edge charges and spears Foley through the ropes and into the flaming table at ringside- going headfirst himself. Edge crawls to Foley and covers him for the 3 count at 14:35.

- Just a brutal looking hardcore match and really it incorporated a lot of the build-up to the match and brought back a lot of the elements that have made Foley what he was over the years. Also it solidified Edge as a main eventer


17. The Rock vs "Stonecold" Steve Austin
Wrestelmania XIX
Safeco Field- Seattle, Washington

This is when Rock was pretty much leaving the business for good and heading to Hollywood so he is using his Hollywood Rock theme music which was awesome. We get the bell and the two legends of the WWF Attitude era go nose to nose. They trade punches early and Rock bails when Austin tries the Stonecold Stunner. He runs up the aisle but Austin chases and brings him back to the ringside area. Back in the ring, Austin starts stomping away at the Rock and chokes him against the ropes. Rock gets choked on the middle rope but when Austin is scolded by the ref Rock clips his knee. Austin rolls to the floor to try and work it out, but Rock clips it again. Rock throws Austin onto the Smackdown broadcast table and then continues working over the knee with the ring post. Austin tries to fight back but Rock turns the tables and then locks in the Sharpshooter. Austin gets to the bottom rope which breaks the hold. Rock again wraps Austin around the post and then puts on Stonecold’s vest and drinks some water. Big time double clothesline takes down both men. Austin catches Rock off the ropes with the Lou Thesz press and then pounds away at the Rock. Ducking a move from Austin, Rock catches him with a clothesline and kips up to a chorus of boos. Austin gets to his feet and hits the Rock Bottom. Austin goes for the kick but Rock blocks it and hits him with the Stonecold Stunner for a 2 count. Rock begins punching away but is met with a Stunner which gets a near fall. Austin shoves the ref and gets caught with a low blow and the Rock begins mock clapping. He then hits Austin with the People’s Elbow which gets another near fall. Back to his feet first Rock measures Austin and scores with the Rock Bottom. That gets yet another 2 count and Rock is pissed. Rock lines up for the Rock Bottom a second time, but Austin tries to counter. Rock finally pulls off another Rock Bottom which scores another 2 count. A third time Rock gets to his feet and again lines up Austin. He hits yet another Rock Bottom and this time Austin stays down for the 3 count. Finally the Rock has beaten “Stonecold” Steve Austin at Wrestlemania in 17:52.

- Just a really great match that played off their other two Wrestlemania matches. A fitting end to the Austin/Rock era of the WWF.


16. Randy "Macho Man" Savage (c) vs Hulk Hogan
Wrestlemania V
Trump Plaza- Atlantic City, New Jersey

They circle the ring and Savage bails to ringside before they lock up. Finally they lock up and Savage gets thrown backwards. A third time they lock-up and Savage gets a headlock but Hogan throws him into the ropes and shoulder-blocks him to the mat. Savage keeps dropping to the floor so Hogan gives chase but Savage pulls Elizabth into the middle. Hogan cinches in a side headlock but Savage suplexes him to the mat. He misses with the elbow though and resorts to thumbing Hogan in the eye. He comes off the top rope with the axe-handle, and then takes Hogan down with an armbar. Hogan counters out by pulling Savage’s trunks and sending him to the floor. Hogan brings him back in the ring and hits some elbows. He ducks his head too early on a backdrop though and Savage kicks him in the face opening up a cut. Savage then locks in a headlock and takes him to the mat. The Macho Man goes to kick Hogan in the stomach but gets caught with an atomic drop. Hogan misses an elbow though and Savage gets a 2 count. Savage works over the cut above Hogan’s eye but then makes the mistake of slapping Hogan. Hulk gets up and fires back dumping Savage over the top rope. Elizabeth goes over to help him but he pushes her away. Savage pulls Hogan to the floor and goes back to work on the eye of Hogan. Hulk motions that he is going to throw Savage into the ringpost but Elizabeth stands in the way. Savage comes from behind and knees Hogan into the post. Referee Earl Hebner has had enough and tells Elizabeth to leave ringside. Savage goes up top and drops Hogan throat first on the railing. He continues to work over the throat dropping Hogan neck first on the top rope. Savage slams Hogan and gets a 2 count. He then takes off his wrist tape and begins choking Hogan. Macho Man goes up top and hits the elbow. He gets a 2 count but Hogan “Hulks Up” and begins shaking off everything Savage tries to do.He finally gets to his feet and tells Savage no more, by wagging his finger. He blocks a right hand and hits a few of his own, followed by a big boot, and the legdrop for the 3 count in 17:54

- This was a match they gave a year long build-up to starting with Wrestlemania 4 at the same venue. It was a great story where Savage got jealous of his partner's popularity and finally snapped on him. In fact, the story leading up to this match has more to do with getting it on the list than the actual wrestling does. Although as Hogan matches go it was good.


So we're through the first 5. Coming up later this week on the countdown we have two matches with face vs face (good guys), a brother versus his brother, and two of the biggest stars in wrestling meeting head to head. Tomorrow we'll be back with 15-11.
- posted by Brian @ 3/26/2007 01:31:00 PM

 
The Post with the announcement about next week
That's right there is news for Next weeks blogging. It's big news. It has nothing to do with Knut the Polar Bear. The thing is adorable- and I once knew a guy who had a bear as a pet. I held it once and it was awesome. I was "Little Bear" holding an actual little bear. (My dad's nickname was always "Bear" so I got the moniker "Little Bear" when I was younger)

No, 9 days from now- April 1st it is Wrestlemania 23 from Detroit, Michigan. My geekdom has its big weekend where they induct people into the WWE Hall of Fame Saturday night then the next night we get a 4 hour pay per view, while I sit with some people and drink beer and eat pizza. It's like another Super Bowl night for me. In fact, it really is wrestlings' Super Bowl, it's the wrestling Oscars.

So next week we are going to count down the Top 20 matches in Wrestlemania history. Starting Monday we'll go 20-16, then Tuesday comes 15-11, Wednesday brings 10-6, and we wrap up on Thursday with 5-1. Then on Friday I'll break down this year's card and run down the list of Hall of Fame inductees.

So next week will be my own geeky pleasure palace- won't you come along for the ride?
- posted by Brian @ 3/23/2007 02:13:00 PM

 
The Post with just an amazing story
This guy's parents must be proud

Man Gets Probation for Dead Deer Sex


EDTSUPERIOR, Wis. -- A 20-year-old man received probation after he was convicted of having sexual contact with a dead deer. The sentence also requires Bryan James Hathaway to be evaluated as a sex offender and treated at the Institute for Psychological and Sexual Health in Duluth, Minn.

"The state believes that particular place is the best to provide treatment for the individual," Assistant District Attorney Jim Boughner said.

Hathaway's probation will be served at the same time as a nine-month jail sentence he received in February for violating his extended supervision.

He was found guilty in April 2005 of felony mistreatment of an animal after he killed a horse with the intention of having sex with it. He was sentenced to 18 months in jail and two years of extended supervision on that charge as well as six years of probation for taking and driving a vehicle without the owner's consent.

Hathaway pleaded no contest earlier this month to misdemeanor mistreatment of an animal for the incident involving the deer. He was sentenced Tuesday in Douglas County Circuit Court."

The type of behavior is disturbing," Judge Michael Lucci said. "It's disturbing to the public. It's disturbing to the court."

Ok so wait.....He tried this before--with a horse? He got jail time and decided he needed to do something similar again?

And who sees a dead deer on the side of the road and their first thought is sexual? That is bizarre

Then the judge with the understatment of the year in the last paragraph there. Disturbing? That really truly isn't the word for it. This guy should have his testicles removed so he can't produce sperm and possibly re-create. That's the only just thing to do
- posted by Brian @ 3/22/2007 02:17:00 PM

 
The Post with something that bothers me
Those new commercials for Cingular- I think it is.

The guy is in a wieghtroom working out sweating like crazy. He sees the guy walk in and says, "I have the new Fall Out Boy song on my phone." He then takes out her earbuds and sticks them in the dude's ears.

Christ man-you've been sweating, and you stick something in my ears after they've been in your cruddy ears...That's just freakin' gross
- posted by Brian @ 3/21/2007 02:13:00 PM

 
The Post with American Idol tonight
I've joined the movement and I invite you all to do the same. Howard Stern mentioned two weeks ago how we need to vote for Sanjaya Malakar on American Idol to try and keep pushing him through the competition. See it would expose the contest for not being about talent, but rather just a popularity contest (which is what it is anyway)

Then they found a website which has been running for a few years entitled, "Votefortheworst.com" That site every year picks the worst contestant and supports them. Here's why this week is so important. Every summer the top 10 finishers go on tour all over the country. Right now there are 11 so whoever is left after this week goes on the tour. If Sanjaya survives this week he goes on the tour. That would be awesome.

So watch tonight and vote for the guy. Yes you'll be shocked by just how bad the kid is. Last week's version of "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" proved that there was a mountain he couldn't climb-mainly that song. You'll wonder how he got this far.

Most importantly you'll be pushing him into a tour where there will be a bunch of people who don't want to see him that will be forced to sit through his concerts
- posted by Brian @ 3/20/2007 01:26:00 PM

 
The Post with a murderous double standard
The big news on CNN this weekend, and the top story on Good Morning America this morning is this story from Knokville, Tennessee. It's the latest in the Teacher bangs her student series:

KNOXVILLE, Tennessee (AP) -- In a tragic twist to a familiar story, a teenager who had sex with his married 30-year-old teacher was fatally shot outside the woman's home, and authorities have charged the woman's husband.
"You see all this stuff with teachers involved with their students. It just comes up time after time on the national news," said Norman McLean, father of suspect Eric McLean. But this time, he said, someone "actually died over it."
McLean's wife, Erin, had completed half of a one-year teaching internship at West High School, where she met 18-year-old Sean Powell last fall.
Powell's mother, who gave him up for adoption a dozen years ago but re-established contact in 2005, said her son acknowledged having an affair with a teacher.
"He wouldn't let me answer my cell phone," Debra Flynn recalled. "I said, 'Why?' He said, 'Well, Mom, I'm going out with this girl.' I said, 'So what?' He said, 'She is a counselor at school.' I said, 'Oh, my God, Sean.' "
Flynn, whose son sometimes stayed at her home in Nashville, said she later found text messages on her phone. "Come home. Baby, I love you. You are beautiful," they said. She believes Erin McLean preyed on her son.
"These teachers are feasting on our children in school, and something has to be done," Flynn said.
Powell "was a great kid, full of life," Flynn said. He had taught himself to play guitar and just received his driver's license. His adoptive parents, Scarlett and Jack Powell, had just bought him a car.
But he left school November 20 and did not return. School officials refuse to explain why, citing privacy laws. Flynn said her son had a substance-abuse problem and went to rehab for less than a month.
Norman McLean described his son, one of his eight children, as "an excellent person" who was not violent, but he acknowledged that his son "had a lot of burden on him for months now," referring to Erin McLean's affair.
"Now, I am only talking about myself. But I can personally only take so much," Norman McLean said. "Everybody has a breaking point, and there is only so much you can endure before you get to that place ... where you lose control."
Rock 'n' roll performer
Norman McLean said his son, once a percussionist in the University of Tennessee marching band, put his own academic career on hold to support his family while his wife of 11 years pursued a graduate teaching degree from the University of Tennessee. He has worked as a pizza deliveryman while taking classes at the university.
Eric McLean, 31, is one semester short of completing a bachelor's degree in music education. A popular performer in local rock 'n' roll bands, he hoped to become a school band director.
On the evening of March 10, McLean called police to say an intruder was at the couple's home. About seven minutes later, Erin McLean called back to say her husband had just shot Powell outside in the boy's car.
Eric McLean fled in his car, which was later found at the high school. McLean was arrested Sunday, walking along railroad tracks about six miles (10 kilometers) away, still carrying the suspected murder weapon, a shotgun.
Sean Powell was buried Thursday after a funeral attended by more than 150 friends and former classmates.
"I didn't color any rosy pictures," said the Rev. Lee Wallace, who officiated. "I said, Sean, like myself, is not perfect. He was a boy who had hopes and dreams and goals in life, like everybody else, and those were cut short."
Erin McLean has moved in with relatives in Nashville, Tennessee, with the couple's two young sons, ages 11 and 7. She has not been charged with any wrongdoing. Police say she has hired a lawyer but could not provide a name.
The attorney for Eric McLean acknowledges that McLean killed Powell. "So this trial is going to be about what really did happen and why -- not who," attorney Bruce Poston said.
Poston said McLean is in a "state of shock. Like watching a deer caught in the headlights. Literally wondering, 'Have I made a decision that will ruin the rest of my life as well as others?' "

It's a tragic story no doubt. Part of the coverage of it all sickens me though. The husband is being made to be the complete bad guy in all this and unfairly so.

Is everyone missing the part where this woman was committing illegal acts with a student and the two of them were engaging in an adulterous relationship? Noone in this little media constructed love triangle is free of blame.

The guy who did the shooting had given up his academic plans for the time being so he could support his family while his wife went to get her undergrad degree in teaching. So this guy does the right thing, by providing for his family, does a noble thing by telling her to get her degree first and he gets repaid for that by having his wife sleep with an 18 year old student. That's the worst part. He wasn't a deadbeat, even the prosecution acknowledged that, he lost it when he foudn oout about his wife and her student.

(Side note: I don't understand the appeal for a 22-40 yar old teacher to sleep with one of her students aged 12-18. I mean I had a few teachers along the way that I would've loved to have sex with but that is a pretty normal fantasy. Hell porn companies make a lot of money off that particular fantasy. A young adolescent male dreaming of his teacher isn't out of the ordinary. A teacher is supposed to know better though. They go through all kinds of background checks and are drilled that this course of action is bad. It baffles me why they would risk their career to get fucked by an 8th grader.)

I'm not advocating murder- that's the last thing I want someone to think. However, we all make choices in life-and we're forced to live with consequences of those actions. In some cases, nothing happens and we continue along. In other cases though, something happens--usually bad. All these stories hitting the news of student-teacher relationships has had the same result..Teacher gets suspended or loses license, student has nothing happen to them (other than probably some emotional scarring- which is far harder to quantify). In this instance though somethign did happen. It was a terrible event but maybe it leads to some people thinking twice before they follow this course of action. If so, at least the 18 year old kid's death wasn't in vain
- posted by Brian @ 3/19/2007 01:55:00 PM

 
The Post with Bad Business Decisions
Recently I was looking over CNN Money.com's list of the top 101 worst business decisions of 2006. And I just wanted to point out the list with my own snarky comments.


101. Hasbro

To compete with the spectacularly successful Bratz doll phenomenon, Hasbro unveils plans to launch the Pussycat Dolls, aimed at girls as young as 8 years old and modeled after the risqué, burlesque-inspired pop group of the same name.

(Yes, the "Don't cha wish your girlfriend was a freak like me" Pussycat Dolls.)
After protests by parent groups, Hasbro nixes the line.

For the parent who wants their daughter to be devoid of talent other than flaunting her body.

100. Spin Master

Toymaker Spin Master releases the I-Tattoo, a $15 kit for kids ages 6 and up that features a "realistic, vibrating tattoo pen" and instructs youngsters to "get ready to 'get inked.'"

I got nothing against tattoos but seriously 6 and up. Did that really seem like a good idea to somebody?

99. Tesco
- From a product listing by $75 billion British retailer Tesco, plugging the $100 Peekaboo Pole Dancing Kit - which includes an 8.5-foot chrome pole, a "sexy dance garter," and play money for stuffing into said garter - in the Toys & Games section of its website.

After complaints from parent groups, Tesco decides to keep selling the item as a "fitness accessory" but agrees to remove the listing from the toy section.

This should've came packaged with the Pussycat Dolls line.


98. Imagination 69

The organizers of Imagination 69, a failed Belgian sex fair, are sued after thousands of erotic videos and books are left at the event's site near Geraardsbergen.

The area is dubbed "Pornutopia" after aficionados start scouring the fields for free loot.

What's the big deal? I've recycled pornos.

97. Home Depot

In June, drug caches are found in merchandise in two Home Depot stores, including two 50-pound bricks of marijuana hidden in one vanity and 3 kilograms of cocaine stashed in another.

So how much of the drugs did these people do before the decided to hide them in merchandise like that?

96. UCLA

In December, UCLA administrators confess to 800,000 staffers and current, former, and prospective students that a hacker has been accessing campus databases containing Social Security numbers and other personal information.

The cost of notifying all the affected people runs to an estimated $10 million.

This sucks and all but UCLA has the worst phone plan ever.

95. NTT

After NTT, Japan's leading telephone company, introduces a system called Net Cash to protect customers from identity theft while shopping online, a hacker steals the ID numbers from more than 80,000 accounts.

The information is used to spend $28,000 of NTT customers' money.

Well looking at these numbers we can rule them out as UCLA's phone provider.

94. Greenville Drive

Cecil McLaurin Amick III, who plays the Reedy Rip'It frog mascot for the Greenville Drive minor-league baseball team, allegedly grabs the breast of a woman after an April game.

Amick is suspended from his job and later pleads guilty to disorderly conduct, paying a $600 fine.

Coming this year to a baseball field near you...Breast cancer screening give-a-way day.

93. Stefan Eriksson

After leading videogame-console startup Gizmondo to nearly $400 million in losses and a bankruptcy filing, edgy entrepreneur Stefan Eriksson wrecks his $1 million Ferrari Enzo in a crash in Malibu in February.

Eriksson tests above the blood-alcohol limit but tells police that he wasn't driving, and that the driver, "Dietrich," ran into the hills after the crash.

It's soon discovered that Eriksson's wrecked Enzo is actually owned by a British bank, and two more cars he claims to own, another Enzo and a Mercedes McLaren, have been reported stolen in England.

Eriksson pleads no contest to embezzlement and drunk driving charges and is sentenced to three years in jail.


Coming in 2008..Grand Theft Auto: Picadilly Circus

92. Michael Eisner

"The amount of brand extension that you have done is awesome.... I felt like I was looking in through a screened mirror."

-- Former Disney CEO Michael Eisner, to guest Martha Stewart during a taping of his one-hour monthly CNBC talk show, "Conversations With Michael Eisner."

Eisner's latest brand extension has come up a wee bit short of awesome: Its debut episode in March received a rating of zero.

Somebody needs to find Jiminy Cricket, and start wishing for viewers.

91. Crackheadz Gone Wild: New York

Entrepreneurs David Singletary and Milton Greagory begin selling Crackheadz Gone Wild: New York DVDs for $10 in New York's Harlem neighborhood.

"It's basically a drug-awareness video," says Singletary, a former crack dealer.

The thriving business rakes in $2,500 a week at a single table across from the Apollo Theater.

$10.....I could buy some real crack for that...maybe.

90. Bristol-Myers Squibb

While attempting to stave off a legal challenge to its patent on the blood thinner Plavix, Bristol-Myers Squibb manages to sign off on fine print that gives Canadian generic drugmaker Apotex five days to flood the market with an off-brand version.

By the time Bristol can get an injunction to turn off that spigot, Apotex has filled pharmacy warehouses with its lower-priced meds, costing Bristol more than $525 million in profit and CEO Peter Dolan his job.

wonder what the exchange rate is on five days?

89. Hoboken, N.J.

The city of Hoboken, N.J., signs a deal to have Robotic Parking operate its Garden Street Garage, tripling the number of available spaces by shuffling cars in and out through automated lifts.

When Robotic hikes its monthly fees by 20 percent, however, Hoboken officials give the company the boot.

One small problem: Robotic's employees are the only ones who know how to operate the system, and the company disables its software, trapping dozens of customers' cars in the garage for days. After a court order restores its control of the garage, Hoboken pays $1.9 million to another firm to install a new system.

Memo to Hoboken--get info..then fire people

88. Mars

Mars recalls more than 1,000 M&Ms menorahs after receiving reports that five of the plastic candleholders - designed to resemble the popular candies and featuring a pair of M&Ms characters holding Stars of David - have started smoldering or burst into flames

PLaces M&M's melt...your mouth, and your mantle.

87. AussieBum

"Your country has never been prouder, and neither have you!"

- Sales pitch for the Patriot line of briefs from Australian underwear maker AussieBum, which features a flag motif from the nation of your choice and the company's revolutionary "Wonderjock ball/extension support technology" that, AussieBum founder Sean Ashby says, "separates and lifts, protruding everything out front instead of down toward the ground."

Support the country that supports you--see what I did there

86. Wal-Mart, Part 6

Bringing the ever-friendly spirit of its in-store greeters online, Walmart.com offers DVD shoppers helpful recommendations for films they might be interested in purchasing.

Customers looking at the Web site's product pages for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Planet of the Apes, for instance, are steered toward "similar items" such as Martin Luther King: I Have a Dream/Assassination of MLK and Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson. Wal-Mart spokeswoman Mona Williams says the company is "heartsick" over the incident but has "absolutely no evidence" that the connections were made intentionally.

I thought it was odd when I tried to buy "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang" with Robert Downey Jr. that they recommened Crackheadz Gone Wild

85. U.S. Mint

After a run-up in metal prices, the U.S. Mint announces that its cost for producing a penny has risen to 1.73 cents, while that for a nickel has grown to 8.34 cents.

In addition to costing American taxpayers more than $100 million a year, the imbalance also forces the federal government to enact new regulations prohibiting the melting of coins to extract their intrinsic value.

In my day a penny would buy you one swedish fish.

84. French clothier Shai

"People are looking at us, but it takes time for people to come in and buy."

-- Alexandre Maisetti, founder of French clothing company Shai, on the results of a series of online commercials featuring porn stars clad in, and later removing, the company's $100 T-shirts.

Maisetti says the ads brought 2 million visitors to Shai's website within four months, but concedes that few went on to purchase apparel.

Probably would've helped if they had installed a quick checkout line.

83. Taco Bell

In December, Taco Bell removes green onions from its menu, blaming the savory vegetable for sickening 71 customers.

It later determines the onions were not in fact to blame, shifting responsibility to E. coli-tainted lettuce.

Taco Bell--one company on a mission to prove that vegetables are bad for you.

82. Online-video fans

Besieged by online-video fans who confuse its Utube.com Web site with YouTube, Universal Tube & Rollform Equipment sues YouTube in August after getting 68 million hits on its Web site, which ends up crashing, making it unavailable to customers seeking to buy its tubes and pipes.

Imagine Google's surprise when they thought they were buying a pipe company.

81. McDonald's

With gas prices topping $3 per gallon in August, McDonald's giddily ignores the front-burner issue of fuel efficiency with its "Hummer of a Summer" promotion.

Among the prizes given to kids along with their Happy Meals is a toy version of the Hummer H1, the original 10-mpg road-tank that GM finally gave up selling two months earlier.

McDonald's trying to kill you and the environment at the same time.

80. News Corp.

After canceling plans to publish O.J. Simpson's hypothetical double-murder confession and broadcast a two-part prime-time interview with Simpson on its Fox network, News Corp. says it has collected all footage "in a secure, undisclosed location" to prevent its distribution.

Meanwhile, a black-market trade in advance copies of "If I Did It" pops up on eBay and other Web Sites.

Sad part is there probably would've been 10 million people able to write, "If I watched this special, here what I saw" books afterwards.

79. Mercedes-Benz

Auto dealer Mark Johnston buys a $1.7 million Mercedes-Benz AMG CLK-GTR roadster designed to travel almost 200 miles per hour.

The race car sputters out in 10 blocks.

After multiple repair attempts, Johnston sues DaimlerChrysler and its subsidiaries for allegedly delivering him a lemon.

Should've sprung for the 500,000 dollar warranty.

78. McCain Foods

A McCain Foods french fry factory in Scarborough, England, is evacuated on two consecutive days after explosives from World War I and II battlefields turn up in separate shipments of potatoes imported from Belgium and France.

So it's not just the starch in the potatoes that will hurt you.

77. Bank of America

After Bank of America announces plans to outsource 100 tech support jobs from the San Francisco Bay Area to India, the American workers are told that they must train their own replacements in order to receive their severance payments.

That's like making inmates ride bikes to power the prison

76. AirTran

AirTran - the airline formerly known as ValuJet, which lost a DC-9 and more than 100 passengers in a 1996 accident in the Florida Everglades - suffers a computer systems failure in June during the peak travel season, leaving it unable to process passengers' reservations for the better part of a day.

Unable to get boarding passes, AirTran passengers watch their planes take off without them. AirTran blames Accenture unit Navitaire, which provided the system, for the incident, not five months after singing Navitaire's praises in a press release announcing the renewal of its contract.

At least it wasn't the other kind of crash.

75. Time Warner's Wayne Pace

A woman whom New York police allege works as a madam says Time Warner chief financial officer Wayne Pace was her "sugar daddy," offering her clothes, cash, and other gifts and helping her buy a $500,000 Manhattan apartment.

Andreia Schwartz makes the claims in a jailhouse interview with the New York Post in which she also denies being a madam or accepting money from Pace in exchange for sex.

Pace has his lawyer acknowledge that he and Schwartz were friends but denies any sort of "inappropriate relationship."

Why is this surprising? Time Warner has always been about horizontal synergy

74. Pearson Educational Measurement

At the height of college admissions season, more than 4,000 students find that their SATs have been improperly scored.

The College Board blames the company it hired to tabulate the results, Pearson Educational Measurement, which is no stranger to such scandals; in 2002 it settled a large lawsuit over scoring errors that prevented hundreds of Minnesota high school seniors from graduating.

Though Pearson claims to have vastly improved its quality control, it fesses up to the latest errors, blaming "abnormally high moisture" in the answer sheets.

So this happened once and people are surprised it happened again--Reading comprehension--0

73. Wal-Mart, Part 5

In December, six weeks after hiring Interpublic Group's DraftFCB as its new advertising agency, Wal-Mart fires both Draft and Wal-Mart senior vice president Julie Roehm, who led the agency search.

Roehm reportedly attended an expensive dinner paid for by Draft at a hip Manhattan restaurant, in violation of a Wal-Mart policy that prohibits employees from accepting gifts from vendors.

The move is expected to delay Wal-Mart's efforts to shift from a mass advertising strategy to one that tailors pitches to specific demographic groups, seen as key to reversing its slumping sales.

Cutting off the nose to spite the smiley face.

72. Amazon.com

On the morning of April 3, Amazon.com sends an e-mail headed "UCLA Wins!" to virtually everyone to whom it has ever sold a sports-related item, attempting to hawk a cap celebrating the Bruins' stirring victory in college basketball's championship game.

Just one problem:

The game isn't scheduled to be played until later that night. When it is, UCLA is trounced by Florida, 73-57

That's how I feel sitting here with 6,000 Chicago Bears 2007 Super Bowl Champion shirts

71. Bausch & Lomb

In May, Bausch & Lomb issues a global recall of its ReNu with MoistureLoc contact-lens solution after tests show it could leave users susceptible to a potentially blinding infection.

That would certainly put a kink in the whole hindsight is 20/20 theory.

70. KRON 4

"There are skeptics who think it's a bunch of hooey, but I can tell you things seem to have improved since the change."

-- Pat Patton, programming director at San Francisco TV station KRON 4, on his decision to change the station's street address from 1001 Van Ness Ave. to 1001552 after consulting with an "astronumerologist."

Though Patton says morale has improved, the bottom line is another matter: In explaining the $16 million loss it posts in a later quarter, parent company Young Broadcasting says its results were "adversely affected by a slower than expected recovery in the San Francisco market."

Coming up later tonight on the Channel 3267 News at 6:11

69. Royal Mail

Great Britain's Royal Mail introduces a stamp that some believe shows Santa defecating into a chimney. The Church of England protests the series of stamps - not for their scatological drift, but for insufficient Christian imagery

Maybe Santa is lactose intolerant?

68. Hewlett-Packard

Concerned about boardroom leaks, Hewlett-Packard starts an investigation that spins out of control, with private eyes obtaining the personal phone records of board members under false pretenses and inspecting journalists' trash in an attempt to discover the source of the leaks.

The tactics ultimately lead to state and federal investigations, the grilling of top HP brass by a congressional committee, and the resignation of several top executives, including chairman Patricia Dunn, who pleads not guilty to California charges of felony fraud and identity theft.

The HP way is kind of shady

67. Sony

Sony runs a billboard campaign in the Netherlands depicting a Caucasian model rudely gripping the jaw of a woman of African descent to promote its PlayStation Portable in "ceramic white."

Sony initially defends the campaign, saying it was meant to "highlight the whiteness of the new model," but later apologizes.

To be fair-how many white game systems are out there versus black colored systems.

66. Jessica Simpson

Singer Jessica Simpson is sued for $100 million by Tarrant Apparel Group, which claims that she failed to promote her JS by Jessica Simpson and Princy collections.

Among Tarrant's complaints: In Marie Claire, Simpson cited True Religion, not Princy, as her favorite brand of jeans.

They were also pissed she cut her pants into really short shorts as well.

65. CIA

The CIA advertises on Comedy Central to recruit for its National Clandestine Service. A voice-over poses the question "Are you ready for a world of ambiguity and adventure?"

If it starts spouting quasi racial statements it'll probably get a half hour deal.

64. Powys County Council in Wales "The name was not sufficiently precise to inform a purchaser of the true nature of the food."

-- From a letter sent by the Powys County Council in Wales, threatening legal action against Black Mountains Smokery, maker of Welsh Dragon Sausages.

The manufacturer is ordered to change the name of its product, since it does not, in fact, contain dragon meat.

And yet noone sends a letter to KFC about their "chicken"

TextTrust, a company that uses a combination of software and human editors to scour the Web for spelling errors, issues a press release on the most commonly misspelled words it has found "on the 16 million we pages it has spell-checked over the past year."

Damn spell cheker

British multimedia publisher DDS Media is forced to scrap 10,000 copies of TV anchor Eamonn Holmes's spelling game after it misspells Holmes's name on the DVD.

Damn spel checker

In June, research firm VisitorVille Intelligence reveals that two out of every three Microsoft employees it tracked use Google, not MSN, when conducting searches on the Internet

Even worse they are working on Macs

In June, Egokast.com begins selling its eponymous product, a $289 video belt buckle.

The 3.5-inch wearable LCD plays four hours of high-resolution "ego-expressive egokasts," allowing users to play their own creations or choose from more than 500 downloadable "egovideos," including selections titled "Dancer," "Vegas," and "Kissface."

How about "Loser" or "Money pisser away-er"

Eric Govan, PR manager for the NBA's Golden State Warriors, sends an e-mail titled "Ghetto Prom" -- featuring photos of black people in formal attire and commentary denigrating the outfits -- to the team's entire media distribution list.

Govan is summarily fired.

Probably not wise considering your team is made up mostly of a bunch of black guys that are 6'5" and up

"Your practice of inducing users to violate their contractual agreement with YouTube constitutes a tortious interference of a business relationship."

-- From a cease-and-desist letter sent by attorneys for YouTube, a video-sharing site whose huge popularity stems largely from being a repository for copyrighted material, to TechCrunch blogger Michael Arrington, accusing him of copyright infringement.

Arrington, who created software that allows users to save YouTube videos to their hard drives, pulls the offending app from his site.

Pot meet kettle, kettle-pot

In an "attempt to reach out to the academic community with new research tools," AOL releases the search queries of 657,000 users.

Though AOL insists that the data contains no personally identifiable information, the New York Times and other news outlets promptly identify a number of specific users, including searcher No. 4417749, soon-to-be-ex-AOL-subscriber Thelma Arnold of Lilburn, Ga., whose queries include "womens underwear" and "dog that urinates on everything."

The gaffe leads to the resignation of AOL's chief technology officer and a half-billion-dollar class-action lawsuit.

"Could you please explain to us why you want to switch internet providers?"

In June, AOL customer Vincent Ferrari calls to cancel his membership.

The call lasts 21 minutes, highlighted by a conversation with a "retention consultant" named John who doggedly tries to retain Ferrari's business even though he specifically asks to cancel 18 times. "You're going to let me speak," John says. "If not, we can just argue all day. I really don't care."

Ferrari posts a recording of the call on his blog; it soon spreads across the Web. AOL then announces a "streamlined" protocol that nonetheless calls for pitching would-be cancelers at least two offers

Sure we have no problem with you leaving AOL, but let us discuss it for the length of a sitcom first.

Survivor winner Richard Hatch is sentenced to 51 months in prison after being convicted of tax evasion.

Says prosecutor Eileen O'Connor, "Our nation's federal tax system is not a reality show to be outwitted. It is a reality, period."

That's what you get when you show your flabby junk on national TV to everyone.


This couple was actually asked to do it after AIM user Timberlake#1fan turned them down.

Wouldn't need my ten cents a day to feed some kid if this dick would pony up.

Owner's manuals in more than a million Honda vehicles list a toll-free number to help drivers reach the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Unfortunately, Honda incorrectly prints the area code as 800 rather than 888, leading callers to a recorded message in which a woman's sultry voice encourages them to "call 1-800-918-TALK for just 99 cents per minute."

That explains all the guys I've seen driving Hondas with no hands on the wheel.

Mick Woods purchases a package of cooked ham made by British food processor H.R. Hargreaves & Son. After reviewing the complete list of ingredients, which includes "dog s**t," he loses his appetite.

Hargreaves fires the employee responsible for the prank and begins a recall of the mislabeled packages.

At least I can pronounce dog shit.

German utility EnBW admits that its employees lost the keys to the most highly secure areas of its nuclear plant in Philippsburg.

After months of fruitless searching, the company announces plans to change the locks.

It took months until they decided to change the locks? MONTHS?...kind of seems like an hours thing.

Not to be outdone by UnitedHealth and Comverse, cable-TV operator Cablevision Systems admits in a regulatory filing that it granted stock options to a corpse.

The company awarded the rights to purchase thousands of shares to former vice chairman Marc Lustgarten, despite the fact that he died in 1999; the options included provisions that allowed them to pass to his estate.

That's dedication....Something tells me this guy was worked stiff....Even I hate myself for that one.

In an effort to top UnitedHealth in the annals of backdating, executives at Comverse Technology are alleged not only to have backdated their own options but to have invented fake employees to receive grants as well.

In a 35-count federal indictment, prosecutors claim that CEO Jacob Alexander used a slush fund under the name I.M. Fanton to make awards as he saw fit.

Alexander flees the country but is taken into custody in Namibia after a six-week international manhunt.

He was caught because of suspicion over his passport that listed his name as C. Ya Suckers

In the midst of corporate America's scandal du jour - the backdating of stock options to enrich company executives - the Wall Street Journal discovers that William McGuire, CEO of UnitedHealth Group, received options on dates coinciding with the company's lowest share prices of 1997, 1999, and 2000.

After a company inquiry finds backdating to have been "likely" (the odds of this happening by chance are around 1 in 200 million), McGuire steps down and agrees to give up about $200 million in proceeds.

Kind of like dying the same day you hit the lottery

45. Cryonics pioneers The bodies of Raymond and Monique Martinot, pioneers of the cryonics movement -- which seeks to freeze the newly dead in the hopes that future scientists will be able to revive them -- thaw after a freezer malfunction.

Son Rémy has them cremated

-3 cartons of ice cream were lost in the unfreezing as well.

Mike Smith, mayor of New Lenox, Ill., pays a $1,462 tab at a strip club with his official village credit card.

By way of explanation, he says none of the other attendees had the means to pay the bill.

- Must've been some town hall meeting

"I was just really hungry, and I wanted to have an In-N-Out burger."

-- Carl's Jr./Hardee's pitchwoman Paris Hilton, explaining the circumstances that led to her arrest on charges of drunk driving in September.

- Not surprisingly she was ordering a Duh-ble Cheeseburger


Dodging investors angry over the pay received by Home Depot chairman and CEO Robert Nardelli, who took home at least $120 million over five years as the company's stock price dropped 12 percent, Home Depot's board fails to show up at its annual shareholders meeting.

The session is presided over solely by Nardelli, who sidesteps all questions ("This is not the forum in which we would address your comment") and cuts the meeting short after half an hour. The event's negative fallout, highlighted by demonstrators wearing chicken costumes and orange Home Depot aprons, leads Nardelli to announce days later that, for next year's meeting, "we will return to our traditional format ... with the board of directors in attendance."

Nardelli resigns in early January, walking away with another $210 million in severance.

- What would be the best screw to use for screwing over our shareholders?


- Leave it to Judge Boner to be concerned with keeping names private

Former Wal-Mart vice chairman Thomas Coughlin - whose compensation from salary, bonuses, and stock grants totaled several million dollars per year - is discovered to have cooked up fraudulent expense invoices in a scam to siphon off $500,000 over the course of seven years.

Coughlin, who reportedly told enabling subordinates that he was using the funds for a secret antiunion initiative, pleads guilty and is sentenced to more than two years of home confinement

- Using the money to improve working condidtions...Oh that's ok then

- The value meal comes with a new heart...you'll need it.


- Shouldn't be a surprise, most of these women are good at living off other people's money.

In April, Goldman Advertisement BV, a Dutch company controlled by businessman Rob Muller, launches Goldmansex.com, a directory of strip clubs and escort services.

Goldman Sachs claims that Goldmansex will tarnish the investment bank's white-shoe image. It manages to get the site shut down, but not before generating reams of press clips in which "Goldman Sachs" and "adult entertainment" are mentioned in close proximity.

- But apparently having the word, "Sachs" in the title does nothing to hurt business.

In the wake of the Hyundai scandal, Dallas-based private equity fund Lone Star finds itself under investigation for various financial shenanigans relating to its 2003 takeover of Korea Exchange Bank. Though Lone Star denies any wrongdoing, it nonetheless offers a public apology and announces that it will donate $100 million to charity.

The mea culpa fails to impress KEB employees, who hijack Lone Star's apologetic/philanthropic press conference with a chant that translates to "Let's destroy foreign vulture funds."

In November, Lone Star backs away from a deal to sell its KEB stake for a $4.5 billion profit, citing the ongoing investigation.

- They couldn't think of a better chant then that?

In April, while under investigation for allegedly establishing a slush fund to bribe public officials, Chung Mong-Koo, chairman of South Korea's Hyundai-Kia Motor Group, says "I am sorry" more than 30 times during a brief encounter with reporters.

To make amends, Chung and son Chung Eui-Sun, president of Kia Motors, offer to donate $1 billion to charity.

Spirit of giving notwithstanding, Chung Mong-Koo is jailed for two months and tried on charges of misappropriating hundreds of millions of dollars.

- Afterwards he challenged reporters to the board game Sorry


- At least they did it face-to face



In August, RadioShack fires 400 staffers via e-mail. Affected employees receive a message that reads, "The work force reduction notification is currently in progress. Unfortunately your position is one that has been eliminated."

- From: RadioShack
To: RadioShack employees
Subject: Your former job

Robert and Angela Stokes sue Greyhound Bus Lines for $300,000 after an incident in which a passing bus dumps the contents of its toilet on their Ford Explorer, drenching the Ohio couple and their three children through the SUV's open sunroof

-Leave the driving rain of human filth to us


- And now please welcome this expert we found wandering in the lobby with a resume in his hand

In April, just nine months after a Business 2.0 cover story trumpets the wisdom of Raytheon CEO William Swanson and his folksy hit book, Swanson's Unwritten Rules of Management, a San Diego engineer makes a shocking discovery: 17 of Swanson's 33 rules are similar - and in some cases identical - to those in The Unwritten Rules of Engineering, a 1944 text by UCLA professor W.J. King.

While conceding that he failed to give proper credit, Swanson insists he didn't intend to plagiarize, suggesting that old photocopied material may have wound up in his "scraps."

By way of punishment, Raytheon's board freezes Swanson's salary at its 2005 level of $1.1 million and cuts his restricted stock grant by 20 percent.

- There was actually no rule against copying

Shortly after unveiling Windows Live Search, a consumer-oriented product that searches the Web, Microsoft unveils ... Windows Live Search, a business-oriented tool for searching corporate intranets.

The latter product shares nothing with the former beyond its name.

- As I said..there was no rule against copying, especially copying from within your own company

In June, BusinessWeek publishes a cover with the headline "Bill Gates Gets Schooled" showing the Microsoft chairman in front of a blackboard.

The magazine itself gets schooled when observers point out that Seattle Weekly used the same line and a similar image a year earlier

- Apparently Bill Gates doesn't care about copying though

For a Details magazine story about the most influential people in media, Federal Communications Commission chairman Kevin Martin poses for a photograph in bed - literally - with Alex Vogel, a tech industry lobbyist, and Eric Logan, an executive at XM Satellite Radio, which is regulated by the FCC.

- This was the FCC introducing the new Open Pants policy

Los Angeles-based Fiji Water runs magazine ads for its bottled water with the headline "The Label Says Fiji Because It's Not Bottled in Cleveland."

Cleveland officials retaliate by running tests revealing that Fiji bottled water contains 6.3 micrograms of arsenic per liter, while the city's tap water has none.

Fiji counters by saying its own tests found less than 2 micrograms per liter.

- Forget Texas...Don't mess with Cleveland


The PBS Kids Sprout network fires Melanie Martinez, host of The Good Night Show, after learning she has appeared in a series of videos called Technical Virgin.

The former airs bedtime stories and cartoons for an audience of 2- to 5-year-olds; the latter spoofs anti-teen-sex public service announcements by telling youngsters how to engage in sexual activity while "technically" retaining their virginity.

- At least she wasn't in a high school teaching kids how to engage in sexual activity


- That's not really what they have in mind when they talk about writing the teacher a note.

A jury in Fresno, Calif., awards $1.7 million in damages to Janet Orlando, who quit her job with home security company Alarm One after team-building exercises during which she and her colleagues were forced to eat baby food, wear diapers, or submit to being spanked on the butt with a rival company's yard signs

- What a baby!

"The idea of beating someone decorated as your boss seems very attractive."

- Chinese salesman Chen Liang, on the newly opened Rising Sun Anger Release Bar in Nanjing. Bar patrons are invited to rant, curse, smash drinking glasses, and even beat workers equipped with protective gear and dressed as the target of their wrath.

- Drinking and fighting...apparently China hasn't gotten the memo yet that doesn't really go together

Availing itself of PR firm Edelman's deep political connections, Wal-Mart recruits civil rights leader and former U.N. ambassador Andrew Young to chair its company-funded Working Families for Wal-Mart.

In an August interview with an African American newspaper in Los Angeles, Young says the megaretailer "should" displace its urban corner-store competition.

"You see, those are the people who have been overcharging us.... I think they've ripped off our communities enough. First it was Jews, then it was Koreans, and now it's Arabs."

- Meanwhile in Hollywood Michael Richards said hey, you're stealing my act pal.


As it prepares to go public in May, Internet phone service provider Vonage announces that it's setting aside shares for its customers - about 9,000 sign up.

Before Vonage can collect, shares plunge 30% during the first week of trading. Vonage first implies it will let its customers off the hook. Then it reverses course and says it "reserves the right to pursue payment" from customers.

The next week Vonage customers file a class-action suit alleging that the company pitched shares to customers in an attempt to offset resistance from institutional investors. By year's end, with the suit still pending, Vonage shares fall to about $7, from the offer price of $17.
- Lose your money...99 cents the first minute...39 cents each additional minute

Amid concern about overheating notebooks and exploding batteries, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission in September issues a helpful tip on how to use a laptop:

"Do not use your computer on your lap."

- Especially when viewing porn...that could be dangerous

Defects in batteries made by Sony for portable computing cause a handful of notebooks to burst into spectacularly photogenic flames.

The end result is the biggest computer-related recall ever, as Dell replaces the batteries in more than 4 million laptops. In short order, Apple (1.8 million), Lenovo/IBM (500,000), and others do the same.

- This is why they say not to use them in your laps...you end up with a P-C-B-Q

In August, Starbucks directs baristas in the southeastern United States to e-mail a coupon for a free iced coffee to friends and family members. But e-mail knows no geographic boundaries and, worse, can be printed repeatedly.

After the e-mail spreads to every corner of the country and is reproduced en masse, Starbucks yanks the offer, leading disgruntled customer Kelly Coakley to file a $114 million class-action lawsuit.

- Coming up one Triple Shot class action lawsuit

During a routine service call in June, a Comcast cable repairman falls asleep on the couch of customer Brian Finkelstein.

Finkelstein's ensuing video, complete with soundtrack ("I Need Some Sleep," by the Eels) and commentary on the company's poor equipment, high prices, and lousy customer service, quickly becomes a viral hit on the Web.

Comcast apologizes and fires the nodding worker -- who was stuck on hold for more than an hour while calling in to the company for assistance.

- You know you're in trouble when the workers can't even get through to customer service



A computer glitch in the tax rolls of Porter County, Ind., causes the valuation of a house in the city of Valparaiso to shoot up from $122,000 to $400 million - boosting its annual property taxes from $1,500 to $8 million. Though the county's IT director spots the mistake and alerts the auditor's office, the wrong number nonetheless ends up being used in budget calculations, resulting in a $900,000 shortfall for the city and a $200,000 gap for its schools.

- The Good News is President Bush has balanced the budget...The Bad News is your adjusted income is now $65,413, 276,432.78 for the year

"Help us find Hoffa ... and enjoy fares from just $39 each way."

- Marketing copy for Spirit Airlines's "Hunt for Hoffa" game, in which visitors to the carrier's Web site are asked to dig for the remains of the missing union leader. Besieged by complaints, the airline drops the promotion.

- Non-stop flights to a waste-management plant in New Jersey


After striking a deal to sell Picasso's "Le Reve" ("The Dream") for a record $139 million, casino mogul Steve Wynn decides to show the masterwork to a group of visitors in his Las Vegas office.

As he gestures, Wynn hits the painting with his elbow, causing what's later reported as "a distinct ripping sound." Wynn cancels the sale and spends $85,000 to have the painting restored.

- Picasso is dead and still has people tearing him a new one

Amid efforts by Kazakhstan to prove it's not the backward land portrayed in the movie Borat, the nation's central bank misspells the Kazakh word for "bank" on its 2,000- and 5,000-tenge notes

- All together now, "Throw the cash down the well"

As part of a cross promotion with the NBC TV show The Apprentice, GM launches a contest to promote its Chevy Tahoe SUV. At Chevyapprentice.com, viewers are given video and music clips with which to create their own 30-second commercials.

Among the new Tahoe ads that soon proliferate across the Web are ones with taglines like "Yesterday's technology today" and "Global warming isn't a pretty SUV ad - it's a frightening reality."

- Truth in advertising doesn't apply to GM


- posted by Brian @ 3/14/2007 04:49:00 PM