Saturday, June 30, 2007

Odds & Sods


Rumors about the demise of Odds & Sods are highly exaggerated. Although flattered we here at Rangers In Seven - which, again includes mostly struggling, scraggly, stragglers - have no intention of trading or releasing Odds & Sods.

SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT
Once again the media proves to be extremely sloppy. I just keep wondering why I should trust them with anything. The cable networks keep saying that the late "Sensational" Sherri Martel was a current W.W.E. wrestler. In fact, she has not worked for the W.W.E. since 1993 when she was fired for failing three straight drug tests. Yes, she did make a cameo appearance on Smackdown in 2005, and appeared when she was inducted into the W.W.E. Hall of Fame that same year. But come on.

I feel that there are those who want to bring down the W.W.E. and therefore are getting away from the real issue at hand, which is steroid and drug abuse. When I peruse the list I posted about the wrestlers who have died, I find that many were not working for Vince McMahon, which I have already stated. So let's get away from the witch hunt.

I hear people saying that wrestling went down hill when Vince took over in the early 1980s. But those are the same folks who want wrestling to go back to the days when we used to pretend it was sport. Vince came in and told us what we already knew: that wrestling was staged. He labeled it "sports entertainment" and grew the industry from being regional to international, at least for his promotion. Along the way a bunch of promotions couldn't keep up and went out of business. Is that Vince's fault? Blame him for being successful? Guys like Phil Mushnick are not only concerned about steroids - which we all are - but want to take out the salaciousness. Well, Phil we don't want you dictating to us. More people watch wrestling today than ever before, we don't want the "puritanicals"to dictate to us. If you don't like wrestling change the channel. It's that simple. Why not let the market dictate what it wants?

Despite all the people who clearly have an agenda, I do hope that the W.W.E. continues to enforce its steroid and drug policies and tries to help out its performers. I'm not sure if the rest of the business will follow suit but I am hopeful.

By the way, Tommy Dee and I will be on Blog Talk Radio tomorrow at 6 and one of our guests is scheduled to be Phil Mushnick of the New York Post....Let's hook 'em up!

NEWS
Londonistan is feeling the effects of allowing militant Islam to spread its hate. I watched the Enemy Within on CNN and it is very chilling. Many of those groups in London that inspire terrorist attacks have affiliates here in America, including Brooklyn, NY. They - the radicals - hate us and want to kill us. That's something to keep in mind when you hear John Edwards declare the "War On Terror" is nothing more than a bumper sticker.

SPORTS
My feelings about the Yankees remain unchanged: I feel that by mid-July they will be within five games of the Red Sox and may grab a wild card spot this year. I do believe that at the end of the season that Joe Torre and Brian Cashman will go. In the case of Torre I just think it's time for a change. He's been here a long time - since 1996 - and although he may not have always been the best strategically, how can you argue with his success? Cashman is someone I have never been a big fan of, and would like to see him out.

Tomorrow at noon the unrestricted free agent market opens in the NHL. Expect the Rangers to open up the purse strings for Scott Gomez and Chris Drury. But I say be careful. In this salary cap world of the NHL, there is of course a trickle down effect. I'm kind of hoping the Rangers only nab Drury and continue to build from within.

Finally, I was just wondering if the Knicks ever plan on winning a championship again?

2 comments:

Rob Adams said...

Sean, I was willing to throw in a copy of the book "Broadcasting 101" by a Handwerger, I (co-authored with Cossell, C) but I can see that you are going to firmly hold on to Odds (Soods was a throw-in, in my opinion).

I knew quite a few pro wrestlers had died, but 97? That's quite a list. I am not a wrestling fan but I do think there is a witch hunt going on. Even Vince knew he had to drop the "Mr. McMahon" death thing (which I honestly had no problem with).

Lastly, please lay the "smackith down" (like that?) on Phil Schmucknick. I have virtually zero respect for him and find him only slightly more contemptible than his buddy Bob (Bald is Brilliant) Raissman.

Hear anything from a Greenwich-based radio station lately?

Rob

Rob Adams said...

I meant "Sods" was a throw-in. Not "Soods." I went to the Chris Russo school of spelling and pronunciation.