Chris Benoit: Tragedy Over Triumph

(photo courtesy of article.wn.com)

Four time Intercontinental Champion, Five time United States Champion & a World Championship. Those are just some of the accolades racked up by Chris Benoit throughout his 20+ year career in the squared circle. They’re certainly Hall of Fame worthy numbers, right? Although the legendary performer should be enshrined in WWE’s Hall, he will never be. By most, he will be remembered as a man that murdered his wife & son before taking his own life. The fact of the matter is he had the brain of an 80-year-old with Alzheimer’s and should not be fully blamed for what he did. The man who won the Royal Rumble, as it’s number one entrant had a triumphant career, but his tragic end is something that will thwart his entrance into the WWE Hall of Fame, no matter how deserving he is.

-Raindrops

*Remembering RAW: The Debut of Chris Jericho

(photo courtesy of wwe.com)

As the shift in power in the Monday Night wrestling wars began to settle on the side of the WWE, Vince McMahon made a major signing that signified said shift to his competitor, and to the world. Chris Jericho was snatched up from WCW, and the wrestling world would never be the same.

Jericho made his name in WCW's cruiserweight division, but many felt that his abundant talents were being grossly underutilized. This was a condition typical of many wrestlers working for Ted Turner at the time; there was just too many guys on the roster to give everybody their fair shake (see Chris Benoit & Eddie Guerrerro).

In the WWE, Jericho would be catapulted directly into a feud with the promotion's all-time most popular character, The Rock, and would go on to also become one of the greatest WWE superstars in his own right.

On that historic night, Jerichoholics were treated to the culmination of a weeks long "countdown to the millennium", which happened abruptly in the middle of an always classic Rock promo. Jericho was met with a massive ovation, which continued even as he berated fans and the WWE itself. His promos were just that good.

Jericho claimed to be wrestling's "most charismatic showman", and that assertion was not speaking out of school; he went on to become one of the most influential wrestlers of the 2000's. He would later become the WWE's first-ever undisputed champion, defeating both The Rock, and Stone Cold Steve Austin in the same match to unify both World Championships, his first of a total six World Championship reigns. He's also held the WWE Intercontinental Championship a record nine times, and now sits second on this list of all-time Monday Night Raw appearances.

(photo courtesy of tpww.net)

At the time of Chris Jericho's jump to WWE, he was one of WCW's most recognizable faces, with his untouchable microphone skills, hilarious gimmicks (such as the classic Jericho Personal Security guard angle with "Ralphus"), and sharp, stiff, and creative in-ring skills to boot. Jericho's jump solidified the evident WWE victory of the Monday Night Wars, as they had not lost to WCW's Monday Nitro in months, and were progressively pulling away in the ratings.

As significant an event as his debut was to the world of wrestling, it was especially significant in my young adolescent eyes. At that time I was a massive wrestling fan, and an avid Jerichoholic. While I may not watch wrestling with the same wide-eyed enthusiasm as i once did, events like RAW's 1000th episode offer fans like me a chance to relive those classic an nostalgic moments that had such a resonating effect on my youth.

*Movieball: Baseball on the Big Screen

(photo courtesy of claymationwerewolf.blogspot.ca)

Now that both the L.A. Kings and LeBron have finally been crowned, sports-fans can turn their undivided attention to America’s favourite pastime. The summer may have only just begun, but the regular baseball season is already in full swing. And while I only follow MLB with a passing interest, cultural osmosis has cultivated in me a profound appreciation for the game itself. The history of Baseball is the history of the 20^th Century.  Its past is our prologue.  Baseball is mythical.  Anyone who’s made the pilgrimage to Cooperstown, and wandered the halls with hushed reverence, can attest to this inalienable truth. It’s also cinematic. I may not love the sport, in its current hyper-corporatized incarnation, but I love the game and I love it on film.

(photo courtesy of ign.com)

It’s a genre of simple pleasures. From the classics (The Pride of the Yankees) to the comedies (Major League), from the kids-flicks (The Sandlot) to the Costners (Bull Durham, For Love Of The Game), baseball movies spin timeless tales of fathers and sons, brothers and best friends.  They’re most effective when waxing poetical rather than statistical; baseball as a metaphor for life.  The Natural, starring Robert Redford, gets me every time.  When he cracks the climactic homer, unleashing a cascade of sparks upon the diamond, I lose control, more blubbery than a can of tuna.

(photo courtesy of thesportingsnarf.com)

A man’s tears are shielded from fraternal heckling on all but a few occasions; when his child is born and when his team wins the championship.  But I’ve yet to meet a real man who’s eyes don’t mist up at the end of Field Of Dreams.  Proof positive there is crying in baseball.

Canada's Got Talent; Struggling on IIHF Stage

(photo courtesy of thechroniclehearald.com)

At the 2012 IIHF World Championships, Canada boasts yet another roster that is oozing talent, but *gasp* they've failed to utterly dominate thus far.  Canadian fans don't accept mediocrity. Despite an epic gold medal at the Olympics, Canadian hockey has begun to show an alarming trend; players are putting on the red and white, automatically saying "gold medal, please". American basketball and Brazilian soccer have had similar problems; heavy hangs the head that wears the crown. 

(photo courtesy of hockeycanada.ca)

Canada lacks chemistry. A group of stars are playing as individuals, just as they normally do in their respective NHL roles. The goaltending depth is not what it used to be, so bailouts are harder to come by. Canada's sheer talent does win out sometimes, i.e. today vs Finland. The question is: is that going to be enough to rule the world?