WrestleMania on March 31, 1985

On March 31, 1985, an event that would forever change the wrestling business took place. It was on this night that the very first WrestleMania event took place at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The commercial and financial success of this event propelled the WWF/E into the top wrestling promotion in the world.

After WWF/E CEO Vince McMahon had seen the success of NWA's Starrcade Pay-Per-View event, he wanted to start his own with WrestleMania. In order to put over the event with fans, he garnered a contract with MTV which began formation of music and wrestling called "Rock 'N Wrestling" connection.

One of the leaders in storyline against the new connection was "Rowdy" Roddy Piper. On his Piper's Pit show, he insulted those associated with connection which led to him having a bitter feud with WWF Champion Hulk Hogan. Piper recruited "Cowboy" Bob Orton as his bodyguard, and was managing Paul Orndorff until they began teaming up. Hogan brought in Mr. T, who was legitimate bodyguard, into the storyline. After Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka was hit over the head with a coconut by Piper in the famous Piper' Pit segment, he was added to the match as the manager for Hogan and Mr. T. So the main event was set as Hogan and Mr. T with Snuka in their corner took on Piper and Orndorff with Orton in their corner.

In the opening match of the evening, long-time great Tito Santana easily dispatched The Executioner by beating him with a figure-four leglock. Santana would not be done on this night.

In what was the shortest match on record in WrestleMania, King Kong Bundy squashed S.D.(Special Delivery) Jones with crushing in the turnbuckle followed by the big splash which ended the match in nine seconds according to WWE which was actually longer in time.

Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat had just signed with the WWF/E in early 1985 and adopted the new dragon gimmick. It took him less than five minutes to beat his opponent Matt Borne. Steamboat had better days ahead, and Borne wouldn't appear at WM again until WrestleMania IX as Doink the Clown.

In a match that went over 12 minutes in length, David Sammartino along with his dad Bruno, faced Brutus Beefcake with Johnny Valiant in his corner. The action too place on the arena floor twice between the two, and the match ended in a double countout at its conclusion. Bruno would continue to wrestle, but his son David never was pushed again. Beefcake would pushed as a tag team wrestler not long after this match.

The first ever defense of a title in WM history took place as Intercontinental Champion Greg "The Hammer" Valentine faced the challenger, the Junkyard Dog. Valentine cheated with his feet on the ropes to pin JYD to seemingly win the match. But Valentine's nemesis Tito Santana came out to protest the cheating to the referee which led to the match being restarted. JYD then won by countout, but not the title because it couldn't change hands that way. Valentine and Santana would face for the IC title later while the JYD was given a push by the promotion later in the year.

The WWF/E Tag Team titles were on the line next as the U.S. Express of Barry Windham and Mike Rotundo with Captain Lou Albano defended against the Iron Sheik and Nikolai Volkoff with Freddie Blassie. Blassie's famous cane was used as a weapon by the Iron Sheik on Windham, and Sheik got the pin for his team. This marked the first time in WM history that a title changed his hands. The U.S. Express would win the titles back three months later.

In a feud that had gone on for nearly two years before took place with a special stipulation. Andre The Giant faced Big John Studd with Bobby Heenan in a Body Slam Challenge for $15,000 where the winner had to slam his opponent to win. If Andre lost, he would also have to retire. Prior to this match, Studd along with partner Ken Patera cut the long hair of Andre after knocking him out in the ring. Andre saved his career by slamming Studd to the mat for the win and the money. In a famous scene, Andre took the money and threw it to the crowd looking on until Heenan took the money bag from him. Andre would make very notable WM appearances later as Studd's career was winding down until returning in 1989 as a face where he won the second Royal Rumble match.

In a match that epitomized the "Rock 'N Wrestling" connection days, WWF Women's Champion Leilani Kai with the Fabulous Moolah defended the title against Wendi Richter with famous recording artist Cyndi Lauper in her corner. Kai won the title from Richter at MTV's War To Settle The Score. Richter had ended Moolah's long reign as WWF Champion(WWF doesn't recognize the losses from Moolah which gave her a run of over 20 years as champion) on the first MTV special: The Brawl That Ends It All. Lauper was very well-known at the time and her face was all over MTV as well. Richter won the belt back after reversing a flying body press into a pin.

Richter would later encounter a contract dispute with McMahon which led to a screw-job finish in November that year with Moolah winning the belt back. Until recently, Richter had no contact with McMahon or with Moolah before her death. The future of the women's division would later take a big hit with Richter out of the picture.

Finally, the main event of the evening had arrived as Piper, Orndorff, and Orton came down to the ring in a chorus of boos after Piper's bagpipe music hit. Hogan, Mr. T, and Snuka came out next to the delight of the capacity crowd. Iconic and popular boxer Muhammad Ali was the special guest referee for the main event, and even punched Piper at one point in the match to restore order after both teams couldn't be separated. Eventually, Orton's use of his "loaded" cast accidentally hit Orndorff after attempting to knockuout Hogan. Hogan pinned Orndorff to win the main event match. Piper punched Pat Patterson, the second referee, after being disgusted with the outcome.

To date, this is the only time the World Championship was not defended on the show as Hogan would hold it for another three years. Piper would face Mr. T in a boxing match at WrestleMania II. Orndorff began his face turn after this match because of being blamed by Piper and Orton for the loss.

According to Hogan's autobiography, Mr. T nearly didn't make it for the main event because security wouldn't let his group of people into the arena. Hogan calmed him down and he kept him from walking away from the match which might have hurt the franchise because of the mainstream popularity he had at the time.

Other special guests for the first WrestleMania were former baseball manager Billy Martin(as guest ring announcer for the main event) and Liberace with the Rockettes. The announcing team was Gorilla Monsoon with Jesse "The Body" Ventura. "Mean" Gene Okerlund sang the "The Star-Spangled Banner" and shared the interviewing with Lord Alfred Hayes. Howard Finkel was the ring announcer.

Over 19,000 fans and one million viewers on close-circuit television witnessed this event that would forever change the wrestling business. McMahon had spent a lot of money to overtake his competition with a concept that would have either made the WWF/E flourish or go bankrupt. The entertainment aspect going away from technical wrestling had finally come full circle as the promotion became the most dominant in the world. Though many have criticized his use of over-the-top and edgy storylines that took place later on, one can't deny his vision of the franchise that impacted the business like no other.

WrestleMania has made the careers of many stars over the years, and several celebrities have taken part in the franchise to give it more appeal to a wider range of fans. While the wrestling business is scripted, no one could have written out how successful this event was that put the WWF/E over all the rest of the competition. Combined with vision, determination, and the willingness to change, WrestleMania will hold its place as a ground-breaking event that forever changed the business of wrestling like no other. Whether you like wrestling or not, one can't deny that WrestleMania is one of the most popular events around.

Thanks for viewing, and I hope you enjoyed today's history flashback!

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Friendship Award

The picture represents friendship and love. This is a Friendship Award that I received from my new blogger friend Star. She's been very nice and has come by my blog quite often since meeting in the blogging community. Thanks Star for tagging me with this one.

Now I'm going to pass this to all my friends who have yet to receive this award. So go ahead and feel free to post this to your site! Thank you all!

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WrestleMania III on March 29, 1987

On March 29, 1987, WrestleMania III took place at the Pontiac Silverdome in Pontiac, Michigan just outside Detroit. It was on this night that wrestling fans will remember as the event that drew the largest in-door attendance in sports history. The night is remembered with great star attractions, but one moment stood above them all and is forever etched in our memories. The event also had the famous tagline, "Bigger! Better! Badder!"

In early 1987, a feud began to surface as Andre The Giant turned heel and aligned himself with hated manager Bobby "The Brain" Heenan as he challenged WWF Champion Hulk Hogan to a match at WrestleMania III. "The Irresistible Force met the Immovable Object" as well as the champion facing the undefeated challenger(technically incorrect as he lost in matches by countout).

The WWF cleverly promoted this match and was billed as "the biggest main event in sports history". The feud between the two was significant, and is highly regarded as one of the best in the industry's history. The two names were plenty enough to draw ratings in record numbers for this event. But other great moments took place with stars up and down the card appearing...

The event kicked off with CEO Vince McMahon saying to the capacity crowd, "Welcome to WrestleMania III!" Legendary music recording artist Aretha Franklin then sang "America The Beautiful" before the event got underway.

In the opening matchup of the evening, The Can-Am Connection of Rick Martel and Tom Zenk defeated the Don Muraco and "Cowboy" Bob Orton. Martel used a flying bodypress on Muraco to gain the win in the opening bout of the evening.

In a feud over who was the master of the Full Nelson, Hercules who was accompanied by Heenan, took on Billy Jack Haynes in a Full Nelson Challenge where the winner had to win with that finisher. This all began when Heenan verbally assaulted Haynes saying that Hercules was the true master of that finisher. Haynes locked the finisher on Herucles in this match, but both were on the outside of the ring when this happened which ended the bout in a double-countout. When the match was over, Hercules used his trademark chain to attacke Haynes before putting on Full Nelson.

Next up was a mixed tag team match with King Kong Bundy with two midgets, Lord Littlebrook and Little Tokyo, against Hillbilly Jim with his two midgets, the Haiti Kid and Little Beaver. Bundy was disqualified when he attacked Little Beaver because he wasn't allowed to go against a midget. In reality, Beaver suffered a severe back injury at the hands of Bundy which forced him into retirement.

The next match all started when Harley Race began to refer to himself as "The King" and forcing his opponents to "bow" down to him after beating them. This eventually infuriated the Junkyard Dog who said no monarchy would rule the WWF. This led to a "Loser Must Bow" match which was won by Race with a belly-to-belly suplex after Heenan distracted JYD. JYD semi-bowed to Race because of match rules, but later attacked him with a steel chair and took the royal cape with him.

The next match had the "Dream Team" of Greg "The Hammer" Valentine and Brutus Beefcake with Dino Bravo going against the Fabulous Rougeau Brothers. During the match, Valentine and Beefcake did not get along at all, but an elbow drop off the top rope by Bravo on Raymond Rougeau allowed them to win. After the match, Valentine and Bravo left Beefcake by himself which then set up his face turn.

In his retirement match, "Rowdy" Roddy Piper faced Adrian Adonis with Jimmy Hart in a feud that started after Piper returned to find Adonis' effeminate show replacing Piper's Pit. This setup a "Hair vs Hair" match that Adonis thought he won when he put a sleeper hold on Piper. Hart came into celebrate, and Beefcake came back down to the ring to revitalize Piper! Piper recovered and attacked Adonis before winning the match with his trademark sleeper hold. Afterwards, Piper held Hart down while Beefcake cut Adnois' hair. Beefcake's hair-cutting gimmick was born.

Because of wrestler-turned referee Danny Davis allowing The Hart Foundation to beat Davey Boy Smith to gain the tag team titles in January that year, a six-man tag team match took place at this event. The Hart Foundation(Bret Hart and Jim Neidhart) and Danny Davis with Jimmy Hart faced The British Bulldogs(Davey Boy Smith and The Dynamite Kid) and Tito Santana. Davis used Hart's megaphone on Smith to gain the win much to the dismay of the crowd who really disliked Davis.

Butch Reed with Slick made his PPV debut by facing the "The Birdman" Koko B. Ware. Ware used a flying bodypress on Reed, but it was reversed by Reed to give him the win. Slick and Reed beat down Ware after the match until Tito Santana came out for the save.

One of the greatest matches in WrestleMania history took place as Intercontinental Champion Randy "Macho Man" Savage with Miss Elizabeth defended his title against Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat who had George "The Animal Steele in his corner. This match showed great athleticism and technical skills in which 19 near-fall attempts happened. This feud started when Savage crushed the larynx of Steamboat with a ring bell in November of 1986. Steamboat returned and both men had an intense and often bloody feud.

In the IC match itself, Savage attempted to use the ring bell again only to have Steele push him off the top rope with referee distracted. Steamboat then countered a body slam attempt into a small package pin to win the IC belt. The match lasted 15 minutes which would turn out to be the longest on the card.

The Honky Tonk Man with Jimmy Hart were set to face off against Jake "The Snake" Roberts who had celebrity Alice Cooper in his corner. Legitimately, Roberts had a neck injury from a guitar shot from HTM on the Snake Pit show that ignited the feud. Because of a distraction by Hart, HTM was able to win with a roll-up pin on Roberts. Roberts had his pet snake Damien with him at ringside, and Cooper used it to attack Hart after the match was over. The look on Hart's face after Roberts was holding him for Cooper and the snake was priceless!

Before The Iron Sheik and Nikolai Volkoff with Slick faced The Killer Bees in a tag team match, Slick asked the crowd to please stand and respect the singing of Soviet National Anthem. However, newly hired "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan came out and interrupted the singing, and stayed at ringside for the match. Duggan used his trademark 2x4 on Iron Sheik which caused The Killer Bees to get disqualified. Finally, the biggest main event in wrestling history was coming up next!

Hogan and Andre faced off for the WWF Title which began because of jealousy and bitterness from Andre towards Hulk after the two were long-time friends. Bob Uecker was the guest ring announcer while Mary Hart was the special guest timekeeper.

The match between the two gave us quite possibly the greatest memorable moment ever in WresteMania history, if not, wrestling history. Hogan slamming Andre will always be a defining moment in the event's history, and here's a video of the match:



The event itself was so successful that the Survivor Series, Royal Rumble, and SummerSlam Pay-Per-Views were launched within two years after. Millions watched this event on Pay-Per-View, and it drew a revenue of over $10 million. The main event itself had the two marquee names in the business at the time which was built up wisely by the WWF.

I personally was one of the those fans that watched this along with my brother and dad as it happened. I remember when I saw Andre live in person at a match not long after this event, and thinking there was no way anyone could do that. While wrestling is staged, most that seen Andre up close knew how big he was. According to him, he weighed 550 lbs for this match. The guy was a tank and the name fit.

One of the biggest disappointments now is how many people have left us that participated in matches at this event 22 years later. Let's look at it:

-Andre The Giant died in 1993.
-Junkyard Dog died in 1998.
-Hercules died in 2004.
-Adrian Adonis died in 1988.
-Little Beaver died in 1995. Bundy was remorseful after hearing of his death, but the official cause was emphysema.
-Dino Bravo died in 1993.

However on the flip side, many had or went onto successful careers from this event. The WWE Hall of Fame recognizes many wrestlers from this card:

Hulk Hogan
Andre The Giant(the first ever inductee in 1993)
Junkyard Dog
Iron Sheik
Nikolai Volkoff
Tito Santana
Bret Hart
Greg Valentine
Harley Race
Roddy Piper
Jimmy Hart
Bobby Heenan
Gene Okerlund

And this year, the WWE will induct three more members that appeared at this event:
Ricky Steamboat
Koko B. Ware
Ring announcer Howard Finkel

In my opinion, this event was one of the most influential in the history of the industry. The success built around the main event to go along with stars up and down the card, WrestleMania III gave us memories and future Pay-Per-Views because of this show. If you want to know why many WWE PPVs are around, WM III is one big reason why. It was cleverly done, and the use of the two biggest drawing names in the business at the time was a strategic move that paid off very well. This was the pinnacle of wrestling entertainment during the booming 1980s when it came back to the public spotlight.

Thanks for viewing, and I hope you enjoyed today's history flashback!

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Oregon Wins First NCAA Tournament on March 27, 1939

On March 27, 1939, the first NCAA Tournament ever ended at Patten Gymnasium at Northwest University in Evanston, Illinois. It was on the day that the Oregon Ducks played against the Ohio State Buckeyes for the NCAA Tournament Championship. The first NCAA Tournament was a sharp contrast to what it is like today.

Eight teams made the first ever NCAA Tournament with the field divided into two regions: East and West. It featured champions from seven conferences and one Independent that made up the teams that qualified. No seeds were given in the Tournament play until 40 years later, and the tourney began on March 17. The East bracket held their games in Philadelphia while the West bracket was held in San Francisco.

In the East bracket, Independent Villanova played against Ivy League champion Brown as the home town favorites. In the other matchup, Big Ten champion Ohio State played against Southern champion Wake Forest. Guard Johnny Krutulis had 14 points as Villanova beat Brown 42-30 to move onto the Final Four. Ohio State beat Wake Forest 64-52 to move on in their matchup. Then Jimmy Hull scored 28 points as Ohio State beat Villanova 53-36 in the East Final to clinch a spot in the Championship Game.

Meanwhile in the West bracket, Pacific Coast Conference champion Oregon played against Southwest champion Texas. In the other matchup, Big Eight champion Oklahoma played against Skyline champion Utah State. Oregon won their game against Texas 56-41 to make the Final Four. Oklahoma beat Utah State to move onto the Final Four. Then Oregon beat Oklahoma 55-37 in the West Final to move into the Championship Game.

Ohio State had finished the regular season with a 14-6 record. The Buckeyes were led by All-American Hull, who led the Big Ten in scoring as a senior and was captain on the team. Head coach Harold Olsen was in his 18th season at Ohio State, and was a big reason why the tournament was created after leading a movement to have it implemented.

Oregon had won their third consecutive Pacific Coast Conference in 1939. They finished the regular season with a 26-5 record, and were coached by Howard Hobson. Their top player in the Tournament was center Slim Wintermute. Hobson's team was referred to as the "Tall Firs" because their player average for height on the team was six feet which was considered very tall at the time.

Hull scored 58 points in the tournament, but that wasn't enough to beat Oregon as the Ducks won the Championship by the final score of 46-33. The Ducks' size was too much as they won the first ever NCAA Tournament in front of an estimated 5,500 fans.

While this marked the beginning of great things to come, the National Invitational Tournament(NIT) was in its third year, and was seen as the place where a true champion was crowned.

Less than two weeks later, Long Island University(LIU-Brooklyn), who finished the season undefeated at 24-0, won the second NIT. The Helms Foundation officially voted them as national champions.

Hull, who was named the Most Outstanding Player for the Tournament, said before his death that winning the Big Ten Conference title was more significant and that his team didn't even want to play in the inaugural event.

"We had just won our league title, which was the most important thing in our minds, and the state high school tournament was being played," said Hull. "We wanted to watch that."

Much of the reason the NIT was more prestigious and recognized was because it was held in New York at Madison Square Garden which garnered more attention. But a betting scandal to go along with NCAA Tournament expansion in 1950 changed the fortunes of college basketball.

Live television coverage of the tournament in the early 1950s changed the thinking of teams to bypass the NIT for the NCAA Tournament. The tournament expanded to 16 teams in 1950, and eventually reaching 64 by 1985. Now 65 teams with one play-in game and four regions with four No. 1 seeds take place every year.

The NCAA Tournament now selects automatic bids for all Division 1-A Conference Champions and the rest are at-large bids determined by a selection committee. Up until 1975, only Conference winners played in the tournament which led to controversy, and eventually, an expansion of the field of teams.

Until 1981, a third place game took place and a regional third place game went on until 1975. Now it is strictly a single elimination tournament with no consolation games played.

In the 1980s, mainstream and media began referring to the tournament as "March Madness" because it contested mainly in that month. It is also called the "Big Dance" because of crowning a national champion now while the NIT does not any longer.

Since 1991, CBS televises all games of the tournament except the play-in game which takes place on ESPN. ESPN also carried opening round games in the 1980s, and this also helped the tourney to become one of the most anticipated sporting events in the United States.

Even though it had humble beginnings, the NCAA Tournament has seen dynasties like UCLA become household names while many other underdog teams have pulled off amazing upsets, too. Cinderella teams have also become well known to the public after making a winning run or a win against a top-ranked opponent.

For the last several years, the term "bracket busting" or "bracket busters" has become a popular slang term in the United States. Every year, millions of fans and even well-known celebrities, politicians, and athletes have participated in trying to accurately pick the winners of all games in the NCAA Tournament. The phenomenon known as "March Madness" creates a stir amongst college basketball fans every year, and betting casinos have been known to rake in serious revenue these days.

70 years ago, only 5,500 fans in Evanston, Illinois watched Oregon win the first NCAA Tournament when no one thought it had a chance of working. It was a time when Lou Gehrig's well-known story of being diagnosed with ALS dominated headlines and the country was still in the grips of the Great Depression. World War II also began in 1939 which continued to overshadow every headline in U.S. newspapers.

But because of innovative thinking and clever marketing of games on television as well as expansion of teams invited in, the NCAA Tournament survived and has become one of the most popular sporting events in U.S. sports history. March Madness has definitely made its mark in our society.

Thanks for viewing, and I hope you enjoyed today's sports history flashback!

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Bird-Magic Clash on March 26, 1979

On March 26, 1979, two names that are synonymous with one another clashed for the first time on the basketball court. It was on this day that the Michigan State Spartans played against the Indiana State Sycamores for the men's basketball national title in Salt Lake City, Utah. This was a day in basketball history that forever is remembered because of Earvin "Magic" Johnson playing against Larry Bird for the first time in their storied rivalry.

Michigan State was 26-5 heading into the national championship after pounding Pennsylvania 101-67 in the Final Four matchup. Jud Heathcote's team was led by Magic Johnson and they also had a convincing win over No. 1 seed Notre Dame in the Elite Eight in the Mideast Region.

Indiana State was undefeated at 33-0 heading into this contest and reached the final game after beating a tough DePaul team 76-74. Head coach Bill Hodge had star forward Larry Bird leading the team. Bird also had a fractured thumb just a few weeks before, but it didn't stop him from having a near triple-double in the Final Four against DePaul with 35 points, 16 rebounds, and nine assists in that game.

At the time, basketball on both the pro and college levels were not widely televised in all markets. In fact, most fans only had seen some video highlights or in newspapers of both teams and players because it was mostly viewed as a second class sport to the majority of the country.

The championship game with the two future rivals went on to become the highest rated game in the history of college basketball on television. And this was only the beginning of greatness to a sport that was in desperate need of something positive.

The game itself was very competitive between both teams, but the defense from Michigan State overwhelmed Indiana State. Bird really never got on track only shooting 7-for-21 from the floor, and Michigan State pulled away with a 75-64 victory to clinch the national championship.

Bird had already been drafted by the Boston Celtics in the 1978 NBA Draft at No. 6 overall. At the time, teams could hold on to draft picks from the previous year until a rule change later prevented that. As it was, Bird helped the Celtics reclaim their glory on the court.

After seeing the New Orleans Jazz finish with the worst record in the league, the Los Angeles Lakers were able to guarantee themselves the No. 1 or No. 2 pick in the 1979 NBA Draft after a trade in 1976 between the teams. Teams from both the Eastern and Western Conferences would then have a coin flip to determine the top pick in the NBA Draft. The Chicago Bulls had the worst overall record, and called th coin flip which they lost. The Lakers won the rights to draft first in 1979.

Johnson declared himself eligible for the NBA Draft, and it was no secret that he was the No. 1 rated player going in. So the Lakers landed Magic Johnson with the No. 1 overall pick and this move was very significant in the rise of the NBA.

The Celtics and Lakers had an intense rivalry in the 1960s and into the 1970s that was mostly dominated by Boston. The NBA's ratings were slipping, and had a negative image that mainly came as a result of on-court fights that damaged the league's reputation. But then Bird-Magic came along. The two teams were so different and this fueled the NBA to heights never seen before.

Boston was a blue-collar town, and Los Angeles was show business. It was East vs West. The half-court play of Boston vs the fast-paced play of the Lakers. The two most successful franchises in NBA history had finally been able to recapture their past glory in a way that not only saved the NBA, but the very existence of the sport of basketball.

Bird and Magic will always remain synonymous with one another for their epic on the court feud and the way they helped lead the NBA to unseen heights. The Celtics and Lakers needed these two to make it happen, and they are a major reason why the league was able to expand again in the late 1980s and into the 1990s. Ratings between the two teams were always high, and at least one of the two teams played in the NBA Finals every year from 1980 until 1990 when the Detroit Pistons and Portland Trail Blazers end the run.

Although Michael Jordan forever made his mark on the sport when he joined the NBA, it was Magic and Bird that brought the sport much needed notoriety and fame. Jordan took the torch from them to lead the NBA to record ratings in the 1990s when the Chicago Bulls took over the league.

This was a time before ESPN came on the air which they would eventually do later in the year. ESPN was able to do its part in bringing life to the sport of basketball after years of being seen in local regions across the country.

If there was ever a time that the sport of basketball needed a shot in the arm to turn its negative image around, this was it. This day in basketball history is as important as any in the sport's history. No one at the time knew that this national championship game would mark the beginning of the rise of the sport of basketball. The financially successful game is why March Madness is what it is today, too. For us basketball fans out there, this is one day in history that we should all be thankful for. Even as a big Chicago Bulls fan, I wouldn't have had this any other way.

I wanted to show how their rivalry to the pro level changed the game. Here's an article by ESPN and Washington Post Sports Columnist Michael Wilbon about his take on why this game became the staple for March Madness: 30 Years Ago, March Madness Tipped Off. For the record, I think Wilbon is a great columnist and he presents solid facts to back his opinion up in that article. I'm sure this will be debated on PTI, too.

Also, I wrote an article that received critical praise from the Associated Content staff on their site last year that talked about the 1976 trade that started the rise of the NBA(admittedly, some writing errors do exist in the article): How the NBA was Changed by a Trade & Coin Flip.

This is a topic going around pretty well on the internet today, too. Nice to see many remembering the impact this game had on the sport of basketball.

Photo courtesy of USA Today.

Thanks for viewing, and I hope you enjoyed today's sports history flashback!

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Sweet Brigaderio Award

Brigaderio is a popular Brazilian chocolate candy. Once again, my good friend Meryl tagged me with this one. Meryl is definitely a sweet woman and most deserving of the award. Thanks for tagging me with this one my good friend.

Now I'll pass this tag to my sweet friends: Arnie, Maxi, Twinks, Tammy, Lainy, Ria, Sharon, levian, Amy, Jennie, Li, Helena, Aline C, Stacey, Jane Lyla, Dorothy, Grace, Dhemz, Eden

Anyone else that comes by can grab this tag as well. Thank you all for visiting!

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WBE Sportsmanship Award

This is the WBE Sportsmanship Award that I'm going to start here. WBE stands for World Blogging Entertainment which is a name created by David Funk used to recognize excellence in blogging, and has annually named a Blog of Courage Award winner every year since 2006.

WBE Sportsmanship Award is given to ANY blogger for showing the following qualities:

Kindness to all bloggers

Courtesy to others

Respects the opinions of bloggers

Displays a sportsman-like attitude

Addresses and debates any topic with professionalism

Motivates or supports other bloggers

Strong leader and community builder

The Rules for the WBE Sportsmanship Award:

1. Talk about your favorite sports team or teams. List what team you like, where they are from, what league they play in, and why and how you like them.

2. If you don't have a favorite team, then talk about your favorite player or players in other sports. Any sport can be talked about, and not just team sports.

3. You can talk about favorite teams and players that are no longer playing if you choose.

4. Download a picture or logo of your favorite team or teams so that other countries around the world can see them. Or provide a picture of your favorite player or athlete.

5. You can add more information about any teams you talk about to help other cultures understand more about them.

6. Nominate at least five bloggers for this award, and let them know you tagged them.

7. Link back to this post and the person you received this award from.

8. Come back and leave a comment on this post so that your name can be added to the list of those who received this award. This is also done so that others can refer back to this entry, and read other entries throughout the world that they may have missed.

Favorite team: Oklahoma Sooners football team
Where they are from: Norman, Oklahoma, USA
What League they play in: NCAA, USA
Why and how you like them: I became a fan of the Sooners when I moved to Oklahoma as a kid in the early 1980s living in nearby Midwest City. This was because my mom was stationed at Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma City while in the military. They were the first team I remembered following and then I later became a fan of Chicago sports teams. They also are one of American college football's most storied programs and have won seven national championships in 1950, 1955, 1956, 1974, 1975, 1985, and 2000.

Other facts:

-The name "sooner" comes from settlers in the 1880s that would illegally enter land in what is now Oklahoma. A law was passed by U.S. President Grover Cleveland in 1889 that allowed the Unassigned Lands(Oklahoma) to be publicly open for settlement. They were known as Boomers early in their history in which the name comes from those who claimed the Unassigned Lands were public property open for anyone and not just Indian tribes.

-Their fight song is called Boomer Sooner. WWE famed announcer Jim Ross is a devoted fan of the team, and uses this song when introduced at their events.

-They currently play in the Big 12 Conference which began play in 1996. Previously, they were in the Big 8 Conference.

-They played their first ever American college football game in 1895 in a loss to Oklahoma City Town Team.

-They own American college football's record for the longest winning streak ever when they won 47 games in a row between 1953 and 1957.

-Some notable athletes in Sooners history: Sam Bradford, Adrian Peterson, Jason White, Josh Heupel, Brian Bosworth, Billy Sims, Billy Vessels, Steve Owens. The most successful coaches have been Bennie Owen, Bud Wilkinson, Barry Switzer, and currently Bob Stoops.

My other favorite teams are: Chicago Bears, Chicago Cubs, and Chicago Bulls who all play in Chicago, Illinois.

Now I'm going to pass this tag to:

Paul H
Lester's Legends
Aline C
tripzibit
Lainy
Maxi

Be sure to comment back here once you're tagged, and I would prefer the link to the post so I can add it in for others to view later! I hope you enjoy this tag!

Here are those who received the award and what teams/players they like:
1. tripzibit - Fiat Yamaha/Valentino Rossi in Racing
2. Madz - PBA/Chris Pacana

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Right Now Nokia Tag

I received this tag from my new blogger friend Meryl who tagged me two other times on Sunday. She's a very beautiful woman and has been very kind to me since we met. I received a different tag earlier in the month, but the same task from Ria which can be found here: Right Now Tag. Since this task is inter-changeable, I'm going to do it again.


The basic premise is this – answers should all be “at the current moment.”

Let's do this!


1. Where is your cellphone --- On my desk

2. Your hair --- Short and brown

3. Your father---at work

4. Your favorite thing --- blogging and sports

5. Your dream last night--- Don't remember

6. Your favorite drink --- Water

7. Your dream goal --- Retire early

8. The room you are in --- Living room

9. Your fear --- Losing a loved one and certain animals

10. Where do you want to be in 6 years --- As long I'm happy, I don't care.

11. Muffins --- Banana Nut

12. One of your wish list items --- to have a beach house

13. Where you grew up --- Oklahoma and North Carolina, USA

14. The last thing you did --- Typed the number "4" answering question No. 14

15. What are you wearing --- jean shorts, no shirt

16. Your TV --- Toshiba Big Screen

17. Your pet --- None

18. Your computer --- laptop

19. Your life --- very thankful

20. Your mood --- Energetic

21. Missing someone --- My grandfather

22. Your car --- red

23. Favorite mall --- Woodfield Mall in Chicago

24. Your summer --- Vacation TBD

25. Your favorite color --- blue and crimson red

26. When was the last time you laughed --- Last night talking to Paul H on IM

27. When was the last time you cried --- At my grandfather's funeral last month

28. Last person who emailed you --- Facebook with a message from Lainy on my Wall

29. Your favorite food --- Shrimp especially baked

30. A place you would rather be right now --- One doesn't stand out


I am passing this tag to some friends I haven't passed any to yet: levian, Brilliam, Bryan, Jennie, and Herby. If anyone else has done the other tag before, feel free to grab this Nokia tag and have it at it again. Thanks again Meryl for tagging me for this and the other two awards as well.

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Another Award!

I got this AWARD from my good blogger friend Jennie and new blogger friend Brilliam. I was surprised to get this one from Jennie because we haven't heard from each other in awhile. Nonetheless, she's a very kind woman, and took the time to mention me. Brilliam is a friend I just made very recently, but made mention of me for this award which I highly appreciate. Thanks to both of you for tagging me with this award!

I will give this Award to someone who's very nice and friendly to me... Here are the rules for this meaningful award:

The aims of this award:

• As a dedication for those who love blogging activity and love to encourage friendships through blogging.


• To seek the reasons why we all love blogging!


• Put the award in one post as soon as you receive it


• Don’t forget to mention the person who gives you the award.


• Answer the award’s question by writing the reason why you love blogging.


• Tag and distribute the award to as many people as you like.


• Don’t forget to notify the award receivers and put their links in your post.

These are the people who i want to have this award:

• Paul H - Although creative differences exist in BWE Promotions(LOL!), he's very likely been my best on-line friend and a big help to this site when needed. Even though he's not around as much, he's a big reason why I still enjoy blogging. He claims EBW is the "A" brand of entertainment, but I know better than that. Thanks for the help and conversations always.
• Lester's Legends- We go back almost four years to our days on Sporting News. He's been as helpful to me as anyone with advice on making the site better as well as sharing experience on getting traffic. Is there anyway you could post fantasy advice about the BWE Promotions fantasy game if it comes out? Would that count as a fantasy sport? LOL! Thanks for the help and friendship buddy.
• Maxi - My blugger friend who will always find some way to bug me, but still is admittedly lazy enough to call me 'D. Gosh, you only need to type five letters to my first name! LOL! She's a sweet lady and as helpful as they come. There's a reason why everyone loves you in the blogging community, and why you're are one of my best on-line friends.
• Arnie - Just one question. Why in The Funk don't you call me by my first name? She knows why, but what isn't a secret is she's one of the sweetest friends I have. I've enjoyed the conversations on Instant Messenger. Thanks for being a great on-line friend.
• Twinks Blogula - When she's not too busy making blogs and bloggers unresponsive by sucking the blood out of them, she's been a great friend to me despite not knowing each other very long. She gave me help with my new comment feature not long after we met, and we now talk on YM. I'm glad we crossed paths on-line my dear friend.
• Tripzibit - He was one of my first international friends, and is a big reason why Indonesia draws the second most traffic on my site. It is no "unsolved mystery" as to why you are well-liked by everyone even if there is "another side of tripzibit".. One of the true good guys in the blogging community and great friend. Thanks as always my friend.
• Lainy - I find it amazing that someone with a melted heart can still blog which is my fault. I apologize to the community for that, so blame me! Maybe you should share with all of us how you're still alive? LOL! Seriously, she's undertaking a big project, and I know first-hand the enormous task that is having run contests before myself. And you still find time comment on blogs. You definitely deserve a mention and are a great, kind friend to all of us.
• Amy - She's always supportive and is as friendly as they come. Not to mention, I very much appreciate how often she comes by and how she always speaks of highly of me and my blog and "anything that involves around it". I'm honored she's my on-line friend.
• Ron Centeno - In my own words, Ron has been one of my biggest supporters recently, and always finds time to visit my blog. I'm glad he plays along with the funny blogs as well as how often he comments. Thanks for the constant support buddy!
• Ria - Sorry, you're not going on vacation without me tagging you again! I hope that doesn't make you say, "I wish it was vacation time now because I'm tired of David tagging me!" LOL! Actually, there's a reason why I do tag you because you're so professional, kind, and supportive. Plus, I'll never forget your condolences for my family when my grandfather died last month. Thanks my very good friend.
• Mo Morrissey - Duh! This is the BWE Heavyweight Champion! Of course he's going to get mentioned here. He's always been very good about putting BWE merchandise up at Mo' Marketplace. He and I go back about three years when we met on Sporting News. Thanks Mo.
• Afrank Angle - Anyone that is running a campaign and is the ONLY gold-medal winning blogger in BWE history should be mentioned here(inside joke). Frank is a frequent visitor, and is one of the most intelligent and objective bloggers I know. I hope you win your election whatever it may be! LOL! Thanks as always buddy.
• Calendar Blogger - That is actually my good friend Tammy who always makes a mention of me when she can. She also refers to me as Mr. 'D(like twinks and Maxi). Expect Forgetful Princess trading cards to be widely available world-wide soon(another inside joke). Thanks for the kindness my dear friend.
• Sharon Chong - Hello! If anyone has been paying attention to these entries of late, she owns the Pynk Candy Arena where the next BWE event will be! She's more talented of a writer than she gives herself credit for. Not only that, she's a great supporter and knows the value of frienship better than just about anyone I know. Thanks my dear friend.
• Meryl - Meryl is one of my new blogger friends, and she just tagged three times for awards today which I received all of them already. However, I will repost one of them because the tag is different, and I'll add your name to my Awards Link for those you picked me for, too. Thanks for being supportive and mentioning my name on those tags, too. But more importantly, thanks for being a good friend.

This award doesn't mean that only those who I wrote up can have this. Anyone can grab and have this as award to those who think deserving to have this. To ALL my friends, please grab and enjoy! Thank you all!

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How Addicted To Blogging Are You?

84%How Addicted to Blogging Are You?

I saw this on a post by levian, who is one of my new blogger friends. So since she has a different audience than I do, I decided to post one myself. This is a test to see how addicted you are to blogging, and is in no way a reflection on anyone. This is just for fun. Mine is very high, but I have seen a couple above 90%. Thanks levian for posting this on your page.

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BWE Blog Center

Note: This is fictional, and none of this is to be taken seriously. It is about BWE(Blog Wrestling Entertainment) in which bloggers are written into storylines. Some of the opinions expressed here are inside jokes amongst us as well. And yes, the locations and travel are NOT real.

The following presentation is rated E (For everyone)
Viewer discretion is advised.
Close captioning where it is available by pressing the CC button on your computer or laptop.
Trust us, it's there.
Now available in High Definition(HD)!

Note: The views expressed by BWE Blog Center are not necessarily the views of Google and its members, and any other major sporting site, magazine, or TV show.

Credits:
-Produced by Basic Bloganomics Productions.
-Written, directed, and hosted by David Funk.

Coming up next on BWE Blog Center......
-A brand new Filipina star signs with BWE! We'll have the latest!
-After serious contract negotiations, one of the great bloggers will be coming aboard to BWE Promotions! We'll let you know how it happened.
-Philly The Kid has called for a Press Conference live in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, USA! We'll take you there live as it happens!
-We'll have the latest signing news and so much more!
BWE Blog Center is live and it is on right now!

(Cameras zoom into the studio)
Producers: 3....2....1....you're on!

Now from the Basic Bloganomics Studios in High Point, NC! Here's your host....our BWE CEO David Funk!!!!

Funk: Welcome everyone to BWE Blog Center! And welcome everyone to Basic Bloganomics Studios! We have much to get to here on BWE news. Coming up at the bottom of the hour, we'll take you live to Harrisburg, PA where my friend Philly The Kid has called for a press conference regarding BWE. I have no idea what it is about, but we'll take you there live as it happens!

On the recent edition of EBW UnCut from the ArnieV Civic Center in Catbalongan, Samar, Philippines, the owner expressed frustration and disappointment by not even being acknowledged in her own place on the show. Recently, Arnie did show an interest in being part of the promotion, and today she officially signed with BWE Throwdown!, and agreed to be an interviewer for the brand. Terms of the deal were not fully disclosed, but it is believed to be a multi-year deal. Arnie will be an interviewer on the upcoming BWE Throwdown! live from Kuching, Malaysia.

My opinion: Really, should I be shocked with this signing? Seriously Paul H, what were you thinking? If you knew "Anything About Life", you would have had this beautiful blogger on your brand without much trouble instead of you ignoring her very existence. Your loss and BWE's gain. I'm sure somewhere out there, BWE fans are already pre-ordering Arnie merchandise. In fact, I understand models of the ArnieV Civic Center and action figure dolls are going to be sold at the BWE Gift Shop.

Shifting gears here, construction at the Pynk Candy Arena in Kuching, Malaysia is coming on very well. It looks as if it will be complete by the end of the month in time for the show. From what I'm told, Pynk Candy Arena owner Sharon Chong will have many of her blogger friends in attendance at the event. The multi-facet facility will host the first ever event there when BWE Promotions takes their Asian Invasion tour to Malaysia. Those friends of Sharon that are to appear are not publicly known as of now.

Later on in the show, we'll go out live to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania for the live Press Conference with Philly The Kid! But coming up next....BWE Promotions has agreed to terms with another blogger after serious negotiations. BWE Blog Center will have the info when we return! Stay with us!

Blog commercials:

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BWE Blog Center is sponsored by PCW: Political Hardcore Extreme Wrestling!

(Cameras zoom in as Funk is back on the air)

Funk: Welcome back to BWE Blog Center! Without question, one of the biggest signings in BWE Promotions history has taken place today. We have learned that Ron Centeno has signed one of the richest contracts in BWE history after serious negotiations. The Filipino blogging star was eager to get a deal done after it appeared contract talks would break down. But today, he signed a lucrative contract with the promotion and is ready to make an impact. He's currently unavailable because of a busy schedule at the moment, but an announcement from him should be coming soon. The brand in which he will represent is not known as of now.

My opinion: I think for EBW's sake, Paul might regret wanting to put him on that brand of extreme entertainment should he want to do so. Why? "In his own words", there will be a "Fall of a Dictator" on that brand if that happens.

In other BWE news, blugging Pinay superstar Maxi has went on record saying that she will be on the upcoming Throwdown! event in Kuching, Malaysia. According to her, she blugged Pynk Candy Arena owner Sharon Chong into getting a ringside seat at the event after they became friends. Some other BWE female performers are looking to get ringside seats because they won't have to pay for them under contract with the promotion.

My opinion: It isn't good enough that she signed one of the richest contracts in history, and now she wants to watch it live in the front row to "blug" other fans and bloggers. Is this retaliation for me not paying for her flight out of Sweden? Perhaps I need to make a long-term investment of Ovah Coffee, and have Maxi merchandise up for sale at the BWE Gift Shop because of the loss of money that I will have for not selling those seats in the front row! She'll still get her share because it's in her contract for allowing my blog to be featured on her site.

(Cameras look inside the press room at the empty podium in Harrisburg, PA)
Funk: There you see live inside the press room where Philly The Kid will be having his press conference. That's coming up later! When we return, one of the latest blogger signings to BWE will join us live via satellite! Back after this....

Blog commercials:
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BWE Blog Center is brought to you by A Frank Angle: Thoughts From An Inner Mind. And by Haterade! Yeah haters, we know it's in you!

(Cameras are back on the air)
Funk: Welcome back to BWE Blog Center! Last week in the BWE Newsletter, it was announced that twinks signed a contract with the promotion to become a wrestler. She has told me on Yahoo! Instant Messenger that she wants to be referred to as Twinks Blogula. She told me she stays up late at night all the time, and is often known to others as a vampire or Dracula. She has said that she sucks the blood out of bloggers and blogs which makes both unresponsive over time. Well, she joins us live via satellite from her home in the Philippines!

(Cameras show a dark room in the background as Twinks Blogula appears on screen)
Funk: Um....OK. Thanks for joining us Twinks.
(She has a laptop in front of her with blood coming out of her mouth)
Funk: Twinks Blogula, now that you've signed with BWE, what should we expect from you in the promotion?
NOTE: This is an actual quote from Twinks.
Twinks Blogula: Now that I've signed with BWE, expect Vampirism in the ring. There will be lots of throwing moves as well as kicks. With my high jumping ability, agility, and really good moves from the ropes I will restrain my opponent, and finish them off with my Slashdot Effect finishing move which will make them unresponsive. Lifeless, I will then feast on them, sucking the blood out of their systems. So be careful because behind this sweet smile hides a mesmerizing, ruthless vampire. When I get cornered I will turn to mist and show up on the other side of opponents when you least expect it.

Funk: WOW! I'm sure many bloggers and fans are waiting to see what kind of an impact you'll have in BWE. This is why you don't invade her "writing space". "The Artist In Me" sure did show with her here! Thanks for joining us Twinks Blogula.
(Blood is still seething out of her mouth)
Twinks: Thank you for having me.

In other news, BWE diva Ria Stevenson will be unable to attend the upcoming BWE Throwdown! in Malaysia due to the vacation in her native Philippines beginning on March 29. Since no date has been set as of now for the upcoming show, Ria's permission to start with the promotion in a couple of months has been granted by....well....me, the CEO of BWE Promotions. Ria has been training real hard in her spare time for in-ring competition, but this will have to wait for all her fans until she returns home from vacation. Ria signed with BWE Throwdown! last month after negotiating a deal to not start with the company until after her vaction was complete.

My opinion: I think it will be well worth the wait for her to debut in BWE in a couple of months. The pink attire will fool many of her opponents, and those that underestimate her will have to seek "Health, Nutrition, and Beauty Tips" in order to get their careers back on track. For the record, I think I may have found the right person to teach the underage bloggers of BWE after "Exploring The World of Kids" from a mom who knows what she's doing.

Funk: OK, when return, Philly The Kid is ready to make his speech at the press conference live from Harrisburg, PA! Back after this!

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(Cameras show Philly The Kid stepping up to the podium)
Funk: We are back on Blog Center. Philly The Kid has just stepped up to the podium and is ready to make his announcement to the press. So let's take you live to Harrisburg, PA in the USA for Philly The Kid's press conference!

NOTE: All the answers to the questions came from Philly The Kid(birdbrainz) himself, not from me.

(Philly The Kid looks around and notices a few faces from the press listening on)
Philly The Kid: Thanks everyone for coming out here. I wanted to call this press conference because of some of the things I've seen in BWE Promotions of late. Actually, just one individual. For months, I've taken notice on BWE of the actions of the Blog Stalker. He disrespected people at the Flashjeff Forum in Philadelphia last year after beating IHateMillen in a match to qualify for the Blogger's Rumble. I'm glad he lost to Flashjeff later on, but that still hasn't stopped him from stalking bloggers anonymously or just starting trouble. As you all know, I have signed with BWE Throwdown!, and the Blog Stalker is on the same brand with me. So I called this press conference to issue a challenge to Blog Stalker in a match.
(Philly The Kid pauses)
Philly The Kid: No, no, no, no, no...not just any match. I want this guy to pay the price in the most unimaginable way, and a simple 1-on-1 match isn't enough for me. I'm challenging the Blog Stalker to a DND match. In case any of you were born under a rock after following BWE, a DND match only ends when you throw your opponent into a dumpster after spray-painting them with red color before doing so. The match can go on anywhere in the arena, but it only ends after someone ends up in the dumpster with the lid closed shut. This match was invented by the boss of this company, David Funk, and it comes from our days working in retail at Office Depot. DND means Damage 'N Destroy which is what we did to items that no longer were of use in our stores. We would spray-paint them red, and throw them in the dumpster. As far as I'm concerned, the Blog Stalker is another item that is no longer of use to me. So I'm challenging the Blog Stalker to a DND match on the next Throwdown! show in Kuching, Malaysia! Yeah, I'm on the Asian Invasion tour, and that seems like a better place for me to DND him at.
(Philly The Kid looks straight into the camera)
Philly The Kid: Blog Stalker, I don't care about your win over IHateMillen. I don't care that you qualified for the Blogger's Rumble. I don't care that you stalk others with abuse and pre-meditated assaults to other bloggers. I don't care that you still snoop around other bloggers hoping to get dirt on them, and use it to your advantage by making them look like you're the victim. What I do care about is Damaging and Destroying your career in BWE. I'm Philly The Kid, and BWE has no idea what I'm capable of. C'mon, Blog Stalker and BWE GM KDL. Make this match. Philly The Kid's path to the top starts with taking down the this excrement of a character in the Blog Stalker. Thank you, and now I'll take a few questions.....

(Several reporters try to talk)

FOX News reporter: This DND match sounds dangerous. Are you sure you know what you're getting into?
Philly The Kid: It looks like I'm getting into a ridiculous question with a terrible reporter. This is the best FOX could give me? Go back with the American Idol producers and talk to them about the dangers of putting their show against a BWE event and get back to me.

ESPN reporter: Are you seriously on steroids? You know BWE has been linked to blog enhancers in the past.
Philly The Kid: Are you seriously stupid? The only thing the BWE is linked to is hiring me to shut you up. Go watch PTI and ask them why they are linked to the same company that hired your sorry (bleep).

Detroit columnist reporter Rob Parker: Don't you wish your wife would have married a better husband instead of someone that is calling out The Blog Stalker and challenging him to a DND match?
Philly The Kid: What does my wife have to do with me calling out the Blog Stalker? Blog Stalker deserves everything he gets and he'll get plenty from me. Calling Blog Stalker an idiot would be an insult to all the stupid people.

Parker: And your wife approves of you doing this in response to someone stalking bloggers with violence? Seriously, she could have married a better husband.
Philly The Kid: I don't know what makes you so dumb but it really works.......Next Question.

Harrisburg news reporter: What is so special about a DND match?
Philly The Kid: What's so special about a DND match? Wasn't it mentioned that I was in a DND match? Then you decide what makes it so damn special. Anytime I'm mentioned that moment becomes special. Get a clue......I expect more from a reporter from the Burg'.

Philadelphia reporter: What can we expect from you in this DND match - your debut bout should it take place?
Philly The Kid: Great question.......Expect an entertaining match with the Kid causing total destruction. Winning and losing doesn't matter to me, getting the last laugh is what I'm all about.

Harrisburg news reporter: From what I read, there's another brand in BWE Promotions called EBW UnCut. Why did you choose BWE Throwdown?
Philly The Kid: I choose the BWE because I wanted a challenge. If I wanted to wrestle RuPaul or a Jonas brother I would of went with EBW. I prefer to go against the best......I'm not getting involved in any place where a GM can only beat women.

Parker: So is your wife going to see this match when it happens?
Philly The Kid: Is YOUR wife going to see this match when it happens? I know I might see YOUR wife after my match if everything works out right. I'll let her know you're looking to set up an interview with her. That's it, I'm outta here......No more questions!

(Philly The Kid walks away as reporters are still trying to get some questions in)

(Cameras go back to the studios)
Funk: OK, there you have it from Philly The Kid. We'll have to see if that DND match is made on the upcoming BWE Throwdown! show at the Pynk Candy Arena in Kuching, Malaysia. KDL has contacted me here and said that he's working on setting up the tools necessary for this match to take place. Folks, it looks like KDL wants this match happen. According to him, that would be a VERY GOOD THING! I'm out of here, and thanks for tuning in! If you want to be a great blogger, then "Think and Act To Achieve". You have been watching BWE Blog Center! Good night everyone!

Promotional consideration paid for by the following:
-WBE Blog of Fame
-Political Championship Wrestling(PCW): Accurately summing up the state of American politics!
-A Frank Angle: Thoughts from an Inner Mind.
-Clayton Terry's Sports Blog
-Haterade: Yeah haters, it's in you.
-IDiola: Controlling the IDs that plague you.

BWE Blog Center is in conjuction with Basic Bloganomics.

© Copyright 2009. Property of Basic Bloganomics. All rights reserved. Any publication or retransmission without the express written consent of Basic Bloganomics is strictly prohibited.

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Depot Heavies Volume 3: Texas Hold 'Em Moments

Before I get started with this, I was tagged again late last night by my good friend Amy. It was for the 25 Things About Me tag that I received initially on Facebook by my good friend morrisseyweb. Since Amy was gracious enough to take the time to mention and tag me, here's the link for those who didn't see it the first time: 25 Things About David Funk. I don't want to delete the entry, along with the comments, so you can check that out if you like.

OK, some of you are asking what the heck is Depot Heavies? Well, this is where I talk about my days working at two different Office Depot stores in which many crazy and funny moments took place. I've often been told that a book could easily be written for some of the stuff that happened at both stores. Heavies is just a slang term I use for chronicles, so that you know. Since it has been awhile between posting these, I wanted to update with another here. Here are the first two volumes of Depot Heavies:

Depot Heavies Volume 1: What The Funk?
Depot Heavies Volume 2: The Image Game

After transferring to the Harrisburg, Pennsylvania Office Depot store, that's where some of the funniest moments I've ever witnessed in my life took place. Birdbrainz(Philly The Kid which as you saw is in BWE and is my real-life friend who will comment on here from time to time) along with Bobby(we called him Nostrodomus) and Jeff(who was called Soupy) were just the crazy-type of people that made me fit in perfectly. It was tough to live up to the guys in the High Point store because of the stunts(especially the sendoff which is in Volume 1). But they did that in their own way in this store.

During lunch breaks, you could find these three on Tuesdays and Thursdays playing Texas Hold 'Em in the break room. If I was there, I would sometimes play as well. Out of the bunch, birdbrainz was the veteran player who was very good at the game. Bobby and Soupy weren't bad either. What made this so unique and hilarious wasn't the game itself. It was the bets that were made during the games. And no, money wasn't part of it either. They would play for most of the break, and then have a final game in which a crazy bet was at stake. It got to a point where I was looking forward to Tuesdays and Thursdays when all of us were working for the Texas Hold 'Em games.

Before I arrived in the store, Soupy lost a bet in which he was literally under contract not to slap birdbrainz for a year(they used to slap each other in the face and such playing around). This was the kind of thing I liked to see, but I give credit to those guys for sticking out the bets. Thankfully, I can say I didn't lose any bets in which I had to embarrass myself, but that was also in part because I didn't play in that many either.

One of the first bets I remember very well was something I didn't take part in. The bet was that whoever lost had to grab themselves in front of our cashier on the register that day. Bobby lost that one, and grabbed himself in front of the cashier with us watching! That literally had us all in tears! But oh, it gets better!

Another time(which I did take part in), the bet was whoever lost had to go to our store manager and tell him that you were gay. I remember very well that Soupy and I tied for the best hand which eliminated us both from losing the bet. So the bet came down to birdbrainz and Bobby. Birdbrainz lost that one, and he stumbled the words like most anyone would when he said he was gay in front of the store manager! Priceless moment that nearly had us in tears, too. Birdbrainz said this was his worst moment of all.

I think the funniest and craziest bet happened in which the loser had to wear a Darth Vader mask around the entire business complex we were in. At the time, Star Wars Episode 3 came out, and masks were being sold all over the place. Soupy is a huge Darth Vader fan(if you don't believe me, I'll give you his cell number which his message says you've reached, "Lord Vader").

Anyway, the person with the worst hand coincidentally enough was Soupy. Birdbrainz and Bobby rode in Bobby's truck to watch Soupy go around the entire complex with that Darth Vader mask. I watched and followed on the walkway and we were all in tears laughing already. But when Soupy got to the video store at the other end of the complex, two kids tried to walk outside. As soon as they saw Soupy with the Darth Vader mask on, they immediately cried for their mom as they went back inside the store! I felt bad for the kids, but we couldn't help ourselves from laughing hysterically at what just happened! Oh yeah, did I mention that it was summer time when Soupy was wearing that Darth Vader mask? LOL!

Birdbrainz told me about some of the other bets. One of them was the loser had to lick the urinal(thank God I wasn't there for that one!). Bobby lost that one. He didn't get sick though. They had some other ones, too.

I think I have to say out of all the bets, the one with the Darth Vader mask was the funniest of them all. When I went to PA during December for vacation this past year, birdbrainz, Bobby, and I hung out. We discussed just about all the funniest moments in that store, and the Texas Hold 'Em bets were right up there. As I said, I'll cover the rest of them in future entries.

While we all got frustrated at times in retail, we did do our best to have fun when time allowed us. This was definitely one of the ways in which we did. They were all good guys, but this is how we had our fun.

For those that want to know how BWE originated, then check out Volume 2 on the link provided. You'll find out just how crazy I was as well as the guys I worked with, too.

Oh yeah, the Press Conference for Philly The Kid regarding BWE is coming very soon. You'll have to find out what it is about when it comes. You won't want to miss it.

Thanks for viewing, and I hope you enjoyed this installment of Depot Heavies!

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Uber Amazing Blog Award

I received this award from Amy, who is one of the kindest and generous bloggers I've met on-line as well as a good friend of mine. I recommend checking her site out if you haven't yet, and she will gladly return the favor. Thanks again Amy for the mention and I do appreciate it.

Uber (synonym to Super) Amazing Blog Award is a blog award given to sites who:

• inspires you
• makes you smile and laugh
• or maybe gives amazing information
• a great read
• has an amazing design
• and any other reasons you can think of that makes them
• uber amazing

The rules of this award are:

* Copy the badge and put the logo on your blog sidebar or post.

* Nominate at least 5 blogs (can be more) that for you are Uber Amazing!

* Let them know that they have received this Uber Amazing award by commenting on their blog.

* Share the love and link to this this post and to the person you received your award from.

* Come back and comment here so that your link could be added to the master list of awardees.

I'm going to pass this award to all my friends here in the blogosphere, but I do want to make mention of many of the people besides Amy that have been very supportive and kind here:

Paul H, Lester's Legends, A Frank Angle, 3rdStoneFromTheSun, tripzibit, Arnie, Maxi, twinks, Lainy, Tammy, Li, Ria, Stacey, Dorothy, Sharon, Ron Centeno, Aline C, Helena, Mileka, Greta, Quantum Indonesia, No Label Represent, Lily, Lyla, Obing, Sedona, Dewa, Sophia, Meryl, Jane, Eden, and anyone else that I may have forgotten. Everyone else can grab this award, too. Thank you all for the kindness and support for me and this blog.

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Heart Tag

This tag was given to me by my good friend Sharon, who you've seen mentioned quite a bit on my blogs here of late. Yes, she's the same one who's place(Pynk Candy Arena) will host the upcoming BWE Throwdown! show in her home of Kuching, Malaysia. She's a very good blogger and woman. She recently went to Chang Zhie Jie, China and has posted some very breath-taking photo shots on her blog. I would highly recommend checking them out. As much as I've tagged her, it was my turn to be it on this one. So because she took the time to mention me in her blog, here we go with the questions. Thanks for the mention my good friend!

Here's the image source: Heart Tag

A# Attached or Single?
Single...for now.

B# Best Friend?
I have a couple, and one of them has been mentioned before on here. He used to have a blog on Blogger, but not any longer. My best friend from high school died too young.

C# Cake or Pie?
Hmmm....interesting. I like both, but my all-time favorite is cherry cheesecake. So I'll go with cake.

D# Day of Choice?
Friday, hands down.

E# Essential Item?
Laptop followed closely by cell phone.

F# Favorite Color?
Navy Blue and crimson.

G# Gummie Bears or Worms?
Hmmm....probably gummie bears

H# Hometown?
Kernersville/High Point, North Carolina in the USA.

I# Favorite Indulgence?

J# January or July?
July because the weather is better then.

K# Kids?
I love them, but have none of my own.

L# Life isn't complete without....?
I'm going to say it isn't complete if you're still not learning. I've always said that if you're not wanting to learn everyday, then you haven't truly lived. Love and kindness to others is right there though.

M# Marriage date?
LOL! See answer A. Never been married.

N# Number of magazine subscriptions?
Currently none. I used to be a subscriber to WWE, Sporting News, and ESPN previously.

O# Oranges or Apples?
I'll go with oranges.

P# Phobias?
Losing a loved one, and of certain animals like snakes and rats(at least touching them anyway).

Q# Quotes?
"Tomorrow isn't promised to anyone." That is from the late Walter Payton, my favorite NFL player of all-time. And it's 100 percent true on that quote.

R# Reasons to smile?
The biggest reason for everyone should be because they're alive. There are many unfortunate people that don't even come close to living the lives that some of us do, nor nearly as long either.

S# Season of choice?
Summer, I've always been that type.

T# Tag five people.
Tammy, Meryl, Eden, Jane, Li

U# Unknown fact about me?
I bowled in many leagues before, and even held the title for the highest average in one of them. My high game is a 258.

V# Vegatable?
Carrots would be my choice.

W# Worst habit?
Probably have to say staying up way too late on most nights. Sometimes, it's hard to define what a bad habit is.

X# X-Ray or Ultrasound?
X-ray

Y# Your favorite foods?
Too many to list.

Z# Zodiac sign
Sagittarius.

Thanks again Sharon!

I still have one more tag to get out. Thanks for viewing!

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First FA Cup Final on March 16, 1872

On March 16, 1872, the oldest football(soccer in North America) competition in the world had taken place with its final game. It was on this day that the Wanderers Football Club played against the Royal Engineers at Kennington Oval, London, England for the Football Association(FA) Challenge Cup.

Wanderers FC was founded in 1859 as the Forest Football Club and were also founding members of the Football Association in 1863. Their home was based in Leytonstone, London and were called Wanderers because of "wandering" to Battersea Park from London. A.G. Guillemard, who was known as the "father" of the Rugby Football Union, was on this team. The rest of the team consisted mainly of ex-school players.

Charles(C.W.) Alcock, a key figure in adapting many of the styles of play including passing the ball, was captain for the Wanderers. Alcock was also secretary for the FA from 1870 until 1895 and was the main person behind the FA Cup that was established in 1872. Furthermore, Alcock was a key proponent of the first international football game in 1870 between England and Scotland. He and his brother John formed the Forest Football Club in 1859.

Under Major Marindin, the Royal Engineers were established in 1863. They were known as the Sappers before taking on the name of Engineers. The Engineers had founded a style of play that emphasized teamwork as well as knowing where teammates were at all times. In March 1871, they won a game against the powerful Wanderers team because of being organized. When they played the Wanderers again in November that year, they scored two goals against them by using strategic passing while winning that game, too.

The FA Cup is a tournament with no seedings and the draws for home-field advantage are not known until the scheduled dates for the previous round are determined. Teams draw numbered balls out of a bag that determines matchups and who plays at home. This is such a hugh interest for teams and fans that the draws are broadcasted live on television on English sets around the nation. Traditionally, famous players are there to draw the numbered balls out and this helps increase exposure as well for the tournament.

Six qualifying rounds, six further rounds, two semi-finals, and a final game is played for a total of 14 rounds of competition. The qualifying rounds are done by regions to help reduce travel costs and expenses in the early portion of the play especially for lower division teams. The tournament opens up in November and the Final is played in May. When the tournament started in November of 2008, a record 762 teams took part.

The lower division teams are referred to as "minnows" and they are also called "giant killers" when beating top clubs. However, lower division teams seldom reach the Final game.

If a tie happens between two teams, a replay is done which usually takes place at home of the team who played on the road in the first game. Replays of drawn matchups are now settled with extended time or penalty shots.

The Premier League and Football League automatically qualify to play in the tournament while English football league system on the following six levels can play provided they played the previous season for the FA Cup, FA Trophy, or FA Vase. No other football tournaments were held in 1872 and times were different.

The FA Challenge Cup(as it was known then) had only 15 teams take part in 1872. Only 30 teams existed in the FA prior to this competition being held. The road to the Final game for both the Wanderers and Engineers were easy victories early on.

The Wanderers beat the Harrow Chequers while Engineers beat Regiate Priory. The two teams drew away games next, but neither were seriously tested as the Wanderers won 3-1 over the Clapham Rovers and the Engineers beat Hitchin 5-0.

The Wanderers had a 0-0 draw against Crystal Palace, and because rules weren't established like they are today, both were allowed to move on. Meanwhile, the Engineers continued on with a 2-0 win over the Hampstead Heathens.

Queen's Park, a Scottish Club, were allowed a bye all the way to the semi-finals if they could get past the Wanderers. This was done to reduce travel costs because of having to go to southeast England all the way from Glasgow, Scotland. The two teams tied 0-0, but Queen's Park decided to return to Scotland as they forfeited the replay to the Wanderers.

Coincidentally, the Engineers also tied in their semi-final game against Crystal Park, but beat them easily 3-0 in the replay. So the first Final was set between two teams that were no strangers to one another. About 2,000 attendees watched the first FA Cup Final.

In the early going of the 90-minute matchup, Engineer mid-fielder Edmund Cresswell suffered a broken collarbone and was forced out of the game. The game itself continued to be back-and-forth as both teams tried to attack the other with precision passing in the opponent's zone.

Alcock appeared to have put the Wanderers on the scoreboard with a shot past Engineer goalkeeper William Merriman. But referee Alfred Stair ruled that Alcock was offside on the kick, and therefore, the goal didn't count.

Wanderers forward Robert Vidal, who would become known as the "prince of dribblers" because of his skill of moving the ball, sparkled and dribbled right by the tough Engineer defense in this game. His long dribble and pass to Morton Betts led to the first goal in FA Cup Final history after an easy tap-in past Merriman. Betts was playing under the pseudonym of A.H. Chequer.

Prior to the start of the tournament, Betts had signed to play with the Harrow Chequers who had withdrew from their opening round game. Under the rules of the time, no player could play with another club in the same tournament. Thus, this is why he adopted a pseudonym.

As it turned out, Chequer scored the only goal of the game. The Wanderers continued to pressure Merriman, but he kept them from scoring again. The Engineers did get the ball in the Wanderers' zone late in the game, but were unable to tie the score. The Wanderers won the first ever FA Cup with a 1-0 win.

They were presented with the FA Challenge Cup on April 11 by President E.C. Morley.

The Wanderers defended the FA Cup by winning it again in 1873 as well, and three times in a row from 1876-78. The team officially disbanded in 1883 after many schools had begun to establish their own clubs at the time. Charles Wollaston was the only one on the team for their five FA Cup wins.

The Engineers would win their only FA Cup in 1875, and played in three other Finals. They were also noted as being the first team to travel doing so in 1873 by making trips to Nottingham and Sheffield amongst other venues. They have maintained their amateur status since the 1890s and play mostly armed forces teams since that time.

The 2008 winners of the FA Cup was Portsmouth FC. They lost 2-0 in the 4th round of this year's FA Cup against Swansea City. The FA Cup Final will be held in May after the season in the Premier League is concluded. In the United States, coverage of these games are split between Setanta Sports North America and the FOX Soccer Channel because both own rights to broadcast them.

The Cup Final, as it is commonly referred to by England, will be held at world renowned Wembley Stadium on May 30, 2009. From 1923-2000, Wembley Stadium hosted the FA Cup Final. Due to reconstruction of the new Wembley Stadium, the Final was held at Millennium Stadium in Cardiff from 2001-06 until it returned to the national stadium in 2007.

Many things have changed with the FA Cup since 1872, but this marked the beginning of the oldest football competition in the world that continues every year. And for that, the FA deserves credit where it is due.

Personally, I think it is cool how the field is determined because of the uniqueness in which you have zero idea who you will be drawn against. I certainly learned quite a bit about the tradition of this tournament as well as how it started.

If anyone wants more information about the Football Association, then visit their official site: FA Cup Archive

And even though none of us were alive then, I hope you enjoyed this sports history flashback!

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