College Athletes Owe You Not One Dime.

One of the things that drives me absolutely insane is an unearned sense of entitlement. Today’s culprits of exhibiting such behavior would be college football fans and writers who are dusting off their moral soap boxes to condemn Christian McCaffrey who has decided to sit out the very prestigious* Sun Bowl. 

He has a few more of these in him for free right?

Now I’ve gone on record numerous times saying that college athletes should be paid and not to be repetitive but if you want guys to play in a meaningless game then you should…PAY THEM. If you don’t pay them, you can’t be mad at them when they take the necessary steps to prepare for the next phase of their career. 

But Puma, they get paid in an education you may be saying. I will counter with this. Say you have a student who is on an academic scholarship. This student is also a teacher’s assistant. Now because this student is providing a service to the university they are given a stipend. The athlete is doing the same thing.

Nothing to see here...

They are providing a service to the university because merchandise; concessions and ticket sales bring in big dollars. But because there is no respect for athletes and they’re seen in a lot of cases as idiots lucky to be on campus, they should shut up and not look out for themselves. 

Even former players are chiming in on this ridiculous non story. Ezekiel Elliott, currently killing it for the Dallas Cowboys said “I would do anything to play one more time with my brothers in that scarlet and gray.” That’s funny to me because he could be playing in college right now had he not gone pro early. 

Run and get paid young man.

I’m not knocking that decision just as he shouldn’t knock McCaffrey or Leonard Fournette for taking care of their bodies and deciding to sit out a meaningless bowl game to get ready for the NFL combine. 

Also I’m not sure if people know this but you can get really hurt playing football. I know it was surprising to me too. 

A sight no one wants to see.

Just google Jaylon Smith. He was projected to be a top 5 pick which would have at worst given him a 4 year fully guaranteed contract worth 23.5 million dollars.  Then in a bowl game that ultimately was meaningless, he destroyed his knee, dropped to the second round and received a contract of 4 years, 6.5 million dollars with 4.5 million guaranteed. Now after seeing that how anyone can be against a kid protecting his interests and his family's interests?

I love to watch college football, truly I do, but if a guy who is putting his body on the line and not being fairly compensated wants to put himself first for a change Young Puma respects it. As we see with coaches leaving at the drop of hat it appears the athletes are finally realizing that loyalty in the eyes of the NCAA is a one way street.

*Not prestigious at all, actually ridiculous.*

The 2 Cold Scorpio Year End Awards of Excellence

Another trip around the sun almost completed and you know what that means...time for year end lists galore! This year I have decided to write one of my mildly recognized posts about the sweet science of professional wrestling. I have named my year end award after one of my favorite wrestlers from my childhood, the ridiculously athletic and always entertaining 2 Cold Scorpio.  

How could I not be a fan?

Rookie of the Year:

Matt Riddle (Evolve)

The master of the bromission is a legit badass as he began his career as an MMA fighter for UFC. He has easily made the transition to the world of professional wrestling and is currently tearing it up for Evolve Wrestling. He has the personality, style, and pedigree as a believable badass that no doubt will lead him to the WWE sooner rather than later.

Dear Lord.

Most Improved Wrestler:

The Revival (NXT)

This is a little bit of cheating as this is a tag team but hey I'll allow it. Dash and Dawson were two floundering acts in NXT when they were paired together and thus the Revival was born. A throwback to the old days of wrestling when as they would say "no flips, just fists." They are a modern day Brainbusters. Using old school moves and just flat out common sense usually they dominated the NXT tag team scene. Also their finisher, the Shatter Machine, is one of the best tag team finishers I have seen in quite a while.

Best Heel:

The Miz (WWE)

Ok before you rip my head off think about it. The job of a heel is to aggravate and annoy your baby faces and crowd. Who does that better than the Miz? From his cocky Hollywood persona to his constant use of his wife as a distraction to win, there has not been a better heel than the Miz. Seriously, watch him verbally eviscerate everyone's favorite Daniel Bryan on the mic so bad that people though that this was real. 

Best Face:

Bayley (WWE)

 Sweet wholesome Bayley (aka wrestling bae #2) was a no brainer for the best face of WWE. The plucky under dog who was always a fan and is living her dream. While she is a ridiculously talented wrestler and her and wrestling bae #1 Sasha Banks have put on classics, it's her infectious smile and happiness, not to mention her motto of "hug life" that ensures she is the face of the women's division for many years to come.

Wrestler of the Year: 

Kenny Omega (New Japan)

There was no doubt in my mind when I was trying to decide who would be my wrestler of the year. Kenny Omega seized control of the Bullet Club in January and has been on a remarkable run which I wouldn't be surprised ended with a world title run. The Cleaner made an amazing run in New Japan's biggest tournament and turned in a classic against Hiroki Goto in the finals. Not to mention he is completely into his own gimmick.

Don't mind The Cleaner.

Top 3 Matches of the Year:

3. Cedric Alexander vs Kota Ibushi (Cruiserweight Classic)

For years Cedric Alexander has been a good wrestler. This year he became a great wrestler. He left Ring of Honor, lost 30 pounds and became a cruiserweight. Against one of the hottest free agents in the world Kota Ibushi I knew it would be good, I was wrong. This was flat out amazing. For 20 minutes they went back and forth trading acrobatic moves and power moves until Ibushi was able to finally put away Alexander with the Golden Star Power Bomb. 5 stars all around.

2. Shinuske Nakamura vs Samoa Joe (Takeover: Brooklyn)

Nakamura is one of my favorite wrestlers in the world and if Samoa Joe is motivated there is no better monster heel in the world. What happened in Brooklyn was a hard hitting, jaw dropping display of the stiff Japanese style that both wrestlers have become famous for. Although my favorite part may have been Nakamura's entrance accompanied by a live violinist. Quite apropos for the man known as Swagsuke.

1. Kenny Omega vs Tetsuya Naito (New Japan G1 Climax)

As you can tell I am a huge fan of Kenny Omega, Naito I was less familiar with but damn I am all in now. He is the leader of the faction Los Ingobernables de Japon translated to the Ungovernables, a group who could care less about wins and losses and more about chaos. Together they put together a completely dynamic and unpredictable match in the semis of the G1 Climax tourney. Naito was quite adept at reversing many of Omega's moves and for my money no one in the world mixes power and acrobatic moves better than Omega. By far my favorite match of the year.

Holy. Crap.

Well there you have it. Maybe I'll crank out some more posts before the year's end but if not allow me to say it's been real 2016. May 2017 be gentle, please for the love of God be gentle.

The What If All Stars

So I was sitting and the news came across that Rob Gronkowski had another back injury that was going to potentially keep him out for 2 months. This made me think about historically could he be on his way to the “What If” All-Stars. Now this is a sad list of people that you always preface their career with “what if they stayed healthy.” And as my mind is wont to do it wandered over to basketball and who could be considered the NBA’s version of this. So without further ado I present to you, the NBA all time starting 5 of What If All Stars.

Point Guard: Penny Hardaway

Growing up Michael Jordan was my favorite basketball player. Coming in right behind him was Penny Hardaway.

He was a modern day Magic Johnson. A 6’7 point guard who was able to score at will if he wanted to, but seemed to find more joy in setting up teammates to score. But after a trade to Phoenix he was plagued with feet injuries before having two microfracture surgeries on his knees effectively ending the explosive playmaker we had grown accustomed to seeing. 

Shooting Guard: Ron Harper

When people talk about Ron Harper now they think of the veteran who came in and played great defense and was the starting point guard on the greatest team in NBA history (shout out to the 96 Chicago Bulls) I think few realize that he was a pretty dynamic scoring guard in his own right. Easily averaging over 20 points a game with Cleveland and later on the Clippers, an acl tear zapped him of the explosiveness that was so integral to his game.

Small Forward: Drazen Petrovic

Drazen was already killing it in Europe before coming to the NBA but when he got here….man. When he became a starter in New Jersey after a brief stint in Portland Petrovic was that dude. Averaged over 20 points and more than held his own against the elite players of the league. Unfortunately a car accident extinguished his flame before we ever truly got to see how great he could be. 

Power Forward: Len Bias

You want someone who could do it all? Len Bias could do it all. Without a doubt a once in a generation player the man who could defend, rebound, shoot, dunk, and even tape ankles if you needed him to was going to extend the Celtics reign of dominance. Instead a cocaine overdose ensured that he would never get that opportunity to truly showcase his skills. He was  only 22 years old.

Center: Greg Oden

Talking about a man amongst boys, Greg Oden completely overpowered the college game from a defensive stand point and was beginning to do so from an offensive stand point.It was a no brainer that he was the top overall pick. Then as was the case with another Portland draft pick Sam Bowie, the injuries began to pile up. Zapped of his mobility and footwork he became a slow plodding player who never really recovered. 

Well there you have it. Guys who had things gone another way could have altered the landscape of the NBA but alas we shall ever know.

Finding Happiness in the Midst of the Sadness

The world has changed quite a bit since the last time I blogged here. I’m not going to go into the particulars of the election but needless to say I was a bit crushed by the end result. I gave myself a day to just be filled with sadness. Not at the election of racist, sexist and xenophopic marshmallow peep of a man, but more so at myself for believing that it wouldn’t happen. I allowed myself to feel like this country cared about people like me. Well message received.  Needless to say this kind of feeling does not leave one with the warm and fuzzies on the inside so I have begun to focus more on the things and people that bring joy to my world, because I’ll be damned if a walking cheeto is going to deprive the world of this glorious damn smile.

5. Basketball.

I was going to say Chicago Bulls basketball, then UNC basketball but as I write this currently I am watching a replay of Idaho vs Northern Illinois and have to come to grips with the fact that if basketball is on, there is a 89.75% chance that I am going to stop what I am doing to watch it.

Where the obsession began.

I can remember playing on a Fisher Price hoop at a quite young age against my older sister who had a ridiculous crush on Isaiah Thomas and just watching the game brings me back to that moment when I realized that no matter what basketball was going to be a love of mine for all time. 

4. Professional Wrestling

I’ve written numerous times about the love I have for professional wrestling. Believe it or not the Puma was not a very confident child, pretending to be Ric Flair, Sting and Ron Simmons made walking around the playground during recess a lot less intimidating. Not to mention some of my earliest memories is watching wrestling with my grandparents particularly with my grandmother as her favorite Dusty Rhodes battled with Ric Flair and the Four Horsemen. And with any mention of Dusty Rhodes you know I am going to show the greatest promo of all times…HARD TIMES.

3. Podcasts

I am a voracious listener of podcasts. Whether I’m cutting my lawn or cooking a meal for the Lady Puma I can no do these simple tasks in silence.  Listening to shows like TheBlack Guy Who Tips, Three Guys On, Jenkins and Jonez and of course the BodegaBoys has brought me an immense amount of joy. They are able to use humor while also striking a serious tone when need be. If you are looking for a welcome escape I definitely suggest giving any of these a listen. 

2. The Joy of Black People

I know a lot of people will say that things like the #UNameItChallenge or the Mannequin challenge or watching a tv show are a distraction from real world issues. I for one do not subscribe to said line of thinking. The world is  full of enough depressing things, I think it's healthy to sometimes just say screw it and have some fun. I promise you all those depressing things will still be there. when you're done having fun.

And I'm sure you're all wondering what is the number one thing that has kept me sane...

1. My wife and my upgrade.
Yes surprise, surprise. My truly better half has been the consistent bright spot in these troubling times. And the fact that she is carrying the Chocolate Cub has also filled a brother's heart with joy. No matter how much of a dumpster fire the world can be I think about that kid coming in the spring and I smile. Just a little bit of a spoiler alert people, if you think I am amazing (which you undoubtedly do), prepare to have your world rocked because my upgrade is going to blow your mind all over your face. So go ahead and get your affairs in order because this kid is about to DOMINATE.

Well folks that's all I got. I'll leave you with this, please don't forget to laugh in these times. Until next time be more like me because...

No Mercy Preview

Time for my first preview and predictions of a SmackDown exclusive pay per view. The blue brand has been a little more consistent in terms of storytelling and having some better feuds so far but it has not been without a few hiccups but I'll get into that soon enough my sweet sweet treasures.

Preshow:
Jack Swagger vs Baron Corbin

Sigh...I guess we're gonna continue this feud huh? When I saw Swagger was coming to SmackDown I thought good for him. Then I saw him paired against Baron Corbin and thought huh? Now after 3 weeks of this back and forth my feelings are as followed:


Winner: Baron Corbin (I guess) 

Curt Hawkins vs TBD
I'm actually a fan of Curt Hawkins but this new Chuck Norris-esque gimmick is quite confusing. If he comes out spouting crazy facts but is actually delusional and keeps getting squashed it could be funny. I do think he is too good of a wrestler for that to happen but hey who knows. Frankly I think he could be used as a great addition to the tag team division. I'm sure Joey Mercury can team up with him and still take a bump.

Nikki Bella vs Carmella

That can't be good for the neck.

 So this has not been a bad feud to get Nikki Bella back into the swing of things. Pitting her against Carmella makes story line sense the way it was presented and has turned her into baby face simply by being on the ass end of a few ass kickings. That said, it's been so one sided that I imagine Nikki will go over here and thus begin her inevitable heel turn against Becky Lynch which is essentially a rite of passage for all women wrestlers these days. 

Winner: Nikki Bella

Randy Orton vs Bray Wyatt

A match that on paper should be great. But the build up to this one...woof. Rambling promos from Bray, boring nonsense from Randy, weird ass back stage vignettes, wake me up when this feud is over. And that really is a shame. Randy is one of the best wrestlers of his era and Bray has a charisma and moveset that can't be matched. Given that he's lost his last few pay per views I'll guess Bray Wyatt is going to pick up the win but who the hell knows how they will play this one.
Winner: Bray Wyatt

The Miz vs Dolph Ziggler (Intercontinental Championship or Ziggler's Career)

Thankfully this is not the scheduled match for Sunday.

 This has been surprisingly entertaining. Dolph Ziggler as the plucky under dog is a role he can play very well given his ability to make anyone look great in the ring. As for the Miz...who could have predicted that I would be excited to see the Miz on tv ever really. And the ether he dropped on Daniel Bryan a few months back? My Lord. He has been the top heel on SmackDown. This may shock some people but I'm guessing the Miz's reign continues and Dolph returns in a few months repackaged with a new gimmick.
Winner: The Miz 

Heath Slater and Rhyno vs The Usos (tag Team Championship)

You guys deserve all the cheese and crackers.

First off let me say I am extremely shocked that I am saying this but I am loving Heath Slater and Rhyno. They play off each other so well and I think it's amazing that Heath Slater after getting squashed for years is finally getting his shine. That said the evil Usos are just too damn hot to not get the title on them and it pains me to say this but having American Alpha chase them for the title is a much more compelling story line. 

Winner: The Usos

Alexa Bliss vs Becky Lynch (SmackDown Women's Championship)

Now this is going to be an entertaining match. From a technical stand point few can hang with Becky Lynch. And I dare say she throws possibly the best t-bone suplex male or female in the WWE. 

Alexa Bliss in her new Harley Quinn inspired gimmick is close to moving to 3rd string bae behind Bayley (Sasha Banks will always be # 1) and has the perfect mannerisms of a disgusted heel. Because the title is so new and Alexa is still not quite there I think Becky wins and sets herself up for a heel turn from Nikki Bella.

Winner: Becky Lynch

John Cena vs Dean Ambrose vs AJ Styles

I have never been a fan of John Cena. In the ring the guy is dynamite, but his personality was just too cheesy and corny. Now he is being this kind of shitty guy while still being a face and it kind of works. Dean Ambrose has gone from being this super wacky guy to deliriously unhinged in the same mold as Brian Pillman which works for me as well.

Please break the skull mask from Japan out.

As for the face that runs the place AJ Styles...he has been maybe the best wrestler in the world since leaving TNA. I expect this to be the match of the night in all honesty.  I expect AJ Styles to keep the title as he is just too on fire currently and has never been more popular. 

Winner: AJ Styles 

Well there you have it wrestling fans, surely by the law of averages all of these can't be wrong.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Is Not A Racial Pokemon

I’m sure I’m not the first person who has noticed this, but whenever the topic of Black Lives Matter or more accurately whenever some black people protest (because Black Lives Matter is an organization, not all black people who protest or active in the community is a member of said organization but that’s another story) you inevitably will hear this talking point. “Martin Luther King Jr. would have…” This my friends drives me crazy for more than a few reasons that I will gladly list it for you. 

1. MLK ain't my daddy. 

One of my favorite podcasts is Negroes With A Podcast. In one of the episodes one of the hosts Vann Newkirk, a really dope writer from the Atlantic, made a great off the cuff remark that stuck with me. "MLK ain't my daddy." Why is it that he is thrown in to every black person's face when the topic of race is discussed? This is by no means any shade to Dr. King or his legacy but he was a man and it is possible to disagree with his opinion.

2. The masses didn't like MLK like they do now.
Today he is the universally beloved civil rights leader of yore. At the time he was reviled by opponents of equal rights and see as a trouble maker who was making too much noise. He was constantly under surveillance by the F.B.I. and in one particularly disturbing correspondence vaguely urged to kill himself. Seriously.

3. He protested "the right way." 

People like to talk about MLK and his acts of protest as if they were well received and well respected by those he was trying to reach. That could not be further from truth. All those claiming to want people to do it the right way bring up his marches and non violent ways yet constantly fail to bring up how he was physically attacked, spit on, and eventually assassinated.

4. Using one line from the "I Have A Dream" speech ignoring all of his other works.
Whenever racial strife or speaking of inequality you inevitable will be hit with a line from the "I Have A Dream Speech."

Not the only speech he ever gave.

 Undoubtedly that is one of the greatest speeches ever, but Dr. King said so much more. For people who question how someone can riot in their own neighborhood King once said: "It is not enough for me to stand before you tonight and condemn riots. It would be morally irresponsible for me to do that without, at the same time, condemning the contingent, intolerable conditions that exist in our society. These conditions are the things that cause individuals to feel that they have no other alternative than to engage in violent rebellions to get attention. And I must say tonight that a riot is the language of the unheard." The point is situations are nuanced, there isn't a single quote from King or anyone for that matter that can be used as a band aid on any situation.

Dr. King is a hero of mine, hell he should be a hero of all of ours but to trot him out only to try and shut people of color up is quite stupid. Read more than just the "I Have A Dream" speech and for God's sake listen when people are telling you their experiences.