Moving

After three months here on blogger Take It 2 The Barn is moving. I am looking to take my blog in a more professional direction while I look into writing for some newspapers in the area. The blog will now be at Word Press. Here's the new address.

http://jwoodson213.wordpress.com/

Controversy or Choke?

Last night the Denver Nuggets took a 3-0 lead over the Dallas Mavericks with a 106-105 win. Nuggets star Carmello Anthony hit a three pointer at the end of the game when Antoine Wright tried to foul him which won the game for Denver. After the game the NBA apologized for the missed call. The question is was it a missed call?

The Mavericks could have avoided this by telling the ref they planned on fouling. That way the referees are expecting it and the call is made. Antoine Wright should also learn to not throw his arms in the air like he didn't foul if your trying to get a foul called. You can blame the refs all you want. The Mavericks are the one's who deserve the blame. I found a quote on ESPN that sums last night's situation up perfect. Antoine Wright only wanted the foul after the 3 got made; otherwise he'd have argued he didn't foul.

That's why he threw his arms in the air like he didn't foul. Then once the shot was made he argued. On top of that Mark Cuban proved once again he is the most classless owner in any sport. NBA needs to throw a fine his way and to Josh Howard as well for him arguing after the game. It's not the NBA's fault the Dallas Mavericks put together great teams every year and then come playoffs they choke. Face it Mark Cuban, your Mavericks are choke artists. Don't blame the refs for your team giving up a lead with under a minute.

The Mavericks will be lucky to win a game in this series. I expect the Nuggets to end it in 4 or 5 games.

The Jobber

This is the first edition of The Jobber. This will be the latest edition to Take It 2 The Barn. I will focus on news surrounding pro wrestling. Let's get started.

WWE Star Considering Retiring?

Dave Batista is considering retiring from WWE when his contract expires next year. Batista was interviewed by the UK Sun and once again brought up the prospect of retirement.

"I realize that I am closer to the end of my career than I am to the beginning. It's something I’m really going to have to take a look at. I don’t want to hang around past my welcome. I also don’t want to hang around to the point where I’m so beat up that it’s hard for me to get out of bed. I don’t want to be that guy."

Batista's contract expires next spring. Batista has stated he would like to go out as a heel but there are no plans for a turn as of right now. WWE announcer Jim Ross responded to Batista considering retirement in his blog.

"Been reading where Batista may retire in a year or so but I'd bet that won't happen. Unless Batista has saved a boat load of cash I say he stays in WWE and makes more of those big pay days and 7 figure years. Big Dave likes the good life, who doesn't, but the "good life" isn't facilitated w/ coupons. Dave's value to WWE, considering especially the overall lack of main event depth may never be greater. I know I thoroughly enjoy my paychecks even thought I feel I'm underpaid (who doesn't?)and hope to successfully negotiate a new contract w/ WWE when the time comes later in 2009. Hey, we ALL feel like we're under paid, right?"

I got to agree with Good Ole JR on this. Batista likes the good life. Now the thing is with Batista's injury history he could take the road Kurt Angle took. Going to TNA would allow Batista to continue to wrestle but on a lighter schedule. I just don't see Batista being done wrestling this soon.

Former WWE Wrestler At Impact

TNA Wrestling's Jeremy Borash is reporting he met former WWE wrestler Elijah Burke backstage at the Impact taping. Burke is free to compete since his 90 day no work clause expired earlier this year. It will be interesting to see if he signs with TNA. I was always a fan of Elijah Burke.

Former WCW Headliner Contacts TNA

Dennis Rodman contacted TNA about possibly working for them. With Rodman's substance abuse problems I don't see him joining TNA. Rodman was the first winner of Hulk Hogan's Celebrity Wrestling. Danny Bonaduce competed on there as well.

On an ending note I will wish Brooke Hogan a Happy Birthday. Hulk's daughter Brooke celebrated her 21st birthday with Hulk and family friend Eric Bischoff in Vegas.

NBA To Name Lebron MVP Over Kobe

Lebron James will be named the NBA's MVP later today. The Cavs have called a news conference for 4pm at Lebron James high school Alma Mater St. Vincent-St. Mary High School.

The announcement comes one day before the Cavs open there second round series against the Atlanta Hawks. Lebron's team mates are expected to attend as well.

The Cavs swept the Detroit Pistons in the opening round of the playoffs. James averaged 28.4 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 7.2 assists this season. The Cavs are the Eastern Conference top seed after winning 66 games.

James also was second in the Defensive Player of the Year award voting behind Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard. At 23 years old Lebron is the third youngest to win MVP behind Moses Malone and Wes Unseld. James was in a close battle for the MVP award with Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade and LA Lakers guard Kobe Bryant.

With Lebron winning MVP and his coach Mike Brown winning coach of the year, its only the 4Th time in NBA history that the team with the NBA's best record also won those awards. In 2004-2005 Mike D'Antoni and Steve Nash won the awards. The 1995-1996 Chicago Bulls who won 72 games are the only one of those teams to also win an NBA Championship.

The Cavs are the favorites to win the East and possibly set up a NBA Finals against Kobe Bryant and the Lakers. Time will tell how this unfolds.

More FSU Off Field Problems

The problems off the field for the once great Florida State Seminoles football team continued today. Seminoles wide out Cameron Wade a 6-6 209 pound wide out was arrested for missing a court hearing.

Wade was arrested along with Bert Reed in November for misdemeanor battery for an on campus fight. It is claimed that Wade threw the first punch. Wade insists a fraternity brother raised his hand to strike a team mate and he retaliated.

The Seminoles have had several wide receivers in trouble lately. Earlier this month, Rod Owens was suspended indefinitely after he was charged with DUI, and the NCAA denied Corey Surrency another year of eligibility. Former Florida State receiver Preston Parker was dismissed from the team earlier this year after his third arrest since 2006. Reed was suspended last year for missing class and ultimately was suspended three times in a one-month period. Surrency was suspended twice last year. Parker and Greg Carr are no longer with the team, and Taiwan Easterling was sidelined this spring with a ruptured Achilles.

This doesn't include the scandal in which Florida State head coach Bobby Bowden had 14 wins removed. The Seminoles face 4 years probation. The Seminoles gave up 5 football scholarships to the NCAA. The penalties are the worst since the NCAA gave the SMU Mustangs team the Death Penalty for a recruiting scandal.

So how does FSU fix this? It's sad to see Bobby Bowden's legacy tarnished for something he had nothing to do with. It's hard seeing Bowden being able to fix this. I would recommend just walking away while he still can. Bring Jimbo Fisher in as head coach and clean house. Any players that are seen as problems for the University need to be removed. The Seminoles are quickly turning into the Miami Hurricanes of the 90's. Show the NCAA you are taking a positive approach to this. Most importantly get the Seminoles back to the top of college football where they belong.

It hurts seeing a team that was once so good struggle like this. Being a Seminoles fan also makes it even worse. I just hope they can get this under control sooner than later.

NBA Coddles A Star

It was just a few months ago that Orlando Magic's choke artist coach Stan Van Gundy cried after Shaq flopped for the first time in his career. I would love to hear his explanation for his star players Dwight Howard's blatant cheap shot on Samuel Dalembert.

During Tuesday night's game Dwight Howard elbowed Dalembert in the head. According to the NBA rulebook this calls for an automatic ejection. What the rulebook doesn't say is if your name is Dwight Howard the rules don't apply to you. Howard received a technical foul. Pretty much a slap on the wrist.

What I wanna know is this. What happens when Dwight Howard, Lebron James, or Kobe Bryant get hit in the head. I'll tell you what happens. The player who did it gets ejected so the NBA or National Bullsh*t Association can protect it's stars.

I have been watching the playoffs but with this and the fact that everyone knows the Lakers will play the Cavs in the finals have ended the playoffs early for me. I'll stick to watching the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Maybe someday David Stern will prove he isn't the worst commissioner in pro sports.

Reaction To Rossen

Barely a day or two after lauding former WWE acrobat Bobby Lashley for entering MMA with humility -- he’s been content to enter the sport through the service entrance, fighting in smaller shows against lower-tier competition -- he has to go and ruin it.

Lashley popped up during something called “TNA Lockdown” Sunday night, which appears to be professional wrestling slang for “embarrassment to the human race.” Lashley greeted former WWE pal Kurt Angle in the ring. I assume some poorly performed theater for the hygiene-challenged ensued.

Lashley can obviously do as he pleases to earn a buck, but I don’t think his hybrid career will do the sport of MMA in the U.S. any favors. It’s a deranged spectacle, full of drug-addled performers taxing their adrenal glands in a poorly scripted imitation of athletics.

Max von Sydow had the quote in a Woody Allen film: “Can you imagine the level of a mind that watches wrestling?”

I really don’t want to try.

- Jake Rossen (jrossen@sherdog.com)

I recently read a blog a friend on myspace wrote about Jake Rossen comments above. After reading what Rossen had to say only one thing comes to mind. Jake Rossen is a f**king idiot. When you make a comment about "something called TNA Lockdown" that proves you don't have a clue what your talking about. Your just a bias MMA loyalist who is narrow minded.

I doubt Bobby Lashley cared if him being a two sport guy in Pro Wrestling and MMA had a major effect on the MMA industry. What he cares about is feeding his family. Both pay him money which pays his bills. I am going to take a guess that TNA is paying him more than MMA also.

When you look around MMA there are tons of guys who are one dimensional. Guys who rely on a single discipline to fight. One of those disciplines is amateur wrestling. Something many MMA fighters and Pro Wrestlers have backgrounds in. Pro wrestlers such as Scott Steiner, Rick Steiner, Bobby Lashley, Charlie Haas, Shelton Benjamin, Jake Hager (Jack Swagger), Kurt Angle, and UFC's own Brock Lesnar were standout wrestlers in college. I would love to see you find a better wrestler than Olympic Gold Medalist Kurt Angle. He was a better wrestler than your precious UFC Champion Brock Lesnar ever was. Lesnar had a lot of hype going into the UFC because of the WWE. Last I checked pro wrestling is one of the most watched TV shows, not UFC. All the pro wrestlers I mentioned above have just as much being successful in MMA as street fighter Kimbo Slice. Kimbo was spoon fead opponents. The guy is a joke. Would I get in the ring with him? No, but I'll get Mike Tyson and see who wins a fist fight.

As far as your drug addled performers comment is concerned here's something to think about. Evan Tanner was found dead in a desert. He had drug and alcohol problems. Justin "Executioner" Levens shot his wife, then himself too. Steroids are just as big a problem in MMA as in wrestling. Josh Barnett is a steroid user. Chris Leban and MMA Legend Royce Gracie are as well. Ken Shamrock competed in both sports and was on steroids. James Irvin tested positive for narcotics. Drug and alcohol use is always gonna be a problem in EVERY sport.

With wrestling being scripted there is no worries about cheating or ruining the integrity of the sport. Cant say the same about fighters greasing there bodies in MMA can you? A referee is claiming to have greased "The Best P4P Fighter" Anderson Silva in his title fight at UFC 97. Try taking a poll for MMA fans and see how many are also wrestling fans. I bet it is over 50%. Those so called "low class" fans your talking about also watch your sport.

I don't write stuff about soccer even if I don't like it because I have no knowledge on it. Maybe you should do that when it comes to wrestling. Stick to writing MMA but don't bash a sport you know nothing about. I am a fan of both MMA and wrestling. I can give my opinions on both. Your just biased towards your sport and your opinion on wrestling is garbage.

Lethal Lockdown

Every year TNA brings wrestling fans Lethal Lockdown. A pay per view where every match is held in six sides of steel. For awhile I hadn't watched wrestling but have recently started watching it again. I was always a TNA fan. I didn't order the pay per view since I don't like to spend $50 to watch wrestling but I followed a web cast. The show was held in my home state of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. This was interesting since this is a nice hardcore pay per view in the home of ECW. Team 3D were in ECW and in my opinion TNA puts on a better hardcore program than WWE ruining the ECW legacy every week. So lets take a look into the nights events.

The pre show featured Eric Young vs Philly's own Danny Bonaduce who had Johnny Fairplay's tooth on a necklace. He claims to have broke Fairplay's jaw and took his tooth. Eric Young was able to get the win with a roll up pin but was attacked by Bonaduce after the match with numb chucks. Rhino made the save and delivered a Gore.

After this the official show begins. Team 3D cuts a promo on Philly being where they got there start. With there ECW background they are heavy favorites tonight. I'm interested to see if Beer Money gets a push from Team 3D or if TNA goes with proving Team 3D is the greatest tag team ever.

Suicide (c) vs. Black Machismo vs. Sheik Abdul Bashir vs. Consequences Creed vs. Kiyoshi

X Division Xscape Match For The X Championship

As far as everyone knows Suicide is Frankie Kazarian tonight. The match was full of action. Kiyoshi was the first to be eliminated after a double team move from Lethal Consequences as Jay Lethal hit the elbow drop for the three count. Creed would be the next to go out after Bashir hit a DDT for the pin. Bashir would later eliminate Jay Lethal and leave him and Suicide in the ring. Suicide and Bashir battle near the top of the cage but a headbutt sent Bashir falling to the canvas. Kiyoshi tried to climb the cage to interfere but security saved the day. Suicide would then dive off the cage onto Kiyoshi to win the match. Great match. X Division really puts on a show. Winner and still champion, Suicide.

ODB vs. Madison Rayne vs. Daffney vs. Sojo Bolt

Six Sides Of Steel: Queen Of The Cage Match

Not a match I was looking forward to or anyone was for that matter. Rather boring match. Daffney looked like a freak as usual. ODB would pick up the win with a power slam on Sojo Bolt.

The Motor City Machine Guns (c) vs. No Limit vs. LAX

Six Sides Of Steel: New Japan Jr. Tag Team Title Match

This was a match I had some interest in. I'm a big fan of LAX and The Guns. I'd like to see the Motor City Machine Guns get a bigger push from TNA. The match as expected was full of double teams. Actually made the match kinda dull for me. Naito would be the Machine Guns victim as they would retain there titles. Really not a fan of the Japan belts being in TNA but what ever.

Abyss vs. Matt Morgan

Six Sides Of Steel: Doomsday Chamber Of Blood

This is a match I was excited about. I really liked Abyss when he was with James Mitchell and think TNA messed up splitting them apart. Abyss was a great heel. During the match you had to make your opponent bleed before a pin fall could be made. Matt Morgan would gain the advantage early when he delivered the big boot into a chair to Abyss' face busting the monster open early. Abyss would lose a lot of blood during the match and attempted pin falls before Morgan was busted open. The broken glass would come into play during this match as Morgan would be cut open with it. I always said a 7 footer who climbs the ropes never means good. Matt Morgan would take out referee Andrew Thomas which probably saved the match for him as Abyss landed the black hole slam with the ref down. Slick Johnson came in to count but only got a 2 count. Abyss tried to get a chair but Dr. Stevie who was revealed as Stevie Richards took it from him as the crowd chanted E-C-W. Matt Morgan following a Carbon Footprint low blowed Abyss after Richards slapped Abyss several times and told him No More Violence. Morgan hit the power bomb on to the thumbtacks and won the match. Richards retreated to the back but I like where this is headed. Richards vs Abyss could be a good extreme feud to watch.

Awesome Kong (c) vs. Angelina Love vs. Taylor Wilde

Six Sides Of Steel: TNA Knockouts Women's Championship

I had pretty much predicted this match from the start. The crowd was dead during this boring match. Kong got her hair tied to the cage and ended up kicking Taylor Wilde who tried to help her. This allowed Angelina Love to get the pin and become the new Knockouts Champion. All I can say is its about time.

Beer Money, Inc. (c) vs. Team 3D (c)

Six Sides Of Steel: Philly Street Fight - Title vs. Title

With the exception of Lethal Lockdown match this was the match I was most looking forward to. Team 3D entered the ring through the crowd like ECW. These guys fought everywhere during this street fight. In the crowd, luxury boxes, you name it. Brother Ray was the first to bleed after he was put through a table. Lots of action in this match. Beer Money worked great together. Roode felt the Bubba Bomb from the top rope and Team 3D hit the Whats Up to get the victory. Beer Money attacked Team 3D after the match but a miscue locked Roode inside the cage with Team 3D as he was put through a table at the crowd's request.

Team Angle (Kurt Angle, Booker T, Scott Steiner, & Kevin Nash) vs. Team Jarrett (Jeff Jarrett, AJ Styles, Samoa Joe, & Christopher Daniels)

Six Sides Of Steel: Lethal Lockdown Match

Kurt Angle and Christopher Daniels who fought on Thursday during Impact started the match off. Lots of chain wrestling from the two as they are two of the best wrestlers in the world. Booker T would be next into the match as Team Angle double teamed Daniels until AJ Styles entered. Team Jarrett was able to gain control during this segment. The crowd really booed Daniels while he was fighting Angle. Scott Steiner entered next and took out Daniels and Styles with Steiner Lines. he hit Daniels with a belly to belly from middle rope after that. One of my all time favorite moves was then delivered to Styles as Steiner hit the Frankensteiner. Samoa Joe is next but is seen talking in the back with someone. He makes his way to the ring finally and cleans house. Kevin Nash was next and him and Samoa Joe battled for awhile. Nice history between these two. Jarrett enters last and the roof and weapons are lowered. All hell breaks loose. Jeff Jarrett then tried hitting his partner AJ Styles with a chair but blamed Booker T and blasted Booker with a guitar shot. AJ pinned Booker to win the match. Should be interesting to see where the Jarrett and Styles angle goes.

Sting (c) vs. Mick Foley

Six Sides Of Steel: TNA Championship Match

I am a huge fan of matches that go back to the WCW days. I remember watching these two on Clash of the Champions or Nitro. Long time ago so I cant remember. Promotional video of how this match came about is shown. I wasn't beaming with joy over this main event though. I still feel TNA needs to push younger guys and could use there vets to do that. These two guys should not be a main event title match. There was alot of heat on Foley despite being in the home of ECW. He kicked a camera man through the cage, threw a ref down and attacked Sting with the barb wire bat. Foley looked pretty good in this match. He locked the Scorpion Death Lock on Sting. Both wrestlers were cut up from the barb wire bat. The turning point came when the legendary "Mr. Socko" returned and was wrapped in barb wire. Foley delivered punches to Sting as both climbed out of the cage. Foley escaped first becoming the new TNA World Champion.

The pay per view was a decent show. The Tag Team Title, Lethal Lockdown, and World Title were all great matches. My favorite part of the night was the return of Bobby Lashley. I'm am interested to see what kind of storyline he gets into. My overall grade for the show is a B+. The final matches of the night really lifted the show.

UFC 97: Redemption

UFC 97 received a lot of hype with Anderson Silva defending his title for a 9th time against Thales Leites. The fight between Chuck Liddell and Shogun Rua had potential to steal the show.

The pay per view started off with Luis Cruz vs Steve Cantwell. The fight went to a decision and Cruz won in 3 rounds. Wasn't a very exciting fight. I found it to be the least interesting fight of the night.

The welterweight fight with Sam Stout and Matt Wiman also went to a decision but was much more interesting. Stout controlled the first 2 rounds but Wiman looked very sharp in the final round despite being clearly out of gas. He was close to getting in several submission but came up short in his efforts. Sam Stout would win by decision.

The middle of the card featured some real good excitement. Former Ultimate Fighter contestant Krzysztof Soszynski submitted Brian Stann with a Kimura in the first round. Soszynski is a fighter I really like. His arm bars are very deadly and he could be a fighter to watch.

One of my favorite fighters Cheick Kongo continued to work his way to a title shot with a TKO of Antoni Hardonk. The fighters were identical in size but Kongo had a lot more experience. Kongo continues to keep winning and with an impressive win over Mirko Cro Cop he could face the winner of the Heavyweight Championship after UFC 100. He's is an exciting striker to watch. Not sure how well he matches up with Frank Mir's ground game but I would go with Kongo over Lesnar. We'll just have to wait and see.

I had a feeling before the fight the Chuck Liddell vs Mauricio Rua would steal the show. The fight was a real solid fight. It is important to note I predicted all the winners of the event tonight. I liked Rua in this fight simply because Chuck Liddell doesn't protect his chin. His arms are wide and he will often drop his hands. This leads to knockouts like what happen when he fought Rashad Evans. I thought Liddell looked very good in this fight landing some great punches. Shogun's kicks took a toll on Chuck however as he was limping in the opening round. Shogun would knockout Liddell 4:28 seconds into the opening round after a punch knocked Chuck down and Rua followed with some hammer fists. That four plus minutes was twice the excitement you got out of the next fights 5 rounds however!

Anderson Silva came into tonight's fight looking to break the UFC record for 9 straight title defenses. Thalas Leites was supposed to be a guy who could upset Silva. Instead we got 5 rounds of Leites falling on the ground and stalling. The fans during the fight chanted bullshit and booed. I don't blame Silva he did the best with what he had to work with. Leites in no way deserved to be a main event fighter. The guy is a shrub. Silva throughout the fight taunted and showboated but even then Leites wouldn't come after him. The fight would go to the cards and Silva would retain his belt. Not many people would have expected this to go to the judges but it did.

For the main event I thought this was debatable if it was even the third best fight of the night. It was upsetting to watch. I'm a big fan of Silva and would love to see him get a quality opponent like Georges St. Pierre or move up to 205 for good. A lot of people will dog Silva for his last two fights but I don't see that he had much to work with. An opponent who falls to the ground around two dozen times helps you in no way what so ever.

I think Dana White should have a nice sit down with Leites after the embarrassment of a fight he put up. Overall I only saw the fight as a B- at best. Not one of the better pay per views from UFC I have seen. The fight did feature an emotional event after Chuck Liddell lost and walked by fans in what could have been his last fight. Chuck has meant so much to the sport but I'm not sure he has anything left. Continuing to fight and lose only tarnishes his great legacy.

John Madden Retires

Hall of Famer John Madden retired from sports broadcasting today. His down to earth style made him one of the most loved broadcasters in sports.

Madden spent 3 season on NBC's Sunday Night Football and he last broad casted during the Super Bowl.

"You know at some point you have to do this -- I got to that point," Madden said on his Bay Area radio show Thursday. "The thing that made it hard is not because I'm second guessing, `is it the right decision?' But I enjoyed it so damn much. I enjoyed the game and the players and the coaches and the film and the travel and everything."

Chris Collinsworth will move from NBC's studio show to take Madden's place. NBC Sports chief Dick Ebersol said Madden was "absolutely the best sports broadcaster who ever lived."

Madden is 73 years old but said his health is fine. His 50th wedding anniversary is this fall and wants to spend more time with his family.

Madden's football video game is the top selling game of all time. After retiring from coaching in 1979 in which he led the raiders to a Super Bowl win he became a broadcaster for CBS. he worked here until 1994. He joined Fox and stayed there until 2002 when he joined ABC's Monday Night Football. In 2006 he joined NBC to broadcast Sunday Night Football.

Ebersol flew to California and spent 11 hours with Madden trying to talk him out of retirement. He knew from the sound in John's voice he had made up his mind to retire.

"There is one thing football fans have agreed on for decades: they all love John Madden," NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement.

"John was a Hall of Fame coach before becoming one of the most-celebrated personalities in sports. He had an incredible talent for explaining the game in an unpretentious way that made it more understandable and fun.

"John's respect and passion for the game always stood out. He was the ultimate football fan who also happened to be an extraordinarily talented coach and broadcaster."

Very few times in a lifetime will you experience a truly amazing announcer. There are plenty of good one's. The greats are far and few in between. John Madden was one of those greats. There's a handful of announcers who during my lifetime I have truly enjoyed listening to. John Madden, the late Harry Kalas, and Charles Barkley are on that list. Sunday Night Football wont be the same without Madden.

Greg Paulus Waying Options In Football Career

Yesterday I wrote an article about Greg Paulus trying out with the Green Bay Packers. Paulus a former quarterback in high school is now weighing his options for a future in football.

Duke football coach David Cutcliffe has offered Paulus a tryout on the Duke football team. However the tryout is at wide receiver not quarterback. Duke's coach doesn't feel he could compete to start at quarterback since he hasn't played there in so long.

"We talked but there is no way he'd be able to compete to play for us at the quarterback position," Cutcliffe said during an Atlantic Coast Conference call. "It's just so difficult without playing quarterback for such a long time."

NCAA eligibility rules state athletes generally must sit out a year if they transfer from one school to another. Athletes are allowed to red shirt for medical or other reasons they are allowed 10 semesters of eligibility. Paulus was never a red shirt at Duke as an undergraduate transfer so he would be eligible to play football at another school.

It was confirmed that Paulus visited Ann Arbor on Tuesday. He spoke with Michigan head coach Rich Rodriguez about playing this season with the Wolverines. Paulus also watched the Michigan practice. Duke's football coach said Paulus would have a better shot playing quarterback in a spread offense like Michigan since he ran the spread in high school.

"To play at the NFL level he might have to add 30 pounds," Christian Brothers football coach Joe Casamento told ESPN's Joe Schad on Wednesday. "He could always throw it accurately and he's a smart winner and a leader, but where now is the arm strength?"

Casamento also spoke about Paulus playing at Michigan.

"I'm not sure the Michigan offense suits him," Casamento said. "We ran a spread, but a spread to pass. He might take some pounding in that offense. I understand Greg is keeping his options open, but I still believe basketball is his passion. When he chose basketball, he told me that one day he'd like to be a basketball coach."

Paulus said he had no regrets of choosing basketball over football when choosing to play at Duke.

Paulus Works Out For Packers

Duke Blue Devils point guard Greg Paulus who chose basketball over football out of high school is rumored to be working out for the Green Bay Packers.

It's not clear what position Paulus is working out for but it would appear to be quarterback. Paulus was a former Gatorade Player of the Year at Brothers Christian Academy. While at BCA Paulus was 42-3 as a starter, threw for 11,763 yards, and 152 touchdowns. He was a four time all state player and starter in the US Army game.

The 6-1 180 pound Paulus is the only one of his 5 siblings to choose basketball over football. His brother Ron was a quarterback at Notre Dame and his brother Mike is now a quarterback at North Carolina. Paulus said he has no regret going with basketball however.

"I wanted to play point guard, and I got a chance to do that and to play for Duke and Coach [Krzyzewski]," Paulus told USA Today. "I wouldn't change a thing."

Paulus does lack ideal size for a quarterback but Green Bay doesn't have a sure thing at quarterback in Aaron Rodgers either. It wouldn't surprise me if the Packers brought in a quarterback. I just see Paulus being a defensive back instead.

There should be more news on this as the draft gets closer.

Angels Rookie Killed In Crash

The youngest pitcher on a major league roster was killed in a hit and run car accident by a suspected drunk driver on Thursday. Angels rookie pitcher Nick Adenhart had made his debut hours earlier pitching six scoreless innings in a Angels loss to the A's.

Andrew Gallo who is believed to be drunk ran a red light in his mini van and struck a silver Mitsubishi Eclipse which Adenhart was a passenger killing 3 people. Gallo fled the scene on foot but was captured by Anaheim Police. Gallo was also on a suspended driver's license from a DUI. His blood alcohol level was well above the legal limit.

The Angels postponed Thursday's game with the A's.

"It is a tragedy that will never be forgotten," manager Mike Scioscia said at an Angel Stadium news conference.

Gallo was booked in jail Thursday on three counts of murder, three counts of vehicular manslaughter, felony hit-and-run and felony driving under the influence of alcohol and was held without bail.

Adenhart died in surgery while Henry Nigel Pearson a 25-year-old passenger in the car, and the driver, 20-year-old Courtney Frances Stewart were pronounced dead at the scene, police said. 24-year-old Jon Wilhite was in critical condition at UC Irvine Medical Center, although he was expected to survive.

Scott Boras, Adenhart's agent who wept at a press conference said.

"He told his dad that he'd better come here, that something special was going to happen, after the game, "He was so elated ... he felt like a major leaguer."

The entire Take It 2 The Barn family would like to send it's thoughts and prayers to the Nick Adenhart family as well as the LA Angels of Anaheim.

Wrestle Mania 25

World Wrestling Entertainment held it's 25th anniversary of Wrestle Mania. The grand daddy of them all. The pay per view which cost me $54.95 was worth the money spent. Full of action and twists you didn't see coming.

The Tag Team unification match was a dark match before show went on the air. Primo used a modified backstabber to defeat Morrison. Primo and Carlito are now only Tag Team Champions in WWE. Cant grade this match due to it not being aired.

The evening started off with the Money in the Bank Ladder Match. Finlay, Christian, Mark Henry, CM Punk, Kofi Kingston, Shelton Benjamin, Kane, and MVP were in the match trying to get briefcase from above the ring. The briefcase got the winner a title shot anytime within the next year. Every MITB winner has become champion. The match was a great way to start night. Shelton Benjamin made a nice flip off the top of the ladder outside of the ring to take out opponents. Despite not winning match Kofi really put on a show. Jumping over a ladder held by two opponents then drop kicking it was one of my favorite parts of PPV. The favorite had to of been when ladder was held by Mark Henry Kofi ran up an un-setup ladder to nearly grab briefcase. In the end it was CM Punk beating out Kane to grab the win. Punk has won two in a row now. Final grade for match is an A.

The next match was a 25 Diva Battle Royal to name Miss Wrestle Mania. Rather predictable but full of some former WWE Diva's not seen in awhile. Jackie Gayda, Sunny, Victoria, Torrie Wilson were all there. Beth Phoenix was trying to eliminate Melina when a mysterious Diva eliminated both. The Diva announced "she" was Santina Marella. Santino's twin sister. Easy to figure out it was Santino in drag. I noticed this as bell rang who it was and easily predicted the winner. Predictable and boring match. Also very quick. Final grade is a C-.

In my opinion the least exciting match came in the 3 on 1 match with Jericho taking on Snuka, Piper, and Steamboat. Snuka was eliminated via Walls of Jericho and Steamboat and Piper both received Code Breakers for Jericho to pick up win. Flair also got one after match. Star of the hit movie The Wrestler Mickie Rourke then knocked out Jericho with a left hook. Ricky Steamboat did look to be in great shape though. Snuka well the guy is 64. Do we need to see him in a ring anymore? Wasn't excited over this match. Had it moments but a 64 year old Snuka. Give me a break. I give it a C. Stone Cold vs Jericho could have been great.

The Intercontinental Championship was the shortest match of the night. Despite being attacked before bell rung it took Rey Mysterio 21 seconds to beat JBL becoming the new champion. Following the match JBL quit. The match may have been short but it was good. Gets a grade of B.

My personal favorite match of the night was the Extreme Rules Match with Jeff Hardy and Matt Hardy. Lots of hard hitting action including vicious chair shot from Jeff to Matt, and a top rope dive from Jeff through 2 tables, a chair, and Matt. Jeff seems to have taken too many risks as a leap frog from ladder missed and Matt capitalized with a Twist of Fate while Jeff's head was stuck in chair. Very exciting and emotional match. I thought they really put on a show. Second best match next to the HBK vs Undertaker match. I gave it a grade of A+.

The night really ended in a bang with the final three matches. The first put The Undertaker's streak on the line vs Shawn Michaels. The match saw tombstones, choke slams, last rides, sweet chin music, and figure fours but neither man would quit. I thought for sure late in the match HBK could end Taker's streak when he delivered the super kick to a Taker who looked beat. Great acting on his part. HBK attempted a back flip which Undertaker countered with a tombstone. The result was 17-0! I didn't like the outcome of Taker winning but it was best match of the night. Gets a A+.

The second to last match was the World Heavyweight Championship Triple Threat match. Edge defended his title against John Cena and The Big Show. The match saw Chavo get the FU or Attitude Adjustment from Cena and Vickie speared by Edge. Really loved seeing The Big Show get tied up in the ropes like Andre The Giant did at Wrestle Mania 6 I believe. Cena attempted to use the Attitude Adjustment on both Edge and Big Show at same time but Edge slipped off but received one anyway. Cena would pin the Big Show and become the new World Heavyweight Champion. Exciting match where I saw multiple times each superstar could have won. Got a grade of A. Cena celebrating with Carl Edwards was a nice touch too.

The main event was a personal duel between Triple H and Randy Orton. Both hit there finishers at start of match. I sensed a punt would occur during match. It happened after referee was knocked out. Triple H delivered the punt to Orton who brought sledgehammer into the ring. Triple H would then hit Orton with Sledge and throw the weapon away before ref saw it. Following a pedigree he retained his title. Lousy outcome since I despise Triple H so much. Would love to see him stripped of belt for using the sledgehammer. It was a great match but I cant give it a grade higher than an A.

The night also included a Hall of Fame ceremony with Stone Cold riding a four wheeler around the ring and celebrating with beer. Special moment occurred when he handed good ole JR a beer. Touching moment if you know these two guys history. No secret JR is Austin's biggest fan. Not a match but still gets a grade of A+.

The event had it ups and downs. Overall I was happy with it. I give the event an overall grade of an A-.

Scandal On The Horizon

The Sports Illustrated website reported yesterday that Boston College defensive tackle BJ Raji had failed a drug test at the NFL Combine in February. Raji had tested positive for marijuana in 2008 while at Boston College and also missed the 2007 season for academic problems. In Lindy's Draft magazine Raji is rated as the #1 defensive tackle and a projected top 5 pick.

Today a website NFL Draft Bible reported 4 other NFL players have failed drug tests as well. USC linebackers Brian Cushing and Clay Matthews tested positive for steroids while Florida wide receiver Percy Harvin and Illinois corner back Vontae Davis tested positive for marijuana.

The website has stated that the reports have been confirmed by one NFL team. These reports should come to light within the next few days. This is looking like the biggest drug scandal the NFL Draft has seen.

McJay Gate Comes To A Close.....Finally!

The Denver Broncos traded frustrated quarterback Jay Cutler along with a 5th round pick in 2009 to the Chicago Bears for quarterback Kyle Orton, 2009 1st and 3rd round pick, and a 2010 1st round pick.

The 25 year old pro bowl quarterback had drawn interest from the Lions, Buccaneers, Redskins, and Titans along with many other teams. The Broncos were seeking at least two 1st round picks for the former #11 pick in 2006.

The Broncos troubles with Cutler has made headlines much of the off season when Denver's new coach Josh McDaniels tried acquiring former Patriots quarterback Matt Cassell from his former team. A three team deal with the Bucs fell through and Cassell went to the Chiefs. Following this Cutler demanded a trade. McDaniels thought he could mend the fences but earlier this week the Broncos announced they would trade Cutler.

Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher was stunned by the news.

"I guess the Bears felt like we needed another quarterback, so they made a move," Urlacher told the Chicago Tribune. "They gave up a lot. Cutler must be pretty good."

"I guess we got better as a team," Urlacher added, according to the newspaper. "You get a quarterback who is a Pro Bowl guy. But I will say this: I think Kyle Orton is a good quarterback. He's a great teammate. I hope he does really well in Denver."

Cutler is scheduled to travel to Chicago for a physical. Agent Bus Cook said he is pleased with the trade that brings Cutler to the team he followed growing up in Indiana. The Bears and Titans were favorites for Cutler since he followed the Bears growing up and played his college ball in Tennessee at Vanderbilt.

There is no news on whether Orton will be the Broncos quarterback or if they could pursue one in the draft or possibly trade for the Browns Derek Anderson or Brady Quinn. The Broncos now have the #12 and #18 picks in the first round. They could possibly still trade up to get Matt Stafford or Mark Sanchez. Byron Leftwich and Jeff Garcia are also still free agents. The Broncos currently have Orton, Chris Simms, and Darrell Hackney at quarterback. Denver's plans at quarterback probably wont be known until draft day.

Interview With Pro Wrestler JT Roberts

I had the pleasure of interviewing a local pro wrestler on MySpace recently. He is from around the same area as me so I wanted to make my first interview for my blog with someone local. I've always enjoyed pro wrestling and have see some Ground Breaking Wrestling shows where JT Robert wrestles.

When did you start wrestling?

In 2002 I responded to a classified ad for a wrestling school in Hanover, PA. I was trained by 'Mighty' Quinn Nash, who at one point was an enhancement talent in WCW, so the guy had traveled and worked with alot of great talent like Dallas Page, The Nasty Boys, Harlem Heat, Dean Malenko, etc.

What wrestling promotions have you worked for?

All American Wrestling Federation, Ground Breaking Wrestling, American Championship Pro Wrestling, New Elite Wrestling, Future One Wrestling, National Championship Wrestling, Combat Zone Wrestling/Maven Bentley Alliance, Eastern Wrestling Alliance, World Pro Wrestling and several others, all of them have been in the Atlantic region. I'm lucky to live in the hotbed of indy wrestling.

How does a person go about getting started in the wrestling business?

Nowadays if you know someone you can somehow network and get trained. When I started we didn't have myspace or any of that. It was really hard to get into because the veterans would beat the piss out of you and make you earn respect. Very old school. Nowadays its much easier to find a place because wrestlers and wrestling in general are more accessible to the public.

Who were some of your idols growing up?

I was always a big fan of Ric Flair, and Shawn Michaels. It was so easy to hate those guys, but at the end of the day, you had to admit that they were good. That's what I liked so much about them.

If you could wrestle any WWE/TNA wrestler who would it be?

If I was going to match someone style wise, I would say Chris Jericho or CM Punk. Ive also always been a huge fan of Kurt Angle.

What are some memorable matches you have seen?

The Iron Man match at Wrestle Mania XII. Michaels vs. Hart was the match that made me want to become a wrestler. I figured, I was gonna grow up to be a small athletic guy, so seeing those two smaller, athletic guys at the top of their game really motivated me. I think there are many indy wrestlers like me who would tell you the same thing. Plus, anything the Hardy Boyz, Dudleys and Edge and Christian did with tables, ladders and chairs.

What do you think of the state of the WWE currently?

They're doing what they have to do to get kids back with the PG-13 rating and material. I think they set a very high standard in the 'Attitude' era, and that's been difficult for them to match in the eyes of many educated fans. I think they've written some really good television going into Wrestle Mania, as they do every year. I don't like the idea of a brand extension because Raw, Smackdown and ECW are the exact same type of programming. No particular program stands out as being different or original. If there were a more serious number 2 promotion, I think it would be different. The competition would make everybody better.

With Wrestle Mania right around the corner what match are you looking forward too?

Taker vs. Shawn. The guys with the two longest tenures in the company going head to head. Taker needs this match because hes never really had a "great" match at Wrestle Mania. They've done a great job making it look like Shawn has a chance, and even though we all know Taker is going to win--for the time that they're in there, they are gonna tell a great story and suspend the element of disbelief to a point where everyone watching will think Shawn has a chance. That's how great those two are. I also want to see Hardy vs. Hardy. I think they have the potential to steal the show in the Extreme Rules match.

Thank you for the interview. It's been a pleasure doing the interview. I look forward to the next GBW show in Gettysburg.

McJay Gate Nearing End?

The Denver Broncos owner Pat Bowlen announced today after days of QB Jay Cutler not returning phone calls and speaking with Cutler's agent Bus Cook that Jay no longer has any desire to be a Bronco.

Bowlen said, "We will begin discussions with other teams in an effort to accommodate his request to be traded."

The feud between the Broncos and Cutler has filled the headlines much of the off season. The feud started when the Broncos fired Mike Shanahan. Former Patriots coach Josh McDaniels was hired. McDaniels was responsible for making Matt Cassell into a quality starter this past season. Cassell new McDaniels offense and McDaniels pursued a trade for him that would have sent Jay Cutler to Tampa Bay and Cassell to Denver. Following this Jay Cutler demanded a trade. After weeks of trying to repair the damage with the disgruntled QB Broncos owner and Josh McDaniels decided they would listen to offers.

During his short career Jay Cutler has gotten a reputation as a cry baby and being too confident or cocky. His verbal sparring with rival Chargers QB Phillip Rivers made both QB's look immature. Cutler also boasted about having a stronger arm than John Elway. For a guy that went to Vanderbilt in college he has clearly let the little fame he has achieved go to his head. He needs to be brought back to reality.

Reality shows Jay Cutler has thrown 32 interceptions the last two seasons. His pro bowl season was thanks to increased passing thanks to the Broncos lack of a running game. As many know the QB is gonna get alot of blame when a team fails. So he can be part of the blame for the Broncos losing a 3 game lead with 3 games left in the season and missing the playoffs. One can also look to this as why Mike Shanahan has no job anymore. Cutler also doesn't have a track record as a winner. During his career at Vanderbilt he compiled an 11-35 record. In three seasons with the Broncos he is 17-20.

So where could Cutler end up is the big question. ESPN reports there are no shortage of teams interested in Jay Cutler. Three teams have come up in rumors as of late. The Detroit Lions, New York Jets, and Chicago Bears.

The Lions have said they would be willing to talk with Denver about trading the #1 pick. This deal would allow the Broncos several options. Options #1 would be to draft Matt Stafford. Option #2 is to draft Mark Sanchez. The Redskins have shown interest in Mark Sanchez so a trade with the Redskins could also be possible.

While the Jets have expressed interest safety Kerry Rhodes has said Cutler is too confident. The Jets made news for Thomas Jones and Kerry Rhodes displeasure with another Bus Cook client Brett Farve. The fact that the Jets are a AFC team makes a trade unlikely.

The third team is the Chicago Bears who could probably use Cutler the most but maybe have the least to offer. The Bears have the #18 pick.

If the Broncos don't get Sanchez or Stafford Josh Freeman would be the next logical choice. Who the Broncos would want as QB is still a mystery. I feel Sanchez could be the best fit in McDaniels offense. Stafford just seems like a bust to me. Maybe he'll be good but not a franchise QB. Josh Freeman reminds me too much of Cutler or JaMarcus Russell. He has great size like Russell but isn't a proven winner like Cutler. USC QB's have had great success in the NFL. With McDaniels molding a former USC QB in Matt Cassell into a quality QB he may be interested in doing the same with Sanchez. I expect some light to be shed on this in the next couple days.

What's Next For Shef?

The Detroit Tigers released Gary Sheffield on Tuesday 1 home run shy of his 500th career home run. Sheffield was batting. 178 with 8 hits and 5 home runs during spring. Shef was released after the Tigers acquired Josh Anderson from the Braves.

Sheffield's stay in Detroit after they acquired him from the Yankees was filled with injuries. In two seasons with the Tigers he played in 246 games missing 78 games. With 5/8 of his hits this spring being home runs it appears he still has power and could be useful to some team. But who would take a chance on him? Since the Tigers have to pay around $10 million to him he is likely to sign with a team for one year and a small salary with Detroit paying the rest.

One would think at the age of 40 Shef will only sign with a contender. Expect the Yankees to take a look at him as well as the Boston Red Sox, Chicago White Sox, New York Mets, St Louis Cardinals, and Arizona Diamondbacks to take a look at him. I just dont know who would be willing to sign him. He appears to be a player who can only play DH due to injuries. The White Sox, Red Sox and Yankees have Jim Thome, David Ortiz and Hideki Matsui as DH and wouldnt likely be interested. The NL teams would be taking a big chance signing Shef. So what other contenders in the AL may be willing to go after Shef?

LA Angels appear to be the most likely team for him to go to. The Angels are a team I see as a Top 5 team in the AL. With players like Vlad, Torii Hunter, Juan Rivera, Gary Mathews Jr, Mike Napoli, Howie Kendrick, and Chone Figgins the Angels have a solid lineup. Kendry Morales is slated as the DH so Shef could come in and start at DH. I would expect a team to express interest within the week.

While the Angels appear to be a front runner you can never count out the Yankees and how they love to spend money. Also with the Yankees busy off season the Red Sox could try and just add a high profile player.

Twitter Craze

For those of you who are not familiar with the new craze Twitter it's a social networking and micro-blogging service that enables its users to send and read other users' updates known as tweets. Many pro athletes have Twitter such as Steve Nash, Shaq, CC Sabathia, Jay Cutler, Josh McDaniels, Nick Swisher, Charlie Villanueve, and Mark Cuban.

Several of these have made headlines the past few weeks for being warned by teams or even fined by NBA for using Twitter. Milwaukee Bucks forward Charlie Villanueve got a talking to from coach Scott Skiles when Villanueve posted a tweet during halftime of one of the Bucks games. Villanueve posted "In da locker room, snuck to post my twitt. We're playing the Celtics, tie ball game at da half. Coach wants more toughness. I gotta step up." Coach Scott Skiles believed it gave the impression the Bucks were not focused.

Recently Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban was fined $25,000 for criticizing refs on twitter. Cuban posted a tweet after a 103-101 loss to the Denver Nuggets. Cuban complained about JR Smith not getting a technical foul for taunting Antoine Wright after a missed shot. After Cuban received the fined he posted another tweet saying "can't say no one makes money from twitter now. the NBA does."

I for one have never liked the fining of players/coaches for criticizing refs. They have a right to an opinion and to voice it. The incident with Villanueve I can understand though. It seemed to me like that would give off signs that he wasn't focused. I however don't see that he wasn't focused though. He wasn't fined and didn't deserve to be. As for mark Cuban's fine I don't agree with it. There have been many instances where random people have posed as a celebrity. My question is did the NBA look into whether or not it was really Cuban before handing out the fine?

If the NBA plans on handing outs fines like the Cuban fine then they need to hold a press conference and address the Twitter situation so it isn't a guessing game on what can be "tweeted."

Another Twitter I ran into while on the website was a rather entertaining Jay Cutler and Josh McDaniels Twitter accounts. I would suggest checking them out. No confirmation on whether they are "real."

Get The Baby A Tissue

"Will someone please give Jay Cutler his pacifier, hand him his favorite blankie and put him back in his crib for his afternoon nap? Because if he cries anymore about a trade that didn't happen, we'll have to check his Pampers." - Gene Wojciekowski

This was issued after Broncos QB Jay Cutler continues to cry cuz the Broncos tryed trading him. His agent said one of the most idiotic comments I've ever heard. He claims you don't see the Colts, Giants, and pats shopping the Manning's or Brady so why are Broncos shopping Jay.Here's a thought Cutler is 17-20 as a starter and has 0 super bowls. He had a great season this year but also threw 18 interceptions.

There are rumors he could go to the Lions. I hope so. Have fun winning 1 or 2 games a season with the worst franchise in the NFL. Cutlers agent claims its a bad situation for the Broncos. Poor little Jay got his feelings hurt. Maybe he should remember Cutler has done NOTHING in the NFL. If he thinks he's gonna get some mammoth contract when his contract runs out with Denver he's sadly mistaken.Cutlers agent may be the stupidest person known to man. Thinking his client is some type of superstar. Hell Jake Plummer accomplished more as the Broncos QB than Cutler. Cutler talks about his powerful arm. Who cares how strong it is. You throw to the other team almost as many times as you get it in the end zone.

Do everyone a favor and quit your whining you big baby. Think about what team signs your paychecks before you burn bridges a**clown.

***For the record this is coming from a Denver Broncos Fan***

Nascar Drops The Ball

Yesterday Matt Kenseth won the Daytona 500 kicking off the Nascar season. The race is regarded as the super bowl of Nascar.

So the first thought that comes to mind is why would you allow the biggest race of the year to end due to rain? Why not just move the remaining laps to Monday? Instead Nascar puts an end to what truly was a lousy race. Did anyone care who won after the wreck that took out numerous cars up front including the dominant car of Kyle Busch? Its no secret Nascar is losing money fast due to the problems car manufacturers are having so why not help yourself out and put on a show worth watching.

No race should end early. Move them back a day or reschedule them. Would the NFL end the super bowl in the third quarter. Hell no! This is the thing I hate most about Nascar is the guys winning thanks to mother nature. How can Kenseth cry on national TV after winning a race he didn't win on his own. The sad thing is those 200,000 people who payed what I'm sure is a large sum of money to see the biggest spectacle in racing and got crap.

For Nascar to continue making money they need to look after there fans. Shortening a race is not doing that.

Chris Jericho Incident

For those who haven't heard WWE superstar Chris Jericho is making waves on YouTube for punching a female fan at a show in Victoria. Witnesses stated fans were heckling Jericho following a loss to John Cena. Jericho got out of his car when it is reported he spit in a woman's face and she started to hit him so he punched her in the face. Other reports from the victim is that Jericho said some racist comments to the victims boyfriend who was Asian. This went on for awhile before security decided to do there job and break it up.

My thoughts on this are this. What Jericho did was wrong but what business did that fan have attacking his car? The incident could have been avoided in three ways. The fan learns her place and doesn't attack the car. Jericho doesn't get out of his car and confront her. The security breaks it up before it escalated.

For this there really is no one party to blame. Its a bad situation where everyone is to blame.