WWE Memories: Holiday Show 12-26-2010 Part 1

The day was December 26th, 2010. World Wrestling Entertainment came into New York for the annual Holiday show at Madison Square Garden.  Mother Nature buried the ground in frost and snow, but that did not stop the WWE fans from attending the night's festivities. While some superstars were snowed-in, the talent welcomed a visiting Nunzio to assist the scheduled referee Charles Robinson and juggled the talent into slots that were vacant by those stranded.

I made the trek to MSG that night. What follows are photos taken from that night(side note:photo quality may not be the best).

Husky Harris(Now known as Bray Wyatt) replaced  "snowed-in" Heath Slater as Justin Gabriel's tag team partner that night

Sightseeing: Harpers Ferry, West Virginia

This edition of Sightseeing is dedicated to Harpers Ferry, a Civil War historical site known for John Brown's Raid and 3-Day Stand in October 1859:

The view above Harpers Ferry

A peek inside White Hall Tavern

One of the town's root cellars

The Harpers Ferry Train Station

Sightseeing: Boston Pt. 2

The city of Boston has a history:

The Statue of Bobby Orr outside TD Garden celebrates the famous Boston Bruin's May 10, 1970 Stanley Cup Winning Goal

This marker commemorates the spot of the Boston Massacre

Sightseeing: Boston

Traveling is a great opportunity to see the sights of various cities. Here are a few photos from places I have visited in the past:

Boston(Photos from 2012):

The Aquarium(taken from the nearby Long Wharf hotel)

The Statue of Paul Revere

The 2016 National Hockey League Stanley Cup Playoffs: Round 1

The National Hockey League (NHL) is about to enter a most interesting time. Eastern and Western Conference teams have played 82 games for the chance to enter the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The season saw teams make miraculous turnarounds in the second half of the season when most wrote them off based on their early win-loss record. Call-ups from the American Hockey League (AHL) to replace injured players made the difference in achieving this positive result. Another impetus for the reversal of fortunes could be that organizations made coaching changes.

There was a sense of suspense as two games that were postponed due to the January snowstorm were played on April 10^th, 2016-the day after the season officially ended.  In the first game, the Anaheim Ducks defeated the Washington Capitals to win the Pacific Division by one point. Through this victory, the Ducks pushed the Los Angeles Kings out of the top spot.  The second match-up that day featured the New York Islanders, whose loss to the Philadelphia Flyers decided the playoff destiny of not one, but two teams(The Islanders fly to Florida to begin Round 1 while their rival-the New York Rangers- are set to face the Pittsburgh Penguins).    

The alignment from the 2015 bracketing system remains the same as last years’ playoffs. Round 1 is a field of 16 total teams. In each conference, there are two brackets per division as the top three teams earn their way in and wild card entrants are selected based on their record and other factors to face the two division champions. The chance to get into the playoffs pushes the non-guaranteed playoff teams to make every point count.

Round 1 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs will not have any of the 7 Canadian teams in the National Hockey League. Just as the Canadian teams failed to qualify for the playoffs, the Boston Bruins are also missing from the brackets for the second consecutive year.  Here is an overview of the match-ups:

Eastern Conference

Atlantic Division

#1 and Atlantic Division Champions-Florida Panthers

#4 and Metropolitan Division Wild Card 1 of 2- New York Islanders

-In a peculiar case, there are two wild card entrants from the Metropolitan Division. Inserted to this bracket through their loss to the Philadelphia Flyers, the New York Islanders have a young team that is made up of strong players and AHL call-ups…The Florida Panthers have leadership in veteran presence Jaromir Jagr and a youthful squad of its own.

#2-Tampa Bay Lightning*

#3-Detroit Redwings*

-The Tampa Bay Lightning hold steady in their division slot from the 2014-2015 season and are hoping to capture the Stanley Cup that escaped their grasp last year… Detroit also maintains their playoff ranking from the 2014-2015 season, and are going to be strive to get Pavel Datsyuk one last championship before he retires. 

Metropolitan Division

#1, President’s Trophy winners, and Eastern Conference Champions- Washington Capitals

#4 and Metropolitan Division Wild Card 2 of 2-Philadelphia Flyers

-As the second of the Metropolitan Division Wild Card entrants, The Philadelphia Flyers re-enter the playoff picture and have a tall order ahead of them. They have to overcome the offensive power of a Washington Capitals team led by Alex Ovechkin...Washington has to face a Flyers squad that turned its season around to become a contender.

#2- Pittsburgh Penguins

#3-New York Rangers

-Though their playoff rankings shifted from the 2014-2015 season, these two rivals find themselves matched up in the Round 1 brackets once again…Pittsburgh Penguins are out for revenge as the New York Rangers bested them in the playoffs last year… New York needs to win to maintain their post-season mastery of the hockey team from “the Steel City”.

The Western Conference set-up is primed for a possible repeat as the 2015 champion Chicago Blackhawks are in the playoff picture. There are no Canadian teams in this conference to battle for the richest prize in the NHL, but the state of California is well represented.

Central Division

#1  and Western Conference Champions-Dallas Stars

#4 and Central Division Wild Card 1 of 2 Minnesota Wild*

-The Dallas Stars are now in the post-season conversation with the help of Stanley Cup champion-and former Chicago Blackhawk- Patrick Sharp and the emerging talent Jamie Benn… Minnesota Wild have retained their 2014-2015 ranking and are the first of two wild card teams from the Central Division.

#2-St Louis Blues

#3-Chicago Blackhawks*

 -Chicago’s dynasty was cemented last year when they won the 2015 Stanley Cup Championship.  The Blackhawks do not have Patrick Sharp, but have other key players like Patrick Kane…The St. Louis Blues are missing T.J Oshie, and will have to find others to rely on for offense against the strong Chicago Blackhawks.

Pacific Division

#1 and Pacific Division Champions-Anaheim Ducks*

# 4 and Central Division Wild Card 2 of 2-Nashville Predators

- The Anaheim Ducks maintain their 2014-2015 division standing, defeating the League-Leading Washington Capitals to attain this spot…Nashville challenges Anaheim’s hopes of a championship and could bust brackets with a series win.

#2-Los Angeles Kings

#3-San Jose Sharks

-It is a battle for California as two teams vie for a chance to advance. The Los Angeles Kings come back to the post-season after not qualifying in 2015…For San Jose, the drive to reach the finals has always been there. This team aims high only to fall short in the Western Conference Finals or earlier. 2016 could be their year if they have their offense, defense and goaltending clicking.

Final Thoughts: 1- New York Rangers will be focused on the Stanley Cup after coming so close last year; 2-New York Islanders youth will have to contend with the seemingly ageless hockey skill of Jaromir Jagr if they are to succeed; 3- Tampa Bay Lightning players are out to finish what they started last year.; 4. The denizens of California will have three teams to cheer for this post-season.; 5. The Central Division and Metropolitan Division are going to make an impact in Round 1. 

Round 1 commences Wednesday April 13^th, 2016.

*Notates any team whose 2015-2016 standing did not differ from their 2014-2015 ranking.

This Time Last Week: The Orchestra Featuring Former Members of Electric Light Orchestra

November 8^th, 2015-Uncasville, CT-The Orchestra brought their act to the Mohegan Sun Arena as part of a private event. People lined up outside the Member Services office to redeem their reservation, ID and player card in hand.  A casino employee requested the person’s 4-digit code before issuing the tickets.

Since the concert started at 7:00pm, casino patrons could try their luck at the many slot machines and table games. One could also shop. There was a buffet, two food courts, and several restaurant options available to grab some dinner before the show.

After a bit of gaming and a meal, I made my way to the Mohegan Sun Arena for the show. The Orchestra, which featured former members of the Electric Light Orchestra, started their concert on time. From the opening number “Evil Woman” to the encore “Don’t Bring Me Down”, the show did not disappoint. During the evening, the group performed their greatest hits, which included songs from the albums “Time” and “Out of The Blue” (released as a 2-record-set and later a single CD).  Their songs had great hooks and the musicianship was a wonder to see. Standouts from the set list of this concert included:  “All Over The World”, “Xanadu” , “Hold On Tight”, “Strange Magic”, “Livin' Thing”, “Turn to Stone”, “Telephone Line”.

Toward the end of the 90 minute set, this band introduced each other.  Parthenon Huxley was on vocals as well as being one of the guitarists. On the “psychedelic” bass guitar and vocals was Glen Burtnik, who has worked with numerous artists in the past. The drummer was Gordon Townsend.  An original member of ELO, Mik Kaminski answered the1973 band ad for a violinist. One of the keyboardists, Louis Clark had been a part of ELO since the “El Dorado” album and did musical arrangements. Other bandmates included Eric Troyer on keyboard and vocals and Louis Clark Jr. on electric violin and acoustic guitar.

After the concert, fans filed out chatting amongst themselves. They left through the arena doors with an experience that they will never forget. 

Source: My Personal ELO CD Collection, http://www.theorchestra.net/

   

Barnes and Noble Appearances: NFL Hall of Famer Jerry Rice “50 Years, 50 Moments”

November 3^rd,2015-New York, NY- Former San Francisco 49er and Oakland Raider Jerry Rice made an appearance at the Citigroup Center Barnes and Noble (160 E. 54^th Street) to promote his collaborative work with Randy O. Williams “50 Years,50 Moments: the Most Unforgettable Plays in Super Bowl History”. This book provides insight into memorable moments of the National Football League’s annual championship game.

The line formed upstairs near the cook books at least 3 hours ahead of time. Some came wearing Jerry Rice’s #80 Oakland Raiders’ jersey.  The crowd eagerly awaited the event and freely talked amongst themselves while awaiting further instructions.

Security guards did their job, checking for receipts and grey wristbands. When people presented their books, the store representatives showed the page that Rice would be signing. They were told to take their pictures while on the line. The event had to move along, so there would be no personalization in the book and no other memorabilia was going to be signed.  After issuing these directions, everyone stood up for a half hour before the event so the staff could do a count of the line.

Jerry Rice showed up to start the book signing at exactly 12 noon. He applauded those assembled as he passed by them. He momentarily stopped to shake the hand of a man who referenced Rice’s recent McDonald’s commercial.  Once he began signing books, he thanked each person for coming out. A fan referenced the NFL ring on his finger, which he was proud to mention.

After the book signing, the crowd was directed out of the event area. One left with the satisfaction of having met a NFL legend.  The signed book that they took home may even bring back some of their favorite memories of Super Bowls gone by.        

Sign Advertising Jerry Rice Signing

Jerry Rice was at Barnes and Noble to sign "50 Years, 50 Moments"