AEW Fight for the Fallen

AEW Fight for the Fallen
July 13th 2019



From Daily’s Place Amphitheater in Jacksonville, Florida. The venue does not look sold out, but has a respectable crowd for the considerable size of the venue. Any other North American promotion not called WWE would sell their souls for this attendance. Our hosts are Jim Ross, Excalibur, and Alex Marvez.

Joey Janela, Jimmy Havoc, and Darby Allin vs. MJF, Sammy Guevara, and Shawn Spears
The babyface team gets a hot start by making quick tags to embarrass MJF, but he thumbs Havoc in the eyes to force a tag to the hungry Guevara. Janela’s assistance lets Havoc rebound. The crowd pops big for Darby Allin tagging in to face Spears, who quickly tags out to rob the fans of the moment. Allin continues to stare Spears down, which offends the legal Guevara, who flips him off. Neither team seems to maintain the upper hand, but the fans are happy to play along, cheering the good guys and booing the heels. Spears is only willing to enter the match when Janela finally settles in as the isolated babyface, and the commentators do a good job explaining Spears turning heel as a response to Cody referring to him as a “good hand.” MJP and Spears, despite being in control, start displaying dissension, with MJF mocking Spears “Tye Dillinger” mannerisms. This allows a hot tag to Havoc, who slams Spears onto MJF. Havoc superplexes Guevara over his partners for a good nearfall. Allin tags and flips over Guevara for a stunner of sorts. Match breaks down with guys hitting rapid finishers. Guevara lands on his feet on a missed SSP to the floor and unleashes rapid attacks all over the place until almost pinning Allin with a Spanish Fly. Cue the “AEW” chants. Janela drops Guevara on the ring frame, and Spears targets the injured Allin with a Death Valley Driver for the win at 13:11. Good energy as an opener, but I felt like I didn’t see enough of any participant to feel satisfied, and this seems like a missed opportunity to build on Allin’s momentum coming out of Fyter Fest, **½.
Winners: Shawn Spears, MJF, and Sammy Guevara

ROH Mass Hysteria 2019

ROH Mass Hysteria
July 21st 2019



From the Lowell Memorial Auditorium in Lowell, Massachusetts. Our hosts are Colt Cabana, Ian Riccaboni, and Caprice Coleman. I frequently attending live events at this venue, but was unavailable for this one, so I kind of hope this is good, but not “too good” if you know what I mean.

ROH World Tag Team Championship:
Jay and Mark Briscoe ©  vs. The Bouncers (Beer City Bruiser and Brian Milonas)
New Hampshire’s Brian Milonas gets a “hometown” title shot. The Bouncers, despite their huge size advantage, are massive underdogs here, and initiate the brawl. Bruiser nearly kills a Briscoe with a somersault senton off the apron, but the Briscoes come back with a combination and dive and flying attacks. Mark summons his inner Sabu by leaping off a chair for a springboard dive. Mark hits the froggy elbow but Milonas catches him in a dive and smashes him around ringside. Milonas appears exhausted after hitting his patented slam and smashes his sizable rear into Jay’s face. The fans get behind the Briscoes as Mark gets a hot tag. The match breaks down and they all go down (crowd is quiet after some sloppy spots and miscues). The Briscoes prevent the Last Call and Jay powerbombs Milonas off the turnbuckles to set up Mark’s froggy elbow for the win at 9:08. Rough opener here that well missed the mark, *½.
Winners and still ROH Tag Team Champions: Jay and Mark Briscoe

ROH Manhattan Mayhem 2019

ROH Manhattan Mayhem
July 20th 2019



From the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York, New York. Our hosts are Ian Riccaboni, Colt Cabana, and Caprice Coleman. It looks like they have a packed house.

Dragon Lee vs. Jonathan Gresham
Gresham tries to pull Lee into the Octopus during the handshake, sparking a quick exchange leading to the typical stalemate and round of applause. They slug it out and Lee shows off after hitting a drop-kick. Tempers flare as they trade chops. Gresham notices the ref looking away and slaps the groin, so perhaps his strategy at Best in the World against Silas Young wasn’t so random. The low blow allows Gresham to take control with his collection of painful looking, clever submission holds. Lee rallies, hitting a backbreaker onto his knee. They exchange open hand slaps and Gresham kips up into an enziguri and swinging DDT. Gresham’s German suplex gets 2! Gresham attempts a top rope move but keeps slipping, so they trade blows instead, until Lee places him in a Tree of Woe for a double stomp! Lee’s running knee to the head gets 2! A second running knee by Lee ends it at 10:09! Great opener and a nice example of not letting a botch ruin the mood, ***¼.
Winner: Dragon Lee

Rowe's Island Music Countdown - 8.8.19

Tool's first new release in 13 years, "Fear Inoculum" hits the charts like a meteor, crashing it's way to #1. 

NBA 2019-20 Over/Under Predictions

NBA Over/Unders for the upcoming 2019-20 season surfaced this week. Since I'm terrible with predictions, I'm just going to make my own bets anyway. 

NBA Opening Win Totals

• Milwaukee Bucks: 55.5 (Over - I expect the Bucks to hit 60 wins again. With Mike Budenholzer coaching, and Giannis continuing to develop, they are going to be tough to beat and should have their way with most Eastern teams). 
• Philadelphia Sixers: 54.5 (Over - the addition of Al Horford is going to give them a big upgrade in defense and in just smart play. This should be a big year for Ben Simmons to further expand his game. Like the Bucks, they should dominate the East).
• Houston Rockets: 53.5 (Over - I expect Russell Westbrook will have a big season with the change in scenery. It will take him and Harden at least a full season to start actively hating each other's guts).
• Toronto Raptors: 53.5 (Under - frankly, I'm surprised it's this high. Without Leonard, the Raptors are still a good team, but 53 is steep. I'm thinking more in the 49 win range).
• Los Angeles Clippers: 51.5 (OVER - Even if Leonard rests extensively like last season, this team is deep, well coached, has another superstar in Paul George, and they almost hit this win total last year with their packed roster of role players and great bench players).
• Los Angeles Lakers: 51.5 (Under - because I think injuries and personal dynamics are going to sabotage this team. I am totally aware that this team COULD be the best in the league and this will look totally crazy in hindsight).
• Brooklyn Nets: 50.5 (Under - Kevin Durant is going to miss the entire season, and Kyrie Irving was miserable playing with better prospects last season).
• Denver Nuggets: 50.5 (Over - they just need to keep on keeping on).
• Utah Jazz: 50.5 (Over - the Jazz seem to start slow every year and hit their stride late, so about 51 wins seems right. A healthy Mike Conley is going to help them out too).
• Boston Celtics: 48.5 (Over - I might be a homer, but if this team can learn to enjoy playing together again, they should be back in the 50-53 win total. Kyrie Irving hurt more than he helped last season, and Kemba Walker puts up similar numbers without the headgames). 
• Indiana Pacers: 47.5 (Under - Oladipo isn't expected back until December-January. This should still be a good team, but probably .500 without Oladipo).
• Golden State Warriors: 46.5 (Over - but not by much. This team is going to look radically different this year with only Stephen Curry and Draymond Green returning from their recognizable championship core. Klay Thompson will be back late in the season, I kind of see them in the 48 win range, with Steph's heroics). 
• Oklahoma City Thunder: 46.5 (UNDER! They are in rebuilding mode and have enough draft picks from trades that they won't feel the need to tank, but I don't think an unhappy Chris Paul is going to be able to lift them to 46 wins in a crowded Western conference).
• Portland Trail Blazers: 45.5 (OVER! The Blazers are reliably good and their stars are in their prime).
• San Antonio Spurs: 44.5 (Over, not betting against the Spurs until something drastic happens). 
• Dallas Mavericks: 41.5 (Under, they're not going to be ready to be a .500 team just yet). 
• New York Knicks: 37.5 (UNDER! They did not upgrade the roster enough to expect to improve their win/loss by 20 games this season. I know they will likely have lost their appetite for tanking after only getting the third pick last summer, but still).
• Orlando Magic: 35.5 (Over. This is a .500 team with their current roster and coach, all of whom are returning. Keep an eye to see if Markelle Fultz can make a comeback). 
• Detroit Pistons: 34.5 (Over, but only because this low number seems harsh. The Pistons are still in the .500 range). 
• Miami Heat: 34.5 (Over, Jimmy Butler should elevate them to the 40 win range). 
• Minnesota Timberwolves: 34.5 (Under, they're right back to where they were before the Butler trade. Karl Anthony Towns is putting up empty stats and Andrew Wiggins is happy just to be paid). 
• Sacramento Kings: 33.5 (Over, they were better than this last year and their young players will be a year older and wiser). 
• Atlanta Hawks: 32.5 (Under, this is going to be a fun young team to watch, but they were lucky to reach 29 or so wins last year, so 32 seems like a reach). 
• Charlotte Hornets: 32.5 (Under, I think they're going to be one of the worst teams in the league this year. I'm thinking they have less than 20 wins). 
• New Orleans Pelicans: 31.5 (Under, Zion Williamson should make this a fun team to watch, but this is going to be a total development year).
• Washington Wizards: 28.5 (Under, this team is going to be awful, even more so when they finally trade Bradley Beal. I expect them to be fully in the tank by January).
• Chicago Bulls: 27.5 (Over, but not by much. Out of the young, bad teams in the league, I think this one might be most likely to attempt for the 8th seed, and while they won't make it, they'll get some extra wins along the way).
• Memphis Grizzlies: 27.5 (Under, they will be in the tank. They will be interesting to watch with Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson). 
• Phoenix Suns: 25.5 (Under, this team will be terrible forever. They will beat my Celtics at least once just to spite me). 
• Cleveland Cavaliers: 23.5 (Under, I don't think all that highly of their current prospects, and they will find themselves in the tank once again). 

Rowe's Island Countdown 7-24-19

Hey, let's do a countdown for old time's sake. Am I going to maintain this going forward? Doubtful. Will anyone read this? Unlikely. Do I care? No. This is for my own amusement first and foremost.

Vampire Weekend and Danielle Haim are #1 with the non-single from Father of the Bride that was stuck in my head my entire vacation. Great back and forth duet with some biting lines sprinkled in. 

ROH Best in the World 2019

ROH Best in the World
June 28th 2019



From the UMBC Event Center in Baltimore, Maryland. Our hosts are Ian Riccaboni, Caprice Coleman, and Colt Cabana.

This was advertised to start at 8:00, but as of 8:15, I’m still sitting here like a doofus waiting for the stream to begin. Can always count on ROH to botch live streaming events, and we’re way into the “shame on me” phase of this ongoing tenuous relationship.

The stream started at 8:33. Fingers crossed that it holds up.

Flip Gordon vs. Rush
Rush kicks away a handshake and he continues to disrespect Flip during the feeling out process. Rush no-sells some chops so Flip slaps him in the face. Rush aggressively tosses Flip to the floor and repeatedly thrashes him in the guard rail and over the timekeeper’s table. Flip, um, flips his way into a comeback with 4 minutes gone, hitting a missile drop-kick, but Rush counters with a uranage out of the turnbuckles. Rush teases the Bulls Horns, but hits a mocking kick and rests in a pose. Flip unleashes a flurry of strikes to put Rush in a daze for a Falcon Arrow for 2. Rush survives a cutter and they trade stiff shots. Flip gets some nearfalls out of a powerbomb counter and Rush slips up catching him in a dive but still slams him into the rail. Rush dumps a trash can full of streamers on Flip, is not disqualified, but can’t get a pinfall out of it. Rush finally hits a proper Bulls Horns and picks up the victory at 10:17. This was a fine opener that succeeded at establishing Rush as a clear heel, **½.
Winner: Rush

Defining NBA Memories

In 2015, I decided to give the NBA a shot at the beginning of the new season. I found myself instantly and effortlessly falling in love with the league, many of it's players, and the sport itself. My first season as a fan had me following the defending champions, Golden State Warriors, who made a lot of noise chasing the record for most regular season wins. I also followed the Oklahoma City Thunder, due to their status as the team that first appealed to me in 2014. Finally, I followed the Boston Celtics, as they are my local team. 

My defining memories of my first seasons are largely as follows:

This is the moment when I realized that the Cavaliers were going to beat the Warriors in the finals. James gives Curry this look that just conveyed that he had just figured him out and saw a path to victory. The 2016 Finals were a great first Finals for me to follow, with the drama of the 73-9 Warriors blowing a 3-1 lead as the Cavaliers came storming back to become unexpected champions. 

Sadly, my lasting memory of the 2016-17 season is the tragedy of Isaiah Thomas. The 5'9 guard carried the Celtics on his back and willed them with in-game heroics to the number one seed in the East and to the Eastern Finals. Thomas was in the MVP conversation and had blossomed into a superstar player. Then, tragedy struck in the form of his younger sister being killed in a car accident as the Celtics were heading into a play-off series against the Bulls. Thomas played through his broken heart, but then tragedy struck again as his nagging hip injury made it impossible for him to continue, and the Celtics were unceremoniously eliminated in the finals by the Cavaliers. After all this, Thomas was shipped to Cleveland in a trade for Kyrie Irving and has been unable to replicate any of his MVP-level success he'd enjoyed in Boston anywhere else. Just a sad story about a guy who gave his all.

This is the moment in the 2018 Finals when I knew the Cavaliers had no hope of defeating the Warriors again. J.R. Smith had just made an epic error in not recognizing the time clock situation, and caused the Cavaliers to miss an opportunity to tie or take the lead in the closing seconds. This incident also prompted James to punch a wall in frustration and injure himself in the process. The Warriors would go on to sweep the Cavaliers and their long running rivalry ended on an anti-climatic note.

The 2019 Finals just began two nights ago with the Toronto Raptors effectively shutting down a Kevin Durant-less version of the Golden State Warriors. Prior to that, my defining memory of this season is Kawhi Leonard hitting the dramatic buzzer beat to eliminate the Philadelphia 76ers in the second round. Just seeing Leonard reborn after missing most of the previous season has been an inspiring story to watch unfold. Leonard is now in a position to take a second championship from a team that put him on the shelf in the first place (though Zaza Pachulia is long gone). 

Describe Ben Folds albums in 10 words or less.

Start to finish pleasing piano pop rock. Hidden 90's gem.

Describe Weezer Albums in 10 Words or Less

Dorky, emotional, raw, polished, catchy, confessional, nostalgic, perfect.

ROH Honor Reigns Supreme 2019 Review

ROH Honor Reigns Supreme
January 13th 2019


From the Cabarrus Arena in Concord, North Carolina. Our hosts are Colt Cabana, Ian Riccaboni, and Caprice Coleman. Before the commentators can run down the card, they’re interrupted by an in-ring promo by John Skyler, Corey Hollis, and Josey Quinn. Skylar is the mouthpiece and runs the fans down for being hillbillies before issuing an open six man challenge.

Cheeseburger, Eli Isom, and Ryan Nova vs. John Skyler, Corey Hollis, and Josey Quinn
The heels cheap shot before the bell, but the good guys reverse Irish whips at ringside to get right back into it. Isom pops the crowd with a dive to the floor. Hollis distracts the referee long enough for his team to cheap shot Nova to isolate him. Cheeseburger gets a hot tag but quickly gets Isom for a straight jacket German suplex on Quinn. Hollis makes a save, but Cheeseburger knocks him down before walking into Skyler’s shotgun spear. Isom saves with a release Northern Lights, and he and Nova lift up Quinn for a top rope double stomp by Cheeseburger and it’s over at 5:40. Subpar spotfest by the job squad, *½.
Winners: Cheeseburger, Eli Isom, and Ryan Nova

WWE NXT UK Takeover: Blackpool

WWE NXT U.K. Takeover: Blackpool
January 12th 2019


From the Empress Ballroom in Blackpool, England. Our hosts are Nigel McGuinness and Vic Joseph.

NXT U.K. Tag Team Championship:
Mustache Mountain (Trent Seven and Tyler Bate) vs. Zack Gibson and James Drake
I am way behind on the NXT U.K. brand (not from a lack of interest, I assure you) and I’m told this is a tournament finals match. Mustache Mountain are donning red and black British Bulldogs-style attire for this special occasion. The fans love to hate Gibson and mock him with a song as he locks up with Bate. The fans are now holding up their shoes while singing, and I’m equally confused and amused. Is it safe to assume there are adult beverages for sale at the venue? Gibson and Bate reach a stalemate when Bate cleverly bridges his way out of a hold. Tags are made and Drake and Seven trade stiff shots. Bate quickly returns, and Drake needs a timeout. Bate embarrasses Drake with a series of cheeky evasions and counters. Tags are made, and Seven outwrestles Gibson. Mustache Mountain clear the ring with dives, but Seven seems to injure his elbow in the process, to which Gibson takes advantage with a THROAT CHOP! Seven gets beaten up for several minutes, including getting busted open the hard way by taking a lariat to the back of his head. Bate gets a particularly hot crowd and cleans house, placing Drake onto Gibson’s shoulders and then spinning them both on his own shoulders! Bate follows by suplexing Drake off the apron onto Gibson. Standing SSP off the apron by Bate and I’m marking out. Seven returns and slams Gibson in place for Bate’s diving headbutt (ugh) for only 2. Bate takes Drake out with a suicide dive, and Seven gives Gibson a BURNING HAMMER, but Drake breaks the pin. Bate and Drake trade nearfalls until Bate rolls into a head kick. Gibson blindsides Bate with a Codebreaker, and he and Drake hit a HELTER SKELTER/450 combo but SEVEN KICKS OUT! That was a FANTASTIC false finish. Gibson and Drake apply stereo Shankly Gates, but Bate breaks out with a power slam to save Seven! Mustache Mountain deliver their patented lariat/suplex finisher, but DRAKE KICKS OUT! Bate finds himself on Gibson’s shoulders on the floor, for a suicide dive electric chair from Drake! Seven attempts a dive, but Drake counters with a drop-kick! Seven suffers a Ticket to Mayhem and Gibson and Drake claim the titles at 23:47! The fans HATE this outcome, but that’s okay because the match was awesome and the champions are BAD GUYS, ****½.
Winners and new NXT UK Tag Team Champions: Zack Gibson and James Drake