Randy Orton ret-
RKO. OUTTA NOWHERE. Sorry, couldn't resist. Okay, now that I've gotten that out of my system, let's dive in. WWE Battleground was overall pretty enjoyable, and exciting when you consider the fact that for the first time in recent history, the WWE had two back-to-back solid pay per views. The Bad I'll start with Darren Young vs. The Miz. While the match was surprisingly entertaining as Darren Young exceeded expectations by fighting pretty even with Intercontinental Champion The Miz. However, the match ended in what was a very, very bizarre and kinda awkward sequence of events that left you with an unpleasant taste in your mouth; a perfect metaphor for the entire Darren Young vs. The Miz "rivalry". The whole story started when Bob Backlund, WWE Hall of Fame wrestler, decided to coach Darren Young, creating the catch phrase "Make Darren Young great again". Just so you know, Darren Young is black, so the Donald Trump reference makes me uncomfortable. What makes me even more uncomfortable is the fact that Darren Young only won the #1 contender spot after a fluke victory in a Royal Rumble which he won because he was knocked out in the center of the ring when Apollo Cruz and Barron Corbin eliminated themselves, making Darren Young the winner without him even realizing it. The partnership with Backlund seems a lot like Rocky coaching Apollo Creed, a magical old white man who is past his prime coaching up the young, hard-working, head-on-straight African American boy into the champion he deserves to be. Whatever. Fast forward to the end of their match at Battleground; after saving Darren Young from getting pinned, Backlund got slapped in the face by The Miz's wife, Maryse. Then Bob Backlund had the creepiest meltdown ever, ripping off his shirt and yelling at the top of his lungs like a mad man. THEN to make thing's worse, The Miz gets out of the ring and shoves the old man to the floor. Of course Darren Young loses his temper defending the old man's honor and gets himself disqualified. Apparently, the only thing the WWE could do to keep this awkward rivalry interesting was, well, make it unimaginably more awkward. Then there was the New Day. For those of you who don't follow wrestling, the New Day is a faction of three Black wrestlers (who happen to be among the best in the whole company) who were dealt a failed gimmick in an effort to eliminate them from the company. To accurately track their history, we have to go back to August of 2014 when they disappeared from the show for months after the riots in Ferguson only to return as, well, there's not really a word to describe it. The premise of their new gimmick was "The Power of Positivity"; if you didn't roll your eyes you should have. These men were literally scripted as coons; yes the WWE made what could have been one of the best factions ever into a Minstrel show. The New Day runs around the WWE universe making jokes out of EVERYTHING. The gimmick was so bad that crowds booed them EVERYWHERE, as they should, the gimmick sucked. Ironically though, the New Day actually prevailed, working their ass off and taking the gimmick to the corniest of limits dawning bright pink centric outfits, playing trombones mid match, wearing unicorn horns and even created their own cereal called Booty-O's which they now use as their slogan "They make sure, you ain't booty". For real their gimmick is really, really racist. And last night they lost to the Wyatt family, meaning it could be the beginning of the end of the New Day, which isn't such a bad thing. They've worked their way to the longest Tag Team title reign in WWE history. They still COULD defend the title against the Wyatts, though its not likely. Even if they all split up and go solo, they would all probably begin a feud with each other over the USA title. Or maybe Big E and Kofi stay together and Woods goes after the USA title by himself. Or maybe something completely unexpected happens, but probably not. All in all, even though they have made it a long way, if it weren't for systemic racism, they'd be a lot farther. Fitting. The Good Most of the matches though, and the story lines, were great. The first match was given to the Charlotte vs. Sasha Banks rivalry, a surprising move on the surface, but not really when you consider the fact that the Women's title is the most undervalued title in the company due to their own inability to invest in the Women's division and therefore needed the boost pretty bad. Although I didn't like the decision to call on Baylee for a guest appearance, it was still a very entertaining decision, and an entertaining match. I still don't think the match did the women much justice, mostly because of recent history, but I will get to that later. All in all though, it was an improvement. Enzo Amore and Big Cass gave their stock a huge boost again as they propelled their teaming with John Cena to a win, pulling Cena and WWE long-time-snub AJ Styles even at a 1-1 draw in their rivalry. I think that the New Day deserved to be a part of this storyline, the second biggest in the WWE, instead of Amore and Cass. Not only have they put up with a BUNCH of bs, but they are also carrying the tag team title into Raw and it would have been interesting to see what possibilities would have cropped up with that story. Instead, the WWE's closest-to-black tag team was chosen, and I have to give them credit; they've been amazing. Amore is magic on the mic, his Italian-based one liners have been hilarious, and his in ring charisma has been unmatched. Big Cass has been, well Big Cass (he's 7 foot tall and you can't teach that!) Handing out huge moves in every match consistently for weeks. Styles was amazing as always and Cena came up with a new move for once to end the match! Overall I was satisfied. However, the best thing that came from Battleground was its main event. Somehow, the WWE has managed to make a good situation out of what was a terrible one with the Shield in just 3 months. Roman Reigns returned from his suspension, wrestling with pure aggression (and much less talking) finally giving us flashes of the Roman Reigns we loved from the Shield era. A Roman Reigns which is not a complete total douchebag, doesn't wrestle like somebody he isn't, and loses every once in a fucking while. The match was an amazing, testosterone filled, adrenaline fueled rollercoaster ride with plenty of "Holy Shit!" and "NO FUCKING WAY" moments. There were points at which you thought each different member was going to come out victorious. Rollins and Ambrose teamed up at one point to try and destroy Reigns, which was much needed. Just before the end, Reigns began to surge and the crowd started to get behind him, if only a little. Some fans even screamed with him as he set up one of his finishing moves which was a great sign that he might be on the road to recovering his image. Finally, the WWE managed to successfully toe the delicate line of finding a way to make Reigns take the pin while still looking strong. 10/10, well done. The Ugly Meltdown coming in 3..2..1... WHAT THE FUCK IS THE WWE DOING WITH THE WOMEN'S DIVISION? I am seriously tired of the WWE giving symbolic gestures to the Women's division and then not rewarding their work with storylines and opportunities to put them at a level of relevance equal to the men. They drafted Charlotte 3rd overall last week in the first round of the Smackdown vs. RAW draft, and they also gave the Banks vs. Charlotte match the opening spot in the Battleground PayPer View. However, behind the smoke of symbolic gestures rests a cesspool of negligence and creative mediocrity which has soured the Women's division for years. First of all, if the decision to bring Baylee on for a guest appearance with Sasha Banks to reunite the old NXT partnership seemed like a no brainer, that's because it was. And not in a good way. It was the easiest decision to make without having to actually write a story to make it work. I thought the best thing they could have done was bring on Nia Jax. The reason that it didn't happen is because past, present, and future, the WWE consistently decides to put as little real effort into creating successful storylines for the women as possible. It all starts with the story leading up to tonight. Its the classic old vs. new storyline when it comes down to things between Sasha Banks aka the Boss and Charlotte flair, Hall-of-Famer Ric Flair's daughter. What's disappointing is that the storyline has the potential to be a WrestleMania main event, in my humble opinion, if the writing wasn't so fucking terrible. First off, Charlotte is Ric Flair's daughter: RIC FLAIR. She should be hell bent on a mission to prove that she's not just daddy's little girl, she's out to show the world that she can live up to the Flair name and become one of the greatest wrestlers of all-time period. Instead she's been reduced to a pretty face who is a spoiled petty troll. Sasha Banks is "the Boss" and her character should be treated as such. If it were me writing her character, I would have her be the epitome of a head baller, shot caller. If her character was written correctly with plenty of detail and flamboyance then it would have been no problem for "The Boss" to find a fitting partner; she always finds a way to get what she wants, that's how she got to this position in the first place. Naturally she would have bought out the best sell-sword in the WWE and that would be Nia Jax who is not only a beast, but is hungry to prove herself at the highest level (she just got drafted to RAW) and what better way than to do so then at a PayPer View event against the Women's champion? Instead, the writers don't do Banks any justice; she's only "the Boss" because she gave herself that name and is Snoop Dogg's cousin. They gave her no opportunity to build herself any credibility, so they had to go with a surprise pick from Banks' past because there's no way they had time to write a story which would make sense. Baylee was picked because she's still on NXT, and they wouldn't have to follow the move up with a quick next chapter in the story because, well, Baylee won't be around anymore. If Nia Jax had been used, or anybody from the RAW roster, then the Banks vs. Charlotte rivalry would have had a fresh new twist for the start of the brand split. Instead it continues to be pretty stale and unimaginative. But what's happening with Becky Lynch and Natalya is worse, it's straight up sabotage. Becky and Natalya got drafted to Smackdown because RAW is taking on the new Cruiserweight division and as a result only has room to write one half-ass women's story on the show. That means that the Women's championship belt will be on a different show and without any Women's tag team title (barring a surprise from Smackdown management) Becky and Natalya's rivalry will probably end in the slow ugly death of any momentum they had before Battleground. Again, the match proved as a perfect metaphor. Natalya and Becky Lynch wrestled in the absolute worst spot on the ticket. Right after the amazing Cena/Enzo Amor/Big Cass vs. AJ Styles and The Club match, and right before the Miz vs. Darren Young for the Intercontinental title. While the match was going on fans were up in the concourse getting refreshments, or in their seats resting and not paying attention. Not because the match wasn't good, it was amazing wrestling, just not compelling. Because STORYLINES make matches compelling, and for Becky and Natalya, they were given the random feud of death. Pretty much, after losing a fatal four way to Charlotte, Natalya just started attacking Becky Lynch for no reason and that has been the extent of their whole feud for six weeks; Natalya attacking Becky Lynch for no reason. Which is the absolute laziest writing that the creative team could have possibly came up with. With the brand split coming and nothing except random girl beef to fuel the competition it isn't looking good for any of the Women on Smackdown, or in the WWE in general. That is because this is nothing new, it's been going on for years. Recently, the talent in the Women's division has been so off the charts that they have earned a few small opportunities, but its not much, and its certainly less than what they deserve. What the women deserve is true investment. They deserve writers who are taking the time to write real stories (not necessarily the writers fault either), they deserve air time to play those stories out, they deserve their own women's division manager who looks for talent and manages the talent that already exists, they deserve to be the main event on both the weekly shows and pay per view every once and a while, they deserve to be the face of the company. These women are not only incredibly hard workers, but also incredibly gifted wrestlers, and its almost evil for the WWE to deny them the glory which is rightfully theirs (wow, I just came up with a great idea for a Women's storyline, on accident). If the WWE wants to get back to the days where it was one of the top sports entertainment businesses in the country then it needs to double down and rid their women's division of mediocrity. This isn't the 90s, you are gonna need to come with more than a bunch of white men and one speck of brown to be successful. If it can do that, then it can do anything. Until then, they're only halfway into earning my satisfaction.
0 Comments
One of the hardest - or THE hardest - things about being a black person in today's America is that it is damn near impossible to get away from the seeming inevitability of your own demise. This summer has been one filled with violence, bigotry, turmoil, pain, sorrow, despair, and death. As was last summer, and the summer before it. It's almost as if when the season comes for us to finally relax, let loose, or maybe even enjoy some fresh air there's another battle to fight. Another Charleston six, or Sandra Bland, or Rachel Dolezal, or Michael Brown, the list of names and events which are worthy of absolute rage against the machine are literally innumerable. And at times, it gets to be too much for me.
That's right I'll admit it; sometimes I get tired of talking about race. Actually, to be specific, I get tired of talking about racial oppression. Usually I'm the first one to jump into a discussion (or in many cases, argument) about race, discrimination, oppression, the nuances, the ins and outs, the things that most people just don't see. Trust me, it is one of the few things in life I feel I have a firm grasp on. But even for a race "fanatic" like me (funny how racists are never told they talk about race too much *thinking emoji*), sometimes enough is fucking enough. I get tired of seeing dead bodies y'all. It's really that simple. I've stopped watching the videos and reading the articles and just started taking niggas' word for it. When I started really becoming analytical it was after the death of Mike Brown. As they threw his picture up on MSNBC (hey, I was still a kid gimme a break) I saw a young man clad in his high school cap and gown just as I had been not even two months before. I saw a kid who was planning on going to college in a month, just as I was. When I heard his friends tell stories of him, I got this weird feeling. As I watched and time went on, it felt as if I was watching the story of my own murder play out on tv in front of me. If it's never happened to you, that shit will change your life, as it did mine. I went downstairs and told my mother that I had to go to Ferguson. I had to do something, march, protest, shout and scream, riot, SOMETHING. I had to fight back. Her being the protective (and low key smart) mother she is told me absolutely not. After a few minutes and a screaming match I was being hugged by mother and father both. I broke down, I felt trapped, I literally couldn't even breathe. But I can't do that shit every time another black man, woman, or child is murdered. I'd literally suffocate. So this is my reminder to myself that it is okay to be happy! Actually, it is essential. This summer, has been one in which I've explored what it means to actively search for your own happiness again, and it has been one of the most rewarding ventures I've ever taken. I took the time to learn how to actually take care of my hair. It's crazy how something so simple and essential to your own body can be overlooked, and taken for granted. This summer, and from now on, I won't overlook anything if it can make me a brighter, happier person. I twisted my hair out and I love it. It's new and fun and I actually think it looks good on me. And ya know what else is new and fun? POKEMON GO. I've spent an irresponsible amount of time chasing after pokemon and going on adventures with my friends and girlfriend. Pokémon was the first anime I watched, and the first video game I was good at. And now that this new break through in the ability to waste time on your phone has been accomplished, I feel even more like a kid again. To go along with that, I started watching anime for the first time since Dragon Ball Z ended with the Boo saga. Let me tell all you dbz fans out there; if you haven't started watching Dragon Ball Super, do so, you're welcome. I watch wrestling now too, which I gave up because of its lack of diversity, pro black characters, and also the fact that its "lame" for grown men to watch wrestling. What I've found is that, while all those things are still true, wrestling still gives me joy to watch just as it did when I was little. It's a live soap opera on testosterone and the silliness yet beauty of it all still just does something for me. There's still problems with the show of course - it's mostly a bunch of white men who beat each other up and the women are not given actual human characters by the writers. But hey, if anything, I can become a writer for the WWE and write the character(s) that inspire the next generation of black boys and girls the way the Rock inspired me. See, and that's it right there. This summer I've realized that having a problem to fix really only gives me half of my drive and passion to keep going. I've spent all of this time learning how to reject my own oppression and never stopped to make sure I was still loving myself through the process, and that's what true inspiration comes from. I'm young, and it happens, but not again Satan. This time around, I've supplemented that passion to make progress with self-care, and it has overall improved the quality of everything I do. I broke through a writer's block this summer. I've actually had so many ideas and so much inspiration pop up that I'm having trouble sitting down and focusing on just one. I would elaborate on specifics but, I honestly kinda want to keep it close to the vest for now. But the point is, smiling is good for you Matthew! Plus you look good when you do it, so fuck it, why not. I'll end with this piece of advice, especially for all the artists out there; don't forget to take time to love yourself and be happy! Your voice is going to come out so much clearer that way, even when making art about something you hate or want to destroy. Remember that if you want to create anything it should always come from a place of self expression, and there is no better expression than that which comes from self-understanding. Always understand that every once and a while its okay to smile, its always been a part of who you are. And that's my corny self love quote of the day. P.S. HOW DID I FORGET TO MENTION THAT MY ALL TIME FAVORITE PLAYER GOT A RING THIS SUMMER. CONGRATS ANDERSON VAREJAO YOU FINALLY DID IT.
Being an NBA fan in America may be one of the most dynamic social experiences that American culture has to offer. From crazy dunks to wild ankle breakers, game sevens to top five debates, all-star games and celebrity courtside appearances, the gravitational pull of the NBA has the ability to make all other aspects of American society bend towards its bright lights and big stages. And for good reason; at its core basketball in its highest is the physical manifestation of human expression. As a young black boy struggling to find a way to make the world his own, watching LeBron James embody the combination of power, grace, and technical genius on the hardwood inspired me to do the same in my own life. However, LeBron’s magic on the court was not the only thing that I took notice of and connected with my own life. As I sat down to watch “The Decision” I fought to suppress my feelings of nervous excitement; if the reports were true LeBron would be going to play in Miami alongside THE Flash: Dwyane Wade. I knew that if this happened we might be afforded four or five years of the best basketball the world had ever seen. Apparently the world around me saw not an opportunity for greatness, but of evil. That summer was a tough one for me, as it was I can imagine for LeBron (although dude was moving to Miami and getting a pay raise, so all-in-all not a bad deal). His jersey was burned throughout the streets, he was told by his former boss that the city which he was born in no longer welcomed him home, he was called a cheat, a liar, a punk, accused of betrayal and the murder of the hopes of oh so many lost Clevelanders. Fast forward 6 years and now we come to a situation with glaring similarities. Kevin Durant, whose silently lethal jump shot and devastatingly explosive ability to finish at the rim have launched him into conversations of the league’s best, made a decision similar to LeBron’s: leave the only franchise you’ve known your whole career in search of personal development, a great city, and of course, the holy grail of basketball: the Larry O’Brien NBA Finals Trophy. I watched the reactions of America unravel and as I sat at my TV and on Twitter I was forced to come to this conclusion: that the institution of NBA fandom is incredibly racist. In a major way, racism in NBA fandom revolves around the notion that fans and franchise officials have complete ownership over the lives of black players. When you examine NBA franchises as a plantation, then it becomes easy to see the ways in which racism infiltrates the way in which we consume sports. When Kevin Durant left Oklahoma City he was not without his great reasons; Oakland is a HUGE upgrade over OKC, one of the smallest and least desirable markets in the NBA. Kevin Durant’s growth as a player had been stifled over the past couple years, especially by the presence of ball-guzzler Russel Westbrook and the inability of the Thunder to spread the floor for Durant in crucial possessions. Oklahoma City’s chances at a title were already running thin, given that Westbrook’s contract is up next year as well, and the team still has not landed a major piece which would vault the team into major title contention. Then of course, THERE’S THE MONEY: Durant still landed a max contract in Golden State, so in other words, IT’S THE PERFECT DECISION. However, racism in America has a way of wiping all reason from situations in which the autonomy of black men and women is involved. The only part of the decision that so-called fans of basketball saw was that Kevin Durant took power into his own hands and changed the competitive balance of the NBA. Think about how impactful that is. With one signature Kevin Durant changed the trajectory of two major corporate entities, and possibly the direction of the league overall, which is worth billions. That is true power. Which is exactly the problem that the majority of sports fans in the country had with the decision. Furthermore, the burning of Kevin Durant jersey’s shows that his value to Thunder fans is only connected to his ability to produce a commodity for them, in this case, W’s in the win column. Forget that the Thunder only landed in OKC after an illegal relocation of the team from Seattle. Forget that Durant put his body on the line for nine years on a team which was absolutely horrible when he arrived. Forget that Durant was the Thunder’s first ever superstar, an MVP, and the life of the organization for almost a decade. Racism leaves no room for gratitude. Kevin Durant left the Thunder and can no longer produce a commodity for its fans. Should he be missed? Of course. But to deny him the respect, dignity, and love he deserves for literally putting his body on the line for a city is nothing short of disgusting. The same goes for Dwyane Wade, who after sacrificing his body for 13 years in Miami (suffering through multiple back and knee injuiries), winning 3 championships and recruiting the greatest Heat team of all time while NEVER being the team’s highest paid player, was refused the pay raise he felt he deserved. When Wade subsequently left for Chicago, his hometown his jersey was burned by the #HEATNATION which he was the heart and soul of for over a decade. NBA Commissioner said recently in an interview that he wishes that NBA players didn’t have the power to essentially take their careers into their own hands and form super teams, saying instead that he would prefer a collective bargaining agreement in which it made it easier for every team to have a superstar. How convenient, to strike a deal in which every NBA town got its own black man to idolize, fetishize, and toss in the dumpster when his body gives out on him only to bring a new one into town. This is the way the league used to operate, with every market, big or small, afforded one or two superstars so as to create parody, regardless of what it meant for the players. Imagine landing in a city across the nation from your family, not being able to negotiate the contract you deserve, being pimped out for sponsorships and endorsement deals, not being able to gain leverage in contract negotiations, and not being able to prevent yourself and your family from being traded and having to start life over in a completely new city. LeBron James is not only a pioneer in that he has changed the way the game is played, but also the way in which the entire league operates. Now players in a league which the talent is overwhelmingly black and the ownership and fan base overwhelmingly white, are experiencing increasing power over the everyday operations of the league, and it’s giving basketball fans all over the country fits. Today, players from every team network and forge relationships with each other. This is evident in the reports that Kevin Durant had an ongoing friendship with Steph Curry and Andre Iguodala, which started on the 2012 US Olympic team. Of course LeBron and DWade’s friendship is one which will go down in history books as the friendship which changed basketball history. This absolutely rejects the plantation model of isolation, and brings the dismay of both fans and ownership alike, who want to see players despise each other and form confrontational relationships which would prevent them from coming together and taking the trajectory of their own careers and subsequently the Association into their own hands. With increased power, of course, comes increased autonomy, which can’t be good for your everyday fan who previously was afforded the privilege of turning on the tv, or filing through a turnstile, without ever having to take into mind the humanity of the players which they were paying to see perform. Expressions of humanity such as celebratory dances and trash talk alike are now seen as over the top. LeBron wore an “I Can’t Breathe” TShirt last fall and threw the sports world into a frenzy. The nearly all-black Los Angeles Clippers team was heavily criticized for their black tshirt pre-game protest of Donald Sterling, Donald Trump’s contemporary, and then when the team threatened to strike, its fans threatened to abandon them all together. Imagine the backlash that would ensue should the whole players association pressure the country to take action on police brutality and systemic racism as Carmelo Anthony suggested. In American sport, white fans assuage their privilege, prejudice, and bigotry for a few hours and root for black men under the conditions that they don’t taint their beloved game with too much blackness, put their bodies on the line with unquestioning loyalty, and don’t disrupt the status quo or the bottom dollar. Black athletes in the NBA have violated all of these terms of agreement, and now its fans are finally starting to show their teeth. |
Archives
October 2018
Matt BruceViva DSM!! |