Cletus with Gloves: UFC on FOX 2 LIVE BLOG

821: Quick word on the choice of analysts. Couture is a 10 on the mic. As for Jon Jones, as a fighter, I'm all in. That said, he has as much charisma as my punching bag. Doesn't help that he was constantly looking at his notes. Considering how Brock came across on UFC on Fox 1, UFC might want to consider NOT employing current fighters as analysts.

825: Chris Weidman vs. Demian Maia - Round 1. Pretty hard round to score so far. Weidman with the crisper strikes but Maia responding well. Very even fight, slight edge to Chris. 10-9 Weidman.

827: It could be the way the mics are set, or the fact that the first round was too close to call. Either way, from what I can tell, this Chicago crowd is straight ass so far.

828: The biggest loss for the UFC in losing Mark Munoz from the card? Not being able to repeat his nickname as 'the Filipino Wrecking Machine' a billion times.

829: Into the 2nd round. Again, even round to this point but Weidman is obviously landing with the lead left. Shocker, this crowd of Chicago dullards is booing.

831: Here's a great drinking game for you kids that are into that kind of thing: For every time Mike Goldberg says 'headkick', consume. You would be surprised how blitzed you get. Really, it's the weirdest quirk about Goldie as a commentator. It's like he's so excited at the notion of someone getting kicked in the head that he can't even muster another word  to describe the action except 'headkick'.

834: 3rd Round. Based on the jabs and the takedowns, I had the 2nd  round narrowly for Weidman. Granted, this hasn't been a very exciting fight but this crowd really blows. The slam by Weidman barely elicited some 'ooohs' from the audience. Just awful.

837: Note to Dana White: Cross Chicago off the list. Forever. Thanks. Can I get a RT?

840: After three, I'll give Maia his token round. Fight could go either way but I've got Weidman 29-28. Winner by Split Decision: Chris Weidman. 

841: LOL @ Bruce Buffer. He called Chris the victor... but pointed at Demian Maia. Classy.

842: Kind of an awkward moment. No customary post fight interview for Weidman. Looked like he was standing around waiting for Joe Rogan to ask him about the bout, maybe ask if he had any shoutouts. Oops.

846: Chael Sonnen gives another great promo. He could use a little more coaching on loving the camera though. CHAEL, WE'RE OVER HERE.

848: Don't know how Fox let's 'Goddamn' slip through in a video package. Amateurish.

855: Chael Sonnen vs Michael Bisping - Round 1. Quick take down by Sonnen after a short exchange. This round should be very telling, in terms of where this fight will take place.

Sidebar - I think someone may have sprayed the audience with adrenaline. They might have a pulse now.

859: After two early takedowns, Bisping is really controlling the position by going to the clinch. Both guys seem to be butting heads quite a bit. Sonnen looks a bit tentative to start. 10-9 Bisping.

901: We have a Brittany Palmer sighting. My night is made.

902: Second round under way.

903: 'Sonnen looks terrible here.' Might be Joe Rogan's best analysis of the night. THIS IS WHY HE GETS THE BIG BUCKS.

905: This fight has been a whole lotta nothing. Sonnen has been largely ineffective after scoring a takedown. Bisping is controlling the pace but it seems like he's just holding position against the cage to guard against the takedown. I'll give it to Chael on the takedown but I really don't want to. 10-9 Sonnen.

908: Someone's going to have to explain to me if/when non-title fights will go five rounds. Not that this fight needs it but it's for the #1 contender-ship. Seems kinda important. Just saying.

909: Third round. Sonnen lands a brutal double leg takedown. Chael quickly takes his back, transitions BEAUT-I-FULLY to a full mount. If he can finish the round this way, it'll leave a lasting impression.

912: Five rounds, Dana. What's up?

913: I've got it 29-28 Sonnen but round 2 is a coinflip in my eyes. How do you score two close rounds and one fairly decisive round?

914: Sidebar - I really hope Fox is in it for the long haul. Three fights on Fox so far and not a single finish. Pray for patience.

915: Winner (and evidently the best fighter in the world) by unanimous decision: Chael Sonnen. I wish I could get a transcript of that post fight 'interview'/ promo.

917: I think someone snuck some quaaludes in Goldie's Snapple. Rogan too for that matter. Neither seem really jazzed for tonight's show but they certainly picked up the energy level talking about next week's pay-per-view. Coincidence?

922: Talking up the Davis - Evans contest and they showed a list of top 10 light heavyweights. Forest Griffin is still listed in the top 10. That should tell you all you need to know about the rankings.

923: I know the UFC is fighting to steer clear of pro wrestling at all costs. That said, they could really benefit by having the WWE produce their video packages. Wake me when the fight starts.

930: So much for hearing about Phil Davis. Oh well, on to the fight.

931: It's hilarious that Bones and Rashad are 'beefing'. Their personalities are almost exactly the same. Every 'clever' comment they make seems totally forced. In fact, nothing they say comes across as authentic. I hope you recognize this, Dana.

936: I'm curious if Rashad is really as relaxed as he seems. I wonder how quickly he'll get off (pause) against the younger guy in Davis.

940: A pro-Rashad crowd. But not by much. This crowd can suck it.

941: Rashad Evans vs Phil Davis - Round 1. Davis is moving well so far, showing now sign of rust but not much going on. Lots of feeling out.

945: Evans catches one of many kicks from Phil, keeps the single and sweeps to land the takedown. Davis in trouble, fighting out of a crucifix position. Phil frees himself but the damage is done. Solid round for Sugar. Unfortunately. 10-9 Evans.

947: It's almost 10 and we've yet to see an ounce of 'the beautiful Arianny'. I call foul.

948: Into round 2. Davis looks more active standing but he's struggling to use his reach advantage. He's obviously working to land a takedown but the leg kicks and combinations aren't doing anything to set it up.

950: Since midway through the first, you could see Sugar really stalking and controlling where the fight is actually taking place in the cage. More of the same through two.

952: Evans lands another takedown just as he did in the first. Catches a high kick from Davis and pulls the single leg into a takedown. A couple solid elbows in the sidemount from Rashad. Pretty impressive showing thus far for Rashad. 10-9 Rashad.

954: Round 3, underway. Interesting that they ID Jeremy Piven in the crowd but not Michael Vick in the same row. Curious.

956: Safe to say the inexperience of Davis is shining through. Nearly through the third and Evans is starting to pick Phil apart. Davis finally lands a desperate takedown but Evans escapes with relative ease. Even w/ the takedown, Evans seemed to control the round from beginning to end. 10-9 Evans. 


1001: Round 4 underway. To answer the most egregious injustice of the night, I give you ...

You're welcome. 

1004: Davis is gassed. Rashad is being Rashad. A ho-hum penultimate round. 10-9 Evans and going for the sweep. 


1005: Perfect sentiment for this fight. From the ever so articulate Chad Dukes ...

"Why the UFC booked Rashad Evans for a @UFConFOX fight is beyond me. He's an excellent fighter but is NOT going to excite first time viewers."

Could not say it better. He'd better finish Phil in the 5th.

1006: Fifth and final round. I'm going to keep watching after the fight for the inevitable Jones/Evans post-fight confrontation.

1009: I need Joe Silva's job. At least when it comes to the Fox cards. A couple featherweight fights would have been nice for the noobs. Maybe the next lightweight title bout. Just something with the potential for excitement. Please?

1012: Clean sweep for Sugar. Book it. We'll see you in Atlanta. Jones. Evans. Fireworks. 10-9 Evans.

1014: I'll go into more detail on this later but I really think the UFC really blew it with this card on Fox. This was a golden opportunity to really reel in the casual viewer. And the card even before the Munoz injury looked okay at best. Evans is a tough sell for seasoned and rookie viewers alike. Odd that he was the centerpiece for this card.

1018: Winner by unanimous decision: Rashad Evans. Jones stays in the booth. DAMNATION.

1020: Decent night of fights but it could have been so much more. Thanks for those that followed along. I'll have further analysis shortly. Good game, kiddos. 

You Went There: TOP CHEF LIVE BLOG

959: Early highlight of this week's episode? The recap of last week with clips of Charlize Theron.

1002: Yes, Chris. The appropriate reaction to Charlize is ... 'Wow'.

Giggity.

1005: Love mise en place challenges. Not that I'm an expert on speed or anything. Just saying.

1007: I belong to the '50-yr old Asian Man' school of eating i.e. "don't you dare remove the shell or head off my shrimp b/c you're ruining it." This shell removal challenge is offending me.

1009: Just for the record, I'm writing while sitting on an exercise ball with my laptop on a stool. I'll let that picture develop.

1011: This season's 'Vote for your favorite loser chef!' contest amuses me, esp. considering that chefs that never actually made it on the show are vying for votes. It's like William Hung campaigning to win American Idol. Like now.

1016: Oh, Grayson, baby. You had it in the bag. Don't you ever worry your pretty little head.

1017: Shocker: The Asians are going head-to-head. The TV gods. They hate me.

1021: Sidebar - I used to do this wacky bit where I would pretend to be Chef Paul, except I would talk in a heavy Viet accent. KNEE. SLAPPING. STUFF.

Then I found out he's Filipino. Bit. Over.

1025: They must play that Camry commercial during every break. So much so that things are starting to run together. That last time it looked like Chris Berman was driving the Camry in a wifebeater. Then I realized it was Kelly Clarkson.

1030: So you know my baby, Grayson. She's cute. She cooks. She wins from time to time. But the strategy part? Not her strong suit. For instance, 200 chicken salad sammiches to order. Ambitious yes but not the best idear.

1030: 'I'm Sarah. So what I have for you today is a meatball with turkey, some squash, arugula, a side of squash, a dash of squash, squash, squash, wild squash, squash ... and to cool you off, some squash.'

1041: Commercial for 'The Vow'. I'm imagining the producer pitching it to the studio like this ... 'Okay, think "50 First Dates", but not funny and mostly sad. And Channing Tatum's abs. Did I mention his abs?'

1048: Judges' Table time. Oh, Grayson, baby. You lost me at 'Asian Food'.

1053: Episode I 3D commercial. I was just about to say something about how it was such BS that the really good Asian chef (Paul) looked poised to eliminate his equally talented yet starcrossed Asian chef. Then I had visions of Darth Maul and Qui-Gon Jinn swinging lightsabers in 3D. Gahddamn you, Lucas.

1059: BOOM! Chris J. hits the bricks. That mock pony tail stuck around for about three weeks too long. A great showing for Chris nonetheless. I'm sure he will go back to Moto a better chef. I look forward to eating a ravioli made of toilet paper. Or something weird.

1101: Gonna catch me some Last Chance Kitchen but before I split, I have to say this was a pretty disappointing episode, especially coming off the high from last week. It's mindboggling just how painfully inconsistent this season has been. The culprit seemed to be a really weak premise for the elimination challenge. Yes, we know Healthy Choice is the sponsor. Yes, we know Chef Bryan, a Top Chef alum, makes a fine spokesman. But do you need to hand jam the product into a half assed, healthy-eating contest? Obvious answer is no.

And for chrissakes, enough with the 'Let's cook for 620 yokels!' challenges. Once, twice, three times a season is enough. Way too many challenges with cafeteria-style eating.

1112: End rant. Thanks for reading. Fun night as always. Stay classy, San Diego. 

Wait, It Rains in SF? NFC TITLE GAME LIVE BLOG

645: NATIONAL ANTHEM TIME! I'm vaguely familiar with the work of Kristin Chenoweth. May or may not be a ringing endorsement for her rendition of the anthem.

648: Quote from Joe Buck - 'Eli is playing better than he did when he won the Super Bowl.' Glad he cleared that up for us.

655: My respect level grows for Eli every year. That said, I don't know how any of his receivers can take anything he says seriously when he gives them 'The Eli Face'.

656: If you don't know what the 'Eli Face' is, just think back to the movie "Half Baked" when Kenny goes to jail and he tries to show the guys with his 'mean' face.

703: I was eight seconds away from writing how the Niners would be foolish to try and throw their way to victory. I learn nothing. 70 yd pitch and catch to put SF up 7-0.

704: Official replay explanation. Poor Ed Hocculi. He knows too many words. Ed, we feel your pain, we know what you meant.

705: Commercial for #WrathOfTheTitans. How do you follow up a flaming turd? You add more dragons and explosions.

707: Apparently pre-existing celebrations can be granfathered and exempted from TD celebration penalties (i.e. the Lambeau Leap). Hell of a league, ya got, Goodell.

713: Giants passing game looks a bit out of sync. Hakeem Nicks has to give opposing coaches nightmares. Huge loss if he doesn't come back.

716: Whoops.

718: I'm going to reinstate my 'Niners stupid to try and throw to win' comment. That last pass from Alex Smith was ... dare I say ... Grossman-esque?

728: Commercial for 'This Means War.' They put Bane and Capt. Kirk into a movie together. That should've been enough. And then they made it a romcom with Reese Witherspoon. Just take my head off.

730: I'm fairly confident Eli's offseason passing coach is Tim Wakefield. Either way, hell of a throw on the TD. ALL TIED AT 7 KIDDOS!

733: Bettis: 'Peyton?' Peyton: 'Hey, a man's gotta work.' Priceless. Great commercial from Papa Johns.

741: Vernon Davis looked like Sensational Sheri jumping on another wrestler's back, trying to save the Macho Man from a beatdown. Awful penalty, comedy gold.

745: Really? Fake fair catch? I'm going back to a UCONN game a few years back when some douchebag return guy faked the fair catch and ran for a TD. I'm of the opinion that any player that does that should be forced to play the remainder of the game without a helmet. Bush league stuff.

755: Commercial for Disney's "John Carter". Let me get this straight. Gambit and Silverfox from 'X-Men Origins: Wolverine'. These are your stars? It cost a gazillion dollars to make. I have no idea how they will make a profit. Not a clue.

757: The Bing commerical with the snowboarder returning from the brain injury? Might be a little ill-timed considering Sarah Burke's passing. Just saying.

806: Can't believe I'm giving Eli this much love. I guess when he's not dancing a jig or making awful faces, Eli Manning is a good quarterback.

810: UFC on Fox commercial Not sure how I feel about the Jon Jones/kicking the swings spot. Anyway, at the half it's 10-7 NY Giants.

830: Start of the second half. Niners not looking too sharp out of the gate. Did I mention I thought it was foolish for the Niners to force Alex Smith to carry them today? Just wanted to remind you guys.

832: If you're keeping score, the Niners' first drive of the 2nd half: three passes called, one sack, one penalty. Bailed out by a horrendous penalty against the Giants secondary. This cannot be ignored.

853: Watching Alex Smith the last two weeks, I'm still not impressed. Granted he has two TD passes and no picks but he's thrown flat routes and go routes and nothing else. Hence, Niners would be wise to be control the football with the lead.

901: Surefire interception broken up by ... two 49er DBs who never saw each other coming. Someone should tell the Goldson kid that 'yanking him up by his jersey' is not recommended treatment for someone with a potential head injury. Crazy play, should have netted a turnover. Hoping Terrell Brown is okay.

921: Devin Thomas for the Giants. Carlos Rogers for the Niners. I genuinely have no rooting interest in this game.

924: I know he's a bit awkward but can we have a round of applause for Ed Hocculi? No canned explanations from him. A casual breakdown of the call. Love it.

927:  Ladies and gents, we have an actual reception in the second half. Huge first down conversion for NYG coming off the turnover. Back to the turnover Kyle Williams' muffed punt: It will haunt me forever if Devin Thomas ends up making a critical play that could help send his team to the Super Bowl. I may not sleep tonight.

930: Eli hits Manningham for TD in the back of the endzone to take the lead. Incredible throw. Again. If the score holds, we are less than nine minutes away from Eli surpassing Peyton. Room spinning real fast.

936: For the Giants, the road to failure is littered with Kenny Phillips penalty flags.

938: Niners trying to tie the score. Two huge runs to get the Niners in scoring position. Who knew.

940: 44 FGs. If you had David Akers on your fantasy squad this year, well done, you. WE'RE ALL TIED AT 17, KIDDOS!

958: Giants and Niners exchange possessions. Eli and his face have one minute and 18 seconds. Niners defense might make a play here. Call it a hunch.

1002: 27 tics left. Score tied. And a brand new episode of American Idol to follow!!!

1010: Overtime. Where complicated happens.

1015: This Goldson kid could ruin a cup of coffee. Not one, but two gift interceptions and he screws the pooch on both by running into a teammate. Sidebar: Thanks to Aikman for pointing out that Skins fans were not crazy and he did drop plenty of picks in his time here. Again, not crazy.

1022: Eli and the Giants with their 2nd crack at the win her in OT. Sidebar: Shocked at just how little we've heard from Patrick Willis today. Quiet days are good for linemen, not linebackers. Just saying.

1030: No words to describe how awful I feel for Kyle Williams. Not often that we get two goats in one day. Kyle Williams and Billy Cundiff ... you are both apart of history.

1040: Giants boot the GW field goal. Grown men celebrate awkwardly. Seriously, congrats New York. You officially have the better Manning. You got swept by the Redskins but I guess it turned out okay in the end. Just keep Devin Thomas off the mic and we'll be square.

1046: Terry Bradshaw said 'Devin Thomas' nine times in a row. I might need to cut bait before he shows his face. Great day of football. Deuces.

Porn for Paula Dean: TOP CHEF LIVE BLOG

1009: Going on record: Worst season of Top Chef yet. Still I watch.

1011: To elaborate, I cannot remember a season where they went so far out of their way to tell the audience how credentialed the cast was. Yet I cannot recall a more lame ass, disappointing bunch of cooks.

1014: FYI I got a jonesing for Grayson. A byproduct of being the only decent looking woman this season. That's not saying much.

1016: More of my ginger haired angel. MAWWWR.

1018: I'm convinced Beverly gets hated on for being the uber-asian goober, which almost completely invalidates her talent. Almost.

1019: I was going to say something about the poor quality of the elimination challenges and then Charlize Theron hit the screen. I can't remember if I had pants on before. I don't care.

1025: I need to know what the special 'coating' is on Burger King's new fries. Sure, it might make the fries taste like heaven and look like money but it's Himalayan goat pee, I don't want it.

1030: We are 30 minutes into the show. There are seven chefs left. Three are Asian. How did this escape me thus far?

1039: Leave it to me to drub the current season ... only to see the chefs pull out the best meal yet. I have no business betting on anything.

1041: I need a ruling. I think Ed is a dead ringer for my friend, Andrew.  See below:

Andrew on the left, chef Edward Lee on the right.

RIGHT?! If there's former PSA-er reading this who can co-sign, please do so. Freaky. 

1054: I'll just come out with it: Sarah can lick it. She undercooked risotto this season, not once but twice. She quit an elimination challenge ... mid-challenge (and then came back when convenient ... only to leave again). She threw the Asian girl under the bus. I'm over the "Nice-pitiable-fat-girl" shtick. These rocks won't kick themselves.

1059: Well, that's the last time I push the Asians. Ladies and gents, I am ... The Cooler.

1101: Back to Grayson. She's hot in the way Rachel Nichols from ESPN is hot ... in that if you're stare at her long enough, and you remove any other basis for comparison (i.e. little to no women on the same program), you turn a 4 into a 6. In Grayson's case, a 5 to a 7. Thank you for your time.

1106: There's something amiss with this 'Last Chance Kitchen'. Indulge me.

- Tom Colicchio doesn't change shirts for three to four weeks. At least.
- Neither does the peanut gallery, for that matter.
- The challenges take place in the San Antonio kitchen but the incoming chefs are coming from all over the state at different times in the season.

There's probably a logical explanation to all this but until that surfaces, I'll be waiting for the chef on the grassy knoll.

1115: I won't spoil the results from the LCK but this might've been the best one yet.

1118: Had fun tonight. If you read this, a gold star to ya. You may pack your knives and go. Night.

A Monkey's Uncle.

Lord Tebow met his match.

Aaron and his Pack lost their way.

And ... Saint Drew fell from grace.

If football isn't religion, I got nothing else for ya.

(Oh yeah, Baltimore beat Houston. I couldn't come up w/ a fitting analogy and let's be honest, that game was a turd and a half.)

This wasn't an impossible chain of events but the idea that both the Saints and Packers would exit the Playoffs in the divisional round was pretty damn unlikely. On the other hand, I think everyone outside of the Rockies could see Tebow and co. were in over their heads but given how the Broncos performed against the Steelers, you would at least expect a competitive contest.

Wrong on all accounts.

Nonetheless, I took two things away from this past weekend's games:

1) Just how well the 49ers offense played.
In the words of The Miz ... really? Really?! I mean, San Fran isn't exactly inept on the O but no one would confuse them with the Saints. Which isn't a bad thing. But the chances of Alex Smith outdueling Drew Brees were pretty slim going in so unless he's completely full of crap, I highly doubt Jim Harabaugh went into the game thinking that was the gameplan. That said, Alex Smith went all-Utah on the Saints. Vernon Davis came up huge. Totally changes the perception of the Niners' passing game and adds a dimension to this team that was missing all year.

2) Just how poorly the Packers played. 
This takes nothing away from the Giants but the Packers blew. In nearly every facet of the game. Completely BLEW.

Injured teams and slumping teams benefit the most from a 1st round bye. The Packers fall into neither of those categories. Throw in an inconsistent defense and then Sunday happens. In week 1, I was impressed as anyone with the offensive performance from the Pack but the ease with which the Saints moved the ball was especially troubling. Yes, it was Brees moving the ball but that's besides the point. A defensive unit that helped carry Green Bay to a title was suddenly an 'opportunistic' defense. And if you're scoring at home, 'opportunistic' (when describing defenses) is code for 'good in spots but largely crappy'.

It's an odd thing with prolific offenses. Their defensive counterparts will generally produce plenty of turnovers and play 'bend-but-don't-break' football en route to a title. And then the subsequent season, the offense will play as well, if not better than the last year, while the defense regresses as the team fails to duplicate their prior success. Case(s) in point: 1999 St. Louis Rams, 2007 New Orleans Saints, and now ... the 2010 Green Bay Packers. What a shame. Better luck next year, cheeseheads.

If this past weekend was any indication, next week's title games will be interesting to say the least. My early vibe: a Super Bowl rematch with ... the Ravens and Giants. Take those picks with a grain of salt as I am unofficially known as 'The Cooler' but lightning strikes. Blind squirrels find nuts. Don't say I didn't call it.

Anyway, I'll be back with some notes on UFC 142 in Rio. For now, I say adieu.

KNEEL BEFORE ZOD ... er, TEBOW!

I know what you're thinking ...

'One post into the new year and already he's missed one.'

Forgive me. I got a little caught up spending my Sunday praying at the altar of his holiness ... the patron Saint ... Timmy.

Honestly, there are no words to describe just how improbable all this is. (Somewhere in Bristol, Connecticut, around 6:45 PM yesterday, some poor, 22 year old intern had to be giving Merril Hoge mouth-to-mouth.) Of all the ways that AFC Wild Card game COULD end, no one would have guessed '80-yd TD pass from Tebow in OT.' (BTW, so much for the end of one-possession OT games.)

And as much as I would like to see the Tebow-mania subside, a small, miniscule, imperceptible part of my being has to thank the heavens for granting myself and the rest of the sports-loving world a brief respite from the plague that is ... Steeler nation.

It's not just the disproportionately large number of displaced stiller fans that seem to infiltrate every metropolitan area. It's not just the growing number of bandwagoners. Hell, it's not even the ridiculous sight of a few thousand, freeze-dried yahoos waving those repugnant yellow towels. (Terrible doesn't begin to describe.)

Rather, it's all of it. Nothing personal, I don't hate Steeler fans. I'm just 'Black-and-Yellow'd out. If you throw the Penguins into the mix, the surge in Pittsburgh paraphernalia over the last 5-6 years has been exponential. It just got to be too much. And if the price of a Steeler-less playoffs is a little more Tebow-humping, I will gladly turn down the TV, grit my teeth, and keep it moving 'til Sunday, February 5th. Until then ... #ThankYouBasedTebow .

MERRY NEW YEAR!

On this first, glorious day of 2012, I asked my fiance how she manages to update her blog so regularly (rehabmywardrobe.blogspot.com for those wondering). To which she replied:

'I just do it.'

Makes sense.

So on that note, I've resolved to write a new post every Sunday. Mark it on your calendars. Prepare your heckles and barbs, in the 'off chance' I do not adhere to said resolution. But I'm shooting for at least 52 posts come this time next year. Hopefully, I'll find some time between wedding planning and episodes of 'Storage Wars' to squeeze in a few extra posts in 2012. And speaking of resolutions...


- I guess Brock Lesnar resolved to not to get hit in the face any more. Can't say I blame him (he wasn't very good at it). However, I'm 50/50 on his decision to walk away from MMA now. He is just three fights, two years, and one case of diverticulitis removed from the undisputed UFC Heavyweight title. Two years later, he's supposedly done with the sport. I respect the guy for taking on one of, if not THE most talented strikers in the division in Alistair Overeem, after a 14 month layoff from the octagon. Take nothing away from the 'Reem but I wonder if ring rust played a role in Brock's performance. For my money, one more fight would clear up a lot of my questions.

Then there's the speculation about Brock potentially returning to the WWE. Everyone, including the fine folks at chaddukeswrestlingshow.com, seems to believe it's a foregone conclusion that 'the Next Big Thing' will be back in the squared circle for WrestleMania. Yet I'm not totally sold. Granted, I'm sure Vince & Co. will make a run at him at some point but I don't know if now is the time. Assume Brock is back to face the Undertaker. Honestly, how do you sell a 'real fighter' coming off two straight losses to the WWE universe as legit? Not saying it's impossible but it'll be a little more difficult for the WWE to convince the PG-Era fans Brock is a credible threat to 'The Streak' given how his run in the UFC came to an end. I'll wait to see how this plays out but I won't hold my breath.

- The Redskins ended the 2011 season one game worse than last year. Considering this was with Rex at the helm for 13 games, I'm going to call that a push.

Look, it sucks being a Redskins fan right now but ignore the stench of failure for a brief moment and look at it this way: Helu and Royster are the future at RB. Kerrigan and Orakpo are the real deal. Perry Riley is a tackling machine. Jarvin Jenkins should be healthy and ready to jump on the line. (Jarvis if you recall was the best player in camp this summer before tearing his ACL. He will join Stephen Bowen and Barry Cofield to a vastly improved defensive line.)

Of course, the QB position is the primary question mark but with the sixth pick in the upcoming draft, the Redskins are at least in the conversation for RGIII. If they opt against blowing their load to move up in the draft, the Redskins could do worse than to have Mike Shanahan and gang at the helm, scouring college QBs. As Danny Rouhier from 106.7 The Fan DC pointed out on his twitter (@funnydanny), this is the same guy in Shanny that drafted Jay Cutler and passed on Blaine Gabbert. They might have a beat on this kind of thing. (Then again, he did have us convinced John Beck was the guy.)

Hopefully, I'm not alone in this perverse sense of optimism. But I'm more than happy to share a glass of the Kool Aid.

------------------------------

I'm off work Monday but I'm going to milk some shut-eye out of this. I'll leave you with this message from my friend, Nenge Mboko: