Random TV review

Beginning today I am starting a new periodic column where I discuss random tv shows that I watched the night before. It may not be fun to read, but hell, I am going to enjoy writing it, so bare with me.

First up when I got home was a pre-season game between Baltimore and my Carolina Panthers. I turned the game on in the third quarter and Carolina coach John Fox decides to challenge a ruling on the field. I know that he needs to pretend like the game is important, but that was ridiculous. It was pouring rain and the third stringers were in - everyone just wanted the game to be over. The good point of the challenge was that I got to listen to Jon Gruden for a few more seconds. I am not going to lie - I think Gruden is great. I'm not sure anyone could have seen it coming based on his days as a coach, but Gruden always seems like he is having a good time and is by far the most knowledgeable guy in the booth. Two other quick thoughts:

• I am excited to see if Armanti Edwards, the QB from Appalachian St who led the upset over Michigan, can play a role in this offense. Gruden says that Fox will have a set of plays for him, most likely the wildcat.
• Carolina has 4 guys comepting for the starting QB job who have a combined 8 starts in the NFL. I really dislike Jimmy Claussen and hope that incumbent Matt Moore is able to keep the job. I think he has the skills and moxy to be successful and he was a fun interview with personal favorite Suzy Kolber.
  

After my daughter went to bed I had a few hours of free tv time since the wife was at a friend's place. Sportscenter showed footage of the Cincinnati-St Louis brawl. I feel like the number of brawls have been on the decrease and those that do occur are normally just slap fights. This one went to the backstop and guys were being pushed into the stands. I really hope to see some more games between the two because, as shown by Brandon Phillips comments, they really do dislike each other. After the brawl they showed an interview with JaMarcus Russell. It amazes me that he is completely out of the league. Normally when a #1 pick is a bust he can at least stick around the league for a few years as a back-up (see Time Couch, Ryan Leaf, Alex Smith), but there is not one team willing to throw him a line. It amazes me how wrong everyone was when they anointed him the next big thing after only a few great college games.

After Sportscenter I then turn on TNA Wrestling. It amazes me how poorly TNA is run considering the amazing talent they have. The writing and booking is terrible. Every week the storyline's change and every two months the wrestlers change how they act. How they book AJ Styles and Samoa Joe is a travesty. In my opinion, these are the top two guys in the company. Adding rob Van Dam, Jeff Hardy and Mr Anderson is a good thing, but they should work with Styles and Joe to create an awesome main event group, but they just aren't booked that way. Its' terrible. I'm trying to be less objective now that I have a daughter, but Velvet Sky looked fantastic last night. I loved the black top and hope she gets away from the Beautiful People role and can become a face. At the very least she deserves more airtime for being the least skankie of all the female wrestlers in the company.

While folding laundry it was Game 7 of the 2003 Stanley Cup Finals between the Devils and Anaheim. I definitely enjoyed the game because I heard some names like Turner Stevenson, Jeff Friessen, Pascal Rheaume that I haven't heard in 6 years and because I got to see Stevens, Niedermayer and Daneyko on the ice, something that Devils fans sorely miss. I still don't understand how Giguere won the Conn Smyth Trophy while being on a losing team. I get it - they would have lost 4-1 if not for Giguere, but they still lost. Unless Brodeur wins one more Cup, he will end his career with 3 Cups, but no Conn Smyth's - that my friends, is a travesty. Oh, and the final great thing about the game was the in game promo for Game 4 of the NBA Finals between San Antonio and New Jersey. What amazing week it was in June 2003 when the Devils and Nets hosted finals games only days apart.

Finally, it was the 11pm showing of Jersey Shore. Not just any jersey Shore, but MVP night on the Jersey Shore. "M-V-P of M-I-A supporting the GFF." I think my opinion of Pauly D and The Situation is changing - I actually think I want to hang out with them. Especially if Pauly is supporting the red kicks. Best part of the show - some girl's fake boob padding fell out in the hot tub. Naturally, the guys picked it up and starting playing catch with it. Just classic. I love the Jersey Shore.

It was a random night of tv for sure. We had football, wrestling, hockey and jersey shore. Pretty solid and worthy of a B+.