6/28/2013- Texas def Yankees 2 out of 3, Mets/White Sox split series, more

Hello everyone! I hope all of you had a great week this week. Let's cut to the chase, shall we? Here we go!

MLB
Earlier this week, the Yankees stayed home to host the Texas Rangers in a 3 game set from Tuesday-Thursday. The Yankees won on Tuesday due to a walk-off home run by Ichiro Suzuki in the bottom of the 9th, but lost the series as they got blown out on Wednesday and shut out on Thursday. Meanwhile, for the Mets, they went to the South Side of Chicago to face the Chicago White Sox in a 2 game set. The Mets lost Tuesday's game, but won on Wednesday. The Mets also went to Denver, Colorado to make-up a game against the Rockies in which they won.

The Yankees will be on the road as they face the Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards this weekend, while the Mets will host the Washington Nationals in a 3 game set.

WWE
This past Monday on Raw, WWE announced the participants for the WWE Championship Money in the Bank. They are Daniel Bryan, Randy Orton, CM Punk, Kane, Christian, and Rob Van Dam. Here are the rest of the highlights from Raw:

That's all I have to say for now. Have a good weekend!

- NYCKNP

 

6/21/2013- Yankees/Dodgers split series, Mets def Braves 3 out of 5, Road to Summerslam, more

Hello everyone! I hope all of you had a good week this week. Let's cut to the chase, shall we? Here we go!

MLB
After the Yankees returned from an unimpressive West Coast trip, they hosted the Dodgers in a 2 game set. Originally, it was supposed to be played out on Tuesday and Wednesday, but due to the bad weather on Tuesday night, it became a day-night doubleheader. This was considered to be the most anticipated match up of the week since it was the Dodgers return to the Bronx since 1981, and the return of Don Mattingly after he became Dodgers manager. The Yankees won the day game, while the Dodgers won the night cap. Currently, the Yankees are in a 4 game series with the Tampa Bay Rays, and will continue that series this weekend.

On the Mets side, they faced the Atlanta Braves in a 5 game set, in which Tuesday was a day-night doubleheader featuring young pitchers Matt Harvey, and Zach Wheeler, both of whom impressed very much. Overall, the Mets lost Monday's game, won Tuesday's day-night doubleheader, lost Wednesday, and won Thursday to win the series. The Mets are currently in Philadelphia to face against the Phillies in a 3 game set this weekend.

WWE
As you all know, the road to Summerslam is upon us as Payback became a wrap. The things to note were championship changes, a rare double turn, and a returning star. Here are the videos from this past Raw:

Overall, it was a good Raw from top to bottom. Also, the returning star wasn't just Christian that was featured in one of the embedded videos. The returning star is none other than Rob Van Dam, who is making his return at Money in the Bank PPV.

Bellator
Here are the highlights from the latest Bellator Summer Series event:

That's all I have to say for now. Enjoy your weekend everyone!

- NYCKNP
 

6/7/2013- Mets, Nationals split shortened series, Yankees sweep Cleveland, more

Hello everyone! I hope all of you had a great week this week! Let's get right to it, shall we? Here we go!

MLB
After losing a series against the Boston Red Sox, the Yankees got a much needed sweep against the Cleveland Indians at home. Now they are in the west coast right now and won yesterday's game against the Seattle Mariners. The Yankees will continue their series against Seattle this weekend.

Meanwhile for the Mets, after sweeping the Yankees, the Mets fell victim to another sweep and this one was against the Miami Marlins. The Mets had off on Monday to travel to Washington DC, and they lost Tuesday's game, but won Wednesday's game. They couldn't finish the series due to the weather, and now the Mets won't be able to start their home game set against the Marlins today due to the heavy rain outside.

TNA/Bellator
As you all know, former Pride and UFC fighter Quinton "Rampage" Jackson signed with both TNA Impact Wrestling and Bellator Fighting Championships. I even shared my thoughts on the latest Wrestling With Green Pinstripes vlog:

Overall, I'm glad that Rampage is with Bellator since he was already done with the UFC. However, I feel that TNA didn't do well hyping him up.

Before I sign off for the weekend, I would like to share a video from +JRSportBrief , and that is the latest Fan Friday video.

That's all I have to say for now. Have a good weekend everyone!

- NYCKNP

5/31/2013- #SubwaySeries results, @WWE #Raw recap

Hey everyone, I hope all of you had a great week! Let's cut to the chase, shall we? Here we go!

+MLB 
As you already know, the geographic interleague rivalries are over for now. And that means that the unthinkable has occurred. If you're a Mets fan, this was probably the greatest week for you since they swept the Yankees for the first time in Subway Series history. As a Yankees fan, I was disappointed they didn't win at least 1 game from the Subway Series, but I have to give props to the Mets on their victory. They wanted to win, and they backed it up on the field. This was the most notable moment from the Subway Series that occurred on Tuesday May 28th, 2013:

I'm not sure if this is the turning point of the season since there is still a long way to go before October arrives. However, if the Mets make an Oakland Athletics-esque run towards the season, that would be mind blowing.

+WWE 
This past Monday on Raw was mostly a normal episode with the exception that there was a post Raw show on the WWE App. In the beginning of Raw, it was announced that the match between John Cena and Ryback would be changed from an Ambulance match to a 3 stages of hell match. Here is them explaining this:

Also, it was teased that CM Punk will return at the next WWE pay per view called Payback:

That's all I have to say for now. Have a good weekend!

- NYCKNP

5/27/2013- UFC 160 results, preview of Raw, Subway Series preview, more

Hello everyone and Happy Memorial Day! I hope all of you had a great Memorial Day weekend! This week is an interesting week for baseball fans since interleague match ups are scheduled for this week, which will bring excitement. More will be shared as you read along. Here we go!

UFC
This past Saturday was UFC 160 pay per view, which took place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Overall, there were 12 fights on the card: 3 on Facebook, 4 on FX, while the rest on PPV. Here are the results:

Facebook

• Jeremy Stephens def Estevan Payan via unanimous decision
• George Roop def Brian Bowles via TKO at Round 2
• Stephen Thompson def Nah-Shon Burrell via unanimous decision

FX

• Khabib Nurmagomedov def Abel Trujillo via unanimous decision
• Robert Whittaker def Colton Smith via TKO at Round 3
• Dennis Bermudez def Max Holloway via split decision
• Mike Pyle def Rick Story via split decision

PPV

• Donald Cerrone def KJ Noons via unanimous decision
• TJ Grant def Gray Maynard via TKO in Round 1
• Glover Teixeira def James Te-Huna via Submission at Round 1
• Junior Dos Santos def Mark Hunt via KO at Round 3
• Cain Velasquez def Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva via TKO at Round 1 to retain the UFC Heavyweight Championship

WWE
Tonight on Monday Night Raw will emanate from Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Once Raw concludes, use the WWE App to watch the Bret Hart Appreciation Night segment.

MLB
This week is an interesting week for baseball fans since interleague match ups are underway from today until Thursday. Here are the match ups happening this week:

• Beltway Series: Baltimore Orioles vs Washington Nationals
• Pittsburgh Pirates vs Detroit Tigers: Steel City vs Motor City
• Ohio Cup: Cleveland Indians vs Cincinnati Reds
• Minnesota Twins vs Milwaukee Brewers (Plays out the NFL Rivalry between Vikings/Packers)
• I-70 Series: KC Royals vs STL Cardinals
• Citrus Series: Miami Marlins vs Tampa Bay Rays
• Battle of the Bay: SF Giants vs Oakland Athletics
• Atlanta Braves vs Toronto Blue Jays: 1992 World Series rematch
• Crosstown Classic: Chicago White Sox vs Chicago Cubs
• Subway Series: New York Yankees vs New York Mets
• Freeway Series: Los Angeles Dodgers vs Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
• D-Bag Series: Boston Red Sox vs Philadelphia Phillies

I'm interested in all the matchups, but the one I'm looking forward to the most is the Subway Series. Also, the geographical rivalries have changed since the Astros moved to the American League. Instead of meeting twice a year, the opponents will meet once a year in a 4 game set where 2 games in one ballpark and 2 in the other. For example: the Mets will host the Yankees tonight and tomorrow night, while the Yankees will host the Mets Wednesday and Thursday night.

That's all I have to say for now. Have a good Memorial Day and enjoy your week!

-NYCKNP

5/25/2013- Orioles def Yankees 2 out of 3, Reds sweep Mets, Raw Recap, more

Hello everyone! I hope all of you are having a good weekend thus far. Let's cut to the chase, shall we? Here we go!

MLB
Earlier this week, the Yankees traveled to Camden Yards to face the Baltimore Orioles. The Yankees won the 1st game, lost the 2nd game in Extra Innings, and lost the series in the 3rd game via blowout. For the Mets, they got swept in three games by the Reds. Which leads to the question: When are they going to send Ike Davis to the minors? Also, do you think Terry Collins will be fired anytime this season? Out of all the Mets seasons from the Terry Collins era, this was his worst start. Collins' 1st 2 seasons started strong, but ended poorly due to mid season collapses. This is his 3rd season and it's not starting on a good note.

Moving along, the Yankees went to Tampa Bay and faced the Rays in a 3 game set. The Yankees won the 1st game in a convincing fashion, but the victory was bittersweet as Curtis Granderson is back on the DL, and David Phelps got hurt late in the game. On the Mets side, the Mets hosted the Braves for a 3 game set. Last night's game ended in a tie after the bottom of the 8th, and was declared "suspended game" due to rain. The Yankees will continue their series in Tampa this weekend, while the Mets will resume Friday's game tonight at 6 PM starting at the top of the 9th inning, then will go on to the regularly scheduled game.

WWE
This past Monday on Raw was the night after the Extreme Rules PPV. Here are the highlights:

UFC
Tonight is UFC 160 on PPV, and the main event is Cain Velasquez vs. Antonio "Big Foot" Silva for the UFC Heavyweight Championship.

Also, here's a preview from JR Jackson of JR's Sport Brief:

That's all I have to say for now. Enjoy your Memorial Day weekend everyone!

-NYCKNP

WrestleMania Axxess, A Fan Convention Where You Are Part of the Experience

Hello everyone! This was an article originally written for Journalism class that I decided to publish online. Hope you all enjoy it.

(Photo above: Matt Bloom, currently known as Tensai, poses with a fan at WrestleMania Axxess)

WrestleMania Axxess: A Fan Convention Where You Are Part of the Experience

By: Kalind Patel

Every year during the early spring, World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) holds an event called WrestleMania. WrestleMania originated in 1985, and emanated from Madison Square Garden in New York City. The inaugural WrestleMania had the main event of Hulk Hogan and Mr. T vs. Roddy Piper and Paul Orndoff. The event became such a success that it led to more WrestleMania events throughout the years. The events took place throughout the United States, and twice in Canada. This past April, WrestleMania 29 took place at MetLife Stadium, the home of the New York Jets and New York Giants of the NFL. The days before WrestleMania, WWE hosted a fan axxess event called WrestleMania Axxess (which has been a staple of WrestleMania weekend since the early 21^st century). During Axxess, WWE superstars and Divas would meet and greet the fans. This year’s Axxess event took place at the Izod Center, which was right across the street of MetLife Stadium, and lasted from Thursday night up to Sunday afternoon. People who attended this year’s Axxess were not only from the New York and New Jersey area, but some came from areas such as Boston and Virginia.

The WWE superstars that appeared were retired pro-wrestlers, performers who weren’t on top billing, or NXT Superstars from NXT Wrestling (WWE’s developmental program). The “main eventers” such as John Cena, Triple H, Sheamus, along with many more were only accessible to attendees who paid a VIP ticket. Majority of the people who attended Axxess paid general admission, but for those who were VIP ticket holders not only got to meet the top stars, they also had access to visit the backstage area and stand on the entrance stage. Other than a "meet and greet" with fans, there were also a Q&A session inside the arena floors where the WWE superstar would answer questions submitted by the fans to the moderator. One of the superstars that did a Q&A session was Ryback, and when he was asked the question, “Where did the phrase ‘Feed Me More’ come from?”, Ryback responded that “Feed Me More has nothing to do with food, but rather a mantra of him wanting to get better and as a way of saying, “show me what you got”.

Activities that took place besides meet and greets, and Q&As were watching live matches from NXT talents, visiting table events from names such as National Guard, 92.3 NOW, The Star-Ledger, Susan G. Komen for the Cure, and purchasing merchandise from the concession stands. Overall, the staff at the Izod Center was generally friendly, and the WWE superstars were very polite with their fans. Although lines were long for pictures and autographs, if you are a dedicated professional wrestling fan, it’s definitely worth the wait. The experience can be referred to as a “once in a decade” experience, since WrestleMania will generally come to the New York area every 10 years.