The big news in the sports world on Wednesday had nothing to do with Tiger Woods....not even with golf. Pro Wrestling got some positive spin to it on December 16th and it was also a shocking announcement involving one of the most influential pro wrestling personalities of the 1990s, Bret "The Hitman" Hart.
My wife is a big wrestling fan, has been since she was 5 years old when she got interested in International Wrestling (a Montreal territory organization). I knew her interest long befoe we dated and I did have a passing interest in it. That being that on Saturdays when the cartoons were done at Noon, WWF aired a one hour show that I would watch while eating lunch. If you asked me who the personel in the federation were I coul only give you the big names. I did hve an advantage over my wife though and it began in the late 1970s when I lived in Calgary.
I don't remember how often I went to Stampede Wrestling but I do know my mom took me a couple of times and I remember this big scary man walking up and down the aisles asking how everyone was and if they were enjoying the program. Turned out that was Stu Hart, but I didn't know. So when I went to those events I had seen this newbie wrestler, one of Stu's sons named Bret. Ask me howhe wrestled, what colour tights he wore and who he fought I couldn't answer. I was no more than 9 years old and in all honesty it was not omething I was truely interested in. My wife use to quiz me a lot when I told her I saw the "Pink & Black Attack" in Calgary, but she realized I remembered nothing of that.
Anyway, when we got together I was subjected to WWF on a weekly basis. I even skipped school to buy front row (or near front row) tickets when I would find out when WWF was coming to Cornwall. She had three favourites in wrestling, Ric Flair (who was mostly in the NWA/WCW) and the Hart Foundation, including into that the British Bulldogs (the two guys were Hart family members by marriage like Jim Neidhart was). Whever they were on TV, all the world stopped so he could watch. In fact the day of our wedding, as she was getting ready she stopped the hair dresser and make-up person so she could spend an hour watching WWF's Action Zone. Her interest in that was so big that later on when she was pregnant I put a stop to her watching wrestling at all in case she got too excited and went into early labour. I wasn't heartless though, I did tape every televised program and Pay-Per-View for both the WWF and WCW so she wouldn't miss anything. Then came something no one....not anyone on this planet who had even a fleeting interest in wrestling could have anticipated.
Everyone knows about the infamous Montreal Screw Job. If you don't, here's a link to read about it:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montreal_Screwjob
Basically Bret was told that the WWF couldn't afford his contract, to renegotiate with WCW and take their offr. He did so and was scheduled to leave the WWF, his home for almost 20 years, soon after the Survior Series PPV. Before the Screwjob happened, the plan was for the PPV match to be a disqualification because DX and the Hart Foundtion were to storm the ring during the Shawn Michaels and Bret Hart fight. In Ottawa on Raw the following day, Bret was to and over the title because he felt ashamed of how the match ended, leaving the title vacant. In a taping of Raw for next week, being held in Cornwall the next day, there was to be a tage match between Bret and Owen Hart against Michaels and Triple H then an announcement that a tournament was to take place for the vacated title, which Bret would not be involved in. Then after that, well I never heard anything except that Bret would eventually disappear and reappear on WCW.
When you read what happened in Montreal, you'd scratch your head. This is the city where NHL fans riot when the Canadiens lose the playoffs....or wins! Who is crazy enough to do the screwjob there? Obviously the WWF, now known as the WWE. If you read the Wiki entry, you'll see how fans reacted off-air and after the event. Michaels and Triple H should feel lucky that they got out of town alive. And when Shawn promised Bret he would protest the being champ and refused to go out on Monday with the belt and wouldn't make fun of Bret....what did he do? The complete opposite.
Ok, enough of the negative on that event. Eventually Bret did ok in WCW (but no one knew what to do with him in a program) but after getting a concussion it was over. His wrestling career was done and his life spiralled. He did find ways to deal with the problems in his life in time and even came out with a very good and honest autobiography of himself. It has been claimed to be THE BEST wrestling biography ever published. There were teases in the past about Bret returing to the WWE, like when he was inducted into their Hall Of fame (Michaels showed respect by leaving before Bret took the podium, btw). Then there was his taped promo for one of the Raw programs that was a McMahon Appreciation Night for which he gave his feelings on Vince (classic). But we never saw a full return to regular programing.
On December 14th, Dennis Miller was the guest host of Raw and during a Slammy Award presentation, Vince asked him who he would think would be a good future Raw Guest Host. Miller dropped the bomb fans wanted to hear...."What about Bret Hart?" Vince looked none too pleased and said "Last time Bret was here, Bret screwed Bret." Miller continued to rally the fans in attendence and it was clear, WWE fans would love to see Bret as a guest host. Vince stormed off the stage.....Was this just Miller pushing buttons he knew would cause a stir or was this a play, to build up to asking Bret to appear?
Obviously th answer is the build up. Vince was the one who put the ball in Dennis' court. He's never asked other people live on camera who should be a guest host. Then of course were the rumours for the last few months and interviewers asking Bret if he plans to go back to the WWE. His answer always avoided that question. Now the truth is known.
December 16, 2009....it became public knowledge that Bret Hart had signed to a deal with the WWE to be an on-air personality from January 1, 2010 up to mid-April. Now the speculation has begun. First was the Dennis/Vince bomb and now it was announced that for Smackdown on December 25th, DX will be wrestling the Hart Dynasty. For those wondering, the Hart Dynasty is made up of Harry Smith (son of Davey Boy Smith, the British Bulldog and nephew to Bret), Natalya Neidhart (daughter of Jim Neidhart, neice of Bret) and Tyson Kidd (boyfriend of Natalya and last graduate of the Hart Dungeon). They claim it is "to right a wrong that was done years ago." Some weeks ago DX and the Hart Dyansty had a fanstasic match together on Raw. The Harts lost but both teams came out of that match with positive praises for a match well done. Now there is a rematch, played out like this match never happened. It is just to lay the foundation for Bret returning. Speculation is for January 4, 2010 s a Raw Guest Host. Why then?
A few weeks ago, Total Non-Stop Action Wrestling (TNA) formed a partnership with Eric Bishoff and then with Hulk Hogan. As part of this deal, the "team" managed to get a timeslot for a 3 hours program on January 4th, going head to head with WWE's Raw show. Hogan and Dixie Carter (TNA President) claimed this would be TNA's first shot at the WWE for a new Monday Night War. On that date to have Bret Hart reappear on WWE would totally kill all expectations for TNA's plan to take the audience away from WWE. The return of Bret Hart to the WWE is FAR bigger news and TV to watch than to see yet another endless return of Hulk Hogan to your TV. The qustion now is how will this relate to Bret interacting (on and off screen) with TripleH and Shawn Michaels, the two major instigators of the Screwjob? Guess we'll all find out. Health wise though, Bret should not get involved in wrestling. A concussion and stroke nand two things you should not screw around with. Whatever he does, my wife is at least happy.
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Is Highway 138 Dangerous...Or Is It The Drivers?
I was up in Ottawa last week to do a bit of research and shopping. On the way home the weather started getting bad as a second snow storm came through. On Highway 417 it wasn't bad at all. Once I got to Tayside on Highway 138 though, there were white outs, snow drifts and all around dangerous condisitions. I was still able to travel between 70 and 80 kph so that wasn't bad timing nor control either. Still from there to Cornwall I was passed by 14 cars/trucks and 3 tractortrailers. Most either dangerously came close to my vehicle as it passed or quickly cut me off re-entering the southbound lane. I was livid, especially by the transports passing me, but I had to maintain control of the car so I just grumbled and carried on. I did see on the way home between Monkland and St. Andrews 5 vehicles in the ditch and one transport that went too far to the right and was stuck in a huge drift. I couldn't tell, but I had hoped those were the idiots that passed me. While they were stuck there I arrived at home, 5 - 10 minutes later than I had originally planned before the storm rolled in. I couldn't help but remember past statements about Highway 138. Many in the political and general public have called the highway dangerous, unsafe and in need of either widenning to 4 lanes, cut off from having so many intersections or installing a few passing lanes similar to old Highway 17 to Hawkesbury and Highway 15 to Kingston. Is that really the problem though?
I have driven on the 138 for 21 years and it has only been in the last 10 that there has been public outcry. Coincidentally that is how long I have noticed drivers have become more brazen, arrogent and careless in their vehicles. People are going through stop signs, slowing down at red lights then zipping through, not yeilding the right of way, cutting off other drivers, speeding, etc. In no way am I saying I am the best driver on the road, I am however a damn good driver overall. I admit that my one infraction is speeding, doing 10 kms over the speed limit, but that's it. I have been in four accidents in my life, the first I was hit by a drunk driver, the second I was cut off by a driver who was in the middle lane and suddenly decided to make a left turn right in my path without looking to see that I was next to her bumper. Third was one that was an act of weather conditions when I couldn't stop while coming down an overpass and I rearended the person in front of me (no tickets issued, but my insurance deemed me at fault). The last one I was waiting to pull out of a parking lot when someone backed out of their parking space and rammed me dead on in the middle of my car.
So back to the 138. Every time I drive on it I go 90 kph, 10 more than posted. I am always passed by many drivers and of late even nuts that pass when it is a double line or solid on our side. I had the road once to myself and out of the blue a set of headlight quickly came up behind me. The jerk passed and then disappeared into the night ahead of me. About 5 minutes later I saw an OPP car on the side with his speed gun out. made me wonder what happened to Speedy that passed me. Anyway, myself and many others have said it, Highway 138 is a good, well maintained road....so long as you obey the rules of the road. Those that complain are the ones who pass other at any time, speed at alarming numbers and end up causing accidents.
Two month ago, I was surprised to see a car speeding up to my bumper, pass me without signalling, go back in the lane in front of me without signalling and drive off into the distance. I won't say who it was by name but I will say that the driver was a well-known Cornwall Council member who has been on record as saying that the 138 is dangerous and needs to be widened or the speed limit raised. Well no wonder, this politician is one of those in the percentages of being part of the dangerous drivers of the 138 problem!!
Years ago I witnessed the aftermath of a collision on the 138. I saw the yellow tarp inside one car and, with my policing studies background I realized it was covering a body. I later learned in the media that it was a mother and child who were hit dead on by an impatient driver passing a transport truck on a double line section of the road. That was gruesome, especially when I learned that the one who caused the accident lived without even a scratch on them and that the judicial system only gave him a minute fine. Knowing that story and many others, you'd think people would be more careful....nope, they just don't care because it didn't happen to them therefore they carry on with how they drive. I was a bit wild when I got my license and what calmed me down was that run in with that drunk driver (and other things involved from that accident that I had to fight about). 2 years of being a driver and I realized some of the stunts I was doing was not safe to my passengers or other drivers, no matter how well I was a driver.
So does the 138 need improvements? Serious, there are just two problems that I see. The portion from Cornwall Centre Road and St. Andrews West should be just a regular road and a new by-pass should be built from the north end of Brookdale Avenue to merge back to the highway north of St. Andrews West and that CPR crossing in Monkland. It's like you are driving through a rock garden there. Otherwise, no...the road is pretty much in great shape. Should the road be widenned? Maybe it does need a passing lane in a couple of spots due to farmers running their equipment on the road. Should it be a 400 series highway? OMG, no way!!!!! Should the speed limit be higher? Maybe....but always remember that no matter what is posted, some drivers just go faster. What is needed is more police presence in unmarked cars and serious infractions should not be just let off with a warning but met with fines.
Some of you may be reading this and saying BAH!!!! Well think of this just for a moment. Your kid is out driving somewhere. Suddenly the phone rings and it is the police saying there was a terrible accident and you are needed at the hospital. You get there and find out they had passed away, killed in a car accident that was caused by a reckless driver ignoring the rules of the road. Tell me how you will feel about your own driving practices after going through that?
Remember, the speed limit is 80 kph, pass other cars when it is a broken line for your side of the road and when it is clear of oncoming traffic and always respect other drivers, even the idiots. You'll get to where you are going safely and in one piece. Heck, maybe all our insurance rates will finally go down with better driving skills. What scares me is seeing that there are others that don't give a damn....just watch any season of Canada's Worst Drivers on the Discovery Channel. OMG, how could those people have a licence??????
I have driven on the 138 for 21 years and it has only been in the last 10 that there has been public outcry. Coincidentally that is how long I have noticed drivers have become more brazen, arrogent and careless in their vehicles. People are going through stop signs, slowing down at red lights then zipping through, not yeilding the right of way, cutting off other drivers, speeding, etc. In no way am I saying I am the best driver on the road, I am however a damn good driver overall. I admit that my one infraction is speeding, doing 10 kms over the speed limit, but that's it. I have been in four accidents in my life, the first I was hit by a drunk driver, the second I was cut off by a driver who was in the middle lane and suddenly decided to make a left turn right in my path without looking to see that I was next to her bumper. Third was one that was an act of weather conditions when I couldn't stop while coming down an overpass and I rearended the person in front of me (no tickets issued, but my insurance deemed me at fault). The last one I was waiting to pull out of a parking lot when someone backed out of their parking space and rammed me dead on in the middle of my car.
So back to the 138. Every time I drive on it I go 90 kph, 10 more than posted. I am always passed by many drivers and of late even nuts that pass when it is a double line or solid on our side. I had the road once to myself and out of the blue a set of headlight quickly came up behind me. The jerk passed and then disappeared into the night ahead of me. About 5 minutes later I saw an OPP car on the side with his speed gun out. made me wonder what happened to Speedy that passed me. Anyway, myself and many others have said it, Highway 138 is a good, well maintained road....so long as you obey the rules of the road. Those that complain are the ones who pass other at any time, speed at alarming numbers and end up causing accidents.
Two month ago, I was surprised to see a car speeding up to my bumper, pass me without signalling, go back in the lane in front of me without signalling and drive off into the distance. I won't say who it was by name but I will say that the driver was a well-known Cornwall Council member who has been on record as saying that the 138 is dangerous and needs to be widened or the speed limit raised. Well no wonder, this politician is one of those in the percentages of being part of the dangerous drivers of the 138 problem!!
Years ago I witnessed the aftermath of a collision on the 138. I saw the yellow tarp inside one car and, with my policing studies background I realized it was covering a body. I later learned in the media that it was a mother and child who were hit dead on by an impatient driver passing a transport truck on a double line section of the road. That was gruesome, especially when I learned that the one who caused the accident lived without even a scratch on them and that the judicial system only gave him a minute fine. Knowing that story and many others, you'd think people would be more careful....nope, they just don't care because it didn't happen to them therefore they carry on with how they drive. I was a bit wild when I got my license and what calmed me down was that run in with that drunk driver (and other things involved from that accident that I had to fight about). 2 years of being a driver and I realized some of the stunts I was doing was not safe to my passengers or other drivers, no matter how well I was a driver.
So does the 138 need improvements? Serious, there are just two problems that I see. The portion from Cornwall Centre Road and St. Andrews West should be just a regular road and a new by-pass should be built from the north end of Brookdale Avenue to merge back to the highway north of St. Andrews West and that CPR crossing in Monkland. It's like you are driving through a rock garden there. Otherwise, no...the road is pretty much in great shape. Should the road be widenned? Maybe it does need a passing lane in a couple of spots due to farmers running their equipment on the road. Should it be a 400 series highway? OMG, no way!!!!! Should the speed limit be higher? Maybe....but always remember that no matter what is posted, some drivers just go faster. What is needed is more police presence in unmarked cars and serious infractions should not be just let off with a warning but met with fines.
Some of you may be reading this and saying BAH!!!! Well think of this just for a moment. Your kid is out driving somewhere. Suddenly the phone rings and it is the police saying there was a terrible accident and you are needed at the hospital. You get there and find out they had passed away, killed in a car accident that was caused by a reckless driver ignoring the rules of the road. Tell me how you will feel about your own driving practices after going through that?
Remember, the speed limit is 80 kph, pass other cars when it is a broken line for your side of the road and when it is clear of oncoming traffic and always respect other drivers, even the idiots. You'll get to where you are going safely and in one piece. Heck, maybe all our insurance rates will finally go down with better driving skills. What scares me is seeing that there are others that don't give a damn....just watch any season of Canada's Worst Drivers on the Discovery Channel. OMG, how could those people have a licence??????
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