Thursday, November 14, 2019

Twitter Request Line, Vol. 281

The Mandalorian
Photo via Polygon
It's Twitter Request Line time, everyone! I take to Twitter to get questions about issues in wrestling, past and present, and answer them on here because 280 characters can't restrain me, fool! If you don't know already, follow me @tholzerman, and wait for the call on Wednesday to ask your questions. Hash-tag your questions #TweetBag, and look for the bag to drop Thursday afternoon (most of the time). Without further ado, here are your questions and my answers:

I'm sorry but you have to phrase your question in the form of a question.

I kid, I kid. I haven't been able to watch the first episode yet, but it's the only original thing on Disney+ that I'm REALLY looking forward to. The MCU stuff, I can take or leave. Part of it is the lineup of characters feels underwhelming, even Loki. Like, his story wasn't perfect, but it was complete. I know in comics, only Uncle Ben stays dead, but the movies and shows, it's such a commitment. With The Mandalorian, the Star Wars Galaxy is so huge and it doesn't all have to be connected, even though George Lucas then and Kathleen Kennedy now demand that it is. Either way, I think the door is more open for creativity, and generally, Star Wars has a higher ROI than most anything I'm in to, no matter what the nerds say about the new trilogy. I'll be sure to let you all know on Twitter how I feel about it when I DO watch though, which will probably be tonight!

There aren't really a whole lot of wrestling songs given how many songs there are in total. Luckily, The Mountain Goats released an album of slappers only exclusively about the graps called Beat the Champ. It's hard to pick a fave when you've got strong contenders like "The Legend of Chavo Guerrero," "Heel Turn 2," "Stabbed to Death Outside San Juan," and "The Ballad of Bull Ramos." However, "Foreign Object" stands above the rest because it's a song about making the other guy bleed, and honestly, nothing in wrestling is purer than blood. I know I've come out against blood in the past, but seeing it in AEW, whether accidental by Cody or on purpose like Jon Moxley and Kenny Omega, and I realize I was wrong, so so wrong. Blood rules, and the song that celebrates it the best is the one I like the most.

If Punk's own words are to be believed, they could have offered him a contract through a more professional avenue than texting. A lot of people don't believe that's why he didn't take a job with them. Did Tony Khan and Cody lowball him? Maybe, but given how much guys like Chris Jericho are being paid, that may not pass the smell test. Personally, I think he wanted a non-wrestling job, they wanted him to work and/or tour with them, and with that in mind, the money wasn't right. The thing to note here is that Punk took a job with FOX, not WWE, so Vince McMahon technically can't boss him around. Punk ensures that he's not wrestling, just talking about it. Had AEW countered with something like a Control Center gig or a canned interview session where he only had to leave his house once a week, maybe he's there. However, unless someone releases a detailed account of that negotiation process, my guess is the public will never know.

The short of it is that it's another bullshit gamer controversy made by the same dipshits who thought Zoe Quinn getting good reviews for Depression Quest was bad because they think game quality can be "objective." The long of it is that I am a tad disappointed that there won't be a complete National Dex in the game. I've raised almost an entire Dex outside of a few mythical Pokemon that I haven't received and like some local Bug-types like, I dunno, Beautifly. I'd like to play all of them on the new game. THAT BEING SAID, I've seen the leaks and am excited for the new Pokemon that are being introduced. Hell, no matter what, new Pokemon is new Pokemon.

What aggravates the issue against the people whining about it is that apparently, the staff at Game Freak was taskmastered into getting whatever Pokemon would be in this game, like I'm talking slavish hours non-stop so that Sword and Shield would be as good as they could be so soon after the Gen 7 games. I may be an anomaly, but I would wait five years between games if the staff were allowed to have lives outside of coding and developing or if Game Freak just hired more staff instead of working what they have to the bone. But hey, I'm a socialist; I have cockamamie ideas like "living wages" and "short workdays." So in closing, it's a bit disappointing to have no National Dex but I get it and will enjoy the game regardless on its merits. If I don't like it (slim chance that happens), then it'll be because of what's in the game, not what's not.

Money's no object, eh? So first off, I sell the current smoker I have at a yard sale, or I just give it away, and I get a gigantic smoker where I can just put four or five pork shoulders in at a time. I'd get rid of the current gas grill and get another gas one (for my wife and kids who prefer gas) and a charcoal one (for me). Then I build a brick oven outside to make pizza. Also, I'd have enough money where I didn't have to work and I could smoke meats and make pizza and grill burgers all day for me, my family, and any friends who'd want to come over.

It's because Moxie is a recreational soft drink that tastes like medicine. Seriously, if it were a medicine, it would taste good, because mostly all liquid meds taste anywhere from gross but palatable to Robitussin. The Lovecraft-lookin' motherfucker who made Moxie made something that would make the diet sodas of the years ahead of him taste palatable. It's so gross, man, so gross.

I think they're good where they're at now. Like, they can pack a college or minor-league hockey arena in a town where they're well-known. They have a little trouble filling places in newer markets like Charleston, WV. While Philly and Boston and Chicago were all packed to the rafters, I noticed quite a few empties in West Virginia. That's not to say they're a failure; it's just they're still a starter company. Indie wrestling isn't big in some of their towns. That being said, they'll have time to grow and I won't be shocked if they sell out, say, the United Center or the TD Bank Arena. That time isn't now. They're smart to stay with smaller arenas for non-special shows because they're hitting their capacity on them.

Grookey, no doubt. Ever since Generation 1, I've stuck with the Grass-type starter out of tribute to the GOAT, Bulbasaur. That strategy has been good in, say, Generations 3, 5, and 7. In others, not as much. I will always go Grass first go-around though, even if in a second one, I'll go with the other typings. Hopefully, picking Grookey will turn out as good a decision as its supposed final form, Rillaboom, looks.

Protected user @earthdog asks:
What are the best and worst vacations to take with your kids?
The best vacations are the ones you can do stuff with them. Whether it be a Disney vacation (cruise or parks), a visit to the shore, or another theme park, you have to keep the kids occupied. The worst vacations are the ones that cater to adult interests. Like, if you want to go climb Mt. Washington or antique in Lancaster, PA's Amish Country, then don't be surprised if you have whiny, misbehaved children. You brought it on yourselves.

This is gonna out me as a bougie boug bougface, but I love brunch. I'm not into the brunch that you find in Brooklyn with $8 mimosas and avocado toast that's as big as a baby's palm. Philly has a bunch of brunch buffet spots where they put out these massive spreads, buffet-style. I know it's an ode to excess, but there's a reason you only go quarterly at the most frequent. Anyway...

1. Chocolate fountain - Are they unhygenic? Yes. Are they a perfect denouement to any meal? Also yes. You haven't lived until you've had chocolate-covered bacon for dessert, he said as they hauled him away to be guillotined.

2. Crabcakes - Look the carving station is always gonna be the thing you sell, but for protein, the crabcakes are better than either the ham or the beef that are cut to order for you.

3. Omelet Station with Egg Whites - I like eggs, but for whatever reason, I don't like scrambled as much and I hate omelet style. I like yolks separate from eggs, but mix them together and you get this iron-y taste that I don't particularly care for. That's why I enjoy egg white omelets! You have the toppings/fillings in the omelet without that taste. I know, I'm anathema to the egg community. But it's how I grew up. Don't judge me.

4. Chocolate Mousse - If the spread has a good chocolate mousse on it, you don't need any of the other cakes and pies on the table. Honestly, if you get your money's worth, you probably won't need much more.

5. Charcuterie - It might be the Italian in me, but there's nothing more weekend mid-morning/early-afternoon than eating cured pork of some kind. It's why my cholesterol is almost as high as my credit score!

I am right-handed, and I use that right hand to do almost everything. I'm boring, I know, but even if I do use my left hand dominantly in a certain action, I'm not sure I notice it. There's one exception; I play air guitar with my left hand, Jimi Hendrix-style. I don't know why I always gravitated towards orienting that way, but hey, I guess everyone has their quirks.

The floor is probably two if they run two Bloodsport shows again. Suzuki has always been on that Liger contract status where he could work shows outside New Japan, like for Dramatic Dream Team, but my guess is he treated New Japan as the priority when there were conflicts. Now that that seems out of the way, it FEELS like he might work more over here. That being said, it's hard to gauge how many shows he'll work until it's revealed where he's going after New Japan. If he signs with Pro Wrestling NOAH, I would assume that he'd be just as scarce over here as he was with New Japan. If he goes the freelance route, that number might go up, especially if enough promotions show interest in him. Given how many promotions are starting to catch onto shoot-style, he might have enough interest to do a whole tour.

The wild card here is that if he signs with AEW, then the number of shows he works in America will be, well, a whole lot. I don't know how likely that possibility is, but I guess you can't count it out until he signs where he signs, y'know?

A lot of people who grew up with Rock 'n Wrestling WWF remember Andre the Giant as a plodding old man who got by on size and intimidation. That's not who Andre was his whole career. If you're talking '70s Andre, he absolutely could get one rebound against prime Shaquille O'Neal. Now, if he were playing a pickup game against O'Neal, he'd get washed just because wrestling was his calling, not basketball. Shaq might go for 70 points and 30 rebounds on him, but the question wasn't whether Andre would beat him. He'd get at least one board. Size matters.

Nope. WWE lost me for good.

Oh, I've been there. I had time to watch the wrestling I wanted to when my son was little, but when he started growing up and when my daughter was born, whew, all that time went out the window. The thing about kids is that they need your attention, as does wrestling. Kids kinda outweigh wrestling, no matter how big a fan you are. I've just started to get that time back now that they're getting a little older and more independent. You're not out of the woods, but you can be in a few years!
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