The Critic

Penguins go up 3 games to 0 over Ottawa. Dire times for the Sens. Wings are leading Nashville 3-2 with 6 1/2 minutes to play - if they hold on they go up 3 games to 0 as well.

Looks like maybe the junk in Knox's house wasn't his after all: source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter -- Mike Knox doesn't appear to be in any trouble with the company at the moment. The company believes that that the steroids left in the house were by one of the other wrestlers no longer affiliated with the company. Two of the three wrestlers identified as living in the house at one time, Ryan O'Reilly and Derrick Neikirk, were both suspended by WWE for drug test failures during their respective tenures in the company.

Samoa Joe won the TNA title tonight at Lockdown. Of course, TNA killed his buzz completely through horrid booking, so at this point how much buzz does this win really generate?

QUOTE (Mr. Showtime @ Apr 13, 2008 -> 12:03 PM) I was there cheering for Rockford. Wasn't much to cheer about though sadly.... Good for ya, then!!

QUOTE (Mr. Showtime @ Apr 13, 2008 -> 10:03 AM) I didn't really pay attention to the names of the Wolves last night, but there was a player who wasn't exactly to cool with being called for a penalty. And he wasn't going into the box, the official was standing there and the Wolves player had like one foot in the box and was screaming at the ref, and he ended up kicking the boards once or twice, and all of the sudden he was tossed. He skated over to exit the ice and came back around the net like he wanted to keep yelling. And he either slammed his stick on the crossbar, or threw it out on the ice. It was quite the scene, Critic! I was in sec 116, the first row behind the glass, and there we're a few people there who we're really pissed and just making complete fools of themselves. ...friends don't let friends abuse apostrophes... Sounds like quite a crazy night at the rink! Seems like the Wolves have a new "worst enemy" in the IcePigs.

QUOTE (Jordan4life @ Apr 13, 2008 -> 02:20 AM) Am I the only person that can't piss in an actual toilet when drunk? I always miss. I mean badly. I just piss outside when I'm hammered. ....Cub fan....

Hey Krush, What was Haydar's "abuse of officials"? Did he make contact with a zebra, or did he just hurt their feelings? That penalty ledger looked like the championship game of the Federal League (Slap Shot).

This old-guy metal show has been confirmed: Heaven And Hell (which, for those who don't know, is Black Sabbath with Dio singing) Judas Priest Motorhead Testament 08/19/08 - Tinley Park, IL - First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre :headbang The only problem is it's on a Tuesday, which means I'll have to burn a vacation day the next day.

QUOTE (Brian @ Apr 11, 2008 -> 10:01 AM) OMFG!!1ZZ!!1 Samoa Joe and Kane for the ECW Championship!!!! Or worse..... "OH MAH GAWD!!! IT'S UMAGA'S BROTHER, TWO-MAGA!!!!" or "DEUXMAGA!!!!"

QUOTE (Jimbo's Drinker @ Apr 11, 2008 -> 09:47 AM) except the Brewers, go CREW I like the Brewers, but their bullpen is a little worrisome. They've definitely got a chance to win that division, but I'd feel a little better about it if they had a better option at closer than Gagne or Turnbow.

QUOTE (kyyle23 @ Apr 11, 2008 -> 08:52 AM) I was just reading that Samoa Joe's contract is expiring soon, and while he states he is loyal to TNA, he never said he wont work at WWE. Think there is any chance Vince makes a splash and steals away one of their superstars? I got the feeling from that interview that Joe would like to stay at TNA, and I think he's probably just dangling the WWE possibility out there to increase his bargaining position. I think Joe would get an good initial push in WWE, but would probably find himself overlooked and depushed more quickly than if he stays in TNA. He's big for TNA standards, but he's no HOSS, so I don't think the love affair would be there for him in The E.

QUOTE (Texsox @ Apr 11, 2008 -> 06:51 AM) When I hear all these millions of listeners bought the service because of Stern, I wonder if it's like saying millions of customers joined Time-Warner cable for the Ace of Cakes. If their offering is really that poor that Stern is the only, or even the majority of the reason to take that service, then I can see why both systems needed to merge. I can't believe their business plan was, here's Howard and some stuff around it. Talk about narrow casting. While I think Stern was the lure for many subscribers, I think the main selling point was quantity and variety of listening options. Entire channels dedicated to a particular style or genre of music, sports packages, specialized talk stations, stuff like that. I think Stern has probably delivered exactly what he was hired on to deliver as far as volume of new subscribers is concerned, but I also think the merger had to happen. I'm thinking many potential subscribers didn't want to choose one package that had some of what they wanted (Stern, for example) or another that had something else they wanted (the MLB package, for instance). I think a pretty good number of people were waiting for one service that had everything they wanted before they committed to any satellite radio service.

QUOTE (Texsox @ Apr 10, 2008 -> 10:19 PM) So y'all just listen to Howard, then regular local radio? I don't really listen to much of either. I don't have satellite radio, and I only really listen to local radio when I'm driving or doing dishes. I download a bunch of podcasts and listen to them on iTunes or the Pod.

After listening to the clips, I'm 100% sure Artie will be back after the vacation. I don't believe that it's a stunt, but it didn't sound like either side really wants this to be a permanent split.

QUOTE (Flash Tizzle @ Apr 10, 2008 -> 03:44 PM) One and only one kind of pizza -- JACKS. Typically half sausage, half pepperoni. I'm sure there are better, but my mom has bought this pizza for years and I've grown accustomed to it. I like the Jack's taco pizza. My kid loves the Tombstone pepperoni, so we go with that once in a while for a fast Friday night dinner.

QUOTE (False Alarm @ Apr 10, 2008 -> 11:06 AM) man, i think reggie's is the venue associated with record breakers, my old music store in hoffman estates. i'd been going there since i was like a freshman in high school. dunno whether they've still got a store now that they've moved to the city, but i really miss that place. suppose i should try and get out for a show sometime at least. Yeah, Record Breakers is part of their complex. I was not impressed with the service at Record Breakers - everyone in there acted like you were bothering them if you wanted to buy something. Everyone in the Rock Room was very cool, though. It's a really great place to see a show - I'm thinking about seeing the Effigies there on 4/26.

QUOTE (daa84 @ Apr 8, 2008 -> 04:01 PM) the more people that wear it, the more likely some kid will ask his dad why everyone is wearing 42, and he will learn and hopefully read about it, not that he probably doesnt know about it anyways...but i think the more people that wear it, the greater the awareness, the better... if only 1 or two people wear it, it can go unnoticed real easily to those not paying attention to it This is how I look at it, too.

Speaking of the League, I just saw them on the channel 2 news. They have a show in LA tomorrow, and their flight was one of the many many flights canceled at O'Hare. They had a quick blurb from Animal, and they showed Jez and Nato laying around on the floor. I feel bad for them, but it was pretty weird to see them on the news for any reason.

Went to Reggie's Rock Room last night to see the Anti-Nowhere League - what a great night of punk fun! Reggie's is a really great room! Holds about 500 people, maybe, with an upstairs lounge area for another 75 people or so. Nice open room, fairly small stage, benches on each side for people who don't want to get in the middle of it all (raises hand) or for kids who've had too much of this (saw a few of those last night as well). Sound was excellent, loud and clear and I had no ringing in my ears afterwards. They have a nice video screen behind the stage. Overall, a really good setup. First band to play was Everybody Out! from Boston, MA/Leeds, UK. High-energy Celtic punk featuring an ex-guitarist for the Dropkick Murphy's. I'm not a huge fan of the Celtic thing, and thankfully their sound live was much more punk than Irish. The singer started losing his voice almost immediately, which made him sound a lot like Dicky Barrett from the Mighty Mighty BossToneS. I enjoyed their set very much, but then.... I became a little concerned when the next band started setting up, and a kid with a kilt started tuning up his mandolin and bagpipes!! (I didn't even know you COULD tune bagpipes!) Flatfoot 56 hit the stage and it was immediately clear that this was not a bagpipe and mandolin band, this was (unbelievably) a punk band with bagpipes and a mandolin!! They played very loud and VERY fast, with great tunes and catchy choruses. And I have to say it - that little f***er in the kilt ROCKED the bagpipes and the mandolin!! They were absolutely great - loud, fast, funny, and ended with a punk cover of Amazing Grace, of all things! The League came out last, and they played everything the crowd wanted to hear and then some! They played every song off their classic debut album,"We Are....The League", opening and closing the set with the title song. They also played their best-known song right away, that being "So What!", which Metallica famously covered. I actually would have liked to hear them play some of the new CD, Road To Rampton, but Animal announced right away that they would be playing only the "old s***". They had a huge sound, much more metallic than their recorded sound, which was fine by me! The band lived up to their reputation, making rude and sexist comments and gestures the entire night. The crowd was insane all night, with tons of stage diving, circle pits, crowd surfing, and everything else the club claims is not allowed. The League tore it up for about 90 minutes and that was that!

Ahhhhh, it's nobody.... http://www.lordsofpain.net/news/2008/articles/1207600250.php WSB-TV, the ABC affiliate out of Atlanta, has identified the WWE wrestler linked to steroids and HGH found in a Locust Grove, Georgia house. The wrestler is current employed by World Wrestling Entertainment, as the drugs are being linked to ECW wrestler Michael Hettinga a.k.a. Mike Knox. According to police, paperwork in the boxes link the drugs to Hettinga. The resident who purchased the home from Hettinga found two shoe boxes in the attic containing bottles labeled as steroids, testosterone and human growth hormones. The boxes also contained syringes and a some personal documents. In 2005 and 2006, Hettinga was a part of Deep South Wrestling, which was based out of McDonough, Georgia. After being largely kept off television for over a year, Knox finally appeared to be in line for a push in the company as he's been up-ending Stevie Richards the past few weeks on ECW. Knox's winning streak continued last week when he picked up a solo victory over Richards. The two also met in tag action the week before as Knox & Layla were victorious over Richards & Kelly Kelly.

QUOTE (SoxFanForever @ Apr 7, 2008 -> 07:55 PM) Any early predictions from prognosticators as to who we will be going after? Just going off what I've read around from scouting reports and message boards, it looks like maybe Tyler Myers (defense) or Josh Bailey (center) if he falls to #11. There are still a ton of names being speculated, though, so it's really too early to say - if the Hawks could draft another solid defense prospect, I'm all for that. Go get Hossa and try for a powerplay quarterback on D to address the scoring now.

The winner of the Stamkos Derby (#1 overall draft pick) IS.... THE TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING!!! The Hawks pick at #11, in case anyone was wondering.

QUOTE(kyyle23 @ Apr 7, 2008 -> 02:15 PM) benoit was in the Atlanta area, wasnt he? I wonder who were his neighbors..... I don't want to speculate names, but my first thought was that a lot of the old wCw guys lived around Atlanta. This shouldn't be too hard for the tabloid snoops to figure out. I'd assume there has to be some registry of home sales somewhere.

Even though I almost never post in the 'Buster, I want to reserve the right to do so if I choose, so I agree wholeheartedly.

Interested in watching this story unfold: [courtesy Lords of Pain] The Fox affiliate out of Atlanta has a story tonight on a man who discovered drugs in a Locust Grove, Georgia home he recently purchased from an unidentified past or present WWE wrestler. Soon after the person moved in, he discovered two small shoe boxes in a crawl space in the wall of the attic filled with several bottles of steroids & Growth Hormone, as well as several personal documents & unopened syringes. He also found a copy of the wrestler's WWE contract, not to mention a memo from 2004 regarding changes to the dress code. Henry County Police have asked the Fox affiliate to not name the wrestler at this time because they want to talk with him first. Investigators believe the wrestler is staying with relatives in another state. WWE Director of Publicity Kevin Hennesy told the Fox affiliate that it is not illegal for their wrestlers to take steroids. "Wrestlers can only be prescribed steroids by a physician which is rare and only for a specific medical condition and it is usually taken orally," Hennesy said. "If a wrestler is injecting steroids for performance enhancement purposes that would be a matter for local law enforcement."