Bleacher Report - Articles by Jeremy Turner

Chavo vs. Hornswoggle: When Enough Is Enough

Jeremy Turner — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 21:33:22 -0400

For those of you who may have missed the latest installment of the ongoing Chavo vs. Hornswoggle matches, I shall give you a basic rundown of what happened.

In honor of the guest host for RAW, Floyd Mayweather Jr., Chavo and Hornswaggle had a boxing match. However, prior to the match, the ref decided the normal-sized gloves Chavo had were not proper for the fight.

He then proceeded to exit the ring, only to return with enormous sized gloves. And as usual, Chavo was at a disadvantage.

Chavo then removed the gloves and slammed Hornswoggle to the mat. Chavo was looking to inflict more pain on Hornswoggle when Evan Bourne interferred.

Now, I don't mind watching a gimmick match every now and then, but when it seems that every week they are trying to come up with new ways of putting Chavo at a disadvantage, it is getting pretty redundant.

The only vengence Chavo has gotten is when he got Legacy to fight Hornswoggle and Mark Henry.

But I have to ask: When is it too much? Every week they place different stipulations on Chavo. Whether it's having one arm tied behind his back, being blindfolded, or wrestling on his knees, they always want to give Hornswaggle an "even" field.

But I see that this whole feud between them is really wearing thin. I understand the concept of it: little, good Hornswoggle always bests the big, mean Chavo...but how many times can they do it before it becomes annoying?

I like Hornswoggle, but he was a whole lot better when he was with Finlay. I think that perhaps introducing Evan Bourne into the feud may liven things up, but I still think they need a new approach.

Let me end my opinion article by saying that I know that it would be an unfair fight between Chavo and Hornswaggle if there was no restriction placed on Chavo, but doing it week after week after week makes it annoying. Perhaps if it was every other week or once a month, then it wouldn't be so...tiring.

Coke Zero 400 Suffers Due to Tough Economic Times

Jeremy Turner — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 17:53:04 -0400

For those that watched the Coke Zero 400 on July 4th, 2009, you may have noticed quite the unusual sight. The entire back grandstands were empty. There were a few people scattered her and there, but to see the entire back grandstands empty was quite a haunting feeling.

On the web, there were some news articles stating that NASCAR did not decide to open that back area for sale because they felt that they could fit all of the people on the front stretch to give them a better experience.

This may have been a slightly good call, but the Coke Zero 400 is one of the most talked about races of the year, behind the Daytona 500 and the Coke 600. The reason for the lack of ticket sales may be attributed to the lack of price drop for tickets.

Tickets for this race ranged above $100, which seems a bit absurd considering many other tracks offer tickets for far less. Even Talladega lowered their ticket prices to sell seats.

There are a few ways Daytona can remedy this lack of sales:

1) Lower ticket prices on good seats.

2) Offer packages for tickets, such as including the Nationwide/Truck race, and even have packages that contain hotels.

3) Bundle tickets. Have a family pack that says if you buy three at "x" price, you get the 4th free.

Those are just three ideas. Leave you thoughts on what you think would help Daytona.

Scott Riggs and Jeremy Mayfield Bring a Breath of Fresh Air to Daytona 500

Jeremy Turner — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 14:13:14 -0500

After the Dual Races for the Daytona 500, two names emerged into the race that not many people expected to hear: Scott Riggs and Jeremy Mayfield.

What made these two names so significant?

For starters, both drivers had only been with their teams for a month at most—Mayfield had been with his for 20-something days—and had qualified for NASCAR's biggest race.

I have spoken to many NASCAR fans, and they agree that with the merging of teams during these harsh times, many drivers are finding themselves without sponsors or without rides.

For those drivers who had made a name for themselves, a ride is fairly certain and sponsorship will probably be there.

Riggs and Mayfield were banking on the Daytona 500 as their big race. They had built up everything to get into the race. Many, if not all, of the members of both teams had not been paid and were more or less doing this because they loved the sport.

The fact that both teams qualified into the race is a breath of fresh air that NASCAR needs. It shows that hard work and determination can get you into a race where many of the drivers race for big, money-holding teams.

I personally was overjoyed to see Riggs and Mayfield qualify into the 500. I think that this economic crisis will be a factor in the resurgence of these smaller, one-race teams.

Matt Hardy vs. Mark Henry: Who Is the Better Man?

Jeremy Turner — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 17:30:25 -0400

Alright. Now, this article is not about who is the better man strength wise, attitude wise, or even more popular. The question I'd like to answer is who is the better man for the ECW Championship?

The current ECW Champion is Mark Henry. Not the most immediate choice for championship material, but right now, the ECW does need someone who has a dominating persona.

Sadly, Mark Henry's persona is not as dominant or frightening as one might think. Sure the man can roll frying pans and bend metal rods. But he doesn't fight every week, and is "promoted" by Tony Atlas.

Now, don't get me wrong, having a Hall of Fame wrestler as your "manager" is great. But I believe this was done because Mark Henry alone does not have the ability to make himself a very demanding champion. Being the "World's Strongest Champion" means that many of your low to middle-card wrestlers won't stand a very good chance.

The one man who can make the ECW Championship an open card for all is Matt Hardy.

Matt Hardy won the No. 1 Contender spot by beating Finlay, Miz, and Morrison in a Fatal Four-Way match. One thing about Matt Hardy is that he has charisma and he can actually stand alone. He doesn't need someone to talk for him or try to make him seem intimidating. If Matt Hardy won, this would open up several possibilities:

1) An on-going feud with Mark Henry

2) A new rivalry with Tommy Dreamer

3) Morrison and Miz dissolving as a tag team to pursue their own agendas for the Championship

Overall, Mark Henry is the Champion the ECW needs right now, but I do think that soon they will need someone with whom those in the "Superstar Initiative" feel they can compete.

I think that Mark Henry's time as a serious threat is slowly coming to an end.

WWE: What the Heck is Happening to RAW?

Jeremy Turner — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 19:04:42 -0400

Alright...for those of you who are like me and have been watching RAW since the "unexpected" disaster that fell upon Mr. McMahon and left RAW GM-less, you must be asking yourself...WTF is the WWE doing?

Week after week, we hear about Stephanie and Shane McMahon begging the RAW roster to show some order and cooperation during their dad's time of pain and suffering, and each week the roster members seem to ignore those pleas and do whatever they want.

We have JBL and Cena duking it out week after week...CM Punk being challenged each week to "prove" he is a true WWE Champion...Kane running wild mumbling about someone being "Dead or Alive"...

As I watch this, all I can say is..."What is going on? What angle is the WWE trying to give RAW?"

I watched ECW last Tuesday night, and heard Teddy Long comment that ECW was not like RAW, and that there was some order. He was right. Right now, ECW seems to be the most sanely controlled brand in the WWE. At least they have the "Superstar Initiative" going.

Smackdown's GM, Vickie, found out last week her husband Edge isn't the faithful man he claims to be, and so I'm sure we will begin seeing her take her vengeance out on Edge and others. Though this seems one-sided, at least it is something to watch.

Coming back to RAW, I can't help but wonder when or if the McMahons have someone in the wings to become the RAW GM. Are they waiting until a specific day to make the "big unveiling"...or are they just gonna let this chaos continue until it gets boring?

As much as I enjoy seeing Cena and JBL fight each weekend, it is getting boring. RAW needs a GM that will come in and take control...someone who will utilize these rivalries to the advantage of RAW.

Michael Waltrip: Pit Strategy and Rain Help in Top Three Finish!

Jeremy Turner — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 10:40:15 -0400

As many people anticipated, this weekend's LENOX Industrial Tools 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway was cut short due to rain. Many drivers used pit strategy and a helpful prayer to get their cars into a top position...hoping for the rain to come.

To the joy of some, and dismay of others, it came. The race was called due to being past the halfway point, and Kurt Busch was the lucky man who got the win. But I am not gonna talk about him. I wanna speak for a moment about someone else who had a season-best day:

Michael Waltrip.

Everyone knows this guy has been having the worst luck. Flirting with being in-and-out of the Top 35 in points has made this a rather hectic season.

When the race started, Michael was sent to the back of the pack because of an engine change. I immediately considered his day to be over before the flag dropped. But to my pleasant surprise, Michael did good. I should never consider a race over until the checkered comes out.

Pit strategy helped Waltrip move into the second position behind Kurt Busch. Just as the race seemed to be getting underway, a caution came out due to a wreck, and then the caution for rain came out. Soon after, the race was called.

But I am not complaining. Sure, I would have loved to see Waltrip battle Busch for the win...but considering how this season has been so far, a second place finish is far better than what could have been.

I enjoy being a Michael Waltrip fan. Many people may not like him due to his shady acts last season, but he has rebounded and is currently 28th in Owner's Points.

Would a Unified WWE Work?

Jeremy Turner — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 07:22:18 -0400

I am not old enough to remember the good ol' days of werestling. But I do remember growing up flipping channels between WCW and WWE.I could choose to watch either Sting, Lex Luger, and Hulk Hogan or The Rock, Stone Cold, and DX.

Then the WWE came up with a new program entitled SmackDown!. It was awesome because there could be a battle between Austin and Rock on Monday, then Thursday night you could see Austin's or Rock's reaction.

It was almost like WWE was putting on two shows a week by combining the brands.

However, all that has changed. Not only do we have three WWE brands (RAW, SD, ECW), but the main two, RAW and SD, are almost separate entities. Rarely do we see any one from either brand make an appearance on the other.

I would like to suggest that we make the WWE a whole unit once more. Let SD or RAW be connected. The superstars will remain on their respective brand, but nothing would stop Cena from making a guest appearance on SD to challenge the champion, or vice versa.

This would be awesome because you could have rivalries that expand the brands. Imagine if two or more stars from RAW would come onto SD and intentionally screw with all the matches just to prove a point.

Also, this could lead to more PPVs that have stars from different brands battling it out.

One more thing this would do is allow for the WWE, World Heavyweight, etc. Champion defend his title on either brand. Plus, they could play a storyline where all the members of one brand win the titles and claim their brand is superior and suddenly the other brand invades.

I am certain that unifying the WWE will not be a likely step. There is too much money involved and what not. But just imagine all of the possibilites if supterstars were not restrained to appearing just on one brand.

WWE Raw: My Disappointment with the 2008 Draft

Jeremy Turner — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 18:26:21 -0400

The 2008 WWE Draft has come and gone....was it as great as everyone hoped? I know someone has already made a post about this, but I want to share my simple thoughts on the evening.

Here are the results from the 2008 Draft:

Raw: Rey Mysterio, Umaga, Batista, CM Punk, Kane, and Michael Cole
Smackdown: Mr. Kennedy, Triple H, Jim Ross, and Jeff Hardy
ECW: Matt Hardy

Hmm, if I were a betting man, I'd put all my money on RAW remaining the top brand of the WWE. Smackdown came out a little bit with Triple H and Jim Ross. Though many people may not see an announcer as important, Jim Ross is the John Madden of WWE announcing. This may help to boost the Smackdown audience. ECW almost seemed to get the shaft in the draft. They lost two big stars in Kane and CM Punk. Maybe this is an indication of a future merge of ECW and Smackdown.

It isn't hard to see who the better brand is right now. But the one thing I wonder, as has been previously mentioned, is when will we see any new rivalries? I mean, Cena has been in one too many if you ask me. Let's bring Batista or perhaps Kane into the mix. Maybe even CM Punk can finally cash in his "Money in the Bank" privilege.

The best match of the night was the one-time renewal of the Hardy Boys.

I think that the WWE is lacking in several areas. I actually want to list some ideas that may help make the WWE bring back some of the excitement it once had.

1) Let's have better tag teams. I haven't been watching the WWE until recently, but one thing I have noticed is how the tag teams are nothing more than two superstars thrown together. Seeing the Hardy Boys did bring back some hope, but then they had to sent Matt to the ECW. Bring back tag teams like The Acolytes, Hardy Boys, Dudley Boys, or the New Age Outlaws.

2) Quit repeating the same rivalries. Triple H, John Cena, and Randy Orton all seem to find themselves fighting over the same things. It is like a never ending cycle. Let someone like CM Punk or maybe even Kane be the WWE Champion.

3) Make a more unified WWE. Let's have more rivalries between brands. Smackdown comes and interrupts RAW and vice versa. Or maybe even bring back some sort of factions.

One more note...was anyone as dumbfounded and bored as I was with the way the night ended. Mr. McMahon gets hurt? How original...

NASCAR: Was TNT Trying to Start Drama with Tony Stewart?

Jeremy Turner — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 20:39:19 -0400

During the post-race interviews, TNT sent one of their guys named Marty to interview Tony Stewart. He asked Tony about the incident where Kevin Harvick wrecked Jamie McMurray, who in turn wrecked him.

Tony said he was not going to make any comment because he had not seen the wreck. Then, Marty told Tony that this was the second time Harvick wrecked him, and Tony quickly interrupted him and repeated his no comment.

After the interview, Marty reported that Tony was mad. However, nothing Tony said indicated he was mad at anyone. Perhaps upset, but not mad.

What are your thoughts? Do you think this was a blatant attempt at TNT to try and make drama where there didn't seem to be any?

Or do you think that Marty did not get the answer he was hoping for and tried to push Tony to respond like he wanted?

So You Say NASCAR Isn't a Sport?

Jeremy Turner — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 09:45:31 -0400

If there is one thing that I can not stand, it is the banter of people claiming that NASCAR isn't a sport. They list off reasons why NASCAR isn't a sport and shouldn't be considered one.

Fine. If they wish to continue to mock us, let them. Being a fan of a sport means you don't have to justify your reason for liking something. I know many good friends who are big fans of golf or tennis. Yet I do not belittle their enjoyment simply because I do not find tennis or golf to be as fascinating.

Therefore, I have decided to list two reasons I have heard over the years as to why NASCAR is not a sport. I will also give my personal feelings about each one. If you have others you have heard, please feel free to list them in the comments section.

Reason #1: NASCAR drivers are not true athletes.
Very well. This is probably one of the most common excuses I get from non-NASCAR fans. First off, what type of athlete are you comparing these drivers to? Kobe Bryant? Tony Romo? You need to have a definition of athlete before you can remove someone from that category.

I will be the first to admit that a NASCAR driver does not have the physical talent that someone like Tony Romo or Kobe Bryant may have. They may not be able to throw a ball 60+ yards or dunk a basketball 10 feet off the ground. But can you sit there and tell me that Tony Romo would be able to get into a stock car and drive for 4 hours at 180+ mph? How about Kobe Bryant?

No.

NASCAR drivers have a mental talent that I would say is on par or even greater than any other professional athlete around. I would gladly defend the pressure of driving a stock car 200 mph for 4 hours around Daytona is as intense as playing for the Super Bowl or NBA Championship.

Reason #2: All they do is go around in a circle for four hours.
Why is this even a reason? Saying NASCAR isn't a sport because drivers go around in a circle would be like saying football isn't a sport because they go up and down a field for three hours. Or that tennis isn't a sport because they hit a small yellow ball back and forth.

Don't use the fundamentals of a sport as its weakness. No one ever mentions the competitiveness that occurs during those four hours in a circle. How about the excitement, the drama, the heartbreak?

I would say anyone who uses this excuse for NASCAR not being a sport is just being annoying.

There you go. Two of the most common excuses I have heard from people claiming NASCAR is not a sport. All I have to say is something I saw on a commercial addressing the same subject:

"Keep on talking...WE CAN'T HEAR YOU!"

Michael Waltrip: Can He Continue as Both Driver and Team Owner?

Jeremy Turner — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 09:00:27 -0400

It has been a wild run for Michael Waltrip, both as a driver and as a team owner.

At the beginning of the 2007 Sprint Cup season, Waltrip was found to have an unusual substance within his fuel. It was later found that some sort of fuel addative was placed within his car.

NASCAR brought strict penalties upon Waltrip...docking him 100 owners points. This would prevent him from being within the Top 35 for the entire season.

Waltrip only qualified for 30 of the 36 races in the 2007 season. He finished 45 in points and out of the Top 35 in Owner's Points.

However, at the beginning of the 2008 season, Waltrip showed his resilience by qualifying outside of the top row—No. 2 position—for the Daytona 500. Sadly, Waltrip has not had the season he hoped for, and currently finds himself out of the Top 35.

David Reutimann has become one of MWR's most powerful drivers. He has shown dominance within the Nationwide Series and has maintained a Top 35 position throughout the current season.

The question that comes to mind is...can Michael Waltrip sustain his ability to be both a team owner and Cup driver and still be proficient in both?

My answer—No.

Waltrip has neither the ability, nor the financial security to continue to be both team owner and driver.

Sooner or later, one of the two jobs will win and he will have to make a choice—keep running Cup and turn ownership over or find a replacement driver for the No. 55 NAPA Toyota and become a better team owner.

Waltrip now finds himself in the "Go or Go Home" drivers that must rely on time to qualify for the race.

Hopefully something will happen for MWR, and he will get a surge of confidence—and good finishes to give him that much needed Top 35 position.

College Football: What Does the Future Hold for the Troy Trojans?

Jeremy Turner — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 20:01:26 -0400

I am proud to call myself a Troy Trojan. After coming into Division I-A in 2001, Troy has moved up within the ranks of the mid-majors.

Troy has shown a lot of progress over these seven years. In 2001, Troy surprised the SEC by beating the Mississippi State Bulldogs at their homecoming. Granted, MSU was not exactly a powerhouse at that time—but regardless, getting a win over an SEC team is a big deal. I mean, if you are scheduled as the Homecoming team, that doesn't speak highly of you.

For the next two years, Troy did struggle a little bit, joining a new conference and being one of the new kids on the block.

However, all that changed in 2004. Troy hosted Marshall at home—and beat them. Everyone was excited. Jump to 2005L Troy hosted the then-No. 17 Missouri Tigers and won against Heisman-candidate QB, Brad Smith. Troy also beat Marshall again that year, and came VERY close to winning against LSU in Death Valley!

Then came Troy's first bowl game, against Northern Illinois. The Trojans lost—but hey, at least they were in a bowl game. The next year, Troy dominanted in-conference play and won the Sun Belt Championship, beating MTSU on an onside kick. The Trojans went to the New Orleans Bowl and showed their stuff, beating Rice 41-17.

Then came the 2007 season. Troy hosted Oklahoma State—and won! Though they didn't go to a bowl game, the Trojans held their own against teams such as Georgia, Florida, and Arkansas.

But the big question is—where does Troy go from here?

We all know Auburn or Alabama will never play Troy, because they have too much to lose. I personally see Troy taking UAB's place as the third-most dominant football school in the state. But I think the highest conference Troy will ever join will be Conference USA. The SEC is too big and powerful.

Just be on the look out. One day, you may see Troy contending for a C-USA title—or maybe even the Big East! Who knows?