Cod Eye

Sorry for the post while the game is going, but has anyone noticed that some of the West Indies Batsmen have small cannabis leaves on their pads? I know it's very much a part of their culture, but surprised they allowed them on their international kit, especially with how in the public eye drugs in sport is at the minute.

Saying that, the way the bowlers have bowled this past few days, it looks like they have been hammering the weed!

1 hour ago, Devon Malcolm said:

I hope this pink ball stuff doesn't become a regular thing, I couldn't see that fucking ball all day. Just play with a white ball. I'm fine with experimenting with day-night tests, even though we don't need it over here because it doesn't go dark and the crowds are still great for tests, but it was impossible to watch, especially early on.

I was the same with the pink ball. It did get easier when the lights came on though. I just don't think it is worth the hassle to have day/night tests over here, what with how long was actually played in the dark, under the lights. 

Still think the ball needs sorting too. Obviously they can't use the white ball due to the players wearing the traditional whites, and the lack of swing it gives would take away a lot of test bowlers biggest weapons. I just don't get why, what with the amount we understand about chemicals and shit these day, someone can't just make a high vis ball that behaves the same as the traditional cherry. They were saying yesterday that the only difference was they couldn't put the grease in the dye when dying the leather as it will fuck up the colour, but there must be another sort of grease that doesn't mess with the colour.

Still, I suppose money talks and they will miraculously find that magic ingredient if these Day/Nighters become the norm and the demand for the pink(or whatever colour) ball goes up... 

2 hours ago, PowerButchi said:

Crane was turning it a mile last night against Glamorgan in the blast as first change and  took 3-21 on a seaming pitch which didnt look like it had much turn, and the ball wasn't deteriorated, so the talent is there. But he's only young and I worry how being smashed about in a test if we get the pitch wrong would do for his confidence. 

 

Look at Habeeb, a bad time in tests fucked him til this week. 

 

To be honest though, I think Samit Patel is a better choice than Rashid at the moment fpr spinner who bats a bit. 

Whats Crane looking like in the County Championship this year? Not seen enough of the 4 day game as I'd have liked this year...

Like the look of Crane, but can't help but feel they have sacked Rashid off too early from the Test team. Just don't get why though. He spins it and can "bat a bit", which the English selectors seem to want to see from their spinners. Only thing that goes agains him is that he has struggled to keep it tight sometimes...
 

Glad to see Habeed finally got himself a decent opening knock this year. The lads got the ability to make it at the top level and up to now looks like one of the only obvious long term replacements for Cook...

Just started watching Raw for the first time in ages. Why does Seth Rollin's entrance music have "Burn it Down" randomly inserted in it?

7 hours ago, Abe Mikkel said:

@Cod Eye why did it take a month for her to watch the recording? 

She would never watch videos, unless it was something she recorded herself. It just happens that this one day we were both home and at loose ends, so I nagged her to sit and watch it. After watching it, she felt a proper arse for the way she reacted and bought me a Kebab....Silver linings and all that....

1 hour ago, Devon Malcolm said:

Watching Kevin Pietersen's batting masterclass on Sky. Still love KP, I'm convinced he would still be scoring loads of runs for England if he was still in the teams. Ridiculous that he's not still in it, really.

Completely agree. Got to still be one of the most naturally talented batsmen around. Certainly one of the most entertaining...  

The best one I did, was in the local one night. We were having a lock in where there was only really our group of 15 or so in... 

It had one of those long metal urinals that pubs used to have with them yellow blocks that stop it stinking of piss too bad. My mate is shocking for pissing a least once a pint when drinking, and it really gets on out titts. So we asked the landlord if he had any 9v batteries, you know the square ones? I slinked to the lav and placed about 6 of them, terminal down in the metal urinal and covered them with fresh yellow blocks. The idea was that when his piss stream hit the batteries it would send a bit of a buzz up his cock.

After three trips to the pisser, he was clearly in discomfort. But being wankers, we didn't say anything. After going 3 pints without pissing, he finally broke down in tears, thinking he had clap or something. Being cunts, we decided not to tell him, thinking that when he pissed in a normal toilet he would realise. But no, my mate went to his next day and he was in agony because he hadn't dared have a piss all night or morning...

15 hours ago, Lion_of_the_Midlands said:

@Chrismorrisbits on twitter surprisingly it's bits of The Day Today and Brass Eye. I didn't know it was 16 years ago today since the Pedogeddon episode of Brass Eye. 

I remember watching that live, and had a falling out with my Mam. She walked in on a bit and though I was pissing myself at a proper documentary about "kiddie fiddling". Didn't talk to me for a month until I made her watch the recording of it I'd made...

Has anyone seen what Philander is suffering from anywhere? All I've heard is it's a stomach bug, but would they really keep him in hospital with just a stomach bug?

2 minutes ago, Really Big Shoe said:

With the Rock star comparisons, Nak has said he's influenced by Michael Jackson and Freddie Mercury. In essence his persona is a amalgamation of both. You have the flamboyance of Freddie and the hand gestures, ring attire etc are all MJ. How this all works within a pro wrestling framework is what the main issue is. You have a great gimmick, entrance but something just isn't clicking.

Booking retrospectively do you debut him at last years Mania?. Somehow Nakamura debuting at the conclusion of Takers match and going up against the Dead Man makes sense. Why? because both have unique one of a kind gimmicks. Plus it could have put Nak over as a superstar if he retired the Undertaker. That would have solidified him in the fans eyes.

Then have him as a special attraction. Maybe mix in some supernatural type stuff even to explain his eccentricity. Right now there's no explanation about who Shinsuke Nakamura is and why he's such a big deal. Putting him against Corbin et al makes little to no sense. Maybe trade him to Raw instead at least then he can work against Brock, Joe etc instead. Plus if they do trade him put some vignettes up to help put over who Nak is. I think switching anything up gimmick wise is a mistake. With the right booking and storytelling I think he could crossover as the Rockstar of WWE. Have him turn up on MTV etc and on talk shows to promote himself and WWE. Do a 24 special on him and get the gimmick over. Right now he's just who he is with no rhyme or reason. It makes no logical sense to sign Nakamura and don't utilise his uniqueness and talent. He's just another guy in the mix when he should based on prior glory a main eventer or in the least a upper midcarder on the cusp of the main event.

Now, a simple sit down or in ring interview where this was explained would have helped loads.

I mean, the MJ outfit makes a lot of sense now I think about it, but the arm gestures I would never in a million years have accredited to Freddy Mercury or the like. Also, seeing as the product has a fair percentage of its audience who weren't even alive when MJ died(an even bigger percentage when Freddy went) it would help them to link it. My kids know all about Micheal Jackson and Freddy Mercury as we have their albums on in the car sometimes, but I know for a fact they wouldn't have linked Naka's clothing with MJ's....

1 hour ago, The Cutting Edge said:

Not comparng them as such but I saw Russel Brand work the other night (I work at a theatre) he has a similar 'rockstar' look and swagger to him, its part of his charm and appeal.

Not everyone needs a gimmick or character but have characteristics, loads of guys are gimmickless if you try to explain them out of context or knowing them, what was Triple H's gimmick that can be explained? Bret Hart? some guys are more real than a Police man or Zombie 

I'd say Naka is similar to Macho Man, both quirky and eccentric but compelling and it works for them.

Your right, not everyone needs a gimmick and I'm sure Nakamura would(should) be one of them. But my issue(not saying everyone thinks like this) is that they seem to be shoehorning that Rockstar nick name on him.  If he was given Jeff Hardy's "Charasmatic Enigma" for example, then it would explain who he is a lot more(again, in my opinion).

Bret Hart is a cracking example. His "Excellence of Execution" name described him perfectly. He was a technical wrestler who executed his moves excellently(which also tied into his Hitman name..). Even Triple H's "Cerebral Assassin" told someone new tuning in that he was dangerous and calculating(granted, he never assassinated anyone though).

9 minutes ago, Supremo said:

Not that I want to defend WWE's buzzwords, but if that really is the crux of your problem, then there's loads of Nakamura's act that fits the monicker of "Rockstar." 

Effortless charisma, an aura of unparalleled confidence, a striking, unusual look, flamboyant to an almost ridiculous level, get in somehow works, bizarre mannerisms that catch your eye and set him apart from everyone else, an iconic pose that looks great in silhouette form. If you look at the roster as a whole, he's by far the most suited to that nickname. Or at least he was before they booked the shit out of him and seemingly either knocked his confidence or made him stop caring.

Not everything has to be so ridiculously literal and in-your-face as Elias Samson's guitar.

BomberPat - That's an excellent comparison. Absolutely spot on.  

But his character still isn't a Rockstar...

But I do get you and Bomber's points. But the truth is I'm still completely indifferent to his WWE persona and WWE career in general, but that may say more about me and my tastes(and maybe intelligence) than it says about the bloke himself.

2 hours ago, Supremo said:

I'm blown away that anyone would use Balor's entrance as a way to criticise Nakamura's. Even at its very best, when he's in full makeup, with all the bells and whistles, Balor's entrance always feels super phoney. He comes across as a guy uncomfortably doing what he's been taught to do. Like a kid in a school play. It doesn't look or seem natural at all. Especially when he whips the dreadlocks off at the end and his hair is oftentimes sticking up. Standing there in the makeup, with his hair sticking up a bit, he looks like a five year old going to his first Halloween party.

Nakamura's entrance, for all his weird mannerisms and random poses, it comes across as completely authentic. He never feels like someone has sat down with him and meticulously rehearsed what he should do. With Finn, you can see in his eyes that he's doing his routine and performing his act. I never see that when I look at Shinsuke. 

Plus, I've seen Nakamura's entrance live and, fuck me, it was up there with the best I've ever seen. Proper spine-tingling. He felt on a level above almost everyone I've ever seen, oozing confidence and charisma like very few in the business.

I'm also fascinated as to why people feel the need for Nakamura's character to be, "explained." People complaining that they don't understand what he's supposed to be or why he moves and acts the way he does. I'd never seen him until he debuted in NXT and not once did that thought cross my mind. Why can't someone just be a super confident, super charismatic, super flamboyant, weirdo oddball? Why has everything got to be explained? 

The very reason he felt like the biggest breath of fresh air when he came to NXT was because of how weird and different he was. It was ridiculously compelling to see this guy talking, wrestling and moving unlike anyone else. Him doing all these strange, subtle, weird things was what made him stand out. You couldn't take your eyes off him and had no idea what he was going to do next. Requiring for him to be, "explained," or to have his act boiled down, like they've attempted to do by calling him, "The Artist," or whatever, does nothing but take away from his act.

Real people act in strange, subtle ways. The best characters can't be boiled down into one sentence. That people want him explained and boiled down is dishearteningly indicative of how everyone's been raised on Vinny Mac's vision of how to write and portray characters. That approach is why most characters in WWE are such one-note, boring bastards that are impossible to invest in. Instead of just being an arrogant dickhead, displaying loads of subtleties that make you hate him, Dolph Ziggler has to be called the "Show Off," he has to constantly tell everyone he's showing off, the commentators have to keep referring to him showing off and Jesus-fucking-Christ how could anyone possibly give a shit by that point? It's the difference between the genuinely funny guy in your office and the, "whacky," guy who keeps telling you how funny and mad he is.

I don't want the character explaining as such, I'd just like some of the confusion clearing up. 

Like I mentioned the other day, what makes him a "Rockstar?" I know the WWE like to give their performers "Buzzwords" as knick names, but I can usually see the reasoning behind them. The likes of "The Big Red Machine" for Kane and even that nob  Ziggler's "The Show Off" are self explanatory and most fans will understand them. But nothing about Nakamura is Rockstar-ish really, is it? And just for balance, I feel the same way about Balor's "Demon King" rubbish. The bloke simply puts paint on. If he actually changed his performance bell to bell while wearing the paint, and gave the Demon character its own unique and distinct offence and mannerisms then fine, but as it stands it's not for me...

I DO get that he has charisma by the bucket loads and his entrance music can be spine tingling good(that debut violin player was amazing), and since this little debate has gone on, I've watched some highlights of him in Japan and I agree, he can really go between the ropes. I particularly liked the bit where he shuffled into view on a chair, hidden behind a newspaper while his opponent was making his way to the ring. 

Personally, I REALLY want WWE to sort his booking out, and for the lad to make it big, as the more megastars at the top of the card, the better the product can be...

That Survivor Series match he had with all the different "Warriors"(Ultimate, Road Warriors and the Tornado) showed why he isn't thought of as well as others. The Warrior and LOD made him look about as charismatic as Lance Storm in comparison...

Also, I can't remember any matches or storylines he had in the WWF that would stand out as a classic, unlike Perfect, Million $ Man and Rude etc...

9 minutes ago, sj5522 said:

They've tried in a bumblefuck manner to get his character over with that dreadful Ziggler promo with a crowbarred Simpsons reference. The rock star thing is weird and inaccurate. Tanahashi is Japan's "rock star" while Nakamura's thing was always that he had the effortless charisma of Michael Jackson in his prime. Even calling him a pop star would be a step in the right direction, so newcomers don't wonder why he's nothing like Man Mountain Rock

They need Graves getting him over on commentary I think, that "James Dean cool, John Wayne tough" line he's got for Balor is simple and effective and makes me like Balor a bit more than I would. JBL as much as he does genuinely try, only really talks about achievements in Japan which he gets mixed up a lot of the time

You might be right, and a decent colour announcer on Smackdown might be the answer to explaining and getting his character/gimmick over...

I've said it before on here, but I have no idea what Nakamura is supposed to be. I've never watched any Japanese wrestling, so barring small clips had never seen him before NXT, but all I hear is him called the "Rock Star", but no explanation of why he is a rock star. he doesn't sing, or act, like one and the only link is that he looks off his head all the time. He hasn't even got a rock music entrance theme, so I'm completely lost.

For me, he needs some vignettes or sit down interviews to explain his character to those of us that had no knowledge of him before he moved stateside....

51 minutes ago, Kaz Hayashi said:

Nailed it @BomberPat. Copyright laws have full dictation over this. 90% of the time it will be a record label if it's for an established act, it purely depends on the contract they have in place with musician. As Pat also mentioned, some contracts have 3rd party ownership/license agreements in place. It's effectively the one area in which WWE can't own in regards to a characters likeness. They can add face paint, cut hair, change names and own the product/gimmick, but if the wrestler has tats of Pepsi etc, can't do much about it other than create an attire which hides such tats from the get go.

Saying that, I'm not sure about how this rule works with video. For example, the Pepsi tattoo... WWE have produced a number of recordings/DVDS/live broadcasts in which that logo has been visible. They will be making profit from the event (much like they would an action figure), but it would seem they don't need to jump through the same hoops.

Am I missing something obvious here, or is it a case of they have just 'gotten away with it'. If Pepsi clocked on and had an issue, will Vince have to get the blurs out for punk that were required because of WWF and the pandas?

Could it be something to do with it being on the performer's skin before any contracts etc were signed? Or could it just be that the copyrights don't extend to tattoo's? Again, I've no actual idea and just throwing these out there, as it seems that WWE in particular have had loads of folk with band/brand tattoos over the years and nothing has ever come back on them as far as I am aware?

Strowman is the latest I have noticed, with that Superman tattoo on his arm. With the company having experience of dealing with comic book trademarks from back the the Hulk/Marvel days you would think they would know if his "S" would cause an issue...

P.S. I know that it isn't actually supposed to be a letter "S"...

Thats a shame, I remember me and the mates loved the Max Headroom show as kids. I remember the origin story TV film freaked more than a few of us out at the time...

One of the best sights in cricket that...a part time bowler that comes on to bowl a bit of filth and ends up breaking a big partnership. Brilliant!

Samson has quickly become my personal favourite! The lad is great...

One guy I'm not getting at the minute is Big Cass. I mean, his feud with Enzo is decent, and he and 'Show might have an entertaining big bloke match but he doesn't come across as a monster heel to me. Not sure if its the shit facial hair, or wanky stringy, slapped back long hair but barring the size he just isn't intimidating enough to me. Better gear might help though, as those big, Simon Cowell high pants do nothing for him...   

11 hours ago, garynysmon said:

Sadly, there is no weekly TV from pre-1993 on the Network, apart from the Saturday Night's Main Events. I suggest the Monsoon Classic youtube channel.

I'll give that a try! Thanks garynysmon!

We have to book for Santorini in Greece for next June as my Mrs' brother has decided to get married there. Not been abroad in about 9 years, so I'm a bit out of the look with websites etc. A few questions though, if someone would be so kind as to help:

a) Where is the best online to book?

b) If anyone has been to Santorini, is there any recommended hotels? We will be a family of 5 going(2 Adults and 3 Kids), and I am disabled, so have mobility issues, so a kids club would be ideal, and we would like half board at the very least... 

Slightly off topic I suppose, but would the majority of bands be against their logos being applied on toys like this? I mean, barring bands like KISS who would claim a licensing fee from someone who smelt a Gene Simmons fart, wouldn't a lot see it as a bit of free advertising and a chance to get kids into listening to their music? 

Morning all!  

After reading the scan of the WWF magazine that was put on here, it's got me itching for a bit of nostalgia from when I was younger. I really fancy watching the evolution of Savage into the "Macho King" up to his match with Warrior at 'Mania 7. Where on the Network is it best to start and, more importantly I suppose, will there be the vast majority of shows uploaded from that era?