Update on The New York Giants and New York Rangers Courtsey of DOINow.com

This picture has been included to make me laugh and to make my friends to shake their heads!
Thank you for visiting DOInow.com, I appreciate you taking time out to check out my random thoughts and opinions in the sports world. Make sure to check out the archives for columns on Frank Boucher, Anthony Duclair, NY Jets, Carmelo Anthony, A-Roid, The Giants, WWE, The Rangers & more!

I am sick of everyone always saying "MONDAY MORNING QUARTERBACK", so for this piece we will go with the silly Tuesday Morning Hangover title, considering it took 18 beers to get through the NY sports events this past Monday night.

The Rangers just wrapped up another home game, with another shoot-out loss this past Monday night. This was going to be a tough test for the Rangers, considering they were missing many starters due to injuries and suspensions, as talked about in my last blog here on DOINow.com.

For a team featuring 7 non-starters (McIlrath, Talbot, Kotska, Malone, Hunwick, Allen, & Mueller), I thought the Rangers played a good game. The Rangers blew several opportunities at the net and there was no puck luck to be found. Poor Rick Nash, a league leader in goal scoring, missed his chance to hit the double digit mark in goals several times in the contest.

The Rangers, taking on the hot St. Louis Blues, were banged up, but I liked what I saw. Both Anthony Duclair and Kevin Hayes, the two young studs of the Rangers, are living up to their billing. Duclair assisted on Chris Kreider's first goal of the game while Hayes continues to create goal scoring opportunities. I am hoping both continue their level of play as I think they have the potential to be the cornerstones of the Blueshirts in seasons to come.

Matt Hunwick, receiving a ton of ice time this season due to the injury of Dan Boyle, continues to impress and plays a solid defensive game. He could be a diamond in the rough for the New York Rangers.

While Conor Allen, who played several games for the Blueshirts last year, had a defensively sound game, he didn't make much noise. His Hartford Wolfpack counterpart, defenseman Dylan McIlrath made his presence felt for the team, for better or worse.

I am a McIlrath fan. I think the Rangers need that goon who can make other teams fear playing dirty or being liberal with their checks. However, McIlrath takes way too many stupid penalties and needs to improve his speed. Whether McIlrath can figure out some discipline and hold his own cleanly remains to be seen. He is obviously nervous playing in the World's Most Famous Arena, but at some point, he needs to be accountable for his actions. Taking penalties, that lead to power-play goals, for the opposition will not be tolerated by Alain Vigneault.

A future Vezina Winner?

With fat cat Henrik Lundqvist getting the day off, rookie Cam Talbot held down the net for the second time this season. Cam Talbot, making nearly 1/20th the salary as the King, gave the Rangers the same result as this past Saturday night - a shootout loss in the third frame. Hank, making $8.5 Million this season compared to Talbot's half a million a year deal doesn't seem much of a deal, does it?

The Rangers, who could use some of Hank's exorbitant contract to sign some defensemen (How bad are Ranger fans missing Anton Stralman right now?) made the best of a bad situation, salvaging a point in last night's contest. However, it looked like the Rangers should've won the game, as they had several opportunities to put the game away in the third period during a scramble to the net and seemed to have a Nash OT goal winner.

Talbot, who this writer thinks is a great piece of talent to a fault, where I have an on-going joke with several friends about his abilities (Cam Talbot is so good that he cured cancer!) , put out a valiant effort, despite playing his second NHL game this season. The defense broke down several times, leading to soft goals for the Blues, but Talbot made incredible saves to keep the Rangers in the contest. Talbot was tested, and despite giving up 3 goals, made an incredible 31 saves.

If there is anything to worry about right now as a Ranger fan, sans the injuries, is the fact that the Rangers are still taking time to figure things out. The injuries are a major factor, but Ranger fans would rather this happen with the majority of the games on the road. The Rangers lead the league in home games played this season and with 10 in the month of November, the Rangers need to pick up two points on their home ice. Getting one-point moral victories in OT is nice on the road, but it is here, at home, that the Rangers need to make some noise. All these home games now, will lead to tough road games later on in the season.

Eli Manning, the man who possesses the worst body language in all of sports.

As much as I love my New York Rangers & New York Yankees, I am also a diehard Giants fan. However, I admit, it's time to throw in the towel. Despite injuries to division rival quarterbacks Tony Romo & Nick Foles, this Giants team will not make the playoffs for one simple reason - they can't defend the pass.

Last night's Monday Night Football contest between the red-hot Colts and Giants, was another example of the Giants having no pass defense whatsoever. Just like in the Philly and Dallas game, the Colts were seemingly 38433375734737 out of 38433375734737 on third down whenever they passed the ball. You can say whatever you want about the Giants missing their top two running backs (Wilson & Jennings) and their best receiver (Victor Cruz), but the fact is that the Giants allow more first downs during the opponent's third down than any other team in the league.

Who would've thought, that during week 9, in this year's NFL season, that the Buffalo Bills would have more wins than their "NY" counterparts combined?

The Colts threw the ball 85% of the time and had no issues doing so. The Giants swiss cheese pass defense allowed Andrew Luck to rape them like a drunk sorority girl at Ben Roethlisberger's house. They had 15 days to prepare for this game and instead were embarrassed like sharting yourself at a quiet, but packed funeral.

I can't blame Eli. Despite having the worst body language I've ever seen from an athlete in my fucking life (Check my archives for more on this subject), it's not his fault. You can't win games when the defense is on the field watching the chains move every 120 seconds. It's time to switch defensive coordinators, but at 3-5, in a tough division and with a tough schedule, it's not going to happen until next year.

For more on the article and similar articles to this, visit DOINOW.com

Vince is here! Monday Night Raw Recap

Image Credit: wwe.com

New stakes for Survivor Series! If Team Authority loses to Team Cena, they lose their power. Much remains unsettled as Vince McMahon makes a rare TV appearance Monday night in Buffalo. What does this mean exactly? Will Stephanie and Hunter lose their jobs completely? Will whoever takes over be pro Cena? Is Vince a temporary fix to a much bigger problem? 

The Authority has taken over in a great way. I almost forget that anything else is going on in the show. I like that Ziggler is getting lots of attention even if he has to lose to Rollins. Creepy Bray Wyatt watches Ambrose from the stage. "Feed Me More" chants fill the arena for Ryback. Jimmy Uso doesn't stand a chance against The Miz. Nikki and Brie are such disappointments. I wish they would get a little more creative with this story line. 

The Condemned 2 has The Viper taking a break from the ring as he waits to be "medically cleared." A curb-stomp from Rollins leaves Orton with a bloody forehead and an exit via stretcher. It's very possible that he may even miss Survivor Series. Monday was Orton's last scheduled day as he is not booked for the European tour.  

-Loveblump

An Education on Battle Rap for the Uneducated

Photo: Slaughterhouse (Joe Budden, Royce da 5'9, and Joell Ortiz) at SOBs in New York City.

by: Ashe Samuels

Dearly Beloved,

We are gathered here today to talk about the pro wrestling of hip hop, that is battle rap. Now half of you reading this may have no knowledge of this beyond 8 Mile, so lets break it down for a second. Battle rap in the form in which it exists now is written, not freestyle, and takes place acapella or without a beat. It has evolved from cracks on peoples attire and mom jokes, to the place to hear bars in hip hop. In fact, your favorite rappers are huge battle rap aficinado. Drake has hosted and currently sponsers King Of the Dot based out of Toronto. Method Man has hosted multiple battles. Diddy and Busta Rhymes have showed up at URL. Eminem & Slaughterhouse had Total Slaughter this summer, and the Fuse series Road to Total Slaughter.  Joe Budden battled Hollow Da Don, Ab-Soul ended his major label debut by battling Daylyt, and Canibus battle Dizaster and Cassidy is about to. YouTube is filled with thousands of battles and they have amassed 10s of millions of combined views. However, it has remained relativley underground, but even that is now changing.

I mentioned mainstream rappers battling. What i did not mention is that they get fuckin roasted. Ab Soul had by far the best preformance. His bars were great actually, but then Day spit and it was clear whos realm they were in. Joe Budden got booed, dropped the mic and walked off stage in the third round. He tried but Hollows stage presence and battle savy style took that battle for him. Canibus....well Canibus acted like a total fuckin nutjob and pulled out a binder in his third round. This is not because they arent talented MCs, but because this is not their realm. Budden is one of my favorite rappers to be honest. Its not just about your words but your projection, your movement, your performance as a whole. There is no beat to rock over and a crowd that is not there to hear a song but to watch a battle and will boo the fuck out of you for not coming correct.

We live in an age where lyrics are no longer what makes or breaks an MC in hip hop. For every Budden, Royce, Ortiz, and Crooked, there are 6 Young Thugs. So where do you go to hear bars, to hear that aggression and wordplay that hip hop was raised on? Battle rap. There is a reason why your favorite rapper and there people watch battles in the studio, because that is the new place to hear bars. Fans rewatch battles and hear something that went over their heads the first time. Bringing it back or repeating a bar became the live version of rewinding because it was so damn nice. Concieted slows it down so the crowd and his opponent can hear the double meaning. Loaded Lux repeats things not because he thinks it wasnt heard but because he wants you to listen. That is the beauty of battle rap, its not something you hear, but you listen to.

It is something you listen to, but you watch as well. A Daylyt battle needs to be seen. Where else can you see a Crip dressing like a Klan member for 2 rounds only to reveal he was Black Jesus in the third round. Days battle with B Magic had a Matrix theme to his rounds but a 3rd round told as much through visuals as it was with words, complete with bullet time twerking. That is just the tip of the Daylyt iceberg but thats for another article. From hand gestures to pantomime, props to facial reactions, Battle rap isnt just something you listen to, but also something you watch. How else would you know what Caustic meant when he battled Aye Verb and told Verb he, "showed up looking like Goldust."

Just like pro wrestling there is lead up, the only form of spoken word anything where people cut promos on each other before the event. There are rivalries, Lux vs Hollow made UW into a much larger entity and was almost a decade in the making. Math Hoffa put himself on the map by punching out Dose onstage, and a few years and much shit talk later, a rematch occured. Dizaster and Math had a rivalry based on Maths penchant for throwing hands in a battle that ironically ended with Diz punching out Math in the third round of a fantastic battle. There are stables that rise and fall; Dot Mob, Innuendo, S.O.N.S., Krack City and many more. Worked shoots, those are called personals. You want a prime example watch Pat Stay vs Hollohan from KOTD as two former best friends air each others dirty laundry for the world to see. Shit there are even tag teams which can be amazing if done right. Dirtbag Dan and Caustic battled Shuffle T and Marlo from England in an amazing 2 vs 2. Illmac and The Saurus both champion battlers by themselves are also legends as a team.

So there we go, my dearly beloved readers, an introduction to battle rap. Wanna know why Jay-Z was sayin "you gonna get this work?" Watch Lux vs Calicoe. Wanna hear aggression, and raw raps? Watch battles. Backpacker? Watch The Saurus, Illmac, Charron, A Class and a number of underground inspired battlers. Want guns and street shit? Watch Hitman Holla, Hollow Da Don, Arsonal, Big T, B Magic, shit just watch URLs big battles. Like weird shit, watch Daylyt, shit like backpack or street shit watch Daylyt too. Watch Dizaster to see Eminems favorite battler, Pat Stay to see why hip hop lives in the North. The list of names goes on and on and as time goes on Ill expose you, the fair readers to more. But for now, as they say, TIME!!!!

   

TGIF: The Rise and Fall of Cesaro, Kurt Angle Stays With TNA...If TNA Stays Alive, and More

Image Credit: dailywrestlingnews.com

Good day to you all and welcome to We Want Insanity. I am your host for today, Matt Dawgs and this is my column. Today is the end of the work week and the time to look back at all the goings-on over the past seven days as I wrap it up with a bow and spout it out bit by bit. Buckle up. As previously noted, you can catch my OTHER COLUMN which is the “ WWE NETWORK PPV OF THE WEEK ” where I and 3 friends discussed an old WWE/WCW/ECW PPV from the archives. Join us NEXT SUNDAY (We are taking this week off) as we review WCW “Great American Bash 1989” and check it out to see if it is worth watching. Also check out this week’s “ THE QUESTION ” where James Guttman, James Bullock (why do we have two James writing for the site? We need to change his name to Mookie or something) and myself answer a random question each week.

MATT NOTE: Hope you all have a Happy Halloween today. Stay safe folks. Don't bring home any Ebola.

WWE NEWS AND NOTES:

- WWE presented their Hell in a Cell PPV this week and it was uninspiring to say the least. While the 2 cell matches did in fact deliver, one of them could have been anything but a cell match since it was more a street fight and the other was going exceptionally well until the finish. Ugh, that finish.

- From a wrestling/in-ring standpoint, the show was solid. Ziggler/Cesaro (although it could have used more time) and The Usos/Dust Brothers were good matches. Both Cell matches were good. Nikki vs. Brie was better than it had any right being. It was a decent but not GREAT PPV and then...that finish. UGH, again.

- While super short at 12 minutes for a 2 out of 3 falls match, please go watch Ziggler vs. Cesaro if you missed the PPV because the Super Plex spot was one of the most incredible spots I have ever seen in wrestling history. Cesaro is a BEAST as far as strength goes.

- If you were confused by the ending of the Ziggler/Cesaro match at HITC then be confused no more. Last Wednesday Cesaro conducted an interview in which he said THIS HERE. That was all that needed to be said to get the result he ended up getting. Remember when he won the “Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal” at Wrestlemania and it was hyped leading into it as being a thing and then he became a Paul Heyman guy the following night on RAW and everyone thought the rocket was going to get strapped to his back? HAHA!! Good times.

- I get that they need subscribers but Michael Cole burying fans as idiots for paying $54.95 for traditional PPV is mind blowing. Don’t insult fans.

- Sheamus and Miz was pure comedy. Do you remember when Sheamus was almost on John Cena’s level and Miz MAIN EVENTED a Wrestlemania? LOL.

- I fully believe that A.J. and Paige are going to feud for an entire calendar year.

- Cena and Orton was a fine match but honestly should have just been a street fight as noted above. It felt more like a brawl than a HITC match. I liked it and Orton with his RKO’s out of nowhere were fantastic. But I am honestly sick and tired of seeing them wrestle. It is crazy because I have always been an Orton fan and I don’t rag on Cena like most do because I can see his worth and he ALWAYS works hard in the ring despite his limits. But enough is enough. It was just a few years ago when they wrestled for the last time. Sigh.

- By the way, isn’t the point of a Hell in a Cell match to be brutality and as Mick Foley noted in the build up to Ambrose/Rollins, a match that changes your career win or lose? A match that takes years off of your “bump card” due to the viciousness? And as we saw in WWI’s WWE Network PPV of the Week REVIEW where we discussed Armageddon 2000 and the entire main event was built around how none of the 6 men going into the match would ever be the same regardless of the outcome, how come John Cena not only defeated Randy Orton at HITC on Sunday but walks out of the match unscathed, celebrates with the breast cancer survivors then high fives fans on the way out while celebrating as if he was in a regular match?

- I am not sure what else to say about the finish to the PPV. Ambrose and Rollins were having a fantastic match. All sorts of bells and whistles, a cool double table spot even before the match officially begun. It was awesome. Then my screen turned black ala the Sopranos’ finale. Not the arena blacked out (it did) but my screen. After some weird chanting and fog coming out of the RING ITSELF then Bray Wyatt appears. This was 1,000,000% lame. Ambrose absolutely needed the win in this match. But as DAVE MELTZER explained earlier this week, due to the Roman Reigns studio interview that aired on Monday, it is obvious that WWE does not see Ambrose as a top guy because Reigns is still getting a rocket strapped to his back therefore you cannot have the 4^th babyface from the top once Orton turns shortly (5^th when Daniel Bryan comes back) beating the top heel(Rollins). It doesn’t make sense from a booking perspective. So regardless of how he has been pushed for the past few weeks, Reigns is still the guy and all the momentum Ambrose has gotten and the reaction he gets from the fans still make him their chosen one.

- The Wyatt chanting that was going on while the lights were out was an old Bray Wyatt promo played backwards.

- With Ambrose and Rollins headlining the PPV, it marks the first time since NOVEMBER 1994 that two men under the age of 30 main evented a WWE PPV. The last time was Undertaker vs. Yokozuna in their casket match.

- When the match started on the roof, did Jerry Lawler really say right off the bat that no Hell in a Cell has ever started on top of the cage? Honestly, he didn’t say that. Did he? Like there is a zero percent chance those words came out of his mouth correct? I was totally hearing things right? It’s not like he was sitting RIGHT THERE AT RINGSIDE WHEN MICK FOLEY GOT THROWN OFF A HITC LANDING INCHES AWAY FROM HIM WHEN THEY STARTED THE MATCH ON TOP OF THE CAGE?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!??!?!!!!!!!!!!! There honestly is absolutely no excuse for something that simple. Jesus H. Christ.

- As for RAW, WWE tried to hit the reset button with 

- See more here  at: http://www.wewantinsanity.com/am2/publish/Dawgs/T_G_I_F_with_Matt_Dawgs_103114.shtml#sthash.Zks5kmbb.dpuf

EXCLUSIVE VIDEO: 112, Total, Carl Thomas & Faith Evans Perform at the '90's R&B Reunion Concert.'

by: Dana P. (E.I.C.)

If you are a 80's baby who grew up on the finest R&B, you were in for a treat to have been in the house to see history go down like this. If you weren't there, we got you! 

Carl Thomas blessed the stage by opening up the show for an amazing set. Kima & Pam, 2/3 of Total (minus Keisha) took the stage following Thomas, and performed all of their classic hits as well. Faith Evans also blessed the stage with a few hits off her upcoming album, as well as some of her throwbacks. Last but not least, the MAIN EVENT was 112. Slim, Q, Jones & Michael Keith, all 4 members of the hottest R&B group of the 90's truely showed they still got it, as they put on a performance that was just plain magical. 112 & Total has always been my dream concert, and you'll see why in this video of the show, right here below! 

NFL News: The Awfully Disappointing NFC South

Image Credit: MaddenEliteEvolution.com

By: Kai Jones

If you’re reading this article, I’m sure you’re smelling something: that smell…is the NFC South. If you have been following the NFC South you know that the Panthers are in first place…with a 3-4-1 record. This conference has always been inconsistent since the realignment in 2002; no team has repeated as division champs since the division was formed. While no team has been able to repeat as champs, this division has normally been pretty solid against the rest of the league, as 7 of the 12 years a team from the division has been in the NFC Championship game. Coming into this season some highly esteemed football people had the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Super Bowl. So what is wrong with these teams?

First off, let’s start with the defending champs and 1^st place team. The Carolina Panthers opened up the season against the Buccaneers and looked strong, even without their starting QB Cam Newton. They even played an impressive game against the Detroit Lions the next week. Then came the nosedive, since their win against the Lions, the Panthers have gone 1-4-1 (you know it’s bad when you can’t even outright win). The offense has been about on pace with their pace from last season, but what has taken a step back is their defense. The defense last year was 2^nd in the league, but this year they are only 21^st. The defense is missing Quinton Mikell, Michael Mitchell, and Captain Munnerlyn; all left in free agency. The secondary was looked at last year as the Achilles’ heel of the defense and with the lost of 3 starters they got even worse, not to mention that star defensive end Greg Hardy is inactive due to his ongoing domestic violence case. While the Panthers have been bad, their biggest threat has been just as bad.

The New Orleans Saints were thought to be a much-improved team coming into this year. The Saints brought in high-profile safety Jarius Byrd and timeworn legendary cornerback Champ Bailey. While these additions seemed great, the Saints still lost multiple players including: Will Smith, Jonathan Vilma, Jabari Greer, Darren Sproles, and Lance Moore among other important players from last year’s playoff team. So maybe inevitably they have struggled, especially their defense. The team looked better in the last game the played, routing the Packers 44-23, so maybe they’re on the upswing.

The team on the lowest downturn in the division is the Atlanta Falcons. The Falcons sit 3^rd in the division, so why are they on the worst downturn? Considering they were just in the NFC Championship game two seasons ago, their downturn is much worse than the Buccaneers who have not been good since 2010. The Falcons are on a 5 game losing streak, and have not won since the bludgeoning of the Buccaneers. The Falcons seem to lack depth, outside of the wide receiver position, and Matt Ryan has no time to get the receivers the ball behind his porous offensive line. Without the offense playing well, this defense cannot be masked. The defense hasn’t played terribly, but with a bad offense as well, the team is not going to win very many football games.

Speaking of not winning very many football games, let’s discuss the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Buccaneers since their 2010 10-win-season, have won just 16 games since. There aren’t many bright spots on this team, despite Herm Edwards picking them to go to the Super Bowl; this team has just been bad. The defense many thought would be great, has been the worst in the league. The offense has been as bad as many thought it would be, as it ranks 28^th in the league. The solution? Keep rebuilding. The Buccaneers have been rebuilding since they fired the prominent head coach, Jon Gruden. Although, their biggest problem has been firing two coaches since Gruden. In the NFL, it’s hard to rebuild and change coaches simultaneously, so hopefully the Buccaneers will keep Lovie Smith and let him rebuild their once winning culture.

The NFC South has been very bad these first 8 weeks, but hopefully one or two of the teams can get it together and make this proud division formidable before the postseason begins. While in 2010 the 7-9 Seahawks defeated the defending Champion New Orleans Saints in the playoffs, no one wants to see a below .500 team in the playoffs. The Panthers and Saints face offon Thursday Night Football tonight, so maybe we can gauge how the division will look going forward.

New York Knicks Tip Off at Madison Square Garden with Nas & Swizz Beats

by: Dana P. (E.I.C.)

Knicks season ticket holders were in for a special treat this past Sunday at The Mecca. Hip hop legends Swizz Beats & Nas took the court, following the Knicks Scrimmage Tip Off game at Madison Square Garden, and we were there front and center for this historic event! Yes, I said historic for a "scrimmage" game. Did I mention Justin Beiber was sitting court side, FRONT row?! Indeed he was there, along with Taylor Swift. 

Image Credit: Kate Arian

We have OFFICIALLY tipped off the 2015 season, so you might wanna check out this COURT SIDE FOOTAGE we got of The Knicks Dancers, the scrimmage, and performances by Nas & Swizz Beats!