WWE Wrestlemania 30 Press Conference in New York City

WWE Wrestlemania 30 Press Conference at the Hard Rock Cafe in
New York City

On April 1, in the heart of New York City's Times Square, the WWE held their WrestleMania 30 press conference at the Hard Rock Cafe. The event was hosted by Michael Cole and featured Chief Brand Officer Stephanie McMahon, COO Paul "Triple H" Levesque, Daniel Bryan, John Cena, Randy Orton, Batista and the host of Wrestlemania 30, "The Immortal" Hulk Hogan.

WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan will host WrestleMania 30
in New Orleans, LA on April 6. 

WrestleMania 30 will take place on Sunday, April 6 at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, LA. 

One Man's Journey Into "CrossFit"

Guest Post By JR

(Source)

I've always been athletic; captain of my high school hockey team, briefly played in college, and at age almost-34 I still manage to strap on the skates. I've been put through workouts on a regular basis by a former Navy SEAL who had both knees replaced and would still throw 500 lbs on the squat rack and make it look like child's play. I'm no a stranger to the weight room. I've also done some stints as a bouncer, I run regularly and I've participated in "mud runs".



Using and improving my physical fitness has always been a passion of mine. I find it a stress-reliever, energy-booster and confidence-improver. So when a friend of mine invited me to join a CrossFit-like training class I jumped at the opportunity to try something new.

Concussion Center at NYU Langone Medical Center

I was invited to the launch of the Concussion Center at NYU Langone Medical Center on March 19, 2013. The Concussion Center will provide personalized care for pediatric and adult patients with concussions.At the event there were presentations, including one from guest speaker Adam Graves, former NHL player, and a panel discussion on Head Injuries and Concussion in Sports: What You Need to Know.


There's a lot to know about concussions -- the causes, effects and treatment. Because of the dangers to young athletes who sometimes compete with concussions or suffer repeat concussions, New York State passed Concussion Management legislation in June 2012. There are now 33 states and the District of Columbia who have strict guidelines on youth athletes treatment and return to play after concussions.


Athletes aren't the only population at risk for concussions. Nearly 4 million people a year (considered an underestimation) suffer from concussions and less than 15% of them seek any medical treatment. A direct blow to the head which causes an alteration in mental state is a concussion. A person does not have to lose consciousness to have a concussion either. Depending where on the head a person receives a blow can determine the area of the brain which is injured -- memory, concentration, balance etc.


Symptoms of concussion:

• Fatigue or insomnia
• Feeling dazed, confused or "out of it", difficulty concentrating
• More emotional than usual, mood swings, irritability, anger, anxious, depression
• Headache

UFC 157: Rousey vs. Carmouche - Ultimate Fighting Women

Rousey vs. Carmouche at UFC 157

Rousey: "...Damn, those girls did deserve to be in the main event."


On Saturday, February 23, 2013, in Anaheim, California, "Rowdy" Ronda Rousey successfully defended her Bantamweight Championship against "Girl Rilla" Liz Carmouche in UFC's first women's bout. The night was history making. And inspiring.

The Power of the Ball

What started out as a question about my outfit turned into a discussion about the Olympics. I miss the Olympics. A lot. They should be extended to a month-long event. But like my other lover who only returns every 4 years, both the World Cup and Olympics last a  mere 2-weeks. I've learned to adapt.


Almost 2 months before the Olympics, I started reading The Ball: Discovering the Object of the Game by John Fox. I'd received a copy for The L Magazine Literary Upstart event. Fox travels through time and around the world to answer the question his son asked him 4 years prior to completing the book -- Why do we play ball?


Why do we play ball? What is it about football and football, baseball, cricket, basketball, tennis, water polo, lacrosse, rugby, handball et al. that enthralls us? What is it about the ball that leads to endless hours of practice and play and bouncing? Balls of all sizes and shapes are the center of drama and wars, form alliances and create enemies, decades-long bragging rights, hand-eye coordination, speed, agility, power, strength...


Alas, like the Olympics, The Ball is "over". It was an enjoyable and entertaining read. A documentary based on the book is in the works. Now I have yet another reason why I want to visit Brazil - Altinha.

*   *   *

A Marathon Of Inspiration

ING NYC Marathon 

After drinks and a PG-13 rated sleepover, we woke to sunshine and cheers from along 4th Avenue. My sleep haze cleared instantly as I rushed to his living room window. The wheelchair racers whizzed by on their hand bikes.


I've always had a connection with the ING NYC Marathon--maybe because it takes place in November, maybe because it's a "NY thing", maybe it's the athleticism of the event but I watch it every year. One year, I watched from the Columbus Circle entrance of Central Park. I was really depressed that year and the marathon was quite the morale booster.

Elite Women (lead pack)

It's A Small WWE Universe

The WWE Universe is vast yet small. Especially to a die hard fan and in New York. On Sunday morning, September 11, on my way home from my doggy weekend, I boarded a bus. I noticed a man sitting in the back. He had a very familiar face. I stole glances and got caught looking several times. I was trying to figure out where I knew him from. My initial thought was his name was Vladimir. I remember him from the 1980's and 1990's--he was always at ringside at all the then-WWF PPV's and house shows at Madison Square Garden. I learned his name when he was featured in the then-WWF magazine.

World Cup Of Women's Love

Last year, I was on South Africa time for a month during the World Cup. This year, it's Germany. My Nigerian ladies were eliminated during the Group phase. Sigh. I just finished watching the Germany v Japan quaterfinal match of the FIFA Women's World Cup 2011. Japan pulled the upset and eliminated Germany (1-0), the defending champions and the host country. It was a great game! Japan was the underdog coming in and they played hard. This was after France and England played to penalty kicks (and England's squad was peppered with hobbled players)! France missed their first PK and I didn't know how it was going to play out. I stood the entire time. But then England missed a PK and,well, France didn't. This sets up a pretty interesting semi-finals.

Air In The Square

For the first time ever, a BMX and skateboarding event was held in Times Square. Air in the Square featured 18 of the top BMX and skateboarding pros navigating and wowing the crowd on the Megaramp ASA Triples course on June 16, 2011. The event was presented by MSG Action Sports and ASA Entertainment.


When I received the email from MSG, I was intrigued. I'd watched only a handful of similar events during the initial X-games craze years ago. This would be the first time I'd witnessed this sport live. It was thrilling to say the least. They are serious athletes. And fearless. By the end of the event, I did form an attachment to a few of them--Bob Burnquist, Jett Eaton, Jager Eaton, Andy Macdonald, Mike Spinner and Austin Coleman. Another favorite, Colton Satterfield was the winner of the BMX tournament.

Let's Move!

Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy

I applaud the Let's Move! Initiative launched by First Lady Michelle Obama in partnership with the National Association of Broadcasters Education Fund (NABEF). Children, and all of Americans, are getting fatter. It's not a good look. It's also unhealthy and leads to a whole host of problems. The economy is strained as it is, we won't have the funding to treat the preventable cases of diabetes, heart disease, hypertension (Metabolic syndrome) cancer, knee and hip replacements etc. that are bound to plague this generation of children--a generation that may be the first to have shorter lifespans than their parents. 


Part of the blame lies with the parents who don't encourage their children to play or don't lead healthy lifestyles for their children to learn from. There's limited access to healthy, affordable foods and knowledge about proper nutrition. Then there's the epidemic of recess, physical education (PE) and intramural sports being eliminated from schools. 

My Tae Bo Workout With Billy Blanks

Me with Billy Blanks after a great Tae Bo workout

What??? This is amazing! I "grew up" on Billy Blanks!!


That was my reaction when I received an email from Harrison Wise on Wednesday. Billy Blanks would be teaching a kickboxing workout at the dojo Wise attends. A live Tae Bo workout!! Last year, I attended Harrison Wise's Pleasure & Pain Kickboxing Boot Camp class. I'm so grateful he remembered and shared the news with me.


Anyone who's known me for longer than 5 years, knows how much I love Tae Bo and how the workout and Billy Blanks has shaped my outlook on health, fitness and working out. I was a freshman in college when Tae Bo went mainstream. My mother ordered the tapes, but I claimed them for myself. My workouts were comprised of Tae Bo and weights. When the Tae Bo Live! series came out, she ordered the subscription for me -- a new advanced workout every month!


At the same time I was working towards my Sports Sciences degree and Athletic Training certification and was taking courses in Biomechanics & Kinesiology, Exercise Physiology, Principles of Athletic Training, Adapted Physical Education and Sports Psychology, I was also learning from Tae Bo and was applying the body awareness, willpower and positive visualization from one to the other.

WWE Kid At Heart

I've been a lifelong fan of professional wrestling. I'm not as big a fanatic as I once was, but I still watch Monday Night Raw and the PPVs. After the UFC press conference on Wednesday and spending some time with friends on Friday night watching Smackdown, the Jon Jones special they DVR'd and reminiscing on the glory days of wrestling and boxing, it all put me in the mood to be a kid again.

About 10 years ago, my brother and I would wait outside the Garden when the then WWF had a house show or we'd arrive early for the PPVs we had tickets for, to see which wrestlers we could catch a glimpse of as they arrived. I once started a near riot when I shouted out Mick Foley's (@realMickFoley) arrival. The cab that Triple H and Chyna were arriving in nearly ran my brother over. We've had some great times...

UFC 128 Press Conference

This afternoon I attended the UFC 128 Press conference held at Radio City Music Hall. The event was free to the public. When I first arrived I cursed myself for getting there after 11:41. The lobby of the Radio City was packed. I was still able to make my way over to one of the concession stands and received one of the T-shirts they were handing out.

Once they let us into the hall, the aisle I was on was crawling, so I hopped over the ropes and hightailed it over to the other side. I was about 12 rows back, but I had an aisle seat. I was happy. I watched the UFC and media setting up and the Radio City ushers doing a great job keeping order.

King Joke

A primetime special to announce what team he’ll play for… ridiculous. It’s bad enough we’ll get the play-by-play and Monday morning quarterbacks. A press conference, ok, I can deal with that. But this? His reps reached out to ESPN and James obviously agreed to it. Thanks, I appreciate that they’re donating the proceeds to the Boys & Girls Club (you should be donating to charities anyway). I won’t watch it but I know it’ll be hard to escape the hoopla especially if he decides to play for the Knicks or the Nets who’ll be moving to Brooklyn.

This is a basketball player. And he’s paid millions of dollars to do it.  I’m not saying someone shouldn’t have the opportunity to make a living off their talent but we don’t pay teachers and doctors anywhere near what they’re worth. And we wonder why so many young Black men wanna be ballers. When’s the last time we celebrated Dr. Benjamin Carson? As an ATC I would never make a fraction of what James makes and my job is to keep him healthy so he can continue to play.

I love athletes. I think what we, as a society, pay them is exorbitant. Look how much we pay movie stars. The president’s salary keeps rising. Clearly, we’re willing to pay a lot to be entertained.

Mano A Mano

This weekend I watched the Winky Wright/Paul Williams bout after watching the documentary, Thrilla in Manila. Then I watched 300 which got me thinking about the epic battle scenes in Lord of the Rings. Movies, but more specifically, scenes like that really excite me. Just the hand-to-hand combat, the fearlessness, the honor, the men. I would love for a neuroscientist to study me. Hook up electrodes to my brain, play some violent images before me and monitor my brain activity. I've had a proclivity to violence; the old ECW, hardcore matches, the less-sanctioned UFC from the late 90's, shootfighting all that. I also understand "emotional violence", "honorable violence".

Playing To The Death

In college, I wrote a paper on violence in sports. It was for one of my sport “theory” classes (Sport Psychology, Principles of Coaching, I don’t quite remember) but in the paper, I discussed parents gone wild, the jail in the old Veterans Stadium for unruly fans, hockey goons and soccer hooligans. Players against players, fans against fans, fans against players; it’s a never ending battle. According to reports yesterday, an Iraqi player was shot dead on the field as he was about to kick what could’ve been a game tying goal. In most of the world, football is life. I’m not condoning the senseless murder at all, but this was coming, at some point at some stadium. The Iraqi national team doesn’t even live or practice in Iraq for security reasons. Is this just Iraq’s problem? I don’t think so. 


I’ll be rooting for Nigeria and Jamaica as well as my adopted nations of Italy, Brazil and Argentina in the World Cup 2010. South Africa will host. I wonder what sort of security measures they will implement. With the world watching, will everyone be on their best behavior or is the world stage the time to act out or “make a statement”? In Beijing this past summer, there are folks who never made it home when all they wanted to do was witness dramatic Olympic moments. Those unfortunate deaths weren’t the work of terrorists, neither was the incident in Iraq. In recent years, focus has been on thwarting terrorism and rightly so, but we can’t forget the passionate, enraged little guy who can cause big problems.