Jit Camp

As a lifelong wrestling fan from the Tampa Bay Area, one goal in my life was to see Wrestlemania Live. With the announcement of Wrestlemania 36 being held at Raymond James stadium a few years back it seemed like one of my bucket list goals could finally be checked off. But unfortunately due to Coronavirus my boyhood dream won’t be coming true.

The saddest part of all this is WWE is still going to hold Wrestlemania but instead of being in a packed stadium it will be held at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, in front of no fans. That is the equivalent of playing the Super Bowl on a practice field in front of no fans. This might have been my last opportunity to see all time greats like The Undertaker and Goldberg wrestle. The Taker match is the most disappointing since he is wrestling AJ Styles, my all time favorite. Although both Taker and Goldberg are past their prime just the entrances alone are worth the price of admission.

As a whole this card was pretty stacked with John Cena vs The Fiend and Brock Lesnar vs Drew McIntyre both having big fight feels. I will still watch the event but it will still feel bitter sweet. With NXT Tampa as well as the WWE HOF also being cancelled this bizarro world we are living has finally infiltrated Vince McMahon’s universe. This will be a huge hit not only on the city of Tampa, which has a huge wrestling background but also on the wrestling business as a whole. Many independent promotions run shows during Wrestlemania weekend to capitalize off the hype, have been forced to cancel their events as well. Big companies like WWE can afford the financial hit but the smaller promotions could be really hurt by this.

I am hopeful that after all this Cornavirus stuff is over WWE will come back to the Tampa Bay Area. At this point my childhood dream of going to Wrestlemania has been put on hold but with the company frequently hosting the event in Florida. I might not have to wait a lifetime to experience “The Showcase Of The Immortals”.

With a 24-20 lead at half the Vipers looked poised to get their first road win of the season. Well Josh Johnson and OC Norman Chow had other plans. After getting off to a terrible start throwing an int on the first play to Vipers DB Robert Priester, Josh Johnson showed why he is one of the top QBs in the league shredding the top rated Vipers defense for 288 passing yards. The defense was doing a good job of getting pressure but it seemed like as the game went on they left their foot off the gas allowing the Wildcats to come back before the half. I know coach Glanville is a big proponent of the blitz method but when your DBs are getting beat for big yardage plays, it’s time to secure the back field. The TE’s of the Wildcats towered over our defense allowing for TD after TD. I am still however impressed with how the D-Line is playing they just were not fast enough to get sacks. Their are still some bright spots in the 41-34 loss.

I’m not going to start calling for Taylor “Corn Dog” Cornelius’s job yet. Each week he is looking better and better throwing for 300 yards this week. I know some fans are pulling for Murray to come back,but Murray lacks the running ability Cornelius has allowing him to make chicken shit out of chicken salad on a majority of busted plays. Flowers got in for a few special teams plays but I still don’t think he should be the starter over “Corn Dog”. If he can get more of a rhythm going with Reece Horn and Dan “Tha Threat” Williams, the big play option will be available. Teams don’t fear our big play ability enough making it easier for defenses to predict the play. Once the Wildcats started stopping our running game and our defense wasn’t getting takeaways or stops, we just couldn’t keep up with their big plays.

That is not to say all is lost. We showed we can go toe to toe with two of the leagues most high powered passing games, Houston a few weeks ago. I feel if this had been a home game we would have stole the momentum not allowing the Wildcats to regain their ninth life right before half. With two winnable home games coming up against two pretty weak passing games in St.Louis and Dallas the season is not a total loss yet. If we can manage to pick up some division wins down the stretch the team could definitely secure the 2nd spot in the XFL East. The team definitely has some things to work on with the hated rival St Louis Battlehawks coming to the Snake Pit this weekend. Hopefully we will be plucking feathers out of our teeth come next Sunday.

As a child I would recall watching this bizarre animated show featuring this dope wizard and his dragon. Eventually I was able to find the show online. It’s actually called “Here Comes The Grump” a short lived animated series that ran from 1969-1970.

The show was created by long time animation duo DePatie-Freleng most know for creating “The Pink Panther Show” amount other characters in their stable of animated universe. Rip Taylor does the voice of The Grump himself who has put a spell on the kingdom ruled by Princess Dawn. The princess, her pig dog, and “boy from the real world” Terry Dexter go from one wacky place to another in search of the crystal key that will break the gloom spell over her kingdom. Of course since he is grumpy, The Grump and his dragon Dingo follow them in a sort of “Coyote/Road Runner esque chase. It is cool seeing all the different places the cat and mouse game leads our characters, like the land of glass and the place where you have to laugh at everyone’s jokes.

While it is a great show I can definitely see why it didn’t have the staying power. Once you see the first few episodes, pretty much the same beats occur in each following one. The Grump gets sneezed on by is dragon and will yell “woah dragon!” in his raspy chain smoker voice. Apparently The Grump was inspired by Yosemite Sam and you can definitely see the similarities. I think The Grump is a much more trippy looking character rocking the all pink and purple fit. If you are a fan of the work of early seventies, late sixties morning cartoons I would definitely check out “The Grump”.

In Week 5 the Vipers head out west to take on the 1-3 LA Wildcats who are looking to bounce back after a tough loss in New York last week.

So far teams playing cross country games are 0-4. The Vipers look to keep the momentum rolling after their first win and shut out of their inaugural season.

Coach Trestman has named Taylor “Corn Dog” Cornelius the starter this week with Murray backing him up. I feel this is a smart decision with “Corn Dog” looking better and better each week. He showed me he is willing to do what it takes to get a win, with his 18 yard touchdown last week.

According to Allison Koehler the teams beat writer, Quinton Flowers has returned to practice and got some one on one time with new receiver S.J. Green and coach Trestman. It will be interesting to see if Trestman will incorporate Flowers into the offense more has a running back due to an injury with De’Veon Smith that might limit his touches. Flowers still insists on being traded but if we get a big road win and he makes some big plays he might change his tune. I would like for him to stick around, his play making ability will open up the offense.

Former Buccaneers QB Josh Johnson is the team leader of the LA Wildcats. Last week he was without two of his top offensive weapons WRNelson Spruce and RB Martez Carter.

On the defensive side of the ball the O-Line is going to have a tough time with DE Shawn Oakman who is a monster. After trading defensive captain Anthony Johnson to the trash DC Defenders and firing DC Pepper Johnson, HC Winston Moss has taken over the play calling of the defense. Moss and the team give off sort of an Oakland Raiders vibe. They buy into his toughness. Some of his sideline rants and lounging are my favorite moments of the season.

Coach Granville is running one of the best defenses in the league, which will continue this week. The running game will definitely need to set the tone again this week. I think the Vipers will capitalize off the win last week and take it to the Wildcats in their home building getting the first road win of the season.

No matter what your cultural background is one thing we can all relate to is food. Food connects us to our past and to our heritage. I can remember from a young age drinking Dr.Browns Root Beer and eating black and white cookies with my Grandma. Even thought it’s been years since she’s passed every time I drink Dr.Browns or eat my beloved black and white cookies it transports me back to a nostalgic place keeping me connected with my Grandma and our relationship. I only like the white part and she only liked the chocolate part and still to this day I only eat the white part, making it the perfect shareable treat.

Even going to eat at my favorite pizza place Gianni’s has a similar effect on me. I still hear and visualize my grandma telling me stories of Piggly Wiggly going to the market to get blueberry pies as I chomp down on two slices of cheese pizza and a cherry coke.

Just recently as Monday, my mother made chicken soup, and you know what the first thing she said to me is “it’s just like how grandma used to make it”. You better believe it was. Family traditions and food keeps the spirit alive of our loved ones no matter how long they have been gone, making the traditions even that more meaningful.

I can still remember every Friday my dad and I going to the video store to get some films for the weekend and splitting a pie and garlic knots from Little Italy. Even though we don’t do it anymore, it is still a tradition that I will one day do with my family.

One of the things I am looking forward to later on in adult hood is passing down these traditions to my children. Who knows maybe years I’m gone my kids will spilt their black and white cookies with their grand kids keeping the tradition alive.

After leaving the team Week 4 for “personal reasons”, QB Quinton Flowers returned to the Vipers this week but theirs one catch, he’s asked to be traded. After getting passed over on the depth chart for Taylor Cornelius and his limited action in the second half of the Week 3 Houston Roughnecks game, Flowers relationship with the team seems to have been burned.

The rumored landing spots for the disgruntled home town hero are the New York Guardians and the Seattle Dragons, both of which are facing QB controversies of their own. The Guardians protected QB Matt McGloin threw his team under the bus after their Week 2 blowout against DC, allowing Luis Perez to take over the reins after being traded from the LA Wildcats in preseason. Perez was LA’s protected QB pick but after signing former Buccaneers QB Josh Johnson the team moved on from him. Perez played pretty decent in his first start last week giving NY a much needed home win against his former LA team.

The 1-3 Seattle Dragons might be looking for a spark in their offense after finally benching the inconsistent Brandon Silvers for former USF QB B.J. Daniels. Flowers was Daniels heir apparent at USF. Jim Zorn the Dragons Head Coach seems to be just as inconsistent as Trestman so I don’t think it would be a good landing spot for Flowers. Personally I rather see the team trade him at this point for one of NY or SEA’s defensive players or someone for someone who can beef up our solid O-Line.

Flowers was never promised the starting job in Tampa anyway so I am not sure what he is expecting to get anywhere else around the league. At this point I will be glad when he is gone so the team can move forward and build off the momentum of their Week 4 shutout which Flowers was absent from. I hope the Fang Gang has similar feelings as I do and will continue to support the team, Murray, and “Corn Dog” over Flowers. Don’t get me wrong he is definitely a playmaker and could be an asset to the team, but I feel having him apart of the team moving forward will only make things worse. If he’s not going to play at least get something for him and give him a shot somewhere else, making it a win win for both parties involved.

With his rumored album “Eternal Atake” on the horizon, Lil Uzi drops another banger “I Want” giving fans that “Backstreet Boys” feel to hold us over until Atake drops.

After the release of his hit “Luv Is Rage 2” Lil Uzi Vert hasn’t dropped a full project in almost three years. Between label disputes, short retirements, and dropping some of his best tracks to date pretty much back to back to back, with “Futsal Shuffle 2020”, “Sanguine Paradise”, and “That’s A Rack” all taking spots on my top tracks on 2019 list, the latter taking the top spot. Other than projects from Benny The Butcher and K Dot, Eternal Atake is my most anticipated project of the year.

His newest single “That Way” is Uzi’s take on the Backstreet Boy’s 1999 classic “I want It That Way”. Uzi is back at it always bringing some of the best hooks in the game. On first listen you might think the song is kind of corny, but for me that is Uzi’s charm. Dropping one of my favorite lines of the year like “Yes I’m slimey like a snail but I’m no slowpoke” and “I killed my girlfriend that’s why I’m single”.

For me Uzi’s recent output just builds on what he was delivering on classics like “Lil Uzi VS The World” and the “Luv Is Rage” series. Uzi is able to stay in this middle ground between the mainstream and underground due to his huge fan base. He differentiates himself from his contemporaries by delivering not only the best singles in the game, but some of the best bodies of work, allowing his projects to be played from front to back.

If your a fan of Uzi’s recent output this should be right up your alley. I know for me it is definitely high in the rotation, until Uzi finally gives us “Eternal Atake”.

After starting their inaugural season with an 0-3 record the Vipers finally showed why they where picked by Las Vegas to win the inaugural championship. Despite all the drama coming into week 4, the team appears to be clicking on all three fazes of the game, sinking their teeth into the Defenders with a shut out score of 25-0.

The Jerry Granville lead defense kept the Cardale Jones and the Defenders out of the red zone for the entire game sending pressure on almost every play. A few times DC tried to go for big plays but Jones either over threw them or the Viper’s defensive backs Robert Priester and Tarvarus McFadden making big plays, the latter even coming up with an INT after getting his helmet ripped off. The heart and sole of this defense is on the line though with team captain Terrance Plummer and my personal favorite Nikita Whitlock making big plays in the trenches, holding the Defenders to only 46 rushing yards.

The Defenders only had 107 total yards all game,which is less than both our power backs Jacques Patrick and De’Veon Smith had a piece. The running game definitely sets the tempo for our offense. Between Smith and Patrick’s bowling ball running style knocked over the DC defense like pins on a lane. Jacques Patrick scored his first pro touchdown this week only two days after burying his father. His sideline interview definitely connected with the fan base and not only Patrick but also Smith are becoming two of my favorite players on the team. I just love how hard each one of them plays, opening up the offense for our stacked receiving core to make big plays. Taylor “Corn Dog” Cornelius looked comfortable in the offense this week only throwing one pick and making some big plays with his arm and legs, running in for an 18 yard touchdown. A QB willing to put it all on the line to make a play gained my respect. No matter who the starter is going into next week “Corn Dog” is good in my book.

Although attendance was down about 6,000, I feel that is due to it being a Sunday night game more than a lack of fan support. A lot of out of area folks prob didn’t feel like making the late night drive home. The Fang Gang still brought it, feeding off the teams energy and visa versa. The team/fan connection is what makes sports so awesome. Nothing is better than walking into Ray Jay surrounded by the Gang, filling the stadium with hissing, rattles, and of course my favorite “snake swinging”. I was pleasantly surprised no one chanted for Flowers, who is rumored to return to the team this week, and fully rallied around “Corn Dog” who was met with a barrage of boos from the “Snake Pit”.

Coach Trestman is safe for another week. The team played hard for him this week. In his post game press conference Trestman praised the team but also is still focused on making the Vipers the best they can be. With an up and down LA Wildcats team hosting us next weekend it will be interesting to see how the team can keep up momentum, hopefully declawing the Wildcats to earn the teams first road win, catapulting us right into the XFL East playoff picture.

Major League Baseball’s #1 rated prospect the 18 yr old SS from the Dominican Republic Wander Franco has his first start and hit in Spring Training today against the defending World Series Champs Washington Nationals.

The Rays are anticipating a lot from Franco, at a young age he has already made All Star appearances in the Minors. With 4 at bats Franco 1/4 with one run and one strike out. I will say he was the lead off hitter going against one of the best pitchers in baseball Steven Strasburg.

The Tampa Bay Rays have always had to be a step ahead when it comes to scouting players and drafting well. Unlike the Yankees, Red Sox’s and Dodgers, the Rays don’t have the luxury of breaking the bank on big time free agents. The Rays make their bread on scouting and developing talent, usually coming out of trades on the better side. Pitcher Brandon McKay, and 2B Xavier Edwards along with Franco are a few of the bright spots being groomed not only for now but also the future. I am hoping Ray’s manager Kevin Cash works Franco into the lineups more this Spring Training, I will be at the teams March 18th game against the Philadelphia Phillies so maybe I can get a glimpse at the phenom with my own eyes. Time will only tell the impact Franco will have on the club, but with a Wild Card birth last year exceptions are high for this season.