The March Madness Experience Part Two

The experience returns ready for another four days of madness. With my brackets, not looking too great it was desperation time already. When you have such obvious picks to win the entire championship like Kentucky and North Carolina, every win counts. The Sweet Sixteen returned with four games on Thursday night. The Vanderbilt and Missouri picks are in effect for tonight to hurt my bracket since they are already eliminated. The weekend started well for me and continued to go my way until the very last day. The experience resumes now!

Thursday

My name is Jay BIlas and I'm an awkward human being.

7:00 to 8:30-  At usual I'm stuck at my job on Thursdays which leads to another round of using my phone on the job for scores. The reason I couldn't get off was that I was going to be using my days off in the up and coming weeks due to concerts and basketball games. The first game of the night was Wisconsin vs Syracuse which didn't really apply to me. I wanted to see Wisconsin to win because I'm pretty sure not many people had them making the Elite 8. Both teams bore me so it wasn't bothering me that I was missing the game. With my job being boring as usual with the same old three people always being the reason I can't leave, it was time to go creep in a back corner and keep track of it. My job is so spooky sometimes with cobwebs and dust all around. It really feels like I'm in Harry Potter sometimes with the dark setting. Anyway finally the clock hits 8 and I'm out to meet up with Paul. Due to saving money for the weekend, I somehow went the whole night without eating dinner. My dinner was a milky way bar which was the first candy or chocolate I've touched since Halloween. I'm a bit of a health nut nowadays, although I'll never pass up on a good burger or steak. Anyway were headed to the local bar tonight to see some true madness. Of course their has to be some sort of pit stop because god forbid things could ever go smooth in my life. We end up in a Gigi's pizzeria because our friend Shane is hungry. The game ends up being really close at the end between Syracuse and Wisconsin. The big story in this game was how Wisconsin wasn't going away despite being down for most of the game. Many fouls were happening within the final two minutes which is always a bore. I'm pulling for Wisconsin but both these teams are truly dull. Wisconsin ends up not cracking the zone at the end of the game because they don't know how to drive the hoop and uses penetration. It was a very frustrating finish with Jordan Taylor shooting a prayer despite having more than enough time to win the game. I'm happy I didn't watch the whole game because it was ugly according to most people. It wasn't South Florida versus Temple ugly when both teams can't score more than 20 points in the first half but it wasn't pretty. We finally get to the bar, I'm thirsty.

8:30 to 12:00-  The place is packed because Adam is the bartender. Adam is up there with Neil Patrick Harris with my favorite homosexual in the world. I'm not against homosexuals at all and I'm more than happy to talk to them. If they are over aggressive, then it will be a problem but Adam is cool. He puts on sports and makes some jokes, everything is cool. Louisville versus Michigan State was going on but that's another game that didn't really interest me. They are tough defensive teams with not much star power so it won't excite me much. Louisville won with the upset because Michigan State can't shoot and Draymond Green was getting double teamed most of the game. Louisville plays like a team despite the lack of star power. They are fast, can push the ball up the court fast, and rotates well defensively. I had Michigan State winning both for some odd reason. The power of Tom Izzo failed once again for me, thanks Tom. The next games were coming up which would be much better. I'm in awe of how many loud mouths are in this bar with their high pitched New York voices. I don't mind it but if you ever decided to hang out with me, you will see the places aren't all that pretty. Anyway the Heinekens are cold and the place is packed so everything is settled. Paul isn't drinking because he's on some kind of medication and he's not an idiot. Ohio State versus Cincinnati was starting up which was my premier game of the evening. They are one of my final four picks and a loss here would be devastating. Cincinnati never really impressed me so I wasn't all that worried. They were going to be the usual pests that they are but then fade away at the end. Many guys in the bar were watching but for some reason, dogs kept coming into the place. They weren't any German Shepard dogs thankfully otherwise all hell would break loose and glass would be flying everywhere.

The game begins with Ohio State controlling the pace early on. Aaron Craft is one of the greatest defenders I've ever seen as a point guard. It's a shame the elite point guards in the NBA don't play defense like he does. Aaron just gets in your face and doesn't back off. He is absolutely brilliant how he annoys ball handlers and will force at least three turnovers a game and alter several shots. That's my kind of point guard regardless of his offensive ability. If he could handle the ball which he does and hit the open jump shot, then we got a player. Jared Sullinger was dominating as usual but it was the DeShaun Thomas show. I didn't know Thomas too well other than being a decent scorer but he literally scored everywhere on the court. He wasn't missing at all and had 20 points by halftime. I'm switching to Molson for a little bit because the Canadians make good beer. I wish I was with more people for this game but people were't really into it. I'm not sure how to explain it because the NBA didn't have any great games on. I'm not sure but as long as they were serving me beer and had the games on, why should I complain. Ohio State was up 12 at half thankfully so we could go pick up Sal. Sal works at Key Food and dresses classier than the average Key Food worker. His Italian accent kills him though and when he laughs, he laughs like an 8 year old so don't consider him a upper class gentlemen. Anyway we get back and Ohio State somehow loses the lead in a flash. They get sloppy in the ball and aren't rotating well to stop the streaking shooters on Cincinnati. My vintage faces were starting to show with my glasses constantly being taken off and cursing to myself. For the 34564th time, this is why I don't like to gamble because it gets me so angry. It was becoming such a sloppy game to the point where Paul started to motivate me to drink more. My class starts at eight in the morning the next day, it shouldn't be much of a problem right?

Ohio State ends up getting it together and winning in smooth fashion at the end. They were forcing several turn overs and taking advantage of Cincinnati's small size. It was a great win because many people had Florida State winning because apparently winning your conference tournament makes you a team that everyone will pick. It doesn't matter how limited you are and fortunate to play a weakened North Carolina team. You will be picked damn it! Anyway I didn't fall for that trap and Ohio State continued their run on to the Elite Eight to play Syracuse in a game where my bracket could make a huge push to the top or completely broken. A few more drinks to celebrate the win and I need to go to bed so I'm not a zombie walking around campus the next day. I did manage to watch a little bit of Florida versus Marquette but nothing really to get a full grasp of the game. Bradley Beal continues to impress me while the speed of Florida is outstanding. Marquette seemed to rush a bit too much and they shot poorly. Jae Crowder was forcing up too many shots and it ended what was an outstanding season for him. He's going to be a terrific player in the NBA with that kind of motor. Florida continues their shocking surge to the Elite 8 as a 7th seed. Gator nation is running wild brother!

Friday

7:30 to 11:00-  The games begin in Paul's car for the 2nd night in a row. We don't seem to be on time for anything unless it's a party. Xavier versus Baylor wasn't a game that really meant a lot to me thanks to Duke stinking. If you don't have an I-Phone, you should seriously buy a Droid. This was the best investment so far in 2012 for me. The Droid works so smoothly and fast with keeping track of games and videos. You know how much I pay a month for it? A whopping fifty dollars in what might be the greatest bargain since five dollar Mets tickets. Wait a minute, that's going to be happening for the night five years! I still wonder why I bought a blackberry last May when it cost me eighty-five dollars a month! Verizon is full of evil people, what can I tell you. We meet up with our good friend Joe who is the man. Joe is another child hood friend that is hilarious and is awesome. Despite changing the channel several times to watch the Knicks get destroyed by the Raptors, his house was a great place to watch games. With cold heinekens and not living in a huge mansion anymore, it was a perfect setting. Eventually the North Carolina versus Ohio game is put on because the Knicks didn't feel like showing up against the lowly Raptors. For some reason, North Carolina didn't show up against Ohio and were playing a competitive game against them. Ohio was the cinderella story right now as a 13th seed and they were starting to out play North Carolina. It was making no sense to me but it really seemed that North Carolina missed Kendall Marshall. Eventually the game continues to remain tight and I'm starting to get seriously worried. Everyone in the room is starting to pull for Ohio including Joe's girlfriend. People love to see me in agony these days because I'm pretty entertaining. North Carolina started to make me seriously worry which led to me getting out of my seat. That usually means standing and pouting or on the floor praying. It was getting really bad with Ohio continuing to just answer to everything North Carolina was doing. North Carolina would hit a three, but then Ohio would hit a shot and the foul. It was getting out of hand and I'm seriously wondering how is this happening. Harrison Barnes was having the worst game in his career and it didn't help that he couldn't even get a shot off at the buzzer. The game went to over time but we had to leave because Joe doesn't care for college basketball and he knows that something will break if North Carolina loses.

Eventually I'm watching the game on my phone in a parking lot. I'm not sure why since nobody has plans in sight. North Carolina pulled it out finally thanks to some turnovers and missed three pointers by Ohio. Tyler Zeller was having a big game thankfully and I'm in the parking lot screaming "yes" (Daniel Bryan would be proud). It was a huge win for me and thankfully I can breathe easy. Kentucky was playing Indiana next but I was fairly confident that Kentucky would handle business. They looked stellar so far in the tournament with no signs of slowing down. I'm watching the game on my phone sadly because people never have plans these days and things could get depressing. Eventually I'm going home once half time hits because this is pointless and I'm a nerd. Kentucky and Indiana were having a terrific game with both teams not letting up. They were scoring at will at times with lead changes everywhere. This game was looking like a classic and I wasn't going to be staring at ESPN game cast for the rest of the night. I'm in need of a screen, so screw you guys I'm going home (Eric Cartman would be proud).

11:00 to 12:30-  The game resumes with my ice cream in hand. I feel like a twelve year old watching the game alone on a Friday night but things happen. Cops start to patrol so you can't get into bars as well. The main reason the game was so close was Anthony Davis was out for most of the first half. Davis is the main enforcer for Kentucky on defense and they were allowing far too many easy buckets. He can alter the game instantly and that's what happened from the beginning. Indiana stopped driving thanks to Davis commanding presence. Indiana was hitting some shots but Kentucky started to become relentless. Dorian Lamb who has become the un sung hero for Kentucky this season was playing terrific. He gets forgot about when you look at the guys they have on the team but he can get the job done. The same can be said for Darius Miller who is the only senior that actually plays. The main star for Kentucky was Michael Kidd-Gilchrist who was driving the hoop at will. He seemed to get to wherever he wanted regardless of the Indiana big man. Corey Zeller (related to Tyler) is a terrific scoring big man but he isn't the same defensive commander like Tyler. I'm enjoying this in my room but I'm not going crazy because Kentucky doesn't surprise me. They were expected to control the game and they did that for most of the 2nd half to win. They didn't need the power of the unibrow in this one because it was a team effort that relentlessly scored in the 2nd half.

The other game going on was Kansas versus N.C State to end the Sweet 16. Kansas was playing like they usual do which was having trouble scoring and playing an ugly game. Tayshawn Taylor was having another rough game and Thomas Robinson was shooting at a low percentage. Robinson was still having an impact because he's an All American but he wasn't efficient. The big story was Jeff Withey was altering shots at an alarming pace with seven. N.C State had no idea how to counter it other than start taking more jump shots which never seems to work for them. It was a struggle for most of the game according to people and the last ten minutes which I saw. Both teams couldn't find clean looks as I'm not too worried about this game. Kansas wasn't a final four pick for me unlike some people so a loss here would kill me. It was just amazing how Kansas kept giving N.C State opportunities from missed field goals to not boxing out then to turnovers. It was a very odd Kansas performance because usually they don't lack fundamentals. Bill Self is an incredible coach and always has players primed to go. The ending had N.C State not even getting a shot off thanks to terrific defense. Kansas won another ugly game to the delight of many. That ended a quiet ending to a hectic night. Joe is the man for letting us watch that madness in his house, his girlfriend is awesome for dealing with my antics and outrageous yelling, and Paul is just Paul. He was pulling hard for Ohio because he's a sucker for upsets. I'm not especially when money is around.

 Money, Money. Yeah, Yeah

Saturday

4:30 to 6:00-  The first game of the Elite 8 was game which didn't really apply to many brackets in the nation. Unless you are a hardcore Florida fan and you were possessed when you did your bracket, you may seem to care. Also if you followed the "they won the conference tournament pick them" theory then you need to watch the game if you're not a casual fan. I managed to watch most of the first half until Anthony (another guy I would classify as "the man") introduced me to Blue Mountain State. I never watched the show but it was a really good show minus the annoying senior who seems to be a massive tool. He plays a good character which is to make you hate him, but I hate him way more than I should hate a character. From what I saw from the Louisville versus Florida game was how slow Louisville was despite having Peyton Siva. Florida seemed to show far more energy and more efficiency on offense. They were hitting from the three point line and seemed to be more comfortable. Once we started watching Blue Mountain State then went outside to go take some jump shots, the whole game changed. From what highlights I saw, Russ Smith (hometown hero in my area) started to get going and Chase Behanan had a solid game. I never heard of Chase until the tournament started, but he's a solid player. I'm not sure if he'll ever be a star but he is very efficient and is a work horse. Florida started to miss shots due to being impatient and seeing the game slow down. Florida wanted the game to be fast paced which they got in the 1st half. Louisville wanted more of a half court offense game which they got in the 2nd half. In the end, Louisville made more stops and were headed to the final four as a 4th seed. Joe is sad because Erving Walker is another home town hero and always liked him. I wish Florida went through but Louisville were the better team. Blue Mountain State is a great show though, you should check it out especially football fans.

Coolest backup quarterback ever!! Even cooler than you Tebow.

7:00 to 10:00-  The big game was finally here that would make this a successful night or not. Ohio State was playing Syracuse where brackets would be busted in terms of getting final four picks right. I'm in the living room but I can't watch the game properly right away. Joe is an obnoxious Knick fan and he is worried that the Knicks will lose to the Pistons because it's the almighty Pistons! Anyway there is nothing worse than people fighting over the remote. Anyway eventually I get a hold of but I'm instantly annoyed because Jared Sullinger gets into early foul trouble in a really stupid way. Unlike Kentucky, Ohio State doesn't have much depth and I wasn't sure if they were going to last without him. The game went on and it was pretty ugly with both teams canceling each other out. Scoop Jardine was getting frustrated because Aaron Craft is a great pest. Ohio State on the other hand wasn't scoring unless they got to the free throw line. It was ugly to watch with people complaining instantly including Joe who went in the other room to scream "Let's go Melo" twenty times a quarter. The game went to half tied with not much concern because Ohio State seemed to last without the main guy. Everyone was rooting for Ohio State for some reason at least possibly because Anthony has a glass table next to me and he doesn't want it to break. Sometimes I'm very embarrassed in my actions with sports, this is why I need a girl friend. Regardless if I win or lose, I have comfort and someone to hold. My mom would be that woman twelve years ago when I was 6, but those days are long gone. 

Anyway we get back to the game with Jared Sullinger turning it up. He started to hit shots in tough angles which got things really going. Without Fab Melo and his awful grades, they didn't have much of an answer for Jared other than to double team him which failed to work most of the time. Syracuse was hanging around due to hitting free throws and gusty play by Brandon Triche. Triche started to hit some big shots which was rare because he's been disappointing through out the tournament. The game was wearing down but Ohio State seemed to be in control although they started to play far too slow. Sullinger was getting tripled team but thanks to the zone defense, it would work. With three minutes remaining, it was time to stand and start to be fully concerned. Anthony kept saying "this game is over" which made no sense but in a way he was right. Ohio State looked much more confident and not on their heels. Lezelle Smith started hitting some huge threes which was literally in the NBA range while Syracuse started to have no answer. Eventually the game started to break away regardless how many times Syracuse would foul. It had some nervy moments but the game in Ohio State's hands like I expected when I picked them. It was a sigh of relief despite being on my knees saying why when Ohio State made things nervous. In the end though, it was success and I went out happy man celebrating with a few drinks. My bracket was on the rise with the final day of games for the weekend tomorrow. I was feeling pretty confident even though people were hyping up Kansas. I wish I was more confident in not having to piss all the time when I drink. 

Sunday

2:00 to 4:30-  Applebees was the setting for this one with my gym buddy Chris. We were both confident with Kentucky today against Baylor. Baylor is talented and can play with any team in the country but they are far too inconsistent which showed in this game. Despite the loud babies crying because why in the world would you bring a baby to Applebees, it was a good spot. Whenever I go to Apple bees, my team usually wins except Game 6 of the Heat Mavs game because things just don't go my way. Baylor started out fast and looking to be a supreme threat with some quick play. Eventually that ended fast and Kentucky went absolutely insane. They started to push the ball faster which left Baylor pointing the finger blaming each other. Then they were getting too caught up in finding the open man and it led to even more trouble. Turnovers were being caused far too easily and Kentucky was having all the fun in the world. Baylor had some moments coming back but this game was no contest which was a bit shocking. You would think Baylor would put on a better performance but they simply failed to show up until it was too late. Perry Jones III didn't start playing until the 2nd half while Quincy Acy was the only player that looked decent in the 1st half. Kentucky won on a team effort with four players in double figures and decimated Baylor in every major category in the game. It was a calm game that Chris and I approved of to get more points in the bracket. Kentucky looked unstoppable and it was time to move on to another show down. This game had me great concern but at least Chris was on my side with North Carolina. I don't know why but I hate people that are rooting against me when money is on the line. When it's just a casual game, nothing is better than trash talking. The highlight of Applebees was free Mountain Dew refills and finally no jokes about how Mountain Dew ruins your sperm. That joke is beyond lame and so 2005. 

5:00 to 8:00-  The next destination is my house because I'm full and in no mood to drink. With nobody home, it would be perfect so I could yell and curse forty fives times in a minute without feeling guilty. The game begins with both teams just flat out scoring. North Carolina and Kansas weren't letting up which was shocking considering Kansas hasn't shot well in ages. Tayshawn Taylor decided to hit a few shots in this once since he has shot a whopping 24% in the first three games of the tournament. Taylor was considered a huge recruit for Kansas when they picked him up but he has vastly disappointing for most of his career until this year. North Carolina was still without Kendall Marshall which meant Kansas would have a huge advantage in the guard position. They also were a bit undersized against Kansas which led to me assuming that Kansas would win which would kill my bracket. It was close for most of the game but North Carolina just seemed to get lit up and failed to step up defensively. Kansas was getting any look that they wanted and looked good going into halftime even if it was tied. I'm already worried which leads to me drinking more ginger ale than a normal man should within two hours. The game continued to role on with Tayshawn Taylor taking over and Harrison Barnes fading away. When the season started, people were hyping Harrison Barnes to be the next big thing in college basketball. He was nowhere near playing up to the hype and it showed. It was frustrating watching this game because it was tough to imagine a number one seed struggling this much that was considered a huge favorite in the tournament other than Kentucky. Marshall was missed but I never expected to see North Carolina let up like they did at the end. Kansas eventually over powered them which led to me staring at my ceiling for next fifteen minutes screaming why. This meant my bracket was done because North Carolina plays a major role in my bracket. Kansas clearly was the better team and seemed to get what they want far too easily. 

The sad part of all of this was Kansas is my favorite power house team. Since they won me money in 2008 and always seem to have a team that I always like, I usually picked them. They have let me down the past few years so I backed off this year. That was a huge mistake in believing in the soft Tar Heels and not the physical Kansas. This was the end of my bracket hopes of winning money. It had a nice fun run but it was another year of full disappointment.

What Chester said up top.

That's the end of Part Two of the March Madness experience. It was pretty wild but it ended in such a depressing way. I thought the Heat could cheer me up playing in the night game but they got dominated by the Thunder. I would say I'm going to miss going crazy over games and not being able to sit, but the NBA playoffs start in a month so I'll be right back at it. I still have another weekend to watch as a fan and I'll be pulling for Kansas. The last part to the March Madness experience will be up tomorrow morning. My Final Four trip was a bit dull but tonight will be fun. I'm going to the city to watch it in an apartment full of hardcore basketball fans that play always. It's going to be really cool regardless if I'm going to get four hours of sleep since I live forty-five minutes away from the city. I'll be recapping that tomorrow along with my trip to the Nets Pacers game from last week.

Mania Thoughts
I promised to give some thoughts about WrestleMania since I'm such a huge fan. I watched it with few friends so I had a good vibe from it. If you want a full review, simply go on twitter to follow @JohnReport or go on www.TheJohnReport.net. That's the best site that gives you the best information. Anyway here's my thoughts from match to match.

Four of the big matches, well the first one didn't go to plan.

Sheamus vs Daniel Bryan- This was the biggest let down of the night by far. Instead of a possible fifteen minute four star match, we get 18 seconds of garbage. Sheamus is great and deserves the title but this could have been special. It would have been great to see both guys really create some magic and make fans realize how special both guys truly are. Instead Sheamus gets a tainted victory and nothing really makes sense. According to reports, they wanted to make history and make it the shortest title match ever. That is the worst concept ever and it's a complete slap in the face to Daniel Bryan who has been incredible in his heel run. The only positive of this match was how much the crowd loved Bryan. The infamous "YES" chant was over with the crowd so much and posters were everywhere for Bryan. It was so cool but in the end, it was a huge dud to see these guys not get any time to work for the 2nd straight year in a row. The World title is supposed to get respect, clearly WWE didn't give it any.

Kane vs Randy Orton- Both guys are in my top ten favorites of all time but even I didn't like the feud. The feud didn't make much sense and it was just thrown together which is a shame. That being said, the match was pretty solid and both guys worked hard. They realized that they needed to give the crowd something because it was clear that this match didn't really matter. They both had some cool spots but shockingly Kane got the win with a choke slam from the top turnbuckle. I certainly didn't expect it but it was a cool spot. Kane gets a huge win in possibly his last match in Mania history for him.

Cody Rhodes vs The Big Show- This was going to boring like most would expect. Big Show needs to retire and hopefully this will be his last title reign. I'm happy for Show because he could use this as his huge moment and this will elevate Cody to main event status but still this match wasn't very good.

Kelly Kelly & Maria Meneunos vs Beth Phoenix & Eve Torres- This wasn't as bad as I expected similar to Kane versus Orton. They actually had me entertained for a bit mainly because I'm a huge Beth Phoenix fan. Maria was the celebrity from Extra even though I never heard of her. She had some dark spot on her behind which had people wondering if she took a dump in her pants before the match either that or Eve Torres has to lay off the makeup. It was a pretty fun match but thankfully it ended fast. Maria got the win because all celebrities win although Eve should have taken the pin. I'm sick of them making Beth look that weak.

Triple H vs Undertaker with HBK as ref- This was an excellent match but I'm not going to go crazy over it. I'll give all three men respect where its due because they told an amazing story. Even though Taker looks horrible with the new hair cut, he put on a pretty good performance with great facial expressions. Triple H looked good as well and was really selling the pain well. Shawn Michaels may be my new favorite referee all time thanks to his facial expressions after moves. He was brilliant in a very well told story but that's what it was. It had huge spots and it really caught people's eyes but it really had some moments where I was bored early on. I knew Undertaker would win all along because that's the streak but they really had my mind blown at time. It was a great job by all three men but hopefully they don't compete anymore. I can see Taker doing one more match but after how Triple H left, he should be done. I'm happy this feud is over because the build up and promos were absolutely unbearable but they put on a great performance for the second best match of the night.

Team Johnny vs Team Teddy- It was a bit awkward but it went well at the end. It was great to see Booker T (WUT DA HAYELL!) return and do some work with guys. Dolph Ziggler stood out to me like he usually does in his matches because he takes moves like an absolute champ. It was strange to see David Otunga not get any action since he was the captain but I certainly didn't miss him. In the end, it worked well perfectly with Eve Torres distracting Zach Ryder which led to The Miz getting the win for Team Johnny. Team Johnny was the right decision because Teddy Long at GM is getting so lame. A new direction for both shows is great and Miz got some serious momentum back. Eve Torres had her Trish Stratus moment by kicking Ryder in the nuts. It reminded me of Jericho and Trish at Wrestlemania 20 which was epic. This was a cool match and thankfully the right team won.

CM Punk vs Chris Jericho- I expected this to steal the show and it did. This match was absolutely brilliant with so many reversals and great technique. They told a great story early with how Jericho was bringing up Punk's family to try to get him disqualified. I was laughing so hard when Jericho said how is your sister. Those little things make Jericho my favorite of all time. They finally got the match going back and forth with some insane spots. The Walls Of Jericho from the top turnbuckle had me jumping off my chair then followed up by a Lion Tamer. The Code Breaker spot on Punk after he went for a flying close line was awesome. This match wasn't five stars but it was really close to it. They had so many great back and forth sequences that you really thought Jericho would win. In the end, Punk made Jericho tap to the Anacdona Vice which was perfectly set up. This made me so happy to see with my two all time favorites putting on an amazing show. The crowd wasn't into it at first but eventually they went crazy. Miami wasn't a great crowd at all so to me, I'm not going to rate the crowd. Next year when I'm at Met life, I'll make sure people are going insane. It's matches like these that got me back into it after being away from it for a long time.

The non wrestling segments were pretty weak. Heath Slater talking trash to Flo Rida was really corny, although my boy Curt Hawkins made an appearance which is awesome. Brodus Clay dancing with old fake moms was really awful. I'm already sick of the gimmick, he needs a feud. The Foley Santino thing was kind of corny but Ron Simmons (Hall Of Famer!) did his classic "damn line". It was great to see Edge make an appearance since he headlined this year's Hall Of Fame. Other than Jericho, Punk, and Austin nobody tops Edge for me in terms of my favorites. Flo Rida and Machine Gun Kelly's performances weren't needed and were way overboard. Can we have CM Punk vs Stone Cold next year then have Living Colour and Distrubed come perform. I'd be going insane.

The Rock vs John Cena- The most hyped match of all time was great but something was missing a bit. It looked a bit slow but they both got the job done. The spots were effected perfectly and I can't believe Rock won. The whole room was shocked that Cena couldn't kick out of the Rock Bottom. I'm not sure why they picked The Rock but I could only assume their will be a re match soon enough. It had some magical moments and I couldn't say I was upset.


Overall it was a really good Mania with three terrific matches. It had some other decent ones where the guys worked hard. The main let down was Sheamus vs Daniel Bryan without a doubt and that really drops my grade for it. If they got fifteen minutes, this could have been a top two Mania for me all time. I have watched full Manias from 16 to now 28. We all know that 17 is forever the greatest and will probably never be topped. I'm still going to say that this one is probably my 2nd favorite of all time. Wrestlemania 21 is right there with some instant classics and crazy matches but the fact that my two favorites all time fought just puts it over barley. You can go with either one but Wrestlemania 28 will have special place in my heart.