Friday, February 12, 2016

Top Five Kobe Bryant Games After the All-Star Break Before He Retires

Photo credit: LA Times


As we all know by now, Kobe Bryant will be saying good-by to the world of basketball as earlier this season, he announced his retirement from the NBA. The fact that he made this announcement during this season saw many places have sell-out games (trust me, I know the feeling as I tried (and succeeded) to get a ticket to see him play the Grizzlies in the FedEx Forum for the last time) for the first time in years. Many final encounters have already taken place, but here are (to me) the top five final Kobe Bryant games before his career comes to an end at the conclusion of the 2015-2016 season.

5. Lakers vs Clippers, April 6th (Home)

The Battle of LA will never be the same after this final encounter against the Los Angeles Clippers. The Lakers will be considered the home team, but like most games have been thus far this season, practically everyone will be Kobe fans. It’s clear that the Clippers are the new Kings of Los Angeles when it comes to basketball, but I have a feeling that he will remind everyone that no matter what, he will always have a place on the throne with it comes to Los Angeles basketball loyalty.

4. Lakers vs Spurs February 19th (Home)

One final time…Kobe Bryant vs Tim Duncan. Kobe Bryant vs Tony Parker. Due to injury, we won’t get to see Kobe Bryant vs Manu Ginobili due to Manu’s injury. But do you see where I’m going with this? Those men I mentioned were part of an era of basketball that will be hard to duplicate, due to the rule changes in the NBA. The Spurs might be “old”, but they can put on a whooping that very few teams can do, especially during the 2nd half of the season. The first game for Kobe after the All-Star Break is definitely “End of an Era” material.

3. Lakers vs Warriors, March 6th (Home)

While I have the last two more of “end of an ear”, this one is “passing the torch”. Let’s be real, whether purists like it or not, Stephen Curry is becoming THE face of the NBA. He is leading the charge of a new generation of stars coming in. Curry is a potential Hall-of-Famer waiting to happen, while Kobe is an instant (forget first-ballot) shoo-in for the Basketball Hall of Fame. How cool would it be to see a “passing of the torch” moment during this last encounter between the past vs the future?

2. Lakers vs Cavaliers, March 10th (Home)

Kobe Bryant vs LeBron James, the match that we got a few times during All-Star Weekends and during the regular season but NEVER got in the playoffs. In my honest opinion, this was the biggest moneymaker that the NBA never had during playoff time. Imagine what could have been: The Black Mamba against the King in a potential 7-game slugfest to determine who would be crowned NBA World Champion. But it doesn’t mean their final encounter on March 10th in the Staples Center will be any less dramatic or emotional. Knowing them, I expect BOTH Kobe and LeBron to put on a show for the fans, with LeBron paying respect to Kobe on the court as everyone’s watching rather than wait until there are no cameras on.

1. Lakers vs Jazz, April 13th (Home)

I gotta be honest about this one…the SOLE reason that this made number one is because this is the season finale for the Lakers…and the career finale for Kobe Bryant. He will put on the #24 jersey for the final time in his career and no doubt there will be tears shed by practically everyone in the building when he heads to the bench for the final time. It would not surprise me one bit if this contest is televised nationally for the sole reason that Kobe will no longer be part of the NBA as an active competitor. Once the clock reaches zero on this game, the Kobe Bryant era will be officially done.


So there you go, that’s my list of the top five Kobe Bryant games to look forward to before he officially retires. What final game are YOU looking forward to? Has it already happened? Tweet me at C_Ray1710, or follow me on Facebook (yes, I decided to open up a Facebook page for my blog. https://www.facebook.com/crayscorner). You can also leave a comment below this post as well. 

Friday, January 29, 2016

Cam Newton, The NFL's John Cena

DISCLAIMER: All photos used belong to their respective owners. Please support them 

The 50th anniversary of “The Big Game” will be played in the next few days. This season, in the eyes of many, the most unlikely of teams will be representing the National Football Conference in the biggest game of the season: the Carolina Panthers. Their offensive and defensive lines gave practically every team they faced over their nearly perfect season trouble, but the biggest story coming out of Carolina if of their leader, quarterback Cam Newton.

Source: USA Today FTW


Many people, especially sports analysts, doubted that the Heisman Winner and National Champion would not be able to translate his success into the National Football League (NFL) for various reasons. Any and all doubt that they had has been put to shreds as Cam and the Panthers are now one win away from their very first football World Championship on the grandest stage in a few days.
Along the way, while Cam has gained quite the fanbase due to his excitement and dabbing (how that’s a dance, I’ll never know. LOL), it’s that same excitement that has made him hated by many people as well. He has yet to flat out target anyone in particular when he does his celebrations after a touchdown, but there’s a good deal of people that seem to not like that a lot. In fact, the hate picked up quite a bit when a Tennessee Titans fan wrote a letter to the Charlotte Observer, which you can read for yourself here: (http://www.charlotteobserver.com/opinion/article45163665.html). I’m sorry, I’m a Titans fan (don’t judge me), but that is nothing short of petty on her part. There was nothing provocative about his dancing whatsoever. He’s a good player that is having fun in the fan-described “No Fun League”.

Apparently, an Observer reader had a pretty good response to the Titans fan: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/opinion/article45222729.html. I mean, seriously, what harm has he done…except for harming the pride and egos of other teams that have tried to beat Carolina this season but failed (except for the Atlanta Falcons, whose one real bright spot this season was that they spoiled a perfect season for the Panthers). The more this season has progressed, the more polarizing Cam became. According to Cam himself in a press conference earlier this week, he said that there are those that are afraid of him because there’s no one else to compare him to (and oh yeah, there’s that whole “race” thing which I won’t get into here. THAT’S for another time) To a point…the man’s right.  Currently and in the past, there’s no one in the NFL that he can be compared to, but there IS someone in the sports and entertainment world that is almost the splitting image (personality-wise) that Cam CAN compare himself to…

AND HIS NAME IS…

Yes, THAT guy. The one with all those memes. (Cue Music)

Yes, I’m talking about the one and only John Cena from World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). 

Source: WWE


Unless you have been living under a rock, you know that John Cena for the better part of a decade and a half has been THE face of the sports-entertainment/pro wrestling company. Heck, he’s called himself “The Face the Runs the Place”, and you would be hard-pressed to find anyone that would say otherwise. Most people can tell you who John Cena is and they DON’T have to be WWE fans at all. Now what kind of person Cena is will depend on who you ask. For kids and young adults, he’s a guy who fights for what he believes in and never gives up. For most women, he’s a walking, talking Adonis. For most older males and Attitude Era fans (collectively known as the Internet Wrestling Community or IWC for short), he’s wrestling’s form of cancer who holds back their favorite independent wrestlers and Internet favorites from getting a fair shake in WWE. The dude is polarizing regardless of how one feels about him. No matter what, he’s going to get a reaction, mainly it’s mixed. But it’s never quiet. Fans are cheering like crazy or booing their heads off, depending on how they feel about Cena.

That is what Cam Newton has become in a sense. He has become the NFL’s John Cena. No matter what Cam does now, he gets a reaction, whether people want to see him succeed or fail. There’s no grey area with either guy. Both men are taking their professions by storm by doing it their way and not “by the book”, and you can’t help but be drawn to that either in a positive or a negative manner. Both of them have even been compared to arguably the top superhero of all time…Superman, due to their physical attributes for their professions. And as far as charity goes, you could not ask for better people to help others out in need, especially when it comes to children.

In the case of Newton, this just might be the best thing that could have happened to the NFL in years. Forget making a villain out of Cam. Let the fans choose for themselves how they want to perceive the Carolina Panthers quarterback. At the young age of 26, we are potentially looking at the new face of the NFL should he be able to defeat the leader of the old guard, “The Sherriff” and beloved automatic (forget first-ballot) Hall-of-Famer Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos on football’s biggest stage. Other teams will do everything they can to dethrone Carolina next year and in the seasons to come as they could potentially remain a top team for years to come if nothing changes drastically in the Panthers organization. The NFL will become better because they will have a new breed of measuring stick to surpass. One that will be loved and hated at the same time. One that no matter how much you try, you can’t take your eyes off of him.


AND HIS NAME IS CAM NEWTON!!!! (cue music)

Cam Newton is to the NFL as John Cena is to the WWE. Get used to it. This season is only the beginning
Source: ESPN.com

Friday, December 25, 2015

Merry Christmas, You Ungrateful Brat

Now that I've got your attention...

I love Christmas. Love it, love it, LOVE IT!!!!

I love the holiday season.

I love it when I'm able to give presents to family as a small token of appreciation for everything they have done for me for the year and beyond. 

I HATE when people can be ungrateful when you spend your hard-earned money on a gift and the person throws a temper-tantrum because it's not exactly what they wanted. 

Take this kid for instance:

(Edit: As of December 26th, mayra* (@_mayraduarte_), made her Twitter account private and later on that day made her account public again but removed the video from her tweets due to the attention it got. Yeah, too bad she forgot that once something is posted on the Internet, it's there forever and someone else is bound to post it elsewhere.

And here it is...from XO's Youtube account)



Are you kidding me with this?! I'm sorry, but that's being flat-out ungrateful. There's nothing cute about it. It wasn't cute back then when it was done back then, and it's not cute now. Do you know what would happened if I did something like that back when I was his age? I would have gotten my butt handed to me and it would have been well-deserved because I was being a brat (trying to keep this PG). As a matter of fact, it HAS happened to me before. I said a cuss word (I didn't know what it meant, I just heard it on TV). My family heard it. They got mad. Next thing I knew, I got a paddling, and it wasn't front hand to bare butt. It was a WOODEN PADDLE TO BARE BUTT. It hurt like crap. Same thing happened to me when I sneaked away to across the street without my permission. What happened? WOODEN PADDLE TO BARE BUTT. Do you know what happened after both incidents? I learned my lesson and didn't dare do that stuff again when I was younger. I learned that actions in life have consequences. So will the kid get a spanking? Will he be disciplined for his bratty moment? It doesn't seem like it will happen.

To my surprise, 2K Sports and NBA Store actually chimed in on this...


To say that I'm disappointed in how this ends is an understatement. The kid throws a temper tantrum because he didn't get what he wanted. The video was picked up by the media and now it looks like he will get TWO games for the price of nothing. And it only took a 10-second video to do it.

To their defense, I can't say he's a bad kid and she's a bad mother. I don't know either of them well enough to judge them. No one else can judge them either. But still...this sets a bad example for parents who want to raise their children right and kids who think  This situation and how it was resolved pretty much says that if you whine or complain enough, someone will make things better, and I for one don't like it. There were things I didn't get when I was a child, there are things I won't ever get as an adult. You know what? That's life. It happens. We can't and won't always get what we want.

To 2K Sports and NBA Store: I'm disappointed in you both for awarding such foolish behavior. Your games are meant to be bought by fans or given to kids as gifts for good work NOT foolish behavior. I'm pretty sure you made a lot of good parents upset with you giving into to this entitlement garbage.

To the mother: congrats on exposing a few minutes of your life for a lifetime of being rightfully ridiculed for a moment of foolishness by your son. The internet is forever. I hope it was worth it. And to those people you retweeted in support of you and your son's actions...they are just as delusional as you. May they never know what it's like to be a parent.

And last but definitely not least...to the kid: I hope you realized sooner than later that life isn't always fair. You will not always get everything you want in life. There will be disappointments in your life. The best thing you can do is suck it up and move on. Also...I'm not sure if you are aware of this, but Christmas is the season of GIVING. So my suggestion for you next Christmas is to get some paper and crayons and/or coloring pencils, and MAKE your mom a Christmas card. I guarantee you it will be the greatest thing you can ever give to her because it's from the heart...which is the foundation of all Christmas presents you get and give. Also make sure you get it filmed and posted on social media. You will make someone's day and maybe even their year knowing that you gave someone something that came from within and they appreciated it more than words will ever know. But until that happens, you will be known by me and many others as an ungrateful, spoiled brat who whined so much that you actually got nationwide recognition. Your mother will be known as the delusional woman who decided to broadcast your foolish behavior for the world to see and for you both to be judged based off 10 seconds of your entire life. And 2K Sports and NBA Store will be viewed by many as two companies that decided that bratty behavior should be rewarded. Congrats to all parties involved on your 15 minutes of fame. I hope it was worth it.

Merry Christmas...

Thursday, December 3, 2015

Wonder Woman Fan Casting: My Personal Top 5

PHOTO DISCLAIMER: All photos belong to their original owners. 




Before I get going, I want to make one thing abundantly clear…I want nothing more than Gal Gabot to succeed as Wonder Woman in the DC Cinematic Universe. I hope she does the role justice, and I believe she will. I don’t think DC Comics or Warner Brothers would have chosen Gal if they didn’t think she could handle such a massive role. WITH THAT BEING SAID…I know deep in my heart that at least five different women could have been given this role and ran away with it like no one else. In fact, I’m going to name my Top 5 ladies (IN ORDER) that I would have sincerely considered to be the Amazon Princess, if it were up to me.

5. Trish Warren


I will say this choice is a wildcard for people that don’t know her, but for those that follow the fitness industry, many would say that this would make sense. This fitness competitor from the International Federation of Bodybuilders (IFBB) has the physique down pat (as most do anyways), but she has the overall look that one would expect a female superhero to have. Trish also has that presence that you just can’t teach. Anyone who’s followed her in the IFBB can attest to that statement.  She’s the oldest on my list, but don’t let that fool you either (I mean, Robert Downey Jr. is in his 50s and is tearing it up as IronMan).

4. Amanda Kuclo (Latona)


She’s almost in the same boat at Trish when it comes to great physique and beautiful look, but the reason I have her ranked higher is because she actually DOES have experience when it comes to working in the entertainment field. She was a singer prior to becoming an IFBB bikini competitor. Just so you know, she can still hit the notes, and pretty well, if I do say so myself. In addition to that, she’s easily one of the most entertaining fitness stars you will ever meet in your life. If you don’t like fun and hilarity, don’t be around this woman. LOL. I have no doubt in my mind that if Amanda was chosen, she would have done the role justice.

3. Jaimie Alexander


Yes, I’m aware that she is already involved in superhero movies (Sif in the Marvel Cinematic Universe), but I don’t think people would have minded one bit if she jumped ship and had become the Amazon Princess. People who worry about the acting part wouldn’t have to worry about that so much as she has proven her worth in the acting world. Jaimie is the perfect height at 5’9 and downright gorgeous to boot. She’s also young enough to carry the role for a lengthy period of time, which could end up being important as the DC Cinematic Universe is aiming to grow as a massive rate over the next couple of years.

2. Erin Stern


As mentioned earlier, many fitness women look-wise could have been chosen to be Wonder Woman, but if you were to ask any of them straight-up, if only ONE woman from the fitness world could be (or in this case have been) Wonder Woman, Erin Stern would be at the top of the list. There might not be another female in the fitness world that has the Wonder Woman look and personality down to a science like the former Figure Olympia champion. DC Comics (or more specifically SlideShow Toy) actually DID pick Erin to create a statue out of her likeness. They did a fine good job and picked a great model to base their Wonder Woman statue off of. So my question is…if they got a fit woman to be Wonder Woman for a statue...why didn’t they do the same think for the movie? Just saying…

1. Eve Torres-Gracie


Here’s where I will go on somewhat of a mini-rant, so bear with me here.
I’ve followed this woman’s entire WWE career and post-WWE career. I’ve seen her perform live a few times in WWE events. I’ve actually got to see her up close and personal at my first Wrestlemania. The chats I’ve seen on social media regarding this former WWE Diva and DC’s most popular heroine are downright scary in how accurate they are. How in the world did Warner Brothers and DC Comics not even CONSIDER the 3x WWE Divas Champion for the Wonder Woman role is beyond my comprehension. When I first heard that Wonder Woman was coming to the big screen, Eve Torres was the very first person that came to my head in “This is MADE for her”. Eve’s got the physique that’s fit enough (no pun intended) for the role yet is mainstream-friendly, she’s got the height (5’8) and youth (barely in her 30s), and she has acting experience in small roles and has performed in front of thousands on a daily basis, not to mention she legit knows how to kick butt as a Gracie Self-Defense instructor. If anyone (WWE fan or not) took a good look at Eve, how could you NOT even at the very least consider her for the role. As mentioned before, no disrespect to Gal, but I think Zack Snyder missed the boat with Eve big time. Time will tell if that comes back to bit him in the rear.

So there you have it, my personal choices for who I would have wanted to be Wonder Woman over Gal. As I’ve stated on social media, I don’t wish ill toward her. I want her to succeed. I want this generation to have a Wonder Woman they can be proud of like the generation that had Lynda Carter as their Wonder Woman. This is just something I needed to get off my chest for quite some time.

I now throw my hat to you: Who do YOU think should have been cast as Wonder Woman? Do you think Gal will exceed all of our expectations? Why or why not? Leave a comment below or shoot me an email. I’m interested in hearing from all parties. Just so you all don’t forget, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is out in theaters on March 26th, 2016. It’s rated PG-13 and stars Henry Cavill as Superman/Clark Kent, Ben Affleck as Batman/Bruce Wayne, Gal Gabot as Wonder Woman/Diana Prince/Princess Diana, and Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor.

Saturday, November 21, 2015

My Take on Moral Wins in Sports And Why It's Okay to Be Upset At Your Team

Remember in my intro post that I would be talking about things that would make people upset?! Well...here it is...ON MY FIRST OFFICIAL POST! Hehehe. I want to discuss why I, as a sports fan with an old-school mentality, do not accept moral wins whatsoever. Take my favorite college football sports team for instance, the Tennessee Vols. Under Coach Butch Jones, they have done some decent things. But in the conference they are in (SEC, which stands for Southeastern Conference), decent isn't good enough. GOOD isn't good enough. While I understand things are a work in progress, that seems to be a broken record within this once-proud and feared college football franchise. While Vols usually win against teams they are "supposed to win" against, over the last few years, it seems like the Vols can’t win when it counts the most. The Vols have yet to beat Florida in the last decade and Alabama in the last . Maybe it’s just me, but most unbiased sports fans ain’t gonna care one bit about the stats in a game (unless you’re a big star in sports such as Peyton Manning, LeBron James, Adrian Peterson, Kevin Durant, etc.). All that matters to the average (NOT hardcore) sports fan is the win-loss column and whoever wins a championship.

I can understand and see why many Vols fans (and other people) celebrate moral victories. I don't have any problem with people celebrating moral victories. But moral victories are not registered in the win-loss columns. Moral victories don’t have you fighting for a conference title. Moral victories don’t give you a shot at a bowl game. Moral victories don’t put you in a position to play for a championship game. Losses plus good efforts don’t equal titles or get you in bowl games or playoffs. ACTUAL WINS ARE WINS AND ACTUAL LOSSES ARE LOSSES. No average sports fan cares about the extra stuff. That’s just how sports are. I didn't make the rules on that, folks.

And here's something else that bugs me when it comes to sports. When a team loses and you show emotion about them losing...you're called a hater. What's the heck happened to having pride in your team even if they lose. Yes, you have their back, but it doesn't mean that you have to accept every loss! When you are upset at your team and don't jump on the bandwagon of the latest winning team, it shows you are a true fan of your team and not just there when they win. And should your team truly prosper, you have bragging rights over everyone else as you can say in all honesty that you stuck with your squad through thick and thin. Newsflash people...it's okay to cheer for your favorite teams AND criticize them when they goof up. It's all a part of being a REAL sports fan. Cheer your head off, scream at the TV (or at the game if you're there live) when they are stinking up the joint. Never be afraid to be passionate about the teams you love, whether they win or lose. But as UCLA Bruins football coach Henry Russell ("Red") Sanders once said..."Winning isn't everything; It's the only thing".


Friday, November 20, 2015

Welcome to C-Ray's Corner!

Hey everyone and welcome to my personal blog! My name is Christopher, but most people call me C-Ray.

For those of you that know me on social media, I can be a bit…well…emotional and opinionated on some things (mostly sports and pro wrestling). Even though I do get emotional at times, I tend to try to use facts to back up my claims. For the longest, minus wrestling and sports, I've kept my opinions to myself when it comes to other aspects of life, not actually revealing a whole lot…until now.

I have decided to start this blog to post my own thoughts on the world around us and get some things off my chest. Some things you will like…other things you won’t. This is not for "likes", this is to educate and inform...and well as challenge the status-quo too many of us have accustomed ourselves to. The main thing I aim for with my blog to make you think and look at different perspectives other than your own. I honestly don't care if your opinion is different from mine. All I ask is that you at least RESPECT my opinion, even if you hate it (and feel free to do so and express it). If you respect me, I respect you. I've always lived by that motto, and I don't intend to break it now. Don’t expect a post from me every day or every week as I will only post when I have time. I do have a life outside of social media after all. LOL.

This anonymous quote will put my blog into perspective: "I don't want you to think like me...I just want you to think". If I can accomplish that, then this blog is doing its job. While I will talk about different things, if you have any requests on what you want me to discuss, fell free to email me or follow me on Twitter. (I might make a Facebook page for my blog, I haven't decided on that yet).

Hope you enjoy my blog!