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NFL Week 1 Recap: Welcome Back
Football is back! And what a return it was! The 2021 NFL season began with so many thrilling games, so much excitement, and most importantly, so many fans. Though the NFL wasn't badly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, protocols still had to be followed, with some states being more stricter than others. The result saw some teams with minimal fans, some others with no fans until later in the season, and a few with none throughout the whole season. But thanks to the proper procedures, stadiums are packed again, and millions of fans saw some very thrilling games to kick off the 2021 season.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
Knockouts Knockdown Returns to Impact Wrestling
The recent wave of women's wrestling being placed in the immense and well-deserved spotlight continues with this big news from Gail Kim: Knockouts Knockdown is returning! This year has seen Ring of Honor showcase women's wrestling with their Women's Championship Tournament; we have the amazing Maria Kanellis Bennett to thank for that. This was followed by the National Wrestling Alliance's first-ever all-women's event, the fabulous EmPowerrr; we have the legendary Mickie James to thank for that as well. And now, thanks to Gail Kim, we have the return of Knockouts Knockdown--an event I have enjoyed in the past.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
MLB Pennant Race 2021: Brewers Close in on NL Central
Three weeks remain in the 2021 MLB season, and the postseason races continue to heat up. Some teams rise, others continue to fall, as is the case every September. Here are the main stories that are taking center stage during this home stretch of the season.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
CFL Week 6 Recap: Boatmen Sail Back to 1st Place, Bombers Continue to Roll
The annual Labour Day Weekend games have come and gone, but Week 6 featured a rematch for three of the four games played during that previous week. For the Toronto Argonauts, the Saskatchewan Roughriders, and the Calgary Stampeders, it was a chance a payback for their Labour Day woes. First off, some scheduling news. The Elks/Argonauts game that was postponed from the Week 4 schedule due to several Elks players and staff testing positive for COVID-19, has been officially moved to November 16, and will kick off the 16th and final week of the regular season. The Argonauts were originally set to end their regular season on November 12 against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, and the scheduling will mean that Edmonton will play twice on Week 16, which could be vital if they are still in playoff contention by then.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
My Thoughts (So Far) on Mandy Rose's Heel Turn and Her Faction
What a difference two months makes! Two months prior, Mandy Rose suddenly returned to NXT; a huge surprise considering she had spent several months as part of a tag team with Dana Brooke. Her surprise return came on the July 13 edition of NXT, as she stood at the entrance ramp and watched Sarray's match against Gigi Dolin, which Sarray won.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
CFL Week 5 Recap: Labour Day Weekend
The Canadian Football League's first holiday celebration is Labour Day; on that day, the league's closest rivalries take center stage. When I started watching, the CFL had eight teams, and the matchups were always Roughriders/Blue Bombers, Argonauts/Tiger-Cats, the Battle of Alberta, and Lions/Alouettes. The addition of a ninth team, the Ottawa Redblacks, now often see one team taking Labour Day Weekend off, though that team often alternates between the Lions, Redblacks, and Alouettes. Whenever the Atlantic Schooners join the league, I would think their rivalry would be with the Alouettes, as Quebec and Nova Scotia are both on the Atlantic coast. In a normal season, Labour Day Weekend is often the 11th week of the season, usually at the midpoint. This year, it kicks off the 2nd quarter of a 16-week season.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
MLB Pennant Race 2021: Yankees Slide, Giants Take Over NL West
The month of September is the most important month in baseball, as it is the last one before the postseason begins. Any and all races are settled in the month of September, which definitely separates the contenders from the pretenders. With four weeks left in the regular season, huge developments are taking place, so here are the main shifts that took place as of this point.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
SmackDown Women's Championship Match Set for Extreme Rules 2021
The latest edition of SmackDown saw, among other things, the very first match officially announced for the 13th annual Extreme Rules event. It is a rematch from SummerSlam, as Becky Lynch will defend the SmackDown Women's Championship against former champion Bianca Belair. So what led to this?
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
Death, Taxes, and Aaron Rodgers Ruling the NFC North
It was a wonderful feeling in the cities of Chicago, Minneapolis, and Detroit. The sun was shining brighter, the grass was greener, food tasted better, and a shift was appearing to take place in the NFC North. Fans in those three cities were planning celebrations, as each one believed that this would be the year that they would win the NFC North. The Bears were coming off a playoff appearance. The Vikings were primed and prepared. The Lions made some good moves and were looking ahead. All was well in those cities.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
Reviewing An Amazing Weekend for Women's Wrestling in NWA
Since the announcement of NWA EmPowerrr, I had been eagerly and anxiously looking forward to this amazing event; the National Wrestling Alliance's very first all-women's event. I love women's wrestling with a passion; I have a vast and growing DVD collection from women's wrestling promotions from all over the globe to prove it. As the number of days before EmPowerrr became smaller and smaller, my anticipation became larger and larger, and when the day came--Saturday, August 28--I was beaming with excitement. I had a gut feeling that I was about to watch something immensely epic, and I was definitely on the money.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
CFL Week 4 Recap: The Stampeders Are In Trouble
We have now passed the one-quarter mark in the 2021 CFL season, which is 16 weeks long. Week 4 has come and gone, but it got off to a bad start before the week even kicked off. Days prior to their scheduled game against the Toronto Argonauts, the Edmonton Elks became the first team this season to be hit with multiple positive tests for COVID-19, with the number reaching 13. On Sunday, August 22, the game between the Elks and Argonauts was postponed, with no make-up date announced. On a good note, the last three days have seen no additional positive tests within the Elks organization, meaning that the team could return to play in the annual Labo(u)r Day outing against the Calgary Stampeders.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
No One Circles the AFC East Like the Buffalo Bills
For nearly two decades, Tom Brady, Bill Belichick, and the New England Patriots basically held the AFC East (as well as the entire American Football Conference as a whole) hostage. Even during the final years when the luster was starting to fade just a bit, the Brady/Belichick Patriots winning the AFC East was as certain as death and taxes. But with Brady now in the NFC, the conference is open. The other 15 teams in the entire conference have life now, and that includes some teams in the conference's Eastern Division. However, one team has to take the helm as the division's top dog, and that team is the Buffalo Bills.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
