Triangle Chokes & Mangled Deer

A little road trip action to build into this blog. Not too far away, but still it'll be worthy enough of a post filled with some good stories. Or so I hope anyways. The trip was for another cage fighting show. The last one was in St. Clairsville, Ohio. This one, on the day we left (Saturday), we thought that was our destination. Upon looking on the tickets as we walked out the door, it said Marietta, Ohio. If you know anything about those two places, they're not anywhere near each other. Luckily, we caught that just in time as the trip was starting. It would've been a pretty good story if we had started going north instead of the direction we needed to hit. Along for the ride would be Spank doing the driving, while me and Cork just kicked back and relaxed.



The radio with us is never an argument. It's on one of two things when we're together as a trio. It's either rap or sports radio, nothing else. Most of the ride up, we listened to the WVU football game and then once we got closer, it was the Notre Dame game. Even though I'm "footballed" out this time of year (it's NBA season, come on now, you know me), I still am a big fan and keep up with it like everyone else. It just doesn't rank anywhere near basketball on my level. Most of the ride, ok all of the ride, is driving through the middle of nowhere in a sense. On Route 50 for the locals, you see nothing. I'd hate to live out there because you have to drive a piece just to get to a place to shop. We went through Doddridge County, one of three West Virginia counties that does not have a single stoplight. How's that for facts? That's what I'm here for.

We got to the show at 2:30 for a 7:30 bell time. Yes, 5 hours to kill in Marietta. I always say, better early than late and me and Spank are the champs at that. I HATE it when people are never on time and all of that. After scouting out the arena, we then hit up Parkersburg to get in some Red Lobster action. I wasn't that hungry at the time, but I'll never pass up a chance to chow down on some of those biscuits and quality meals. The story of the session was that Spank ate 125 shrimp on a day that he also wasn't that hungry. He had biscuits, salads, and whatever else to go with it. Apparently the record at the Parkersburg shop is 280 shrimp, but that guy didn't eat anything that day with his meal other than shrimp, so my money is on Spank beating that if he'd ever want to. Me? I would probably tap out at like 25 and be finished.



We finally get to the arena to support Spank's boy Kenny Griffin (in the pic above), as he was in the night's main event. Kenny is one of the best in our state in the 145 pound division, he's a real talent as he brings about some of the best wrestling and submissions that you can get. With that combo, it has to bring about success, but more on his fight in a few. All in all, there were 13 total fights. We got our money's worth 10 minutes into the show and then some. A local radio DJ had a contest with kids on who could eat a piece of pizza the fastest. As they were doing it, this one kid looked like he was about to cry and the crowd couldn't figure out why. Then he starts crying like a little baby and we're still confused. It's pizza, come on. Then after the DJ lets us know what was up, we find out the kid lost a tooth when trying to go so fast with the pizza. I've seen it all now, but the crowd, demented or not, ate that up big time, no pun intended. I was literally in tears laughing, you can't help it. A few months ago in St. Clairsville, that show was great and in an awesome brand new building. However, this show was much better, you had two big screens in the place, as well as entrance music for all fighters. You also had a higher talent scale on this show as the last. Throwdown At The Fairground V.

At the show, the Marines had a setup with a chinup (pullup) bar. If you could do 10, you get a cup, if you get 15, it was a keychain, and 20 gives you a free shirt. I'd say 98% of the people there could barely do more than a few, if that, and that's probably why the Marines set it up like that. The guys running it were a little cocky, so I wanted to go over and have my feel at it. In attendance as guests were UFC fighters Matt Brown of Ultimate Fighter fame and Mike Patt. Before I went, Brown took his turn and ripped off 14 or so. The thing is, you had to do full locked out extensions on the chins and get your chin over the bar. Most people were done when they'd lock out that first time. I don't toot my horn much, but I know I'd be able to rock out chins against just about anyone. These Marine dudes probably looked at me and figured I was some little dork who had no chance and would give them something to laugh at. It's kind of like when you get a dorky white guy who shows up on a streetball court and then ends up schooling everyone. I made sure to go about chest high on my way up instead of chin and was able to do 20 pretty easy that way and stopped after a few later when I knew I had my shirt. I didn't think much of the feat, but it sort of cracked me up having Matt Brown and these guys look up at me as I was doing it and they didn't know what to think. Spank also got a free shirt as well, Shinnston represented.



I'm rambling enough on the show, but hopefully I've kept you a little interested, even if you're not a fan of MMA. It was interesting that the DJ played mostly rap and this was definitely not a rap crowd by any stretch of the means. I'm a rap guy, so I didn't mind of course, but it just seemed out of place. It was more of a hard metal/redneck crowd and I was very surprised at how necked up everyone is down there. The announcer was annoying as all gets, but that's my only complaint of the promotion. I said he is a cross between an auctioneer and Jim Ross of WWE. So think of a guy with a huge accent and rambling on. The worst part is that he'd make jokes that he thought were great, but it made him look pathetic. The main event was great though. Kenny lost his first fight, but it won't hurt his future one bit, he's still legit. He was against another kid who is also a really good wrestler and this guy has won most of his fights by a triangle choke. Kenny said he practiced on defending that move so much, but when he was locked in with it, there wasn't much he could do. Count me in for the next cage fight show. If you've never been before, you're missing out. If you want to know on the promotion we went to see, it's Wolfe Cage Fighting: http://www.wolfefighting.com.

Deer are everywhere! What do I mean? On the way home, I'd say we saw the most deer I've ever seen out on the road before. My area is loaded up with deer as most know. It's nothing to see them run out in front of cars nonstop and be total fools on traffic. Luckily, we didn't mangulate (yes, my word) any deer on this trip, but we saw action in front of us on the interstate. This dude in a Ford Explorer was going around 70 and we see this deer get wiped out and then the deer goes underneath his car and flies through the air. We swerved and then the next exit is our stop to take Cork home. The dude pulls off at the gas station, so we're nosy and want to pull in right beside him for a story. What happens? His chick gets out of the car and checks the damage, which wasn't good. We were making fun of the dude to ourselves that he wasn't even man enough to get out and look for himself that the chick had to do it. Spank and Cork thought maybe it was her car he was driving and he was just freaked out and didn't know how to react, I guess it happens. I remember blasting a deer going about 60 several years back and it just cremated this thing like no other. Everyone around here has busted up their car with a deer before, as weird as that might sound to people out of the area, it's that common.



I had to stop at the bank the other day for an appointment to renew my options. As I was going through some things and making sure how I wanted my options, the bank chick started to look puzzled. She looked at my file on the computer and asked me if it was right I didn't have online banking. I told her that I've never done that, even for being a fairly technology savvy dude outside of that and cell phones. Then I go on to tell her that I'm old school as far as my money goes. I'm one of few people my age that doesn't use a debit card, has never used an ATM machine, and always am a person that carries cash. When I go out to eat with my crew, I'm one of few who isn't busting out the plastic and going through all of those extra steps. I like it simple and quick, guess I'm a weird one since I'm in the minority on that.

Bird's Dirty Thug Ho of the Week: Once again, I can't take credit for this week's entry. It makes it easy on me when I just sit back and have someone else find some gems for us. The regular of this section, Arizona Jas, she's back to send us one to check out and it's worthy. http://www.myspace.com/whipit16

Bird's Video Moment of the Week: Cat Fight time. The chick in the blue should do some cage fighting.



3 Quick Thangs:

1. Hey there, it's birthdays for Sunday, November 9th. We start off with baseball manager Whitey Herzog, 77. We stay with baseball and go with Hall of Fame pitcher Bob Gibson. He hits 73. Tom Fogerty of Creedence Clearwater Revival, 68. The Incredible Hulk, Lou Ferrigno, all roided out at 57. Tennis player Stephen Edberg, 32. Pepa of Salt N Pepa fame, 39. I don't think that's too bad of a list. It's not top notch, but it's definitely worthy enough to get a mention.

2. I do believe I have another road trip setup at the end of this month. It's back to Charlotte for a Celtics game and that's as good as it gets for me. I wrote about that last year around this time when I went if you're bored to read those thoughts. You can almost count me in every single time on an NBA trip, even without notice. I'd be excited to watch two bums play, it doesn't matter.

3. Today's fact? Polar bears can eat as many as 86 penguins in a single sitting. Who knew? Also, 46 days till Christmas, time to get pumped up! It's sad nobody cares about Thanksgiving anymore though, Christmas stuff has been out for months, dirty.