Let's get it started!

Just a couple of quick things here, just want to mention that starting a diet is HARD. Kudos to all of you skinny people out there for just being able to be skinny and not have to watch what you eat and drink just to look "good". Just wanted to try to lose a little bit of weight to feel good about myself and to look the best I can to make the trek into married life on August 27th.....I'm sure I'll be happy about all of this dieting when I start seeing results(I did lose 7 pounds in the first 4 days), but right now it's hard not being able to eat anything I want a little bit. Can't wait to get into the gym this week so I can at least eat a little bit more and be able to work it off. Anybody wanna help by working out with me to stay motivated?

Lima Warriors season kicks off tonight! Just wish I could go lol, but away games are hard to get to with my job making me work every weekend....but oh well, they're the 2010 National Champions, they can survive without this guy right? The first online broadcast for the defending HFL champions will be at 7:05pm on May 21st(just two short weeks) as we travel to Columbus to take on the Columbus War Eagles and new Offensive Coordinator and former Lima Warrior Head Coach BJ Queen. If you are in the Columbus area don't miss this one as it'll be a good one. Warriors start off their season against the high powered Michigan Gators tonight, and the road to repeat doesn't get any easier with the Detroit Ravens in Columbus next weekend.....Warriors have never beaten the Ravens, but some things are meant to change.

Stay tuned for game updates and previews as the season rolls along, or visit www.limawarriors.com for more info. THE best show in semi pro keeps on rolling toward another decade of excellence tonight.

WAR Wrestling's Beatdown At The Dogpound 2 is in just a few short hours and is where I will be tonight as Ripper Blackhart and myself do live commentary from the entrance ramp for this amazing night of warfare(pun intended). Working with WAR has been an amazing experience for me, both learning to call wrestling play by play, and to see a lot of what the wrestling business has to offer, some good and bad. The one great thing is that all the proceeds of this show go to benefit the Allen County Humane Society which is a no kill shelter and relies solely on donations from people like yourself to stay open and keep pets safe. If you can, please give them some money as it's a great organization I love and believe 100% in. We at War Wrestling aren't like the other promotion in town who pretend to be about charity....we actually are about charity. If you have one just get ahold of Tom Williams and he will probably be glad to try and help out.

Check out www.warwrestling.com for more details of upcoming shows and events(next one is June 4th at the UAW hall by 75).

Thanks for reading, let me know if there's anything you'd like covered here and I'll do my best to see if I feel like doing it for you haha.

BE GREAT TODAY.


Hopefully there's one more of these coming our way in the future Lima:

Things I'm proud to say

I decided to write this a couple of weeks ago, but am just now getting around to it. I want to take a few minutes to explain how proud I am to be a part of two wonderful organizations in the Lima area that a lot of people may not necessarily be aware of, so here goes:

Earlier this month I got the chance to go to Homestead, Florida(about 40 minutes south of Miami) to call a NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME. Now that may not mean a lot to some people as it's "just semi-pro football", but to me and the men lucky enough to continue playing the game they love it meant a lot. All you need to know about the game itself is that even through all the technical problems we had for the broadcast, and bullshit surrounding the leadup to the game, and the fact that it was probably the worst offensive performance of the year for the Warriors, the defense balled out and helped bring home the trophy to the Lima area with one of the best defensive performances I've ever personally witnessed...capped off by 5 interceptions in the 4th quarter. We had a lot of issues with the trip and leading up to the game itself, but like I said, we stuck together and got it done as a family, and were crowned 2010 AA National Champions.

I gotta be honest here for a second, a couple of years ago when my best friend Aaron Matthews first got involved with the Warriors and told me about it, I didn't really get it....I had heard all the bad stigmas about semi-pro football and some of the thuglike mentality that took place at the games, and to be totally honest did not give it a chance or the respect it deserved...two problems that were quickly solved when I attended my first Warrior game at Lima Senior and saw the level of play these men put in every weekend. After that, I was hooked....and was lucky enough to be a part of the Warrior family the next season when my friend asked me to be a part of the broadcast team with him as the color guy. Since that day I have become the Warriors play by play guy with Aaron stepping into the coaches box this past season, and have never been more proud to be a part of something as I am to say I am part of the Lima Warriors.

As we roll off the high of winning the National Championship and our 14-3 season, and into the defense of our HFL title as well, I am asking that anyone who reads this who has never been to or listened to a Warriors game online(and I hope I have done a good job to those of you that have listened in), to come to or listen to a game next season and see just how amazing the Greatest Show in Semi-Pro really is to be a part of. It's a high I can not put into words that would do it justice....I just wish more people in the Lima area gave it the respect it deserved and gave it a shot.....get ahold of me and I'll even pay for your entry.....and if you need a testimonial about what just one Warrior game can do, look up Ben Sherman and ask him about the power of one game...it'll hook you, this I promise you.

Another company I am proud to say I am fortunate enough to be a part of their family is a group called WAR Wrestling run by a great man in Big Tom Williams. Wrestling in general gets a bad rap imo, but Tom and the amazing performers he brings in have been working to change that with a good and affordable show every 2 months. If you aren't busy on Saturday Feb 5th, I hope you can make an effort to come see a great lineup, and all for about 10 bucks too, where else can you get that?

Wrestling has been one of my favorite things for as long as I can remember, and much like the Warriors stigma about Semi-Pro football, I didn't attend an Indy show(for those of you who don't know, it's what non-wwe/tna shows are called), because I was always told it was "low brow" or "not that good", but started when my buddy Sean Lyle(or Peachy Rodriguez) got trained and started working in the business....after that I was once again hooked. For a long time I was nothing but a fan who just loved the product Big Tom and his amazing performers put out, but then I was lucky enough to start helping with the show running sound with a hoodie....and eventually get a chance to do play by play on dvd's(which along with football pbp is one of my dream jobs), and garnered a whole new appreciation and love for what WAR stands for. I've once again been lucky enough to become a part of the wonderful family of not only great performers, but also great people the likes of Matt Mason, Dusty Dillenger, Sherman Tank and even Ripper Blackhart, but also to meet some "names" in Jerry Lawler and Andrew "Test" Martin(may he rest in peace) to name a few.Where else can you see a wrestling show that sells out the UAW hall on a regular basis? WAR also helps out charities like the Allen County Humane Society, which no matter what they say no other wrestling companies in the area do.

My point is that when people say there's nothing to do in Lima, I think they're dead wrong.....these two companies are overlooked by the Lima area in my opinion, and that is a damn shame as both give back to the community in not only monetary ways, but also in sheer joy of bringing something good to the area in every way they can.

Please if you get the chance check out www.warwrestling.com for the next show in Lima(which there are plenty of, even at the fair this summer), or www.limawarriors.com to see the two in my opinion crown jewels of Lima that not a lot of people know about.

Thanks for reading, any input appreciated.

This is how we do it

There are few things in this life I believe in more than being honest and upfront with people and doing what you say you will do, and also being loyal to the people around you. There is a group I am blessed enough to be associated with in Lima that believes in these things too, and that is exactly why I am proud to say I am associated with WAR Wrestling. Even when it might be easy to take the low road like some others and from what I've heard thru the grapevine, other companies aren't as willing to do things the way they should or even make good on their promises like they should.

When WAR Wrestling was lucky enough to partner with the Allen County Humane Society and help the amazing cause they are working for, we raised 2,100 dollars for them. The ACHS is a great company with a good set of men leading it and needs all of your help. They are a no kill shelter, which means they receive no help or funding from the state of ohio, the us government, or the local government....and rely solely on private donations and fundraisers to get by and house these animals. We at WAR Wrestling helped do our small part(and trust me we are not resting on our laurels, as I'm told we will be partnering with them again often in our quest to help these animals have a good home and get adopted).

My point in saying all of this is simple: WAR Wrestling told the ACHS that whatever we make on the show is yours. Whatever you make on concessions is yours. We are trying to help YOU out and get YOU recognition, it's not about us....it's about helping the community and these animals by getting exposure for YOU GUYS....and money for YOU GUYS......there's another company called Bruiser Wrestling who FROM WHAT I HAVE HEARD have not come thru on their promise the way we did. They from what I have heard personally have not given one red cent of their proceeds to the Allen County Children Services group who they supposedly parntered with to put on their event Oct 23rd, now I ask you....is this the sign of a good business? I know FOR A FACT that they asked the ACHS to buy all of the things for concessions and then that BW would cut them a % of the proceeds, ACHS did not like this and ended up partnering with WAR instead.....so BW went to look for another "partner" for their event. How is it that even with all the free publicity(psa's from both local tv and radio that were FREE) they received that they still drew less than WAR, who had to pay for their advertising?

Look, I know a lot of you may not like wrestling and deem it hillbilly or whatever, but the truth of the matter is that the men and women who come to WAR and perform for crowds every month of between 5-800 at the UAW hall off of 75 bust their butts and put on a dang fine show every single month to make sure people who spend their hard earned money are entertained. WAR Wrestling is a proud member of the Lima Community that not enough people know about. Yes you may not have the big names that other independent shows do, but what you will find is a great card from top to bottom, and the best way to spend $8-10 bucks around.

Make sure you check out a WAR show(dec 4th will be an amazing one I promise you), and tell you friends....and just remember, there's a reason why so many people come back to see WAR and not the others who try and run here...see the innovators, not the imitators.

My intention was to state how I felt and some key facts, not to slander anyone. All comments welcome and will get a response. Thank you for reading.

Making memories of us

I wrote this on myspace(who has one of those these days?) in december and wanted to share it here:

So something that a bunch of people(my parents namely) often told me back in the day finally clicked and made absolute sense a couple weeks ago when I asked Steph to give up all common sense and spend the rest of her life with me....and she said yes. What was that thing you ask? Well, it was that somewhere in my life I would meet the person who was so perfect for me in every way and that she was out there somewhere....I of course wasn't having the best luck in relationships at the time(for a myriad of reasons, mostly probably to do with me being immature and selfish)...and didn't believe them....I'm a firm believer my parents were right on the money looking back at it...damn them for being right!(sorta).

The past 4 or 5 years have brought me things I never thought possible, including the most amazing, beautiful, funny girl I could ever hope for...and yes, I do thank god for her every single day. My dad always says he has no clue why his wife chose to settle for him, but he's glad she did....and that's sorta how I feel about Steph.....except for once, she makes me feel like we're equal and in it together...a quality which is rare not only in relationships, but in people in general as well these days it seems.

I won't bore you with all of the incredibly fun things we've done over the years(frankly I've written them before, or posted pics for that)....but as corny as it sounds, she's not just my amazing fiance, she's also my best friend....she's always been there for me thru thick and thin...even when others haven't been, and never judged me no matter how childish I was being. She took care of me when I was sick, put up with all of my little idiotic quirks about food, and most importantly like I said before treated me like an equal, and I just hope that the same can be said of me to her.

So some of you might want to know how I did it or where or whatever in ref to the proposal...so here goes: I had gotten the ring a couple months back and got it for our trip to Kentucky to see my UNC team play her UK team(my team lost :( )....and somehow kept it a secret from her(it was hard as I tell her everything lol)....and then while sitting next to her at halftime of an awful game for my team I told her how much I loved her and intended on being with her forever and then slipped the ring on her finger....I wish I could take a photo out of my head and show you all her face when she said yes, it was truly priceless.

I did it that way because if you know us....that's us.....and it makes sense....plus it was the first place we ever went on a trip together so it just seemed appropriate to me. Hopefully it's the first of MANY more trips to Kentucky to come, where on that trip years ago I think I truly realized just how much I loved her and wanted to be with her forever. She's the most amazing person I know, and if I get to spend every day waking up to her leaving for work, or putting her to bed everynight before I stumble into bed 3 hours later....I will have led an amazing life.

Anyone who knows me truly knows how I feel about her. She's the best thing that's ever happened to me...and I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with her...I can only hope that the rest of you find happiness like that in your own life...trust me, it does happen...even to a guy like me :)

Stephanie, I love you more than anything in this or any other world, you are my heart, my soul...my everything.

I Hope You Had The Time Of Your Life

I miss a LOT of things. Mainly I miss being able to do shit on the weekends to be totally honest, working every single weekend with none off unless I take a sick or vacation day fucking blows.

I miss all of my people who have unfortunately passed away, I love and miss you all more than you can ever understand. You've all provided me with sooooo many amazing moments and traits in myself to be proud of.

I miss how things used to be, sometimes growing up sucks.

Just a quick set of thoughts of some things I miss.

There goes my hero

So not a lot of new things to talk about, but just some random things I guess I can throw in for the hell of it right?

Excited/nervous about my 2nd Lima Warriors season being right around the corner....should be interesting as I'll be making the transition from color to play by play with the movement of the best pbp man around in Aaron Matthews to the Warriors sideline as the receivers coach. Hopefully my new broadcasting partner Colin Kriegel and I will be able to pick up where Matthews and I left off during last seasons incredible 13-2 season.....only time will tell right? Please make sure to check out our first call together May 22nd as the Warriors open their first season of HFL play in Ada against the Mansfield Mauraders. Definitely have a lot of work to do before now and then to get ready for the season.

Speaking of May, this saturday the 1st will mark the return of War Wrestling to Lima at the UAW Hall. For anyone looking for a cheap entertaining night out, I recommend you come check out why we draw 750-800 people per show. It's cheaper than taking your kids to the movies or a ballgame that's for damn sure....and probably way more entertaining too. If wrestling isn't your cup of tea maybe hit up the afterparty at the Howard Johnson Metropole Lounge....you can see a LOT of amusing people there and sing Karaoke...what more could you want?

Other upcoming things to promote.....um a lot of working, Warriors games all thru the months of may/june/july(check out www.limawarriors.com for all dates and broadcast links if you can't make the show)....and War Wrestling shows(keep your eyes peeled at www.warwrestling.com too!).

Other than waiting for Tom Ahl to take yet another shot at trying to fix my damn car that's pretty much all I've got for right now. I promise for the 3 of you who give a damn I'll try and update this more often from now on.

Drop me a line on facebook and let me know what you'd like to hear about, I'm always open to suggestions.

Rock on.

Every little thing counts

So the other day I did something I had never done before.....Steph and I spent a day at the West Central Ohio Foodbank volunteering so we could get free Disney tickets as part of their give a day get a day promotion. Now while we originally did it to get something, I think what I got was even more worth it than just tickets to a theme park. It really gave me a new appreciation for life and how people not as fortunate as I have been in my life get the things they need. I'm proud to say that the whole time we were there that we busted our ass to get boxes loaded up that are handed out to needy people. We got 247 boxes loaded up with green beans, corn, noodles, juices, and canned goods.

I really enjoyed doing it to be honest, and will try to set aside some time down the road to do it just for the heck of it, because it does make a difference.....both for me, and for the people who need it most. I implore all of you to spend a day volunteering your time or at least give some money to this fine organization. They operate strictly on volunteer help, and need any kind of help they can get to keep helping people that need it.

Big Fan

So I just watched one of the better movies of the year, and one nobody probably has ever heard of....it's called Big Fan and stars funny mofo Patton Oswalt as a HUGE lifetime NY Giants fan who gets his ass kicked by his favorite player and has to decide which means more, putting away his idol or helping his team win by letting it go. I won't spoil it for you, but I laughed my ass off at the end and seriously think Patton needs to be recognized for his brilliant performance of just how insane some sports fans are about their teams.

If you're a diehard sports fan or has one in your family, please go out and rent this....I promise you will know someone just like this....and if you don't, chances are it's you.

That is all. Bedtime.

Rock on.

Can't wait til tomorrow

First up I am a total dork and I love this whole blogging thing(gay I know)....but it allows me to say things I sometimes can't put into verbal words...If ya didn't like it you wouldn't be here right? Since nobody uses myspace anymore I figured I'd use this and see who reads it haha. Anyways so this is my first entry....enjoy, don't....whatever.

Tomorrow's 3 days grace concert can not come fast enough...getting out of work and having some fun would be great for my psyche right now.

Only a month til vacation, I can not wait to go back to Florida. I'd like to live there some day.

Want a question answered? Ask away, no reasonable(or not) question will be refused answer.

Rock on.