another minute or so.

Written by Steve Hofstetter, Adam Hofstetter, Cody Marley, Ryan Murphy, Rich Ragains, Elliot Steingart, and Chris Strait

Denzel Washington's son will make his NFL Europa debut for the Hamburg Sea Devils. Well done, Jackie Robinson! Denzel said he is very pean football player, and he's such a good actor that he said it convincingly, too.

In American football, Drew Bledsoe finally retired - from being benched. Unfortunately he's already being benched from retirement in favor of Jake Plummer.

Suspended Titan Pac-Man Jones was ringside for his best friend Zab Judah's fight with Ruben Galvan, mainly because he's got nothing else to do. Thankfully, the fight was not in Vegas. Now that the suspended Tennessee Titan has the year free, may we suggest he try his hand at acting. First audition? The Longest Yard-Part II.

More trouble from the Imus scandal as new tapes reveal that he also said the Rutgers women's basketball team was "from New Jersey."

And the Chicago Blackhawks will have the first pick in the NHL Draft. The Blackhawks plan on using the pick to draft a new franchise. Either that or to draft fans that care.

For more of the Sports Minute (Or So), visit minuteorso.com

sports minute

Written by Steve Hofstetter, Adam Hofstetter, Cody Marley, Ryan Murphy, Rich Ragains, Elliot Steingart, and Chris Strait

Snowstorms forced the Indians to play the Angels in Milwaukee. Fans at Miller Park were thankfully too drunk to tell the difference.

Elsewhere in baseball, Atlanta Braves pitcher Mike Hampton will miss his second straight season because of elbow surgery. Eric Gagne is suing for plagiarism.

Olympic sprinter Tim Montgomery pleaded guilty to conspiracy in a multi-million dollar bank fraud scheme. Too bad - Montgomery was planning to use the money to buy more steroids. Authorities plan on giving the sprinter five to ten years behind bars – if they can catch him.

The 300-pound, slow moving Florida manatee will be removed from the endangered species list and will instead play line for the Miami Dolphins. Although if he can pitch, the Padres are also interested.

A Slovenian man broke a world record by swimming down the Amazon River in 65 days, and is still furious with his travel agent. Americans would be more impressed if we could locate Slovenia on a map. Or the Amazon.

And UCLA's legendary basketball coach John Wooden has been hospitalized with a stomach problem. Doctors say the problem started after Wooden watched Yoakim Noah shoot a free throw. Doctors are optimistic, however. If Wooden survived the bling-bling era, he can probably pull through anything.

For more of the Sports Minute (Or So), visit minuteorso.com

new minute or so

Written by Steve Hofstetter, Adam Hofstetter, Cody Marley, Ryan Murphy, Rich Ragains, Elliot Steingart, and Chris Strait

International players now make up 29% of Major League Baseball. So if you've gotten an American education, that's more than half. The New York Mets have the most international players on their current roster with 72,000. Half of Boston's roster is foreign born, but they all get bussed in.

In Louisville, the saddle worn by last year's Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro is expected to fetch the highest bid at a charity auction. Expected to fetch the lowest bid? A large bottle of glue.

CFL running back Ricky Williams has applied to be reinstated in the NFL, after using up all the pot in Toronto. Scouts are skeptical, as Williams has already taken way too many hits.

In basketball, Wizards point guard Gilbert Arenas will likely miss the rest of the season after knee surgery. Many Wizards fans wish they could be so lucky. Arenas' injury is unfortunate, as he is the best team in the Eastern Conference.

And two 43-year old former world champion boxers squared off this week. The two were told to touch gloves, keep it clean, and put a coat on - it's cold out. We're looking forward to next week, when the winner takes on Max Schmeling.

For more of the Sports Minute (Or So), visit minuteorso.com

three words that come to mind... starring Sinbad

Grimwaldi (1:20:40 PM): Good Burger
JonChattman (1:21:32 PM): im a vegetarian
JonChattman (1:21:04 PM): Houseguest
Grimwaldi (1:22:42 PM): my guest anyday
Grimwaldi (1:23:09 PM): Jingle all the way
JonChattman (1:23:55 PM): lets rape christmas
JonChattman (1:24:48 PM): first kid
Grimwaldi (1:25:58 PM): Proof Democracy Sucks
Grimwaldi (1:26:48 PM): NECESSARY ROUGHNESS
JonChattman (1:27:35 PM): kathy ireland fumble
JonChattman (1:27:54 PM): meteor man
Grimwaldi (1:29:30 PM): /Townsend's career ends
Grimwaldi (1:30:16 PM): Coneheads
JonChattman (1:30:55 PM): My Soul Hurts

thecheappop interviews up-and-coming wrestler Ryan Drago

In the ring with rising grappler Ryan Drago
By Oliver Newman

ON: Can you tell the readers a little about yourself?
RD: I'm 24 years old, I began training in August of 2001 and made my debut in August of 2002. My trainers were "The American Dragon" Bryan Danielson, Mike Modest, Donovan Morgan and Bison Smith.

ON: Were you a Wrestling Fan growing up, and if so who were some of your favourites?
RD: I started watching Wrestling when I was 3. I liked the traditional heroes: Hulk Hogan, Ricky Steamboat, and The British Bulldogs.

ON: Was there a defining moment/match when you said this is what I want to do for a living?
RD: In the summer of 2000 my brother and I went to Los Angles for Extreme Championship Wrestling's 'Heatwave' PPV. I decided I wanted to be a wrestler when I saw the Van-Terminator (utilised by Rob Van Dam).

ON: Which Wrestling school did you go to?
RD: I found a relatively local place called Pacific Coast Sports. I say relatively, but it was actually a two hour drive each way.

ON: Who were you trained by?
RD: Initially, Donovan Morgan. A few months in though, he had a falling out with the company and left. Bryan took over training, I actually wound up getting a lot of extra training with Bryan, sometimes 2-4 hours a night more, since I was willing to stay late and get beat up by Sara Del Ray. I trained with Bryan for 9 months, up until he left for The Inoki/New Japan Dojo in L.A. After that, I moved to Donovan Morgan and Mike Modest's Pro-Wrestling IRON group, where I trained until it closed in August of 2005.

ON: Thoughts on your trainers?
RD: Bryan has an exceptional eye for detail. He's the type of guy who will spot the smallest flaw and point it out for correction. He was also very easy to get along with and never buried someone to placate his own ego. Mike Modest has an ESP when it comes to wrestling. I've seen him make a cup of coffee, (thus not watching the ring), then call the move/sequence back to us, point out what we did wrong and tell us what would have looked better. All seemingly without looking!

Donovan is one of the best guys I've met in wrestling. You do right by him and he'll fight to the death for you! There are a lot of bull shitters in wrestling, Donovan isn't one of them. He's just a great guy to work with. Bison, despite his size, is exceedingly kind. He always made time to work with anyone who needed or wanted help.

ON: Can you explain the trials and tribulations involved in training to become a Professional Wrestler?
RD: Training means turning your entire life upside down. It's a lifestyle and not one to be taken lightly! I actually weighed in at 250lbs when I started training. I also had about as much muscle on me as a 12 year old Ethiopian girl. This meant a complete overhaul of my diet and exercise routines. I literally ate egg whites, dry chicken breasts and tuna for 3 solid months. I would then run for an hour every morning before breakfast, then lift weights for two hours. This eventually lead to me dropping 50 pounds in 3 months.

There is also the driving to take into account. I had to drive 4 hours total, 3-5 days a week for 4 years. In that time I think I went through 3 cars! Injuries also tend to pile up quick when your working that hard and there's not much you can do other then take some Advil and tape it up.

There was actually a point when I bruised my static nerve and my legs would go numb every time I wrestled for about 8 or 9 weeks! I didn't tell anyone because I didn't want to take time off. The hard part (with injuries) was in training, when it would happen, trying to get up without giving away the fact that I was hurt.

ON: Thoughts on Sara Del Ray?
RD: She's a lady! (It's an inside joke, but if she reads that, she'll understand it). She is super nice and just as tough. I've seen guys that won't take half as much punishment as she will. She truly deserves all the praise she's been receiving lately. We actually started around the same time and trained together for about 3 and a half years. It's also nice to see a woman in Wrestling who's actually good, and not just good for being a woman!!

ON: Do you have a best or worst moment during training that you would like to tell the readers about?
RD: Not really a best or worst, just kind of a funny one. This happened early in my training. On this particular day, Brian "Spanky" Kendrick was the guest instructor. If you've never met him, let me say, he can be a bit head strong. Due to my transportation situation, I arrived late.

Upon seeing me, Brian told me to take off my shirt and go to the parking lot for cardio. Basically, he ran my ass off and yelled the whole time. At one point, during sprints, my Asthma started kicking in bad. I stopped to use my inhaler only to hear, "WHAT THE F--K ARE YOU DOING!?!!?" I looked up at him and he saw my inhaler and said "Oh." It's funny now, but it was gruelling as hell when it happened.

ON: Thoughts on Brian Kendrick as a wrestler and as a person?
RD: He's a nice guy and a good wrestler, just a bit head strong at times.

ON: You trained for a year before your debut match, what were you thoughts leading up to the match?
RD: As bad as it may sound, my thought was "About f--king time." A couple of guys I started with had already debuted. I was put on the back burner. It sucked because Bryan left for LA the same day I had my first match. I was sad he wasn't going to be able to give me input on it, but in retrospect, I'm glad he never saw it. It was bad!

ON: Thoughts on your opponent?
RD: His name was Robert, he was a nice enough guy.

ON: You wrestled the first match for new upstart promotion Pro Wrestling Guerrilla in July 2003. How did this come about and what were your immediate thoughts prior to your debut?
RD: Well, I actually wasn't booked. I had driven down with Hook Bomberry and Apolo Kahn, just for the hell of it! Apparently Phoenix Star didn't show up and Joey Ryan, who I'd wrestled previously, asked If I brought my gear. I did and he put me in the match. My opinion prior to the show was" How long is this going to last?". Considering what it takes monetarily to run a company like PWG, I wondered how long they would be able to do it. Apparently, quite long!

ON: You teamed with Topgun Talwar and Zokre v Charles Mercury, Sara Del Rey & Supa Badd, could you share your thoughts on the match?
RD: The first thought I had was "This match was going to be WAAAY too long". My concern was we were going to kill the rest of the card. An opening match, in my mind, should be fast paced, fun and under 10 minutes. We went 13+ minutes. If the opening match is the best of the night, why hang around for another 2 or 3 hours?

ON: Could you also share your thoughts on both your partners and your opponents?
RD: Topgun is damn funny, Zokre is good at Lucha. Charles has improved a lot thanks to training at Inoki Dojo, Supa Bad is a very nice guy and Sara, as mentioned earlier, is just awesome.

ON: The biggest match of your career thus far was a six man tag with You, Mike Modest & Donovan Morgan v Sal Thomaselli, Yoshinari Ogawa & Japanese legend Mitsuharu Misawa, tell us how you came to be involved in this match?
RD: In January of 2004, Mike had told me that they were going to start pitching me to the NOAH office to go and train in their dojo in Japan. In the months leading up to the shows, and really since I'd entered IRON, I'd been doing a lot of gofer work (Picking guys up at the airport, dropping tickets off, flyers etc). If it needed to be done I did it. A few weeks before the show, I got a call from Mike. We talked for a bit and he just sort of dropped it on me!

"You're going to be teaming with us against Misawa, Ogawa and Sal". I was actually pretty calm when he initially told me. We talked a bit more, I thanked him, then hung up the phone and yelled a very loud "F--k YEAH!!!".

ON: Your thoughts on the match?
RD: I was so scared! Misawa is my favourite wrestler and to be in the ring with him was unbelievable!!! I felt fine before and during the match, afterwards however, my heart just wouldn't stop pounding. He's much bigger then you'd guess. I always heard Japanese wrestlers worked their height, then I met him and suddenly felt very small!

ON :Thoughts on your opponents?
RD: Misawa is a legend and well deserving of that title. Hands down my favourite wrestler to watch. Ogawa is funny as hell and works a very underrated style. He tends to get over looked since he wrestles more like an American, but he's still quite good.

ON: Your next big match was against (PWG Battle Of Los Angeles winner) Davey Richards in Pro Wrestling War, thoughts on the match and Davey?
RD: I actually didn't like the match. Davey and I have fairly similar offence and it's actually kind of limiting to wrestle someone like that. Right off the bat you know you either have to cut a lot of your offence or do the same thing.

ON: How did you get the shot in TNA?
RD: Actually, Mike and Donovan got it hooked up through Terry Taylor. Terry told them to find a third guy for the match and they asked me to do it.

ON: Thoughts on match v LAX?
RD: Well if you break it down by pay vs. length of match, it was the most profitable match I've ever had!!

ON: Thoughts on LAX?
RD: They're some nice guys. Homicide has a pretty unique style, Konnan was good in his prime, but from what I understand his hip is pretty bad now. Machete, who was there third at the time, seemed to disappear pretty quick after that. I've never seen anything else of his.

ON: Thoughts on the NWA/AWS/WPW 2006 Best of the West tournament?
RD: I actually wanted to talk there and cry racism as the two Russian Jews were pitted against each other in myself and Alex Koslov! It was a fun match, I actually enjoyed it a lot. Also, in another example of me being a star maker, Alex got signed to CMLL not long after our match.

ON: Thoughts on Indy Promotions?
RD: I think the most important thing for any Indy promotion is to find a good balance. Too many companies try and do too much too soon (E.g.1PW) or they are too cheap when it comes to talent to ever draw. I believe, ultimately, it's good wrestling that brings people back. Not angles, gimmicks, or promos. If your not willing to spend the money to put on a good show or you are too careless with the money you have, you can look forward to very limited success in the wrestling business!!

ON: Do you have a favorite Wrestling promotion to watch in 2007 (if so why is said promotion your favourite)?
RD: Pro-Wrestling NOAH! It's hands down the best promotion in the world, and a place where you can see just about every type of wrestling done to it's fullest.

ON: Thoughts on WWE as we stand in 2007?
RD: They're doing their thing.

ON: Thoughts on TNA?
RD: I would like to see Impact extended to 2 hours. They have too many guys and too little TV time right now. I honestly don't watch wrestling on TV that often. I stick to DVD's as they tend to give me what I actually want.

ON: Thoughts on ROH as we stand in 2007?
RD: They seem to be doing good, hopefully, they won't stretch themselves too thin.

ON: Do you have a greatest moment/match of your career thus far?
RD: My greatest moment was getting to wrestle Mitsuharu Misawa, but my greatest match was with Nigel McGuiness.

ON: If you could pick one Ryan Drago match to showcase yourself to the readers which would it be?
RD: The one coming soon to their neck of the woods, so be sure to show up! Or they can just watch the matches on my (myspace) page.

two 2006 retro concert reviews

LIVE FROM LONDON - MARCH 21 AT BOWERY BALLROOM
By Diana P. Olano

I'm a complete anglophile. Going to Live from London showcase on March
21 at Bowery Ballroom was a no-brainer. I love music. I love British
people. I love British people who make music. And Bowery Ballroom is
probably the best venue in the city. As expected, it was not a
disappointing evening.

The first Londoner up that night was a rapper by the name of Plan B.
With a guitar in hand and a drummer to back him up, Plan B went off on
tirade of the troubles of living in the London ghettos. I'm not
opposed to rap and music of the like, but Plan B and his lyrics of
prostitutes, drug addictions, sexually transmitted diseases, and other
more depressing subjects made me a bit suicidal. At least his singing
was a nice calm in between the abrasive shouts for AIDS prevention.

Boy Kill Boy was up next, and from what friends had told me, they were
going to be fun. And that's exactly what they were: fun, with typical
Brit-indie pop songs that I'm a bit tired of hearing, actually. Their
single "Suzie" had most of the crowd singing along, but during other
songs, I got kind of, um, bored. Too many bands are playing the same
style. Boy Kill Boy are just another.

However, I would have rather taken another set from Boy Kill Boy then
endure what was about to follow.

Towers of London are a wannabe Sex Pistols band but come off trying
too hard, with their teased hair (I wonder how long they spent hair
spraying it), matching wife beaters, and beat up chuck taylors. The
songs were nothing special. With a name like "Towers of London", I
didn't actually expect something worth hearing. And the band, which
apparently weren't wanted for this showcase, gave it to us like we
actually knew who they were, and then some.

You're not supposed to fear for your safety at a show. When the lead
singer swung the mic all over the front row and barely missed
clobbering someone in the audience, I got a bit scared. When he tossed
a chair around the stage, I got a little more scared. Luckily, that's
as far as it went. Until they ended their set, that is. In trying to
aim at a man who was telling the band off (and rightfully so), the
guitarist kicked the mic stand, missed his heckler, and hit an
innocent bystander on her forehead. I can still hear her wailing as
she was dragged out of the main floor, grabbing her bleeding head. I
hope she sued the douchebags.

Headliners The Rakes came on shortly after and saved the night.
They're in the vein of the British dance bands that have recently come
out of the woodwork, but they still remain distinct in their sound,
lyrics, and performance.

Lead singer Alan Donahoe flailed and twitched his way through an
energized setlist that kicked off with "Terror!" and never let down.
The audience, which I noticed consisted of more Brits than usual,
danced, pogoed and chanted lyrics throughout the night. Someone
eventually threw a beer cup at Donahoe, which landed directly on his
chest. I think it's a British thing. Shows appreciation or something.
Whatever. The Rakes reminded us scenester New Yorkers why deep down,
we all want to be a little English: They know how to have a good time.

-30-

LIVE FROM LONDON - MARCH 21 AT BOWERY BALLROOM
By Diana P. Olano

I'm a complete anglophile. Going to Live from London showcase on March
21 at Bowery Ballroom was a no-brainer. I love music. I love British
people. I love British people who make music. And Bowery Ballroom is
probably the best venue in the city. As expected, it was not a
disappointing evening.

The first Londoner up that night was a rapper by the name of Plan B.
With a guitar in hand and a drummer to back him up, Plan B went off on
tirade of the troubles of living in the London ghettos. I'm not
opposed to rap and music of the like, but Plan B and his lyrics of
prostitutes, drug addictions, sexually transmitted diseases, and other
more depressing subjects made me a bit suicidal. At least his singing
was a nice calm in between the abrasive shouts for AIDS prevention.

Boy Kill Boy was up next, and from what friends had told me, they were
going to be fun. And that's exactly what they were: fun, with typical
Brit-indie pop songs that I'm a bit tired of hearing, actually. Their
single "Suzie" had most of the crowd singing along, but during other
songs, I got kind of, um, bored. Too many bands are playing the same
style. Boy Kill Boy are just another.

However, I would have rather taken another set from Boy Kill Boy then
endure what was about to follow.

Towers of London are a wannabe Sex Pistols band but come off trying
too hard, with their teased hair (I wonder how long they spent hair
spraying it), matching wife beaters, and beat up chuck taylors. The
songs were nothing special. With a name like "Towers of London", I
didn't actually expect something worth hearing. And the band, which
apparently weren't wanted for this showcase, gave it to us like we
actually knew who they were, and then some.

You're not supposed to fear for your safety at a show. When the lead
singer swung the mic all over the front row and barely missed
clobbering someone in the audience, I got a bit scared. When he tossed
a chair around the stage, I got a little more scared. Luckily, that's
as far as it went. Until they ended their set, that is. In trying to
aim at a man who was telling the band off (and rightfully so), the
guitarist kicked the mic stand, missed his heckler, and hit an
innocent bystander on her forehead. I can still hear her wailing as
she was dragged out of the main floor, grabbing her bleeding head. I
hope she sued the douchebags.

Headliners The Rakes came on shortly after and saved the night.
They're in the vein of the British dance bands that have recently come
out of the woodwork, but they still remain distinct in their sound,
lyrics, and performance.

Lead singer Alan Donahoe flailed and twitched his way through an
energized setlist that kicked off with "Terror!" and never let down.
The audience, which I noticed consisted of more Brits than usual,
danced, pogoed and chanted lyrics throughout the night. Someone
eventually threw a beer cup at Donahoe, which landed directly on his
chest. I think it's a British thing. Shows appreciation or something.
Whatever. The Rakes reminded us scenester New Yorkers why deep down,
we all want to be a little English: They know how to have a good time.

-30-

new minute or so

Written by Steve Hofstetter, Adam Hofstetter, Cody Marley, Ryan Murphy, Rich Ragains, Elliot Steingart, and Chris Strait

Congratulations to Sammy Sosa on making the Texas Rangers opening day roster. Thankfully for Sosa, most restaurants in Arlington do not charge a corkage fee.

Those watching a recent Cubs-Diamondbacks game were treated to a rare sight: a female umpire. Just what ballplayers need - an official who remembers the details of every single argument, and will also bring up arguments from previous games.

In basketball, LeBron James cheered up his teammates after their loss to the Knicks by taking them to a topless bar. His plan worked great - it was the most focused the team has been all year long.

Injured superstar Dewayne Wade practiced for the first time in 6 weeks and should be ready for the playoffs, assuming the Eastern Conference bothers to show up.

Golf Digest did not include Trump International Golf Club on its list of "America's 100 Greatest Courses." Reviewers didn't like the way the sand traps had been combed over. And the casino on the 12th hole is just gaudy.

The NFL has cancelled an exhibition game in China between the Patriots and Seahawks, disappointing the millions of Matt Hasselback fans in mainland China.

And NFL League owners have voted 30-2 to make the video replay system a permanent officiating tool. In related news, NFL League owners have voted 30-2 to make the video replay system a permanent officiating tool. The Detroit Lions will not use the replay system, as they always make the same mistakes anyway.

For more of the Sports Minute (Or So), visit minuteorso.com

new sports minute... or so

Written by Steve Hofstetter, Adam Hofstetter, Cody Marley, Ryan Murphy, Rich Ragains, Elliot Steingart, and Chris Strait

Former major league pitcher Ugueth Urbina has been sentenced to 14 years in prison for the attempted murder of five workers on his family's ranch. Urbina is still thankful he doesn't have to play for the Cubs. No one was actually killed in the incident – and we thought Urbina was a closer.

Yao Ming's basketball jersey is not among the top sellers in China, mainly because all those jerseys look alike.

The NBA and the Cleveland Cavaliers have said that LeBron James will no longer be allowed to have his son sit on the bench. David Wesley is thrilled, as he will get his seat back. James also just finished building a massive house that includes a theater, bowling alley, casino and barber shop. The house is so cool, you almost forget the front door is located in Cleveland. When James retires, he can sell the place and buy a studio apartment in New York.

Turning to college, the son of North Carolina State basketball coach Sidney Lowe faces more than 20 criminal charges from two separate attacks. Authorities predict he could be sentenced to 25 years on the Cincinnati Bengals.

Former Bears LB Steve McMichael has been named the head coach of the Chicago Slaughter, a seven-man indoor football team. McMichael said that it's one notch below arena football, which makes it three notches below Rock-Paper-Scissors.

And four men have been arrested after part of a man's ear was bitten off during a Greece/Turkey soccer brawl. Mike Tyson has since apologized. This kind of soccer hooliganism is more common in England, since a human ear is a nice alternative to British cooking.

For more of the Sports Minute (Or So), visit minuteorso.com

Bring back BBD

Bell Biv DeVoe... we miss you like the deserts miss the rain.