CM Punk: The Best In The World

Please allow me to flashback to Sunday July 17th: I sat in my living room watching Big Brother, the reality TV show that in 2-6 years I will be the winner of. I knew as I watched a cast of horrible strategic players that I was making a big mistake watching Big Brother. I found live coverage of 2nd annual WWE Money in the Bank pay per view on the internet. Throughout the day I had been going through a mental tug of war whether to spend the 45 dollars to buy the pay per view or not. Due to the fact that I am currently unemployed (19 years and counting) and don’t plan on getting a job anytime soon, I decided that I would probably need that 45 dollars for my Christmas spendings. When I clicked refresh on the page at approximately 11 p.m. and saw that CM Punk, who according to WWE and multiple other sources was leaving the company due to contract disputes, had just defeated WWE Poster boy/WWE Champion John Cena in what critics have said was one of the best matches in wrestling history, I had come to three conclusions for the night:

A.) If the gameplay is as bad when I’m on Big Brother as it is this season, I’m a mortal lock to win. That’s a guarantee.

B.) I should’ve paid the 45 bucks to get the pay per view. I could’ve tried to win it back on a lottery ticket or something like that.

C.) Something big just happened in the WWE. I wasn’t exactly sure what though.

The next night I ate a bowl of Moose Tracks ice cream and enjoyed a quality WWE Monday Night Raw where a WWE Title tournament was held (all the way until the finals) and Vince McMahon was relieved of his duties as head of the company by his son-in-law, Triple H. I had every intention of writing a column about how the current state of the WWE is numbing the pain of the potential absences of NFL (not anymore) and NBA (seems like a certainty that they won’t play). Late Tuesday night when I was doing some research for the aforementioned column, I was abruptly halted when I lost internet service. No internet until Friday. Um, great.

When I finally got internet back on Friday afternoon I went through the usual lineup of sites I check every day when I wake up. Facebook, then ESPN.com, then Wrestlescoop (a wrestling rumors site) which was flooded with articles about the Money in the Bank pay per view and the CM Punk storyline. Then I checked Bill Simmons’ Grantland.com, where I read two articles that were centered around CM Punk. Along with reading the articles, I watched this YouTube video that Bill Simmons posted. Check it out.

(Waiting)

Okay, welcome back. In 16 years of being a wrestling fan plus seeing countless old pay per views, that is the biggest crowd reaction I can remember hearing. I came to another conclusion:

D.) Every wrestling fan should feel sick if they didn’t buy Money in the Bank. I really, really effed up not getting that pay per view.

For the next hour or so I was glued to my computer screen, not only because it had no use for the previous 3 days so it was like an extra special experience, but also because I was trying to find a site where I could watch the CM Punk v. John Cena match in its entirety so I didn’t need to buy the pay per view for full price on demand almost a week after it happened. I didn’t even get the pay per view, or even watch the main event in its entirety, but just from watching CM Punk’s entrance, and the finish to the match I realized I missed out on one of the biggest wrestling moments in history. That Friday night after I watched WWE Smackdown (I tried to come up with an interesting analogy for Smackdown in comparison to Raw. All I came up with was the NBA’s relationship to the WNBA is like Monday Night Raw’s relationship to Smackdown) I sat down to try to revise/finish the column I started earlier in the week before my internet went down. Then, just as abruptly as it did on Tuesday night, my internet went down again. I’ve come to a 5th conclusion:

E.) Having a computer without internet is like saying “Sure you can have legs and feet, but you aren’t allowed to walk.” Thanks for nothing.

I went the weekend without internet. Monday morning we got it back and hopefully for good because I don’t think I can handle another 3 day stretch without internet. My reaction to no internet had to be similar to what a crack head goes through when he doesn’t get his fix. 9 o’clock rolled around, and just like the week before I sat down with a bowl of Moose Tracks ice cream to watch Raw. The show kicked off with the WWE Title tournament finale which Rey Mysterio won. The rest of the show was decent, nothing noteworthy until the final segment of the show where in an unexpected turn of events, Rey Mysterio defended his recently captured title against John Cena. Cena won the title back in a solid match. Two title matches on Raw and a delicious bowl of ice cream would’ve been good enough for me to call it a successful night. Then music started playing. Most casual WWE fans probably didn’t know what the hell the music was. Shit, it confused me. I honestly thought they made a mistake backstage and were playing the wrong music. I was waiting for the switch to Alberto Del Rio’s theme so he could cash in the Money in the Bank contract he won 8 days earlier. The song kept playing. I knew the song; Cult of Personality by Living Colour. Still, I was confused. Then, CM Punk emerged onto the ramp way to a Billy Fuccillo level Hugeeeeee crowd reaction. Once Punk got to the ring, he and Cena took turns holding up their respective titles. Punk, the supposed-to-be-heel got the much bigger ovation than face-of-the-WWE John Cena. Just like Money in the Bank, this was a wrestling moment.

I just used 1,000 words as an intro to what this column is ultimately all about. My final conclusion:

F.) If the WWE plays their cards right, CM Punk is going to become the biggest, most controversial and most talked about superstar since Stone Cold Steve Austin.

CM Punk is ready
for the spotlight

I put that previous statement in bold because that my friends is what I call a bold statement. What CM Punk has done in the past month or so in his time in the WWE spotlight has been nothing short of groundbreaking. Not since the heyday of Stone Cold Steve Austin has a “heel” been so popular so fast that WWE’s creative team had to immediately make him the “face” of the WWE. That is where we are (or should be) going with CM Punk. In one month, he has become the single most talked about and popular wrestler in the WWE. It is very similar to the meteoric rise that Steve Austin had 15 years ago. Austin was a fast rising heel in the WWE in 1996 when he won the WWE’s King of the Ring tournament (I don’t have the slightest idea why the WWE dropped this pay per view. Seeing Mabel barely fit on the throne and get crowned King of the Ring while wearing oversized purple pajamas was a wrestling moment). Austin defeated Jake “The Snake” Roberts, and gave one of the most important post-match interviews to date. The next night, Austin 3:16 signs flooded Monday Night Raw. WWE’s creative team had an issue on their hands: the fastest rising heel in the company was suddenly the most popular guy on the show week after week. Adjustments were made, and look what ensued. The WWE cites this as the start of the Attitude Era, arguably the most successful run in WWE history. What the hell are we going to name the next era that CM Punk just started?

Really, it shouldn’t be a surprise that Punk is quickly reaching a level that hasn’t been encountered by anyone in a decade or so. There is a reason why Punk is mainly responsible for making the WWE more watchable than it has been in a close to a decade. It’s because if you are creating a check-list of what you want in a WWE superstar, Punk gets a check in every category.

-His in-ring skills are better than anyone’s in the WWE. The top 5 guys in my book right now are Punk, Orton, Mysterio, Del Rio, and The Miz. Those are the names I came up with off the top of my head. Likely I’m missing someone and will remember them as soon as I post this. A testament of Punk being the best in the business is the praise his match vs. Cena is receiving. Cena is the master of the get dominated the whole match then make a miraculous comeback win. You could call it Hulk Hogan-esque. The fact that Punk and Cena had a 5 star match according to wrestling expert Dave Meltzer (the first he’s given since 1997) is proof that Punk can do wonders in the ring.

-He is better on the microphone than anyone in the WWE. The top 5 guys: Punk, Cena, The Miz, Randy Orton, and Alberto Del Rio’s ring announcer. Coming in last is Jack Swagger and his lisp.

-He can excel as a “Face” or “Heel”- Not everyone can pull this off, and those who have are all considered top guys in the business: Steve Austin, Shawn Michaels, Triple H, The Rock, Chris Jericho, The Undertaker, Edge, and Randy Orton. And in my opinion, it’s time for Cena to make a heel turn. Once upon a time CM Punk was one of the most popular guys on the WWE’s ECW brand and became the ECW Champion right away. He came into the WWE as a face and excelled. Then he went through a period where he made his heel turn and he was underused and underappreciated. Guys like Wade Barrett, Sheamus, Jack Swagger and a past his prime Kane were in the title picture while Punk worked the middle of every pay per view card. Now with a little push he is easily the biggest heel in the WWE.

-He has had two unique gimmicks that haven’t been touched before he brought them to the table. The straight edge superstar/cult-like leader of the New Nexus. He's perfected each gimmick and he’s blowing the WWE up like fireworks on the 4th of July and the people are loving it. It’s the perfect combination of a storyline and a superstar that are so unique and unpredictable (I had no idea until Monday whether Punk was actually leaving the company or not) that WWE rumors sites, fan boards and the mass media in general are going legitimately crazy over Punk.

-Since the beginning of the attitude era, the WWE has changed drastically. No matter how good or bad the product was in general, as long as there was one guy or one storyline that was worth watching, I would be in front of my television on Monday or Friday nights. This is the complete list of storylines/superstars/rivalries that have kept me completely drawn to the WWE in the last 15 years. In other words, rather than growing out of what many stupidly consider to be a childhood phase, these transcendent storylines/superstars/rivalries are the reason why I’m 19 years old and gladly writing about the WWE: the start of the Austin Era, the original DX (Shawn Michaels, Triple H, and Chyna).. Vince McMahon becoming "Mr. McMahon" and starting the Corporation.. the new DX (Triple H, X-Pac, Billy Gunn, Road Dogg and Chyna).. The Rock v. Mankind rivalry.. Vince McMahon v. Stone Cold Steve Austin rivalry.. Chris Jericho's Y2J debut.. The McMahon/Helmsley Era.. The Rock v. Austin at WM 17 angle.. the WCW/ECW Invasion.. The Rock v. Hulk Hogan at WM 18.. Brock Lesnar's debut and title reign.. Eric Bischoff as Raw General Manager.. Shawn Michaels return and feud with Triple H.. Evolution.. John Cena becoming the face of the WWE.. Edge becoming the Rated R Superstar and cashing in the first Money in the Bank.. The Return of DX.. Chris Jericho's Save Us 222 return.. Randy Orton v. Triple H at WM 25.. Nexus Storyline.. Randy Orton's face turn.. The Rock returns to host WM 27.. The Undertaker v. Triple H at WM 27.. CM Punk over the last month.

In translation, CM Punk has become one of the most captivating WWE performers in recent memory. Evidence of this is the fact that for a solid 2 hours I looked at every WWE pay per view card in the last 15 years on Wikipedia just to refresh my memory and came up with a list of the best 25 storylines (what a way to spend a Monday night). CM Punk’s recent antics have been without question one of the top five, if not higher.

CM Punk: WWE Champion

So this leaves the WWE brain-trust at a crossroads. The WWE is on the brink of something monumental. The term once-in-a-generation is thrown around a lot, but CM Punk truly feels like a once-in-a-generation superstar. My biggest fear is the storyline the WWE used to get Punk to this point will become a reality. In the storyline Punk was tired of being overlooked by guys with less talent, so he was going to take his talents elsewhere, and rightfully so. I even claimed that if CM Punk ended up in TNA, I was going to be jumping on the TNA bandwagon. For far too long (over half a decade now) the company has belonged to Cena. It’s time for a new superstar to rise to the top. Someone who isn’t the prototypical fan-favorite that sells all the merchandise and is the favorite of every pre-teen WWE fan. That man has emerged over the last month as the hero of the true WWE fans. He is the dictator of the new era of wrestling. He is the ayatollah of rock and rolla’. He is the champ. He’s the game and he is the most electrifying superstar in the WWE. He is CM Punk.

Variety Podcasts/Challenge Scores

On Thursday night, I conducted the first ever Captain's Corner variety podcast where any topics were fair game. Here are the links to each session. Below the links are the current scores for mine and Pauley's fantasy teams for the Challenge, which we drafted in this podcast.

http://www.talkshoe.com/talkshoe/web/audioPop.jsp?episodeId=512493&cmd=apop 
In Part One, Collin Stucko joins me to discuss Big Brother, our Sports Fan Bucket Lists, and the current state of Legend Status.

http://www.talkshoe.com/talkshoe/web/audioPop.jsp?episodeId=512558&cmd=apop 
In Part Two, Paul Clark and I talk about the ESPY's, The Challenge and WWE.

Challenge Scores after each episode of the Challenge:

WEEK 1

Team Giuliano: C.T., Evan Starkman, Laurel Stuckey, Adam Royer, Jenn Grijalva, Paula Meronek, Adam King, Sarah Rice, Jonna Mannion, Nehemiah Clark, Jasmine Reynaud, Robin Hibbard, Tyrie Ballard, Katelynn Cusanelli
Scoring: Adam R- 170, Paula- 35, Jasmine- 5, Robin- 5, Tyrie- 5
Total- 220

Team Clark: Johnny Bananas, Kenny Santucci, Evelyn Smith, Wes Bergmann, Leroy Garrett, Ty Ruff, Cara Maria Sorbello, Tyler Duckworth, Mandi Moyer, Camila Nakagawa, Brandon Nelson, Theresa Gonzalez, Davis Mallory, Aneesa Ferreira
Scoring: Evelyn- 35, Ty- 55, Mandi- 5, Aneesa- 5
Total- 100

WEEK 2

Team Giuliano: C.T., Evan Starkman, Laurel Stuckey, Jenn Grijalva, Paula Meronek, Adam King, Sarah Rice, Jonna Mannion, Nehemiah Clark, Jasmine Reynaud, Tyrie Ballard, Katelynn Cusanelli
Scoring: Jasmine- 35, Tyrie- 25, Jonna- 10
Week Total- 70
Total- 290

Team Clark: Johnny Bananas, Kenny Santucci, Evelyn Smith, Wes Bergmann, Leroy Garrett, Ty Ruff, Cara Maria Sorbello, Tyler Duckworth, Mandi Moyer, Camila Nakagawa, Brandon Nelson, Theresa Gonzalez
Scoring: Kenny- 10, Wes- 10, Camila- 10
Week Total- 30
Total- 130

WEEK 3

Team Giuliano: C.T., Evan Starkman, Laurel Stuckey, Jenn Grijalva, Paula Meronek, Adam King, Sarah Rice, Jonna Mannion, Nehemiah Clark, Jasmine Reynaud, Katelynn Cusanelli
Scoring: C.T.- 10, Laurel- 10
Week Total: 20
Total: 310

Team Clark: Johnny Bananas, Kenny Santucci, Evelyn Smith, Wes Bergmann, Leroy Garrett, Ty Ruff, Cara Maria Sorbello, Tyler Duckworth, Mandi Moyer, Camila Nakagawa, Brandon Nelson, Theresa Gonzalez
Scoring: Theresa- 15, Camila- 15, Wes- 5, Cara Maria- 10
Week Total: 45
Total: 175

WEEK 4

Team Giuliano: C.T., Evan Starkman, Laurel Stuckey, Jenn Grijalva, Paula Meronek, Adam King, Sarah Rice, Jonna Mannion, Nehemiah Clark, Jasmine Reynaud, Katelynn Cusanelli
Scoring: C.T.- 20, Laurel- 20, Paula- 5
Week Total: 45
Total: 355

Team Clark: Johnny Bananas, Kenny Santucci, Evelyn Smith, Wes Bergmann, Leroy Garrett, Ty Ruff, Cara Maria Sorbello, Tyler Duckworth, Mandi Moyer, Brandon Nelson
Scoring: Cara Maria- 20, Mandi- 5, Ty- 5, Kenny- 10, Wes- 10
Week Total: 50
Total: 225

The Rubber Match: Stucko/Giuliano III

You may remember last July when I joined my friends Sam Lamont (the Rory McIlroy of golfing in Western New York) and Collin Stucko (the Ray Charles of golfing in Western New York) for a day of golf at Stafford Country Club. We played in a torrential downpour, we saw a snake, a tree fell down, I almost lost my left big toe and a once-in-a-generation rivalry had begun. Collin and I had now played two rounds of 18 holes against each other. In 2007, Collin won by 4 strokes at Terry Hills (our 2011 venue) and in 2010, I won by 1 stroke at Stafford. The rivalry needed to continue in 2011. Just like Ali v. Frazier, Celtics v. Lakers, Yankees v. Red Sox and Duke v. North Carolina, Stucko v. Giuliano is a monumental rivalry that will never be forgotten. Here are the events that transpired on almost three weeks ago on June 24th during Stucko/Giuliano III.


9:20- “Baby I like it, the way you move on the floor. Baby I like it, come on and give me some more. Oh yes I like it, screaming like never before. Baby I like it…” Yes, that’s the same song I awoke to last year. Normally when I hear I Like It, I am overjoyed and ready to fist pump while being surrounded by dozens of hot girls. But it’s 9:20 a.m., an awesome dream had just been interrupted, and I’m about to participate in a sport that I play once a year just so I can do a running diary chronicling how bad I am at it. Why am I not still sleeping? Collin slept over at my Grandmas house with me and he looks excited to be awake too. Hey, when you could wake up 3 hours earlier than usual to do something you suck at, you have to do it right? I think I understand why some kids are high school dropouts now.

9:22- Collin and I walk into the kitchen to see my Grandmas dog Luigi pooped and peed all over the kitchen floor. He is walking around his masterpiece proudly. What a moment!

9:30- I just pulled a Luigi in the toilet.

9:35- I come out of bathroom, and Collin yells “You ready for some galf?” I don’t have the slightest idea as to why he is pronouncing golf with an A instead of an O or how he managed to gain so much energy in a 15 minute time period. He must be juicing.

9:40- Our pre game meal is Special K Cinnamon Pecan cereal. Thanks to Aunt Mary for being our cook.

9:45- Sam arrives right on time. To no one’s surprise it starts raining just like last year. He asks if we like his Ricky Fowler hat. I actually know who Ricky Fowler is. Kind of.

9:48- As Sam is spouting off rules for today’s game, I’m dozing off in the back seat. He’s beyond giddy. I don’t completely understand why Sam is so excited to golf with us again. I thought we scarred him so bad last year he wouldn’t even want to mini golf with us, but apparently he is a glutton for punishment.

9:52- I still have eye boogers. They now belong to the back of the passenger seat in Sam’s car.

10:01- When we get to Terry Hills, Collin asks if there is a snack shop. Clearly his head is in the right place. Sam looks like he just found a treasure at the end of a rainbow.

10:10- Eddie, a man in some type of power position at Terry Hills is bombarding us with questions like we are potential terrorists. How many people are in your group? What’s the last name? Are you going to use a golf cart? Are you two really sharing clubs? You guys suck don’t you? It’s idiots like you that make me hate my job! Okay the last two sentences were made up, but they were implied by his body language and over-exaggerated sighs.

10:12- Sam puts his white golf glove on. He must’ve developed amnesia after last years’ excursion.

10:33- Some key rules for the golf outing: Sam allows us each 5 mulligans in the front nine, and on holes 10 thru 15. Mulligans mean we get the shot over or place the ball wherever Sam’s shot landed. 16-18 no mulligans are allowed, and any whiffs count as a stroke. With that said, after Hole 1 the scores are Sam 4, Sonny 10, Collin 11 (plus his 1st of five mulligans). Collin has already been forced to fix five divots.

10:35- Collin decides to MJ it (tee in his mouth as if it were a cigar). It was hokey last year. Nothing has changed since then.

10:40- On my 2nd shot on Hole 2 my ball deflects off a tree right in the middle of the fairway. That’s how good I am. I’m taking tough bank shots when I don’t even need to.

10:46- Hole 2 scores: Sam 4, Sonny 10, and Collin 8. Yes sir, that’s 20 after two holes. Meanwhile, I just heard the thunder for the first time today. It’s not too late to quit right? Could I go back inside the dream I was having if I go to sleep within a half an hour?

11:05- I just had a serious drive to start Hole 4 after a nice double bogey on the par three Hole 3. Am I in a groove right now? As Marv Albert would say, “YES!!!!”

11:07- Collin says he has a left nostril gem, aka a snot rocket (Nobody in the world provides a more entertaining snot rocket than Collin.) Sam is much more animated and goofy than last year when he was in stone cold killer mode. He just took the glove off. He finally snapped back into reality.

11:10- We just saw a much bigger snake than the snake we saw last year. I feel like Ice Cube in Anaconda. Wait a second, did it get J-Lo already?

11:17- Collin’s 5th shot on Hole 4 is a bomb. “Welcome to the F****** show” he shouts. There is no way he should be as excited as he is, but I don’t want to take this moment from him.

11:35- The best hole for us so far is Hole 5, which is a par 3. Sam 4, Sonny 4, Collin 5. No mulligans for either of us. I just tied Crosby Lamont on a hole. For my next act, I’m going to hit a Mariano Rivera slider.

11:42- Either Sam is actually impressed by us or clapping out of pity. I feel like it’s choice B. In other news, Collin just tickled the tips for the first time today. Amazing that it took a whopping six holes for him to completely whiff on a shot.

11:50- I hit a tree on 3 of my first 6 shots on Hole 6. I think the deadline for me quitting has been surpassed. I’m glad I’m here.

12:02- After two hours and seven holes, I have a one stroke lead on Collin. We are forced to take a break in order to let a group pass us because of our current tortoise pace. We are looking to get done at around midnight tonight.

12:05- 12:15- In our break Collin not only looks for a tree to climb, but we also ponder how eating a golf ball would affect his insides. I personally thought both climbing the tree and eating the golf ball would be a poor decision on his part. However, doing either of those activities would increase the chances that Collin would have to forfeit and thus give me the win early. Go for it Collin! I’ve always believe in you!

12:32- Collin and I both have par puts ahead of us. This is beyond exciting.

12:35- Collin bogeys it and I double bogey it. Nobody was really surprised. We are tied after Hole 8. In other news, my left big toe is about to fall off again. It’s simple, my size 14 feet aren’t made for golf.

12:45- Collin and I decide to eliminate the mulligan rule after the 9th hole in order to maintain the high competitive level of this mockery of a golf match. Sam is now hitting with his eyes closed. I have a two stroke lead after nine holes.

12:55- Eddie (we actually find out his name may or may not be Nick) gives us a carrying cart to help us move along faster. Apparently our tortoise pace was no longer acceptable at Terry Hills.

1:18- We finish up Hole 10, and I’m now up one on Collin. Meanwhile, we are close to getting passed up again. Me and Collin decide it’s time for Power Galf.

Definition- Golfing without measuring any shots, taking any practice swings and power walking to each of our balls after every hit.

1:30- Collin unleashes 3 bombs on Hole 11 and follows up each one with a Sammy Sosa-esque Home Run Skip. Chris Berman would be in Home Run Derby form right now watching these powerful swings. Back, Back, Back, GONE!!!!! By the way, Chris Berman makes the Home Run Derby at least ten times more watchable than it should be. He’s the Gus Johnson of baseball.

1:35- Collin is in a zone right now. He is so excited he is making crowd noises. He is also yelling Shoo Doggy! I wish I could tell you what the logic behind this was, but I can’t.

1:40- Power Galfing is such a success we have caught up to the group who passed up. Who’s playing at the tortoise pace now!

1:47- I think Sam is terrified of our fast paced Power Galfing. He looks like the witness of a murder who can’t deal with talking to the cops anymore. I think I see his bottom lip quivering. I just want to give him a hug and tell him it’s almost over.

2:00- Collin loses his ball in the water on Hole 14. He’s currently ball-less going onto Hole 15. This presents a major problem since you need a ball to be able to play golf. Especially power galf.

2:05- Me and Collin skip Hole 15 because of the lack of balls between the two of us. Wait a second; I paid $23 to play less than 18 holes of golf??? Someone is busting my chops.

2:15- We come to the decision that I will play the par 4 Hole 16, Collin will play the par 4 Hole 17 and Sam will sit out Hole 18 so we can both play. I don’t think Sam has ever been so discouraged playing golf.

2:20- I get an 8 on Hole 16 with Collin as my caddy. Now it’s time for me to play Steve Williams.

2:25- Sam leaves his self-induced coma and yells “He’s fixing a divot!” after Collin’s poor tee shot. It’s good to see he’s still alive. In a shocking turn of events, I’m actually advising Collin on what club he should use for each shot. Not that I have any clue what club is best. I think he just hit it out of the rough with a putter.

2:35- Collin answers on Hole 17 with an 8 of his own. I have a one stroke lead going onto Hole 18. Suddenly, demons from 2007 are creeping into my psyche. Let me explain: Back in 2007, Collin and I were tied going onto Hole 18 at Terry Hills. What ensued was me choking hard and losing by 4 strokes on the hole and game. 3 years later Collin had a lead going into Hole 18 and ended up blowing it. The lesson learned: Absolutely no lead is safe when you have players as bad as Collin and I fighting it out.

2:50- I couldn’t even jot down details during the final hole because I was in the middle of a Bill Buckner/Scott Norwood level choke-job. Collin ends up beating me on Hole 18 by 8 strokes. Nope, that wasn’t a misprint. Eight strokes. And he shot a triple bogey. He wins by 7 overall. Words cannot describe my frustration right now. Actually they can, because I just verbally abused Sam on the way back to the car. I’m not sure if he is giving me a ride home.

Collin is awarded his trophy after winning our annual event

Final Scores: Sam +6, Collin +43, Sonny +50

Our day ends with a delicious lunch at Burger King. It was highlighted by Sam sitting there with a look of relief on his face similar to Andy Dufresne’s after he broke out of Shawshank Prison, and Collin trading one of his onion rings for eight of my French fries. Like last year, we are wet and my feet are sore because of the lack of golf cart and abundance of puddles on the course. Some closing thoughts:

We still went way too early even though we started roughly an hour and a half later than we did last year. And again, I would prefer to go on a day when Batavia wasn’t giving its best Seattle impersonation. One could say this is an end of a rivalry since Collin has now won 2 of 3 games. As far as I’m concerned, the Stucko/Giuliano rivalry has just begun. I could see this being something Collin, Sam and I do every year even when we are old men. Sam will still be awesome, and Collin and I will still suck. But it’s tradition. If I have it my way, we’ll be back next year for more Power Galf.