I just saw myself on national tv.

Now that I am not cramming for the PHR exam, I can share my details from The "It's Still Real To Me" Mini-Tour Winter 2009.

Sunday - After meeting John Cena in incoming traffic, and spending the afternoon in a sports bar watching playoff football (the place where I ran into Harvey Whippleman before ), we took in some WWE action.

The last time, they were in town, it was for the TV show Friday Night Smackdown.  This was for a house show.  Thus, it was a bit anti-climactic- No pyro, no titantron, no cameras.

Not that a House show isn't fun.  We had great seats (maybe I will post some of R's pictures)- six rows from the ring.  We saw "undefeated" Jack Swagger lose (If it doesn't happen on TV, it doesn't happen).

Chris Jericho came in and announced he wasn't going to leave town until he had the title.  He, of course, lost in the title match against current champ John Cena.  To the WWE's credit, they did have the tag team titles change at a house show a couple of months ago.  (yes, 99% of the title changes are going to happen on tv.  A nice way, then of keeping house show audiences eager, and a nod back to the good ol' days when you were stuck with nothing more than some still shots from the show).

House shows are great for the intimate atmosphere.  We of course cheered for the heels, but there were plenty of other fans down in front who were as rowdy or rowdier than us cheering for the bad guys as well.

Kudos to the heels, too.  WWE has a bunch of good ones right now.  Even without camerawork and microphones, the roster of William Regal, Miz, John Morrison, Randy Orton, Cody Rhodes, Swagger and Jericho were able to egg on the audience jut with their looks and actions.

The Miz had the best quote to a heckling fan - "Hey, I'm working here".  Orton got into a verbal exchange with a taunting fan.  Them Orton and Rhodes put on a great show against Rey Misterio and CM Punk.

Cena was a big fan favorite, and him and Jericho put on a good show for the main event.

Monday-  I skipped the Cedar Falls show, though would have liked to have went.  Smart decsion though, as that was when the blizzard hit.  Also, Gerald Brisco and Mickey James both got involved in car accidents leaving town that night.

Tuesday - Smackdown in Omaha.  Smackdown is a weird show because it tapes on Tuesday and airs on Friday.  Currently (and this will change again) they tape two shows.  We went on the 13th, and it aired on the 16th.  We also saw what will air as "live" on the 23rd.

So, we saw the Big Show get levelled by a sledgehammer only to come out a hour and a half later and wrestle again (He's a professional.  Their recovery time is amazing).

Though the show was pretty amazing (Undertaker, Triple H, Edge).  It does take a lot of energy to get through what is almost a four hour show.  It's hard to keep the excitement level up (though credit the wwe for doing that).

Smackdown boasts some of the hugest athletes on the planet-  6' 6" Russian Vladimir Kozlov (nonwrestling fans might know him from Grindhouse), the seven foot Big Show (the Giant from WCW), 380 lb. forrmer weightlifter Mark Henry, and the insanely huge 7'1" Great Khali (in The Longest Yard and Get Smart apparently).  They also have some of the best men on the microphone - Triple H and Edge.

Also, we got to see what would be the retirement match for Victoria, a mainstay of the WWE's women divison for close to a decade.

Also of note, if you saw Friday's Smackdown, you know that in Omaha, Jeff Hardy was blinded by the pyro when he accidentally walked into them.  Credit to WWE for pulling off a faux-disaster without a hitch.

Whether you'd watch it at home or not, WWE in person is pretty damn fun.  Rumors are they're coming back around September.  You know where I'll be.

I guess I have to admit that I will always be a face (good guy), and not a heel (bad guy).  Oh, I might wear out my welcome, and become a bad guy years from now (see Hollywood Hogan), i guess I have to deal with it.

I am a face, not a heel.  I am  the "American Dream, Son of a Plumber", not the "Dirtiest Player in the game".  I am "Hustle Loyalty Respect" not "The Rated R Superstar".  I am "Yes We Can" not You're either with us or your against us".

Anyway, this was the idea, but I didn't channel my inner arrogant bastard.  More "Welcome my friends to the show that never ends" than "Get a look at Greatness". 

Oh well, you don't get your gimmick down overnight.

( For the millions and millions of Al Bedsitter fans... )</div></div>