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We are now pretty much at the midway point!

We are just over six months removed from the 31^st installment of The Showcase of the Immortals and, coincidently, six months away from the 32^nd. With recent incidents within the WWE like injuries, returns, LOA’s, it seems like a lot of creative ideas have been shuffled…and possibly shuffled again. This could mean that the writing staff could start the process of building angles for this year’s WrestleMania.

I’ve noticed over the years and some top angles have started at, or around, November’s Survivor Series so it’s not too farfetched to think about now. It would also make sense to start building solid angles for another major reason.

We all have the immortal words of “Mean” Gene Okerlund etched in our minds as he announced the “brand new indoor attendance record of 93,173” back in 1987 at WrestleMania III. With WrestleMania 32 being held in “Jerry World,” AT&T Stadium in Dallas, Texas, reaching a six digit attendance number is not an impossibility.

To do so, Vince McMahon needs to put together an all-hands-on-deck card. From top to bottom, the matches on this year’s show need to be enough to attract a record amount of people to make the trip down to the Lone Star State.

Can it be done? Oh absolutely! With the right combination of solid young talent and established veteran stars, expect good ol’ “Mean Gene” to make a similar record setting announcement.

There are several ways that the writing staff can go. Based on some rumors I have been hearing and, well, my expert opinion, here is how I can see the card shaping up.

Intercontinental Title – Ladder Match

Ryback vs Neville vs Stardust vs Tyler Breeze vs Rusev vs King Barrett vs Dolph Ziggler vs Baron Corbin

Sticking with the good ol' “if it worked once” method here. Just like last year, the show opens by killing two WrestleMania birds with one stone – an exciting match to start the show to get the crowd going and a multi-man match to get as many superstars on the show as possible.

I had Hideo Itami in this match, but thinking about it, with his injury I can see him spending a little extra time down in NXT before coming to the main roster. If he does make the jump, he would probably take the place of King Barrett since WWE never seems to want to do anything with him. I still feel that Breeze and Corbin can provide a solid infusion of youth from the current NXT roster though. It’s exciting to think that Dolph Ziggler would be the veteran in this match.

This match provides a solid combination of strength (Ryback, Rusev, Corbin) technical skill (Stardust, Barrett) and high-flying ability (Neville, Breeze) to get the crowd ready for what should be built as the biggest WrestleMania of all time.

Randy Orton vs Kevin Owens

Once again Randy Orton is tasked with putting on a great match with an up and coming star. Last year, Orton and Seth Rollins had one some considered to be the match of WrestleMania 31 – capped off with the most “outta nowhere” RKO I personally had ever seen! Rollins obviously did not need to win that match though, as we found out just hours later and he cashed in and became the world heavyweight champion.

Owens, on the other hand, DOES need to win this match. After a strong three-PPV program with John Cena, the love for Owens has seemed to die down drastically. Owens thrives in high-level matches and has the personality and charisma to be one of the most entertaining superstars on the mic. He needs a boost and a win at WrestleMania over a future hall of famer would be a big one for him. The seeds were laid for this one a few months ago when Orton threw out his “are you losing weight?” crack at Owens. It was subtle but still could be used as a starting point.

Roman Reigns vs Dean Ambrose

The former Shield-mates have spent most of 2015 as a couple of good buddies who would just do whatever they could when the other is in need! Wrestling 101 – they’re gonna hate each other soon! The heel turn for this one will inevitably come from Reigns as he is overdue for a turn. The foundation on how this turn will come about (in my opinion) will be laid out as I take a look at another match on my card.

The two have had solid chemistry as a team it makes sense that they would have solid chemistry as opponents. This would have potential to steal the show and possibly set the two up for a huge 2016.

Divas Championship

Charlotte vs Sasha Banks vs Becky Lynch vs Bayley

The Divas Revolution has hit a HUGE road block. After an enormous initial reaction, the Divas division has returned to those that have actual in-ring talent jobbing to those that have a look and have a more marketable character.

Charlotte winning the Divas title (hopefully a part of the revolution is the return of the Women's Championship) is an obvious big step in that process but she is still going up against the likes of the Bellas and Alicia Fox. The revolution came about with how Charlotte, Becky Lynch, Sasha Banks and Bayley have performed in NXT. To create maintainable credibility to the Divas division, this needs to be the WrestleMania match.

Tag Team Championship – TLC Match

Dudley Boyz vs New Day vs (Insert NXT team here) vs Hardy Boyz

I am, much like I’m sure the writing staff is, hesitant to have multiple ladder based matches on the same card. BUT, hard to pass this opportunity up. The Dudley’s are back where they belong. As soon as the pyro hit the night after SummerSlam, the thought of another TLC matchup started dancing around the heads of the WWE Universe. Their first program has been with The New Day of have seemed to have gotten over with the over-the-top celebration style. So much so that they might have enough momentum to take them to WrestleMania – something that is a little hard to imagine for anyone in the tag team division.

NXT has a few options at this point that would work well in this situation – Blake & Murphy, Enzo Amore & Big Cass and current champs The Vaudevillians. Take your pick, they could all put on a good show! Then we come to a bit of a bold prediction with that fourth team listed. Call it a hunch, but with Bubba Ray and D-Von back in the WWE, I can see Matt and Jeff following suit soon. Just like the Dudley’s, if the Hardy’s do come back, how could you not do something like a TLC?

Bray Wyatt vs Finn Balor

Just take a second now and think about the build-up that could come from this one. The New Face of Fear against The Demon! I mentioned in my WrestleMania 31 piece that the build-up for Wyatt vs The Undertaker was so well done…and it was all done by Wyatt! Imagine that kind creepy Halloweeny feeling but with TWO superstars engaged.

Another amazing aspect of this matchup – the WrestleMania introduction of The Demon character! Balor wowed us all when his Demon alter-ego made its debut at NXT’s TakeOver : R-Evolution in December with a simply jaw dropping entrance. My friends and I would also have a small pool every WrestleMania based on different things that would happen. One part of the pool every year was an over/under guess on The Undertaker’s entrance – I think Balor may be taking The Deadman’s place in the next generation.

US Title

John Cena vs Sami Zayn

If you are reading this, there is a very good chance that you remember Sami Zayn answering John Cena’s open challenge for the US title earlier this year. Unfortunately Zayn jacked his shoulder up right before the match which has sidelined him since. But before he hit the sidelines, he STILL managed to put on an amazing match with Cena.

More than that, do you remember the reaction that Zayn’s introduction got? That Montreal crowd is very similar to the crowd that will likely fill most of Jerry’s Playground. Cena has done an amazing job raising the credibility of the US title this year by giving title shots to any and all comers and then having five-star matches with the likes of Seth Rollins, Kevin Owens and even an injured Zayn. The crowd would be enthralled in this match and a Zayn win would blow the roof off the building.

The Undertaker vs Sting

Is there really a reason to explain this one? It’s the matchup that we have been waiting for since Sting decided to go Crow on us in 1996. While the technical aspect of the match may not be as sharp as it would be if it were still the late 90s…it’s still The Undertaker and Sting…it HAS to be seen!

Daniel Bryan vs Shawn Michaels

Student vs teacher in its most exciting form! Something tells me that Daniel Bryan will be making his return as a surprise entrant in the Royal Rumble match in January. I’m starting to think that all of the hype about WWE doctors not clearing Bryan but other doctors are is just a work – I have no doubt that he’ll be back. The biggest challenge in this one would be to convince HBK to get back into the ring. When he left in 2010, he still looked like he had a few years left in him.

And what a way to come back!

When Bryan started his battles against Triple H and The Authority, one of the biggest blows came when Shawn Michaels, the guest referee for a Daniel Bryan vs Randy Orton title match and man who ran the wrestling school that Bryan attended, hit Bryan with the SuperKick to cost him the match. Other than an entertaining exchange the next night, that was pretty much forgotten. But now it could be used as the jump-off of what could have potential to be a top 5 match in WrestleMania history!

Brock Lesnar vs Stone Cold Steve Austin

This is one that is simply based on the rumors that are going around. A lot of people were saying that the likelihood of this match happening would be made clearer with what would happen with Lesnar’s recent appearance on Austin’s Podcast. Well the podcast came and went with no real altercation happening let alone something like the way Austin’s Podcast with Lesnar’s manager Paul Heyman ended a few months ago.

I’m not buying it though.

I have a hunch (there’s that word again) that a friendly discussion between the two was WWE’s response to the internet determining that something happening between the two was inevitable. It is hard to imagine the biggest WrestleMania being held in Texas without a major appearance from Stone Cold.

The Rock vs Triple H

Simply put – The Rock NEEDS to have a match on this show! The foundation has been laid over the last year. First, we had the comical face to face altercation backstage at a SmackDown taping this time last year. Next, Triple H comes out at the end of this year’s Royal Rumble showing his displeasure at The Rock helping Roman Reigns with the Rumble match. Finally, we had the surprise appearance of The Rock at WrestleMania 31 confronting Triple H and Stephanie McMahon…with the help of Ronda Rousey.

I will say that I am SO glad that it doesn’t look like they will be doing the mix tag match rumored between the four. Luckily Dana White is…well…Dana White and can’t stand the fact that his little promotion will never be on WWE’s level and is blocking Rousey from a match. That and movie commitments Rousey now has as well. You can’t put two of the biggest names of the last 20 years in a gimmick mixed tag on this show. The final showdown between these two longtime rivals should attract a lot of mainstream attention and additional ticket sales.

WWE World Heavyweight Championship

Seth Rollins vs Cesaro

Obviously this is probably the most far-fetched possibility. Hear me out though – if this happens, and done in the right way, it could give us a memorable WrestleMania moment to end the show of shows.

The main event matchup last year was a bit of a flop because the WWE Universe was told who they had to think was the best, it didn’t just naturally happen. It did happen the year before though. The end of WrestleMania XXX was electric because it was the culmination of the man the crowd wanted to be given a chance finally had his chance, and made it count. Sound like someone on the roster now? (ok, I know Daniel Bryan is still on the roster, but you know what I mean!)

Here is Cesaro’s path to relevance…

First, a tournament is held to determine a #1 contender to Seth Rollins at Survivor Series. Cesaro wins the tournament but loses the title match to Rollins in an all-time classic – which both Rollins and Cesaro can provide. Cesaro then goes on to the Royal Rumble having the crowd firmly behind him only to be the last one eliminated after a 5-7 minute solid fight with the man who eliminates him and wins…Roman Reigns. Reigns is booed out of the building as the crowd is upset that Reigns wins the Rumble twice in a row and he finally snaps and turns heel. Cesaro keeps hinting that Reigns has no business in the main event until Reigns puts the title match on the line at February’s FastLane show. Cesaro wins that match and goes on to the main event of the biggest Granddady of the All!

Yes I may be stretching it a bit there, but if it happens, the crowd would give it the reaction that it would deserve. I strongly believe that if you give Cesaro the ball, he will run with it. And with his international appeal, he will literally run all over the world with it.

So there you have it. That card, thrown in with appearances by several other legends and Hall of Famers throughout the night, would sell the necessary tickets. We still have a way to go. But we are now in the car and getting ready to leave the neighborhood. Before you know it, we will all be on the Road to WrestleMania!

So what do you think? What matches excite you? What matches do you think we will see to help draw the expected 100,000+ crowd. Let me know on Twitter @Tadigity24

To most Cubs fans, myself included, this season has far surpassed expectations. Entering the 2015 campaign, Cubs prospects like Kris Bryant, Jorge Soler, and Addison Russell formed a legitimate basis for optimism within the organization and its fan base. But the fruits of Theo Epstein’s labor weren’t expected to ripen this fast.   Well, ripen they have, and the 2015 Cubs find themselves on the verge of clinching a playoff spot for the first time since 2008. Indeed, Joe Maddon’s squad has Chicagoland dreaming of a 2015 World Series birth. Unfortunately, there are two notable barriers that may block the Cubs route to the Fall Classic, and they have names: Jason Hammel and Kyle Hendricks, known together as “the shitty duo.”

As suggested, the Cubs starting rotation depth is their most glaring concern heading into the 2015 playoffs. The shitty duo, comprising the Cubs projected third and fourth playoff starters, has degenerated down the stretch of the season. Since the all-star break, the shitty duo has struggled to string together respectable outings. If the shitty duo doesn’t markedly improve its performance, do the Cubs stand a strong chance of making it to the World Series? Recent history suggests not.

                                         Data Extracted from Fangraphs

A pitcher’s second half of the season ERA (“second half ERA”) is more likely to have predictive value for the playoffs than his season long ERA. As such, the figure above displays the shitty duo’s second half ERA relative to that of the third and fourth starters on the last five national league champions. Remarkably, the last five national league champions didn’t have a single back end playoff starter with a second half ERA over 4.7. Further, three of the past five national league champions had third and fourth playoff starters with second half ERAs under 3.6. Thus, the shitty duo’s 5.355 collective second half ERA has to be disconcerting to Cubs fans.

The preceding analysis provides objective value to what baseball fans already know: a team needs excellent starting pitching to get to the World Series. To rebuff that axiom, the Cubs must deliver on at least one of the following two scenarios: 1). Jon Lester and Jake Arrieta pitch nearly flawless throughout the 2015 playoffs; or 2). the Cubs produce a lot of runs whenever either shitty duo partner takes the mound. Of course, the shitty duo could decide that sucking ass isn’t what it’s cracked up to be (pun intended) and start pitching better, but that seems unlikely.

Regardless of what transpires throughout the next month, the Cubs should continue to develop and improve over the coming years. On that note, I speak for Cubs nation when I say go Cubs and fuck the Cardinals!!!!

The Michael Jordan v. Lebron James debate has become an intriguing hot button issue over the past several years. Unfortunately, people on both sides of the argument tend to support their conclusions by providing a series of vague and unsubstantiated claims (e.g. “Lebron is a better all around player than Jordan was”). Indeed, an objective, careful analysis of each player’s career is required to arrive at the proper verdict. Well, the verdict is in, and Jordan wins.

Let's start the comparison between the two by recognizing their macro accomplishments and statistics. Jordan won 6 Finals and 6 Finals MVPs to Lebron’s 2 and 2 respectively. Jordan won 10 scoring titles to Lebron's 1. Jordan won a defensive player of the year award to Lebron's 0. Jordan lead the league in steals 3 times to Lebron's 0. Jordan was a 5 time league MVP to Lebron's 4.

In Jordan's best scoring season, he averaged 37.1 points per game. In Lebron's best scoring season, he averaged 30.0 points per game. The 1988-89 NBA season rendered Jordan's best rebound and assist totals, averaging 8.0 per game in each category. Lebron's best single season rebounds per game output was 7.9, and his best single season assists per game output was 8.6.

Or course, it can be challenging to delineate the meaning of these statistics when they are fragmented into their individual elements. Advanced analytics are useful to navigate through this process. Player Efficiency Rating (“PER”) measures a player’s dominance relative to the league average, which is standardized to 15 each year. Jordan tops Lebron in this metric, even when including Jordan’s years with the Wizards. Through age 30, Jordan had a career PER of 29.8; Lebron is 30 and has a career PER of 27.7. Win Shares per 48 Minutes (“WS/48”) calculates a player's contributions to his team’s wins. Through age 30, Jordan had a WS/48 of .273. Through age 30, Lebron has a WS/48 of .240. For greater context, this differential is similar to that between Hakeem Olajuwon and Horace Grant (WS/48 of .177 and .147 respectively).

Jordan’s decisive analytical advantage over Lebron is easy to fathom after careful study of their game film. As a scorer, Jordan had an incredibly diverse range of moves and shots to complement his near flawless footwork. As such, he was able to counterattack virtually any defensive tactic that his opposition presented. Lebron, conversely, relies on his speed and athleticism to earn open shots, and he hasn’t shown much ability to weave though and around traffic. Thus, it is easier for defenses to force the ball out of his hands.

The game film and statistical record also unequivocally demonstrate that Jordan was a decidedly more accurate jump shooter than Lebron. According to the Basketball Reference Shot Finder (“Shot Finder”), Lebron is a career 37% shooter on jump shots between 15-20 feet. Unfortunately, Shot Finder only tracks back to the early 2000s. We do know, however, that 40-year old Jordan shot over 42% on jumpers between 15-20 feet in the 2002-03 NBA season. It’s fair to assume that he shot a significantly higher percentage from that distance throughout his prime.

Lebron’s relatively inadequate jump shot wouldn’t translate well to Jordan’s era. In the 80s and 90s, teams ubiquitously stacked the paint with 3 to 5 defenders to stop the best perimeter scorers. Teams could get away with this strategy partly because the game had yet to evolve stretch fours and three point specialists to help stretch the court. For instance, John Paxson, Jordan’s prime years backcourt complement, never attempted more than 1.7 threes per game. By contrast, last season Kyrie Irving attempted 5.0 threes per game, and Kevin Love attempted 5.2 threes per game. The resulting court space opens up driving lanes for Lebron that Jordan didn’t have access to. Moreover, the illegal defense rule provided the only regulation designed to deter teams from packing the paint. The rule was fairly nebulous and difficult to enforce. Consequently, teams simply ignored it. Today, perimeter players, like Lebron, are the beneficiaries of a clear-cut defensive three seconds rule. Making matters more ominous for players like Jordan, hand-checking, now illegal, permitted defenders to guide their man away from the paint. In sum, perimeter players in the Jordan era needed to rely on their jump shots more than their contemporary counterparts.

Jordan’s greatness over Lebron is also salient with respect to their defensive abilities. Jordan had quicker hands and more adept anticipation skills than Lebron. This is evidenced by Jordan’s greater steal percentage (percent of opponent’s possessions that end with a steal by that player). As noted, Jordan lead the league in steals three times and won a defensive player of the year award. Lebron is not likely to accomplish either feat.

Lastly, Jordan’s killer instinct has gone unmatched since his retirement. NBA fans during the Jordan era knew that when the Bulls were playing and the game was on the line, Jordan would fearlessly take over and, more often than not, succeed in doing so. Lebron’s clutch time performances have been mercurial at best. Sometimes he will play aggressively down the stretch, whereas other times he will persistently pass off the game's most important possessions to his team's ancillary players. This style of play has not gone without consequence; Lebron’s fourth quarter passivity arguably cost the Heat the 2011 Finals. Throughout that series, Lebron averaged just 3 points per game in the final period.

When Lebron has taken the clutch shots, he has failed considerably more often than not. According to Shot Finder, Lebron is 37-122, 30.3%, in the regular season and 8-23, 34.7%, in the playoffs when shooting to tie or take the lead with 24 seconds or less in the fourth quarter or overtime and his team tied or trailing by 3 points or less. Jordan, in the playoffs was 9 of 18, 50%, under the same circumstances.

Even though Lebron’s career is far from over, it’s hard to imagine that his future play will undermine the analysis contained herein. Lebron has achieved a prodigious level of success, and he is indisputably one of the greatest players of all time. But he’s no Mike.