Stories (1299/0)
Virtuosa: A Look at Deonna Purrazzo's Career (So Far)
You know, time really flies fast, doesn't it? It's hard to believe that the first time we saw Deonna Purrazzo on a grand stage was nine years ago--it seems like yesterday! The year was 2014, and Impact Wrestling (under the TNA label) was doing their "One Night Only" events--I loved those. One of their yearly events was the iconic Knockouts Knockdown, which was solely focused on the Knockouts--Impact's Women's Division. The first event took place in the fall of 2013, but the focus is on the second one, which saw Impact's regular Knockouts and a mixture of talent from all over the independent circuit. Among the indy talents was 19-year-old Deonna Purrazzo, a New Jersey-based wrestler who was just getting started.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
The Turbulent History of the Montréal Expos
Some time ago, I wrote a story detailing the history of the NHL's Quebec Nordiques, who were part of the 1979 NHL-WHA merger and played for 16 seasons in the NHL before moving to Denver. The Nordiques were a hard luck team, but they did have a few moments. The same cannot be said about Quebec's other relocated major team. I've been fascinated with this team for quite a while, and oddly, the fascination increased after they relocated. Could they be back in some form? Who knows? Right now, it's time to tell the tale of one of the most extraordinarily hard luck teams in sports: the Montréal Expos.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
Finals Game Four: One Step Closer
On this day in 2001, the Colorado Avalanche captured the Stanley Cup on their home ice at the then-named Pepsi Center (currently known as Ball Arena). During that same season, the Denver Nuggets, the Avs' arena roommates, finished 40-42. It's because of the Avs that I'm fascinated by Denver sports, but the overall success hasn't really been there. Interestingly, the Avalanche's 1996 Stanley Cup was Colorado's first pro sports championship. This was followed by a pair of Super Bowl wins by the Denver Broncos, and the aforementioned second Cup by the Avalanche. The Broncos and Avs each added a third championship later on, and while MLB's Colorado Rockies have yet to win a World Series, they did win a pennant in 2007.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
The Incredible Career of Raymond Bourque
After 22 years...Raymond Bourque...is featured on Vocal! Born on December 28, 1960, Raymond Jean Bourque's foray into hockey began in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, instantly becoming the league's top defenseman. At the age of 18, Bourque was drafted eighth overall by the Boston Bruins in the 1979 NHL Draft, though the Bruins actually had plans to draft another defenseman: Keith Brown. The Chicago Blackhawks ended up snagging Brown at 7th, so the Bruins decided to "settle" for Bourque. Boy, what a consolation prize!
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
Stanley Cup Final Game Three: Scratching and Clawing
June 10, 1996. Nearly 26 years to the day. That was the last time that the Florida Panthers hosted a Stanley Cup Final game; the memorable 1-0 triple overtime loss to the Colorado Avalanche that completed a four-game sweep. Though the Panthers fans were happy to see the Cup Final at their place for the first time since that exact date, they know that they would be even happier with something that the team hasn't had: a win in a Cup Final game. The Panthers entered Game Three down 2-0 against the Vegas Golden Knights, and becoming the second team in NHL history to lose their first six Cup Final games, joining the St. Louis Blues (who lost their first 13) on that short list.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
What in the World Has Happened to the American League Central?!
It's hard to believe, but the 2023 MLB season is actually the 30th year of this six-division format. Divisional Play began in 1969 with the American and National Leagues being split into two divisions: East and West. This exact format was last played in the 1993 season, and after that year ended, the divisions were realigned, with select teams from the East and West being placed together in each league, marking the birth of the Central Divisions in the AL and NL. The original American League Central consisted of the then-named Cleveland Indians (now the Cleveland Guardians), the Chicago White Sox, the Minnesota Twins, the Kansas City Royals, and the Milwaukee Brewers. 1998 saw the Brewers moved to the NL Central and replaced by the Detroit Tigers, which made way for the expansion Tampa Bay Devil Rays to replace Detroit in the AL East.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
The Only Way
They did it. They actually did it. The group planned this for so many months, and they didn't know if they'd actually pull it off. After all, it was quite heavily guarded and always on display. The chances of actually succeeding at this were infinitesimal at best!
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Fiction
Finals Game Three: South Beach Smackdown
While South Florida is basking in the reality of seeing two of their teams playing for championships at the same time, the franchises are going on different paths after two games in their respective series. The Florida Panthers seem to be running out of gas, as well as a bit too ornery, while the Miami Heat are doing quite well, heading back to their home court at 1-1 in this year's NBA Finals. This is the Heat's first Finals appearance in three years, but Game Three will be the first Finals game in Miami since 2014, as the 2020 Finals was played in the Orlando bubble.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
Scorned
"I know, I know, it's devastating, believe me." Cassandra Young was on the phone with her husband, Damon Young, and the couple were discussing the disappearance of one of Damon's students, Madison Brent, who was abducted from her home a week prior.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Fiction
The Retreat
Denise Stone had never been to a retreat center, but she had been familiar with them. Her friends had been telling her that they had been at retreat centers before, and the experiences have all been similar: relaxing, soothing, and quite elaborate. The topic of retreat centers came up due Denise feeling stressed about her upcoming wedding, and it reached a point where she had been actually seeing a counselor: Dr. Raina March.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Fiction
Stanley Cup Final Game Two: So Much Misconduct, So Little Time
You know, when a team loses Game One of a series, it's often followed by said losing team usually learning from whatever mistakes they make, but even then, the outcome is fluid. Said team could end up winning Game Two and evening things up. Or...they could still lose, but still leave their game playing much better than they did before. What we saw from the Florida Panthers in Game Two of this year's Stanley Cup Final was the absolute opposite of either of the outcomes I mentioned.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
The Retirement Plan
Janine Chambers' drive home saw her collect many thoughts. For one, her retirement party. After over two decades on the force, which saw her climb the ranks to captain, Janine was calling it a career. Another thought she had was the press conference she gave regarding her last case: a bank heist.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Fiction
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