Syracuse and Hulk Hogan

[JeremyCuse]

This is the greatest post I’ve ever read.

Whoa the witches love potion post remains undefeated.

 

[Orangezoo]

This is the greatest post I’ve ever read.

Even better you can add you read it to your life resume

 

[81South]

Gonna be a top contender for post of the year.

 

[Col. Bleep]

I actually understand the Hulk Hogan boring, predictable same formula part ... but then you lost me when it came to Syracuse.

As an aside, my father and I were not huge Hogan fans around 1987 because it was largely always the same over and over- but in November 1987 we went to the Montreal Forum (standing room only tickets) to watch Hulk Hogan vs One Man Gang. Match went as you said - but the crowd went absolutely bonkers as he pulled out the victory -- like nothing I had ever seen at any sports event before that. It was quite captivating despite being predictable.

That's because the fans know their part in the spectacle.

Preferred One Man Gang as Akeem the African Dream.
Although he was no King Kong Bundy or Bam Bam Bigelow.

 

[SanDiegoCuse]

Incredible post. At our best we are Dolph Ziggler. Against Bryant we were Barry Horowitz.

 

[FrancoPizza]

This is the post of the year - other candidates need not apply.

If you’ve been a fan long enough, you totally get it.

 

[rhcuse]

tldr

 

[tptcuse]

tldr

You missed out!

 

[Millhouse]

We are in the bubba the love sponge home video portion of the Hogan career arc

 

[OrangeDW]

The last 5 years have been Brock Lesnar making a 60 year old Hogan pass out in a bear hug, in an anticlimactic, inevitable L.

 

[swish7]

Don't know about this, but there are some real fun iG and other social media accounts related to wrestling.

My favorite currently is 'nocontextFlairmemes', related to the Nature Boy.

Every now and then I will see a reel like "If Wrestling is fake, watch this", and it is the most hilarious display of fake wrestling.

Fun stuff.

 

[HOFCeluck]

I remember back in 99 there was a feud between the Big Show and Big Bossman (RIP) that involved Bossman going to Big Shows Dads funeral, chaining the casket to the back of his car, and driving away with it with Big Show clinging to the top.

Anyway the point of this is that I f@&$ing loved the Attitude Era. Puppies!

 

[Otto'd]

 

[MDCuse]

I remember back in 99 there was a feud between the Big Show and Big Bossman (RIP) that involved Bossman going to Big Shows Dads funeral, chaining the casket to the back of his car, and driving away with it with Big Show clinging to the top.

Anyway the point of this is that I f@&$ing loved the Attitude Era. Puppies!

Watching Show get dragged through a cemetery on a casket was one of the funniest things I have ever seen

 

[OrangeDW]

Koko and chubby Glens Falls legend Hacksaw Jim Duggan = unsung heroes of WWF’s golden age. Those guys didn’t even have to win much to get almost Hogan level crowd reactions.

 

[perdurabo]

 

[SanDiegoCuse]

Koko and chubby Glens Falls legend Hacksaw Jim Duggan = unsung heroes of WWF’s golden age. Those guys didn’t even have to win much to get almost Hogan level crowd reactions.

Hacksaw was ready to be pushed to the moon had he not got pulled over in a car with the Iron Sheik and oodles of cocaine.

 

[tbonezone]

whattaya mean it ain't real ?????

i hope a MONSTER TRUCK runs over your damn SUBURU commie !!!!!

 

[two3zone]

Harlem Globetrotter games and Pro Wrestling are two examples of sports entertainment. The 'outcomes' are predetermined. But more than that, there are essentially scripted components and roles that each opponent, managers, and even the officials have to carry out. Though the defense in tonight's game was very reminiscent of a Globetrotter game, I think the better analogy is wrestling.

For me, Hulk Hogan matches were the best and worst example of sports entertainment. I actually couldn't stand his matches because of the idiotic algorithm that was put in place regardless of whether the opponent was half the size or considerably more athletic. The battle would begin as an even matchup, each wrestler trading blows. Then eventually the heel would get the upper hand and the Hulkster would look like he'd met his match and then some. This would go on until fans felt that Hogan was going to be defeated. The ref is making sure that the heel breaks his holds and is very involved in making sure there is visible legitimacy to this plodding part of the match. After 5 to 10 minutes of one-sidedness, Hogan would find himself in a submission hold like a leg lock or sleeper. He'd nearly be counted out, but then on the third test of his limp arm, his hand would stop falling inches from the mat. Out of nowhere, he would tap into a reserve of energy that everyone knew was there all along. They were waiting for it and now here it is! He breaks out, blocks several more blows and then delivers the first of several blows of his own. Now the opponent is reeling! The heel who at one time couldn't miss landing a dropkick or punch, can't seem to connect. The official is nowhere to be found now. It's mayhem in the arena. One or two more quick set up moves and finally Hogan delivers his patented leg drop. 1-2-3! The heel is pinned, and Hogan's arm is held up in victory.

To the uninitiate, this would look like one of the greatest comebacks of all time. But if you were a mature wrestling fan, you knew this was exactly the way the match was going to play out. And sure, Hogan and this heel might put on this same show in a different city just a few nights later, and the match itself might play out a little differently, but the ending would look the same. When a championship was not on the line, the WWE might even let the heel win by countout or disqualificaiton. But when the outcome mattered and the match was on tv, the outcome was certain.

Is anyone else getting a bit tired of the predictability of these games even when they end the way you want them to? Did Syracuse's win tonight feel like a repeat? Have we not seen this exact sequence of events several times, maybe dozens of times before? Is anyone else a little suspicious of scores making serious moves towards the spread as the minutes wind down? Does the desperation press look at all like a Hulk Hogan 'out of nowhere' energy explosion? Does it seem odd that Mike Brey has his team ill-prepared for a press he's seen several times before? Does it seem ridiculous for Jim Boeheim to stick with a losing defense as long as he does? How about the phantom calls, the makeup calls, the fact that some guys are always on the line and others can't get there unless they get clotheslined? Is it weird that Syracuse can't score three possessions in a row for an hour, but when the press is on, suddenly every possession is fruitful? All of a sudden, a team that's hit a dozen threes can't even get one off now? Does it seem that everyone has a role to play?

If one wanted to see Syracuse win by 5 points tonight, would it have been better for the Orange to:
1) take an early lead and then play even all the way to the end?
2) take a huge lead and then squander nearly all of it?
3) have many lead changes and then just drill a shot or two at the end?
4) trail most of the game but come back just when you think they were out for the count?

The reaction in the Dome tells me the fans were manipulated in every bit the same way as wrestling fans in MSG would be for a Flair/Hogan title match. They LOVE #4. And they always have.

For me, this formula has played out so many times, it's gotten stale, predictable and actually boring. The lack of variation has become un-entertaining. And frankly, NCAA hoops has an illegitimate feel to it. And has for some time.

[Not long ago, someone equated Syracuse to Koko B. Ware. That was a brilliant observation to the macro level of where Syracuse is ranked and which opponents they can beat. As far as the micro level of how an individual game plays out, particularly in the Dome, they're Hulk Hogan - a lazy, predictable, formulaic show.]

 

[kirbivore]

The last 5 years have been Brock Lesnar making a 60 year old Hogan pass out in a bear hug, in an anticlimactic, inevitable L.

Hulk hung on to the bitter end and cared more about himself than the company. I can see some parallels here.

 

[kingtidge]

Hulk hung on to the bitter end and cared more about himself than the company. I can see some parallels here.

Hulk was a real American... Fought for the right of every man.

This thread has the potential to be a classic.

Speaking of classics...

 

[GoCuse14]

Chris Taylor...he wrestled collegiate at a JUCO in Michigan (Muskegon, we wrestled them every year when I was at NCCC) and then at Iowa State...i don't believe there was weight limits for the heavies back then.

Big mans heart couldn't keep up with him...passed away at a very young age.

Sorry...this is the wrestling I like. Cant add much to the fake discussion. lol

 

[donniesyracuse]

Hulk was a real American... Fought for the right of every man.

This thread has the potential to be a classic.

Speaking of classics...

That song was supposed to be for Barry Windham and Mike Rotundo.

 

[HOFCeluck]

 

[Frozen]

Hey Hulkster, what college did Mike Rotunda attend?