The NFL has agreed to a $765 million settlement deal with thousands of former players who sued the league, accusing it of hiding the dangers of brain injury while profiting from the sport's violence, according to court papers released Thursday.
The league agreed to fund medical exams, concussion-related compensation and a program of medical research as well as to cover some legal expenses, according to a filing in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania on Thursday.
The settlement is considered something of a win for the league, which observers estimated generates annual revenue as high as $10 billion...More?
source: chicagotribune.com
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August 30, 2013
NFL, players agree to settle concussion lawsuit
August 29, 2013
Dolph Ziggler Says He's 'Sick' Of WWE Always Backing Randy Orton
Mike Jones from DC101 in Washington DC spoke to Dolph Ziggler today, who was promoting Sunday's WWE live event at the Verizon Center. During the interview, Ziggler discussed WWE backing Randy Orton and seemed to mix storyline with reality.
"If you've been familiar with WWE for the last 10 years or so, you would understand without Triple H coming up front and coming out and saying this is our hand picked guy, he's the face, no matter what we're behind him," Ziggler said. "If you've been watching the last 10 years or so, you'd already know that they made up their mind about him long time ago. No matter what he does, good or bad, they're behind him and they'll go out of their way to cut peoples legs from underneath them to make sure Randy comes out looking great.
"So, the fact that it's now out in the open, and I'm allowed to comment on it, it actually makes me sick. I'm really happy from Randy, he's awesome, he's so good at this. It makes me mad how good he is. But the opportunities that he gets over and over again makes that chip on my shoulder feel that much bigger to me. I wanna go out there and prove that they're wrong, prove [to] Triple H that he backed the wrong guy for the last 10 years, and no matter what, I'm going to come out on top, one way or the other."
Ziggler also discussed what he feels is coming down the road for him, being a fan of Christian, who he would like to take on in the future and more. You can listen to the full interview by clicking here.
August 28, 2013
Trial Date Set For TNA/Scott Steiner Lawsuit
A trial date has been set for the TNA lawsuit against former performer Scott Steiner. According to a report by Mike Johnson, the trial will begin in Nashville, Tennessee on March 31, 2014 with a pre-trial meeting on March 14, 2014.
TNA had filed a lawsuit against Steiner in June 2012 for alleged defamation of Hulk Hogan, Eric Bischoff and others on Twitter, as well as a breach of contract. Steiner then counter-sued TNA in September 2012 for breaching their contract with him.
source: pwinsider.com
The WWE's Difficult Men
At SummerSlam, Daniel Bryan bested John Cena in an incredible, hard-fought match that saw Bryan — playing the scrappy, scraggly underdog — overcome immeasurable odds to defeat Cena, WWE's most unflappable and dominant hero since the heyday of Hulkamania. Bryan got the lion's share of the crowd's adulation, leaving Cena in the limbo of lukewarm applause that has become his standard. Let's call it "That awkward moment when your biggest hero is also your biggest villain." Cena still gets his cheers, but he also gets a lot of "heat" — the angry response a pro wrestling villain gets from crowds. Despite the abuse Cena suffered at the hands of unappreciative Angelenos in the Staples Center audience, he managed to get through SummerSlam without being the most hated guy on the roster. After Cena left the scene, WWE found a villain so pure at this pay-per-view that even the ironic boos of meta-fans couldn't dilute the audience reaction, and WWE got the best heat that it has seen in ages.
On Monday's episode of Raw, Triple H stood atop the entrance ramp with the entire roster in cowed silence as Bryan was callously thumped in the ring by the Shield. If any wrestler objected, they would be fired. Some might call this a delicious storytelling device. Some might say Triple H is once again acting out his power-trip fantasies in story lines. The message boards fumed with indignation: Triple H is back to burying the roster. He loves to hear himself talk; he loves to be in the spotlight; he loves to boss everybody around. When Orton strolled to the ring and coolly hit Bryan with the finishing blow, fans said, "Get that guy off my TV screen." And that's exactly what they're supposed to be saying. WWE figured out how to turn the meta-fans into old-school marks.
When I said good-bye to Triple H after our interview, he said everybody always asks him what's next for WWE, now that Vince has transformed it from a territorial wrestling operation to a global enterprise. "One word," he said. "Disney." If his heel turn is any indication, WWE might have found the formula. It's expanded beyond childish things — the simplistic storytelling archetypes of good and evil. And in doing so, it's finally figured out how to make good heroes and villains...More?
source: grantland.com
August 27, 2013
Rumor Mill - Triple H, Dolph Ziggler, Paul Heyman & Rob Van Dam
Dolph Ziggler is in the WWE doghouse. He was put under to Antonio Cesaro in a match taped for WWE Superstars and it’s rumored that he recently got into it with Randy Orton.
Paul Heyman got “major props” backstage for what was described as one of the best in ring action promo angles ever on this week’s Monday Night Raw. When he got to the back, Triple H put him over and called his work “magic.”
The plan as of this week is for a new Paul Heyman guy to “save him” at Night of Champions next month. This is the current course of storyline progression.
Do not be surprised if WWE straps Rob Van Dam at the pay-per-view next month. He’s expected to get a huge pop in Detroit and if WWE wants a title change for a few weeks or even a transition to Damien Sandow, this could be the opportunity.
source: wnw premium
Video: Triple H gives Brad Maddox specific orders for the Daniel Bryan vs. The Shield Gauntlet Match
August 26, 2013
Eric Bischoff Comments on the Internet Wrestling Community
"Unfortunately, the internet, the dirt sheets, the blogs, whatever you want to call them - a lot of them are operating with partial information. And that hurts a lot of the different parties involved. It hurts the talent in certain respects; it hurts the business in certain respects; it hurts the credibility of the people who write about things that they don't fully understand. It's unfortunate, but that’s the nature of the business."
Shane McMahon's Company Under Threat of Being Delisted by NASDAQ
Shane McMahon's company, YOU On Demand, filed the following 8K with the SEC on August 23rd:
Notice of Delisting or Failure to Satisfy a Continued Listing Rule or Standard; Transfer of Listing.
On August 20, 2013, YOU On Demand Holdings, Inc. (the “Company”) received a notice from Nasdaq indicating that the Company’s stockholders’ equity reported for its most recently completed fiscal quarter did not meet the minimum requirement of $2,500,000 for continued listing on the Nasdaq Capital Market as set forth in Nasdaq Listing Rule 5450(b)(1). As reported in the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended June 30, 2013 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 14, 2013, the Company’s stockholders’ equity was $1,553,238 as of June 30, 2013.
Under the applicable Nasdaq rules, the Company has 45 calendar days to submit a plan as to how the Company would seek to regain compliance with this requirement. The Company has been in contact with Nasdaq and will submit such a plan to regain compliance through transactions that result in a net increase in equity value. If the Company’s plan is not accepted by Nasdaq the Company will have the opportunity to appeal that decision to a hearings panel.
As a result of a gain on the Company’s recent sale of all of its interest in Jinan Guangdian Jia He Broadband Co., Ltd., the Company believes that it will be able to demonstrate compliance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5450(b)(1), however there can be no assurance that any plan to achieve continued compliance submitted by the Company would be accepted by Nasdaq or would be successful in maintaining the Company’s listing on the Nasdaq Capital Market for its common stock. Any such failure may impact the liquidity and market price of the Company’s common stock and the Company’s access to the capital markets.
Oderint Dum Metuant: Let Them Hate As Long As They Fear
