It appears that HC Kladno in the Czech second division will now be inheriting Jaromir Jagr, my favorite hockey player to watch ever. For those of you living under a rock these last 24 seasons, Jagr has played in 1,733 NHL games, winning two back-to-back Stanley Cups (while playing alongside Mario Lemieux), donning nine different uniforms, racking up 1,921 points (No. 2 all-time behind only Wayne Gretzky) and scoring 766 goals (No. 3 all-time behind only Gretzky and Gordie Howe). Yes, he did play for my hometown team at one point, but that's not what I love about him. This guy is just an everyday folk hero with a thousand anecdotes, each one funnier than the last -- from the 19-year-old model who tried extorting him (to which he basically responded, "please, go ahead, 43 and hooking up with a 19-year-old model? You'll just be hyping me up even more!") to his rumored 1,000-squats-per-day routine to his grandmother sending him Jaromir Jagr hot sauce while in the Pittsburgh locker room to the time he lost four teeth during a game, but came right back out to continue playing, to that mullet he's still rocking in 2017. I mean, seriously, how can you not like this guy?! I have him in my short-list of All-Time Top 5, a list that also includes his former line mate Lemieux, with both of them closely trailing Gretzky, Bobby Orr and Gordie Howe. Heck of an NHL career, Jagr, now go have some fun playing for the team you own!
02. The Gennady Golovkin-Canelo Alvarez rematch has now been booked.
Although Triple G clearly won that first match and they refused to give it to him -- C'mon now, 118-110 was a completely unacceptable and implausible result! Because of how close some of the rounds were, on that third scorecard (Adelaide Byrd's card), I would've accepted anything from a 114-114 draw to a 116-112 GGG victory, but not 118-110 in favor of Canelo, there's just no way! -- something in me is still hoping Golovkin/Alvarez II can somehow be an untainted entertaining fight. I would love to see two of the best at that weight class fight fairly to see who would come out on top. And now, they will be fighting on Cinco de Mayo (or May 5th, for you gringos out there), which makes me look forward to watching the Mexican Canelo attempt this massive feat yet again. First time was officially declared a "draw," and if I'm being completely honest with myself, given the history of Canelo's paid-for judges, I believe there will be a 0% chance Golovkin takes a decision the second time around either. No matter how close the fights are, there is always at least one judge who has a pre-filled scorecard (see the Trout, Lara, Floyd, Khan, Golovkin and/or Cotto fights for proof of this), so unless GGG can get a KO here (which I don't see happening, given Canelo's chin), I think it'll be a repeat of their first fight -- Golovkin should win, but gets robbed in the end. Either way, I have no stake in this thing, and what will be more fun to watch than two grown men kicking the crap out of each other on Cinco de Mayo as I get tipsy at my local pub? Absolutely nothing, that's what. Awesome job booking this date, Golden Boy Productions!
03. Ronda Rousey, WWE Superstar?
The former Strikeforce and UFC women's bantamweight champion and female MMA pioneer, for whom all the UFC women owe their existence within the organization, given what occurred in her last two fights (back-to-back losses to Holly Holm and Amanda Nunes), has now come to realize that her time as an MMA superstar has passed. The fight game has evolved, and her Olympic bronze medal background and great armbar offense are just no longer good enough to keep her in title contention. But since that recipe kept her as the face of women's MMA throughout 15 straight victories before then (3 amateur, 12 professional, all similarly one-sided), I don't blame the "Rowdy" one for trying to parlay her fame into dollars elsewhere. If you can no longer fight the big girls for real, let your fame win you titles fighting the big girls for fake. People will definitely eat it up that Ronda can defeat Charlotte Flair, the Bella Twins, Asuka and whomever else. I mean, really, in her prime, very few women could keep up with her (I'd basically only have picked Cris "Cyborg" Justino to come out on top), so why wouldn't Ronda be able to beat these other girls up in a WWE ring? It's not like any of them could outpoint Amanda Nunes either, that girl is just too much! So go win you some titles, Ronda, and I'll be rooting for you from the stance. As you yourself put it, and I totally agree because I also grew up a huge pro wrestling fan, "my 6-year-old self would totally kick my @$$ if I didn't take [the opportunity]." (P.S. For those of you who don't know, Ronda ain't faking this pro wrestling love either, she really is a big fan, even taking her nickname from the late great Roddy Piper.) It's nice to see someone happy doing what they truly actually love, and no longer having to fake it for the cameras. Good luck to you, Rousey!
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