WWE
Traina Thoughts: WrestleMania Weekend Is Here!
1. WrestleMania Weekend is here. The WWE Hall of Fame show takes place Friday night and then Sunday will feature SEVEN hours of 'Mania on the WWE Network. Here's all you need to know to get ready for the big day:
• Follow SI's new wrestling Twitter account @SI_wrestling.
• Roman Reigns explains what happened the time he forgot his lines on live TV during a promo with John Cena.
• Via 5Dimes.com, Reigns is a massive favorite to beat Brock Lesnar on Sunday.
• This animation, voiced over by Jim Ross, that remembers the time The Undertaker threw Mankind off the top of a Hell in the Cell, is awesome.
• SI.com's Justin Barrasso has 34 notes, quotes and anecdotes on WrestleMania 34.
• Reigns was one of the guests on this week's SI Media Podcast (beginning at the 38-minute mark). He talks about his match with Brock Lesnar, turning heel, the grind of 'Mania week and much more.
2. Thursday was another night in which the Greatest Show on Earth did this thing like it was no big deal.
3. When life hands you lemons, you play video games. At least that's what Phillies outfielder Nick Williams is doing this season. Via Philly.com:
Williams arrived to Citizens Bank Park on Thursday already knowing that he was out of the lineup. Kapler has texted him his playing schedule in advance. Williams said he’s never had a manager text him like that. The one bonus, Williams said, is Kapler’s alerts allow him to stay up late playing video games without feeling guilty about it. Williams does not know when he’ll play next, but he said he will prepare as best he can.
4. Jon Lester is now using a bounce throw to hold runners on because he has a mental block about throwing over to a base. Last night, the bounce throw worked—to third base.
5. While ESPN has gotten bad news when it comes to the initial ratings of its new morning show, Get Up!, Tiger Woods's return to the Masters paid off for the network. Ratings for Thursday's coverage were up 40% over 2017 and 16 percent over 2016. ESPN got its highest Thursday rating since 2015, the last year Woods played Augusta.
6. Today is Andy Gray's last day at Sports Illustrated. Andy took over Hot Clicks after I (mistakenly) left SI a few years ago and kept the machine going. Dan Gartland (give him a follow on Twitter) will now take over Hot Clicks and I have to say, as the person who created Hot Clicks, it will be nice to have a Yankees fan back manning the ship. However, I'm devastated that Andy is leaving the website. Yes, he has horrible TV takes.
However, he's been an enormous asset to SI and a great friend, and he played a big role in getting me back to SI. I wish him the best of luck in his next endeavor (not in sports media) and thank him for everything.
7. RANDOM WRESTLING VIDEO OF THE DAY: WrestleMania XIV: The Austin Era begins—with help from Mike Tyson.
Traina Thoughts is the best of the Internet, plus musings by SI.com writer, Jimmy Traina. Get the link to a new Traina's Thoughts each day by following on Twitter and liking on Facebook. Catch up on previous editions of Traina Thoughts right here.And make sure to listen to and subscribe to the SI Media Podcast hosted by Jimmy Traina.
IN CLOSING: I don't understand how anyone can like Conor McGregor.
