Rob Tringali/SI
Traina Thoughts: Give WWE Credit for Listening to Fans and Giving Women's Match the Main Event Slot at WrestleMania
1. The WWE really didn't have a choice, but the company still deserves full credit for announcing Monday that Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte Flair vs. Ronda Rousey will be the main event at WrestleMania 35 on April 7, making it the first time ever that a women's match headlines 'Mania.
The company has come a long way in building up the female superstars—who used to be called "Diva's." With Becky Lynch becoming the most popular person—male or female—in in the WWE, this was the perfect time to have a women's match headline the WWE's biggest show of the year. Add in the crossover appeal of Ronda Rousey thanks to her UFC days and it's not hard to see that there is much more interest in the women's three-way match than the Seth Rollins vs. Brock Lesnar bout that was also in consideration for the main event.
The women's match also features Charlotte Flair, which, even in the world of a scripted competition with a predetermined outcome, has generated a lot of controversy. Many WWE fans prefer to just see Becky beat Ronda one-on-one, but Vince McMahon decided to add some star power to the match by throwing Flair in there. (Does this mean we'll see Ric Flair try to interfere?) The truth is, with Lynch as the fan favorite, Rousey has established herself as the heel through a set of bizarre promos calling out wrestling for being fake. Plus, there are strong rumors Rousey will leave WWE after WrestleMania, which automatically makes her a heel to the WWE universe. A one-on-one match would've been fine, but Charlotte's done a lot for the women's division over the past few years, so it's hard to be upset that she's getting this reward.
The WrestleMania main event participants were thrilled to see all their hard work pay off and rightfully so.
Bottom line: The only way to close WrestleMania this year is with Becky Lynch's hand getting raised while the crowd goes nuts.
2. Yes, Gronk had a great career and is a first-ballot Hall of Famer who did surreal things on the field. But this will always be my all-time favorite Gronk thing.
3. Mets pitcher Noah Syndergaard called out the Mets for scheduling a workout—not an exhibition game, but a workout—in Syracuse before the team heads to Washington to open the season against the Nationals. Obviously, Syndergaard is 100% correct here, but we especially like the sarcasm he used in his various quotes about this ridiculous situation.
4. If you're a baseball purist, skip to Item No. 5, because this may make you angry. Phillies pitcher Cole Irvin showed some personality and had a little fun, GASP!, while pitching Sunday. After he threw six straight balls to open Philadelphia's game against Baltimore, Irvin celebrated when he finally threw a strike and it was great.
5. CBS and Turner Sports can thank Zion Williamson and even more so, legalized sports gambling, for great first- and second-round NCAA Tournament ratings.
6. The newest SI Media Podcast features an interview with the legendary Bill Raftery (beginning at the 39-minute mark). CBS's top college basketball analyst talks about being in the business for 33 years, the NCAA Tournament, how he paces himself on the first day, how he prepares for games, his famous catchphrases, retirement, and dealing with technology.
I was joined by my colleague Jack Dickey for the first portion of the podcast where we talked about all the latest sports media news, including Mike Trout's contract, ESPN's pursuit of Peyton Manning, NFL draft overkill, and more. You can listen to the podcast below or download it on iTunes, Spotify and Google Play.
7. RANDOM YOUTUBE VIDEO OF THE DAY: The Office made its debut on NBC 14 years ago Sunday—March 24, 2005. That's when we were introduced to the stapler-in-jello gag.
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: Responding to a report that WFAN was negotiating with a radio host to become Mike Francesa's partner prompted Francesa to tweet that he would address "the outrageous misinformation and outright lies," which he did by saying that he's considering adding another person to his program, which pretty much confirmed the outrageous misinformation and outright lies, no?
