Henry's World

This show is really starting to p*** me off with these ridiculous titles, though I do feel sorry for those poor ampersands who got stuck in the middle of this tremendous sexual chemistry. "Stan & Francine & Connie & Ted" sets out a path early on, by having Steve introduce his parents to Barry's parents. Stan and Francine crack many cutting jokes, but obviously Connie and Ted were never going to be what they or the audience expected. In what is somehow their very first appearance, Barry's parents turn out to be cool cats stuck in the 70s. Stan and Francine are enamored immediately, and how could they not be, did you know Ted played a little ball at San Jose State? Everything about Barry's parents is quite fun, but American Dad ramps things up, as Steve discovers that they are swingers. For the rest of the episode, Steve is determined to stop his parents from getting in a little too deep, though it does turn out later that Stan and Francine were awa...

Tonight is the ultimate chance to make history. 30 men, all vying for the opportunity of a lifetime, to headline the biggest event in the the pro wrestling world, WrestleMania. It is now time for the Royal Rumble Match! Entrant #1- Chad Gable Entrant #2- Andrade "Cien" Almas This was a tough draw to start out for Chad Gable, who won SmackDown the number 30 spot and then ended up entering first. But luckily for him, he got an opportunity at revenge, as his rival Andrade entered second. Gable went right after Almas, nearly tossing him out immediately, but the Intercontinental Champion hung on for number three... Entrant #3- The Miz The A-Lister quickly teamed up with Almas, seeing Gable as the biggest threat. Together, the two men managed to toss the former Olympian out first, though their alliance was short lived... Entrant #4- EC3 One number off his name, the NXT Champion made his way to the ring, not looking quite at full health after his war with the Velve...

Tonight, the Road to WrestleMania kicks into high gear at the Royal Rumble. In Part 1, Roman Reigns looks to finally win his first world championship, Daniel Bryan attempts to regain the WWE Championship and more! Universe Mode Royal Rumble January 27th, 2019 Location: Philadelphia, PA Official Royal Rumble Theme Song- "The Fight"- The Phantoms Asuka(c) vs Bayley- SmackDown Women's Championship Match The champion hasn't quite looked her best in recent weeks following the Iron Woman Match with Kairi Sane, and Bayley would take advantage. With Sasha Banks watching on, the Huggable One was in stupendous form, coming very close to winning the championship several times. But even after taking the Bayley to Belly and the elbow drop, Asuka was still kicking out, still persevering. In the end, the Empress won another tough battle, applying the Asuka Lock and forcing Bayley to tap.  Winner and still SmackDown Women's Champio...

It's the beginning of the Road to WrestleMania, as 30 superstars compete to earn a world championship match in the main event of the Grandest Stage of Them All. Royal Rumble 2019 Card Asuka(c) vs Bayley- SmackDown Women's Championship Match With her friendship with Sasha Banks seemingly restored, Bayley is back in the title picture, and gets her shot at the Empress to open the Royal Rumble event. Is the Huggable One ready for Asuka? Pete Dunne(c) vs Elias- United Kingdom Championship Match The Drifter called out the UK Champion, and in a shocker, managed to pick up a win over Pete Dunne after grabbing the tights in a pinfall. Goldberg decided to give Elias a championship match, and added some additional incentive, as the winner will also be a part of the Royal Rumble. The Woken Warriors(c) vs The Usos- SmackDown Tag Team Championship Match Jimmy and Jey Uso are finally back in a title match, picking up several crucial wins over the past few weeks. For as g...

Tonight, NXT takes over Philadelphia, as the heated rivalry between the Velveteen Dream and EC3 reaches a climax as they battle in an Extreme Rules match. Plus, Mustafa Ali's chance at the Cruiserweight Championship, Io Shirai vs Bianca Belair and more! Universe Mode NXT Takeover: Philadelphia January 26th, 2019 Location: Philadelphia, PA The War Raiders(c) vs The Ascension- Extreme Rules Match for the NXT Tag Team Championships As you could've expected, this was a chaotic brawl with little in the way of actual wrestling, as all four guys took turns beating each other up. But it was Hanson and Rowe who would give Konnor and Viktor the Viking experience on this night, as Viktor took a piledriver to the floor and Konnor was put away with Death Rowe.  Winners and still NXT Tag Team Champions: The War Raiders Keith Lee vs Matt Riddle These two good friends put on a showcase match tonight, with Lee using his incredible athleticism...

The night before the Royal Rumble, NXT takes over the Birthplace of Extreme. NXT Takeover: Philadelphia Card War Raiders(c) vs The Ascension- Extreme Rules Match for the NXT Tag Team Championships After losing their titles in Tokyo, Konnor and Viktor have been on a warpath back to the top, and these two teams have continued to be at each other's throats. This promises to be a chaotic affair, and will kick off the night in style. Keith Lee vs Matt Riddle Good friends on the independent scene collide one on one, as Keith Lee faces Matt Riddle. Both men have been dominant since arriving to NXT, and this match was set up after both went to Triple H to demand more competition. Io Shirai(c) vs Bianca Belair- NXT Women's Championship Match After taking her first loss in Tokyo, Toni Storm has struggled since, including losing a number one contender's match to Bianca Belair. The EST of NXT now gets her shot at the Genius of the Sky, and Bianca has promised to g...

Holy sh** that's a long episode title. If it were up to me, titles would only be two words of less. Bonus points if you know what that's from. "I Am The Jeans: The Gina Lavetti Story" has a tremendously long title that is far more inventive than it's actual subject matter. This is another American Dad episode that just introduces a conflict we've never seen before or particularly care about, this time between Francine and one of Roger's personas, a woman named Gina Lavetti. Their friendship is almost at a breaking point, and provides an interesting shift in dynamics for both characters, as Roger in this persona lacks any sort of bravado. It's a unique take for both Francine and Roger, and one that mostly works. After not being able to fit in any jeans, Gina decides to make and sell her own, and needs constant support from Francine along the way. But this ends up backfiring, as Francine pushes too hard to get Gina a better air time on the Langley H...

Tonight, it's the final pay-per-view of the year for Monday Night Raw, as every competitor on the red brand looks to end 2018 the right way. Shinsuke Nakamura puts his Universal Championship on the line against Seth Rollins, Becky Lynch and Shayna Baszler both seek redemption, The Miz faces The Undertaker and more! Universe Mode Armageddon December 30th, 2018 Location: Sacramento, CA Official Armageddon Theme Song- "Let Me Live/Let Me Die"- Des Rocs Braun Strowman vs The Undisputed Era The Undisputed Era were unable to use their numbers advantage early, as Braun Strowman pummeled each of them in turn. But eventually, through sheer persistence, Cole, Fish and O'Reilly wore the Monster down, and were able to go to work with their deadly tag team offense. Fish and O'Reilly's finisher, Chasing the Dragon, connected, but Cole wasn't done yet. He tagged himself in, and delivered the Last Shot, figuratively and literally,...

With Shane McMahon now fired after Team Raw lost at Survivor Series, the Raw following would see the red brand get a new GM: Goldberg! Let's have a look at Goldberg's first pay-per-view card in charge of Raw. Armageddon 2018 Card Braun Strowman vs The Undisputed Era After losing his championship to Shinsuke Nakamura at Survivor Series, Braun Strowman would be attacked by The Undisputed Era, who were intent to make a statement. But this only served to anger the Monster Among Men, who demanded to face all three men in a handicap match. Pete Dunne(c) vs Randy Orton- United Kingdom Championship Match On Raw two weeks ago, the United Kingdom Champion was the victim of an RKO. Randy Orton was determined to get a chance to add another championship to his collection, but Pete Dunne has promised that the Viper has a Bitter End in his future. The Authors of Pain(c) vs The Revival- Raw Tag Team Championship Match After losing their titles to Akam and Rezar at Unforgi...

Welcome to Starrcade, where tonight, by his own personal request, Daniel Bryan's WWE Championship is in major jeopardy, as he defends against both Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn. Plus, a Street Fight between John Cena and Samoa Joe, and Asuka and Kairi Sane is an Iron Woman Match! Universe Mode Starrcade December 23rd, 2018 Location: Cincinnati, OH  Official Starrcade Theme Song- "Ain't No Rest for the Wicked"- Cage the Elephant Bobby Roode vs Tyler Breeze This was a game of one-upmanship from the start, as these two egocentric competitors were determined to gain the mental advantage. In the end, it was Tyler Breeze who won the mind games and the match, successfully pinning Roode with his own Glorious DDT Winner: Tyler Breeze Bayley and Sasha Banks vs The IIconics Tonight, it was like Bayley and Sasha Banks had never ended their friendship. The two former champions were at their best, and Billie Kay and Peyton Royce ...

The fallout from Survivor Series can be felt at SmackDown's next pay-per-view, the WCW classic Starrcade. Starrcade 2018 Card Bobby Roode vs Tyler Breeze These two egomaniacs have clashed on SmackDown a few times over the past month, both looking to get their previous world champion/top contender form. They'll get a chance for a big win to open Starrcade as they go one on one. Bayley and Sasha Banks vs The IIconics In a shocking turn, Sasha Banks saved Bayley from an attack by Billie Kay and Peyton Royce a few weeks ago, apparently to bring back their old friendship. Bayley is understandably hesitant after everything Sasha has done to her in the past, but has agreed to team with the Legit Boss for one night only. Andrade "Cien" Almas(c) vs Chad Gable- Intercontinental Championship Match After Chad Gable was the Sole Suvivor for Team SmackDown, he's been the talk of the pro wrestling world. Edge quickly announced Gable as the first challenger f...

This is actually one of the first times I can remember American Dad doing a timely episode, with baseball season having just started a few weeks ago. Apart from the occasional case of inconsistent writing, this was a very solid start to the latest season of this show. "Fantasy Baseball" starts with a premise that may very well put you to sleep, as Stan gets upset at Steve for not having any interest in something he considers legitimate. It's the type of storyline we've seen approximately a hundred million times on this show, and is so played out I don't think it legally qualifies as content anymore. But I will give the writers credit for introducing a more interesting conflict between the traditional aspects of the sport and the need to stay relevant the age we live in. It's truthful enough to say that baseball has largely lost the common touch, especially with teenagers and young adults, and the division grows more and more with each passing day. The sho...

I realize I just had a blog update less than two weeks ago, but things move quickly when you're me. I'll get straight to the point. I've already posted a good amount of The New Millennium series, and believe me when I tell you I have a lot more where that came from. In fact, I have enough content to post the series daily for the rest of the April. The simple fact is that it's incredibly easy to write posts for that series- the regular season, playoffs and offseason posts only take me about 2-3 hours in one session to write all 3. And while that does mean I can just pump out content, and I am really enjoying making it, I also don't think this is what my blog is about. So after telling you where my head is at, let's take an abrupt left turn. Are you aware I have a second blog? It's found right here:  https://htkthoughts.blogspot.com/  I've posted only sporadically there over the past few years, but it's time to change. So I'm making the executiv...

Last time on The New Millennium, the Orlando Magic took down the Portland Trail Blazers in a hard fought seven game series to win their first NBA Championship. Now, though, the offseason is upon us, and changes are coming. Player Retirements The retirements this year included names like Jerome Kersey, Sam Perkins, Otis Thorpe, A.C. Green, Detlef Schrempf, Johnny Newman, Horace Grant and Cliff Robinson. Unfortunately, none of them were elected into the Hall of Fame. Draft Lottery For the second year in a row, the poor Pelicans had absolutely no luck, falling to pick number three. The Cavaliers managed to win the lottery, while the Suns will pick second, and the Hawks and Mavericks round out the top five. 2002 NBA Draft 1. C Yao Ming, Cleveland Cavaliers 2. PF Amar'e Stoudemire, Phoenix Suns 3. SF Caron Butler, New Orleans Pelicans 4. PG Jay Williams, Atlanta Hawks 5. SF Clifton Davenport, Dallas Mavericks(generated player) 6. PG Damien Baxter, Detroit Pistons(...

Last time on The New Millennium, the Grizzlies significantly changed the timeline, staying in Vancouver and finishing first in the Western Conference. But it was the 76ers, fresh off a first round exit, who claimed the best record in the league, led by MVP Allen Iverson. Who will claim the ultimate prize? It's time to find out. First Round Unfortunately, the youth of Vancouver was their downfall, as the veteran SuperSonics ran roughshod in an easy sweep. The Trail Blazers and Lakers both survived tough battles to advance, while Chris Webber led the Kings to an upset over the Jazz. Out East, Allen Iverson put on a show but six Nets players scored in double digits to once again end Philly's season in the first round. Milwaukee and Miami breezed through, and in a battle between cousins and ex teammates, Tracy McGrady and the Magic defeated Vince Carter and the Raptors. Second Round The Bucks continued their dominance, easily eliminating the Nets, allowing only 77 point...

It's very odd to have a season finale take place just randomly while a show is airing, but such is the way American Dad is treated by TBS. Still, an episode like this one does stand out, and mostly for the right reasons. "The Future is Borax" doesn't waste any time establishing the main conflict of the episode, as Stan and Francine bicker and Barry steps in to offer advice. I don't understand at all why they would just trust this overweight, clinically insane child to "save" their marriage, but considering that is part of the storyline, I guess just go with it. Stan and Francine take a trip to Rekindlings, the place Barry suggested, but it does little to reduce their arguments. Some various hijinks sees the couple stranded on a hot air balloon, fighting off condors and using sea water to stay alive. While most of the animation is fantastic, the problem is that only real identifying thread through all of this is Stan and Francine's continued surv...

Last time on The New Millennium, we saw the Los Angeles Clippers luck out, getting the number one pick in the lottery and selecting Pau Gasol. Plus, after their first round exit in the playoffs, the 76ers spent big in free agency to replace Aaron McKie and Dikembe Mutombo. We now head into the 2001-2002 season, as we see new rookies enter the league and Shaq attempt to three peat as MVP. Western Conference In a surprising turn of events, the Vancouver Grizzlies were the top team in the West, winning a tiebreaker over the Utah Jazz thanks to a better conference record. Led by Most Improved Player Mike Bibby(17 ppg, 9.7 apg), Shareef Abur-Rahim(21.7 ppg, 8.5 rpg) and rookie Tyson Chandler(12.6 ppg, 12.9 rpg), the Grizzlies are established in Vancouver and are ready to make a playoff run. The Jazz also had a great season, thanks in large part to Donyell Marshall(15.3 ppg), but the age of the team remains a very real issue. The reining champs will be disappointed, as the Lakers fini...

With the playoffs over and the Lakers once again champions of the basketball world, it's time to begin the offseason. Who will switch teams, and who will select the stars of the future? Player Retirements The headliners for retirements this year were John Stockton, Hakeem Olajuwon, Terry Porter, Patrick Ewing and Chris Mullin. Ewing, Olajuwon and Stockton would all be inducted into the 2001 Hall of Fame. Draft Lottery The city of Los Angeles continued to score big, as the Clippers leap-frogged the Pelicans and stole the number one pick. New Orleans had to settle for the second pick, while the worst team in the Eastern Conference, the Cleveland Cavaliers, fell all the way to pick number four. 2001 NBA Draft Here is a summary of the lottery picks, plus any real life players that were picked later in the draft: (Henry's Note- there are a couple of big names missing from each historic draft class, as I'm guessing 2k couldn't get the rights to those player...

The first season of The New Millennium is done and dusted, and now all 16 teams enter the playoffs in hopes of capturing the ultimate prize. Can the Lakers go back to back? Will the 76ers avenge their real life loss? It's time to find out. First Round There was only one true upset in the West, as the veteran Jazz team took out the Warriors in 4 games( Henry's Note- first round series were best-of-5 at this time ), with Danny Manning dropping 21 points in the deciding game. The East was complete anarchy, as the top seeded Heat went down to the Knicks, and Michael Redd and Ray Allen led the Bucks to an upset over the 76ers. Second Round Both of those surprise teams came right on winning, as the Knicks easily dispatched of the Celtics while the Bucks narrowly survived against the Magic in 7 games, needing a few huge performances from Glenn Robinson. The Lakers took a 3-1 lead against the Timberwolves, then couldn't stop Kevin Garnett, who single handedly evened the...

It's time to start our first episode of The New Millennium, and this post will cover the entire 2000-2001 regular season. Obviously, I've never done anything like this before, so it could be rough starting off. Also, with 30 teams across an entire season, there's absolutely no chance for me to cover everything that's going on, but I'll try the best that I can. Hopefully you enjoy one of my most ambitious projects yet. (Henry's Note- ppg=points per game, apg=assists per game, rpg=rebounds per game, blkpg=blocks per game) Western Conference We start out west, where for the second year in a row, Shaquille O'Neal(24.6 ppg, 14.1 rpg) was crowned MVP, leading the Los Angeles Lakers to the best record in the league, at 59-23. Second place went to the Portland Trail Blazers, who were led by their stellar defense, anchored by Rasheed Wallace. The Golden State Warriors fell just short of 50 wins and feature blossoming young star Antwan Jamison(18.2 p...

It's October 31st, 2000. The world has survived the Y2K bug; the computers have failed their hostile takeover and the internet is slowly taking the shape we know it today. The Playstation 2 released in March, while the Nintendo GameCube was revealed in August. In the world of sports, France followed up their World Cup win by conquering the Euros, and just five days ago, the Yankees were crowned the Kings of New York, defeating the Mets in six games. And in the National Basketball Association, new superstars are emerging. In February, Vince Carter put on a show in the recently revived Slam Dunk contest, where he was joined by teammate and cousin Tracy McGrady, both representing the new breed of the sport. The dominant duo of Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal each lifted their first championship, but their egos may lead to the team's downfall. Shaq was nearly the unanimous MVP, but had one vote stolen away from him by CNN's Fred Hickman, who instead cast his first place...