#reject timekeeper return to settings person

[labyrinth-guard]

Heehee Stanley Parable Art Dump

Been thinking about them since i first played it last year [in december :p]

[brianhandy]

Time to Search for Marketing

My plan was for things to let up this month to leave a little more time for job hunting, and do marketing research half the time. Instead I’ve found that even finding a marketing person is a full time job, cold emailing and searches are always tough, and onboarding new folks will always be tricky (so consider instead investing in more long term contracts since onboarding is a real time cost). These two weeks’ news: marketing knowledge, searching for the right person once more, and onboarding! 

Nintendo Power praises by Chris Zukowski.

Marketing Knowledge

I watched a GDC talk most mornings the last two weeks, including:

Erik Johnson's “Making Indie Games That Sell”

Chris Dwyer's "(Opportunity) Cost Effective Marketing & PR for Indies"

David Wehle’s “No Time, No Budget, No Problem: Finishing The First Tree”

Casey Yano's "Slay the Spire: Success through Marketability"

“Put Your Name on Your Game, a Talk by Bennett Foddy and Zach Gage"

Nick Popovich's "Making Games That Stand Out and Survive"

Mike Rose’s “Making the World Give a Damn About Your Game in 2018″

Chris Zukowski’s “Build Your Own Fan Club: How to Use Your Email List”

Mike Rose’s and Chris Zukowski’s I’ve linked since I found them especially formative to how I will approach marketing now. All the talks are good for different reasons, all reinforce the same ideas of developing a relationship with your audience and all suggest, like a good friend, investing in that relationship by routinely sending them cool stuff you think they’d enjoy. Nintendo Power is cited in Chris’s talk as the best example of this yet. But having an audience that loves consuming your work, whether it’s love letters as an email newsletter for Date Everything, or a Discord server that gets secret news and updates early, investing in the community and connection that is your audience will help grow and maintain that so that when your game does launch, the strongest fans can immediately invest and help push it up the charts. It’s a great core idea, and it depends on respecting and mutually investing in your audience in a really healthy way.

Also: did some preliminary video tests with friends so we can start making more marketable content soon. Hopefully more on that soon!

Do you like filling out webforms? Yes? Great, cold emailing is perfect for you!

Searching for Marketing Folks

Cold emailing folks is still hard! I think this will be rough forever. Making a template helps so you don’t rewrite the same core every time. Tweaking it to respect someone’s individuality and showing what you care about helps too. We all have to communicate with a lot of people, and I think as long as there is respect both ways in mind and in action, using your own templates for certain emails is fine. If you’re going to say the same three sentences every time, stop wasting time rewriting them. They do their job - customize the message elsewhere.

The search has been just as rewarding as when looking for an artist though. It broke down into a few steps like last time:

Searching for portfolios I trusted. This was on Google, leading to individuals’ sites for “indie games marketing” or “mobile game marketing” keywords, then cold emailing, getting rejected, and then asking for their recommendations for more folks which had a 1 in 5 chance of getting another 2-5 names. Repeat. (this process took about 3 rounds to find/email some 10-20 people, with rounds costing probably 4hrs of time each on separate days since email replies average 24-48hrs)

Sending back and forth emails with a smaller pool of the top 5-8 individuals. Different backgrounds gave some leads for trailers and PR folks that were not marketing directly as well. This email back and forth averaged about 5 emails, taking 2-3hrs each day for about 3 days. 

Phonecalls and Skype chats with just over half of those individuals, a half hour each with buffer times for setup and notes/emails after, have narrowed us down to probably the final two candidates once again. That meant another 3-5hrs combined to talk with everyone and read some longer emails that needed 30min+ each to read and reply to.

One last round of phonecalls, another 2hrs, and we should have the final marketing candidate. That means in total, finding a candidate for this position probably took between 23 and 28 hours, or a little over half workweek but divided over two weeks. That’s not a small amount of time! I would expect any major new hire, from a zero reference starting point, to just cost a week of work over 2-3 weeks in the future. Due to the back and forth there’s not a great way to accelerate this either. It’s part of the process I didn’t really know how to make time for, but both hiring for design and hiring for marketing have worked this way so I want to make that a clear expectation in the future.

SBA’s website is fancier than I’m used to for government sites!

Business Plans & Executive Summaries

A friend introduced me to SBA - Small Business Administration, a government support agency for entrepreneurs and small businesses. It is surprisingly excellent and has given me some really good wakeup moments for facing the upcoming financial challenges and expectations. They want people who walk through their doors to be well equipped to make a sustainable business, or acquire funding to grow, and in return they want to see your business numbers so they have a sense of what markets are shrinking or growing. From the perspective of a small business, it’s a very useful tool - and they’re not only holding me accountable but teaching me where I need to focus my efforts to financially survive. I am excited to keep working with an advisor I have here now and turn an executive summary I wrote this week into more of a real business plan - useful both for managing expectations of returns, and for marketing to the best audience possible. 

Better “onboarding” (like a boat) involves “iterating” (like the photo)! Ahh? Ahh??

Onboarding

Don’t be fooled by the silly photo - this part was hard and important!

Searching for new contractors took more time than expected, but onboarding known contractors also took a larger than expected amount of time. My biggest regret on this is not taking a more iterative approach to onboarding. I passed on instructions for a new artist I worked with recently (a cool person at that!) and later learned I had not been clear in communicating my needs, the style, or the goals in the way I believed I had. My value is that it is on the communicator to deliver a message on average, and I wish I had done more checking early to ensure I had delivered the right message.

For a contracted game designer I am bringing on to do a pass on adding animal videos, I’ve asked that they show first drafts early and often at the start so we are on the same page before too much work risks being done down the wrong path. I value the concept of hiring good people, clearly communicating, and getting out of the way - but at times those last two points can be in conflict with one another. I hope to share more details soon on finding a better approach here too.

Ahh! What’s this? Secret developer options ingame? 👀 

Design & Tech

Just some fun final details! I added a debug mode to show all animals, questions, and silhouettes! This increases onboarding and test results times in a way I’ve always wanted to do, but couldn’t justify until it was slowing down the work of others. Now that’s in and has gotten me to also do a quick pass at optimizing the videos, so they’ve all been trimmed to 11sec and cropped to the size of the frame, saving us 400/600MB of video space. Awesome!

Rapid video bulk editing was done with ffmpeg for trimming and MPEG Streamclip for cropping and video quality level control. I’ve also added dynamic quality adjustors (whoops forgot that before) so low ram devices run lowres videos compared to high ram devices. Accidentally, I had set everything to low ram before. But that’s fixed!

Toggl report so far for 2020! March is work from home + halfway into the month.

Time Keeping

Toggl is my timekeeping app, and it’s been very useful lately as I bulk categorized all work that had been done on both this and my last project. When working for others, I seem to successfully track 7.5hrs/day of work (there’s a little wiggle room here as I don’t always start tracking exactly when I start - but it’s a solid approximation) and when I work for myself, I successfully track about 6hrs/day (and even though personal tracking is significantly less accurate, this is still is a concerning number). In short: I’m slacking! I really want those numbers to go up, even if I think a big part of it is also how many of those hours are focused vs unfocused work. But it’s good to see my work numbers aren’t ridiculously off the mark. It’s definitely possible for me to hit full workdays in self employment, I’m just not there yet.

Pomodoro Timer techniques on my smart watch have actually been incredibly effective lately for that focus. I’ll set a timer for 25min, then a break timer for 5min, and the wrist accessibility keeps me really focused and moving forwards to getting those hours in. With startup work especially, it’s hard to tell where breaks give the creativity needed to keep up with how the goals change, and where focus gives you the work needed to pump out a product on the current path. Lightfield capture technology was a big distraction this week among all the virus news (if we have to stay indoors, I want to develop a better and more 3d Skype!) and while that might be more profitable as a field longterm, short term it’s better to focus on just finishing the job you started. So what’s best? I think that’s something to continuously be reassessed by context, per project, and a healthy dose of gut feeling.

Was it most efficient to reuse UI for testing? Or just done to look pretty?

Conclusion

Time is short! How do we make the most of it? One of the marketing talks said 30% of your time as an indie dev should go towards marketing, starting before the project starts. And that makes sense. But how do we fill in all the other balancing pieces? Should optimizing get as much priority as finding a good marketing person? Should we spend more time onboarding someone we find, or finding someone who doesn’t need onboarding? And depending on what kinds of profits you can expect and how confidently, you can take all the time in the world. Marketing, business, and development time have this entanglement that I’m only just starting to feel directly - and beyond creating art to change the world, I am experiencing now everything about the marketing and business side of game development, and the stresses of it, directly.

Next time: I hope I decide on a business and marketing plan and a target demographic before I commit to a game’s development, rather than the end of it. It will make sustainable game development significantly easier. 

3/13/20

[kansascityhappenings]

Read the Rules for Facebook Live Sweepstakes

Official Rules for Facebook Live Sweepstakes

(Getty Images)

Below are Official Rules for sweepstakes conducted via Facebook Live by WDAF:

WDAF – TV OFFICIAL RULES FOR FACEBOOK LIVE SWEEPSTAKES GIVEAWAYS

SPONSOR WDAF-TV, 3030 Summit Kansas City, Missouri 64108

SWEEPSTAKES DATES From time to time, WDAF-TV will announce a sweepstakes on Facebook Live (“Sweepstakes”). Unless the sweepstakes is governed by a separate set of official rules, each Facebook Live Sweepstakes begins the moment it is announced on Facebook via the FOX4 News Kansas City page here for the first time, and ends at the time announced in the description of the Facebook Live Event on the FOX4 New Kansas City page.

The computer clock of Sponsor’s webmaster is the official timekeeping device of the Sweepstakes.

HOW TO ENTER NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Enter online by posting a comment on the Facebook Live post on the Spotlight Page in which the Sweepstakes is announced (“the Sweepstakes Post”). You must also have a valid Facebook account in order to submit your entry. Incomplete entries will be disqualified. Copies or other mechanical reproductions, facsimiles, entries containing technical or electronic reproductions, entries containing attached files are not eligible and will be rejected. In the event of a dispute regarding the identity of an entrant, the holder of the e-mail account associated with the Facebook Account that posted the winning entry will be deemed the person who submitted the entry. Entries become the exclusive property of Sponsor and will not be returned or acknowledged. Sponsor is not responsible for entries that are lost, late, misaddressed or misdirected due to technical or computer failures, errors or data loss of any kind, lost or unavailable internet connections, or failed incomplete, garbled or deleted computer or networks transmissions, inability to access the website or online service, or any other technical error or malfunction.

ELIGIBILITY This sweepstakes is void where prohibited by law. This sweepstakes is open only to legal residents of Kansas and Missouri, who are age 18 or older as of the announcement of each individual Sweepstakes, and who have not won any other prize from WDAF within the 60 days preceding the announced sweepstakes. For an instance of this Sweepstakes that includes a prize that requires the winner to be 21 years of age or older, the minimum eligibility age shall be 21. Employees of other media companies (including television and radio), Sponsor and its parent corporation, subsidiaries, or affiliates, and such employees’ immediate family or household members are not eligible to enter or win the sweepstakes.

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the prize

the Approximate Retail Value (“ARV”) of the prize

the time the sweepstakes ends

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After the entry period has concluded, all valid entries will be combined into a single pool, and from that pool winners will be selected in a random drawing within seven (7) days of the end of the Sweepstakes and contacted via Facebook comment or via private message on Facebook.

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GENERAL CONDITIONS If for any reason, online-entry portion of this sweepstakes is not capable of running as planned, including infection by computer virus, tampering, fraud, technical failure, or any other cause which corrupts or threatens the administration, security or integrity of the sweepstakes, Sponsor reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to terminate or suspend the sweepstakes or any portion of the sweepstakes. ANY ATTEMPT TO DAMAGE OR UNDERMINE THE FAIR AND LEGITIMATE OPERATION OF THIS SWEEPSTAKES WILL RESULT IN DISQUALIFICATION FROM THE SWEEPSTAKES. Information submitted in text message and online entries, including entrant’s phone number, name, address, e-mail address, etc., may be used by WDAF-TV for marketing or promotional purposes. Sponsor reserves the right to prohibit any entrant from participating in the Sweepstakes if, at their sole discretion, Sponsor finds such entrant to be tampering with the entry voting process or if such individual repeatedly shows a disregard for, or attempts to circumvent, these Official Rules, or acts: (a) in a manner the Sponsor determines to be not fair or equitable; (b) with an intent to annoy, threaten or harass any other entrant or Sponsor; or (c) in any other disruptive manner.

Neither the failure of Sponsor to insist upon or enforce strict performance of any provision of these Official Rules nor the failure, delay or omission by Sponsor in exercising any right with respect to any term of these Official Rules, will be construed as a waiver or relinquishment to any extent of each Sponsor’s or right to assert or rely upon any such provision or right in that or any other instance.

All issues and questions concerning the construction, validity, interpretation and enforceability of these Official Rules, or the rights and obligations of entrants and Sponsor in connection with these Sweepstakes shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of California, without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of law rules or provisions.

By participating in a WDAF-TV Facebook Live Sweepstakes, you agree to have your name, photograph, voice, biographical information, and likeness used in any and all media for promotional purposes by Sponsor relating to this sweepstakes or future similar sweepstakes without further compensation or notice, except as prohibited by law.

By participating in a WDAF-TV Facebook Live Sweepstakes, you represent that you agree to be bound by these rules and the decisions of the judges and to release Sponsor, its parents, subsidiaries, affiliates, directors, officers, employees, and agents from any and all liability for any injuries, losses, or damages of any kind caused by any prize or resulting from your participation in this sweepstakes and your acceptance and use of any prize.

For a copy of the Official Rules or the names of winners, send a self-addressed envelope along with a letter detailing your request (including the date of the giveaway in question and the prize awarded) to “Facebook Live Sweepstakes”, WDAF-TV, 3030 Summit Kansas City, Missouri 64108. Winners’ names will be available after the winners have been verified and the prizes have been awarded.

This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook.

from FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports https://fox4kc.com/2019/07/09/facebook-live-sweepstakes/

from Kansas City Happenings https://kansascityhappenings.wordpress.com/2019/07/09/read-the-rules-for-facebook-live-sweepstakes/

[talabib]

Learn About How Your Daily Habits Are Rooted In Human History.

For millennia, humans’ basic habits have remained unchanged: we get out of bed in the morning, go to the toilet and wash our bodies. Then we grab some food for breakfast, choose our clothes for the day and start communicating with our loved ones and friends. Later in the day, we prepare food and eat and drink together. When the day is over, we brush our teeth, set an alarm and get into bed again.

You’ll be guided through a day like any other to learn the surprising cultural history of our day-to-day routines, and the many seemingly insignificant actions that can be traced back to our early ancestors.

Timekeeping and the toilet date back as far as the Stone Age.

It’s 9:30 on a Sunday morning and your alarm clock rouses you from your sleep. You’d rather snooze a little longer but your clock gives off another annoying buzz, and you reluctantly get out of bed.

Today, clocks certainly govern the pulse of our lives; but the act of keeping time is actually something that dates back all the way to the Stone Age.

In fact, the world’s oldest calendar is 30,000 years old. It was found in Le Placard in the Dordogne region and is made out of eagle bone. Along its surface are scratched a series of notches that chart the waxing of the moon, from new to full.

This relatively crude timekeeping is nothing compared to what the ancient Egyptians developed. With their sundials, they could use the shadow of a rod to indicate the approximate hour. And at night, they could track and chart the movement of the Decan stars that appear over the eastern horizon just before dawn, and move from east to west by one degree each day. This allowed the Egyptians to determine the day of the week as well as an approximate hour of the night.

Returning to our morning routine: it’s 9:45 a.m., and having dragged ourselves out of the bed, we make a morning trip to the toilet. But how old are toilets after all?

Toilets date as far back as the Stone Age, too – just not toilets as we might imagine them. Stone Age urban sanitation wasn’t especially sophisticated. In Çatalhöyük in Turkey, archaeologists have found evidence that, 9,500 years ago, sanitation basically meant piling human waste in a courtyard. But about 4,500 years ago, advanced sanitation systems appeared in the cities of the Harappan societies, in modern-day Pakistan. They had sewers, wiping material, water to flush and even a seat.

Now that we’ve finished our toilet stop, it’s time to have breakfast. Next, we’ll move into the kitchen and consider the history of breakfast.

Our breakfast ingredients have a long-standing history, but our morning hygiene has changed a lot over time.

It’s now approaching 10 a.m. and you’re probably getting a little hungry. Time for breakfast! But what are you in the mood for? Cereal, bread, or maybe a full English breakfast with ham, beans, potato and egg?

While your choose you favorite ingredients, you might spare a thought for their long and important history.

Let’s look at that bowl of cereal to start. Breakfast cereal was born in 1894, when Will Kellogg was boiling wheat in an attempt to create a substitute for bread. But instead of becoming bread, the wheat softened into a watery goop.

Kellogg didn’t want to waste the wheat, so tried to squeeze out the water by squishing it through large rollers. To his surprise, the result was a more-than-edible wheat flake, which was the beginning of Kellogg’s Corn Flakes.

In contrast, bread is a much older invention. Between 10,000 and 2000 BC, during the Neolithic era, humans were already baking primitive forms of bread.

And those sunny-side-up fried eggs? While not as old as bread, the earliest proof of egg farming dates back to about 1400 BC in Egypt. There’s evidence that ancient Egyptians ate them with bread in many of the modern forms: fried, poached, hard-boiled or soft-boiled.

Now that you’re done with breakfast, it’s time to return to the bathroom for a quick wash. Unlike the history of your breakfast, human hygiene has a far more complicated evolution.

Back in antiquity, the Greeks and Romans took pride in their hygiene, exemplified by their public baths where everyone was welcome. But in seventeenth-century Europe, the ancient appreciation for hygiene suffered an unfortunate demise.

Some French thinkers claimed that baths were unnecessary, and that there was a cleaner and superior alternative to washing: simply wearing a linen cloth. They also declared that baths would prevent the skin from doing its job, which was to stop dirt from entering the body by blocking the pores – with sweaty secretions.

Fortunately for today’s hygiene, this theory was rejected in the eighteenth century and bathing came back into style.

Next, it’s time to take the dog for a walk. We’ll consider the history of humans’ pets.

Keeping pets and sharing news have also been with us for a long time.

For those of you who have dogs, you’ll know that by the time you’ve finished your breakfast, someone is already tugging at your leg to go for a walk. So when did humans come up with the idea of keeping pets? A long, long time ago.

Dogs were probably humans’ earliest animal companions. In fact, a dog skull dating back nearly 32,000 years was found in Goyet’s Cave in Belgium, which suggests that dogs and human were already friends in the Stone Age. Archaeologists believe that dogs would guard humans and help them hunt. To become domesticated, the very young wolf cubs probably had to have been caught very young to allow them to get accustomed to their human tribes.

Humans have also had a close relationship for millennia with dogs’ mortal enemies: cats. For example, the Egyptians kept and worshipped cats because they believed they were the living symbols of the goddess of warfare, Bastet.

Now the clock strikes 12, and the newspaper has just slipped through the door. Hidden within its pages lies a history dating back to ancient times.

Humans have informed themselves and shared news with friends for ages. The ancient Romans conveyed news from one place to another with a messaging system powered by human couriers. The couriers would deliver brief messages written on wax tablets, which could be wiped clean and re-used to write a reply.

The newspaper, however, is a much more recent invention. It was first printed in 1605 by the German senator Johann Carolus in Strasbourg, and had the enormous title of “Account of All Distinguished and Commemorable News.” Once a week, Carolus printed his collection of handwritten reports that came from the far reaches of the Holy Roman Empire and shared them with his 100-200 readers.

So, you’ve finished your newspaper and you notice that the day is slipping through your fingers; you need to catch some sun but you’re still wearing your pyjamas. Time to pick an outfit! But which one?

Our ancestors began wearing clothes in the Stone Age – but trousers and T-shirts are relatively modern inventions.

Nowadays, clothes serve more than just a practical purpose. Our personal style allows us to subtly express our personality. But when did humans start to wrap themselves in cloth?

Like many other things, clothes first appeared in the Stone Age. The oldest known evidence takes the form of sewing needles dating back as far as 60,000 years. While they might sound insignificant, these slender bone tools likely prevented humans from freezing to death in the last Ice Age by allowing animal furs to be fastened together.

One of the best-preserved examples of actual clothes dates back 5,250 years. In 1991, a mummified body was found in the Ötztal Alps that separate Austria and Italy. Otzi the Iceman’s clothes were preserved in the ice, revealing that his torso and legs were covered in goatskin clothes.

Things were already a bit different thousands of years later in ancient Greece and Rome. Both men and women wore the dress, or tunic, in equal measure. But when did today’s common garments like trousers and T-shirts emerge?

Both are actually relatively modern inventions. Trousers didn’t become common apparel until the beginning of the nineteenth century. American cowboys who loved how the strong, resilient denim protected them during their long rides on uncomfortable saddles drove their popularity. The cowboys’ strong, rugged image then made trousers more popular throughout the United States.

T-Shirts, also modern inventions, were first worn by nineteenth-century sailors in the form of white flannel undershirts, and were made part of the standard outfit of the US Navy in 1913. But T-shirts took a while to enter the public consciousness; while many athletes adopted them in the 1930s as running wear, they long remained nothing more than underwear for most people.

It was only when Marlon Brando showed off his muscles by wearing a tight-fitting shirt in the Hollywood movie A Streetcar Named Desire that T-shirts gained their sex appeal – and became the cultural icon they are today.

It’s 6 p.m. and you’ve just remembered you’re hosting a dinner party for a friend! Let’s consider the history of culinary culture

Eating together and drinking alcohol have been widespread customs throughout history.

It’s your friend’s thirtieth birthday, so it’s only natural to begin with a glass of champagne – which, by the way, was first produced in 1693 by a Benedictine monk by the name of Dom Pierre Perignon. But by now everyone’s stomach is rumbling, so you sit down to eat dinner together.

Eating together has been a widespread custom all throughout history. In the Stone Age, the community gathered around the fireplace, the hub of energy that warmed bodies and cooked the shared meat. And during the Bronze Age in Mesopotamia, the Babylonians made dinner into a vitally important ritual: instead of signing a contract, business partners would eat together, sharing salt and wine as symbols of their newfound partnership.

Even if you weren’t hungry, you couldn't refuse the meal. It wouldn't just be seen as merely impolite – it would be cause for serious suspicion.

Other cultures also recognized the value of eating together. The ancient Greeks and Romans believed that a common meal was an ideal way to communicate and establish deep social bonds. This long cultural history could explain why, even today, people prefer to eat with others rather than alone.

Just like eating together, drinking alcohol is also an old and widespread custom. It’s likely that Stone-Age humans got tipsy on the alcoholic sugars found in rotten, fermented fruit. But when did we start producing alcohol ourselves?

The earliest signs of human-made alcohol date back to around 9,000 years ago. Chemical analyses of ancient pottery from Jiahu, in the Henan province in China, have revealed traces of alcoholic drink made from fermented honey, rice and fruit. And the ancient Greeks, Egyptians and Romans are all well known to have been fond of wine.

So, the last guests are heading home, and it’s already 11:45 p.m. We should probably go to bed, or else it’ll be a struggle to get up for work tomorrow. But first let’s brush our teeth – and then set our dreaded alarm.

The story of dental care begins in the Stone Age, and the alarm clock may also be an ancient invention.

Today’s beauty standards push us to buy toothpaste offering an endless list of cleaning and whitening capabilities. But our teeth have always been susceptible to wear and tear, so dental care is far from a modern idea.

In fact, there is considerable evidence of Stone-Age dentistry. The neolithic town of Mehrgarh in modern Pakistan is the location of the world’s first dentist’s cabinet – dating back over 9,000 years. There’s evidence there of tiny 0.5 mm to 3.5 mm holes in teeth that were likely drilled with a flint-tipped bow-drill. And then there’s a 6,500-year-old jawbone found in Slovenia that gives a hint of the world’s first filling, one made from beeswax resin.

The Chinese probably invented it the first toothbrush. Ancient toothbrushes made from pig bristles stitched into bone handles date back to the medieval Tang Dynasty that existed during the seventh and eighth centuries.

So, we’re finished in the bathroom. Can we finally go to bed now? Oh right, we need to set that alarm clock first.

While these days you may set your alarm on a sophisticated smartphone, the first alarm clock may well have been a primitive mechanism invented by none other than the great ancient Greek philosopher Plato. At the same time, the only evidence for this is a claim by the ancient Greek rhetorician Athenaeus that Plato built an alarm clock – and we know how truthful rhetoricians can be.

This hasn’t stopped scholars imagining what it could have looked like. They suggest that it was a sort of water-based mechanism that used water pressure and air dynamics to produced a piercing whistling noise when the time came to wake up.

Well the day has ended, and it’s already 11.59 p.m. Lights out and good night!

We often think that modern life differs greatly from the life of our early ancestors. The truth is that many of our customs and everyday objects date back thousands of years. Be it our love of alcohol, pets or the simple toothbrush, most of the tools and habits we take for granted today can be traced back as far as the Stone Age.

[maloned]

My 30-year Love-Affair with Professional Wrestling, Part 3

Wrestlemania And The Bromance That Never Ends.

Two weeks after Hogan defeated his one-time friend Mr. Wonderful in an epic Steel Cage Match (read Part Two: https://tmblr.co/ZZCcUy2JGvozq), WWF President, Jack Tunney invited Hogan to “Rowdy” Roddy Piper’s interview segment, Piper’s Pit. Tunney presented the undisputed champion with a trophy in recognition of his three-year undefeated streak as WWF Champion. Hogan seemingly vanquished all competitors. Who was left to beat?

Back in 1987, the World Wrestling Federation started promoting their annual extravaganza known as Wrestlemania. The live event at the Pontiac Silverdome billed as Wrestlemania III: Bigger, Better, Badder. To this day, watching the advertisements on YouTube brings me back to that time and place. It's a vivid memory that includes a trip to K-Mart to find the Coliseum Home Video of the first Wrestlemania. Those early covers are burned into my mind seemingly forever.

Celebrating with the Champ was his friend and sometimes tag-team partner, Andre the Giant. The Giant was under suspension after notorious wrestling manager Bobby “the Brain” Heenan campaigned for his removal. Andre was a close friend of the Hulkster, but after not showing up for a tag-team match against Heenan family members, Big John Studd and King Kong Bundy, The Brain made a case for suspension. Andre the Giant, the popular and gentle powerhouse in the ring was, however, mysteriously cleared to return, giving us all more cause for celebration.

The next week, while speculation continued to circulate about Andre the Giant’s commuted suspension, President Tunney invited the “Eighth Wonder of the World” to Piper’s Pit. This time, it was to celebrate The Giant’s 15-year undefeated streak. Color commentator Jesse "The Body" Ventura pointed out how the Hogan's trophy dwarfed the Giant's trophy. That’s when Hogan appeared from behind the curtain. The Champ came to celebrate his friend’s accomplishment. Hogan’s intentions were pure, but his larger-than-life personality overwhelmed the moment. Subtle looks of displeasure crawled across the Giant’s face just before he stormed out of Piper’s Pit without a word. Something was wrong.

The following week, Ventura revealed information on Piper’s Pit about Andre the Giant’s suspension. The revelation: Bobby the Brain Heenan, the man who orchestrated Andre the Giant’s suspension was also behind the Giant’s reinstatement. Ventura continued to say that Andre the Giant was upset that Hogan never offered the Giant a shot at the title. After all, they were friends, but also competitors. Roddy Piper declared his disbelief with the information. Ventura and Piper agreed to bring Hogan and the Giant to Piper’s Pit the following week to get to the truth.

One week later, Piper brought his man, the Hulkster, onto the show. Ventura then introduced the Giant, but instead of the towering behemoth, weasley Bobby the Brain Heenan appeared. The confusion became ten times worse when Andre the Giant walked out to Heenan’s side.

“Whoa!” Bellowed Ventura.

A baffled Hogan muttered, “Wait, what’s going on here, hold on man. What are you doing with him?”

The Brain tried to interject, but the Hulkster kept talking over him, questioning the Giant saying: “It can’t be so … you’re the one who took me all the way from nothing. You’re the one who taught me about respect for the fans, about helping the kids. You’re the one who taught me about good sportsmanship. You set the mold for to follow. What are you doing with him, brother?”

Heenan cockily proclaimed, “I’ll tell you what! He’s here with me! Did you ever once in your life offer him a championship match?”

But Hogan ignored Heenan and spoke directly to the man he believed to be his friend. “No, Andre, tell me this is not happening. Even though you came out here with him, you don’t have to leave with him,” Hogan pleaded with a desperate sincerity in his eyes. The Champ reached out to the Giant, touching his friend on the shoulder.

“Get your hands off of my shoulders,” the Giant’s deep, growly voice ordered.

Hogan’s hands retreated to cover the champ’s face. As Hogan’s eyes leaned down at the ground, the Giant ordered again, “Look at me when I’m talking to you.” Hogan listened. The Giant continued, “I’m here for one reason, to challenge you to a championship match at Wrestlemania!”

“Andre, please, no, brother,” cried Hogan, “It’s not happening. We’re friends, Andre, please!”

“You can’t believe,” shouted Heenan, “maybe you’ll believe this!”

Andre the Giant, the large, powerhouse force in the ring with a heart of gold, reached over and ripped Hogan’s shirt off. The assault also tore Hogan’s crucifix, cutting the Champ. The Giant tossed Hogan’s stuff to the ground. The Champ cried out, “Andre, what are you doing man! You can’t leave like this. My cross, my shirt!”

A stunned Piper reached down to help Hogan who was crumbling from yet another betrayal. A concerned Piper muttered, “You’re bleeding.”

ASK AND YOU SHALL RECEIVE I’d been watching WWF now for nearly five months. During this time, the Hulkster cemented in my mind, and in the minds of many of his Hulkamaniacs, that he was the man and not afraid of facing any mere mortal in the ring. But Andre the Giant was no mere mortal, and Hogan’s confidence had all but disappeared leading up to this match.

Classmates who were WWF fans for longer were all but certain that Hogan had finally met his match. “The Hulk could beat all those others, but no one can beat Andre,” was the sentiment my friends expressed.  They, and I, at this time lost confidence along with Hogan. Who could defeat Andre the Giant, a behemoth warrior with an undefeated streak that cemented his status as the “Eight Wonder of the World?”

Another week past and Piper invited Hogan to respond to the Giant’s challenge on Piper’s Pit. With the Champ’s ultra-confidence gone, Piper was interviewing a shell of the hero we Hulkamaniacs loved. A defeated Hulkster repeated his disbelief in everything that was happening. How could Hogan’s idol, a gentle giant loved by everyone, turn his back on fans, let alone his friend Hogan, and join the despised Heenan Family? Hogan could only believe that Heenan poisoned the Giant’s mind somehow.

Piper was once one of Hogan’s greatest rivals, and the Rowdy one said, “Look at me. Look me in the eye and tell me what's going on. I’ve always known you to be a man.”

A dejected Hulkster replied, “You don’t understand man. I patterned my who life around him. I wanted to be just like him. The way he treated people. We used to fight for the same things. We believed in the straight and narrow. When I saw him with Heenan, the jealousy, greed, the money must have gotten to him. He didn’t just rip my shirt and cross off my chest. He dug in and tore my heart out.”

Piper, though, didn’t let Hogan stay this way. The Rowdy one pushed Hogan, trying to snap him out of this funk, eventually working the Hulkster into a frenzy. Hogan was Hulking Up when Piper famously cut-off the champ’s rambling and demanded once and for all, “Tell me, yes or no, are you are you not gonna fight him at Wrestlemania 3 for the World’s Heavyweight Championship?” Without hesitation, and with a confidence burning brightly in his eyes, Hogan turned toward’s the camera, looking right into the hearts of all his Hulkamaniacs and responded with a reverberating, “YESSSSSS!”

That was it! Hulk Hogan would defend his three-year championship reign against an unbeatable Andre the Giant at Wrestlemania 3! I wanted to see that match. No. I needed to see it. But how? WWF broadcaster “Mean” Gene Okerlund announced that the only way to watch Wrestlemania, short of traveling to Michigan, was on closed-circuit television. I was a pre-teen with no idea what that meant. But soon it was announced that the James L. Knight Center in Miami would broadcast Wrestlemania 3 live.

Did I dare ask my mom to go?

In the past, she was never happy with the fact that I was watching wrestling. My mom tried her best to discourage me, perhaps to keep me from following in the footsteps of my sports-loving great grandmother, grandfather, father, and uncles. The love of competition and action was clearly in my blood. And I would not lose. I had to ask.

Even though my mom tried to discourage me, she was never mean about it. But I couldn’t bare the thought of having this one request rejected. Still, I mustered up the courage and asked, “Mom, could you please take me to see Wrestlemania? Please.” Then I made a classic kid proclamation, “I’ll never ask for anything ever again.”

It felt like months went by before my mom answered, “Yes.”

I could not believe it. I was going to watch Wrestle-freaking-mania!

It had felt like a blink before I was riding in the car with my mom heading toward the James L. Knight Center. Stepping up to the box office was surreal. And looking back on it now, I understand that my mother, a disabled single parent raising a son on Social Security, made a big sacrifice to foster my love for wrestling.

With the tickets purchased it was just a waiting game. I counted the days until Sunday, March 29th, 1987. In the meantime, the rest of the card started to fill up.

In one match, reigning Intercontinental Champion, Randy “Macho Man” Savage was set to defend his title against Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat. A few months earlier, the two met in a televised title match. Steamboat, the fan favorite, looked like he was on his way to capturing the title against the long-time champion, when Macho Man, leaped off the top rope and rammed Steamboat's throat across a metal security railing separating the competitors and the spectators. The Dragon grabbed his throat in agony.  Savage then threw his challenger back in the ring and took the timekeeper's bell, leaping off the top rope and drove it across Ricky Steamboat’s throat.  Medical personnel raced to the ring and rushed Steamboat onto a stretcher and into an ambulance. I had never seen such a vicious attack.  How wasn’t this illegal? Savage should have been arrested for his flagrant assault! In the weeks to come, it was reported that Ricky Steamboat had a crushed larynx and might never be able to return. Or so we thought. Enter, the next installment of Saturday Night’s Main Event.

After initially trying to derail my interest in wrestling, my mom was allowing me to stay up late on Saturday nights to watch Saturday Night Main Event (SNME). The opening bout one night featured Macho Man defending his Intercontinental title against a green-tongued George “The Animal” Steele. In part, the match was for the honor of Macho Man’s beautiful manager Miss Elizabeth and Savage spent much of the fight fending off the Animal’s romantic overtures.

A frustrated Savage decided, mid-match, to escort Elizabeth away from ringside and to the locker room where she’d be out of the reach of the Animal. However, the crowd whet into a frenzy when Steamboat dropped down from seemingly out of nowhere, to block Savage’s escape. The Dragon was back, and Macho Man was paralyzed by disbelief. It was now clear that Savage didn’t vanquish his rival, and the battle for the Intercontinental Championship would happen at Wrestlemania 3.

BATTLE ROYAL! Saturday Night’s Main Event were usually unadvertised shows that would air during off-weeks of Saturday Night Live. I would accompany my mother weekly to the supermarket to buy our groceries and take a peek inside the week’s TV Guide to find out if SNME would be airing that weekend. We fans also had no idea what matches were happening during any given episode. So, it was a massive surprise, when, for the first time in history, a 20-man, over-the-top Battle Royal would be nationally televised. Headlining the epic free-for-all would be none other than the Eight Wonder of the World himself, Andre the Giant and Hulk Hogan.

As if 20 men in a ring wasn’t action-packed enough, now there was a good chance that Hogan and the Giant could go toe-to-toe for the first time. The epic collision would begin after a commercial break following the first match.

The ring filled with a who’s who of wrestling superstars. After 18 competitors were introduced, only two remained. First, Andre the Giant made his way to the squared-circle. Ventura listed Andre’s impressive statistics in this type of match. Next entered the champion, Hulk Hogan to his signature song, with his signature swagger-fueled march.

Hogan and the Giant stood face-to-face in the ring, as opponents, for the first time. Every second augmented the anticipation ten-fold. Any second now, these two legends were going to fight. However, the moment the bell rang, Mr. Wonderful, attacked Hogan from the side. A split-second later, the melee got fully underway as competitors assaulted each other. Bodies were flying everywhere.

On one side of the ring, the Giant held Leaping Lanny Poffo by the hair, crushing him with a devastating headbutt. The Giant, gripping tight to Poffo’s hair didn’t even let the victim of his attack fall. The Giant hit Poffo again with another powerful cranial attack and tossed Poffo out of the match. Poffo was bleeding profusely from a wound caused by the two vicious attacks, prompting medical personnel to rush to Poffo’s aide.

On the other side of the ring, Mr. Wonderful and Hercules Hernandez, both members of Heenan's family, were double-teaming on Hogan. They whipped Hogan into the ropes, bouncing him off and towards the center of the ring. That’s when the Irresistible Force, Hulk Hogan, collided with the Immovable Object, Andre the Giant.

"We got it! Here it is!” yelled Ventura, “The confrontation we’ve all been waiting for!”

Hogan blocked the Giant’s first attack and countered with a series of strikes. The Giant staggered back when Mr. Wonderful attacked the Champ again. Hogan defended himself from Mr. Wonderful then scooped his attacker up and tossed him out of the ring. In that moment of distraction, that’s when the Giant got Hogan. The Giant took the Hulkster by the hair from behind and landed a devastating headbutt. The Giant then took Hogan and tossed him over the top rope and out of the ring, with ease, ending the Champ’s bid to win the Battle Royal.

“No!” yelled announcer Vince McMahon.

Andre stared down at Hogan who was like a carcass lying on the floor then waved his hands in a dismissal of the worthiness of the Champ. To everyone watching, it seemed so easy the way that the Giant disposed of the Champ. Was the main event at Wrestlemania going to be a slaughter? Was there any hope for Hogan to win? The hype for Wrestlemania 3 was at its peak.

Years after my mom couldn't buy me the WrestleMania 3 program, I would find it, signed by Hulk Hogan, on eBay and make it part of my collection. I found the shirt, actually, today at Urban Outfitters on Lincoln Road, after I saw someone on Twitter wearing it. I had to contact him to ask where he got it.

WRESTLEMANIA SUNDAY

The Saturday before Wrestlemania felt like the night before Christmas. It was almost impossible to sleep with the anticipation of what was to come. Sunday morning, my mom took me to my Uncle’s house to play with my cousins while she ran errands. I remember pacing the yard, unable to focus or engage from the excitement of what was to come.

To this day I remember the drive to the James L. Knight Center with what must be perfect accuracy. Every inch of Miami road etched into my mind. My mom searching for parking, eventually finding one across the street at the Miami Hyatt. I didn’t know what to expect, and that unknown only fueled the rampaging anticipation inside of me. As we walked up and joined thousands of other wrestling fans, everything only became even more heightened. We crossed the turnstiles and made our way across tables of Wrestlemania merchandise. All kinds of WrestleMania paraphernalia was being sold including a WrestleMania 3 t-shirt. I only wanted one thing, a magazine, the program for Wrestlemania 3. I asked my mom if we could get it and she said we could after the show. Sadly, by then it was too late as the program sold out.

We stepped through out gate and into an auditorium with what must’ve been five thousand fans. It was an unbelievable site for me. And on the stage below was a screen, smaller than in a movie theater, but it was clear to me that’s where we’d be watching Wrestlemania 3 tonight. We took our seats, and to this day I wonder how my mom tolerated the whole thing, sitting in an arena for a three-plus hour wrestling show.

The lights dimmed, and the familiar WWF TV logo intro played. The James L. Knight Center erupted! Following the WWF intro was the intro for Wrestlemania 3 which then wiped to an establishing shot of the Pontiac Silverdome and a site I was not expecting to see — tens of thousands of people. I never paid much attention to the fact that the Silverdome was a football stadium, a space five times the size of the usual basketball-sized, 15,000-seat arenas where most WWF events took place. I now understood that I was a part of a legion of fans. I’d never seen so many people in one place.

It was simply breathtaking. Every inch of the Silverdome filled with fans. Most of the football field covered with seats and there was not an empty one in site. Daylight flooded the space through the translucent roof that was the hallmark of the stadium.

A dissolve brought viewers to a shot of Vince McMahon, the owner of the WWF, who also played announcer, standing at the center of the ring. McMahon smiled at the crowd and declared, “Welcome to the Pontiac Silverdome and welcome to Wrestlemania 3!” the enormous crowd in Detroit and the one here in Miami both roared with excitement.

I still get goosebumps thinking about it. The show had yet to begin, and it was already the greatest experience of my entire life as a wrestling fan. It would only become more amazing as the spectacle lived up to the hype and produced some of the most memorable moments in WWF history.

We witnessed the retirement of legend “Rowdy” Roddy Piper. The flattening of a little person at the hands of the behemoth King Kong Bundy. The British Bulldogs and Tito Santana failing to get revenge on referee-turned-wrestler, Danny Davis who previously cost the three men championships with questionable officiating.

The sun slowly set on the Silverdome and the show went into intermission.

The fevered excitement vibrated inside the Knight Center for three straight hours. I may have been watching it all on a small screen but being surrounded by so many fellow fans made the show-of-shows a transcendent experience. I felt like I was at the Silverdome.

INTERCONTINENTAL CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH My mother and I took this time to walk over to the concession stand for a bite to eat. Someone in line wondered aloud what matched remained. I sprung into action, pulling out a piece of paper where I wrote out the whole card and recorded the results. I answered with all the enthusiasm a pre-teen could muster — the Intercontinental Championship match was up next!

We returned to our seats. Night had settled as the broadcast geared up to resume. The large stadium lights were dim except on the ring. The only other light emanated from four giant screens that magnified the ring action for all the fans in the Silverdome.

As I informed the person in line, the Intercontinental Championship match was next and, to this day, this is still considered by some, the greatest match in wrestling history. Randy “Macho Man” Savage and Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat faced off once more after a long-standing feud in which Macho Man almost ended Steamboat’s career forever. The two veteran warriors, known for their aerial assaults, fought furiously in a fast-paced, high-intensity bout for the ages. The wrestlers unleashed every attack in their repertoire. When Macho Man or Steamboat leaped off the top rope flashbulbs would fire off, seemingly hundreds at a time, like little stars going supernova. That’s what this match was, a massive explosion of two talented athletes at their very best.

The climax of the match began when each man landed a devastating maneuver. A Highcross Body and a cover by Steamboat had gone for a two count before Macho Man kicked out. A Double-Axe Handle from the top rope by Macho Man followed by an Elbow Smash put Steamboat on the ground. But the challenger kicked out at the two count. It was the Dragon’s turn, and he leaped over the referee’s head with a Flying Knife-Edge Chop off the top rope that smashed Macho Man across the eyes. One! Two! Thre—wait! Macho Man managed to get his foot on the rope seconds before the final count! Macho Man recovered and pummeled Steamboat with a Gut-wrench Suplex. One! Two! Thre-No! Steamboat slipped his shoulder out just in time.

“What a battle!” Exclaimed announcer Gorilla Monsoon.

Ventura replied, “This is one of the greatest matches I’ve ever seen, Gorilla!”

Everyone at the Knight Center, the Silverdome, and undoubtedly everywhere else where people were watching Wrestlemania were on the edge of their seats. The WWF is elevating their already incredible entertainment to an entirely new level right before our eyes. Every hit, reversal, counter, or pinning combination received laser-focus attention from each and every fan.

But a shockwave then spread through us all. In a furious exchange between Macho Man and Steamboat, referee Dave Hebner was inadvertently knocked down. Macho Man landed his trademark finishing move, an Elbow Smash from the top rope. Steamboat went down; Macho Man went for the cover. If there had been a ref, the match would be over. A visibly embittered Macho Man could not put the challenger away by the rules. So, Macho Man abandoned the ring for a moment to grab the timekeeper’s bell in an attempt to end Steamboat’s career again. But George "The Animal" Steele, who had been in Steamboat’s corner for the duration of the match, injected himself into the bout and took the bell away from Macho Man. The Animal and Macho Man fought for the bell with Savage winning and taking to the top rope, ready to put the finishing blow on Steamboat. Before Savage could fly, The Animal pushed Macho Man off the top rope. Macho Man crashed down to the mat, smacking his head on the bell. A dazed Macho Man got to his feet and picked up Steamboat, moving him into position with a Body Slam. In the midst of the move, Steamboat Grapevined Savage’s leg on the way down and secured a Small Package; an inside cradle pinning combination! Steamboat had Macho Man’s leg securely locked as the referee returned in time to count. And everyone single person in the record-breaking crowd at the Silverdome and everyone at the Knight Center counted along.

“ONE!”

“TWO!”

“THREE!”

“He’s done it!” Yelled Monsoon. “History has been made in the Pontiac Silverdome!”

Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat defeated his nemesis to become the Intercontinental Champion, and he did it in spectacular fashion. The fluidity of Steamboat’s inside cradle was the result of the perfect execution. It's a site worth watching for every wrestling fan. 

Monsoon and Ventura could not stop singing the praises of the match we’d all just witnessed. I’d never seen wrestling like this. But neither had Monsoon or Ventura. We were in awe at the brilliant display of athleticism.

“Could lightning strike twice, Jess?” Asked Monsoon, “Could Bobby ‘The Brain’ Heenan be sitting in the back saying that this is what could happen just a little while from now to the World’s Heavyweight Champion?”

HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP As if to allow the audience a chance to catch its breath, several fun, but short matches followed the legendary fight we’d just seen. During this time “Mean” Gene Okerlund announced that Wrestlemania 3 at the Silverdome, had established a new indoor attendance record of 93,173! I was in awe. How far everything had come from watching smoky, studio wrestling shows with my grandfather. The sweeping pans across the sea of people at the Silverdome were mesmerizing, and flashbulbs that ignited over and over again made me so proud. I wasn’t a fan of some niche sport that lurked in the shadows but a part of a worldwide phenomenon.

The build between the penultimate match and the main event, the reason everyone was here in the first place, was deliberately slow. Anticipation reached the moon. A video package recapped the events between one-time friends, Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant, that lead to their feud and this match tonight. The package included clips from the contract signing, the press conference and backstage interviews with each competitor that illustrated their competitive focus.  

The main event then got under way with two special introductions. The first was a guest ring announcer, famous baseball personality, Bob Ucher. The other, a special guest timekeeper, host of Entertainment Tonight, Mary Hart. The buildup was at its peak and my legs were shaking. All I could wonder was if the Champ would survive the night.

Andre the Giant made his way to the ring first. The enormous Silverdome meant that the path from the locker room to the ring was long. Wrestlers were carried to the ring on scissor lifts decorated with ring ropes. The challenger, a long-time fan favorite, was not accustomed to a negative response from the audience. Flanking the Giant was Bobby Heenan. The pair were greeted with boos, flying drinks and trash. Meanwhile, Ventura rattled off the Giant’s tale of the tape; height, weight, shoe size, hand size, and win-loss record.

It was time for Hogan to enter. The Champion skipped the ride on the scissor lift and made his way to the ring on foot to the tune of “Real American.” Fans celebrated as Hogan played to them in his masterful fashion. All that seemed to cease in a split-second when Hogan arrived at ringside and saw his Giant opponent. Hogan didn’t rip off his tank top in his usual, over-the-top way. Instead, as he climbed the steps into the ring, he slowly tore the shirt, his eyes never leaving Andre.

These giants of their sport stood face-to-face at the center of the squared-circle as Bob Ucher began introductions. The Giant and Hogan stared at each other so intently that I could only imagine they didn’t hear anything Ucher said or the sound of the roaring crowd. Hogan mouthed something to the Giant, and the intensity on his face escalated with every word. By the time the bell was about to ring, Hogan had worked himself into a frenzy.

“He’s already Hulking up!” Proclaimed Ventura.

DING! DING!

The match began. Hogan did not hesitate to attack with a combination of punches that stunned the Giant. With the Giant dazed, Hogan went in to scoop the seven-foot Giant for a body slam. Hogan was going to lift the Giant, but on the way up, the Champ’s body gave out. Hogan’s knees and back failed him. Hogan couldn’t lift the Giant. Instead, Hogan crumbled beneath his opponent. Referee Joey Marella swooped for the count.

“ONE!”

“TWO!”

“THREE!”

What?! Was it over already?! It can’t be! A wave of depression was about to descend over millions of Hulkamaniacs when Marella signaled ‘two.’ Hogan managed to raise a shoulder off of the mat before the three count. It wasn’t over despite protests from Bobby Heenan and Ventura.

That was close. But was the damage done? Hogan was still down on the mat. It seemed the Champ might’ve hurt himself trying to lift the Giant. Now in control, the Giant methodically disabled the Champ. Hogan was completely overmatched. It was only a matter of time before the Giant would quit toying around and finish off his former friend to become the new champion. At ringside, Heenan’s elation was clear, and it only fueled our hatred of the villain. For three years, Heenan failed to take the WWF Championship from Hogan. But now, it seemed, he’d weaseled himself a seemingly unbeatable Giant.

The Giant had Hogan utterly defeated in a corner when Heenan could be heard shouting, “Headbutt him!” The Giant, once a champion of the people, who stood up against the menace of Heenan and his Family, now willingly followed orders. The Giant landed his devastating headbutt on Hogan, knocking the Champ to the ground.

The Giant pulled Hogan into a bear hug and began squeezing the life, and what little strength was left, out of the Champ. Hogan was upright only because the Giant held him. Referee Marella raised one of Hogan’s arms to see if the Champ was still conscious.

Marella dropped Hogan’s arm. Deflating million of Hulkamaniacs.

Again, Marella raised Hogan’s arm, and it dropped. That’s two. One more time and the match would be over. One more time and Hulk Hogan, a hero to millions and undefeated champion of the WWF, would lose.

We Hulkamaniacs began cheering for our champion. It was a last-ditch prayer to let their hero know our energy is his to use. Marella raised Hogan’s arm, let go, and … Hogan’s arm stayed up. The Champ still looked exhausted, but the gesture was just enough to send fans into a greater frenzy than ever. Hogan fed off of our cheers. With renewed strength, Hogan unleashed a barrage of punches that eventually freed him from the Giant’s painful hug.

Hogan rushed the ropes, bouncing off to attack the Giant only to meet the wrestler’s large foot. Hogan was knocked out of the ring, and the Giant went back on the offensive. The Giant smacked Hogan outside the ring with a painful knife-edge chop. Hogan fell back against the ring post, the only thing keeping him up at this point.

The Giant gripped Hogan’s throat, prepping the Champ to receive another powerful headbutt. At the last moment, Hogan slipped out of the way. The Giant’s head slammed into the steel ring post. The Giant was hurt but managed to stagger back into the ring along with Hogan.

The dazed Giant went on the offensive again, grabbing Hogan by the arm and Irish Whipping him into the ropes. As Hogan returned, he ducked a Big Boot from the Giant. Hogan bounced off the ropes again and hit the Giant with a Clothesline that knocked the Giant off of his feet!

The Pontiac Silver and everyone watching went ballistic.

The Giant was down. Heenan ran over to his man in a panic. “That’s the first time I've ever seen the Giant knocked off his feet like that!” Ventura said.

Hogan started drawing strength from his fans, trembling as he Hulked Up from the energy. The Giant slowly got back to his feet when Hogan marched over, leaned in, and grabbed the Giant for another attempt at a bodyslam. There was no way! Hogan couldn’t do it at full-strength. He was surely too weak now?!

Hogan had the strength, and before hundreds of thousands of wrestling fans, he did the unbelievable. Hogan lifted the Giant and slammed his one-time friend turned enemy down into the mat. The ring shook from the incredible impact of this massive man being thrown down. The roof of the Silverdome must’ve been seconds away from blowing off from the roar of the crowd.

“I can’t believe it!” yelled Ventura.

Hogan didn’t hesitate. The Champ rushed the ropes, bounced off, leaped into the air, and dropped a Big Leg down on the Giant. Hogan went for the cover and hooked a leg.

“ONE!”

“TWO!”

“THREE!”

Gorilla Monsoon yelled, “He did it! Unbelievable!” “I never thought it could be done, Gorilla!” A stunned Ventura hollered. From the Silverdome in Michigan to the Knight Center in Miami to all parts around the world, celebrations broke out. From floor to ceiling, the building shook. It was unreal.

An emotional Hogan stood in a disbelieving victory. Bob Ucher then made it official when he announced that Hogan was indeed still World’s Heavyweight Champion. A once undefeated Andre the Giant and his weasel manager Heenan retreated in the little ring cart,. Once again, Heenan failed at defeating the Champ, the seemingly unstoppable Hulk Hogan.

Monsoon declared Wrestlemania III: “The greatest wrestling event of all time!” I was a part of it. And it’s forever a part of me.

Soon after Wrestlemania 3 I would watch the previous two Wrestlemania events on VHS. And since that day, I’ve not missed a Wrestlemania. In 2001, weeks after my wedding day, and nearly 15 years after experiencing Wrestlemania 3 on closed-circuit television, I traveled with my wife and one of my best friends, Argelio, to Houston to attend my first Wrestlemania live — Wrestlemania 17. I’ve since gone to three more Wrestlemania, including last year (2016) at Dallas, an event that broke Wrestlemania 3’s attendance record with well over 100,000 in attendance. In 2017, I’ll be on my way to Orlando for Wrestlemania 33 for more of the bromance I just can’t get enough of.

Thirty years of piledrivers, dropkicks, bodyslams, and more. I’ve been stunned by the likes of “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, I’ve smelled what the Rock cooked, and John Cena’s “hustle, loyalty, respect” is a mantra I think all people should live by. Wrestling’s blend of action, story, character, and spectacle gripped me into a thirty-year bromance that even after college, a career, a beautiful wife, and amazing children, is as strong as ever. The next 30 years will never come fast enough.

More Wrestling Posts: http://maloned.tumblr.com/tagged/Wrestling

Edited by Ruben Diaz

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Official Rules for Facebook Live sweepstakes

Below are Official Rules for sweepstakes conducted via Facebook Live by WDAF:

WDAF – TV OFFICIAL RULES FOR FACEBOOK LIVE SWEEPSTAKES GIVEAWAYS

SPONSOR WDAF-TV, 3030 Summit Kansas City, Missouri 64108

SWEEPSTAKES DATES From time to time, WDAF-TV will announce a sweepstakes on Facebook Live (“Sweepstakes”). Unless the sweepstakes is governed by a separate set of official rules, each Facebook Live Sweepstakes begins the moment it is announced on Facebook via the FOX4 News Kansas City page here for the first time, and ends at the time announced in the description of the Facebook Live Event on the FOX4 New Kansas City page.

The computer clock of Sponsor’s webmaster is the official timekeeping device of the Sweepstakes.

HOW TO ENTER NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Enter online by posting a comment on the Facebook Live post on the Spotlight Page in which the Sweepstakes is announced (“the Sweepstakes Post”). You must also have a valid Facebook account in order to submit your entry. Incomplete entries will be disqualified. Copies or other mechanical reproductions, facsimiles, entries containing technical or electronic reproductions, entries containing attached files are not eligible and will be rejected. In the event of a dispute regarding the identity of an entrant, the holder of the e-mail account associated with the Facebook Account that posted the winning entry will be deemed the person who submitted the entry. Entries become the exclusive property of Sponsor and will not be returned or acknowledged. Sponsor is not responsible for entries that are lost, late, misaddressed or misdirected due to technical or computer failures, errors or data loss of any kind, lost or unavailable internet connections, or failed incomplete, garbled or deleted computer or networks transmissions, inability to access the website or online service, or any other technical error or malfunction.

ELIGIBILITY This sweepstakes is void where prohibited by law. This sweepstakes is open only to legal residents of Kansas and Missouri, who are age 18 or older as of the announcement of each individual Sweepstakes, and who have not won any other prize from WDAF within the 60 days preceding the announced sweepstakes. For an instance of this Sweepstakes that includes a prize that requires the winner to be 21 years of age or older, the minimum eligibility age shall be 21. Employees of other media companies (including television and radio), Sponsor and its parent corporation, subsidiaries, or affiliates, and such employees’ immediate family or household members are not eligible to enter or win the sweepstakes.

PRIZE AND WINNER SELECTION At the time the sweepstakes is announced, the following details will also be announced in the description of the Sweepstakes Post:

the prize

the Approximate Retail Value (“ARV”) of the prize

the time the sweepstakes ends

the number of winners that will be selected in the sweepstakes

After the entry period has concluded, all valid entries will be combined into a single pool, and from that pool winners will be selected in a random drawing within seven (7) days of the end of the Sweepstakes and contacted via Facebook comment or via private message on Facebook.

If Sponsor is unable to establish a responsive dialogue with the winner within 7 days of initial contact, (including winner’s failure to reply to a comment or message from Sponsor), an alternate winner may be selected and contacted by phone. If the alternate winner does reply within 3 days of being contacted, another alternate winner may be selected immediately.

All federal, state, and local taxes associated with the prize within the United States, as well as all other costs or expenses involved in or associated with the prize not specifically listed above, including any incidental travels or costs or amenities not set forth explicitly above or in the announcement of the sweepstakes on WDAF-TV, are the responsibility of the winner.

The prize is not replaceable if lost, stolen, or destroyed. The prize is not transferable, except at the sole discretion of Sponsor. The prize is not redeemable for cash, and it may not be substituted for another prize, except at the sole discretion of Sponsor, or as provided in these rules. Sponsor reserves the right to substitute a prize of equal or greater value for the prize. Any unused Prize elements will be forfeited. Any difference between actual value and stated ARV will not be awarded. Sponsor will not replace any lost or stolen tickets, vouchers or certificates or similar items once they are in the prize winner’s possession. Any hotel accommodations are subject to availability and blackout dates; entrants are encouraged to contact the hotel directly or visit the hotel’s website for more information.

Prizes are awarded “as is” with no warranty or guarantee, either express or implied, by Sponsor. While prizes for Sweepstakes conducted by WDAF may be provided by a business partner of the sponsor, the Sweepstakes is administered by WDAF-TV. Any and all questions or disputes regarding selection of winners shall be directed to WDAF-TV.

THE WINNER MAY BE REQUIRED TO PICK UP THE PRIZE IN PERSON AT WDAF-TV, WDAF-TV, 3030 SUMMIT KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI 64108.

The Winner may be required to present valid identification and may be required to sign a Statement of Eligibility and Liability and Publicity Release by the deadline established by Sponsor in order to receive the prize. If the winner does not fulfill these requirements, the prize will be forfeited. Winners will receive a 1099 tax form reflecting the actual value of any prize that is $600 or more.

GENERAL CONDITIONS If for any reason, online-entry portion of this sweepstakes is not capable of running as planned, including infection by computer virus, tampering, fraud, technical failure, or any other cause which corrupts or threatens the administration, security or integrity of the sweepstakes, Sponsor reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to terminate or suspend the sweepstakes or any portion of the sweepstakes. ANY ATTEMPT TO DAMAGE OR UNDERMINE THE FAIR AND LEGITIMATE OPERATION OF THIS SWEEPSTAKES WILL RESULT IN DISQUALIFICATION FROM THE SWEEPSTAKES. Information submitted in text message and online entries, including entrant’s phone number, name, address, e-mail address, etc., may be used by WDAF-TV for marketing or promotional purposes. Sponsor reserves the right to prohibit any entrant from participating in the Sweepstakes if, at their sole discretion, Sponsor finds such entrant to be tampering with the entry voting process or if such individual repeatedly shows a disregard for, or attempts to circumvent, these Official Rules, or acts: (a) in a manner the Sponsor determines to be not fair or equitable; (b) with an intent to annoy, threaten or harass any other entrant or Sponsor; or (c) in any other disruptive manner.

Neither the failure of Sponsor to insist upon or enforce strict performance of any provision of these Official Rules nor the failure, delay or omission by Sponsor in exercising any right with respect to any term of these Official Rules, will be construed as a waiver or relinquishment to any extent of each Sponsor’s or right to assert or rely upon any such provision or right in that or any other instance.

All issues and questions concerning the construction, validity, interpretation and enforceability of these Official Rules, or the rights and obligations of entrants and Sponsor in connection with these Sweepstakes shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of California, without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of law rules or provisions.

By participating in a WDAF-TV Facebook Live Sweepstakes, you agree to have your name, photograph, voice, biographical information, and likeness used in any and all media for promotional purposes by Sponsor relating to this sweepstakes or future similar sweepstakes without further compensation or notice, except as prohibited by law.

By participating in a WDAF-TV Facebook Live Sweepstakes, you represent that you agree to be bound by these rules and the decisions of the judges and to release Sponsor, its parents, subsidiaries, affiliates, directors, officers, employees, and agents from any and all liability for any injuries, losses, or damages of any kind caused by any prize or resulting from your participation in this sweepstakes and your acceptance and use of any prize.

For a copy of the Official Rules or the names of winners, send a self-addressed envelope along with a letter detailing your request (including the date of the giveaway in question and the prize awarded) to “Facebook Live Sweepstakes”, WDAF-TV, 3030 Summit Kansas City, Missouri 64108. Winners’ names will be available after the winners have been verified and the prizes have been awarded.

This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook.

from FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports http://fox4kc.com/2018/04/03/official-rules-for-facebook-live-sweepstakes/

from Kansas City Happenings https://kansascityhappenings.wordpress.com/2018/04/03/official-rules-for-facebook-live-sweepstakes/