Buffalo Sabres’ Misery

The Buffalo Sabres misery continues. Sabres have lost 18 consecutive games. The longest streak by an NHL team in 17 years.

I would hate to be part of a team that just continues to lose again and again. I’m sure those players feel embarrassed to be going through this. I personally hate losing. We win some, we lose some, but I really despise losing. Sabres must end this streak sooner or later.

Karol G’s KG0516

Reggaeton artist Karol G released her latest album called KG0516. This album features Karol G’s singles such as “Tusa” with Nicki Minaj, “Bichota,” “Ay Dios Mio,’ “Location,” and many more.

The album cover for her album is creative and left so many people with their mouths dropped. I’m not sure why she has a naked man on the couch. I’ll leave it at that.

Two of my favorite singles from her album are “Odisea,” featuring Ozuna. For those of you who don’t know, Odisea is the name of Ozuna’s debut album. The song and production are very dope. I like their collaboration. However, this is not their first collaboration. Karol G was part of Ozuna’s “Caramelo (Remix) with Myke Towers.

The other single I like a lot is called “Leyendas” (Legends), which features Ivy Queen, Nicky Jam, Wisin y Yandel, Zion, and Alberto Stylee. This song pays homage to classic Reggaeton songs that defined the early 2000s. I’m glad Karol G showed tremendous respect by sampling those classic hits and including those legendary artists from that song’s genre.

There are so many good songs from the albums. But if I need to pick one, it would have to be “Tusa.” The sound of the violin became a crucial element in why the production of this song sounded terrific. “Tusa” is the first collaboration between Karol G and Nicki Minaj. The song became the highest certified song in Mexico also became the 12th Highest Certified Latin RIAA Single of All Time. Although “Tusa” was nominated for two Latin Grammy Awards for “Record of the Year” and “Song of the Year,’ I still think it was highway robbery that the song didn’t get nominated for the regular Grammy Awards. For some reason, I’ve always felt that the Grammy Awards never gave Nicki Minaj a fair shake.

Rocky Prequel Series

Sylvester Stallone is working on the treatment for a Rocky prequel series. As you all know, this is the direction that Hollywood is going. I don’t know how I feel about this. I want to be excited, but at the same time, it’s becoming a little too much with the Rocky franchise. If the series can be solid enough, then much power to Stallone.

Stallone feels that the show would take viewers to “the most transformative generation in Modern history: The Sixties.” 

Old School Reggaeton vs. New School Reggaeton

Happy Saturday, everyone! I’m going to have fun talking about this particular subject, Reggeaton. Share my opinion on the differences between old school and new school Reggeaton. The artists from past to present.

I love Reggeaton. I’ve been following consistently with the genre since 2002. My love for Reggeaton exploded in 2004 because of Daddy Yankee’s Barrio Fino album and the Luny Tunes’ Mas Flow songs. Luny Tunes production was off the charts.

I like the old school Reggeaton more because of the sound and lyricism, and it had a blend of hip hop and tropical. Reggeaton used to be a genre that people used to criticize, and now it has come a long way. Daddy Yankee, in my opinion, is the King of Reggeaton. Daddy Yankee, alongside Tego Calderon, Nicky Jam, Don Omar, Ivy Queen, have broken those doors and made it easier for the new school artists like Bad Bunny, Ozuna, J Balvin, Anuel AA, Karol G, and many more.

People don’t understand how massive Daddy Yankee’s Barrio Fino album was. It took Reggeaton to a whole different level. Hip Hop artists began working with Reggeaton artists. It was beautiful to witness that during my teen years.

At some point, Reggeaton was declining, but then the new generation of Reggeaton helped bring the genre back to a higher level. Today’s Reggaeton’s sound is with a Latin Trap mix, which Anuel AA is one of the leaders. I have no problem with that as long as the music sounds good. I love listening to Ozuna and Bad Bunny. In my opinion, Ozuna and Bad Bunny are like Magic and Bird. Ozuna is sitting on one throne, and Bad Bunny on the other throne. However, I realized how substantial Bad Bunny became once he put Stone Cold Steve Austin in one of his music videos. What makes it more impressive is that he will be wrestling at Wrestlemania. Bad Bunny always loved wrestling, and for him to accomplish this is a dream come true. Ten, fifteen, twenty years from now, we will say that we witnessed Bad Bunny at his peak.

Ozuna is a magnificent artist. Very consistent, and I love the messages of his songs. He’s my guy. His debut album, Odisea, is by far my favorite Ozuna album. As for Bad Bunny, Yo Hago Lo Que Me Da La Gana (I Could Do Whatever I Want) is my favorite album from him. I would love to see a collaboration between Ozuna and Bad Bunny someday. In this new generation, you have many artists who collaborate on each other’s songs, especially in remixes, making the song about 7 or 8 minutes long. I’m not saying that the old school didn’t collaborate much, but I will say that more artists could get easily discovered because of streaming service. Less feuds, more collaboration!

I can talk about this subject all night, but I’m going to end this here. I won’t be mad if some people prefer the new school over the old school. As long as we appreciate great artist and great music. Less feuds, more collaboration!

I want to shout out to some of the architects of the genre like Vieja Guardia and Playero. They were key figures in the 1990s for Reggaeton. Of course, and I can’t forget the best duo of the 2000s, Wisin y Yandel.

Miguel’s Friday Thoughts

Yesterday was the trade deadline. A couple of names were expected to be traded, such as Victor Oladipo, Kyle Lowry, Aaron Gordon, and more. Some of the winners of yesterday’s trade were the Denver Nuggets. The Denver Nuggets won big time by adding guard Aaron Gordon to their roster. The Nuggets have Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr, and now Aaron Gordon. The Nuggets are young and have depth. They will be ready once the playoffs arrive.

Another winner of yesterday’s yesterday was the Chicago Bulls. The Orlando Magic traded their star player Nikola Vucevic to the Bulls. This is a big-time move for the Bulls because now Zack Levine has someone to take some pressure off him on the court. The Bulls are trying to make a run to the playoffs. I believe this is the beginning of many possible good outcomes for the Bulls organization.

Clippers were also winners of the trade deadline. Clippers traded their sixth man Lou Williams to the Hawks for Rajon Rondo. I like this move because Rondo brings leadership, championship experience, and basketball IQ. Yes, he’s 35 years old, but he’s still effective, and the Clippers need someone like him to go far in the playoffs. It’s about time for the Clippers to make the Western Conference Finals or even go to the Finals. They are too talented not to make it there.

Last but not least, the Miami Heat. The Heat adding Victor Oladipo to their roster is gold. Oladipo is a good player who can score and play defense. He fits perfectly for the Miami system. I love that Miami didn’t give up Tyler Herro and Duncan Robinson. It would be best if you have those guys on your squad. They are young and still have room to improve. I like this Miami Heat team, and I believe they can compete with anyone in the league. I still think they need one more rim protector.

Sports Throwback Thursday: 2002 New Jersey Nets

The 2002 New Jersey Nets were a beautiful story in the NBA. When the Nets traded guard Stephon Marbury to the Phoenix Suns for Jason Kidd, I knew instantly that this move was going to change the Nets organization. The nets had a 26-56 record the previous season. When Jason Kidd arrived, it became one of the most impressive turnarounds I have ever seen in basketball. Nets finished with a 52-30, ending with the best record in the Eastern Conference. Kidd didn’t do it alone. Kenyon Martin, second year in the league, improved his game. Rookie Richard Jefferson and forward Keith Van Horn were also key elements to the team’s success.

Jason Kidd finished second in the MVP voting behind Tim Duncan. Nets defeated the Indiana Pacers, Charlotte Hornets, Boston Celtics to make the NBA Finals. Unfortunately, they ran into a much superior team, the Los Angeles Lakers with Shaq and Kobe. The nets got swept in the Finals.

Nets would go to make the finals again the following season but losing to the San Antonio Spurs. The 2002 New Jersey Nets were an exciting team to watch, and I needed to remind everyone how good they were for a short time during the Jason Kidd era.

Happy Birthday to The Undertaker

Happy Birthday to my all-time favorite wrestler, The Phenom…The Undertaker. It’s been a joy to watch him perform for so many years in the WWE. I hate to see my favorites grow old, but that’s part of life. One of the greatest ring performers of all time and one of the greatest gimmicks ever.

In the 1990s, Undertaker’s entrance theme song were the best, but my favorite one was when he was the leader of the stable Ministry of Darkness.

On his birthday, he announced that Kane will be inducted into the 2021 WWE Hall of Fame. It was a great moment for the Brothers of Destruction to share this moment virtually.

I thank Taker for all the wonderful memories and I’m forever grateful for that. My childhood and boyhood years of watching wrestling were unbelievable.