Today's PP3 Christmas Cartoon is kind of apropos these days, isn't it? Only 19-days until Christmas!
The ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE will face off against TEXAS TECH in Dallas at The COTTON BOWL on January 2nd. Both BAMA and TT are 9-2, and hungry for a win to end the season. What a New Year's present this would be for us, after losing our final two games against LSU and AUBURN.
If you are a regular visitor here and at PP.com, you know of the special bond that exists between myself and "Freebird" Michael Hayes. If you are a "newbie" around here, and haven't read the stories, check out my STORY TIME SECTION, there's several "P.S." tales that might interest you. The photo of Michael and I above was taken at his Georgia home in the early 1990s. I'm not trying to plug PP.com today, but you can find other "Freebird" photos in my PHOTO GALLERY and PERSONAL HALL OF FAME.The primary reason Michael's name pops up today is because of his appearance on WWE RAW last evening. I've said before that I don't normally make RAW a Percy "must see" every Monday night. However last night, I had it on in the background while I was doing some stuff here in my home office. When Michael came out with Sgt. Slaughter during the Edge/Lita segment, my world stood still. Although I felt a bit uncomfortable when Terry Gordy's name was mentioned, I thought that if Michael was O.K. with it, I was too. Hayes did a fantastic job. Knowing him as I do, some of the things he said were straight from his heart, and hit the nail right on it's proverbial head. It was so good to see my longtime brother on the tube again, and I told him that immediately after the segment ended in a personal email.
I have a new found respect for my 'ol friend, and I had a chance to share that feeling with him too in a telephone conversation a few weeks ago. You folks just don't know what a job with the creative department of WWE entails. Many think they do, but they don't. It takes a very special individual to do that 24/7, 265 days a year; and that is exactly what it is. A full time job. The team doesn't hit home runs every week, and their foul balls come way too often these days. But it's a job that I couldn't do.
The bottomline here is that Michael Hayes a special niche in my heart that he will occupy until they bury my fat butt under the Alabama red clay. Michael is aging gracefully, and is without a doubt a true icon in our industry. Vinne Mac and company would do well if we could see more of Hayes, and those in his class (yes there are more on the company payroll backstage) on today's product. I don't care what anybody says, you can't go wrong with old school wrestling.
Have a great Tuesday, friends!
God Bless.
~Percy
www.PercyPringle.com
