By Lex Marston

The 2014 Royal Rumble could have been special. It wasn't. We could have seen the rise of a new mega-star in WWE. What we saw was a man past his prime (if he ever had one) get booed out of the building to end one of the biggest events of the wrestling year. That would have been fine and dandy if he were heel, but he wasn't. The story of the 2014 Royal Rumble could have been a joyful one. Instead, wrestling fans were left scratching their heads or underwhelmed. In the case of myself, both.

I woke up at 6:50am today, as I normally do on a weekday. My first thought? "How could Vince McMahon be THAT disconnected?" Yes, as much as I didn't want to think about WWE first thing in the morning, I did. Now, for those of you who don't know me personally, I stopped watching WWE a few years ago. I had come to the conclusion that the product WWE wanted to put on just wasn't for me and my personal interests. I got tired of asking "Why?" and rolling my eyes every time I watched. Understand that when I say that I stopped watching WWE, I don't mean wrestling in general. Some people are of the opinion that WWE is the be-all-end-all of professional wrestling. I am not one of those people. I love wrestling, and I don't think I could ever stop watching some form of wrestling straight up. Anyway, in an attempt to get back on the air and have fun with my podcasting mates again, I decided to begin watching Raw about two weeks ago. Now, although I haven't been watching WWE, I still know what goes on for the most part, thanks in part to the few WWE fans on my social media feeds.

What I saw last night during the Royal Rumble reminded me all too well of why I stopped giving energy to the WWE.

Let's take a trip back in time, almost a decade ago, to the 2005 Royal Rumble. Before last night's event, I spoke on the RantEM Rumble Pre-Show about how one of my favorite Rumble moments came at the 2005 Royal Rumble, when Vince McMahon blew out both quads trying to slide into the ring. But that's not what we're talking about today. I bring up the 2005 Royal Rumble for the winner of that event. After eliminating each other simultaneously, Batista threw John Cena to the outside to win a spot in the WrestleMania 21 main event. Imagine, if you will, that that didn't happen. Imagine if someone like Kurt Angle or Shawn Michaels won that Rumble. Would Batista or John Cena be as big of stars as they are now? I would think John Cena would, but I have my doubts about Batista. While the Rumble win wasn't what made Batista's rise to the top memorable (I attribute that to the Evolution storyline), imagine if Batista were just thrown in a match with Triple H at a random Raw, did the job to Triple H, and went down to the midcard at WM 21. "Ok, what's your point, Lex?"

My point is that WWE decided to make a star that night.

Now, my own personal feelings aside (Batista's a turd), WWE made money with Batista. Not anywhere near as much money they made with John Cena, but WWE did make money with Batista. WWE had a chance to make a lot of future earnings last night by putting Daniel Bryan over in a grandiose manner, but they didn't. They decided to go with the guy who won the event nearly a decade earlier.

The question is, "Why?"

Batista has a big role in an upcoming movie that looks to capitalize on the current comic book movie craze. Does Vince McMahon hope in his heart of hearts that Disney/Marvel Studios will promote Batista as a "WWE Superstar?" It's not as if Batista is the lead role, and I don't see an ensemble cast role leading to anything major. I can't say that I'm familiar with the Guardians of the Galaxy books, but I can't see Dave getting his own spinoff film. Even if all that were to happen, did Batista really need a Royal Rumble win? I don't think so.

Maybe it was in Batista's contract that, to return, he needed a Rumble win. If this is true, it would be in line with my personal feelings of the guy. And in case you have pleasant thoughts of how nice it would be to meet the former Leviathan in-person, there are several fans out there (including myself) that can tell you: you will probably be met with the ol' one-fingered salute.

Let's get to the last night's Royal Rumble now.

The night was off to a good start with two decent-to-good matches. The Tag Title switch surprised me that they would make a title change on a pre-show, but I'm told that's somewhat commonplace these days. Fair enough. Not a big deal. Then Bray Wyatt and Daniel Bryan opened the show with a match that exceeded everyone's expectations. "Bryan's working the first match so he can rest for the Rumble" I thought to myself. "Bryan lost the match so he can win something big at the end of the night, like Bret Hart at WM 10. Makes Bray look strong going into WM 30, too. This is pretty damn good booking right here." Hell, I even gave a nod to Lesnar/Big Show for making Lesnar look strong and (hopefully) taking Big Show out of the picture for a while. The crowd booed and jeered for Cena vs Orton, which was expected when you serve the same pile of grool for dinner as frequently as they do with Cena vs Orton. The match was nothing special, but what little air it had in it was deflated by the frustration of the crowd.

Things were zooming by at that point, and it was time for the big match. The 2014 Royal Rumble.

Now, I didn't think Bryan would make an appearance until #30. Wouldn't make sense to bring him out any earlier. "Hey, Lex! Bryan wasn't even advertised for the Royal Rumble match!" Neither was Kevin Nash, but that didn't stop his big, sandbaggin' ass from coming down to the ring. Oh, by the way, what a big surprise, eh? *Eye roll* <----See, there's the eye roll! Save that for future reference...

As we get closer to 30, it's obvious that Roman Reigns is getting a push in a strong direction. I personally don't see a whole lot in Reigns, but pushing new talent is definitely a good thing, so long as they aren't totally devoid of any upside.

Wait, here it is! #30! 10! 9! 8! 7! 6! 5! 4! 3! 2! 1!.......

"What the hell is this?"

My face had a look like I just guzzled down a carton of sour milk.

I like Rey Mysterio. I don't have the disdain for him that many of my cohorts here at RantEM probably do. I enjoy his work. But boy, if I've ever seen anyone being fed to the wolves, this was it. Bryan didn't show up. Batista won the Rumble. Bray Wyatt moved on to John Cena. The hottest wrestler WWE has right now just did the job in the opening match on one of the biggest shows of the year.

Time for another analogy! Imagine you owned an Ice Cream Truck, and you parked at your usuall spot you do every day around noon. People like your ice cream. It's not always the best, but there's something about it that keeps them coming back. Maybe nostalgia. Yeah, probably nostalgia. And habit. Probably habit, too. Anyway, there's a long line at your truck as you're getting your ice cream prepared, and the line is chanting "MINT CHIP! MINT CHIP! MINT CHIP" All of 'em. Now let's say you look around in your truck, and you have a tub of Mint Chip sitting there, looking pristine and fresh. BUT, you also have a tub of Rocky Road sitting over there that's 10 years past it's expiration, and you REALLY like Rocky Road. Plus, you overpaid for this expired tub of... Rocky Road, so you have to get your money's worth. Then, when you open up shop, and the people are screaming for Mint Chip, you force the expired Rocky Road down their gullets. And as they're coughing up the soured goods, they're booing you all the while.

Now, there are a few things wrong with this analogy as it pertains to WWE, and these errors are what upset me most about wrestling fans in general.

1) If your favorite ice cream joint starts serving rotten desserts, you're going to go somewhere else. This is not the case with most WWE fans, including those boisterous fans in Pittsburgh and those demanding refunds for the PPV they purchased at home. These fans might even take a week off from Raw, but they'll surely be back the week after, posting their thoughts on the product all over their Twitter and Facebook pages, even though there's plenty of other wrestling out there to be taken in.

2) You don't usually pre-pay for ice cream without at least making sure you're getting what you expected. This is just the way it is. You spend $65 on a PPV, and as long as it goes from 8pm to 10:45pm uninteruppted, you have no grounds for demanding a refunded. This is even the case with advertising a certain wrestler to be at an event that doesn't show up, because the card is always subject to change. You got burned. Eat the $65 and don't spend another dime on WWE merchandise. But that seems to be something too difficult to do for most fans to follow through on. Even myself, who doesn't watch the product, spends time and energy reading stories and posts about the WWE. Paying attention is still paying something.

The outrage over the 2014 Royal Rumble, however, goes beyond fans. Check out this string of Tweets from Mick Foley; a guy who NEVER speaks ill of the WWE and is always putting a positive spin on the most questionable of situations:

Hell, even his kids got open on Twitter last night, and I know from following them that they're pretty big WWE fans. Foley went on to post a blog on his Facebook page. Go read it. It's great.

Last night, I watched my first WWE PPV in what seems like forever, but it induced the same reaction I used to have before I stopped watching. Me rolling my eyes and asking, "Why?"

So to bring this article to a close, I want you to think about this: The backlash last night was about business. We all want to see good wrestling succeed and make money. We all want to see good wrestlers and good people succeed and make money. Last night, we lost at both of those. WWE will do just fine come WrestleMania, financials-wise. And sure, they could do a "Microsoft" and flip the ship completely. But I'll always be wondering, "What if Daniel Bryan won the 2014 Royal Rumble..."

As for Batista... well, to a nicer guy, it should have happened.

Last week on The Lex List, we looked at the top 5 AFC teams to own in the upcoming Madden NFL 25, due out on August 27th. This week, we'll be running down the top 5 NFC teams to own in Madden NFL 25, as well as some honorable mentions. Let's go!

Lambeau Field
Stadium Opened: 1957
Last Playoff Appearance: 2012
Key Player: Aaron Rodgers

Lambeau field is old in name, but it's been recently renovated and is in great shape. The special thing about Green Bay is, at the moment, they are a Shareholder team. They have several owners, and you can continue that route or you can take the whole team over for yourself. While it may just be all the same in the game, you'll know the differences. Now the fans will be looking at you to make every decision a perfect one. Luckily, you'll have a franchise guy like Aaron Rodgers, but if you don't like Rodgers, that could pose a problem. The Packers are steeped in tradition and it would be a challenge to keep that going.

Edward Jones Dome
Stadium Opened: 1995
Last Playoff Appearance: 2004
Key Player: Sam Bradford

The focus of the Rams, should you decide to take ownership, is the stadium. The Edward Jones Dome isn't that old, but it's in desperate need of renovations and the current ownership is having trouble getting the cities cooperation. In fact, the rams want half the stadium rebuilt. The project would cost $700m. At that point, is it worth keeping the team in St. Louis? Is it time to bring the Rams back to LA? The playoff drought has been rough on fans, and the Rams play in one of the toughest divisions with Seattle and San Francisco constantly finishing better in the standings. How would you bring the fans spirits back up? Would you call for a complete rebuilding of the offense, or continue to have faith in Sam Bradford?

Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome
Stadium Opened: 1982
Last Playoff Appearance: 2012
Key Player: Adrian Peterson

Now we're ramping up. Let's start with the stadium. The H.H.H. Metrodome is ready to be retired. Everyone remembers the roof caving in due to snowfall a few years back. A new stadium is on the horizon, but probably won't be up until 2016. Luckily, we have video game football to speed time up. The first line of order should be to build yourself a new stadium. It's going to cost lots of money, sure, but there's a plan in place. You can get one of those fancy retractable roofs, but I'm an open roof man, myself. Let it snow! After that's taken care of, it's time to get Adrian Peterson a Super Bowl ring. Bolster your roster for Peterson. Solidify that offensive line. Make Adrian want to retire a Viking. He'll be a sure-fire Hall of Famer, so you'll want him on your squad until the end. If you succeed, you'll be sitting pretty with a new stadium and a Super Bowl Trophy in your clutches sooner than later. That's a license to print money.

New Cowboys Stadium
Stadium Opened: 2009
Last Playoff Appearance: 2009
Key Player: Demarcus Ware

One of the best things about playing a video game is using your imagination to accompany what the developers have designed for you. While Jerry Jones probably isn't going anywhere any time soon, that doesn't mean he can't "go away" in Madden 25. With a brand new Stadium and one of the biggest markets in the league, Dallas is set up nicely so that you can focus on improving the team. My first action? TRADE TONY ROMO. I've never been a fan and maybe he can fetch a good price in the trade market. Either way, it's time to find a new centerpiece for this Dallas offense. Dez Bryant has the ability to be an absolute freak in video game-football. The Cowboys are one of the most storied franchises in the league and it would be a fun challenge to try and reclaim the moniker "America's Team."

FedEx Field
Stadium Opened: 1997
Last Playoff Appearance: 2012
Key Player: Robert Griffin III

Ok, Snyder. That's enough. We'll take over from here. After many years of "big free agents," the Redskins finally got their marquee player, and he came via the draft. Robert Griffin III is arguably the perfect figurehead for a squad and would be any owners dream. It's up to you to keep him healthy though. The field has to be in tip-top shape, unlike last year. And what about those against the name "Redskins?" Do you humor them and move the squad? Do you tell them to get bent and keep the team as-is? Regardless, on the field, the Redskins look like an extremely promising squad with two key pieces in Alfred Morris and RGIII playing for many years to come. But let's play pretend for a bit and assume that RGIII re-injures his leg and has to make an early retirement.... what then? That's the variable in this scenario. Do you quickly change your bet and trade Griffin, or do you let it ride and take the risk/reward route?

Thanks for reading another edition of The Lex List. You can leave a comment below and let me know what your pick for NFC team to own would be. You can also follow me on Twitter @The_Lexicon. In the coming days, as a bonus, I will be going over some honorable mentions for teams to own in Madden NFL 25 that I didn't cover in either Part 1 or Part 2. Thanks again for reading and don't forget to check out all the cool stuff here on RantemRadio.com!

The NFL is a business. Sure, it's fun and exciting... it's entertainment! But over all else, the NFL is a business and it's out to make as much money as it can. But even deeper than that, the owners of the 32 individual NFL teams are also out to make as much money as they can, alongside delivering an experience like no other. 

Madden NFL Football needs no introduction. It comes out every year, and it is loved by many and scrutinized by even more.  Sure, EA could rest on their laurels and release the same game every year with no cares given (see: MLB 2Kx), but they don't, and this year the team has decided to bring back the much beloved Owner Mode, which was last seen fully featured in the last generation of consoles. Not only will you be able to choose from a coach or a player to experience 30 years of the NFL, but now you will be able to either take control of an existing owner or create a brand new owner, complete with character background! Sure, you could just pick your favorite team to own, but why not go outside the box and control another, different, more challenging team simultaneously. You can totally do that thanks to EA bringing back 32-team offline control (THANKS, EA!!!). Well, in today's Lex List, I'm going to look at 5 of the most interesting teams to take over in Madden NFL 25 in the AFC. This is part one of a two part article, and I'll be looking at the NFC in part two, so keep an eye out for that soon!

Qualcomm Stadium
Year Opened: 1967
Last Playoff Appearance: 2010
Key Player: Phillip Rivers

Qualcomm is OLD. The NFL has denied a new Super Bowl in San Diego until they get a new Stadium. Now, you could just build them a new stadium if you care about this, or you could just renovate what you have and be good with it. Or... or you could move the team an hour away to Los Angeles. Undoubtedly, LA will be a city that will front most of the bill for relocation. Some San Diego fans might feel betrayed, but those that still want to see the Charger could make the short drive to the new stadium. Plus, the LA Chargers doesn't sound all too bad (hears SD fans shouting in the distance)! Phillip Rivers is your star, but he and the talent around him haven't been the same in a few seasons. Is it time to build around Phillip again, or will you look to the future? 

EverBank Field
Year Opened: 1995
Last Playoff Appearance: 2007
Key Player: Luke Joeckel

Stadium is not an issue here, but there are plenty more issues to deal with. I think the hardest thing to do in this situation would be to STAY in Jacksonville and rebuild both the roster and the fanbase. If you choose to go this route, you could snag Tim Tebow from the Patriots and start the Tebow Revolution. You could have a fire sale and build from scratch, although that might take the most amount of time. Then there's my pick for Key Player: rookie Luke Joeckel. Building a team around Joeckel would be a solid plan, but there are many forks in the road with the Jaguars roster, especially when it comes to QB, which is a colossal mess to clean up at the moment. There's been heavy talk in real life about moving the team to Los Angeles or even London, which are both options in the game. If you do decide to move the team, will you keep the brand new logo and uniforms, or just start from the beginning? The amount of work here and the branching options make Jacksonville a team to consider.

FirstEnergy Stadium
Year Opened: 1999
Last Playoff Appearance: 2002
Key Player: Trent Richardson

Oh, the troubles Cleveland's seen. With just minor success in the early 00's, this 2nd generation Browns team has struggled to find a winning formula after they were awarded their club back in 1999. Over the past few years, names like Brady Quinn and Pat Shurmur haunt the heads of Browns fans everywhere. It would be best to just relocate and try to forget this sequel ever happened. Or would it? Do you have the gall to take Cleveland's team away from them again? Do you have the fortitude to gut an entire city where there are little guts left? If you do decide to stay, and that's probably a BIG "if," then rebuilding around Trent Richardson is probably your best option. Although injury is a concern, the potential of Richardson is off the charts. What you decide to do at QB is up to you. For me personally, Brandon Weedon was a curious selection to begin with, and now journeyman Jason Campbell is with his fourth team of his career, so I'd probably get what I could for them and use a lower rated QB for a season. It may take a few years if you decide to stay the course, but Cleveland needs a shot in the arm, especially when their brand new owner is in the trouble he's in in real life. It's up to you to crush Browns fans happiness or rebuild the team into a championship contender.

O.Co Coliseum
Year Opened: 1966
Last Playoff Appearance: 2002
Key Player: Darren McFadden

Now that Al Davis has passed on, it's the perfect time to restructure the philosophy of the Oakland Raiders. Notice I said "philosophy" and not "mentality." The Raiders are the Raiders, and that's who they should be. However, their method hasn't worked for at least a decade, and it's time to switch things up. Being from Northern California (and no, I'm not a fan of either OAK or SF) saying the Raiders move out of state would be blasphemous. There are a few options IN California to consider though. The first would be Sacramento. "Hey Lex, Sacramento can't even hold down an NBA team!" While I don't claim that Sacramento is the greatest sports town ever, it's time to give them a chance with football. With San Francisco moving into their new stadium next year, it would be ideal for Oakland to move further away from SF, distancing themselves from what is seen as "two teams in the same city." Another option is Los Angeles, where the Raiders have previously resided. However, I feel that LA is no longer a good fit for the Raiders in this modern age. LA has become more glitzy, and I think Oakland needs to go the opposite direction. Though, if you wanted to move the team to LA, I'm sure the city would be willing to pay for nearly everything, which would be a great start to the next 30 years in Oakland. Then there's the issue of the roster. Out is Carson Palmer, who is failed project #142 at QB for Oakland. There now is Matt Flynn, who has never been a true starter in the NFL. Your key player would be Darren McFadden, but he hasn't played a full season in his entire NFL career. Even worse, it's been two years since he's had anything resembling a successful season. He'll probably still be valuable to use in Madden, but there are two key positions that you'll have to account for right off the bat. There are countless other issues on both Offense and Defense, but I still don't see Oakland as a "bad team." If used properly, the Raiders could actually find a way to squeeze into the Division race at the end of the year. All in all, Those are just two of the very unique directions you could take the Raiders in. And, if you decide to take them out of state, you'd probably have quite a Madden memory to hold dear, that's for sure.