Harry Potter's Magic Spell on Universal Studios

Outside Flourish & Blotts

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

Harry Potter first entered our lives in 2007.  My oldest son had just started second grade when my wife read him "Harry Potter & The Sorcerer's Stone."  I didn't pick up the books until the last one was released, but got hooked quickly.  We'd read the book and then see the movie.  We got caught up by the time Half Blood Prince was released in theaters and actually saw it on the big screen.

Butterbeer break

Four years ago, our family ventured to Universal Studios in Orlando, where we were in awe of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.  A portion of Islands of Adventure has been transformed into Hogsmeade and Hogwarts.  Rides like the Harry Potter & The Forbidden Journey, Flight of the Hippogriff, and Dragon Challenge add to the excitement of all the shops, including Honeydukes Sweetshop and Ollivander's Wand Shop.  There are places to get your fill of Pumpkin Juice, Butterbeer, and Gillywater.  It's the ultimate place for Harry Potter fans.

Waiting for the Hogwarts Express

Earlier this year, the Wizarding World expanded into the Universal Studios side of the part.  Now, you can hop aboard the Hogwarts Express and take it back and forth, assuming you have a ticket to both parks.  The train ride is reminiscent of the movies, it's by far the most relaxing of the five Potter themed rides at the park.

In the bank lobby 

Speaking of other rides, the only other new ride added with the addition is Escape from Gringotts.  Because it's a new attraction, the wait time was between 60 and 90 minutes (in October), although on our last day there, we went straight to that ride when the park opened.  Our wait time that morning was about 40 minutes.  It's a 3-D thrill ride with twists and turns, but not nearly as jostling as the Forbidden Journey ride.  But a little kid did barf on the way out and right in the path of where people were walking.

The dragon 

On top of Gringotts bank is a giant fire-breathing dragon.  Almost like clockwork every 10 minutes, a ball of fire shoots from his mouth.  There are plenty of stores along Diagon Alley, including Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour,  Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, and the Leaky Cauldron.  We ate lunch at the Cauldron, and although pricey, it was delicious.  I had the Bangers and Mash.  The one interesting thing is there are no basic drinks in the restaurant.  It's all Pumpkin Juice, Butterbeer, or Gillywater (which is a bottle of water with a $4.25 price tag).  You won't find a soda on the menu.  After we sat down and started eating, we were offered a complimentary cup of water.

Working her magic

One of the other really cool parts of the whole Wizarding World Experience now is the interactive wands they sell in addition to the usual collector's wands.  These interactive wands can be used at the various store fronts (that have a special marking in front of them) and the holder of the wand can perform some magical task.  A sensor in the window reacts to the sensor in the wand to make things happen.  There's a cake topper that dances around, a tape measurer that comes unrolled, among other things.  It's neat, but again, an added price of about $50 per wand.

Don't touch wands

Compared to most of the other attractions and experiences at Universal, it's obvious Harry Potter and his posse are breathing new life into the theme park.  They've managed to cast a spell on my family and millions of others.  While not on the same level of Disney's magic, the folks who built this portion of the park have done a great job.

The Nerd Behind Nerd Shirt Thursday

Nerd Shirt Thursday

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

This is a long overdue entry, as we've been doing Nerd Shirt Thursday at my work for about six months now.  It's a concept (now former) News 3 This Morning producer Weston "Dub Dub" White came up with.  The premise is simple.  Each Thursday coworkers are encouraged to wear a "nerd" shirt to work.  Because I can't wear tshirts on the air, I always wear mine under my shirt and tie.  After the show each week, we take a pic to share with the world.

Weston as Capt. America

So what's a nerd shirt?  Pretty much anything with a comic book character, movie, or pop culture reference.  The rules aren't too strict, but the nerdier the better, especially if you can accessorize.  It's something that has gained momentum in the newsroom and my Facebook friends wait each week to see who will be featured on our chests next.  As I mentioned Weston came up with the idea and we've carried it out in the weeks since his departure from WSIL.  I'm going to use the rest of this blog to talk more about my friend.

Ugly Christmas Sweater Day 2011

I met Weston when he joined News 3 This Morning in July 2010.  It didn't take long to become friends, especially after he professed his love for wrestling and The Simpsons.  He came into the job already "getting it."  He's a natural writer and understands the facets involved in putting together a newscast.  I remember my coanchor Emily Eddington and I came up with a list of things to help ease him into the position, but we never even gave it to him.  He already understood what to do, and this was his first TV gig.

Wrasslin' 

I literally laughed every day that Weston was at work.  Many times it was a loud belly laugh that produced tears.  Sometimes this happened on the air, depending on what he was saying in our ear pieces.  Of course when the work was done, there was always a little time for horseplay.  As I mentioned, he too is a wrestling fan and more than once I found myself getting picked up and flung around the room.  I'd be interested to see if there are any other producer/anchor combos like this in newsrooms across America.

The Shopping Ninja

It wasn't just behind the scenes that we had the fun.  Weston brought new ideas that made for great television as well.  In 2011 he found someone willing to come in and instruct Emily on how to zap me with a taser live on the air.  It's still one of the most memorable moments of my career.  He's dressed like "The Shopping Ninja" in preparation for Black Friday and was the brain child behind "The Morning News Anchor Challenge", a good concept, but unfortunately ended up getting shelved after three days.

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery...

He created a cartoon character named Humphrey, started doing "Wrestling Banana Art", and even dressed like me for Halloween one year.  Weston is a unique guy, an outstanding producer, and even better friend.  This blog merely scratches the surface.  You can see from the pics, that we always had a good time.  I miss him, but I know he's doing well in the next chapter of his life.  Thanks for the memories Dub Dub.

Don't Pull the Plug on Tag Team Wrestling

The Usos vs. Gold & Stardust
Photo courtesy: WWE

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

I'm going to admit first and foremost I have not been paying as close attention to wrestling as I would like to.  Sometimes life gets in the way of fun and entertainment and things get lost in the shuffle.  I do watch Raw on a regular basis and I keep up with the pay per views via the WWE Network.  I even went back and did some research so I'm basing my opinions on facts and not just what I perceive to be the truth.

Ten teams do battle at Survivor Series 1987
Photo courtesy: WWE

I love tag team wrestling.  Looking back on the very first (and second) Survivor Series events, there were ten viable tag teams on the roster.  Ten.  I don't know if I could name ten viable tag teams over the past couple of years, much less that would be on hand for one pay per view match.  The days of duos like Demolition, The British Bulldogs, and the Hart Foundation are long gone.  Now we have quick, put together-at-the-last-second combos out there.

Star & Goldust
Photo courtesy: WWE

Right now on the current main roster the Usos and Gold & Stardust are really the only two active teams I see anymore.  Los Matadores are sporadically used and I'm assuming the Wyatt Family will soon be back in action, but let's look back on the calendar year.

Cody Rhodes and Goldust lost the tag team titles to the New Age Outlaws at the Royal Rumble.  Yes, a team that hadn't competed together on WWE programming in 14 years made a comeback.  It was brief and nostalgic, so I'm not complaining.  I'm really not.  

Wrestlemania XXX Kickoff
Photo courtesy: WWE

At Extreme Rules, the now defunct duo of RybAxel beat the Cody and Goldie and the Usos wrestled the NAO.  There was a fatal four way that was the kickoff to Wrestlemania XXX.  Los Matadores and The Real Americans (also no longer together) were a part of that. There was also a six man tag featuring the Shield against NAO and Kane.

There were no tag team matches at Extreme Rules, but another six man with the Shield against Evolution.  Payback saw that rematch and a rematch between RybAxel and Cody & Goldust.  The Usos beat the Wyatts at Money in the Bank and the newly revamped Star and Goldust took on RybAxel (again).

The Wyatts vs. the Usos
Photo courtesy: WWE

Battleground featured a rematch between the Usos and the Wyatts. There were no tag team matches at SummerSlam.  We saw Gold & Stardust take on the Usos at Night of Champions and Hell in a Cell.  

Now that we're up to speed, you can see there's a huge lack of depth in the tag team pool.  Sure there were a few more makeshift teams through the year, including Big Show and Mark Henry who are now enemies, and Damien Mizdow and the Miz seem to be on the verge of a split too.  Reviewing the WWE roster, there are so many guys on it now that aren't on TV, I scratch my head wondering why they're not being put to use.  

Woods, Kingston, Big E
Photo courtesy: WWE

For a bit we were being teased with a faction of Xavier Woods, Kofi Kingston, and Big E.  I think it's a move that would benefit all three men and give fans something fresh in terms of a new team.  I thought Tyson Kidd and Justin Gabriel had good chemistry prior to Tyson's injury and time away.  I'm reluctant to suggest others from NXT because I fear without the proper introduction, they'll be lost in the shuffle (see Fandango, Big E, and Adam Rose among others.)

I think the tag teams that are currently being used do an amazing job, but week after week of tag team or six man tag team matches featuring the same guys gets a little old after a while.  Let's give the division a breath of fresh air and mix things up a bit.

Life is Too Short for Bad Coffee

The News 3 This Morning gang in 2012

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

I still remember the first time I ever stepped into Crossroads Coffee Company in Carterville.  While I don't recall the exact year, I can tell you it was before Dan Gentz and his family bought the place.  The menu didn't even exist back then.  They only had coffee and pastries.  I was meeting a colleague with the Men's Health Conference to discuss our upcoming event and I had hot chocolate and a chocolate chip cookie.

I didn't think much of that first visit.  Sure the hot chocolate and cookie were good, but I did not drink coffee at the time, and didn't anticipate going back anytime soon.  Little did I know Crossroads would become my favorite place to eat in southern Illinois in a short period of time.

Adventures in eating fresh

My friends and coworkers on the morning show at WSIL used to go to Subway every Friday.  We'd leave the station at 9 a.m. for a break, and we didn't want bacon and eggs.  Since we all got up in the middle of the night, we were ready for sandwiches and pizza by that hour of the day.  We alternated with trips to Dairy Queen as well, just to add some variety to our Friday morning "Happy Hours."

I remember scrolling through my Facebook feed in late 2011 and seeing a picture of a hamburger posted by Crossroads.  It was the Crossroads Burger and it looked delicious.  I commented on the pic, asking if it was served at any time or just during lunch hours.  I was excited when the response was "you can get lunch anytime you want here."

They loved us there!

It took little convincing to swap our Subway/DQ trips with a visit to Crossroads.  After that first Friday we were hooked.  We went there every week, sometimes stopping in more than once.  Many of us visited with other friends and family members too.  Sadly, on October 31, 2014, Dan and his crew served their last cups of coffee and delicious food.

The first Kevin HunsBurger in 2013

You've probably read or at least heard about my story on the Kevin HunsBurger.  If not, click here for the details.  Long story short, on a Friday morning in late 2012, Dan joked with us about creating a burger in my name.  By January 2013, it was on the menu, and two bucks from each one sold went to the American Cancer Society.  I ate the very first one they served and I'm honored to say I had the very last as well.  

The last HunsBurger

Dan and his crew always treated the morning team right.  I can't put in to words how much I appreciate the way everyone there made us feel like Crossroads was our place.  It really was a happy hour (or hour and a half) for us.  The food was always top notch and there were enough menu options to keep anyone from getting bored.  Tables were reserved for us, which was great on busy mornings. Crossroads became a sponsor of a wrestling endeavor I was a part of at one point.  They also donated items for various charity events and helped people in the community anytime they were asked.

The team in 2014

I know Dan, Lisa, Taylor, and the rest of the Crossroads gang will do well in their future endeavors. I've never felt more important at a place of business in southern Illinois than when I was at Crossroads.  I think my friends would agree with that.  Thanks for the many memories.  You hold a special place in our hearts.

A Second Chance to Scare

Old costumes get new life

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents

When I lived in Indiana more than a decade ago, there was a group that collected gently used Halloween costumes and distributed them to needs in need.  I always liked the idea and even donated a few of our old costumes to the cause.  It's something I always wanted to see done in my community.  Now, 11 years later, I'm doing something about it.

Even scary costumes are accepted

But I need your help.  It's obviously too late to make it happen for this Halloween, but as you pack away the costumes after this year's trick or treating, consider donating it to this cause.   Better yet, when costumes go on clearance on November 1, pick up a couple new ones to donate.

It may not sound like much, but I know there are kids out there who do not have the opportunity to dress up for Halloween because their parents or guardians don't have the money.  Halloween was one of the most memorable times of the year when I was growing up, and even now for my kids.  I'd hate to think there are children in my community not enjoying it just because they can't afford to have fun.

Princess Skeleton

I am talking with a group to partner up with for this project.  Once the deal is done, I will post more details.  But in the meantime, you can contact me and I'll make arrangements to get the items you want to donate.  Let's make Halloween 2015 a memorable one for everyone.  Thanks for your support.

Hell of a Show

Bray Wyatt is back
Photo courtesy: My 1-2-3 Cents

By Chad Smart
@chadsmart & @my123cents on Twitter

Sunday night, I attended WWE’s Hell in a Cell show. Going in to the show, I didn’t have high expectations. Talking before the show with a friend who works for WWE, we both commented that the repetitious matches kills fan interested. During the preshow match of Mark Henry vs. Bo Dallas.... I mean, Bo Washington, I accidentally texted my friend instead of Kevin to BOlieve. His 
response: I BOlieve we’ve seen all of these matches enough times already. 

Ambrose vs. Rollins
Photo courtesy: My 1-2-3 Cents

Even with lack of freshness to the show, overall I felt the show surpassed my expectations and was an overall decent show. Sure there are things I would have changed but there wasn’t anything I downright hated or was bored by on the show. Yet once again, I found myself the apparent Armond White of the Internet Wrestling Community. After I got back to my hotel, I went online and read people’s comments about the show. I was surprised at all the negative comments. 

Rusev wins!
Photo courtesy: My 1-2-3 Cents 

I do agree that having John Cena win his match to earn another shot at Brock Lesnar wasn’t needed. WWE really needs to find other workhorses instead of riding their current one until he’s broken down and then figure out who should take his place. I’ll contend that the I-C Title match, the US title match, the Tag Team title match and Big Show/Rusev didn’t move any stories along but they were still all entertaining and good matches. Personally, my biggest complaint was the Ambrose/Rollins match played out like a greatest hits version of previous HIAC matches and the ending was straight out of the WCW/TNA playbook. That doesn’t mean that match was necessarily bad though. 

Cena vs. Orton
Photo courtesy: My 1-2-3 Cents

Maybe it’s because for once I just sat back and let myself be entertained without over thinking what has happened as to why it was happening. I was surprised Mark Henry didn’t turn on Big Show. I was mildly surprised at John Cena winning. Yes, I know Cena always wins but there was a part of me that figured Randy Orton would get a shot against Brock in Randy’s hometown of St. Louis next month at Survivor Series. I was surprised at Bray Wyatt interfering in the HIAC match and I’m curious as to his motives. 

The Three Stooges (as Chad calls them)
Photo courtesy: My 1-2-3 Cents 

One aspect that I think really helped me enjoy the show more than people watching at home was the lack of commentary. When you don’t have to endure the three stooges on commentary arguing, joking and not paying attention to what’s going on in the ring, it’s easier to keep focus on the action and enjoy it without getting annoyed. In fact, I’d recommend in the future to always keeping the mute button on during a WWE show. 

Miz TV
Photo courtesy: My 1-2-3 Cents

Almost forgot to mention the best part of the show. Since I don’t watch RAW on a regular basis anymore, I had not fully seen Damien Mizdow do his shtick. Mizdow is awesome, as the crowd pointed out during the match between Miz and Sheamus. I hope WWE higher ups don’t see Mizdow as simply a replacement for wacky Santino Marella. Mizdow has the talent and skill to be a major player if given the chance. 

Kissing his way to a new feud
Photo courtesy: My 1-2-3 Cents

Even with enjoying the show, a lot of my complaints from the HIAC preview blog still stand. Tonight on RAW I hope they shake things up and move things forward. Bring in wrestlers who have gone MIA over the past few months. Shake up the title contender picture and freshen up the overall product. I won’t hold my breath but I’ll keep on BOlieving.

Booking Hell: No Cell Reception

By Chad Smart

@chadsmart & @my123cents on Twitter

Tonight, I’ll watch my third live Hell In a Cell match, having seen Triple H and the Undertaker at Wrestlemania 28 and the inaugural match between Shawn Michaels and The Undertaker 17 years ago at In Your House: Bad Blood. At that event, the WWE Universe (then known simply as fans) saw the debut of The Undertaker’s presumed dead baby brother, Kane. Yes, Kane has been on the active roster for 17 years. My math may be a bit off, but I believe Kane has been on the roster a year or two shorter than Hulk Hogan and Steve Austin were active WW(F)E wrestlers combined. 

This year’s Hell In A Cell show features two HIAC matches. The first, Seth Rollins vs. Dean Ambrose actually makes sense to be inside the demonic structure as Dean is seeking revenge for Seth destroying their stable, The Shield, and for putting Dean’s head through a cinderblock.  The second HIAC match, I would personally classify as personal hell taking place in a cell. John Cena battles Randy Orton in match where the winner gets a title shot against Brock Lesnar. If there is any match in WWE that I never care to see in any manner it’s Cena/Orton. They have fought too many times for the match to have any interest. Not only is the match up stale, the number one contender stipulation seems like a tacked on afterthought to put some meaning to the match. Given the way the story has played out over the last month this would be like the Oakland A’s playing the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 2014 World Series.

Outside of the two HIAC matches, the show also features the Usos vs. the DustBrothers, a rematch from last month’s Night of Champions as well as Paige vs. AJ Lee who have fought each other on the last two pay per views. Last month Dolph Ziggler faced The Miz for the Intercontinental title and Sheamus fought Cesaro for the United States title. At HIAC, I-C champion Ziggler will square off with Cesaro while Sheamus will defend his title against The Miz. If these four matches don’t show the lack of creative direction in WWE at the moment, I don’t know what does.

The other two matches announced for the show include the Bulgarian Brute, Rusev looking to add the Big Show to his list of conquered Americans and The Bella twins continue their "gone on too long feud" with the stipulation of whoever loses has to be the other’s personal assistant. Hell In A Cell as a whole looks like the poster child for The WWE Universe’s fear that once shows became available on the WWE Network for just $9.99 a month there would be little effort to separate the shows from Raw or Smackdown.

Having no inner workings of how WWE creative operates, I don’t know what’s going on with the booking plans for shows. I do know that I’ve watched maybe one episode of RAW from start to finish in the last three months. I don’t feel I’ve missed anything. Every week the same people interact with each other to the point where no match at HIAC seems exciting or new.

Where are Kofi Kingston, Xavier Woods, Big E, Fandango and the Wyatt Family? The WWE roster is pretty stacked at the moment yet the creative team seems to only be able to focus on a group of about 15 wrestlers at a time. With RAW being three hours long, along with Smackdown, Main Event and Superstars, there are no reasons why every show needs to feature all the pay per view (or are they monthly specials now) story lines.  If Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins had only interacted twice on the build to HIAC would it have diminished the anticipation of their match?

I am of the opinion that having guys interact and fight on every show leading up to the pay per view reduces the excitement of the match. Maybe it’s the old school fan in me who misses the day of squash matches and short, to the point promos where one wrestler vowed to get revenge/prove superiority/accept a challenge of their opponent. Whatever the case, today’s shows all seem to blend together with no real importance attached to any match.

Will the show exceed my expectations? Hopefully. Will I sit there unimpressed while fans less cynical surround me and go crazy when John Cena’s theme music hits or when The Usos says "Ooh"? Most likely.  I’m sure the show will be decent. It’s just not the show I would have booked if I were in charge. As Owen Hart used to say, “enough is enough. It’s time for a change.”