Final 4 Preview!

The matchups just couldn't be any better. We have two matchups that are kind of like Father-Son or Father-Daughter. They are two matchups where an older, wiser veteran has taken a younger, up and coming star under his wings and watched his child grow up... and now his child wants to take him OUT. Really, these matchups are a lot like Rocky V, except for the fact that we hope they are much shorter and much more interesting.

First, we have Monday's Matchup,

Jeff "White Lightning" France versus Wendy "Nasty Newlywed" Mathis

France pranced through the Looking Pretty Regional, beating everyone (including himself) with a varied assortment of hair flips and leg kicks. Mathis meanwhile is our champion of the Stare at Numbers Regional where she delivered swirlees, wedgies, and elevator music thumping routines to defeat every man in her way. In fact, rumors abide that Brian Scheele now is wearing a foot cast with tooth marks on it. Wow.

To understand this matchup, we need to take a UFC trip back in time.....

Mathis was a single, engaged woman, planning her wedding. Jeff France sat in his office, perched on his chair doing that spinning thing he likes to do while he sips his morning coffee in utter darkness each morning... Mathis needed advice. Her dress needed to be the purest of white. France is the expert in whites, as witnessed by his (formerly) blinding white K Swisses.

(As a side note, to see France's shoes of choice, go to www.mykswiss.com, click on Customize a shoe, pick all white for everything you can, and type in France as your name) That's sweet.

Anyway, France counseled Ms. Mathis on the varied shades of white, care for white items, and how to properly carry yourself in whites as you walk down a runway... all that love and now she wants to take him OUT. Mathis actually knocked out her smoke-break partner Bob Tomaszewski in the Elite 8. She can be tough. Here's how I break down the matchup:

France Mathis
Preparation X
Heart X
Hustle X
Tenacity XX
Wiliness X
Strength X
Reach X


This battle is next Monday, 10/1.

On Tuesday, we will see Travis "Monster Truck" Gessley versus Denny "Big Sexy" Whiteside.

Gessley steamrolled his way through the Product Kings region, taking out every Rawlings brand product manager he could find. Meanwhile, Big Sexy is the king of the Live Action region, outfoxing every engineer who remains in our office full time. (no word yet about the Tech center engineers)

I am feeling another UFC time travel moment....

Whiteside was a young(er) marketing manager, inventing the glove here at Rawlings. He was fiddling with leather swatches and placing the Vice into the glove line here when Travis was still in High School using the vise in shop class (and we know Travis was in Shop class, not Home Ec.). When Travis became the fielding gloves product manager for Worth, Whiteside took him under his wing. He sat him down and filled Travis' mind with more stories about leather than I can (or feel comfortable putting in) print. And Travis listened. He created an all white Worth glove, in tribute to his mentor, and now is ready to run over Denny's new Harley with his monster truck.

This battle is on Tuesday 10/2...

Here's how i break it down:
Whiteside Gessley
Preparation X
Heart X
Hustle X
Tenacity X
Wiliness X
Strength XX
Reach X


For those who haven't voted, or didn't know about this... All you do is email your winner to RawlingsUFC@hotmail.com on Monday and again on Tuesday.

The winners will clash on Thursday of next week for the BIG TITLE of RAWLINGS UFC champion!

Good Luck to all.