#SOMEONE RECOMMENDED IT TO ME BUT JTS ONLY ONLINE

[spidertalia]

Introduction (2.0)

Welcome to my Blog! Here you'll find all my Hetalia related art, as well as occasional ramblings and rb's of other people's lovely art.

A bit about me:

I go by Spider!

I'm 21

I use they/them pronouns and some neos ONLY. no she or he

I'm from Florida, USA (unfortunately). EST Timezone.

I'm autistic AND I have ADHD. Understandably, I do struggle with social cues a lot, so please reach out to me if I say or do anything to let me know. Most likely, I won't realize when I've potentially said or done something to upset someone, so please let me know.

I draw quite often

I am always open to new friends! However, I am generally bad at reaching out first, so please do message me if you wanna be friends!! I promise I'll respond.

Language-wise I only speak English, but I am slowly learning French. (Emphasis on slowly)

I own five reptiles!! Three snakes and two bearded dragons (I do post them occasionally on here, pls filter out tw snake if needed). And I technically co-parent my brother's bastard gecko.

My other main fandoms (that you won't see on here) are ATLA/TLOK, Taleblr, FNAF, Spiderverse and The Owl House. I am currently watching Criminal Minds and Percy Jackson and The Olympians, and I do have somewhat of an interest in Jurassic Park, the Monsterverse, Fionna and Cake, PJO and What We Do In The Shadows.

My top ten favorite movies are Across The Spiderverse, The Batman (2022), Venom, Five Nights at Freddy's, Puss In Boots: The Last Wish, Godzilla Minus One, Into The Spiderverse, Kong Skull Island, Jurassic Park and HTTYD.

I also really enjoy rock/metal/goth/punk/alt music. My favorite musical artists are Nickelback, Delilah Bon, Babymetal, Måneskin, Ice Nine Kills and Rammstein- but I also enjoy artists such as Siouxsie and the Banshees, JT Music, Hanabie, Band-Maid, Lesbian Bed Death and Nine Inch Nails. I like horror movies, online korean webcomics, goth fashion, cats, horror related media and animation. I'm a fledgling goth (or baby bat) and tend to enjoy drawing characters in goth or alternative fashion, so expect some of that here!

About my Blog:

My favorite characters are APH America and APH Canada. Outside of those two, I also like Japan, Ukraine, Romano, France and Prussia, mostly. These are the characters I am most likely to draw

I'm a multishipper with no absolute 'favorite' ship. I like Rusame, Amepan, Romerica, CanUkr, Prumano, Spamano, Spaprumano, Sufin, Prucan and FrUk. I'm pretty neutral on Gerame, Nedport, Asakiku, Giripan, Spafra, Itapan, and a few others. Generally pretty open to most pairings though.

I do not like any -cest pairings whatsoever. I am not going to argue about this. Please do not tag any of my NA bros art as ship; I will block you.

I do have a Statetalia AU and have made all 50 states as OCs. You will see them occasionally here. (If you also like statetalia please be my friend I'm 100% serious)

I will generally put a clarification on posts as to whether or not I mind it being tagged as ship.

I ramble and rant sometimes about my life on here. It will usually be tagged as 'spider talks'.

I don't usually do requests, but if you really want to see something from me, please send it in an ask!

My ask box is open. I highly appreciate asks.

You may rarely see a suggestive/nsfw piece of art on my page. I do not draw such things often, but please do filter out cw suggestive and cw nsfw if you do not want to see that.

I do not write on ao3 anymore, but I highly recommend those who have one to check out this fic! It's rusame and my favorite hetalia fic of all time- characterizations are on point.

My main (Non-Hetalia) tumblr

My Deviantart

#introduction #spider talks

[avalancheobsessed]

Special Pt 2 - Tyson Jost

Warnings: None

WC: 2849 

[Part One]

Christmas Shopping | December 18th

You didn't really know what to get for your parents. They never asked for specific presents or really for anything at all. So you got what you always got for them and what they always asked for. Biking clothes for dad and some new fuzzy boots for mom. Your niece, on the other hand, she just got into watching and playing hockey which left you feeling like it was your duty to spoil her with everything hockey related. Even as a college student you were researching the best equipment from the best brands, constantly bugging your brother, Austin, about what position she wants to play, and if you could come to see her play. So that is how you find yourself at Dicks, looking over all the equipment reminding yourself that just because it's more expensive doesn't mean it is better. You still have no idea what position your niece, Chloe, was going to play and you were beginning to get frustrated with your brother because he wouldn't tell you. You were still aimlessly looking at equipment when someone starts talking to you.

"Can't find what you're looking for?" An oddly familiar voice chimes. You turn and see two of the three of the "frat boys", Alexander Kerfoot and JT Compher watching you. Kerfoot's voice was recognizable anywhere, but you were still slightly surprised that it was him. You were confident that they saw the Avalanche logo on the front of your sweatshirt the second you turned, but you were so frustrated with your brother that it didn't matter if they knew you were a fan.

"I don't even know where to begin looking. My stupid brother won't tell me what position my niece is playing so I have no clue how to spoil her with hockey equipment." You tell them, completely exhausted from staying up all night looking at stores online trying to find the perfect gifts for your family members. Not to mention the butterflies that flutter in your stomach every time you think about the New Years Eve game and what Tyson has in store for you. You hear them chuckle as they come to a stop on either side of you. 

"How old is your niece?" JT asks, looking at all the sticks and pads. You were standing in front of what appeared to be for kids 4-6 years old but you couldn't tell if they would fit Chloe.

"She's 5, turning 6 on New Years Day." Now that you think about it, maybe you should be looking in the 6-8 section. 

"Do you know her height? It'd be hard to find a stick just based on her age." Alexander says, pulling out a couple of the little sticks. He tested their flexibility, bending them gently with his hands.

"I'm not entirely sure, but that might be something my brother would be willing to tell me." You reply, pulling your phone out and texting him.

(Y/N): 'How tall is Chloe?'

Austin: '42 inches. Why?'

(Y/N): 'No reason. Thanks!'

You power off your phone before Austin could respond again.

"She's 42 inches tall," you state, putting your phone in your butt pocket. Alexander nods and you both start looking at the different sticks and their recommended heights. Alexander fumbles with the tags, grunting each time it wasn't the right stick.

"You want the stick to be at your nose unless you're a goalie. Is she gonna be a goalie?" He looks at you while holding out a stick that looks like it'd fit your niece.

You shrug your shoulders, "Like I said my brother is refusing to tell me what position she is playing. I can try asking him once more, maybe he'll give in a little." Alexander nods and you pull out your phone again.

(Y/N): 'Is Chloe gonna play goalie?'

Austin: 'Why do you want to know?'

(Y/N): 'Because I want to be a supportive aunt and buy her equipment!'

Austin: '(Y/N) you're still in college. There is no way you could afford her equipment.'

(Y/N): 'Idk Austin, I'm looking at the equipment in her age at Dicks rn and it looks like I can'

Austin: 'You're looking at equipment? How do you even know where to look and what to look for?'

(Y/N): 'I'm getting help from some professionals. Now, will you please tell me what position she is playing? Or at least if she is going to be a goalie?'

Austin: 'What do you mean professionals?'

(Y/N): 'Oh my god Austin is she gonna be a damn goalie or not?'

Austin: 'No she doesn't want to be a goalie. She wants to be like MacKinnon. What do you mean professionals?'

(Y/N): 'Thank you! And by professionals I mean JT Compher and Alexander Kerfoot are helping me look for equipment at Dicks right now.'

You sigh in content when you turn your phone off again and put it away. "My brother said that she doesn't want to be a goalie and that she wants to be like MacKinnon." You can't help the smile that grows on your face. At least your brother was raising Chloe somewhat right. Alexander nods once more and then pulls away from the shelf with the stick. You had expected there to be a difference between girls and guys stick and that girls would be all pink and pretty because that's just what the world does to girl's sports equipment, which is stupid. Instead, it was a simple looking CCM stick, and you realized you forgot to ask one more question. "Oh shoot I need to find out if she shoots left or right," you hurriedly pull your phone out once more and see three unread messages from Austin.

Austin: 'JT Compher and Alexander Kerfoot are helping YOU find hockey equipment for MY child?'

Austin: '(Y/N) why didn't you just say that before?! This is insane.'

Austin: '(Y/N)?'

(Y/N): 'Yo one more question. Does Chloe shoot left or right?'

Austin: 'Right. She's been using a really shitty stick that we got at Toys R Us. It came with a left and right one and she has only chosen to use the right one.'

(Y/N): 'Okay thank you! I can't wait to see her play. She's gonna be awesome.'

For the third and hopefully final time, you turn your phone off and put it in your pocket. "She shoots right," you say, glancing around and seeing that JT had gone off somewhere, "Where's Compher?" As the words leave your mouth he rounds the corner of the aisle you are in, carrying gloves, a helmet, shoulder pads, elbow pads and every type of pad that any hockey player needs. Your jaw drops a little at the sight of him carrying a mountain of gear.

"Holy shit dude," you laugh, getting a smile in return. He makes his way over to you and gently sets the pile down in your cart. One by one he goes through the gear explaining how to put it on and recommending what to put on first to last. After he goes through it all, you get a chance to hold each piece, learn the brand and unfortunately the price.

"Gonna put a girl out of college Chloe," you mutter under your breath. Or at least you thought it was under your breath until JT spoke again.

"Here, we'll cover the cost. You're just missing one more thing," this time, your jaw hit the floor. That did not just happen. They did not just help you find all the gear in the world for your niece, and say that they were going to cover it.

"You don't have to cover the cost, I can just get my family to chip in. No big deal," you say nonchalantly. You were floored by their offer to pay for you but it just didn't feel right. To be honest, you wanted them to because you know that you can't pay for it on your own, but it didn't feel right to use their money.

"I heard what you tried to mutter under your breath. Trust me, I don't mind paying. Your niece shouldn't be stopped from playing because her equipment is expensive. You're still missing a critical piece though," now it was JT's turn to speak nonchalantly.

"Thank you, JT. It means a lot to me and it's going to mean a lot more to my brother and niece. I guess I need to find skates now." He gives you a warm smile.

"Bingo! Do you know her size in skate?"

"Nope. Hang on." You groan, taking your phone out again.

-------------------------------

You internally cringe as each piece of gear was swiped and as the total kept rising and rising until you were sure JT and Alexander were in way over their heads. They just gave you smiles and shrugged their shoulders.

"We'll make more money, don't worry about it." There were a number of bags, and you were confident that you could carry them all but the two insisted that they help carry the bags and walk you out to your car.

"How long have you been a fan?" Alexander asks as you walk out the sliding doors. The wind had picked up since you'd entered Dicks, and the temperature had dropped. You pull the bags you're holding close to you, shivering as another gust of the cold Colorado air washes over you.

"Since I was a teen. I got into hockey late because my brother played it, and I was that kind of sister who had to hate everything my brother liked. Been a fan ever since." You always got a little embarrassed that you hadn't become a fan when you were younger, but it didn't seem to bug anyone except you.

"Well, better late than never," You nod in agreement, definitely better late than never. You collect all your bags into your left hand and pull your keys out, unlocking your- well, your parents' car. Your car was in St. Albert, safe in the garage under your apartment. You opened the trunk, and carefully set the bags down. JT and Alexander put they bags they were holding in as well and you slammed the trunk door shut.

"I think Tys has the same car as you," JT says, observing the car.

Alexander nods in agreement, "Yeah I think you're right Comph. At least, it's the same type."

You fumble with your keys, "Oh really? That's pretty cool. It's not my car though, it's my parents. Mine is back at my college in St. Albert." JT's eyes widen slightly and his eyebrows raise. Was he okay? He didn't look okay.

"Tyson was telling us about a girl he met on a plane from St. Albert to Colorado," oh so that's why he looks like that, "Was that you?" They both look at you, waiting for your response.

You fumble with your keys again, "Yeah that was me. He told you guys about me?" They keep watching you for a second, straight-faced, no signs of emotion. Then two big smiles break out on their faces.

"Hell yeah, he told us about you. He can't stop talking about you!" JT barks, making you shuffle your feet and bite your lower lip. Tyson was telling his friends about you. You wonder if he told the whole team or just a couple guys. You couldn't explain how that made you feel either way. You were happy and embarrassed and wanted to run around like a crazy woman. There are a lot of emotions flooding through you at the moment and you aren't quite ready to deal with them.

Alexander has a goofy grin on his face, "He gets all flustered when he talks about you. He's like, 'And when she fell asleep, her legs would randomly twitch which was really cute cause then she woke up and her legs were on my lap. She got all flustered and embarrassed and I just wanted to-'" JT punches Alexander in the shoulder, cutting his sentence short. Alexander shot him a glare and JT nodded his head towards you, silently telling Alexander to not tell you something. Your cheeks heat up and you hide your chin in your sweatshirt, partly because of the cold air, partly because you were dying inside.

"Oh my..." you laugh awkwardly like you always do, "Well I guess I better get going. Thank you both for helping me find the gear and for paying, Chloe is going to be so happy. It was nice meeting you two."You turn on your heel quickly, trying to contain the smile that wanted to break out on your face. You wanted to jump up and down, scream or something to get all this giddy and happy energy out of your system.

"Hey (Y/N)!," JT calls out behind you. You spin around again and see him slightly jogging up to you, "If you want, I could give Tyson your number? I mean, if that isn't weird to you or anything." He offers a small smile.

You give a breathy laugh and nod, "Sure. I wouldn't mind." JT smiles again and pulls out his phone, handing it to you. You graciously take it, and put your number in, along with your first and last name.

JT still has a smile on his face, "Thank you."

You smile back."No thank you. Both of you. For everything." They nod at you and step away from your car. You get in and start it, smiling way too big and feeling an entire zoo erupting inside of you. You hold the brake and put the car in reverse. Backing out slowly you wave to JT and Alexander, still smiling. Driving home, you try not to get too distracted by what just happened and don't allow yourself to fully experience it until all the bags are safely inside your house and you confirm no one else is home.

You start dancing around, smiling and shrieking and freaking out your dogs.

"Oh my gosh he- and they- and now- aah!" Complete sentences were no longer existent as you released all the energy inside you. As you finally slowed down you let out one final scream of joy and began laughing hysterically. You laughed for what felt like forever until you could take a deep breath and calm down. What had begun as the most frustrating time of your life, had turned into the happiest. You bring the bags to your room and grab multiple rolls of wrapping paper, along with a lot of boxes to put the gear in. After you finish wrapping, you put all the separate boxes into one big box and set it in the corner of your room. Your phone buzzes and you saunter over to it with exhaustion after wrapping for hours and sitting on the floor. An unknown number is calling you and you reluctantly pick it up.

"Hey (Y/N), it's Tyson. I hope it isn't weird that Compher gave me your number," Tysons voice comes through the phone. The exhaustion runs from your body as your heart starts pumping faster and a giant smile breaks out on your face.

"Hey, Tyson! What's up? And no, it isn't weird at all," You reply, sitting down on your bed. You admire your handy work from afar and smile as you are blessed with the sound of his voice.

"Okay cool," you hear him chuckle, "I was just wondering if maybe you wanted to get coffee or something?" His deep voice calms your nerves, as you process what that means. Does he mean get coffee like a date? Or is this just to get to know each other better? Or is this something completely different?

"It wouldn't be a date right? I mean, I don't think it's a date but I just want to make sure so we're on the same page," Your voice squeaks out as you speak quickly. He laughs on the other side of the line.

"No, it wouldn't be a date. Just want to get to know you better," it's like you can see him smiling when he says those words.

"Oh yeah, I'm definitely down for getting coffee or something."

"Cool! I can pick you up? Or do you want to drive?" As tempting as having Tyson Jost being in the same car as you, you barely know him and don't feel like giving your address out to strangers. Even if they are a hot NHL player that you have a crush on.

"I'm fine driving myself. When and where?" You smile as you realize that you were planning on seeing Tyson again. Just the two of you. Getting coffee or something.

"How about Christmas Day? I'll tell you where when I decide," you can hear the slight smirk on his face.

"Christmas Day sounds wonderful. I've got to go, unfortunately, duty calls." You reply, hearing your parents come home and realizing your room is a mess.

"Okay. I'll talk to you soon. Bye (Y/N)."

"Bye Tyson," you end the call and lay back, sighing loudly in content. Your stomach was twisting and turning and your heart was palpitating. This didn't feel real, no part of it felt like a reality you were living. You had dreamed about this forever, and now it was coming true.

"(Y/N)? Are you okay?" Your mom calls out, hearing your sigh.

"Yeah, mom. I'm great," you reply, smiling yet again, "I'm fantastic."

#tyson jost #colorado avalanche #hockey imagines #jt compher #alexander kerfoot #christmas shopping #nhl #hockey #imagines

[katischuo]

all the questions you havent answered yet AND extra Q-fav thing bout' the oxford comma

2. what would you name your future kids? I’ve always had the name Angela Ridley in my back pocket as a girls name. However, I don’t know what I would do for a boy. Zachary Dylan was my go to, but I feel weird naming a child with the same names as people I know.

3. do you miss anyone? HELLA. Physically, I miss my boyfriend, as I haven’t seen him in about 2 years. But I really miss this guy named Gryphon that I met on Gaia Online (I was really into it in middle school and early high school). He was like an older brother to me when I was 15 or so but then one day, he sent me a message that he was being evicted from his apartment and I haven’t talked to him since. I really miss him. He was always so comforting.

4. what are you looking forward to? The potential of going out to Colorado this summer and the opportunity to catch up on reading all the books I have stacked in my to-read pile, as well as watching some movies and shows from my to-watch list.

5. is there anyone who can always make you smile? Always? I don’t know about that but both Iris and Andy are up there.

6. is it hard for you to get over someone? Gotdamn, you bet.

8. have you ever cried because you were so annoyed? NO THAT’S CRAZY TALK I TOTALLY DIDN’T CRY AND SCREAM INTO MY PILLOW BECAUSE THE DAMN RADIATOR WAS SO LOUD IN MY DORM ROOM crazy.

9. who did you last see in person? My sister.

10. are you good at hiding your feelings? God, no. As my dad always tells me, I wear my heart on my sleeve.

11. are you listening to music right now? Nah. I’m actually waiting for an episode of Breaking Bad to buffer.

12. what is something you want right now? I want Andy to come here so I can cuddle with him because I am starving for physical affection.

14. when was the last time someone of the opposite sex hugged you? Last week? I hugged Justin after not seeing him for months.

15. personality description Fuck. Um, I’m a nerdy science girl who just wants to know everything about everything. I’m stubborn to a fault and want to fix everyone’s problems, even though I can’t even fix my own.

16. have you ever wanted to tell someone something but you didn’t? This is only my life.

17. opinion on insecurities. I hate them. I have so many and I hate them.

18. do you miss how things were a year ago? Not in the slightest.

20. what is your favourite song at the moment? Idk something off of After Laughter. Probably Caught in the Middle? Or Pools.

21. age and birthday? I’m 20 years old and my birthday is February 13th.

23. fear(s) Mostly failure and rejection.

24. height I’m about 5′10″

26. idol(s) I’m going to have to reference you to my role models question because I really don’t see much of a difference.

27. things i hate Bigotry, suffering, and apathy.

29. favourite film(s) The Wind Rises and Moulin Rouge!

30. favourite tv show(s) The Walking Dead, Game of Thrones

31. 3 random facts 1) I try to carry a pencil with me when I read so I can mark sentences that strike a chord with me, so I can see where I was at mentally when I reread the book. 2) I have my library card number memorized. 3) I’m studying for a Linguistics minor purely out of the love for Linguistics.

32. are your friends mainly girls or guys? I think it’s pretty 50/50 now. 

33. something you want to learn EVERYTHING. But right now, this moment, I really want to learn how to enjoy chemistry.

35. favourite subject Biology, more specifically, Anatomy and Physiology.

36. 3 dreams you want to fulfill? 1) I want to persue medicine. 2) I want to at least be trilingual. 3) I want to get a fancy ass shower.

37. favourite actor/actress Me? A total slut for Natalie Dormer.

38. favourite comedian(s) John Mulaney? I don’t really keep up with comedians too much.

39. favourite sport(s) I love watching gymnastics! Participating-wise, swimming.

40. favourite memory Ohohohoo, this isn’t my favorite memory (I don’t want to get sappy here) but it definitely is one of my most precious memories. I was lounging on the couch, as one does, and my dad is standing at the open window in the living room. We’re talking about what a nice day it was and how beautiful the breeze was. He then proceeds to tell me how the air also smells beautiful and that it’s all thanks to Canada (as much of their weather comes down to us here in the ol’ Minnesota). Then he looks out the window and softly whispers “Thank you, Canada” and I fucking lost it.

41. relationship status Taken by an utter and complete nerd

42. favourite book(s) Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson and The Infernal Devices series by Cassandra Clare.

43. favourite song ever I’m going to stop you right there. I’m too indecisive for this.

44. age you get mistaken for Usually around 16 or 17.

45. how you found out about your idol role model Okay, here’s the story of how I stumbled upon Miss Angelina (albinwonderland) because it’s pretty obvious how I found out about my grandmother. Anyway, when I was 14 or so, Pewdiepie was just starting up and I watched him almost daily. Around this time, there was a competition called King of the Web or something like that, in which he was a part of. So of course, I go to the competition website and vote for him! I noticed with this competition that there was only one girl in the running and she had bright, bubblegum pink hair. Interested, I check out her YouTube channel and end up falling in love.

46. what my last text message says To my mother: “Are you on your way home? I was wondering if I should cook up dinner for Thomas and me or if I should just sit tight for a bit”

47. turn ons Common sense, passion, authenticity, confidence verging on cockiness (not really any physical turn ons for me)

48. turn offs Being an asshat, arrogance

49. where i want to be right now COLORADO

50. favourite picture of your idol I’m honestly too lazy to look for it, but it’s a picture on Angelina’s instagram of her wearing a Barbie crop top.

51. starsign Aquarius

52. something i’m talented at I’m pretty good at picking up new concepts. Like, I can do it pretty quickly, for the most part.

53. 5 things that make me happy 1) Naps 2) Vidy games 3) Books 4) Nice pens! 5) Puppies that get so exicted that the hop instead of walking.

55. tumblr friends Shit, you gonna make me @ some. Here are some of my favs: Andy @andu-senpai , Joe @jt-snow , Iris @howmanyletterscaniputinmyurl , Anya @vulpesnox , KP @royalslimefather , and Kalie @onthefrits

57. favourite animal(s) Giraffes, cows, and flamingos

58. description of my best friend Please refer to the description of my crush/boyfriend.

59. why i joined tumblr One of my friends recommended it to me.

60. ask me anything you want Favorite thing about the Oxford comma. It makes sentences less like to be misinterpretted and it’s cool enough to have a song about it (Oxford Comma by Vampire Weekend). In all honesty, I love the Oxford comma so much and those who don’t use it are WRONG.

#kenzie's ramblings #Anonymous

[placetobenation]

Before participating in the PTBN Greatest WWE Wrestler Ever project, I felt like I was a wrestling fan subset of one. I watched more wrestling and geeked out on it more than anyone I knew in real life, so would hold back in real life conversations. At the same time, I hadn’t seen every WWE match let alone older territories, lucha or Japan, so I didn’t really feel connected to a lot of the online communities and chat rooms, finding some of the discussions and participants intimidating. But the PTBN GWWE was different, the scope of the topic seemed more manageable and the participants more positive, encouraging you to check out wrestlers or matches. This helped me rekindle the fire of my fandom and for that I wanted to thank everyone who worked to make this project a success.

I grew up when wrestling was finding its first mainstream success with the start of Hulkamania and the Rock ‘N’ Wrestling connection (yes, I understand that makes me old). Wrestling was the cool thing back then, and tons of my friends were fans of WWF, so I went along and tried to understand why it was such a big deal. We rented and watched the tapes of the first two WrestleManias from the local video store (another sign I’m old), and they were fine. I liked them well enough, but still didn’t quite buy the hype.

Then WrestleMania III happened. The Hogan/Andre feud was so perfectly built that everybody was into it. But after I watched the WrestleMania III tape, I could only think and talk about Steamboat/Savage. While my classmates were still stuck on Hulk and Andre, I was all about the Dragon and the Macho Man. About the same, during trampoline wrestling with my cousins (they didn’t tell us not to try this at home back then) I hit the bodyslam and dropped the big leg, for less than a one-count. So I realized either my seven-year-old cousin Shane was a bigger badass than Andre the Giant, or just maybe pro wrestling wasn’t on the up-and-up as a competitive sport.

I didn’t care about that, as long as there were performers like Steamboat and Savage that could carry storylines and matches, making me care about them and about wrestling. But I was starting to realize I was watching and enjoying wrestling differently than my classmates who liked the glitz and glamor, but I assume didn’t stick with it to the point that they are voting in a poll like this 30 years later.

My fandom hasn’t been constant since that point, by any means. I quit watching sometime around 1990 (I knew Ultimate Warrior won the title from Hulk Hogan, but didn’t know he flopped as champ and flaked out repeatedly until much later) and got back into it just as I was graduating college, first with the NWO and later with Austin and the Attitude Era. I had plenty of company, as once again wrestling got white-hot and everybody was on board. About this time, I found the Internet and a lot more information on wrestling, the wrestlers and what made wrestling good or bad. I devoured it all and sought out videos of some of the matches and events I’d missed. Even though wrestling was still popular through the Attitude Era, I didn’t know anyone else actively watching older videos, so again noticed I was watching wrestling differently than my friends who were fans.

And I think that’s part of why I loved this project so much. Like I mentioned before, my friends didn’t share my level of enthusiasm for the graps and online communities and message boards had never been my thing before. But I really feel like the group involved in this project and the discussion on the Facebook page was the perfect outlet for the type of wrestling talk I’d been looking for during my journey as a fan. There were many suggestions to learn more about different eras and performers, but the talk was mostly positive. I like looking at wrestling with a critical eye, but also want to avoid being so critical that nothing is enjoyable or fun, and I think this group struck a good balance between critical analyses, while still enjoying the product.

I’m not one of the original PTBN inner circle; I’ve never met JT, Scott or anyone else from PTBN. I feel like I know them, since I’ve listened to them talk about wrestling for countless hours, but I’ve never had any actual interactions with them, other than through the Facebook page for this project. But I want to thank them and anyone else who did a podcast, wrote a piece to promote a wrestler or even offered match suggestions or opinions on the Facebook page.

I freely admit I had huge blind spots I tried to cover when making my list, but I haven’t seen every match from every PPV that WWF/WWE ever put on. On some sites other participants might go on the attack cutting promos about how you shouldn’t vote if you hadn’t seen this era or that match. I saw very little of that type of behavior on this project, but instead saw tons of recommendations to check out particular matches and give specific wrestlers another look. In many cases this led me to develop a deeper appreciation for guys I never thought I’d like, for example Backlund, Patterson, Valentine, Mark Henry, Big Show and Sheamus. In other cases, I scratched my head wondering what everyone else saw that I didn’t.

But that’s cool; the variety of opinions is what makes this project fun. While I’m pretty happy with my list and feel like it accurately reflects my opinions and what I value in wrestling, I don’t consider it a definitive finished product. I believe it was noted philosophers Aerosmith that said “Life’s a journey, not a destination, and you just don’t know what tomorrow will bring,” and I feel like this project is a little like that. I’ve got my list and opinions, but if someone scores significantly higher than I expected I’ll look forward to seeking out more of their stuff, just in case I missed something and can find another wrestler that I unexpectedly enjoy.

While I did take this project seriously, because that’s what allowed me to find new wrestling I enjoyed, but I understand this project wasn’t particularly important in the grand scheme of life. There are far more important things than our shared love of wrestling, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t meaningful. This project was meaningful to me because of the new appreciation I found for wrestlers, matches and eras and the discussions we had around the project. I hope others found this project and discussion meaningful as well.

I just wanted to thank everyone involved, everyone who shared an opinion, gave a match recommendation or created an article or podcast and to give a shout out to PTBN for hosting this fine event that I’ve enjoyed tremendously.

Enjoy the Top 100!

– Tyler Kelley

#IFTTT #Place to Be Nation