The Sports Truth

Following in the footsteps of Curtis Granderson and a thuggish Baltimore Ravens crew, Phillies centerfielder Aaron Rowand (pictured, with Smackdown general manager Teddy Long), an avid pro wrestling fan, was in attendance when WWE’s Survivor Series rolled into the City of Brotherly love.

He had the following to say regarding the WWE event:

“You see how much [the Superstars] get out there, how physical they really are… You get your money’s worth when you come. You see the world of hurt these people actually go through.”

Wow. And we thought certain NBA teams were essentially a bunch of thugs. Well, some of them are. We certainly don’t mean to diminish the accomplishments of Stephen Jackson or Sebastian Telfair. But the Baltimore Ravens, seen here attending WWE Raw, look far more imposing than the wrestlers themselves. Bet you at least 40 percent of these guys are packing heat, too.

They comfortably sit atop the AFC North at 8-2, but Baltimore Head Coach Brian Billick might want to rethink letting his team attend such events We saw what it did for the Detroit Tigers. Then again, maybe their intimidating presence is part of the reason they’re in the hunt for the top seed in the conference.

And on the plus side, it appears that Ray Lewis, the Ravens’ defensive leader and All-Pro linebacker, is nowhere to be found. Why? No idea. He’s probably out impregnating someone with his seventh child.

Detroit Tigers outfielder Curtis Granderson enjoyed himself a fine rookie season, but he, like many of his teammates, who trail 2-1 in the Fall Classic, is struggling in the World Series. The reason?

Probably St. Louis Cardinals pitching, which has really stepped it up. But Perhaps a visit to this week’s WWE Smackdown tapings in the Motor City wasn’t the best idea… especially considering how distracting certain WWE Divas can be. No wonder he can’t find his way on base…

On the left, we see Granderson getting cozy with Layla El. On the right, teammate Joel Zumaya and Granderson both pose with Kelly Kelly. One can only wonder if Ivan Rodriguez and ALCS MVP Placido Polanco (also hitless in three games against St. Louis) were also in attendance — and if these sultry divas are somehow in kahoots with Cardinals manager Tony LaRussa, who’s looking for any advantage he can get (especially in the midst of Gamblergate).

Granderson, 25. refers to himself as a huge WWE fan and considers DXX, the Ultimate Warrior and WWE Hall of Famer Junkyard Dog as his favorites.

He says he’s already planning on attending another WWE event in Detroit April 1, the night before the 2007 Major League Baseball season. This may impact his chances of being tabbed to start in the outfield of a certain Sports Truth general manager’s fantasy baseball team for a second consecutive season.