A-Rods arrival would create more turmoil than the Yankees a

Chris Jericho and Universal champion Kevin Owens managed to keep their friendship intact on Monday night despite an early scare -- and all was well for WWEs flagship brand because of it.This weeks episode of Raw, from Torontos Air Canada Centre, never quite built upon the buzz of an enthralling Survivor Series pay-per-view card just 24 hours earlier in the same building. But it featured just enough bells and whistles -- including a thrilling conclusion to the main event -- to cover the sins of predictability and inconsistency that has plagued the show in recent months.Sometimes its the final taste that is left in the mouth of viewers that best decides whether a grueling three-plus hour broadcast was a success. And the main event of Owens and Seth Rollins in a no-disqualification match more than delivered, thanks in part to Jerichos eleventh hour involvement.One night after Goldberg shocked the WWE Universe by defeating Brock Lesnar in 86 seconds, the 49-year-old opened Raw with a special announcement that he would continue his comeback by entering the Royal Rumble on Jan. 29 in San Antonio.At the Royal Rumble match, everyone is next, said Goldberg, who earlier implied that he has one more title run left in him.But make no mistake -- despite Goldbergs breaking news, this was an episode largely dominated by Jericho, who continues to turn just about every gimmick or storyline he touches into gold during his career renaissance at age 46.Jericho, who spent the majority of his youth in Canada, received the largest pop from the crowd. He began the night with a comedic bang. During a backstage interview with Charly Caruso, he made a deadpan reference to her as Charles, which was a sly nod to multiple Raw interviews in recent months with Tom Phillips, where Jericho and Owens routinely called him by the wrong name.He also showcased his acting chops while hosting a Highlight Reel segment early in the show. After calling out Owens for costing Team Raw in their Survivor Series loss to SmackDown Live on Sunday, both superstars appeared on the verge of turning on each other for good.Owens looked ready to get physical as he grabbed Jericho and spun him around before exclaiming, Ill tell you whose fault it is ... But before he could finish his sentence by naming Jericho, the two superstars looked at each other and simultaneously screamed Roman Reigns! before coming together for an epic bro hug.Whos fault is it for Team #RAW losing at #SurvivorSeries? ROMAN REIGNS! @FightOwensFight @IAmJericho pic.twitter.com/FdsNBdZ2RK- WWE Universe (@WWEUniverse) November 22, 2016This was about as delightfully cheesy a moment as Jericho and Owens have had in their on-screen friendship, and they walked the tightrope perfectly by creating legitimate suspense that their union was finished without delving too far into the ridiculous (despite veering close).But Jericho, who was banned from ringside along with Reigns by Raw general manager Mick Foley for the main event, enjoyed his finest moment in the closing minutes of the broadcast. With Owens and Rollins brawling outside the ring, Jericho emerged from the crowd dressed in a Shinsuke Nakamura T-shirt and Sin Cara mask to attack Rollins.The choice of mask was an ironic one considering Jericho was rumored to have engaged in a real-life backstage altercation with Sin Cara during the WWEs European tour earlier this month. And his involvement in the title match directly affected the outcome.Rollins initially fought Jericho off and unmasked him before connecting on a Pedigree onto the arena floor. But Owens took advantage of the distraction by stepping in to land a super kick and instantly followed up with a powerbomb of Rollins onto the ring apron. Owens then rolled Rollins into the ring and getting the pinfall.The exciting finish put a proper bow on what was an entertaining main event, which also featured the use of chairs and tables, along with Owens and Rollins brawling throughout the crowd (which helped make up for a gratuitous amount of commercials early on). But the ending produced a feeling of déjà vu, just the same.Jerichos interference in the title match at the expense of Rollins was essentially the same finish that was used at both Night of Champions in September and Hell in a Cell last month. In fact, its the same outcome we have seen on Raw in various forms ever since Owens won the title on Aug. 29.On one hand, thats how you properly book a heel, creating enough heat to lay the groundwork for the babyface to complete his chase and finally overcome the villain. On the other hand, it feels like the same story each week, just with different dialogue.Luckily for Raw, the combination of Jericho and Owens are able to deliver said dialogue at such an incredibly high level, often proving to be the highlight of the episode. This week was no different.Hits and missesGoldberg entered the arena to an explosion of cheers on Monday, with the crowd chanting his name throughout his strong opening promo. Its hard to find any fault with his appearance, especially with how much excitement his Royal Rumble announcement adds to the match as the WWE attempts to sell out the Alamodome. But considering how much of a shock Goldbergs squash match victory was the night before in his first match since 2004, it was disappointing not to hear from Lesnar or Paul Heyman in any form. The reality of Lesnars part-time contract certainly limits the amount of dates he can appear, and its clear that WWE has plans to slow-play the feud through January (if not all the way to WrestleMania 33 in April). That said, Goldbergs victory was truly a moment, posing plenty of storyline questions that need answering about Lesnars reaction.Is it just me, or is the New Day starting to tease a turn back to their old heel ways following another outright title defense in which they cheated to win -- this time against the team of Cesaro and Sheamus? Keep a close eye on this development as they close in on Demolitions record for longest reign by a tag team champion.Credit Raw for continuing the push of Braun Strowmans monstrous physicality, which included an outright brutal victory over Sami Zayn. The added wrinkle of Mick Foley being forced to stop the bout as a lifeless Zayn was unable to protect himself was an effective one, causing a hush from the crowd as Strowman delivered the savage and realistic looking attack. Depending upon how well Strowman can do in a major title push, the WWE may end up getting but one chance to present him as unbeatable. So far, the big man has responded well.Is anyone else as confused by the booking in the Raw womens division as I am? Lets recap: Charlotte defeats Sasha Banks in an instant classic for the Raw womens championship at Hell in a Cell on Oct. 30, only to seemingly abandon their rivalry the next day to set up for Survivor Series. Charlotte then blindsides her Raw teammate Bayley at Sundays PPV to plant the seeds for their feud. One night later, however, Charlotte accepts a title defense against Banks for next week, only to then tap out to Banks submission move minutes later during an impromptu tag-team match. Where are we right now?Move of the nightRollins continues to push the envelope on Raw when it comes to high spots, including the time he jumped off the top of the cage on Sept. 19 onto both Owens and Jericho. And he came through with another one on Monday while brawling in the crowd with Owens. After escaping a powerbomb attempt by grabbing onto a railing and climbing up to the next level of seats above his head, Rollins soared on top of Owens in spectacular fashion.INCOMING!!!!!! #RAW #UniversalChampionship @WWERollins @FightOwensFight pic.twitter.com/X0ZL49vi1W- WWE (@WWE) November 22, 2016Line of the nightIt wasnt quite a full return to the Attitude Era, but Enzo Amores backstage segment in which he walked around nude after getting locked out of the dressing room was high comedy and pushed the boundaries of WWEs current PG product. There were a number of memorable lines, from the Shining Stars rehashing their timeshare gimmick by telling him they have a special resort for people just like you, to Titus ONeil adding his two cents by saying, Man, put some clothes on. Youll probably end up in human resources. But Amore take top honors for his response to Primo and Epico, when he countered with, No thank you, but you put a picture of this in your brochure [and] you will probably sell more. Ill tell you that much. Minkah Fitzpatrick Youth Jersey . Collaros, 25, was solid last season, posting a 5-2 record as the starter while incumbent Ricky Ray was injured. Collaros also started Torontos 23-20 regular-season finale loss to Montreal — Ray didnt dress because the Argos had already clinched first in the East Division — but was one of three quarterbacks to play that day. Cameron Wake Youth Jersey . -- The Magic have their first victory of the new year. http://www.dolphinsrookiestore.com/Dolphins-Josh-Rosen-Jersey/ . After the whistle, Thornton skated the length of the ice, pulled Orpik to the ice from behind and punched him in the face several times. Cameron Wake Dolphins Jersey . As the crowd erupted, Davis knocked the ball off the glass and back into his hands. With 1:14 to go in overtime, Davis sixth block also became his 17th rebound. That, along with his 32 points -- which tied a career high -- proved too much for Denver to overcome, and the Pelicans held on for their third straight victory, 111-107 on Sunday night. Christian Wilkins Dolphins Jersey . Thats about all he can do right now, so hes trying not to think about when he might be able to play again for the Los Angeles Lakers. NEW YORK -- Alex Rodriguez will be suspended today, likely through the 2014 season, as part of Major League Baseballs latest drug investigation but can play while he appeals, a person familiar with the decision told The Associated Press. Major League Baseball informed the New York Yankees on Sunday that A-Rod will be suspended for his links to a clinic accused of distributing banned performance-enhancing drugs, the person said, speaking on condition of anonymity because no statement was authorized. The Yankees werent told the exact length of the suspension, though they were under the impression it will be through the 2014 season, the person said. The Yankees star could get a shorter penalty if he agrees to give up the right to file a grievance and force the case before an arbitrator, the person added. A suspension from Monday through 2014 would add to 214 games, and an unsuccessful appeal could stretch serving the penalty into 2015. In the era before players and owners agreed to a drug plan in late 2002, arbitrators often shortened drug suspensions -- in the case of Yankees pitcher Steve Howe, his penalty was cut from a lifetime ban to 119 days. MLB planned an announcement for noon EDT Monday, a second person familiar with the deliberations said, also on condition of anonymity. Rodriguez is the most famous player linked to the now-closed Biogenesis of America anti-aging clinic in Florida, and the Yankees expect him to be charged with interfering with MLBs investigation, resulting in a harsher penalty than the other 13 players facing discipline. Barring an agreement, Rodriguezs appeal would be heard by arbitrator Fredric Horowitz. Adding to the drama: The 38-year-old Rodriguez, a three-time AL MVP, was due to return to the major leagues Monday night when the Yankees play at Chicago White Sox, his first big league appearance since hip surgery in January. "Hes in there, and Im going to play him," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said Sunday after New Yorks 6-3 loss at San Diego. Yankees outfielder Curtis Granderson was excited A-Rod could play during an appeal. "I want him back with us. This is arguably one of the best hitters of all-time," he said. "Having him in the lineup is obviously going to be very positive for us." New York is a season-high 9 1/2 games out of first place in the AL East and 4 1/2 out in the race for the second wild-card spot. "Were going to be happy to see him back in the lineup, especially the way weve been playing," second baseman Robinson Cano said. "He can come up and help us win some games." All-Stars Nelson Cruz of Texas, Jhonny Peralta of Detroit and Everth Cabrera of San Diego were among those who could get 50-game suspensions from the probe, sparked in January when Miami New Times published documents linking many players to the closed clinic in Coral Gables, Fla. Many players were expected to agree to penalties and start serving them immediately, but an appeal by a first-offender under the drug agreement would postpone his suspension until after a decision by an arbitrator. Milwaukee outfielder Ryan Braun, the 2011 NL MVP, agreed July 22 to a 65-game ban through the rest of the 2013 season for his role with Biogenesis. Braun was given a 50-game suspension for elevated testosterone that was overturned last year by arbitrator Shyam Das because of issues with the handing of the urine sample, Since spring training, the union has said it will consider stiffer penalties starting in 2014.dddddddddddd. "The home runs that are hit because a guys on performance-enhancing substances, those ruin somebodys ERA, which ruins their arbitration case, which ruins their salary," Los Angeles Angels pitcher C.J. Wilson said. "So its a whole domino effect." Rodriguezs return from hip surgery was slowed by a quadriceps injury. He completed his second minor league injury rehabilitation assignment on Saturday night, a two-day stay at Double-A Trenton. Rodriguez walked in all four plate appearances, a day after hitting a two-run homer. Following Friday nights game, Rodriguez all but said he thought MLB and the Yankees were conspiring to keep him from getting back to the big leagues. "There is more than one party that benefits from me not ever stepping back on the field. And thats not my teammates and its not the Yankee fans," said, adding: "When all this stuff is going on in the background and people are finding creative ways to cancel your contract and stuff like that, I think thats concerning for me." He last played in October, going 3 for 25 (.120) with no RBIs in the playoffs. Rodriguez is owed $8,568,306 of his $28 million salary from Monday through the rest of the season and $86 million for the final four years of his contract with the Yankees. Girardi didnt think A-Rods arrival would create more turmoil than the Yankees already are used to. "I dont suspect itll be awkward. Most of these guys know him as a teammate and have laughed a lot with Alex and been around Alex a lot," he said. "I think itll be business as usual. Im sure there will be more media there, obviously, tomorrow, but I think thats probably more for Alex to deal with than the rest of the guys. I dont think itll be a big deal." Lawyers involved in the drug cases have been trying to reach agreements that would avoid grievances. Deal or no deal, baseball Commissioner Bud Selig was prepared to announce discipline. Peralta didnt think the possibility of a suspension made it harder to focus on the field. "Nothing to worry about," he said. "Play the game how I play every day, and try to enjoy every day." Asked what action he would take if penalized, Cruz said: "I havent decided what Im going to do." There have been 43 suspensions under the major league drug agreement since testing with penalties for first offences started in 2005. The longest penalty served has been a 100-game suspension by San Francisco pitcher Guillermo Mota for a positive test for Clenbuterol, his second drug offence. In addition, Tampa Bay outfielder Manny Ramirez retired two years ago rather than face a 100-game suspension. When he decided to return for 2012 the penalty was cut to 50 games because he already had sat out almost an entire season. Colorado catcher Eliezer Alfonzo was suspended for 100 games in September 2011, but the penalty was rescinded the following May because of handling issues similar to the ones involving Brauns urine sample. ' ' '