Edited by Sean Fitzgerald

It’s Dec. 5, 2024,  and I just logged out of work after 5 p.m. ET.

I’m not going to lie to you; I originally had no plans of  writing a narrative for 2024.

In 2022, the narrative was based around my journey of growing my podcast, Brandon’s World, and finding full-time employment after graduating from Kent State the prior spring. For 2023, that covered my roller coaster journey through the game called ‘life’ and the emotion I felt losing my father to cancer before turning 25 years old.

Things changed. My colleagues at Voltage Live – including our Co-Founder Jenn Noga, my ‘Championship Rings’ co-host Josh Ungar, and my friend Sean Fitzgerald (who is now a Voltage Live contributor) – talked me into writing a narrative this year. I told them I didn’t have any amazing stories this year, and each of them responded, “Isn’t that a good thing?”

I started to wonder: Why was 2024 such a good year? Why do I sit and think about what I would tell my dad every day, as if he was still here on Earth? The answer was simple. This year, at least for my entertainment, was magical.

Those of you who’re reading this know I am the biggest WWE fan. Can you think of a better year to be a fan of the product than 2024?! 

I mean, The Rock came back as the FINAL BOSS, swearing with every fiber of his being! Cody Rhodes Finished The Story and ended the greatest championship reign in the modern era. 

The Tribal Chief returned to his throne at SummerSlam in Cleveland (I was there) before embarking on his current three-month war with his Bloodline. Meanwhile, CM Punk, Seth Rollins, Drew McIntyre, and Sami Zayn are currently ensnared in a hate triangle. Perhaps the craziest moment of all was seeing  Liv Morgan KISSING Dominik Mysterio (!) and now they’re (somehow) dating!

To piggyback off of that, the JudgMent Day is in its THIRD act! Not only that, but The Ring General has put on an oscar worthy performance inside the squared circle, and the damn WYATT SICKS are literally murdering people backstage!

How about the National Football League?! Dan Campbell is going for it on every fourth down because he can, Philadelphia Eagles fans hate their coach even though he does the same exact thing Meanwhile, Aaron Rodgers is out here taking drugs and making the Jets an even bigger disaster than the FREAKING CLEVELAND BROWNS (!), with the latter rostering a quarterback nobody but the front office wants back in the building! 

On paper, the Chicago Bears could have been the most fun team to watch in the NFL with newly appointed franchise savior – Caleb Williams. Instead, their former head coach didn’t know the concept of “timeout.” The Falcons look smarter by the day after selecting Michael Pennix in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft while Bo Nix, Jayden Daniels, and even Drake Maye – to an extent – are making this quarterback class look like a historic one in the making! 

How about Major League Baseball! More specifically, my Cleveland Guardians! My G-Men (yes, I’m taking the nickname!) made baseball fun to watch again! With a rookie manager and the youngest team in the league, those boys were a few bad calls and a few misplays in the infield away from a date with Shohei Ohtani in the World Series (congrats Dodgers, btw)!

**Fitz Editor’s Note: Brandon knows how that 3-2 strikeout call against Lane Thomas in the ALCS was total bullcrap. The ball was way outside and even if the Guardians don’t go to the World Series, New York should have had to go back home and fight for the Fall Classic trip.

The Guards efforts, combined with the Mets’ run to the NLCS and an incredible comeback in Game 5 of the World Series made this year’s postseason a lot of fun to watch! And who could forget the AL Central saw THREE teams qualify for the playoffs, and the Twins weren’t one of them! Also, Terry Francona… to CINCINNATI?!

**Fitz Editor’s Note 2: THE TWINKIES BLEW OUT LOL!!

Boy, that came out of left field! Juan Soto landed a $765 million mega-deal over the course of 15 years from the New York… Mets?! Ok, Steve Cohen! I guess money is just an object to you, sir!

How about College Football?! Expanding the Big 10 and SEC definitely worked, but what about this 12-team playoff?! Now, we have a system where BOISE STATE and ARIZONA STATE get BYES, Clemson is ranked 16th but gets into the Playoff because of the Conference Championship, and Alabama has THREE LOSSES?!

Speaking of the Crimson Tide, the advent of Name, Image, and Likeness – along with the Transfer Portal – messed the sport up to the point Nick Saban RETIRED! Even crazier than that is seeing BILL BLEEPING BELICHICK RECRUITING HIGH SCHOOLERS AS THE HEAD COACH AT NORTH CAROLINA?! WHAT??? 

How about Survivor? Two PHENOMENAL seasons in 46 and FORTY SEVERAL (if you watch the show, you know the reference) back-to-back this year. From idols in pockets, to hide and seek, people making BIG MISTAKES, and a villain potentially costing a great player $1 million, 46 had it all! 

I did not think 47 could top it. Then, there was an individual named Rome, an individual named Andy, a crazy Tribal Council where no one was listening, an auction with an advantage slipped in between french fries, an Operation: Italy, an incredible fire making challenge at the final four, a war of words at Final Tribal Council, and a deserving winner in Rachel.

How about America’s newest popular game show, The Floor?! The show that is hosted by Rob Lowe that features 81 contestants on a 9*9 grid (100 contestants on a 10*10 grid in Season 2) competing for $250,000. Each contestant has a specific category they are an expert in.

Categories include things like stocks, spin-off bands, girl groups, international foods, and failed political candidates. The game starts with the randomizer selecting a participant. The selected  individual can then challenge anybody to their left, their right, behind them, or in front of them to a “duel” in the category of the person that got challenged.

It’s become one of the more addicting shows my family watches, as we try to compete with each other to see who knows the most. We hope that one day we can compete on the show.

How about country music?! This year was a BIG year for new music in my favorite genre. There was too much good music to count this year that I have officially determined I do not have a favorite country artist.

How about the returns of Jon Cryer and Reba McEntire to the sitcom world?! Two and a Half Men is my favorite sitcom of all time, and Reba is definitely up there for me. Both of those stars made their way to NBC, as Cryer starred in a new show titled Extended Family, which saw his character Jim share custody of a house known as “The Nest” with his ex-wife Julia (played by Abigail Spencer) and Trey (played by Donald Faison).

The show only lasted one season – to my disappointment. I thought the show was funny and had good enough ratings on NBC to at least give it a Season 2. Nonetheless, the cancellation of Extended Family made way for McIntyre’s new show, Happy’s Place, which also features her former Reba star Melissa Peterman. Happy’s Place is a mix of Reba and Cheers to me: A show based on a bar in Knoxville, TN, but has the humor of Reba.

The show recently got greenlit for a full season and is the best streamed new comedy on Peacock ever! McEntire’s comeback to the TV world is a success for not only me, but many others.

How about the debut of Ted the show on Peacock?! Ted and Ted 2 are among my top movie favorites. I wasn’t sure about how funny the prequel was going to be and how factual it would stay to the original movies, but the show was hilarious, and a Season 2 is coming in January. Needless to say, I’m excited for it.

Then, there’s the NBA, LOL!

I hope you see why I’m saying 2024 was magical. The what-if’s, the storylines, the moments. Sports. Non-sports. This was a year to remember!

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