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When Fat Tuesday rules around every year, thousands of tourists flock to one destination: New Orleans, Louisiana. Almost 1.5 million celebrants of the holiday, celebrating the end of Carnival before Ash Wednesday (this year taking place right on Valentine’s Day) kicks off the season of Lent, spend their day partying in the Big Easy, donning purple, green, and gold beads as they dance the night away. And if you’ve ever been to New Orleans, you know just how intoxicating a party there can be.

Founded in the Spring of 1718 (the exact date is unknown) by the French Mississippi Company on the land of the indigenous Chitimacha people, New Orleans is one of the most culturally distinct cities in the entire United States. Its Creole cultural roots manifest in unique cuisine, dialects, and architecture, particularly in the iconic French Quarter. The nightlife along Bourbon Street is particularly legendary, as are...

The list of things you can call "all-American" and not mean it in a bad way grows smaller and smaller as time marches ever onward, but today the title solemnly fits: we lost a true all-American star in Dick Butkus. The trailblazing football player and Hall of Fame inductee, widely considered one of the best linebackers who ever lived, has died at the age of 80. The Butkus family released a statement earlier today announcing that Butkus had passed "peacefully in his sleep overnight." George H. McCaskey, the Chairman of Butkus' career-long team, the Chicago Bears, released his own statement shortly after memorializing Butkus thusly:

"Dick was the ultimate Bear, and one of the greatest players in NFL history. He was Chicago's son. He exuded what our great city is about and, not coincidentally, what George Halas looked for in a player: toughness, smarts, instincts, passion and leadership."

In their touching obituary,...

NFL legend Dick Butkus has sadly died.

The former linebacker for the Chicago Bears passed away at his home in Malibu on Thursday (October 5), the Chicago Tribune reports. He was 80 years old.

According to his family, Dick passed overnight, peacefully in his sleep.

He is best known for playing for the Chicago Bears for eight seasons, from 1965-1973, before turning to a career as a sports commentator and actor.

Dick has had roles in movies like The Longest Yard, Gremlins 2: The New Batch, Cracking Up, Superdome and more, with TV show appearances on MacGyver, Hang Time, Blue Thunder and even Murder, She Wrote.

In 1963, he married his high school sweetheart Helen Essenberg, and the two had three children, Ricky, Matt, and Nikki.

Our thoughts and condolences go out to Dick Butkus‘ family and friends during this time.

There's nothing like a night in the great city of New Orleans to buoy a wrestling fan's spirits. Unfortunately, like most of you, I was at home, many hundreds of miles from the nation's home of all things jazz and jocular. Fortunately, WWE's King of Swing and dozens of other superstars were on hand at the regrettably named Smoothie King Center (especially unforgiveable in the city of Hurricane slushies) to make sweet, scripted in-ring music.

So without any further needless editorial improvisation, here are the five things I took...