Biggest CMA Surprises

Other than a sound issue at the beginning of the broadcast (I could hear the audience just fine), the 45th Annual Country Music Association Awards went off without a hitch. 

It was a lot of fun watching Nashville greats honor their own.  Some events I expected.  Others caught me completely off guard.

Here's my top 11 unexpected events of the night from the CMAs.  I was suprised...

11)  ...that Faith Hill and Martina Mcbride still look incredibly hot after all these years. 

10)  ...at how stressed out everyone seemed.

  9)  ...at how cool I think it still is that honoree Glen Campbell has played golf and sung at our own Three Clowns Golf Club.

  8)  ...that the Zac Brown Band won nothing.

  7)  ...that Brad Paisley not only sung a line with "Hitler" in it, but that he and Carrie sparred and did some mouth to mouth with Tim McGraw and Faith Hill's Barbie Dolls.  (At least that's what I understood with no sound.)

  6)  ...that Scotty McCreery covered one of my favorite songs, "Walkin' The Country" by The Ranch; a short-lived group in the Nineties whose singer just happened to be Keith Urban.  ( I guess Keith still performs it.)

  5)  ...that  we can't seem to have any show lately without a muppet showing up.  I'll admit that this was a great opportunity for Miss Piggy to plug her new movie, but country she is not.

  4)  ...that when the announcer acknowledged Thompson Square in the Best New Artist category, the cameraman actually focused on Steel Magnolia.

  3)  ...that Blake Shelton actually has gray hair. 

  2)  ...that they were able to coax Little Jimmie Dickens onto the stage for the second straight year, and as "Little Justin Bieber" complete with sideways cap and hoodie, no less.  

  1)  ...that with all of those commercials and promos, they were still able to hand out all of the awards and finish up by news time.   

What were you most surprised by?