Posted in: The Northern Star The Northern Star--My Name Is Kurt
By XanMan
Aug 26, 2009 - 11:24:19 AM
{Argument: By now you should all know that I lost a bet to my new ETA partner, BeyondKnight, a while back that had the stipulation that he'd be able to pick the theme quotes for The Northern Star for three months. We're now about halfway through that payoff and I'll let BK tell you himself where this week's quotes come from...}
"For some reason I was thinking about quotes to use, this came on the radio and it seemed fitting."--BeyondKnight
I got nothin'. Isn't that exactly what Kurt Angle should be saying right now? I don't know the man; never met him...never wanted to. As much as I've enjoyed some of his performances in the ring, he's never been my favorite wrestler, and we used to get sick, sadistic, yet loving pleasure in tormenting my son by chanting "You suck" along with the crowd on television whenver Kurt made his way down to a WWE ring. Still, I appreciate what he's done in the business and the great performances he's put on--namely with Chris Benoit, Brock Lesnar, Shawn Michaels, and Samoa Joe. Yet, I've never had a warm place in my heart for him and certainly haven't enjoyed much of his work in TNA.
"There's a lady who's sure
All that glitters is gold
And she's buying a stairway to heaven."
That doesn't, however, mean that I wish ill on the man; I don't. I don't know him personally; though can't it often seem like we do know these guys from seeing them week to week on our televisions? For whatever reason, the entertainment put forth by professional wrestlers has never seemed to me to be as much of an act as on other television shows--maybe that's because the best gimmicks are always those that are an extension of the wrestler's personality. I know I cried when both Eddie Guerrero and Chris Benoit died(as well as comedian George Carlin,) though nowhere near as much as I did when my brother passed away. I don't really feel much of anything for Kurt Angle at all, other than distaste that he's been in the ruling class so long.
Still, there's something to be said about karma, isn't there? I don't mean that karma should reach out and shove his ass off the top of the mountain because he and his MEM cohorts, and other members of his generation, have been hogging it and clogging up the path to it for so long. What I mean is that sometimes you just run out of chances, and doesn't it seem like this man has exhausted them? Talking heads on television always seem to talk about how forgiving the American public is; that if someone comes out and apologizes and promises to change, or maybe give to a charity or talk to kids or pay some other kind of moral retribution, that we'll turn the other cheek.
"Theres a sign on the wall
But she wants to be sure
cause you know sometimes words have two meanings"
Bill Clinton lied about having sex with Monica Lewinsky in the Oval Office because--by his definition--receiving a blowjob doesn't constitute sexual relations. He was impeached by Congress, was acquitted, and while there were certainly many laughs at his expense, he remained in office and is still respected for the job he did. Jason Giambi was discovered to have used steroids, but kept his head down, came clean about it, and said he shouldn't have used them; nobody comdemns him anymore. What about Michael Vick? I continue to believe he shouldn't have been allowed to play football again, but everyone in the NFL--especially the Eagles, and excluding the Falcons--seem willing to welcome him back with open arms.
In the world of entertainment, we've got Tom Cruise being spurned and fired for acting like a moron on Oprah. He responded by taking himself out of the public eye and accepting rolls with more subtlety and meat to win back his reputation among both fans and hollywood executives. Michael Jackson died and was mourned by the public and the media even though most believe in their hearts that he was doing something wrong to children, even if he was acquitted--after all, look at how O.J. Simpson is still ostracized, though he was found not guilty, as well. Robert Downey, Jr. emerged from a major career tailspin due to drug abuse to star in two of the biggest blockbusters of 2008--Iron Man and Tropic Thunder.
"Theres a feeling I get
When I look to the west,
And my spirit is crying for leaving."
It doesn't matter really where in the entertainment industry you look--and make no mistake, all major professional sports are in the business of entertainment--there are plenty of examples of people who have done the wrong thing and who have done something to improve the public perception of them. If they don't apologize and make penance publicly, they retreat into their own little world until such time has passed that they can come back and make some money with little hassle. You see, the American public is not just a forgiving lot, we're also very forgetful, so it doesn't take much for a scandal to slip our minds--after all, there's a new one coming up just about every day and who can keep track of them all?
"In my thoughts I have seen
Rings of smoke through the trees,
And the voices of those who stand looking"
Something tells me, though, that Kurt Angle doesn't have it in him to bury his head in the sand, and he certainly won't apologize for his actions--especially publicly. Even if he did, how would that work? Would he come on Impact! and make an apology in kayfabe and then be ridiculed by the rest of his group, or be attacked both physically and verbally by one of the babyfaces? Or would he and TNA hold some kind of press conference that most news outlets would either ignore or take as kayfabe anyway? Is there a path to be trodden toward redemption here? And even if there is, would Kurt Angle be willing to take it? My answers are "maybe," and "not unless he's pushed," so maybe it's time for him to be shoved out the door.
"And it makes me wonder."
Sure, he already had that happen to him once, when his contract with World Wrestling Entertainment was terminated, but what consequences did he really face from that? I'm sure he received some sort of paycut to go work for TNA instead, but he also has more freedom, less travel, and works a ton less dates. On a per diem basis, he probably didn't lose much at all. In fact, he gained some backstage stroke, as well, did he not? It was more or less a lateral move for Angle, and while I'm sure it hurt his pride that an organization he had given his blood, sweat, tears, to; and almost paralyzed himself for; no longer wanted him, he still had a chance to move on to one that did.
"If theres a bustle in your hedgerow
Dont be alarmed now,
Its just a spring clean for the may queen."
Now it's time for him to move out. Not forever, I'm not suggesting that. Nor am I suggesting he's guilty of the charges arrayed against him. I'm not a judge, nor am I a jury, and I'm certainly not a king's justice, but I am easily able to see the black eye that this situation has put on the company for which he works. How is it that they can't? Are they too close to the situation or do they continue to have an unhealthy infatuation with Angle? The guy has needed to take a break for three years now, and I can think of no better time for him to finally do so than when he's got a trial weighing him down. I know the guy's got an ego, but does he really want the added pressure of being the TNA Champion on top of everything else he's got going on?
"Yes, there are two paths you can go by
But in the long run
Theres still time to change the road you're on"
I suspect the reason that TNA is keeping the title on him is because of everything they have invested in the Main Event Mafia, and that's wrong. For one thing, that stable and the angle involving it has run its course. For another, the decision may be taken out of their hands when Kurt goes to trial anyway, so why wouldn't they want to take this opportunity to fix this problem themselves? If the Main Event Mafia is still in place if/when Kurt Angle goes to jail, there's really nobody there capable of taking his place in running it for a number of months. They'll be dead in the water and scrambling for something else to do. They cannot allow themselves to be put in that situation as a company.
"And it makes me wonder."
Kurt Angle used to be known for his "Three I's," integrity, intensity, and intelligence, but it certainly seems like the middle one of those has overwhelmed everything else, doesn't it? Again, I don't know the guy personally, but from everything I've seen and read about him, it seems like the intensity part of his initial catchphrase is a huge part of everything he does in life, but sometimes intensity is not a good thing, and right now he could use with some slacking off, because there is absolutely no doubt that allowing that aspect of his personality to dominate everything else has called his intelligence into question, and he certainly hasn't been acting with any integrity lately.
"Your head is humming and it wont go
In case you dont know,
The pipers calling you to join him,"
Earlier I discussed scandals in the entertainment industry and how some people have been able to overcome them, but these kinds of scandals are hardly unheard of in professional wrestling, right? Rob Van Dam was both the WWE and ECW World Champion when he was pulled over for speeding while high and in possession of marijuana. He quickly dropped both straps; in effect being penalized for being stupid. I said at the time, and maintain, that he should have retained the ECW Championship because it would have been in line with the edge the brand always had when it was independent, but as we all know, the WWE didn't want them to have an edge; they simply wanted an on-air proving ground for young talent.
"Dear lady, can you hear the wind blow,
And did you know
Your stairway lies on the whispering wind."
Regardless, the fact remains that Van Dam was swifty, harshly, and justly punished for a relatively minor offense(though drugs are certainly a hot-button topic and one can't really argue that driving with an impairment of any kind is acceptable behavior.) We all know what happened on a weekend in late June 2007 to the Benoit family, so there's really no need to go into that except to say that Benoit is a former World Heavyweight Champion who was set to win the ECW World Title that weekend and has--for better or for worse--been stricken from the WWE history as if he never existed, now that the WWE has recovered from the shit storm they faced in the aftermath of the incident.
"And as we wind on down the road
Our shadows taller than our soul.
There walks a lady we all know
Who shines white light and wants to show
How everything still turns to gold."
Whether you agree with these actions or not, there's no doubt that the WWE took care of each situation in a swift and decisive manner; something that TNA has yet to do. Most of my criticisms of TNA stem from them taking WCW's failed approach at trying to be a sort of WWE-lite, but in this situation Total Nonstop Action Wrestling could do worse than follow the example of McMahon and company. To do otherwise would prove how lacking the intelligence of upper management is, subject the organization to scrutiny of an intensity they've never seen before, and would likely uncover how low a level of integrity there is in the company. Such would not be the most advantageous implementation of the vaunted Three I's, one would expect.
At this point, it really is best for both parties to cut their losses. Again, I don't mean that TNA should fire Angle or that he should walk away from them permanently, but he's never allow himself to hit rock bottom. There's always been someone there to cushion his fall, and that has led to this unfortunate circumstance where he's potentially only a couple steps removed from ending up in a situation like Benoit found himself in. He needs to take some time and evaluate where he's at in life and what he needs to do to get over the demons that are plaguing him so he can go on with a better one. He'll never do that as world champion or as the leader of a wrestling supergroup. He'll only do it as himself; as Kurt Angle--father, ex-husband, fallible human being.
Thanks for the feedback on the email! It's always cool to see my name on my screen! Anyway, we'll just have to agree to disagree on Orton (who is my favorite wrestler). But I still think that his cleanly putting over Mark Henry was the biggest moment in Mark's career. Nobody ever thought about Mark Henry being a legitimate contender for the big two World titles until that mini program with Orton. Now they can book Orton vs. Henry and actually have fans with some doubt in their minds who would win. Remember when they tried to make Mark a contender before against Kurt Angle a few years ago? How did that program turn out? I'm glad that Mark has finally improved his game and is being booked correctly, but Orton doing the job to him on his first night on Raw DEFINITELY made Mark Henry an instant main eventer and made him a super face at that! I have a couple of questions for you. Who would you like to most see in WWE from any other wrestling organization? And what do you feel on the state of women's wrestling? Remember Lita (my favorite ever) vs. Trish? Molly Holly? Victoria? Jazz? Ivory? Wtf happened? And who would get your vote for the best performer in TNA, WWE and ROH? Thanks for answering my email again and I look forward to hearing from you. Always great to meet an EDUCATED wrestling mark and not some idiot running off at the mouth. Farewell...and Godspeed.
Well, personally, I bought Mark Henry as a challenger to Kurt Angle when he won the title on Smackdown after Batista's injury, but I can see where you're coming from. Now, onto your questions:
Bryan Danielson just signed with the WWE, and I'm not certain he's going to fit in well, but I'm happy for him because he's done just about everything there is to do on the independent scene and it's time for him to give the big-time a shot. Hopefully he's used better than other ROH standouts like Spanky and Cabana were and can move up slowly in the WWE's eyes like CM Punk has now done to become a star on the big stage. I think it's been proven now that you don't have to be a giant to succeed in the WWE, so hopefully he'll benefit from that road. Now, who else would I like to see eventually ply their trade in the WWE? Nigel McGuinness--his game is built for the WWE and if he can just solve the issues with his biceps tearing, he's a shoe-in to be a major star there.
I've never been a big fan of women's wrestling; I think it's a waste of time that should be purged from the show.
Best performer in each respective promotion? AJ Styles, Austin Aries, and Shawn Michaels(is there any question after his magnifcent return?). Keep 'em coming, man.
You can send any comments by email to me at XanManX@hotmail.com with the words "Northern Star" or "feedback" in the subject line; or, if you're a member of the LoP Forums you can click here to leave feedback, as well.
