|
|
|
|
|
Submitted by Wevv Mang on Monday, September 4, 2006 at 11:04 PM EST
Ridin’ With The Bossman – The Ol’ Network Blues Greetings! Welcome to another edition of Ridin’ With The Bossman! The only column that Triple H reads. See, this technically isn't a dirt sheet. A dirt sheet is basically a newspaper. I ain't no reporter, and this ain’t no newspaper. This here be an opinion piece. For entertainment purpose only. Educational is a side effect that I, and my team of trained monkeys, are working on. So, Happy Labor Day! WE here in the state celebrate by not working. God Bless America. After the past week, I need a day off. And lo and behold, I got one! Kick ass. Now, let’s get to the wrestling stuff, so I can go back to being lazy. WWE TV – The Series It was an interesting week. Raw got pre-empted for tennis on USA. So, they went on Sci-Fi. That in and of itself is unusual. How would that effect the rating? How would that effect the layout of the show? Raw Recap courtesy of Chad Matthews Shane O’Mac! Shane is in control tonight. Vince is still shaken from his near death experience, his 61st birthday, not to mention the incident with his limo last week, Shane then said that a match will be made between DX and Mystery Opponents. You know what that means. Squash City. For the opponents. Anyhoo, Edge showed up and had a confrontation with Cena. Cena wants one more shot, and to put up equal stakes, was willing to sign a contract to go to Smackdown. Interesting. This stipulation has sparked some discussion across the net. Is John Cena going to Smackdown a good thing? Here’s the flip side, what if it’s not Cena, but Edge that’s moving to Smackdown? Lita is also going to be leaving soon, and that would strip Edge of a valuable asset. On Smackdown, there are chicks looking for something to do… Cena vs Masters Look out! Masters has a goatee! That must mean he’s evil. Or it’s a weak attempt to distract people that he looks much smaller. Cena wins. Haas/Viscera and Cade/Murdoch Just to remind people that Raw does have tag teams, even if you never see them. These teams are arguing over the opportunity to job to DX. Funny, but I don't think it was meant to be. Carlito, Trish, and Orton Carlito asks Trish if the rumors are true. That Trish is retiring. Trish says yes. Good segment, with a hint of shoot about it. Carlito offers to send Trish on her way with something special. He lays on her, and then Randy Orton attacks! Very nice segment. Well done. Candace vs Torrie Back To School Paddle On a Pole match Damn fun match. Oh, and damn you Billy Kidman. I almost forgot that. There were some actual moves in this match. Candace and Torrie have really improved. Candace is a natural. Candace won, and then told Torrie to spank her. SWEET! Torrie spanked Candace, and then Candace spanked Torrie and everyone was happy. Except for those who hate chicks, and well, you still have plenty of show. Let me have my ten minutes of hot chicks. Orton vs Jeff Hardy OK, here’s the deal. I’m not excited about Jeff Hardy returning. Neither am I pissing on Jeff being back in WWE. I’m just not that interested. Jeff has a solid return. Jeff now had a solid match with Orton. That is not the question. The big question is if he can keep up. It’s only been two weeks. Can he last five? Ten? That is the big question. Once the grind of traveling and wrestling starts to kick in, well, hope for the best. So far, so good, and no reason to pull the plug on him now. As far as Randy is concerned, his feud with Carlito is really getting a strong start. That is good news for both guys. The prelude has been established, the tension is growing, and well, the payoff could be just one step in a long and solid feud, that will do more for Carlito than Randy, since Randy has the Third Generation Bug up Vince’s ass to fall back on. Still, both guys are working to make this good, and it is. See? Jobbing to Hogan was not a death knell for Randy. Just as it meant nothing to HBK’s career and push. Both guys got good things afterwards. HBK got 1.5 million a year, and Randy got a solid feud. Hey, he’s not wrestling God. That’s a plus. Oh and Hardy won, and is now the #1 Intercontinental contender. Interesting. DX They got a new shirt. Vince loves Cocks. Yeah, OK. But in a brilliant piece of merchandising HBK did a blatant plug of the Vince DVD. Just cracked me up. I have some more comments on HBK, but I’ll save them for the wrap up. Basically, I saw HBK on a religious cable show. Looked like it was fairly recent, but I don't know for sure. The Marine Now we know why it took so long to get released. They had to go back and basically redo the entire movie and add tons of CGI. Still, looks like a good film. Umaga, Tag Teams, And Stuff There was a tag match between the Spirit Squad (Champions, remember?) and Eugene and Hacksaw Jim Duggan. Highlanders at ringside, doing commentary. Squad wins, and then Umaga runs in and lays out Eugene and Hacksaw. And Kane vs Umaga is ON! I am really looking forward to this for some reason. Nitro and Melina Speak Not a bad speech by Nitro. Made it about himself (good), and brushed off Foley (good). Then Melina took the mic. She was solid right off the bat. See, basically, and I know this is hard for Mick to take, but no one wants to think about Mick in a sexual way. We known he has a family. We read his books. More than once is some cases. It was just a creepy vibe that didn't need to be there. Now, Melina kept talking. In fact, she talked so long, that the fans tuned out what she was saying and starting having fun on their own. By chanting. Not a bad thing, in fact, it got her more heat than what she was saying. So, it all came off good in the end. Vince Skit I almost forgot about this. Vince is in his hotel room. On the phone. A knock on the door, and then things get weird. First, Vince tells them to just come in. He doesn't know who it is, but what the hell, come on in! Second, Vince doesn't lock his door. In a hotel. Then, we hear chicken sounds. I was really, really, really, hoping that it would be the Burger King Big Buckin’ Chicken. That would have been hilarious. But no, it’s a cage full of chickens. On a side note, the BK advertising campaign for the Big Buckin' Chicken has won an award. Weird. DX vs Mystery Opponents And they are: Finlay, Regal and Kennedy! Yep, they get beat up again. Then Big Show comes out again, and does some damage at least, but he gets beaten up as well. Foreign object galore don't stop DX from winning. Vince then comes out and attacks DX with a lead pipe. H sort of sells. But the pipe is one of those props that has blood in it, so when you hit them, you leave a splat. Vince wails on H, and H is still conscious. Funny. End sees Big Show crotch chopping, along with Vince and Shane. All in all, a really good show. Well put together, and the announcement of the Hell In A Cell match for the Sept PPV came off as a big announcement, not just another stipulation match. Only complaint is the DX bit at the end. Which is funny because H made some comments this week, about how Hogan never looses. Yet, he has no problem beating up multiple guys, in handicap situations, time and time again. Yet Hogan not doing the job is just the epitome of selfishness and evil. HOW DARE HOGAN REFUSE TO LOOSE! THAT BASTARD! Now, let’s beat up all five members of the Spirit Squad, Tag Team Champions, and, we’ll also beat up the ECW Champion, the Smackdown US Champion, hell, let’s thrown in the Intercontinental Champion, and the rest of the Smackdown roster. How does that sound Undertaker? Heh. Orton didn't get fired now did he? Not like most of Undertaker’s previous opponents. No, Hogan got his opponents PAID! Right HBK? Big Ol Tangent Speaking of HBK, I saw HBK appear on some religious show. It was just flipping channels, and suddenly there was HBK. I don't know what the show was, or who the host was, but it was an interview piece with Shawn. It was really cool to see. HBK talked about how he met his wife. He didn't say it was Nash that hooked him up, but I think it was. HBK said how he dated his wife for two weeks before asking her to marry him. He later found out she was Christian. He talked about he had drugs and alcohol problems and how religion helped him. The host wanted HBK to talk about Eddie, and HBK answered the question briefly, and then very smoothly turned the topic aside. The host seemed to want HBK to name other wrestlers as religious people, and HBK again, smoothly didn't answer the question, or name names, but did talk about one or two situations and how religion is perceived in wrestling. A very good interview I thought. It also gave me more respect for HBK. He handled the interview well, was composed and perceptive. He mainly shared his own experiences and didn't put others on the spot. Which is a good prelude to something I’ve been thinking about for some time. HBK’s religion Now, I’m not against religious people. I just feel a bit uncomfortable around the more zealous of them. Rumors have been swirling for quite some time that HBK has been uncomfortable with some of the DX material. Now, I’ve known more than a few of the more zealous types and while they may be opposed to strong language and sexual content, they can usually adapt. And frankly, the DX stuff has been tame. It wasn’t that long ago that Vince was defiling a church for no reason other than he was going to wrestle God. That was in bad taste, and rather stupid. DX, on the other hand, has been staying just below the line of censorship boundaries. Rather cleverly I will say. But the end result has been weak angles. That, I think more than anything, is what HBK is objecting to. Stupid shit. The DX angle seems to have three voices. There’s the voice that loves the stupid, homo-type stuff (Triple H is my guess, for no other reason than he liked the Katie Vick angle). Then there’s the Vince voice, which is where Vince has to get a measure of revenge, and the feeding multiple guys to make the opposition look strong. Then there is the voice of reason, which I think is HBK’s. That’s the voice that says, hey, DX needs to look weak here, because if we don't the angle will tank. Vince and H seems to know only way to push a guy, and that’s to steamroll over everyone, and shove him down the fans throats. Like Cena in January. The two weeks leading up to SummerSlam, DX was all but dead. Overexposed, and the hoo-rah! Was gone. Then DX started to look weak. Not pussy type weak, but vulnerable shall we say. HBK is renowned for his ability to sell, and make the other guy look strong. Two weeks till SummerSlam and suddenly DX looks vulnerable. Interest comes back. First week back and DX is back to steamrolling over everyone. And the fans crapped on it. Now, DX looks vulnerable again, well, except for H, who needs a sixteen-ton weight dropped on him to keep him down. Only fifteen, and he’s getting back up. So, that’s my theory. HBK laid out what was going to happen on this show, and guess what? World of difference, and it was good. H can still do his gay based material, and toned down a bit, it actually works. HBK can help make DX look vulnerable, and Vince can be made to look competent, not a total putz. It’s an old wrestling mantra. You’re only as strong as your opponent. A weak opponent, weak victor. Strong opponent, strong victor. But we’ll see what happens. Two weeks until the PPV. ECW Recap courtesy of Eddie Martin Tonight’s main event will be Paul Heyman vs Sabu! Yes, contain your excitement. I know that a non-wrestler vs an extreme style wrestler just has you on the edge of your seat. Paul Heyman Speaks Paul has always had a way of making an event seem important, no matter how silly the premise. This is no different. RVD vs Hardcore Holly Eh, not a bad match, but then again, I think Holly is being given a lot of slack for cheating death by the IWC. No one praised his ring style before, but now, it’s like “Hey! It’s Hardcore Holly!”. He’s a name, that’s about it. Stiff match, but then again, what match isn't with Holly? I will say that the ending was brutal. Holly wins by DQ, after RVD just lays into him before and after the bell with chairshots. Rene Dupree OK, some one has to say it. Get Rene some pants. Seriously. His gimmick will not suffer one iota by him wearing pants. Without them, he’s softcore gay porn. If that’s what they’re going for, well, nevermind. If not, pants. Stat. While we’re at it, get Jimmy Yang a shirt. Brokeback Mountain has forever tainted cowboys. Don't make it worse than it already is. CM Punk vs Stevie Richards I never thought Stevie was a big guy, until I saw him next to Punk. Still, a really solid match. Time for CM to speak again. And get into a prolonged feud. Kelly Kelly and Balls You know what, that was fun to type. I never want to again, once is enough, still, it was fun. Balls talks and Kelly flashes him. Hooray Beer! Heyman vs Sabu Run ins galore, and Big Show too! Sabu loses, of course, and paints Sabu’s blood on him and goes crazy. Yay. EH, this show had a different feel, mainly due to Vince taking an active interest in this weeks show I think. Still, not a bad show. The rating went down, and the cause is being said by WWE, I think, that it’s due to Raw not being in it’s regular time slot. Raw apparently sends the audience to ECW. Now, with Raw being on Sci-FI this week, wouldn't the opposite be true? Shouldn't the rating be higher? Since Raw is on the same network that ECW is on? Oh well, cover, shift, and deny. Smackdown Recap info courtesy of Jason I wasn't home when Smackdown aired. But my roommate was, and he tried to tape Smackdown. Tried that is, except a weird thing happened. The show wasn’t on. Anywhere. No indication if it was going to be re-aired. I checked the Smackdown thread in the forums, and apparently, I was not the only one who got bumped. Plenty of other cities did as well. Only this came without warning. The newspaper, cable guide, all said Smackdown was going to air. Then the realization hit that UPN is no more. It’s all CW now. And Smackdown is part of the CW network. See, I missed the show. Didn't see any of it. And I’ll talk about that in OAW. In the meantime, I got an email about the Eddie Angle. OOPS! Sorry, the Rey/Chavo/Vickie angle I’d like to share. From ''I'll just touch some points. Ric Flair Completely agree with you. The guy should simply retire, turn into a road agent or become Raw's GM. Latinos & Smackdown As a Latino wrestling fan, I doubt that the storyline between Eddie and Rey boosted the ratings. It was actually THEIR WRESTLING...If as you say, "drama" is what attracts the Latino community, the Lita/Kane baby story would've been through the roof. I enjoyed watching Eddie wrestle. I didn't care for Rey after he started using his dead friend's name every two minutes. The reasons I continued to watch Smackdown! After Eddie's death were Super Crazy and Psicosis. They're off TV, I don't watch that show. And even though I agree with you when you say Vicky Guerrero should stay away from TV, I doubt it'll happen until the Eddie Guerrero movie is released and/or Chavo officially returns to WWE. Hogan good? Hogan is completely horrible as a wrestler. Yes, he can wrap a crowd around his finger but he can't lift his leg enough to do his signature big boot. He is not or ever was a wrestling machine. In addition, where is the psychology and continuity in this match? Orton spend a good deal of time targeting Hogan's bad knee. The Hulkster sold it for about three seconds before hulking up to beat Orton. He then posed, posed, posed, posed some more and walked away without the slightest sign of limping...and then posed again before leaving. Also, as you said it, it was predictable all the way through. There you have it folks. The Latin Community is starting to sound out. The stuff about Hogan, well, yeah. It’s Hogan. That’s what he does. He poses, says “Brother” a lot and is totally, completely, utterly over. I love that Orange Goblin. Smartest man in wrestling. My man Stu has come through with another Not Kane’s House. ENJOY! Not Kane’s House By Stuart Another day begins at Smackdown High, and students are milling around the corridors and getting ready for the day ahead. Before the bell for the first class rings Principal Regal takes the opportunity to make some announcements over the tannoy system. Principal Regal: *Bing bong* Good morning students and welcome to another day of education. Some of you may see a familiar face around the town soon as I am pleased to say that Jeff Hardy has decided to return to our little community. Jeff has spent a number of years away from us at another institution, as well as working out some “personal” issues. I am, however, glad to say that Jeff hasn’t been wasting his time completely as I believe he has started up a delivery driver service running errands for little old ladies. While this is to be commended, we hope that Jeff remembers to honor all his commitments, and attend all his classes over at Raw College. I’m sure Jeff will do OK, and I have no doubt some of the bigger boys will show him the ropes. I would also like to this opportunity to remind all students that we do have strict dress code in place, and that the use of paints should be confined to art classes. *Bing bong* A few seconds later the tannoy again goes off. Principal Regal: *Bing bong* One more thing. Today the school nurse will be carrying out random “health checks”, so if your name is called we expect you to make their way immediately to the nurse’s office. Remember it is ”your” health that we are concerned about. Thank you. *Bing bong* A few of the students in the hall look a little concerned at this announcement and make a sudden dash to the nearest toilets clutching their bags tight to their chests. At this point the bell rings and the students make their way to class. In one of the rooms a number of students await the arrival of their social studies teacher, though there have been rumours about whether or not he will turn up. After a couple of minutes the students start to get a little restless with the chattering growing in volume, and a football being thrown around. Suddenly the classroom goes dark and a gonging sound is heard. The door flies open and an eerie mist starts drifting in. Funeral music starts up and a shadowy figure stands in the doorway. The figure makes his way to the teacher’s desk, takes off his coat and hat and sits down. Mr. Calloway: That’s the third power cut this week, and if I ever catch who set off those fire extinguishers I’m going to bury them alive. And will somebody close that window. I can’t imagine that ice-cream guy selling much ice-cream if he plays spooky music like that. Okay, today’s lesson is about politics, so open your books to that section and let’s get started. One of the students raises a hand. Mr. Calloway: What is it Jamie? Jamie Noble: Sir, can I be excused as my partner Kid Kash isn’t here today and I obviously can’t work without him. Mr. Calloway: Boy, you better sit there and shut up. I’ll deal with you and Mr. Kash when he gets back, and let me just warn you that you are both in for an ass kickin’! That also goes for anybody else who gets on the wrong side of me. And don’t think you can get out of an ass kickin’ either, as I’m sure Mr. Hardy will tell you that I’ll deal with you one way or another. As for today’s lesson, can anybody tell me three ways to get ahead in politics? The class suddenly goes very quiet with the students trying not to meet Mr. Calloway’s gaze. Mr. Calloway: Nobody? OK then. Scotty, give me one answer. Scotty: Um, be loyal to the company? Mr. Calloway: Good answer. OK another one Paul. Paul: Marry into the family? Mr. Calloway: Not bad. A little controversial, but not bad. And number three Krystal? Krystal: Be Hulk Hogan? Mr. Calloway: And there we have the epitome of “politics”. Who would have thought being a saggy-assed, orange skinned pensioner was a way to keeping your spot! Good work class. Now who can give me an example of trying to use politics, but failing miserably? Brian puts his hand up and answers. Brian: Walking out because you are asked to do something you don’t want to. Last year Mr. Austin was in town and Mr. McMahon asked him to do a job, but Mr. Austin didn’t want to so he went home. Mr. Calloway: Very good Brian. 20 points to Gryffindor. Dammit wrong school. I really shouldn’t sit and watch films with my kid. Anyway very good Brian. As most of you know Mr. Austin turns up in town every so often looking for some work. Everybody gets excited about him being back, but he just acts the same way, drinking beer and beating people up, and we’ve all seen it before. At the end of the day he is just a redneck living in a trailer home, and the sooner he realizes that the sooner we can all move on. Suddenly the bell rings and the class pack up their books and get ready to make their way to the careers fair. As the class are milling towards the door Mr. Calloway makes an announcement. Mr. Calloway: I’ll not be here for the rest of the semester as due to my contract I only work part time. I have, however, taken the liberty of recording some lessons for you. You will probably get a temporary teacher tomorrow, so tell them to stick in the tape marked “Death isn’t the End” or “Alice through the Glass Ceiling”. I’m sure you’ll appreciate them! ************************** Later that day: Johnny Ace: Have you ever seen the film Mannequin? As it’s Careers Day a number of students have appointments with the careers advisor Mr. “Johnny Ace” Laurinaitus. Krystal is the student currently sitting in Johnny’s office. Johnny Ace: You know, the 80s film with Kim Cattrall set in a department store. No? Nevermind. The premise of the film is that one of the guys who does the window displays works at night and one the mannequins comes to life only when he is alone with it. Naturally she is an Egyptian princess who has had a curse put on her. Of course they get up to many hilarious escapades in the store and eventually fall in love, which of course breaks the curse. Well I was thinking that you could portray a mannequin, a doll to be more precise, and to give it a more up to date twist you’d be an inflatable doll. Somebody would carry to the ring, and when they aren’t looking you could interfere in their match and they’d be none the wiser. What d’you think? Krystal: Wouldn’t I be too heavy to be an inflatable doll? Johnny Ace: Well I’m sure you don’t weigh a whole lot now from the look of you, but what I thought was that we could pump some helium into you. I’ve got some canisters right here. Krystal: Uh, no thanks Mr. Laurinaitus. I’ll just have a wander around the hall and pick up some leaflets if that’s OK. Krystal makes a quick run to the door with a slightly disturbed look on her face. Johnny Ace: (To himself) Nice girl, I must make a note to check on her development. NEXT! The next student makes his way into the office. It’s Funaki, Smackdown High’s No.1 Announcer. Johnny Ace: Ah Funaki. Come in sit down. I know you’ve been at the school for while now, and yet you haven’t really progressed very far. In fact I’m not even sure why any of the fans even like you, but I’m going to change all that. Funaki: But Mr. Laurinaitus-san, fans do love me, I no want that change. I always get beaten up, but they still cheer. Johnny Ace: But I can make them boo you, and not in a bad way. How about an evil Japanese clown? Funaki: Kabuki? Johnny Ace: Bless you. An evil Japanese clown that hands balloons out as he makes his way to the ring. Ah, but the trick is that the balloons have a small amount of coloured liquid in them, and after you give them to the kids you burst them and they get showered in the stuff. It’s a great idea, I’ve even got some helium here to inflate the balloons with. Funaki: But Mr. Laurinaitus-san, won’t the kids be afraid of me? I don’t like frighten kids. I’m Funaki, Smackdown High’s No.1 Announcer! Johnny Ace: Well at least think about, and remember I’ve got the helium right here. Funaki makes his way out of the office with a very confused look on his face. The next student, Matt Hardy, knocks on the office door. Johnny Ace: Ah, Matt. Come in, come in. I’ve had a look at your file and really I’m quite disappointed. Your recent work has been very poor and I really think that you are underachieving at the minute. I know you’re disappointed that Jeff decided to go to Raw College instead of joining you here, but I’m sure you’ll be together at some point down the line. I do know that Mr. Calloway has a particular interest in teaching you both a lesson. In the mean time I have a great idea to help you get over. Matt: Sir, I have a lot of respect for this business, and can do a lot, but I just don’t feel as if anybody is really giving me a chance. Johnny Ace: Never fear, Matt. This is a fantastic idea. I’ve seen you cut some promos before matches, and while they can be particularly intense, I just don’t think that there is that hook there to get people interested. How do you feel about helium? Matt: Helium? Johnny Ace: Yes. Now hear me out here. Before your matches I want you to come out to the ring with a small canister of helium. You’ll grab the mic and say something to the effect of “What I am about to say has been deemed so offensive by the FCC that the only way they’ll let me say it is if I mask my voice”. You’ll then take a quick inhalation of the helium and start off on a rant about your opponent for the match. Obviously you’ll sound like a chipmunk, but that’s the genius part of it. Matt: Well thing’s have been a bit disappointing lately, but I don’t want to turn the teenage girls against me. Johnny Ace: Look Matt, you’ve just been thrown back into the cruiserweight division again. You know that your time is running out to achieve anything. Just do it! Please! Matt: Sorry Mr. Laurinaitus, but I’ll just go with what I know and try and get over with my workrate and loyal internet fans. Matt leaves the office. Johnny Ace sits at his desk with his head in his hands and mutters to himself. Johnny Ace: Dammit! I thought I’d have got rid of this stuff by now. That’ll teach me to order from catalogues again. How was I supposed to know that “Helium” referred to the gas tank and not the blonde model. I’ve hired girls with stupider names before. Thanks Stu, great sutff. If you want to leave feedback for Stu, you can do so in this thread. RWTB Feedback Thread Over-Analyzing Wrestling Today’s Topic: Season Premieres It’s happening again. Every year about this time, the world of entertainment turns topsy-turvy. Why? Because after a long summer of shooting episodes, juggling schedules, last minute changes, world events making new shows taboo, and network execs getting last minute bribes, it’s finally boiled down to this. A new season is upon us. Not only that, but a new network is born. The CW. Made up of the former networks of UPN and WB. Fused together, only taking the best shows off each network, and hoping to achieve Fox levels of success. At least. ECW has a new deal with Sci-Fi Channel. Details have not been released, but what is known is that ECW will keep it’s timeslot, and that a replay will be shown sometime during the week. That is good news for ECW. An average rating of a 2 is not bad news, it’s very good news. With cable stations like Court TV, E!, CMT, and other non-movie channels now showing movies on a regular basis, competition between cable stations has gotten fierce. Raw still has the backing of the USA network, and the pre-emptions for tennis last week showed how strong of a rating, each and every week, that wrestling can deliver. Strange to think that only two years ago, there were thoughts that wrestling might vanish. Raw was about to jump networks and couldn't find a deal. The rumors started about the demise of UPN, and that Smackdown would be dropped from the schedule after word came out that it was being moved to Friday nights. Now, wrestling is a commodity. A commodity with risks, and undesirable target audience (wrestling fans were determined by a study to be broke ass bastards). Still it’s a solid ratings draw. Until you want to talk about Smackdown. My buddy said it best while watching last Monday Night Raw. “Vince doesn't give a crap about Smackdown.” It sure seems that way. The move to Friday was a harsh one. Rating did drop. But they have steadily dropped over the weeks. From 3’s to 2’s, and now, off the air in a bunch of markets. Smackdown talent is now making guest appearances on Raw. Rumors are swirling that Cena might jump back to Smackdown. The division has been weak for so long, especially after the Wellness program and the liver scare decimated the talent pool. But there is something else to consider. The CW Network, the new home of Smackdown, doesn't officially start until September 20. That is when the network makes it’s big debut. If Smackdown is going to stay on Friday nights, that’s three week until it airs. The companies that bought out the UPN affiliates that weren’t turned into CW stations aren't airing Smackdown, then that’s a long time for the show to go dark in those markets. Vince is not an idiot. IF Vince had an inkling that Smackdown be this weakened, he may have tried to protect his investment. Vince never gives up on angles unless he absolutely has to. And Smackdown is not being given up on. In fact, I think Vince may be using this time to try and bolster it. ECW is now well established. It’s a valuable member of the Sci-Fi network. It’s the highest rated show there. And nerds have money, or they wouldn’t be nerds. That memorabilia shit ain’t cheap. Raw is in good hands. Raw is Vince’s baby, and Vince won't let anything happen to Raw. Smackdown in the bastard child, but it’s still Vince’s kid. It just needs some help. CW is counting on it. It’s a network, not a cable show, so it needs to be handled differently. No necrophilia angle for Smackdown. Not on a brand new network, trying to make a name, not as a home of creepy, stupid shit. That was UPN’s deal. Warner Brothers won’t stand for that. So, time to bolster the roster, and shake things up. Cutting off the wrestling viewers from Smackdown is bad news for WWE. It’s up to WWE, not CW to help out their fans. The ratings were already weak. Viewers could easily find something else to replace their Friday night habit. One way to keep interest is what already being done. Bringing Smackdown talent to Raw, to keep the fans interested in these few. So that when the show does debut, viewers aren't completely lost. Another way is through the web. But it’s a gamble. The CW expects big things from Smackdown. Smackdown is not cheap to produce. If the ratings aren’t strong right out of the box, a young network looking to make an impression may decide to look elsewhere for ratings, and advertising dollars. The burden is on WWE. A network presence is a good thing for wrestling. And just because ECW is doing well, doesn't mean that finding a new home for a two hour wrestling show on another network, a cable network will be easy. After all, Court TV has Bad Boys now. E! has Dazed and Confused. CMT has plenty of car movies. Being part of a studio means access to the movies said studio owns. And they’re already paid for. That’s it for today. Sorry for the rambling at the end. I went out to see Snakes On A Plane. Good flick. But now my brain has snakes on it, and well, that movie doesn't want you to think too hard about it, and I’m not. I liked it. That’s all I’ll say. Quick Plugs, and it’s time to call it a night. QUICK PLUGS! LOP FORUMS New and Improved! The latest Sports, Entertainment news! What are you waiting for? LOP COLUMNS FORUM THE MOVIE BAR! Great place for reviews of DVD's, Music, and special video clips. Your one stop review spot. THE PROJECT LIVES! A creative site for creative people. Be sure to check out the forums! LOP'S PWA E-FED. Best E-Fed on the net. Period. That's all for this week. Thanks for Readin' and Thanks For Ridin' Wevv Mang mrwevv@mac.com - PLEASE LABEL ALL EMAIL AS FEEDBACK. THANK YOU. *NEW GALLERY* Vince & Stephanie McMahon Playing with the NEW BABY!!
[Back to LOP] [News Archives] [Results] [Columns] [Forums]
|
|