justcoz
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Posts posted by justcoz
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I had no clue Nicholson was a wrestling fan...that seems odd to me, for some reason.I don't recall seeing him at any show before. If he's able to balance his schedule for Laker games, he could do the same for all the shows that roll through LA.
I wonder if the celebs have to grant approval to be shown on camera? I always find it odd when you read about celebs attending shows but never see them. Andy Warhol and a bunch of Hollywood types like Warren Beatty were supposedly at MSG shows in the 80's but the camera would just show Cyndi Lauper's manager.
Remember that Ric Flair was LA Lakers and Dusty was Boston Celtics. I think Flair even name dropped Nicholson in interviews too.
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Make ECW the rumored X Division brand and hire Heyman back to book it since it's pretty much developmental now. Make Heat a web only ECW EXTRA type deal to get the roster more exposure.
Talk USA into allowing a WWE Classics show each night at midnight or at least the hour leading into Raw. This would compensate for not doing a third hour of Raw and would bring in old-time fans that aren't into the current product. It's also a nice plug for WWE 24/7 subscriptions. They can just show certain matches or clips from that month's 24/7 selection.
I'm all for combining Raw and Smackdown rosters. Both shows suffer from their limited rosters and injuries are too consistent and screw up brand plans too much. Go back to one unified world champion. If the shows aren't going to be stylistically different (ie one 'wrestling' show and the other 'entertainment') there is no reason for the rosters to be separated. Just don't fill both shows up with the same guys every week. If Shelton/Haas don't make Raw - they can have a match on Smackdown. That type of thing.
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At the end of the day, government doesn't require that doctors test Sylvester Stallone during the filiming of Rocky Balboa, despite the fact that he's roided up and engaging in a mock fight so is it any more logical to demand that Paul Levesque be tested to play the part of Triple H?The argument might be logical if Stallone was on the road four days per week with no vacation doing Rocky live every single night.
Okay then... so compare it to Broadway performers, dancers, exotic dancers, sex workers, stand up comics, circus performers, ice capades and rock bands instead of Rocky Balboa.
EDIT: I guess none of the above are mock fighting but whatever
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Who in the top level WOULD walk out? Cena is a company-line-guy with a possible movie career. Kane: ditto. Batista is bestest friends with HHH. Khali can't speak English and probably doesn't want to risk getting deported if Vince got his work visa axed. Orton is fucking crazy. Mark Henry has proven that he won't quit the WWE no matter what sick shit they do to him. Kennedy is Austin's new apprentice. AND they're all the ones making the most money. So who are these theoretical top guys whose interest it's in to walk out?The top guys are the ones who would need to force the union past Vince. And the top guys are the ones with the least motivation to do so. It's the developmental contractors, the undercard boys, and the people who've already been fired who get screwed the hardest by Vince's system.
Or could it be that the talent just aren't that bothered by the conditions? You kind of just proved my point. Most of the talent are apparently content with their working conditions and have no need to start trouble. They see how people like The Rock, Chris Jericho, Trish Stratus, RVD, Lita, Lance Storm, Mick Foley to some extent, hell even Chyna, were able to milk what they could from the McTit, rough it out and move on to other things. Or they don't worry about no benefits, self employment tax, no severence pay on dismissal, etc. because they sell merchandise, have movie deals, pending agent positions, outside investments, their own 401K's, insurance, etc. Paul London, Brian Kendrick, Matt Hardy, Jimmy Wang Yang, Jamie Noble, Eugene or Teddy Hart and Harry Smith apparently want to be there. They could work less dates with TNA. Chris Benoit had a chance to work less dates in TNA. Even the slightest named star could make a pretty decent penny on indie and international dates.
Yes, Vince has a monopoly on the business but nobody challenges him in any aspect. The talent are the 'names'. Their names push PPV's and draw ratings. If things are so awful they have every bit of leverage to challenge the system. TNA could prove they are different and have a union with pensions, medical benefits, etc. - instead they are actually worst than WWE by not paying for surgeries, not monitoring drug use, etc.
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These guys are employed as independent contractors, which means:1. They can be fired at any time.
2. They don't receive any sort of severance package or pension.
3. They don't receive medical insurance or other benefits.
4. Their income is taxed at the highest rate.
And yet you still claim they don't want a union? Interesting theory. Keep those four points above in mind, and ask yourself, why on earth would an athlete under those conditions not want a union? I think the answer is simple: they can't form one, period. If Vince fires them, where are they gonna go? TNA? In reality, pretty few ex-WWE guys who aren't already big names get picked up there. Japan? Yeah, IF you can find a company that wants to employ you, if you can stand all the travel, if you don't get hurt. The indies? As a former indy "employee", pardon me, but I can't seem to stop laughing. Vince really does have a virtual monopoly on wrestling in this country, and nobody seems to be able to do anything about it.
I don't know, I think they figure they are making six figure incomes and don't want to rock the boat. The smart ones invest for whatever unforseeable things the future may bring. I know John Cena was towing the company line on Larry King but the guys really do know what they are getting into. If top level guys like him banded together and said they weren't doing Raw and SD until they are guaranteed certain things I really don't think WWE can just fire all of them. First, there is nobody to take their spot. So Super Crazy doesn't walk out while Randy Orton does. Super Crazy isn't going to headline Raw and a PPV. Maybe Triple H could use both shows to squash jobbers for two hours but what else could they do with half of the top guys injured right now? Not to mention the shit storm when the media, specifically in wake of the Benoit stories and the "horrible working conditons" picked up the story that WWE's top money makers refused to work television until their working conditions are addressed?
Television stars hold up production constantly over money and working condition disputes. I don't buy into the theory that all the boys want a union but are afraid to try. I just don't think they want it bad enough to get on the same page and make it happen. I think the industry is full of a lot guys saying to themselves, "I'll make my money, ride it out, and then kick back" while going about their business.
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But the WWE isn't just an entertainment company. I don't care what the company fancies itself or what the name says, it's much more of a sport than a comedy sketch show or something like that. The stuff they put their bodies through is comparable to only Football.You're right but it's not a legitimate athletic competition where performance enhancing drugs give one wrestler an advantage over another. See that's a tricky thing. We could certainly argue that steroids do give one wrestler an advantage over another in the eyes of Vince McMahon or whoever is running the show and pushing guys. What I mean is nobody in Congress will be standing up and saying, "Sir, we need to put an asterick next to Hulk Hogan's name in the WWE Hall of Fame because of his use of anabolic steroids." At the end of the day, government doesn't require that doctors test Sylvester Stallone during the filiming of Rocky Balboa, despite the fact that he's roided up and engaging in a mock fight so is it any more logical to demand that Paul Levesque be tested to play the part of Triple H?
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I don't get the whole SNL thing. The WWE shouldn't have to clean up until every other entertainment medium does? People seem to be pulling out every excuse possible for the WWE.If you really like wrestling then why WOULDN'T you want to see something be done here? That's like having a friend on heroin, with their family ready to stage an intervention and you go, "NO, NO, NOT UNTIL EVERY ROCK STAR GETS OFF HEROIN!"
It's not an excuse for WWE, it's a legitimate point. WWE is not a sport. You can regulate a sport but regulating an entertainment company is unheard of. Imagine if your state didn't allow a rock band to perform until they agree to drug testing or a physical or a movie to shoot until they knew that all actors, producers, etc. were drug free?
The wrestling industry has a problem. It's not a matter of WWE cleaning up it's act. It's the entire business. WWE has the Wellness Program and I would venture to say that there are less and less people abusing prescription pain pills or recreational drugs vs. 1999.
Unfortunately the test didn't do shit for steroids and I'm all for congress asking for documents and forcing WWE to show them improvements in their testing. They should do the same with TNA as well though.
As a fan I'm into thinking that I may be seeing guys get pushed for their talent and ability rather than their physiques. I want to see an end to the steroid era. I just don't think regulation is the way to go and I also think targeting WWE alone is useless. Labelling them as 'not caring' and this monster that needs controlled - when they've paid for rehab stints, changed their ring style, pay for surgeries and monitor prescriptions and cardio is wrong. End their fascination with roids and improve that element of the testing and everything will be fine.
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Christopher got fired cause he's a complete idiot, he got caught with weed at the Canadian border when they were crossing over to do Canadian shows.I did that once :-(
Well if you were working for the WWE you'd be smart enough to realize doing that would get you fired right?
No, I would think that being in a tag team with the dude that does the worm and my father being the guy in a crown yelling 'Puppies' would get me across the border.
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Christopher got fired cause he's a complete idiot, he got caught with weed at the Canadian border when they were crossing over to do Canadian shows.I did that once :-(
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I was just wondering, is this a correct list of guys fired due to the wellness violations?Test
Dupree
I know I'm missing a few others
Also, does anyone know who is on strike 2?
I believe Orton was, but that's it?
Kurt Angle. I think Orton was more disciplinary for behavior although I may be wrong. There was also that time when they suspended guys like Super Crazy and Lashley because of the hepatitis scare. Let's not forget that the Wellness Policy was really only active for like 18 months and the first tests were just base tests if I'm not mistaken.
Prior to the Wellness Program guys like William Regal, Sean Waltman, Shawn Michaels, Eddie Guerrero, Eugene, Jeff Hardy, Jamie Noble and I believe Brian Christopher at one point were suspended due to worsening drug problems.
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Well, actually, SNL didn't have 7 drug related deaths, I think someone here broke it down to just two directly related to drugs, Belushi and Farley. So WRESTLING WINS! WRESTLING WINS!Yeah, but they also had about 200 less people that we were counting in wrestling, so the death rate turns out about the same.
I think Bossman's was more due to him being heavily overweight for most of his life rather than steroids. But really, who knows?
I'm sure that many of the deaths were combinations of abusing the body a number of different ways. Drug and alcohol addictions, steroids, poor diets, just poor lifestyle choices in general. Meltzer actually had a good breakdown of specific deaths and their causes a few issues ago. That's been the point I've been trying to make this entire time. WWE actually had good intentions with the Wellness Program as far as monitoring prescriptions and cardiovascular health. I think there is a general denial among them and the sports world in general about the long term health effects of steroids. Almost like they felt like Eddie died from his 'demons' like pain pills and alcohol, not factoring in what steroids did to his heart. They just mistakenly thought they could have their cake and eat it too with steroids since it wasn't a matter of performance enhancement like baseball and legitimate sports and many guys had legitimate reasons for roid prescriptions. I'm glad it blew up in their face with the Benoit stuff and I hope it initiates change. I just don't feel they are as evil and uncaring as others here. Vince McMahon doesn't want these people dying. He's just fascinated by muscles.
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A LOT. The ones who don't make enough to afford their own surgeries, anyway.It just doesn't seem like they want it badly enough. Like you mentioned, with so many top guys out with legitimate injuries right now, all of the media attention on the dark side of the business, it just seems like the current crop of top tier talent would actually have leverage to pull something off if they really wanted to. I would think the bottom tier guys would have more reasoning to avoid causing trouble. I mean, none of us really know, it's all speculation. I just think there is more leverage now to try something than say the 80's when Slaughter and Ventura (I think that's right) tried to unionize and were shown the door. For whatever reason they are not.
Does WWE pay for all surgeries if they are in-ring related? I thought that was why TNA refusing to pay for in-ring related surgeries was so controversial?
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The only people with enough power to force Vince to accept a union are the top drawing guys. And still, you'd have to get almost ALL of them to agree simultaneously to do it. If even a couple are left out, Vince would be all "Okay, YOU'RE FIRRRRED, meet new world champion Chris Masters!" Proof: look at the WWE now. They're operating without any of the following in the ring: Undertaker, HHH, Edge, Shawn Michaels,Benoit, Rey Misterio, Kurt Angle, Eddie Guerrero, Big Show, Brock, Bradshaw, Rob Van Dam, Rock, Foley, Hogan, or Austin. And they're doing just fine. If wrestlers tried to unionize, even a high-placed few scabs would kill the whole thing.Did the numbers. And it's all very approximate, as it depends on who you count as a Wrestlemania "participant": personally, I just took the people who either wrestled, managed, or ran in during an official match. (And even then, there's room for argument.) Out of about 310 active participants, I came up with only 8 whose deaths are directly attributable to drugs or suicide, along with a few others you could argue about (Bossman, Owen). So SNL and Wrestlemania have about an identical drug death rate.
Well, actually, SNL didn't have 7 drug related deaths, I think someone here broke it down to just two directly related to drugs, Belushi and Farley. So WRESTLING WINS! WRESTLING WINS!
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Name me another form of entertainment that is regulated state to state, subject to athletic commissions, drug tests, physicals, etc. and isn't a legitimate sport?Name me ANY other form of entertainment where the employees don't have a union. (And, in fact aren't even EMPLOYEES, but "independent contractors".) Wrestlers have absolutely zero leverage for any kind of bargaining whatsoever. They have no power to change anything. And obviously the promoters just don't care.
3. 2.56% of SNL performers died from drugs or suicide. Someone else dig up the Wrestlemania percentage, I can't it's a hell of a lot higher.That's a hell of an idea. It'll take a little while, but I'm on it.
Good point but it's not up to congress or even Vince McMahon to form a union. That would be up to the talent and nobody has the balls to take a stand and make it happen. This is a company that goes live on television EACH AND EVERY WEEK - they could easily band together but they don't because they are afraid of losing their spot. The wrestlers could have the power and literally bring WWE or TNA to their knees but they apparently like the money too much. It's not like Monday Night Raw can fly in a bunch of indies guys to work as scabs for that evening's RAW because John Cena, Carlito, Lashley, Randy Orton, Ken Kennedy, etc. staged a walked out for talent to get more leverage. It just seems that people like you and others here are more concerned about it than the talent itself.
And union or not... the Benoit family would be dead, Eddie would be dead and so on...
Wrestlers are dying. I really don't see what the point of proving that they are dying at a greater rate than the cast of SNL but whatever floats your boat.
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Belushi is the one who you could blame on SNL's drug culture. They tried numerous times to help Chris Farley, and there was not a drug culture when he was on.Gilda Radner and Danitra Vance had cancer. Michael O'Donoughue had numerous health problems. Phil Hartman was murdered. Charlie Rocket killed himself. None of these had anything to do with SNL
Right, but it's very easy to go down WWE's death list to and do the same thing. Chris Benoit - Suicide/Domestic dispute, Eddie Guerrerro - they tried numerous times to help him with his pain pill/alcohol problem, Russ Haas - heart condition, WWF medics would not let him wrestle although he was medically cleared by his own physician, Owen Hart - terrible accident, Brian Pillman - pain pills/probably roids too and they responded by monitoring the pill problem more, sending guys to rehab, etc.
Granted, that's not going into all of the talent that passed away while not under contract to WWE but you could eliminate many of the accidents, murders, suicides, etc. you will find that most of that list were specifically due to pain pill addiction (and really, recreational use of pain pills has only really gained in popularity within the last decade, even outside wrestling, more kids/celebs, etc. are hopped up on vicodin and oxycotyn) - which I again think the point of the Wellness Program being established was - more so than clear, cut and dry, steroid abuse. Hopefully all of this media attention will force them into making changes to the Wellness Program and their opinion as to what their stars need to look like but it wasn't as if the Benoits died from steroids.
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The Wrestling Observer Newsletter has been mentioned on TV countless times, though.yes, countless times, like those episodes of Donahue and Larry King circa 1993 - that's at least um... TWICE!
And all of the times he's been interviewed since during every story that's hit the mainstream, you fucking idiot. He's media's go-to guy for wrestling.
You are quite sad. Can you make any point without some stupid name calling? First, we are talking TV, not the Charleston Morning Star or regional newspapers that quote him. There have only been three mainstream incidents. Steroid trial, Owen Hart, Chris Benoit. To a lesser degree Eddie's death and I don't recall seeing Dave on tv during either that or Owen's death really. I could be wrong. Again I'm not talking about WPXI Channel 11 in Pittsburgh. I'm talking big tv shows. There are very few people in the general public or mainstream media who know what the hell a Dave Meltzer and Wrestling Observer is. Any TV mention is GOLD to the dude.
See, I said all of that without calling you a name.
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1. Name another industry where your superiors make fun of you publicly for getting off drugs.2. So basically, every journalist is a bad person because they make money reporting on bad things?
3. 2.56% of SNL performers died from drugs or suicide. Someone else dig up the Wrestlemania percentage, I can't it's a hell of a lot higher.
4. The stupidity of most of you is nauseating.
Name me another form of entertainment that is regulated state to state, subject to athletic commissions, drug tests, physicals, etc. and isn't a legitimate sport?
Nobody said that every journalist is a bad person for making money reporting on bad things. Every journalist doesn't go on a mad seven paragraph rant of PLUGGING tribute issues, murder details, etc. leading into their article for the day. They don't offer you this dead wrestler's tribute, along with that dead wrestler's tribute, at a special dead wrestler's discounted rate with a new subscription either. Of course he should be paid for his work, nobody is arguing is that. I just don't hold the dude to the same high standards that you do apparently. I'm not walking around going, "Oh poor Dave Meltzer, all his friends and acquaintances are dying" and hoping he goes all Walking Tall on the pro wrestling industry.
I'm sure the Wrestlemania figure is a hell of a lot higher. There is a problem, nobody is arguing that. The problem is that the people in the industry, namely the performers, are drawn to drugs. WWE set up the Wellness Program due to a concern about that but they were looking at it more from a pain pill perspective than their precious steroids. They thought they could just make up their own rules to monitor steroid usage and it backfired and is now all over the media. Egg in the face. Lesson learned. If Congress does anything it should just make sure that their independent testing is improved. You will still have dead wrestlers because guys have been doing shit for 20+ years and things like TNA and ROH will slip under the radar.
Vince Mcmahon and HHH are bodybuilding jackasses who hang out in gyms where it's acceptable to make fun of people smaller than you or changes in their physiques. Their comments were stupid and look very bad right now but I don't think a federal fucking investigation is necessary to stop it. Nor do I think that the dudes being spoke to had no choice but to go back on roids so they wouldn't be made fun of.
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The Wrestling Observer Newsletter has been mentioned on TV countless times, though.yes, countless times, like those episodes of Donahue and Larry King circa 1993 - that's at least um... TWICE!
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Bob Ryder compared the death rates of SNL and wrestling. 7 of SNL's 117 cast members/featured players have died in 32 years. 2 from drugs, 1 was murdered, 1 cerebral hemorrhage possibly tied to a history of migraines, and 3 from cancer. It's a bullshit argument.Meltzer is a reporter who gets close to some of the subjects on his beat. He's proud of the work he does, and also hates it when people get details that he put out wrong. Of course he should promote the newsletter.
At the very least, Meltzer was close to Pillman, Candido, and Guerrero.
Okay, well I haven't read anything from Bob Ryder since probably 2005, whenever the other guys left 1wrestling.com. So my post wasn't as original as I thought but why is it a bullshit argument? Because it makes comparing the responsibility of Lorne Michales to Vince Mcmahon sound ridiculous? Lorne Michaels' creative peak was built around people on drugs. Like much of Hollywood and music. WWF/E's peak was built around steroids. Both were encouraged to a degree but not forced. Some people's habits spiraled away from their 'job' into their personal lives and people died. Not always related to drug abuse but they are dead. I actually think the lifestyles of a comedian, rock star and entertainers are more comparable to that of a professional wrestling than legitimate athletics and sports. Comedians and rock stars specifically are on the road nightly and probably feel the need to abuse something to perform. Just like the wrestler taking pain pills to wrestler, steroids to be stronger and look good and whatever else.
And I'm sure Meltzer was close to some talent and upset that they died. I don't even know wrestlers and their deaths have sometimes impacted me like a friend or idol. You get close by watching someone week in and week out alone. But call a spade a spade and admit that Meltzer, while having every right to journalistically write about important subjects and charge people to read them, also profits from bad things happening to the business. It doesn't mean he wants them to happen but it's not like the Benoit details or the Tributes are posted online for free either.
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I also like the way he and Alvarez take every opportunity to bash Nancy Grace's coverage of the situation, yet they jump at every opportunity to be featured on her show.You should listen to them once in a while. They've praised Nancy Grace a fair bit recently, over the improvements she's made in her understanding of the whole mess.
Yeah, I've heard them do that but haven't the slightest idea what the hell they are referring to. She still has facts wrong, comes off like an idiot (ie "Like you can die from sleep apnea") and the show is a trainwreck. Maybe they are complimentary because they are on her producer's call list? Or they are just concerned, along with other expert analysts like Chyna, about being bumped all last week.
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Meltzer wrote a 4-5 page story on MMA's drug problem and how they should go about fixing it.He was also surprisingly complimentary towards WWE for someone who is meant to have this fierce anti-WWE bias. It was a very good piece, which I think a lot of people should read.
It was a really good read. I've loved a lot of Meltzer's coverage throughout this whole Benoit ordeal. I also don't believe he has an anti-WWE bias but rather this story blowing up makes his life is a lot more interesting, his profile and readership higher. I don't necessarily think he wants to bring down Vince but he'd have the time of his life covering it while it happened.
Yes, I'm sure Meltzer LOVES IT when his friends & acquaintances die.
As does Vince McMahon I'm sure.
Points kind of get lost on you, don't they? Where did I even suggest that Meltzer loved having friends and acquaintances die? It's not like he makes money with tribute newsletters and career retrospectives. Oh wait. Bad point. I would also have to wonder how many of these dead wrestlers that Dave Meltzer knew personally? Maybe he can hand write a list the next time he or Alvarez are on Nancy Grace?
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Meltzer wrote a 4-5 page story on MMA's drug problem and how they should go about fixing it. Nate's pretty misinformedAnd Vince should welcome regulation, especially with all the deaths and injuries cropping up.
Well then, I think congress should investigate and push for regulation of comedy entertainment. I mean, look at the number of deaths of talent affiliated with Lorne Michaels? SNL encouraged the drug problems of John Belushi, Chris Farley, Chevy Chase and Robert Downey Jr. I mean, Chevy Chase was hooked on pain pills because those damn writers kept writing him to fall down the steps on every episode! I wouldn't be surprised if SNL was somehow responsible for Gilda Radner's cancer or the Phil Hartman murder suicide. Dana Carvey's heart condition?
I'm sick and tired of my favorite comedians dying! Mitch Hedberg and Richard Jenni are the last straw! This business chews you up and spits you out. And we all know that fans respond to comedians more who are on drugs! They get the biggest laughs! YOU HAVE TO DO DRUGS TO BE FUNNY and get a push!
I don't care if comedy isn't a sport! Comedians need to be tested state to state by athletic commissions to ensure they are clean!
Wow, Bob Ryder posts here? I hope you choke to death on Abyss's semen.
I don't even know what the hell that is supposed to mean???????? Please clue me in? Did I say that Bret Hart would be leading the Invasion? Of course you couldn't be like... oh, good point, you raise some valid questions, because that would be a sensible response. Instead I think you called me a homosexual. By that regards, I hope Abyss anally rapes you while tripping on ecstasy and Petey Williams and Bobby Roode make you take whatever bad steroids they take so you lose your hair and get back acne. Touche.
It's not a sport therefore it sets a dangerous pattern to have it be regulated. It would be like what I just described above or a film company or music label being forced to have their peformers tested state to state. It makes no sense. UFC and MMA being regulated does make sense and of course they would be for regulation. I can understand people disagreeing with what I'm saying but it's pretty black and white to me. Sport vs. not a sport.
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Meltzer wrote a 4-5 page story on MMA's drug problem and how they should go about fixing it.He was also surprisingly complimentary towards WWE for someone who is meant to have this fierce anti-WWE bias. It was a very good piece, which I think a lot of people should read.
It was a really good read. I've loved a lot of Meltzer's coverage throughout this whole Benoit ordeal. I also don't believe he has an anti-WWE bias but rather this story blowing up makes his life is a lot more interesting, his profile and readership higher. I don't necessarily think he wants to bring down Vince but he'd have the time of his life covering it while it happened. I also think for as intelligent as he is he seems to not look at things realistically. I think Dave Sherer, Mike Johnson and those guys do. You can't expect contracted talent or lawyers and doctors representing a company to go on televison and say "yeah we got problems, there is a lot that need fixed, there are loopholes in the testing, etc." when lawsuits could result.
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Meltzer wrote a 4-5 page story on MMA's drug problem and how they should go about fixing it. Nate's pretty misinformedAnd Vince should welcome regulation, especially with all the deaths and injuries cropping up.
Well then, I think congress should investigate and push for regulation of comedy entertainment. I mean, look at the number of deaths of talent affiliated with Lorne Michaels? SNL encouraged the drug problems of John Belushi, Chris Farley, Chevy Chase and Robert Downey Jr. I mean, Chevy Chase was hooked on pain pills because those damn writers kept writing him to fall down the steps on every episode! I wouldn't be surprised if SNL was somehow responsible for Gilda Radner's cancer or the Phil Hartman murder suicide. Dana Carvey's heart condition?
I'm sick and tired of my favorite comedians dying! Mitch Hedberg and Richard Jenni are the last straw! This business chews you up and spits you out. And we all know that fans respond to comedians more who are on drugs! They get the biggest laughs! YOU HAVE TO DO DRUGS TO BE FUNNY and get a push!
I don't care if comedy isn't a sport! Comedians need to be tested state to state by athletic commissions to ensure they are clean!
WWE/USA network update
in The WWE Folder
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I think this is the general direction they are headed. Their popularity has declined and the cable networks aren't going to see any value at all in their programming if they aren't going to at least pop a decent cable rating. They are okay right now but with their numbers declining and some of the other shows on cable getting monster numbers, with competition that used to be on big networks like MNF and the MLB playoffs now on cable, their programming means less and less every year. They are no longer the premiere company on cable. They are no longer the kings of PPV. They've bombed on network television with NBC's attempts to revive SNME. Pretty much the only thing they have going for them is they monopolize wrestling for the most part.
Their tape library is extremely important. Whether the current product is popular or not there will always be people that "used to watch wrestling". Your friends, people in your family, etc. There is no reason to think that someone won't want to watch old Nitro and Raws or ECW, WCW, NWA, AWA, World Class, PPV's, etc. My grandpap hates everything about WWE right now but he loves those Jim Ross Legends of Wrestling roundtables. WWE 24/7 would probably be more successful if they did a better job marketing the programming. I even think they could have clearance for a non subscription channel and get advertising if they handle everything correctly. They'd probably pick up some respectable numbers along side shows on USA, Spike, Comedy Central, MTV, etc.
They need to one up that. They need to finish off acquring other tape libraries like Mid South/UWF, Memphis, St. Louis, Portland, Stampede and take that International as well. Work out deals with Japan, Mexico and Puerto Rico. This would round out the classic programming.
I think they should farm ROH and other U.S. indies like they did ECW back in the day. Televise ROH stuff along with OVW, Florida and any other regional developmental they put together. Maybe even make access to those particular shows an online ON DEMAND subscription. The free network could plug ON DEMAND online programming like classic PPV's or DVD releases to generate some revenue that way. Another revenue generator they could use the network for would be to promote touring Legend Conventions where they ship out guys like Roddy Piper, Jimmy Snuka, Ted Dibiase, etc. for meet and greets.
They could produce some interesting television. The retrospectives they have on WWE 24/7 and Confidential style pieces on current and legendary talent. They could show angles, matches, random segments, in MTV video style or broadcast entire classic shows from the past. Their current programming would have Raw, Smackdown, ECW, magazine type pieces, maybe even arena house shows, and special productions like WWE's own versions of Cribs, I Love the 80's, JBL financial advice, etc. Not to mention whenever they get their own international territories running.