I never will either.
I kind of get this. I take it that TNA is like early ECW in the way that they are doing something different than the mainstream promotions (ECW had all their hardcoreness...TNA has the X-Division). They both have the similarity that in their early stages their rosters were both comprised of some washed up older talent and future stars.
See where I don't really get it is that TNA has a very big league feel to it due to production while ECW, even in the last days, always felt bush league. TNA has also been able to land stars that Heyman would've sold his mom to get ahold of. And TNA doesn't completely pander to the Smarks like ECW did.
I do agree with you that TNA has much better production and big name talent, and in that sense it is ahead of ECW. I guess part of it is the upstart nature of both promotions. TNA's 'ECW Light'-ness also comes from all the ECWers who've showed up there (Raven, New Jack, Sandman, Justin Credible, Sabu, Shane Douglas...)