JimmyHendricks

You are exactly right. They did that for a while about 2 years ago. I remember seeing a Cowboys/Redskins game from around 1997 or so from FOX. I can remember because of the old school FOX clock/score in the upper left of the screen. What they would do is only show the plays, and in between (huddles, timeouts and such) would be edited out. They would only show after a play if it was something big, like a TD or a major injury or penalty. It was a little annoying and choppy, but they could air an entire game in 90 minutes that way. However, that stopped after a few months. It has always bugged me that network replays of NFL games can't be aired, save for what I just mentioned. Instead, we get NFL Films versions, which aren't bad, but I'd like to enjoy the GAME, and not the NFL Films experience with Harry Kalas narrating and Sam Spence's music. It would be cool to hear what the TV announcers thought at the time. There's another thread here with YouTube links to stuff like that. It's awesome to hear John Madden in disbelief at Barry Switzer going for it on 4th and 1 TWICE against the Eagles. You don't get that with NFL Films stuff. I would think that on their own network that the NFL would air stuff like that. I mean, they don't have to ask permission to air their own games, do they? But alas, we don't get that. We get "Making the Squad: Chargers Cheerleaders" instead. Ugh. You'd think that the NFL would understand that if someone is going to pony up the money to get a NFL Network, that they would be a pretty devoted fan. Yet they act like no one watches the network for more than a hour or so a day, because they repeat everything over and over and over--including commericals. And it's that way during the season as well. They'll show the "Game of the Week" each week, about 3 times a day. It makes no sense.

Well, how many programs has NFL Films done in it's history? THOUSANDS. Yet, they only show 4 programs on a loop, all day. With the treasure trove of footage that they have, there is no reason for anything to be repeated in the same WEEK, yet along several times each day. I agree that there isn't much you can talk about during the offseason, which is why NFL Total Access should only be 30 minutes instead of an hour. They act like they don't have enough programming to fill 24 hours with, which is exactly the opposite.

Wow. I can totally see that happening. Well, in 1999. Today Hogan will just go over clean with the legdrop and Brooke will perform her crappy song live at Summerslam, or sing the Star Spangled Banner. Ugh.

Searched for Hogan, found this. It's too hard to explain: I laughed hysterically at the chopped up WWF clips for some reason. I totally forgot about the demonic Warrior opening from Superstars back in 1990.

Why does everyone have such a hard on for Umaga? He's shit with the same shit gimmick every single week. Ooh! Thumb to the throat of death!!

I think it was part $$$, and part desire to see ECW work again that influenced Heyman. I mean, there's no way he's going to be able to do it without Vince, since Vince owns ECW now, so he agreed to go ahead with it. It's like going back to your childhood home, even though the neighborhood is shitty and the house has been remodeled. But hey, it was YOUR house, and you'd sure like to see it again anyway. I think that's how Heyman is--he so desperately wants to see ECW alive again that it doesn't matter. Oh and yes, he makes money off of it. But I don't think money is the dominating factor here.

Work. He'll end up being mad that Heyman sided with Big Show, and that his friend Rob Van Dam got screwed out of the title, yadda yadda yadda. The "column not exisiting" part is going to end up being that Heyman will pull the plug on it because Dreamer bad mouths Big Show or something.

Perhaps, but ECW is (and never was) going to become anything big because Vince is behind this current incarnation. One of the big reasons the original ECW worked was that the fanbase hated the WWF "New Generation" shit and wanted something different. When you take the guy everyone hated and put him in charge, well, it's an uphill battle immediately. Also, I don't think anyone at Titan Towers takes TNA seriously yet. Sure, they have intentionally signed TNA prospects to keep them from going there, but I think they feel like TNA isn't threatening--yet--and don't make creative decisions thinking about it.

Well, I don't really think Vince purposely wants ECW 2005 to fail. I think he created the whole thing wanting it to succeed and make money. The problem is that Vince's (and everyone around him) perception of ECW is very different from the fans, especially the hardcores.....all 3000 of them. That's why we have ECW Legend Kurt Angle and Unstoppable World Champion Big Show........and breakout star, **shudders** Test. Vince is a businessman. He isn't intentionally stinking up the product so it can fail. He can, and wants to make millions off of the ECW name. The problem is that he, the so called wrestling genius, has no idea how to really do it. So, in a way, he IS burying ECW, because his vision and idea (and perception that the whole promotion and idea was garbage) will do him, and his version, in.

What are you all talking about? Vince McMahon is a genius who built and made professional wrestling what it is today. Austin would be nothing without Vince's creative vision. His idea for Stone Cold Steve Austin put the business through the roof! Chris Benoit--I mean, he was a nobody midcarder before Vince hired him. And look at Chris Jericho. A cheap Shawn Michaels ripoff! Only after he came to the WWF did Vince turn him into the first ever Undisputed World Heavyweight Champion--and a powerful and successful one at that. Haven't you listened to Steve Lombardi and Gerald Brisco on each one of the WWE DVD's? Wake Up, people! Really, though--did any of you really expect Vince McMahon Presents ECW® to be anything like the past incarnation? When they decide to do something without any competition, with no other reason to do it except that they can, well, you can't expect much. What's sad is how they are blaming everyone but themselves for the current failure of the "ECW Brand". It's been that way since 2001. The InVasion!11!! failed because, to Vince, WCW was a joke that never had any big stars--and it was booked that way. Now we have ECW 2005 with World Champion Big Show and Kurt Angle and Test as two of it's biggest stars. Yup, just like 1995 all over again! Someome said the instant they put Angle with ECW it was done. They were right. It was immediately apparent that they didn't have faith in the ECW name from the start, so they loaded it up with WWE bred talent (yes, I know Big Show started in WCW--but really, he's a WWE character at this point. Does ANYONE look at him as The Giant?) and made it RAW Version 1.5 with a ECW logo on it. In 6 months, ECW will be dead and buried, just like WCW. Perhaps that's what Vince really wants. Bury the name and kill any buzz or enthusiam that the fans used to have for the old product. I mean, WCW did a good job doing that to themselves with Russo, but can you watch an old tape of Nitro without thinking of the InVasion!!111!!? I can't. The only saving grace is that I hope that ECW 2005 dies very quickly, and we don't have 6-12 months of horrible memories.

No wayz Shawn iz goode Bret is teh betterr bestest wrestlerz evarr!!!!

Hogan should not be wrestling anymore. He can barely walk. And it's not like he's Flair or Terry Funk. He can't even bump hardly at all, and he couldn't do much in the ring to begin with. He's great for the occasional nostalgia appearance every now and then, but he is 78 years old and shouldn't be wrestling, especially in high profile matches against talent that the WWE claims is their future. The only way this can work out is that Hogan cleanly beats Orton whenever they meet, complete with the embarrasing big boot and 30 second delay before the legdrop finish. Why in the hell would they feed Orton to the lions like that? As punishment for his behavior? Who knows. You know, if I were Vince, I wouldn't be putting an egomaniac senior citizen out there against top talent when he somehow has 100% creative control. What does he think? That Hogan will do the job via RKO? Give me a break.

At the RAW the night after Brian Pillman died in KC, they taped Shotgun Saturday Night and one of the matches was Ahmed Johnson vs. Some Jobber. Ahmed dared the guy to hit him, which he did. Then, he took off his elbow pad and gave it to the guy, and asked him to hit him again. He did. Ahmed then took off his KNEE BRACE and handed it to him, again daring him to hit him back. He did. Then Ahmed squashed the guy in about 20 seconds. The weirdest and dumbest match I've ever seen live.

That's what I'm wondering. It's at ShopZone but I haven't seen it anywhere else.

I never remember them formally announcing it. In fact, I can remember watching the Coliseum Video (we didn't get PPV around my neck of the woods until 1993) and thinking, "Wow, that sure doesn't LOOK like 100,000 people". Yeah, I thought they were at the Coliseum still. Hey, I was 9 at the time. Give me a break. I just thought of this one while doing my laundry: Was there any particular reason why the Warriors/Heenan Family match went on last at Survivor Series 89? With Hogan being the egomaniac champion and Vince wanting to promote the shit out of "No Holds Barred" and Zeus, it always seemed weird to me that the Hulkamaniacs/Million Dollar Team match went on in the middle of the show. At least that's how it was on video. It was followed by Piper's Team vs. Rude's team and then the Warriors/Heenan match. Were they trying to test Warrior as a main event performer? I can remember in the video package at the start--where all the superstars say what they're thankful for--Warrior went on last during that too--Hogan went on first.

I was on another board and there was a mini discussion within another thread about this. I thought it would make a good topic. My opinion?: When Austin's music hit during the Rock/Mankind title match on RAW, where Foley won the belt for the first time. I have NEVER seen a response like that. Honorable mentions: WrestleMania X-8, when Hogan "hulked up" during his match with The Rock. HHH's return from the quad tear at MSG in January 2002. Hogan at the Molson Centre the night after X-8. Flair's return on Nitro after the lawsuit. Goldberg's title defeat of Hogan on Nitro. Undertaker's return at Judgement Day 2000 during the Rock/HHH Iron Man match. Heel Wise, the only one I can really remember being surprised by was The Rock's entrance on RAW the night after siding with Vince and winning the title at Survivor Series 1998. Your thoughts?

That seems right. Didn't they do a rest hold while everyone (including Vince and King) focused on the timekeeper? Interesting.

No, I specifically remember Razor Ramon interfering, injuring Savage's knee, which caused him to pass out while in the figure four.

HHH numerous times. The first that comes to mind was against Booker T. at WM XIX. I'm 95% certain that was clean, wasn't it?

I don't think ending the split would change anything. Think about it: All they have to do is create compelling television. Make the shows interesting. You can do that with mid-carders. You don't need a Austin or Rock like superstar to make the show interesting. The talent is there. They just need the material to work with. As long as everything is meticously scripted for everyone, no one will break out and no one will be interesting. You are all right for saying that it's the same 2 shows--because non wrestling people are writing for both of them. We don't need 4 hours of HHH a week, nor do we need 4 hours of anyone else. I think it's a combination of a lack of interesting/compelling/good content and the fact that the company as a whole is horribly overexposed. We don't need a PPV every month. Remember when there were only FOUR each year? Aaah, memories. But PPV's bring in money, so we won't see that end anytime soon.

Does anyone know if at Wal-Mart if the WM DVD is shrinkwrapped by itself with the Rey DVD? If so, I'll go buy that 2-pack and return the WM DVD to Circuit City, where I bought WM this morning.

The 10/6/97 HHH/Bret match on the D-X DVD IS the one where Shawn puts the flag up his nose. I was there live. It's also the same RAW where they showed the curtain call on the titantron and also was the RAW after Brian Pillman's death. In other news, it's great to have the full HOF ceremony on the WM 22 DVD. Bret's speech (in it's entiriety) is awesome.

Pro Wrestling was accepted in the mainstream in the late 90's because they finally came out and admitted that it was fake, and took a more realistic approach. That made all of the "it's so FAKE" arguements shut up, because well, the WWF wasn't shy about it anymore. Sure, you still had the Undertaker sacrificing victims to the hell God or whatever, and you still had Kane blowing up shit, but HHH was a "real" character, so were Rock and Austin. You had characters like Mankind who went out there and fell through tables, but then Mick Foley went on the Today Show and charmed Katie Couric, showing that it indeed, was all fake and under the mask, Mankind was a nice guy. People forgot that they were supposed to bitch about it not being real, and actually started to watch, and appreciate, the performers. Then WCW folded, and Vince had no reason to compete, and push the envelope anymore, and he stopped caring what his fans think. So now we have goofballs like Umaga, horrible angles where Vince is wrestling God, and insulting storylines like JBL and Rey. Do you blame the media for shitting all over it? Can you really defend this crap against a non-wrestling fan? Now, it's back to it being "all fake" because YES, Vince being "stopped" by God's lightning is incredibly, incredibly fake. We know Umaga isn't from the jungle of Samoa or whatever. In 1999, Umaga would go on Jay Leno and talk about how fun the character is to play. Now, we are supposed to buy that he is an animal man or whatever the fuck he's supposed to be. Give me a break. And as someone else said, a lot has to do with what people think of Vince McMahon the person. When he gives interviews, he's basically the same asshole he plays on TV. He yells at Bob Costas and THAT is what gets played over and over again. He's the face of the company, and it's a bad face to have. He could go out there and be intelligent, articulate, and win over a Katie Couric or whoever. But he doesn't. Much like Hogan in the 80's going on talk shows and doing his goofy "Whatcha gonna DOOOOOO, bruther?" gimmick, people respond with "How can you watch this stuff?" It's the same reason why in 10 years (or hopefully less than that), when "Desperate Houswives" is off the air, people won't be talking about how great it was. They'll be talking about how horrible and dumb the whole show was because of the outrageous factor of it. So, all in all, wrestling isn't accepted by the mainstream because well, it doesn't want to be. Vince calls THAT "Attitude", I call it stupidity because he could be making a lot more money if he stopped being a circus and started being a performance.

The best part of that Shawn promo was when the crowd was singing the "Goodbye" song, and he simply just sat down in the ring.......and they stopped. Amazing.

I thought the "Unearthed" boxset had all the extra "American" stuff. I knew there was going to be an "American V" of his final recordings, but I can't see how they can put out an "American VI" album. Well, I can definitely see how they CAN, but I don't think they SHOULD. "Unchained" is my favorite of the four. "The Man Comes Around" was good, but it was sad to hear how deteroiated his voice had gotten. I still think the first one was the best overall. It deserved the 5 star rating it got in Rolling Stone.