Open Letter to YOUUUU

[Guest Goodear]

An open letter to the membership of The Smart Marks Board,

 

Often times we in the insulated world of the Internet and a particular board we sort of get the impression that we somehow should be in charge of dictating the polices of all of the professional wrestling companies. That if a company would only ask us, the fans, as to what we desire that wrestling would once again climb not only to the peak in reached in the late nineties but would exceed that pinnacle to unheard of levels. But we generally live under a set of faulty principles that don¡¦t always seem to pan out. And to be quite honest, I am no longer willing to allow such a state of affairs to exist without saying a little something about the whole situation. Mostly because I¡¦m a very contrary person, but also in the hope that someone, somewhere will take my words to heart and perhaps put their minds to changing the board for the better.

 

Perhaps the largest issue I see with the members of our little community is a complete and total lack of proportion. Consider for a moment the last time you had a discussion about the skills of particular wrestler. I can almost guarantee that someone in that debate other said that the worker in question was either ¡¥God¡¦ or simply mentioned that they ¡¥sucked.¡¦ At times it appears as though there are only two levels of worker in the world. Consider for a moment the sample case of Randy Orton. Now I¡¦m sure there are at least ten people reading this that wince simply at the site of that name. I can almost hear the calls of ¡¥Suckbag¡¦ as I type this. But think about Randy in an objective and calm manner. Yes, he is being pushed beyond his means. Yes, he is still growing as an in ring performer as far as his offense and pacing are concerned. Yes, he is not as over as a main event player should be (although one would argue that half the participants in the Elimination Chamber have the same problem). But the fact is that Orton can and does bump like a rag doll. The fact is that he is getting a better grasp of negotiating the ring. The fact is that Orton neither sucks nor is he a wrestling deity. Quite frankly, to say that Orton sucks basically takes away the power the word has when you really want to use it for Nathan Jones. Just like TNA destroys the impact of the ladder match by bringing it out every other week, we weaken the word suck by bringing it out for every wrestler that is not Chris Benoit.

 

Another issue I would like to touch on is the dripping amount of negativity that seems to permeate the boards. There was simply nothing more amusing to me than when a number of individuals branded people that actually enjoyed WWE programming as a bunch of apologists. As though being totally against the company in each and every example is somehow a more rational response. In fact, it is simply just as bad as sticking your fingers in your ears and shouting out ¡¥everything is wonderful¡¦ at the top of your lungs at every opportunity. Sure WWE screws things up on a weekly basis. I think the majority of the society at large would agree that the latest installment of the McMahon saga that seems to circle around who can lay down with the oldest woman. But the issue with the Smart Marks is that the problems we have always seem to continually overshadow what is going well with the company. Think about it. When was the last time you saw a thread devoted to the amazing run of matches that Shelton Benjamin and Charlie Haas have been on or the frankly unbelievable resurgence of the The Big Show? We spend so much time going over what is bothering us about an episode of WWE television that we don¡¦t mention the good things that bring us back every week. And if these people are truly disenfranchised enough that they can not even enjoy the matches that Eddie Guerrero delivers every week, I have to wonder why they even post at a wrestling message board.

 

Speaking of enjoying the product, I guess I might as well break it to some of you that there is a certain type of wrestler that is going to be around until the time that wrestling is. I am of course talking about the hoss. Now sure, some of you might have a bit of a problem with anyone that stands taller than six feet or weighs more than three hundred pounds. And the usual complaints seem to hinge around the larger wrestlers simply just are not quick enough to hold the viewer¡¦s attention. But that simply ignores that there are things that a larger wrestler can produce that a smaller one cannot. For example, Rey Mysterio for all of his quickness just simply is unable to throw a convincing powerbomb to anyone larger then himself. Power displays for all the talk about how easy they are to do still requires a degree of skill that has gone rather under appreciated in the Smart Mark circle. Sure it might look really easy for the A-Train press just about anyone over his head, but the fact that it is not a simple matter to get a person that weighs upwards of two hundred and fifty pounds over your head and toss it around. Thinking about it, I come to realize that I can not press a hundred and fifty pounds over my head makes the feet even more impressive. And when you really think about it isn¡¦t wrestling and sports in general all about? Celebrating the athletic prowess of people that can do things that we cannot. After all, if everyone could do a shooting star press safely no would care about it anymore.

 

And since I am feeling as though I this is starting to run a little on the long side, I think its just about time to go to BULLET POINT MANIA!

 

„h Yes indeed, there are wrestlers that will never make to the main event but that still does not mean that they deserve to get fired. Many memorable wrestlers had excellent run in the business and barely sniffed the main event. Take Jake Roberts for example, the guy never was in the last match of a pay-per-view for the WWF. Does that mean he wasn¡¦t valuable to the company? Absolutely not.

 

„h To the denizens of the No Holds Barred folder, please remember that jokes repeated fourteen times a day are fourteen times less funny.

 

„h Not every wrestler in the WWE would be better off in the NWA. After all, Vince Russo and Jeff Jarrett still work there. Think about it, since Vince came into story lines the title has only been held by Jeff and a guy managed by Russo. And AJ Styles hasn¡¦t really been raking in the wins when Russo isn't hitting someone with a baseball bat.

 

„h The difference between getting ¡¥good heel heat¡¦ and ¡¥bad heel heat¡¦ is that people you like get one and the people you don¡¦t get the other.

 

„h I¡¦m out of bullet points.

 

Word Life,

 

Mark G. Goodhart

[Guest The Pirate in White]

Wait...whoa whoa whoa.

 

Wrestling fans are biased, cynical, and negative?

 

Get the F out.

 

Seriously, you make good points here, although at the heart of the matter, 'net fans have the right to bitch until they're blue. Were I you, I'd steer clear of the WWE folder. I lurk there, but every time I think of posting, I feel like "ugh...this isn't going to lead anywhere good."

[dutchse.cx 0]

26 posts! It just keeps going downhill!

[Guest The Pirate in White]

And there IS a difference between good heat and bad heat. The Rock, as a heel, got good heat (before he got cheered); Rocky Maivia got bad heat. X-Pac got bad heat. "Go away" heat. I'm sure that wasn't all of it -- some people really booed the character. But by and large, X-Pac meant a piss break, and the fans who didn't have to pee or buy merchandise weren't happy campers.

[Guest The Pirate in White]

Hey! First of all I saaaaaaid that I'd SHOW you...but later, later. And keep it contained to that one thread with the Chave and the other stuffs.