Remianen

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="ampulator" data-cite="ampulator" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="25169" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>Stone Cold came out because Vince McMahon told Steve Austin "to do whatever you want". And that's how we got Stone Cold. If they refuse to let John Cena do that, what chances will Jack Swagger get a chance?</div></blockquote><p> </p><p> Actually, this isn't exactly true. Austin's breakout moment (at KOTR) came as a result of the other Vince (Russo) letting him 'do his own thing' (because he didn't have a decent promo scripted for him). That made big Vince livid...until he saw the reaction. Source: Pro Wrestling Insiders DVD (Russo & Ferrara w/Wade Keller) & The Stone Cold Truth. Sure, VKM might've let him create the character but it didn't catch fire until that moment.</p><p> </p><p> But I think Swagger needs (among other things) a new finisher. The Gutwrench (and powerbombs in particular) doesn't fit his size or character. You give powerbombs to big workers who are limited in their skillset and ability (Batista, anyone?). Yes, someone's going to cite the Undertaker but The Last Ride fit that character (American Badass) far moreso than the finisher he had gotten over previously (plus they needed something different from the old character.). Swagger needs something more technically oriented that he can perform on people his size or larger (since he's likely to face someone like Taker or Trips or Batista or even Khali at some point). Gutwrench, the way he does it, is boring looking. Maybe turn it into a facebuster (instead of dropping the opponent forward after the gutwrench, he falls backward) or adding a sitout to it (but then it'd still be a powerbomb)? Or just a submission finish like a crossface chickenwing. But in a promotion with people with overly simplistic finishers (powerbombs, big boots, etc), making him seem particularly special with a more technically oriented (but low impact) finisher seems one way to make him stand out (in a positive light).</p><p> </p><p> EDIT: chris, for those people who remember the 'edgy' salad days, today's product can't be regarded as anything <em><strong>but</strong></em> 'PG'. How 'the world' views things doesn't come into play when most people make entertainment value decisions. Why haven't you played WoW full time over the last five and a half years? 'The world' is, so why aren't you? If you don't have an iPhone, why not? 'The world' loves it so it must be good.</p>

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="brashleyholland" data-cite="brashleyholland" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="25170" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>If TNA started putting shows on free TV in the states, they'd have a nightmare getting people to pay for them again in the future. You're assuming that they would get more viewers because the show would be free, but that would be more likely to work the opposite manner.</div></blockquote><p> </p><p> This is gospel. You have to really know the American audience and consumer to realize this. Unless you can ride the wave of a tech revolution (which is what TV and phone services did as well as broadband internet), people in the US aren't likely to start paying for something that was previously free.</p><p> </p><p> Granted, all I've known all my life is pay TV, coming from an early adopter family. I remember having <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wometco_Home_Theater" rel="external nofollow">WHT</a> in the house when I was, jeez, 5? I think the first "racy" film I saw was '<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Looking_for_Mr._Goodbar_%28film%29" rel="external nofollow">Looking for Mr Goodbar</a>' when I was like six or seven. I was a launch subscriber to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantum_Link" rel="external nofollow">Quantum Link</a>, so paying for online services wasn't foreign to me. I had a big, bulky, briefcase cell (or 'mobile' as it was called then) phone when I was 14 or 15 (granted, it was for illicit purposes, but I had it).</p><p> </p><p> I say all that to perhaps illustrate that the number of people who are willing to try something "new" that had been free (or almost free) previously, or just new in general, is really, really small. It takes time (years) to change perception to make people more open to these things. TNA switches their supposed pay per views to free and it'll be 2020 before they can expect to see revenue from them again. You also lose the war of perception, seeming "cheap" in comparison to the 'E. That's a powerful motivator here in the States. Many people have things simply because not having them leads to them being perceived a certain way (a particular cellphone model named after a fruit comes to mind). How's the saying go? Why buy the cow.....</p><p> </p><p> </p><blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="Hyde Hill" data-cite="Hyde Hill" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="25170" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>According to some sources in TNA and Viacom, yes I have them now as I have not been idle, Viacom is close to signing The Rock away from Disney for their movie division and they will be using TNA as a vehicle to promote his movies.</div></blockquote><p> </p><p> <img alt=":rolleyes:" data-src="//content.invisioncic.com/g322608/emoticons/rolleyes.png.4b097f4fbbe99ce5bcd5efbc1b773ed6.png" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /></p>

Yeah, especially since he's been dead for like 10 years.

Ha! Um, I worked for Viacom. I did much of the travel for Spike (UFC and TNA events mainly but also the preproduction of 'Jesse James is a Dead Man' and several of the award shows, among others). I have UFC and TNA merch up the wazoo (much of it signed). I bought a lot of that stuff. Granted, some of the events I attended were work related (someone had to be there onsite to make itinerary changes and such) but a few of them weren't. Heck, there were two times I went to an event and wound up working, helping out a colleague (onsites aren't for everyone). You see, you seem to be one of those people who thinks that anyone who states a dissenting opinion is just 'spouting negativity'. Sorry. I've seen the young guys (and girls) in TNA who bust their asses to put on the best show possible. I've seen Kia Stevens (Awesome Kong) sign autographs for two hours after Destination X in 2008 while Karen Angle turned her nose up at fans (said she was tired. WTF! YOU DIDN'T WRESTLE!). Yeah, I was there. I've seen how a lot of these young guys are DESPERATE to get (more) fans more into the product, while the old hands could really care less (they've made their money and their names, so who cares, right? ). So excuse me if I think that those same young guys getting tossed aside so these old dudes can scoop up more cash and then leave when the money runs out (or is no longer being offered as liberally) is a bunch of (crap). Pardon me if the opinion that investing in your young talent NOW will pay dividends later is some kind of foreign concept to you. Oh and by the way, I have a friend in Kent who gets stuff from the TNA Shop with no problems. If the only thing that keeps MCMG and Pope relevant to TNA management is their merch sales, at least I can say I contributed to that. Let's see, Taz's hoodie, Tara's t-shirt, 3 different AJ Styles t-shirts, Jeff Jarrett "The Founder" t-shirt (signed in glow in the dark ink), Pope is Pimpin' t-shirt, Alyssa Flash poster, yeah I've got a lot. All I'm saying is those people who call themselves TNA fans who do nothing but stare at the tube once a week, may not be all they think they are. Honestly, I'd TiVo TNA every week if I was guaranteed Lethal and Pope promos.

If Shark Boy is on a PPA contract, fine. However, if he's on a written, there is little to no sense to keeping him on if you're going to use him "once in a blue moon". Especially not when you can bring in any of a thousand different workers from the indies who would work for sweatshop wages, just to have a chance to work on TV. And before you say it, TNA is not in WWE's league financially. They're not generating profit at anywhere near the same level. Lemme give you an example. Microsoft Game Studios, at any given time, has over a dozen titles in development or in the planning stages (with money invested in them). How many of those titles actually see a store shelf? Very few. Does that make it okay for Cheyenne Mountain to have a dozen titles in development? Why not? I concur with Peter. However, I think you're trying to use ECW as some kind of precedent and it's not. ECW's ideas were used/co-opted to fuel the biggest boom the industry has seen. TNA's contribution doesn't come close to that. You're trying to use 'Firefly' logic with that Terminator reference and it too fails. You might want to find out the definition and importance of 'trending' in TV programming and how that pertains to the cancellation of that particular show. And you know, you can support a promotion's continued existence in ways other than just sitting in front of the tube every week. How many TNA pay per views have you purchased consistently? How much merch do you own? How many events have you attended? You admit that low TV ratings won't kill TNA....but I'm sure those other things could. So where is this fanbase that "gets it"? I'm not seeing it reflected in any meaningful metrics.

Two, with $5 left over for a Tom Collins unusually high in the H20 department.

Ah, I musta missed that. When exactly did WM become bigger than the Super Bowl? I mean, it's a fact and all so I'm just curious if you could provide a link? Ever hear the saying 'high tide raises all boats"? Works in reverse too (low tide makes everyone look like s...poop). As you probably know, a good match requires its participants to all be on point. Takes two (or more) to completely botch an entire match. I've noticed Gail has looked like trash since returning to the 'E but if you look at her work in TNA and compare it to her more recent work, you'll see that it's mainly the people she's working with. The moment I saw it confirmed that Vickie would be in the match, I knew it was going to be pure stinkage. Sometimes I hate being right. But I'd like to know who the genius was who thought it would be a good idea to have, uh, "Reubenesque" Vickie do a frog splash (and they called it a HOG splash, OMG!). I concur. What's funny is, I watched it at a friend's house (the man's such a huge WWE mark, his wife BANS WWE merch from the house....so the garage is like a shrine to VKM). Sure, $55 isn't much but I'd rather spend that on a bottle of wine or lapdances or something I'm sure to enjoy. He spent the whole broadcast yelling "What the [censored] was that [censored]?". Hilarious! Taker-HBK was on point but that basically left it as $55 for one match (to him). The bad thing about that is, he had to pass on the UFC 111, 112, 113 package to get Wrestlemania so he's feelin' really salty right about now. Honestly, this felt more like a Summerslam quality PPV than Wrestlemania.

I don't get it. For a division that's supposed to be 'anti-Diva' and centered around women that can work, you KEEP the in-ring deadweight (Lacey Von Erich) but cut one of the best women workers in the world? And don't use the excuse that she's in the Beautiful People so is somehow irreplaceable. You can get any vapid, "hot" blonde and plug them right in (that's how Lacey got in, after all). Who I'd cut: Amazing Red Brian Kendrick (as someone else said, with Paul London, he'd have value) Brutus Magnus Bubba Doug Williams Dr. Stevie Eric Bischoff Eric Young Generation Me Hulk Hogan Jesse Neal Jimmy Hart Kevin Nash Nasty Boys (Again, listed as one person) Do I need a reason here? Orlando Jones Rhino (Lack of use) Rick Flair Rob Terry Scott Hall Sean Waltman Shark Boy Tomko Women: Christy Hemme Lacey von Erich ODB So Cal Val Traci Brooks (if she's still under contract) There, that would allow for a much tighter booking strategy. You have a fully stocked X-Division AND tag team scene, and the singles picture is a lot less muddled. You can phase out the Global title (since it has no purpose) and alternate presences with your storylines (match one week, promos the next, and repeat). You can have 4-8 people offscreen at a time, for repackaging, without harming the onscreen product.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but Suicide isn't an actual worker. It was Kaz & Daniels working under the mask, wasn't it?

Peter, let it go, man. It's just not worth the effort. It's like showing Stevie Wonder a rainbow. In explaining how a worker who needs to be carried can be best utilized, he cites two workers who need to be carried EVEN MORE (and who aren't even 'decent' outside of hardcore environments). Let it go.

I have a question. In 2004, which was the hotter and more popular part of the product, the "heavyweight scene" or the X-Division? You're trying to down AJ for choosing the NFL over the freakin' CFL. I can barely fathom how utterly crazy this sounds. Lemme see if I can illustrate how preposterous this assertion is. Wet tissue paper can't stop bullets. But if you put a block of steel behind it, it's a tremendous bullet stopper. Water can't fuel a car engine. But if you put pure gasoline with it, it's a tremendous fuel! Put simply, ANY worker can look "tremendous" if put in the ring with far superior workers. That doesn't make the worker tremendous though. No more than catching a pass from Peyton Manning makes you a first ballot Hall of Fame receiver. Look, the core of any and every successful team is built around homegrown talent. It's the same in wrestling as it is in other sports. The Yankees have Jeter, Cano, Posada, Rivera, all talent they developed internally. In fact, they didn't start to become successful until those workers were "ready". WWE's main event is packed with stars they developed (Cena, Orton, Batista, etc). TNA has.....AJ (and even that's debatable). But I'll have to take Peter's advice (Planet Jarrett was the best period EVAR! ). It's pointless.

Umm.... ampulator, I don't know which promotion you're referring to, but with WWE, charisma and star power buys you forgiveness. Jannetty does not, and never had, the level of charisma of a Michaels. Even with no substance problems, he would've still been released/fired/future endeavored. If you honestly think that Marty Jannetty had any marketable gifts that would have assured his continued employment (and we all know what gifts are required to do that in WWE), I don't know what to tell you. Sure, his issues hastened his decline and eventual firing but this is WWE we're talking about. By all accounts (and especially by Bret's), Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart and Davey Boy Smith and Dynamite Kid were hopped up on SOMETHING for much of their WWF-E runs. Hell, Anvil was even a crackhead (literally) at one point. How many people kept their jobs after surfacing in the Signature Pharmacy case? Lemme see if I remember: Batista, Randy Orton, Edge, Santino, Chavo, and William Regal. Notice anything about these names (especially the first three)? How many Wellness violations have been racked up by current members of the roster? Rob Van Dam as a champion in WWE (do I need to cite the incident?). So you can use/abuse steroids np, show up in a statewide investigation that piggybacked a FEDERAL investigation (and you'd better believe Vince wants no part of those anymore), and smokin' the cheeba to clear your mind is fine, but God forbid you have a few too many a few nights in a row and pop a few pills? Come on. It was obvious that Shawn was destined for great things and Marty...wasn't. "People" aren't selling Marty short, they're stating facts based on prevailing, overwhelming evidence. Ha! The shoulder tassels and all.

I'd say give it two weeks. It wouldn't surprise me if they turn next week's episode into an 'Aftermath of Wrestlemania' type deal.

Also consider the personal aspect. Team3D splits the proceeds of their merch. Why do that if you don't have to? Sure, it's nice to be idealistic and think 'all for one' and such but really, how far do you think Shawn Michaels gets with a Jannetty around his neck? Speaking of which, Final Countdown, the Rockers didn't split because one was appreciably more popular than the other (at the time). They split because one had 'STAR' practically tattooed on his forehead and the other, well, didn't. They were almost exact precursors to the Hardyz. One was practically dripping with charisma and the other....was good in the ring. While I agree with you Self, I also know that humans are strange creatures. Batista was one half of a pretty good tag team (Disciples of Synn? With the heavyset goth chick as manager) when he was known as Leviathan. He didn't do too much lobbying to bring his partner along when they put him with D-Von though. Because you're right, a tag team isn't going to sell double the merch so both members have to settle for half they would as singles workers. Teams are marketed as a unit, after all. Also, your main event tag team idea requires bodies. Main eventers beating midcarders week in and week out, gets really boring. There's only so many times you can pull the 'underdog gets the unlikely win' thing before it gets...what's that word people here use for WWE? Stale. As I said, I agree in principle with what you said. But the facts are the facts. Tag teams don't produce dividends enough (or fast enough) to justify the investment in them. One tag team program would typically involve four workers. Those four workers, as singles, would produce two marketable programs. So the one program has a steep hill to climb (or row to hoe) from the very beginning. Yes, it is about money, on both sides of the equation (promotion and worker).

Apples and steel belted tires. The only similarity is they're both composed of carbon. Sheamus was built up as a monster, ending a guy's career. He beat the face of the promotion and is locked in to a match with 'The Franchise' at Wrestlemania. McIntyre was all hot air, built almost totally on Vince's words. He didn't beat the face of the promotion (or even the face of Smackdown), he hasn't gotten over enough to even sniff the main event. Thus, he gets to do what midcarders generally do: lay down for the big dogs who earn the money to keep the lights on. I wouldn't be surprised if they went with the last ditch measure of having him win MITB, only to have it taken from him (ala Kennedy), by hook or by crook, by Jericho or somebody. I think McIntyre's best chance at salvaging his push is a John Morrison-esque repackaging. But that would be hard because the 'E already has someone like that. Guy's name is....wait, I know this one...oh yeah, John Morrison. But I don't think the dearth of full time tag teams is necessarily the 'E's fault. Let's face it, there's a lot more money to be made as a singles worker than as even a successful tag team. You won't see the permanent fixture tag teams anymore because most of the time, one worker is a lot more attractive for singles action than the other. Rarely will you see a pair that's better together than they are apart (the Dudleys/Team3D come to mind as does the NAO). Cryme Tyme's the closest to them that I can see right now. Neither of them is going to really get over without the other. The Harts don't fit (David is a perfect fit for the 'E's preferred worker). Plus, tag teams need more tag teams to flourish. Chicken or egg proposition, that.

I think this strategy has a place...with a certain fanbase. However, you must remember that, as typically depicted, the mainstream fan is very much a 'short attention span' type of viewer. You book yourself into a corner when you go with alternating storyline presences. What happens when the feud that didn't make it onto this week's Impact doesn't make it onto next week's because someone has some 'awesome idea' that MUST appear? This week, RVD vs Sting wasn't focused on and next week, RVD is in a match to advance a totally unrelated (up to this point) storyline. So, how do you remind fans that RVD is in a program with Sting? Do you have him attack RVD (and thus, impact the match that's supposed to advance the storyline you are focusing on)? Do you have him run-in (and thus, follow your typical booking pattern oddly reminiscent of a past promotion)? A simple video isn't going to put over the fact that these two men are at odds. You can't really give Sting a promo since he did what he intended to do (beat RVD senseless) so what's his dog in this fight? I just don't understand the logic that goes into TNA's booking. The Beer Money turn, the Morgan/Hernandez split, the whole kerfuffle surrounding the (apparently worthless) World title, Rob Terry, the X-Division, Samoa "Where Are They Now" Joe, and what they hope to gain by giving TV time to Hall, Waltman, Knobbs, and Saggs. I also don't know what's going on with the men's titles. As much as Hyde might want to think that the Torch article is totally off base, you have to wonder what the heck is going on when the world title "doesn't matter", the tag titles are basically props (in their portrayal), the Global title is held by someone the fans don't know and appear ambivalent about, and the X title is....well, the X title.

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="TommyDreamerFan" data-cite="TommyDreamerFan" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="25170" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>****, take a look at a promotion that did cater to the geeks like us like ECW. What were they pulling on TNN? .5! Nearly the same amount of advertising too! Hell for that matter, someone one pull up what ROH on HDNet is doing!<p> </p><p> We're not the life blood of this industry, merely the most vocal part of it.</p></div></blockquote><p> </p><p> You are absolutely right. But Bentley/Maybach/Rolls Royce/Lexus/Infiniti/Mercedes aren't the lifeblood of their industries. Doesn't stop them from being ridiculously profitable and highly respected and sought after. I'd like to suggest something to you. Check the demographics of the promotions you mentioned. Whose bottom lines sagged during the "economic downturn" and whose didn't? It is possible to be profitable without pandering to the widest possible audience. But profitability isn't the goal here. It's ridiculously profitable that these folks are shooting for. It's 'so popular, we're an institution' level (which, I should remind you, has already largely been achieved by the competition). </p><p> </p><p> </p><blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="TommyDreamerFan" data-cite="TommyDreamerFan" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="25170" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>And **** y'all, The Nasty's if used right can be an asset. These guys have the charisma, they can get the crowd to hate them, just keep their matches under ten minute brawls. Build them up and then let them work with guys like Shelly and Sabin a great tag team that no one outside You, me and the cactus in the room give a **** about. Plus, The Nasty's were WAY ahead of their time! These were the guys that were wearing all black and doing the counter-culture look with leatherjackets and chains before that kind of thing became huge in wrestling with the attitude era.</div></blockquote><p> </p><p> The same can be said for ANY tag team that worked in the WWF at any time over the last 20 years. </p><p> </p><p> </p><blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="Slagaholic" data-cite="Slagaholic" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="25170" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>You are not alone.<p> </p><p> Even if you don't agree with a word TDF says, can't you at least admire the passion?</p></div></blockquote><p> </p><p> No, because it's blind passion. He's doing the textual equivalent of pressing his palms against his ears and shouting "LA LA LA LA LA LA". This is the same kind of blind passion that led Detroit Lions fans to believe Matt Millen was an awesome General Manager. This same blind passion placed my hometown New York Knicks in such a deep hole, they had to basically throw away two full seasons of performance just to <strong><em>possibly</em></strong> fix it. In short, with those kinds of fans, nothing changes until the rock bottom point because their tireless blind optimism won't demand it.</p><p> </p><p> In business, as in life, the best clients/fans to have are those who will call you on it when you do something stupid. I don't want friends who tell me I'm awesome when I screw up. I want friends who tell me "Man, that was just dumb. What made you think that was a good idea?". I don't want clients who keep their mouths shut when something goes wrong. I want them to come to me and tell me so I can fix it.</p><p> </p><p> You know what the rating on that clusterfuzzle is likely to do? Make them look at what might have caused it and try to remedy it. Do you know what would've happened if TDF had his way and everyone recommended TNA to their friends and that clusterfuzzle got a 1.8? Think about that for a minute (or don't).</p>

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="dvdWarrior" data-cite="dvdWarrior" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="25170" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>Wasn't in Vince that always said "Perception Is Reality"? I think it was anyway.</div></blockquote><p> </p><p> You thought wrong. That axiom pre-dates Vincent Kennedy McMahon's <strong><em>birth</em></strong>.</p><p> </p><p> </p><blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="TommyDreamerFan" data-cite="TommyDreamerFan" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="25170" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>Ratings actually went up a tad on Thursdays when Hogan/Bischoff took over. Certainly the product got better to by miles (But up to that point if they did anything right it would of been a step in the right direction) and why is it going down now? Cause their going against the WWE machine, of course the rating was going to go down. I still say give them time, because eventually it will catch on. There is absolutely no reason why it wouldn't.</div></blockquote><p> </p><p> How's this for a reason? It's not the least bit appealing to the audience they're targeting. That a good enough reason?</p><p> </p><p> </p><blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="TommyDreamerFan" data-cite="TommyDreamerFan" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="25170" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>I come down hard on Vince McMahon because he's trying to take the industry from what it is currently and make it all Disney. He wants to make movies and television shows, and that annoys me. Because he is the industry leader, and if he does this and succeeds with it, it'll probably change wrestling as it is pretty significantly and I don't necessarily want that. It's a petty gripe but it's how I feel none the less. I'm also very deeply afraid the industry will collapse and be replaced by MMA in our life time. The only thing I can see that'll save it is if TNA is successful in building up a small but good enough rating by December.</div></blockquote><p> </p><p> Yeah, that, world peace, and an end to world hunger are running at similar odds right about now. Vince knows his place. He knows where his strengths lie. He knows not to step outta line or else a big dog will pimp slap him (like the NFL did). So he's trying to make lateral moves with the properties he owns. Cross promotion of talent is a 'duh' proposition. Spike has been doing it for years (which is why you see SO much overlap between their properties). You think Jesse James shows up to UFC events on his own dime? AJ Styles at UFC whatever it was in freakin' Columbus (god that was a nightmare) was a coincidence? Spike does it, Vince has been doing it, so has every other entity. Vince wants his own TV channel because everyone else seems to be getting one (every college sports conference, the NFL, MLB, NHL, NBA, MLS is trying for one, etc). Every major content provider has or is exploring having their own distribution channel. It's business.</p><p> </p><p> I want to respond to your word of mouth thing. Are you crazy? Do you have that much disdain for your own reputation? When I make recommendations to people (friends, colleagues, clients, whatever), they tend to take heed to those recommendations because (here's the important part) <strong><em>I don't recommend **** that sucks</em></strong>. TNA, right now, in my opinion, ****ing sucks. It frustrates me to no end because it doesn't have to be that way.</p><p> </p><p> Let me go a little bit further, Mr I Love the Nasty Boys. YOU are the reason TNA will fail. Yeah, I said it. Every person who buys into this ol' dubya cee dubya kick is validating a failed strategy. Sure, maybe you would pay for a pay per view to see the fat, overpushed enhancement talents that were never worthy of screen time <strong><em>at their peak</em></strong>. But most people want to see wrestlers who can navigate a ring without the assistance of a power chair from the Scooter Store. Or who stall for time to catch their breath in the middle of a match (WATCH the Nasty Boy matches. Watch them critically, not through fanboy eyes). I swear Knobbs has a cardio level that can only be described as 'bovine'. Hell, I'd pay TWICE as much to see Randy Orton from his 'rest hold a-gogo' period than the freakin' Nastys. Also, keep this in mind. Every minute the Nasty Boys pollute the airwaves with their presence is a minute that workers like Sabin and Shelley don't get front line programs (no room at the inn!). Sometimes I wish someone would just give Scott Hall a case of ripple and put ME out of my misery. The fans TNA seems to be going after are not going to spend time trying to figure out wtf is going on and why a pair of old balding men in their 50s are lumbering around with blood oozing (because they're too old for it to gush anymore) from their heads. They're not going to try to figure out why a pay per view quality match is on free TV and why TNA's champion is losing clean to that WWE guy. They're going to ascertain that the WWE guy must be better so why are they watching this crap?</p><p> </p><p> </p><blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="TommyDreamerFan" data-cite="TommyDreamerFan" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="25170" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>I don't think every wrestling fan has though, I bet the majority of them are in the dark and only the geekiest like us know about them. And of course the WWESheeple aren't going to want to watch TNA no matter how good it is because it's simply not WWE.</div></blockquote><p> </p><p> Tell you what, you let me know when it's good again and maybe I'll watch. On second thought, no, don't. Since you apparently advocate recommending things despite their lack of quality, I should probably find another informant.</p><p> </p><p> But I think it's telling that you think WWE is stale (which it is) because they're relying heavily on their strengths. Gee, if TNA had done that from the beginning, perhaps they'd have 21st century draws and wouldn't have had to reach back into the past to exhume some past ones (along with a lot who didn't draw a dime).</p>

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="ReapeR" data-cite="ReapeR" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="26082" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>Loved the Price is Right bidding.<p> </p><p> R</p></div></blockquote><p> </p><p> *looks around the house*</p><p> </p><p> *makes note of the odd look the dog is giving him*</p><p> </p><p> I'm going to say, three hundred....</p><p> </p><p> *looks at the dog again*</p><p> </p><p> sixteen. 316, Bob!</p>

Not always. Sometimes, it doesn't take much for a sea change. And from what I understand, TNA isn't exactly bathing in profits. I don't see them going out of business in the foreseeable future, but I do see them becoming marginalized to a degree.

Water is wet. Oh wait, that's not an original thought either. Lemme try again. On Earth, what goes up, must come down. No, that doesn't fit either. An object in motion tends to stay in motion. Crap, not that either. Point is, stating the truth doesn't have to be 'new' and 'original'. What Daffanka said is true. Young talent is being tossed aside so the old has beens (or never weres, in the case of the Nasty Boys) get tons of screen time. The booking, with only a few exceptions, is nonsensical in that it's like a 10+ car pileup on the freeway. And the one thing that truly separated TNA from WWE's product (the X DIVISION) is largely an afterthought. I remember a time when AJ and Daniels and others were HEADLINING TNA via their match quality (not necessarily their push). I remember not so long ago when they made it seem like the biggest star on the roster WANTED the X-Division title (and held it for a little bit). I remember when they signed a big name and immediately put that big name in a program with their young talent (hi2u Angle-Joe). Now, they take their monster heel and turn him into complete garbage. They put their tag titles on a pair of singles wrestlers and immediately go about breaking them up (because apparently the fact that they were IN the main event prior to the regime change means nothing so they need to step aside to make room for.....Hogan and his cronies?). Seriously, dispute what Daffanka said. Can you honestly say that TNA's young talent is better off today? That their booking has improved a great deal? That they aren't showcasing the stars of yesteryear? While I won't say TNA is WCW 2.0 (remember, WCW actually BEAT WWE and they were equals for a time), I see the same pattern occurring here that occurred there. Oddly enough, many of the same people are involved too. Personally, I don't give a flip whether it's Russo or Dutch or Jarrett or Hogan or Bischoff responsible for it. Bottom line is, it's frustrating to even watch seeing so much talent going to waste. What annoys me a lot is how the arrival of Hogan and his posse has led to the loss of at least two of the most talented Knockouts on the roster (including the ONLY monster heel). So now you're pretty much left with 'Divas South' since the same situation exists in Orlando that does in Connecticut: two titles and not enough TALENT (let's not even get into airtime) to support them.

I wholeheartedly agree with justtxyank's assessment. Well, except for the Sean Waltman part. Yes, he can probably still wrestle. But to me, he is as entertaining as medbay duty after a port call to the Philippines. It's like watching another guy get kicked in the junk. While it's not quite as bad as getting kicked yourself, it's not a 'OMG rewind that, bro. I wanna see it again!' type of event either. Personally, I don't care how much I like their other workers (what other workers? EXACTLY!), I dislike 45 mins of Hogan/Bischoff/the Nasty Boys/Flair bleeding far more.

lolwut that makes no sense too many periods and punctu puncta too many periods wut do u know anyway ur just wwefanboi trash tna rox n impact iz awesome hater Ow, hurt my head just typing that. Anyway, this is a very good point. It seems that while the 'E is content to go with their proven draws, TNA by contrast is just throwing lots of poop on the wall to see what sticks. Eventually that timeslot is going to resemble a monkey cage (if it doesn't already). But on the bright side, with how...brown and soft most of the show is, the good segments shine even brighter. That said, be right back. I'd heard that lives were on sale and apparently, I need to get one.

Apples and oranges. The Diva Search was about as eye candy focused as a WEW or NWWL show. The NXT concept seems to be about people who can go in the ring, trying to develop personalities and followings with the audience. Nobody from the Diva Search could go in the ring (nor were they expected to). Problem is, the entire point of an eye candy contest is not conducive to creating compelling onscreen personas. THAT is why the Diva Search failed. It's like a woman being hired for her looks then wanting to be taken seriously. One or the other, having both is a rare occurrence (how many Trish types has the 'E had?).

I'm really having trouble understanding where you're coming from. About Jones' signing bonus, are you familiar with that concept at all? Signing bonuses are UP FRONT money (you sign, they give you a check). The only time in recent memory it wasn't is when Peyton signed his last contract. Jim Irsay was kinda hard up for cash at the time so Peyton took his signing bonus in installments. But for cap purposes, signing bonuses are PAID upfront but are prorated over the life of the contract. So a $10 million dollar signing bonus on a 5 year deal is paid UPFRONT but only counts for $2 million per year on the cap number. Long story short, the Jets aren't still paying Jones' signing bonus. It was paid on 07 when that contract was signed. Derrick Brooks is an OLD player who excelled in ONE type of defense. He was the prototypical Cover 2 linebacker. There are few teams in the league who play that defense to the extent Tampa did (prior to Monte leaving). The Colts are one of those teams (though they don't run it quite as much as they did say 5 years ago). The knock on D. Brooks is his age and the wear on him, which would reduce his effectiveness (Cover 2 linebackers have to be FAST). AGE and WEAR is one reason Jones didn't get the interest (and money) you seem to think he deserved. No one wants to sign a worn down player to a blockbuster deal and then have their bodies quit on them. The examples of teams signing formerly great workers who didn't quite pan out is long (how 'bout you start with Jamal Lewis? Yes, decent performance with the Browns but was it anywhere near his Ravens era output?). How'd Shawn Alexander work outside of Seattle? And you even mentioning Thomas Jones in the same breath as Adrian Peterson is hilarious. You think they compare in any way, shape or form? No one has ever called Thomas Jones a once in a lifetime talent at his position. EVER. If you don't see the difference between a 30 year old running back whose performance is exceeded during the most important part of the year by his rookie backup and a 24 year old running back who has flirted with history his entire career (and been called a 'once in a lifetime talent' since his rookie season), I don't know what to tell you. No, the Vikings aren't going to cut Adrian Peterson because of his performance in one playoff game. Wanna know why? Familiarize yourself with the term 'upside' as it relates to sports and specifically young players. And for the record, I'm a BRONCOS fan. I'm just not so much of a fan that I can't see the big picture and how BUSINESS impacts the game. If Thomas Jones is worth $5.8 mil a year, how much is Adrian Peterson worth? How much is Chris Johnson worth? How much is Ray Rice worth? How much is James Stewart or DeAngelo Williams worth? About Cromartie, I said nothing of the sort and if you actually drew that inference from what I said, I don't see how. You're talking about how bad Cromartie was in a different system with different responsibilities, with different coaches, and different schemes. I'm telling you to take your eyes off the stat sheet and actually watch some film. Go look at what the Jets defense did with its corners. Go look at how the Ravens under Rex Ryan used their corners. As anyone who has played this game at any level over Pop Warner can tell you, there are many important things that occur on every play that do not show up on a box score. Tell me which stat covers one receiver throwing a pick on another receiver's defender, freeing that receiver to run free right into the free safety's grill. Point out to me the stat that tells when a blitzing corner confuses a quarterback enough for him to not see the outside linebacker shading on his hot route receiver? Cromartie is a Jet specifically because Rex Ryan wanted him. I'm guessing he's got an idea of how he's going to use him. I dunno about you, but I'm going to put my trust in one of the best defensive minds in the game over you. Cromartie's skillset fits what Rex likes to do in his defense. Period. You can talk about how much he sucks and how unmotivated he was in San Diego all you want. He's now on a defensive minded team that made it to the conference title game (beating him and his old team in the process), with a defensive minded head coach, and surrounded by veterans of this system now. I don't think motivation is going to be a problem. Are you trying to refute what I said or prove my point for me? Because you didn't do the former but you sure as hell did the latter. I said 'the day of the feature back is long past' and you post that there are only 6 feature backs in the league. Um, thanks? Just because a team uses one back over another a bit more doesn't make that back a feature back. Maybe if I use the term 'workhorse', you'd understand it a bit better? It's kinda like saying just because a running back starts for a team, that makes him one of the league's best backs. No it doesn't. It doesn't even mean he's a starting caliber back. It just means he's the best that team has. The only reason the Jets might've kept Jones onboard would be to avoid the cap charge of cutting him. Oops, no cap anymore so that's not a concern. The Jets seem to believe (and have reason to) that any running back with talent can be successful behind their line. Time will tell. However, Shonn proved that he's a starting caliber back in the playoffs. His performance basically sealed Jones' fate...unless he was willing to take a pay cut. You think the Jets are sweating Jones' signing bonus? Take a look at what the Panthers are dealing with. You wanna wonder why Jones was cut? Figure out why he was cut.