You know, I go and leave for a few weeks to move back home and to relax myself and the whole damn internet goes beserk! The first thing that I have to comment on is the ridiculous report that Vince McMahon is looking to move back to the USA Network. Let me explain this story to you…the wrestling world is stale as hell right now. There’s nothing to report, no inside information, and nothing that the average fan couldn’t go out of his way and find out by reading WWF.com. That is something that everyone needs to learn and understand. Until the WCW is opened up, there will be nothing of great importance to run to the internet to find out about.
That being said, apparently a few of the internet smarks put the pieces of three or four different puzzles together and what they got is more convoluted than Picasso! Read on my friends…
1) The WWFE wants WCW to be a major player as far as the United States wrestling business goes, but the time slot that the TNN people are giving them is extremely non-conducive to that aspiration. Internet translation = The WWFE wants out of their contract with Viacom because it has been breached.
2) The WWFE drops the XFL because of poor ratings and a lack of home for it on network television. Internet translation = UPN could have put the XFL on Sunday afternoons, but they didn’t so they are bad for the WWFE as a group.
3) UPN has a big extravaganza celebrating their fall line-up, but the WWF makes a very minimal presence as opposed to past years. Internet translation = Vince McMahon has told cable insiders that he wants to go back to the USA Network.
4) WCW keeps getting pushed back. Internet translation = TNN executives are wary about another WWFE program after the XFL flopped.
Alright, I could go on, but that’s all I need to rip the internet. Point 1: Just because the TNN executives don’t have a better time slot for the WCW doesn’t mean that they are breaking contracts! Good heavens! Who is doing the legal research on the internet?!? Take it from someone who has studied business law and who has been a law student, the only obligations that Viacom has to the WWFE and their programming has to do with what is stated in their contract. Among other things, that has to do with shows on MTV, shows on UPN, and shows on TNN. And NO, it DOESN’T have to do with anything as far as acquired shows and programming. What Vince McMahon is trying to do is use his great deal of marketing presence and his executive power to bully TNN into breaking some of their long standing contracts with the shitty shows that they are putting on in time slots that he wants. Yeah, I think that McMahon has a great point in his argument as far as ratings go, but I don’t think that TNN wants to step on anyone’s toes since they have recently acquired the Star Trek franchise programming rights as well as their sister network, UPN, gaining Buffy. Good thought on McMahon’s side, but TNN doesn’t seem to want to go for it…how does that translate into them breaching their contract? Easy, it doesn’t.
Point Two: Are you kidding? Granted, I really felt that the XFL was going to succeed and deep down inside I have to question McMahon’s long-term projections for the league (as he said himself, it takes more than a season to build a brand name), however as far as the WWFE stock was concerned, dropping the XFL was a great move. And I really think that UPN not taking them on Sunday afternoons was more or less a moot point since the dollar is what talks in this world.
Point Three: When I read the other day that people actually thought the WWF taking a low profile approach to the UPN fall unveiling was because they didn’t approve of the Viacom networks, I almost had soda come out of my nose from laughing! What type of self-serving internet smark would even BEGIN to think that?!? The UPN recently acquired the Buffy program which is HUGE for their programming line-up. Along with that, they are in the midst of ending one series of Star Trek and starting another one. Everyone already knows that the WWF is the big dog in sports entertainment, so why would they belabor that point? It was unneeded for the WWF to drench the event with their talent, but it WAS VERY necessary for the UPN Network to let possible advertisers and the media know that they acquired one of the hottest teen programs today as well as the fact that they are starting a new program for one of the hottest franchises in history. Why have WWF stars stealing the show? And yet the smarks look past this and say Vince held his wrestlers back because he was mad at the Viacom folks. Right…
Point Four: This really relates to the first point. I have heard NUMEROUS times that the reason the WCW isn’t getting on TNN right away is because they don’t quite trust a new WWFE brand. Ok, from a blind man’s standpoint, you have a good point. However, anyone with a high school education can plainly see that not only is the WWF the best at what they do (even if they are stale right now – which is debatable – they are better than anything else going), but they are the world wide leader in what they do. The internet smarks who MAKE UP their stories would have you believe that since the WWFE blew it with the XFL, that they are going to be faulty with the WCW. How can anyone bet against a wrestling company putting out a football product? Very easily…they are two completely different forms of entertainment. How can anyone bet against the proven leader in wrestling putting out a wrestling product? To make a good week’s worth of writing for the internet.
Today’s lesson? Don’t believe everything that you read on the internet and PLEASE use rational thought when thinking about these things. I could go on, but I’ve written enough and you’ve read enough.
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