Destor
10-06-2006, 01:50 AM
“The Half-Guarded Truth”
By: Mike Coughlin
MichaelCoughlin@f4wonline.com (MichaelCoughlin@f4wonline.com)
Myspace.com/halfguardedtruth
For the week of 10/01/06
“In defense of the Vince Russo hiring”
The other day I bought a lottery ticket. It’s my weekly foray into the
world of pure irrationality: I know I’m going to lose yet I do it anyway.
Of the millions of people who play the lottery each year, the overwhelming
majority are fools to do so. Yet, like them all, I continue to play. I’m
fond of telling friends and family that the lottery is a great bargain. For
one dollar you can buy a world of hopes and dreams for a few days. I’ll
hold onto that ticket and imagine what I’d do if I won. Would I buy a car
or a house first? Who would I give money to? More importantly, to whom
wouldn’t I give money? It’s a shot in the dark and I never expect it to pay
dividends, but if it does, hurray for me!
Vince Russo in TNA is a lottery ticket.
The Caveat:
I fully expect this experiment to fail. Russo’s entire legacy has been
built upon one stint when he worked at WWF. He was a part of the “Attitude”
era, but only A (as in “one”) part. In fact, after he left WWF/E, the
promotion’s business got better. It stands to reason that if Russo was an
irreplaceably important part of the creative process in WWF that the company
would have seen it’s fortunes fall after he left. That WWF/E prospered
further after his departure is evidence that he wasn’t all that important.
When he joined WCW, he did nothing. The company got worse as he booked and
ultimately went out of business. It’s inaccurate to say that Russo was
solely responsible to the demise of the Atlanta company, but he did play a
substantial role. If you want more details, read, “Death of WCW” by Bryan
Alvarez and RD Reynolds. I know that sounds like a cheap plug, but it
really is a fantastic read. His first dance with TNA was also one to forget
(and most seem to have done just that).
“Absolutely” is how I answer all those who scream, “Didn’t he come up with
some of the most insane ideas in the history of wrestling?” From men
dressed up like giant penises to the actor who became champion, it’s hard to
find a single booker who did so many stupid, stupid things. The Russo
Philosophy of Booking seems to be, “Throw it against the wall to see what
sticks. And when you find something that sticks throw more stuff at that
thing until everything falls to the floor. Then, when it’s all on the
floor, convince a mark that it would’ve stuck if management hadn’t greased
the wall first.”
Throwing Caution Away:
According to the October 4th Wrestling Observer, the September 21st edition
of TNA Impact! did a 0.80 rating which translates to 964,000 eyeballs
watching. Keep in mind that The Ultimate Fighter did a 1.29 rating.
Basically, half a ratings point worth of people said, “Oh, that wrestling
crap is on” and immediately changed the channel.
“It had the usual post-UFC declining pattern, starting at a 0.88 for the
Jarrett/Joe angle, falling only to 0.85 for Lethal vs. Williams and Young
vs. Smiley, then do a 0.70 for Rhino vs. Brown,” wrote Dave Meltzer. “The
LAX closing of the show angle with Daniels & Styles went up to a 0.79.”
In other words, hardly anyone is watching this show (heck, 9/21 was an
improvement over 9/14’s 0.71 rating). And those who are watching don’t like
what they’re seeing and are generally turning the program off as the hour
wears on. From my own experience, every Thursday I TIVO The Ultimate
Fighter and Impact. I’ll immediately watch TUF (even though this has been
an uneventful season) and a few days later, when I’m bored I might fast
forward through Impact. Most of the time I record Impact and end up
deleting it without watching a minute. The show is sitting there doing
nothing. It stirs no emotions one way or the other. I never hear people
say, “That Impact show sure sucks a big one,” nor do I hear, “Impact is
always a great show. I can’t figure out why more people aren’t watching
it.” If it lives, no one cares. If it dies, no one cares. Or maybe no one
notices.
Are there other people that TNA should have considered before Russo?
Heavens yes. Freaking Jim Cornette, one of the greatest booking minds
alive, is employed by TNA! (for now) I don’t know if they begged him and he
refused (I doubt it), but even if he did balk, there had to have been
someone better qualified to write than Russo. Heck, just go to your average
internet wrestling board and randomly grab someone, they’d probably be
better than the brains behind the “Oklahoma” character.
But, since no one is watching TNA, what does it matter? Trees falling in
the woods making sounds and all that. He can’t destroy the company any
further. What’s he going to do, alienate the 0.80 people watching right
now? Big deal. TNA is going to eventually go out of business if they keep
drawing that number. Even then, those 960,000 fans have put up with an
awful lot of crap from TNA and I doubt that they’ll leave if masturbating
midgets show up. Someone wants to tell me that Jeff Jarrett on TV every 15
seconds doesn’t turn people off, but something Russo writes will? Hogwash.
And on the chance that Russo does drive away the remaining viewers, so what?
The current TNA fanbase is composed of only the most hardcore of fans; the
kind of people most likely to learn that he’s left the booking committee.
Oh no! The next writer might have to start from a 0.50 instead of a 0.80,
everything will chance because they don’t have those extra two hundred
thousand viewers! They’d have made the difference between success and
failure. Vince Russo won’t drive away viewers because there aren’t any
viewers to drive away.
Maybe, and rarely has that word carried such an enormity of chance, Vince
Russo will make magic in TNA. He’s claimed to be a changed man, but who
cares if he isn’t. Maybe the old Russo will show up and book the same
stupid angles he did before. I’ll watch and laugh at the absurdity but
perhaps I’m out of touch. Maybe Russo, the old one or some weird “new”
version that claims to have emerged, will connect with the viewers of today.
TNA isn’t doing that at the moment and maybe Russo DOES have his finger on
the pop culture pulse.
Vince Russo is a huge long shot. Just going on his past record, and having
seen how he books and what his idea of wrestling is, I cannot fathom a way
that he makes a real improvement in TNA. But like the lottery, Russo’s
hiring is a relatively small risk. He can’t do damage anymore than a
tornado can dirty a desert.
A dollar for the chance to win $25 million? Sounds good to me. And the
beauty of playing the lottery is that you know - eventually - someone is
going to win.
============================
Some pretty good points are made. Here.
By: Mike Coughlin
MichaelCoughlin@f4wonline.com (MichaelCoughlin@f4wonline.com)
Myspace.com/halfguardedtruth
For the week of 10/01/06
“In defense of the Vince Russo hiring”
The other day I bought a lottery ticket. It’s my weekly foray into the
world of pure irrationality: I know I’m going to lose yet I do it anyway.
Of the millions of people who play the lottery each year, the overwhelming
majority are fools to do so. Yet, like them all, I continue to play. I’m
fond of telling friends and family that the lottery is a great bargain. For
one dollar you can buy a world of hopes and dreams for a few days. I’ll
hold onto that ticket and imagine what I’d do if I won. Would I buy a car
or a house first? Who would I give money to? More importantly, to whom
wouldn’t I give money? It’s a shot in the dark and I never expect it to pay
dividends, but if it does, hurray for me!
Vince Russo in TNA is a lottery ticket.
The Caveat:
I fully expect this experiment to fail. Russo’s entire legacy has been
built upon one stint when he worked at WWF. He was a part of the “Attitude”
era, but only A (as in “one”) part. In fact, after he left WWF/E, the
promotion’s business got better. It stands to reason that if Russo was an
irreplaceably important part of the creative process in WWF that the company
would have seen it’s fortunes fall after he left. That WWF/E prospered
further after his departure is evidence that he wasn’t all that important.
When he joined WCW, he did nothing. The company got worse as he booked and
ultimately went out of business. It’s inaccurate to say that Russo was
solely responsible to the demise of the Atlanta company, but he did play a
substantial role. If you want more details, read, “Death of WCW” by Bryan
Alvarez and RD Reynolds. I know that sounds like a cheap plug, but it
really is a fantastic read. His first dance with TNA was also one to forget
(and most seem to have done just that).
“Absolutely” is how I answer all those who scream, “Didn’t he come up with
some of the most insane ideas in the history of wrestling?” From men
dressed up like giant penises to the actor who became champion, it’s hard to
find a single booker who did so many stupid, stupid things. The Russo
Philosophy of Booking seems to be, “Throw it against the wall to see what
sticks. And when you find something that sticks throw more stuff at that
thing until everything falls to the floor. Then, when it’s all on the
floor, convince a mark that it would’ve stuck if management hadn’t greased
the wall first.”
Throwing Caution Away:
According to the October 4th Wrestling Observer, the September 21st edition
of TNA Impact! did a 0.80 rating which translates to 964,000 eyeballs
watching. Keep in mind that The Ultimate Fighter did a 1.29 rating.
Basically, half a ratings point worth of people said, “Oh, that wrestling
crap is on” and immediately changed the channel.
“It had the usual post-UFC declining pattern, starting at a 0.88 for the
Jarrett/Joe angle, falling only to 0.85 for Lethal vs. Williams and Young
vs. Smiley, then do a 0.70 for Rhino vs. Brown,” wrote Dave Meltzer. “The
LAX closing of the show angle with Daniels & Styles went up to a 0.79.”
In other words, hardly anyone is watching this show (heck, 9/21 was an
improvement over 9/14’s 0.71 rating). And those who are watching don’t like
what they’re seeing and are generally turning the program off as the hour
wears on. From my own experience, every Thursday I TIVO The Ultimate
Fighter and Impact. I’ll immediately watch TUF (even though this has been
an uneventful season) and a few days later, when I’m bored I might fast
forward through Impact. Most of the time I record Impact and end up
deleting it without watching a minute. The show is sitting there doing
nothing. It stirs no emotions one way or the other. I never hear people
say, “That Impact show sure sucks a big one,” nor do I hear, “Impact is
always a great show. I can’t figure out why more people aren’t watching
it.” If it lives, no one cares. If it dies, no one cares. Or maybe no one
notices.
Are there other people that TNA should have considered before Russo?
Heavens yes. Freaking Jim Cornette, one of the greatest booking minds
alive, is employed by TNA! (for now) I don’t know if they begged him and he
refused (I doubt it), but even if he did balk, there had to have been
someone better qualified to write than Russo. Heck, just go to your average
internet wrestling board and randomly grab someone, they’d probably be
better than the brains behind the “Oklahoma” character.
But, since no one is watching TNA, what does it matter? Trees falling in
the woods making sounds and all that. He can’t destroy the company any
further. What’s he going to do, alienate the 0.80 people watching right
now? Big deal. TNA is going to eventually go out of business if they keep
drawing that number. Even then, those 960,000 fans have put up with an
awful lot of crap from TNA and I doubt that they’ll leave if masturbating
midgets show up. Someone wants to tell me that Jeff Jarrett on TV every 15
seconds doesn’t turn people off, but something Russo writes will? Hogwash.
And on the chance that Russo does drive away the remaining viewers, so what?
The current TNA fanbase is composed of only the most hardcore of fans; the
kind of people most likely to learn that he’s left the booking committee.
Oh no! The next writer might have to start from a 0.50 instead of a 0.80,
everything will chance because they don’t have those extra two hundred
thousand viewers! They’d have made the difference between success and
failure. Vince Russo won’t drive away viewers because there aren’t any
viewers to drive away.
Maybe, and rarely has that word carried such an enormity of chance, Vince
Russo will make magic in TNA. He’s claimed to be a changed man, but who
cares if he isn’t. Maybe the old Russo will show up and book the same
stupid angles he did before. I’ll watch and laugh at the absurdity but
perhaps I’m out of touch. Maybe Russo, the old one or some weird “new”
version that claims to have emerged, will connect with the viewers of today.
TNA isn’t doing that at the moment and maybe Russo DOES have his finger on
the pop culture pulse.
Vince Russo is a huge long shot. Just going on his past record, and having
seen how he books and what his idea of wrestling is, I cannot fathom a way
that he makes a real improvement in TNA. But like the lottery, Russo’s
hiring is a relatively small risk. He can’t do damage anymore than a
tornado can dirty a desert.
A dollar for the chance to win $25 million? Sounds good to me. And the
beauty of playing the lottery is that you know - eventually - someone is
going to win.
============================
Some pretty good points are made. Here.