So, Smackdown is leaving the CW

[NeanderCarl]

It would take more than just one or two guys I like moving over to SD to make me a regular viewer.

I definitely think going live will enhance SD's appeal, to me and in general.

The show is stale and overproduced. Going live might give it the edge it has lacked ever since its inception nearly a decade ago.

[NeanderCarl]

Originally Posted by NeanderCarl It would take more than just one or two guys I like moving over to SD to make me a regular viewer.

For instance, I was a big fan of pre-dementia Kurt Angle. But when he jumped ship to SmackDown, I didn't follow.

I still enjoy Undertaker's work, on occasion. But I won't watch SmackDown for him.

I think perception is fact... it has been firmly established as second place on the list of priorities, you have second-place announcers, second-place talent, second-place titles and second-place product quality.

I wouldn't follow Jericho over to SmackDown to watch him flounder against the likes of Khali and Viscera. I may be interested in Jericho vs Taker, Mysterio or Batista, but then they would take place on PPV anyway.

[darkpower]

Originally Posted by NeanderCarl For instance, I was a big fan of pre-dementia Kurt Angle. But when he jumped ship to SmackDown, I didn't follow. I still enjoy Undertaker's work, on occasion. But I won't watch SmackDown for him. I think perception is fact... it has been firmly established as second place on the list of priorities, you have second-place announcers, second-place talent, second-place titles and second-place product quality. I wouldn't follow Jericho over to SmackDown to watch him flounder against the likes of Khali and Viscera. I may be interested in Jericho vs Taker, Mysterio or Batista, but then they would take place on PPV anyway.

That could be the whole booking issue going on. They just can't seem to get anyone to care because they book everyone wrong (this happens on RAW, too, just to be fair on that). They could have some high-profile matches on SD (they have done a semi-decent job doing that kind of thing). Like have a WHC match on SD (that title WAS on RAW until 05, so it's not really the second place title. That would've been the WWE Title, since, if we are going by your logic, was on SD before). Also, give some of these people that we don't care about right now something to do that will make us care. Make Khali do something we're not expecting the WWE to do with a man of that size (be a face, for instance. Why does every hoss of that size have to be a heel in the WWE?), or recycle the Big Show's "A to Z personality" angle that got him some good backing in the Attitude era, and have him come out in these weird-ass outfits and shit, and just show him having fun until you piss him off or something. Give us something DIFFERENT with the hosses and those that are not interesting. We might actually watch them.

By the way, since you brought it up, Cole is a better commentator than JR right now, even though I don't think him and Coach aren't clicking as well as him and JBL did or even him and Tazz. Coach seems to just be going with the motions and not really add any insights that I care to know. SD has been known for having a color guy that could give us "analysis" into what a wrestler should do against an opponent in a match. I thought some of that was lost when JBL did color because he was more of the "rooting the heel" than telling us why a wrestler did what he was doing. Now everything is lost on the Coach (who was never a good commentator anyway). But yeah, Cole is right now better than the JR of today. JR's passion for what's going on seems to not be as genuine as Cole is (even though Styles and Tazz are probably the best out of the three teams right now). Yeah, Cole has made mistakes, but if we're again going by your logic, Cole should be on RAW right now and JR would be moved to SD.

[darkpower]

Originally Posted by NeanderCarl It would take more than just one or two guys I like moving over to SD to make me a regular viewer. I definitely think going live will enhance SD's appeal, to me and in general. The show is stale and overproduced. Going live might give it the edge it has lacked ever since its inception nearly a decade ago.

Yeah, it would take more than just that to really get SD to when they seemed to be really strong.

They had good things going for them when back in 03 during the spring and summer. They had some good storylines going (let's just pretend the Zach Gowen signing never happened). Hell, even Hogan was interesting again. Then in 04, they started to destroy it, and then it picked up again during that fall after the 5th anniversary show. They can have their strong points if the WWE doesn't insist on driving people away somehow.

Do something to make it live (having it taped loses some of its appeal, and we'll HAVE to watch to see what happens instead of just reading spoilers), put some more midcarders that we care about, get a booker whose attitude isn't shit and will actually listen to ideas from the wrestlers, and you will have the makings of the strong SD again.