TNA Wrestling Will Put On an ECW-themed PPV

After reading about it on dirt sheets for weeks, it was confirmed on last night's TNA broadcast that the company will be putting on an ECW-themed pay-per-view with past stars from the company appearing in matches. This will occur at TNA's next PPV, Hardcore Justice: The Last Stand. The blueprint for the event is similar to the one WWE had when they put on One Night Stand back in 2005. Tommy Dreamer, Mick Foley, Stevie Richards, Raven, and Rhyno each appeared last night to make the announcement, so it looks like they are confirmed for the show right now.

So many mixed feelings.

Growing up, I was a big fan of Extreme Championship Wrestling. I, like millions of other wrestling fans, was drawn to the edgy nature of the product. There was violence you didn't see in WWE and WCW, the other two companies around at the time. There were Jerry Springer storylines. The roster was full of wrestlers who gave the fans everything they had night in an night out, whether it was a pay-per-view or a random show at Freeport High School, or some other non-glamorous venue. Wrestling shows are scripted, but when you watched an ECW event, you thought twice about that, if just for a brief moment. In plain English, ECW gave you a show.

While the memories of that time are fond ones, I think doing a show like this is a terrible idea.

Number one, it's been done already. WWE not only put together an ECW reunion show, they brought back the entire promotion and made it part of the company's brand extension in which a certain portion of the roster wrestled exclusively on that show, similar to Raw and Smackdown. The results were poor, with WWE making their version of ECW a glorified B-show. As far as what TNA is planning, I don't understand how it will be any different. What are they going to do that hasn't already been done? It's an unoriginal idea that I feel will yield little results creatively.

Speaking of the creative side of things, TNA already has a show it puts on. The writers and bookers have spent months developing storylines. In fact, Impact has become an entertaining wrestling show as of late . Breaking away from that to do this show kills any momentum the company has been building.

Finally, ECW is the past. Once upon a time, the ECW wrestlers were the fresh new faces of this business, and fans liked them for it. Fans were just as interested in tracking their climb up the ladder as they were in seeing them work shows. Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, and the like were the evil old-timers who drew heat from the fans because they were clinging to the past, refusing to give up their spots to the younger talent. The ECW guys have now become what Hogan and Flair were years ago. They are the old-timers now, selfishly holding onto the past glory from ECW's heyday. This is what I really find upsetting. It's their blindness. There is a new group of talent wearing the shoes that the ECW guys filled years ago. If those old guys really love the wrestling business like they always talk about, they should let go of the past and allow the young talent to grow.

For what it's worth, during the segment on Impact last night, the fans went nuts when they saw these five guys. Their segment drew a phenomenal pop from the crowd. Additionally, the crowd hung on Dreamer's every word when he gave his shoot promo on how he was upset with WWE's version of the the product and wanted closure in terms of ECW being defunct. It's possible I have no idea what I'm talking about, and fans still want to see this kind of show.

We'll see what happens.

A Tale of Two Wrestling Shows

Right now, I'm going to describe two wrestling shows. Both are WWE shows, but have different talent rosters. Each show is about two hours long.

The first show is an exciting one, and a fantastic wrestling show. It has the best young talent in the company featured each week in well-booked, entertaining matches. It has the best veterans who can still work the crowd and put on great matches. The storylines are interesting, drawing the fans into the show.

The second show has more of second-tier, B-show feel. Each week, wrestlers who might be a big deal someday are featured in matches that are supposed to get their feet wet when it comes to being in front of a TV audience. The veterans can still work decent matches, but are clearly washed up, and are only there to put over the young talent. The show is a little predictable, and has a ton of filler.

Most people would probably think the first show I described is Monday Night Raw. Aired live every week, it's in a killer time slot, and has traditionally been the flag-bearing broadcast of the WWE. It's natural to think this would be the more exciting show.

On the flip side, most people would probably think the other show I described is Smackdown. This show is taped, then aired later in the week. Additionally, it is in a horrible time slot, Friday night. If the younger talent is still trying to get used to the bright lights of TV, put them on when not as many people are watching, right?

Surprise! the first show is the blue brand, Smackdown. With arguably the best talent in the company, this show is very fulfilling, leaving you entertained and wanting to know what next week's show will offer.

Believe it or not, Monday Night Raw, at least these days, has become a glorified B-show.

Here's what I'm talking about. Recently, WWE aired an episode of Raw in which there wasn't one single match for the first hour of the show. The matches that did take place were squash material. The storylines were both boring and predictable. If that wasn't bad enough, they had a guest host (Rob Zombie), probably a last-ditch effort to boost ratings. It had to be the worst wrestling show I had ever seen, and that's taking into account that I once saw David Arquette win the WCW Heavyweight Championship.

This begs the question, 'what the hell has happened to Monday Night Raw?' Years ago, this was the best wrestling show on TV. It had some of the most memorable storylines (see 'Austin v. McMahon), there were crazy matches that left the audience agape, and when the show was over, the audience wanted more. That's all a memory.


If WWE wants to have the same kind of success it had back in the 90's, the ship needs to be righted, and Raw needs to return to form.

When did Gordon Gekko Become the Commissioner of the NFL?

I am not a destroyer of Pro Football. I am a liberator of it! The point is, NFL owners, that greed, for lack of a better word, is good. Greed is right, greed works. Greed clarifies, cuts through, and captures the essence of the evolutionary spirit. Greed, in all of its forms; greed for life, for money, for love, knowledge has marked the upward surge of mankind. And greed, you mark my words, will not only save the NFL, but will also save our wives from having to go to the gross supermarket across town with the sticky floor. It will save our children from driving Chevy Malibus. I will save us from sleeping with mistresses who look like Artie Lange. Thank you very much.

That was a fantastic speech, Roger. Well-said. However, as the old saying goes, Well-done is better than well-said.

As the NFL season approaches, there is a hot topic among NFL owners, players, and fans. In an effort to increase fan interest, and in turn, increase revenue, there is strong interest in expanding the NFL regular season. Potentially, the NFL preseason, currently consisting of four games, would be shortened to two games. Those two games would be tacked onto the regular season to make it an 18-game season, two more than than the current 16-game season.

This is not Wall Street. This is the NFL. Greed is not good. Greed is bad.

In theory, two extra games could fatten TV revenues. It could drum up attendance. It could increase advertising. Look, I'm not a fool. I'm aware that the NFL is a business, and these days, football is king. But the league needs to consider the ramifications:


Player Safety - NFL players are not dumb. This is a gladiator sport. From the first day each player put on pads, they knew that there was the possibility of injury. But over the course of a 16-game season, playing against the fastest, strongest, meanest players in the game, everyone gets banged up. Adding two more games would put players at risk of further injuries.

It's this issue that makes the move to 18 games seem puzzling. Recently, the NFL has changed some rules to protect players from concussions and other injuries during games. If there is an interest in protecting players, then an 18-game season, and the increased potential of injuries, is not the way to go.

More Contract Disputes - NFL owners think that two more regular season games will bring in more money for their organization. Take a guess where some of that money might be going.

With a longer NFL regular season, the risks that come with that, and the average career of an NFL player, agents and their clients will have more ammunition at the bargaining table when contract talks come up.



Blackouts - According to the NFL's Blackout Policy, if a game does not sell out within 72 hours of kickoff, then the game will not be televised within a 75-mile radius. The deadline to sell out may be extended if there is a big game.

In 2008, there were 9 games that were blacked out due to poor ticket sales. In 2009, that number increased to 22 blackouts.

The economy is in terrible shape. Fans just don't have the money to go to games right now. If blackouts have increased, that means there is an attendance problem. What makes the fat-cat owners think that fans will shell out money for two extra games when they aren't going to the games that are on the schedule now? I'm a few credits short of my MBA, but this seems like a bad business decision.



The Unique Factor - The NHL plays 82 regular season games. Same for the NBA. MLB plays 162 regular season games.

The NFL plays 16 games.

Part of why the NFL is special and unique is the amount of games, or lack thereof, compared to other top pro leagues. NFL teams only have 16 games to state their case.

Even if the NFL added two more games, the amount of regular season games would still be significantly less than the other leagues. The concern here is the precedent it would set. Changing the amount of games would open the floodgates for future season expansions. While this wouldn't be the first time the league has expanded the season, the question here is 'where does it end?' What happens when the owners decide 18 regular season games isn't enough? Do they go to 20 games, and just wipe out the preseason? What happens when the owners want more than 20 games? Do they just make the players play all year? There needs to be a cut-off.


The Preseason is Important.... - ...and I'll explain why.

The NFL is a league of stars. Peyton Manning. Ray Lewis. Wes Welker. Donovan McNabb. Dwight Freeney. Adrian Peterson. You get the picture.

What happens when these stars get hurt? What happens if they retire? What happens if they decide to go to a bar, get crazy drunk, and go Ron Burgundy on some poor girl in a bathroom?

Coaches and General Managers need to know what's in the cupboard. There isn't a developmental league for the NFL like there is for other pro sports. Making matters more complicated is the rule that NFL teams must be down to 53 men by the start of the season, with a few extra players designated as practice squad players. Preseason games are essential in creating valuable depth for the future. These game-like situations showcase the abilities of the back-ups better than practice sessions can.

From a fan's perspective, some of these preseason games can be very entertaining. Because there isn't a 'D-league,' there is no tomorrow for some of the players who get invited to camp, so to speak. If they don't play well, they will ::::::dramatic gasp::::: have to use their college diploma to get a real job ::::::cue dramatic music::::: . While casual fans want to see the stars, they also like to see exciting games with big plays. In the past, during the last games of the preseason (when third-stringers and players who are on the cusp of making the roster get the lion's share of the snaps), players have shown up and given fans plenty to watch.

From a public relations standpoint, where has the NFL been? The preseason can be sold very well. Fans love a good underdog storyline, and the league has a great on in its lap. Here they are, the bubble players. Vying for a roster spot, this is their time to shine. These players have no protection, no guarantees, no sure-things. They are playing for a place to go on Monday morning. Do or die. Now or never. There you go. If the NFL wanted, the preseason could be embraced by fans if the presentation was better.


Greed is Bad.