The MeeThinks Friday FreeThinks: 03.14.08
Posted by John Meehan on 03.14.2008
Happy (Early) Saint Pats, You Holy-Week-Observin' Drunkards!
Welcome back, all! And a super-special "hi" to all of those readers who got their collective panties in a twist over my slapdash celebrity index calculator from last week's column. Apparently, some folks simply CANNOT READ subtlety and nuance, and so certain points need overexplanation. Perhaps capital letters will get the job done.
THE CELEBRITY INDEX WAS NEVER INTENDED TO BE SCIENTIFIC OR DEFINITIVE. AND UNLESS HE GOES ON A RAMPAGE AND KILLS HIS FAMILY, NO ONE WILL REMEMBER MACAULAY CULKIN'S NAME TEN YEARS FROM NOW. SO -- GET. OVER. IT.
Ahh, much better!
Now let's get back to the WRESTLING news, eh?
Rock & Roll.
(Since we're in full-tilt WrestleMania countdown mode these days, you might notice a disctinct lack of news from promotions outside of WWE this week. This sort of thing tends to happen around this time of year, as crazy media/fan attention on WWE usually results in LOTS of big stories from Stamford... which pretty much causes relative "calm before the storm" from TNA and the rest).
On Tuesday morning, World Wrestling Entertainment announced that they'd been forced to suspend Jeff Hardy for sixty days as a result of his second violation of the company's Wellness initiative and substance abuse policy. Obviously, this news caught many Hardy fans by surprise -- as it had seemed that the guy had just begun to find his "niche" on the WWE roster and show signs that he had finally bested the "personal demons" that had plagued him for so long in his past tenure both with WWE and elsewhere in the professional wrestling industry.
Of course, for these fans, this late-breaking suspension just in the final stretch before WrestleMania had to come as a most untimely and unfortunate (pardon the pun) twist of fate. To them, it reeked of "politics" as WWE's fastest-rising star got nailed just as it seemed that he was on the verge of legitimate main event superstardom. See, in their books, EVERYBODY is on drugs -- including the resident "big dogs" like Batista, Cena, HHH, etc. -- and so singling out Jeff Hardy for a (second) Wellness-related infraction was little more than a transparent attempt by the backstage masterminds to keep the guy under the company's proverbial "glass ceiling."
Riiiiight, because billion-dollar companies DON'T want to make as much money as humanly possible. And pushing a hot, new star that's moving CRAZY amounts of merchandise is *BAD* for business.
(sigh)
Now if we ignore the conspiracy theorists and Hardy fanboys for a sec... let's take a quick minute to look at the bigger picture of things here, eh? Forget politics, let's just think of strict BUSINESS sense -- both for Hardy himself and for WWE on the whole. From this perspective, perhaps Hardy's suspension BEFORE "the Big Dance" was actually a much less painful blow than if it had happened just 30 days from now.
Think about it...
It was no secret that Jeff Hardy was *the* guy to beat going into this year's Money in the Bank ladder match, right?
Now let's take a quick trip down memory lane --
2006's Money in the Bank winner? Rob Van Dam -- who cashed in the title shot to win the ECW/WWE Title... only to get busted for pot, suspended, and forced to drop the belt(s), just days later. Company looked terrible, RVD looked like an absolute tool, and the guy was never a threat to the main event title picture again.
2007's Money in the Bank winner? Mr. Kennedy -- who ended up suffering a nasty injury (likely the result of prolonged steroid use), dropping his title shot, and receiving a drug-related suspension (after swearing up and down that he was "clean") shortly thereafter. Company looked terrible, Kennedy looked like an absolute tool, and the guy is still struggling to establish himself as a threat to the main event title picture to this day.
2008? Well, if Jeff Hardy had won, that likely would have made not one, not two, but THREE consecutive Money in The Bank winners who'd have been suspended for drug-related issues within six months of the highest profile win of their careers.
That would have made for THREE consecutive false-started "up-and-comers" who blew their big chance after winning Money in the Bank. THREE failed attempts by WWE at injecting some new blood into the main event picture, and THREE consecutive reminders to "the powers that be" that their safest bet was to keep the "old-timers" at the top of the card, simply because the young bucks simply couldn't be trusted either a) to stay drug-free, or b) at the very least, to do a better job of covering their own asses to make it seem as if they were clean.
Hardy goes out NOW, however, and WWE (and Jeff Hardy himself, for that matter) saves themselves from a ton of stalled momentum, a ton of already-in-progress storyline headaches, and a TON of potential for yet another high-profile drug scandal to derail both the company and one of its brightest stars at a moment where mainstream scrutiny would never be higher.
"WWE suspends repeat-drug-offender-turned-up-and-coming star just weeks before major pay per view"
Might sound terrible, sure, but it's certainly no worse than those slew of infamous drug-rumored headlines that have repeatedly sent WWE into full-on "damage control" mode over even higher-profile foulups in recent years.
"Former WWF Champ Arrested for Domestic Abuse" (Austin)
"Former WWE Champ Found Dead One Day Before Scheduled Title Match" (Eddie)
"WWE Champion busted for Drugs and Reckless Driving." (RVD)
"Former WWF Champ Busted for Drunk Driving" (Austin, Angle)
"Former WWE Champ Kills Family, Self on Weekend of WWE Title Match" (Benoit)
While it is certainly disheartening to see Jeff Hardy succumb yet again to his "personal demons" just weeks before what could have been his brightest moment, at least now his infraction falls WELL short of the aforementioned list of high-profile woes that WWE has grown accustomed to facing in recent years.
Had he "fallen off the wagon" just a few weeks later (say, after winning the title shot and/or the WWE Championship itself?)? The damage might well have been a crippling and permanent blow, as there would simply be no way for any mainstream media reporter to cover the guy's story *without* automatically adding him as a footnote to their ever-growing list of "former champs gone bad."
Perhaps if nothing else, this "untimely timeout" will give Jeff Hardy the chance to address his personal issues *on their own terms*. It is clear that the guy is and has been struggling with these problems for a long, long time... and maybe it's not the worst thing in the world if he tries to make sense of them all right now *WITHOUT* the added pressure of being looked at as "The" next in line to hold the future success of a billion-dollar corporation on his back.
Not to put too fine a point on things, but it's certainly no secret how that kind of pressure ultimately ended up affecting one Eddie Guerrero.
With Jeff Hardy's suspension, both the competitors and the much-rumored outcome for the Money in the Bank ladder match at WrestleMania is suddenly WIDE OPEN. As of last week, EVERYBODY and their brother was pegging Jeff Hardy as a surefire winner in what may well have been shaping up to be a mighty predictable WrestleMania card (you know, Taker wins, Flair loses, Big Show plays the heel, and Jeff Hardy wins Money in the Bank). But now? With Hardy out (along with the other developments from this week's RAW) -- all bets are off, as the landscape of the WrestleMania PPV is suddenly looking all sorts of unpredictable.
So --
How about we take a quick look at the participants for this year's Money in the Bank ladder match?
Carlito: As we saw on Monday night, RAW's very own Carlito will now be headed to this year's ladder match spectacle -- presumably in the place left vacant by Jeff Hardy himself. Obviously Carly is still the longshot, as he's one of the last to qualify and hasn't seen much television time since late in 2007. Also, while he's just now starting to receive a fair bit of exposure courtesy of WWE's latest WrestleMania commercial, it probably bears noting that the guy has consistently been made out to look like a total doofus, and so MeeThinks the odds of him walking out of WrestleMania XXIV with a title shot in hand are probably about as slim as they come (well, unless you're Shelton Benjamin, that is).
In case you missed his TV spot (which is brilliant), however:
Mr. Kennedy: Keeping with the red brand superstars for a second, Mr. Kennedy (...Kennedy!) is the second of three MitB qualifiers (to date) that hails from WWE's flagship broadcast. Being last year's Money in the Bank winner certainly shows that the WWE brass has had faith in the guy in the past, but unfortunately for Kennedy, a high-profile flub and some double-speak regarding a certain Wellness policy have *got* to be working against him as WWE finds itself scrambling to cover for yet a*nother* drug-related near miss in the Hardy suspension.
Plus, Kennedy broke the cardinal rule of "James Bond Bad Guys 101:" NEVER REVEAL YOUR EVIL PLOT *BEFORE* ITS BEEN UNHATCHED!
Chris Jericho: is the third (and presumably final) participant in this year's WrestleMania ladder match that hails from the red brand. And of all the superstars involved in the contest, he could well be the one with the greatest momentum on his side -- having just won the "very prestigious Intercontinental Title" (J.R.'s words, not mine) and scored a clean pinfall victory over a suspension-bound Jeff Hardy this past Monday night. In addition, Jericho is still relatively fresh off of a longterm sabbatical from WWE television, and so a guaranteed title shot (and perhaps a brand-swap?) could certainly liven up a main event picture provided he's paired against anyone NOT named Randy Orton or John Cena (Edge? CM Punk? Rey Mysterio? etc.).
Here's Jericho's big win from Monday's RAW:
C.M. Punk: rolls into WrestleMania as the only man to have qualified for this year's Money in the Bank ladder match AND to have worn a top-level title in the past 365 days. Unfortunately for Punker, that belt was the ECW Championship -- a title that has pretty much come to mean even less than the U.S. and Intercontinental belts (separately or combined). On Tuesday nights for the better part of the past nine months, C.M. Punk has been a perpetual mainstay in the ECW title picture (both as champion and challenger), to the point where just about every single episode of the show usually ends up with him either a) defending the ECW championship or b) challenging (or qualifying as a number one contender) for that very same belt.
Long story short -- Punk has hit a plateau on ECW television. So if he wins this year's guaranteed title shot in the Money in the Bank match, you can probably expect to see him to cash it in against a champion hailing from a brand outside of "the Land of Extreme."
Here's your gratuitous C.M. Punk video teaser, from his ECW debut (you know, back when people were genuinely excited to see what he could do on the "big stage" of WWE):
Shelton Benjamin: The newly dubbed "Gold Standard" of ECW certainly has the experience working in his favor (with two previous appearances in Money in the Bank ladder matches at past WrestleMania events), but that might well be just about ALL he has on his side for this year's show. In two separate 'Mania MitB matches prior, Shelton has consistently delivered the "WOW" factor when the match called for some high-flying athletics... but in all seriousness, he's pretty much THE (*long sounding "EEEE"*) longest of longshots going into this year's match, as he is nowhere near as credible a threat to the top of the card as he once was -- say, four years ago.
Here's the "Gold Standard" with the biggest win of his career, way back in 2004:
M.V.P. He may well be "half a man, half amazin'" -- but M.V.P. has yet to pick up a WrestleMania victory. In his first (and only) WrestleMania appearance last year, M.V.P. came up short in his quest for the United States championship against you-know-who-shall-not-be-named. This year, M.V.P. rolls into 'Mania wearing that very same belt, but he's got a boatload of unfinished business with a certain other Hardy Boy who (by all accounts) is just about any second away from making his return. If Matt Hardy makes a WrestleMania run-in, don't count on M.V.P. to walk out with the briefcase. But then again, a title belt AND a title shot on the line could be just what those two need to kick things to the next level for a much-anticipated blowoff for what was once arguably the hottest feud in mainstream North American professional wrestling.
Here's where we last left that feud way back in November of 2007:
The numbers are in for this past week's RAW, and it looks as if the show managed to pull an average rating of just about 3.6 -- with the second two hours actually drawing an average rating of just north of 4.0. In addition, the show was the overall winner of the night in each of WWE's key demographics (males, 20-and-30-somethings), and so the USA Network is reported to be mighty pleased with these results.
INTERESTINGLY --
The single highest-rated segment of the night was actually the Mayweather/Show weigh-in, which managed to draw a 4.6 quarter hour rating, well ahead of the first hour's average of 2.8, as well as the main event's quarter hour rating of 3.6.
What does this tell us?
Love him or hate him, Floyd Mayweather truly is *MONEY*.
Here's that segment, in case you missed it:
What was even more exciting about that segment (because while ratings are nice, average Joe fans could care less) was that WWE actually had the guts to go ahead and portray Floyd Mayweather in his much more natural (and dare I say "charismatic?") role as an overpaid, heelish antagonist. Rather than pigeonhole the guy into the "he's a celebrity so we're supposed to cheer for him" role, WWE actually (*gasp*) RESPONDED to the collective voice of their fanbase, which had been clamoring to boo Mayweather and cheer The Big Show for weeks.
Say what you will about the likely outcome of this match ($20 million or not, do you *really* think a "professional" fighter like Floyd will be taking the dive?) -- but at least the buildup from here on out will FINALLY allow fans to react to the storyline in a much more natural and entertaining fashion. Much like WWE has chosen to do by keeping John Cena at the top of the card (regardless of the fact that there are many "smart" fans who simply refuse to get behind the guy in his plucky, babyface superman role), this particular feud not only allows for fans to boo and cheer whomever they'd like -- it REVELS in it, and welcomes them to do so.
We'll wrap on this topic in just a second, but first...
the long and short of things is that there were a slew of rumors coming out of the usual WWE backstage gossip mills this week that Monday night's segment on RAW between Floyd Mayweather's entourage
Now then...
In the era of the infamous "worked-shoot" pro wrestling angle (where lines between scripted fantasy and actual altercations become blurred, such that "real" is "fake" and "fake" is real), I guess it probably warrants mention that whether or not this particular story is true actually bears little relevance whatsoever.
And why is that?
Because the bottom line is that whether or not the brawl on Monday was "real" or "fake" (or some shade of grey between there), the segment (and its fallout) did an absolutely tremendous job in getting both wrestling fans and NON-fans alike burning up the airwaves and usual conversation circles speculating on the "what-ifs" surrounding this in-ring spectacle that's scheduled to unfold before them in just a few short weeks.
Both sides of the Mayweather/Big Show aisle have made a pretty solid case for themselves --
"Did you see how BIG those dudes were? Mayweather's posse could have totally kicked the WWE job squad's ass!"
"Even if it's scripted, pro wrestlers are trained fighters. Mayweather's crew might be big, but they wouldn't have stood a chance."
The same type of conversation has been bantered about regarding the in-ring fighters themselves, with many legitimate media pundit swearing up and down that Mayweather would be doomed in a "real" fight against a man 300 pounds larger than him (see: ESPN's coverage of this "circus sideshow," etc.), while still other analysts have maintained that -- under the right circumstances -- speed and skill can trump size on ANY day of the week (UFC fans, in particular, like to point out just how often the "big guy" doesn't always win against a smaller, faster, and more technically-sound opponent).
All in all?
In the words of 411's own Boss Larry -- MANY BUYS.
Whether people tune in to cheer Mayweather... or whether people tune in to boo Mayweather ... whether people tune in to watch the WWE stars start shoot-fighting and taking Floyd's posse to school... or whether people tune in to watch on the off-chance that a legit fight breaks out and WWE's jobbers get taken to the woodshed --the fact remains that PEOPLE TUNE IN (and the quarter hour ratings seem to prove as much).
And when more people tune in, the more likely they are to plunk down the coin for the PAYoff to this storyline -- which just so happens to mean bigger PAYdays for every single person involved (regardless of whether Floyd "wins" or "loses").
Bottom line --
Success in the scripted world of professional wrestling has never been determined by "wins" and "losses" *inside* of the squared circle; rather the greatest true measure of success is found in whichever performer (and/or his promoter) can draw the biggest payday possible. It's not about which guy is "good" and which guy is "bad," and this feud has been tremendously effective in highlighting the "shades of grey" found inbetween, with everything ranging from the in-ring interactions between the two "performers" to the ringside shenanigans of their respective crews.
So if the quarter hour ratings and the web-spread-rumors tell us anything, it's that people are legitimately intrigued by this showdown. And now that WWE has loosened things up, thrown in a few new variables, and *finally* let each "superstar" assume whichever role he happens to more naturally fit? There's every reason to believe that things will continue to prove all the more intriguing from now through WrestleMania (translation = more PPV buys), which means that EVERYBODY involved will be walking out a "winner" when all's said and done.
And With That, I'm Outta' Here
That'll do it for Mee this week, folks. Thanks again for reading, and enjoy the "double shot" St. Paddy's weekend -- gotta' love the Holy Week catch 22. 'Till next time, have a good one, be sure to leave your comments below (SALIVA RULEZZ!!! MACAULAY CULKIN IS THE GREATEST WRESTLEMANIA CELEBRITY OF ALL TIME!) and always stay positive!
Macaulay Culkin IS the greatest Wrestlemania Celebrity of all time.
Until the WWE gets there head together and offer Corey Feldman a blank cheque for WM25. That would be epic. :P
Posted By: Underdog (Guest) on March 13, 2008 at 07:52 PM
now that hardy is out. i say y2j wins, cashes it in at the end of the show and finally saves us from randy orton(the next night on raw he'll be beat by hhh in 3 mintues)
Posted By: rey (Guest) on March 14, 2008 at 12:28 AM
yer smug & quite the douche-- wow, i summed that up in 6 words after almost a year of readin yer stuff, carry on...
Posted By: theHomewrecker! (Guest) on March 14, 2008 at 02:26 AM
Meehan, I had a sneaking suspicion that you were going to get some (hate) mail about the celebrity index. That was a can of worms and you knew it! This many celebrity "experts" on one site can only lead to trouble.
Also, I kind of got the feeeling, after reading your comments about JH that you still feel like he could be a WWE or WHC some day. Is that what you think?
Posted By: gravel (Guest) on March 14, 2008 at 02:29 AM
I'm not gonna make a call on the MitB match until the other 2 participants are released. One of those 2 is definately Kane... and the other person will probably be another big man like Snitsky, cause I can't think of anyone else.
Posted By: Banz (Guest) on March 14, 2008 at 02:32 AM
plok
Posted By: Guest#3403 (Guest) on March 14, 2008 at 02:34 AM
"yer smug & quite the douche-- wow, i summed that up in 6 words after almost
a year of readin yer stuff, carry on..."
So, you think he's a smug douche, yet you read his column for a year? I'd say that makes you a stupid douche.
Posted By: ProtomanV1 (Registered) on March 14, 2008 at 02:58 AM
While getting caught now will probably be better for Jeff as a person (assuming he'll finally get his demons in check this time around), this will also mean he probably won't get a push like this again for the rest of his career.
Once he comes back, look for him to be stuck in midcard for a while - and maybe get an IC title shot a few years from now. Like it or not, he won't get a HW title shot. Probably ever.
Posted By: woody (Guest) on March 14, 2008 at 02:58 AM
protoblow... carry on as in keep up the 'interesting' columns, ya obviously can't read inta things... but that's great ya typed in to classify levels of douches and to lick Meehan's balls.... yer like "iron" mike sharpe... only you not nearly that fantastic... but you have meehan's balls on yer toungue and you defended him... awww... kitten cute... u like CMPunk and rey mysterio i bet.... awwwwww
Posted By: theHomewrecker! (Guest) on March 14, 2008 at 03:11 AM
Im i the only one who remembers that Hardy only won the IC title when Umaga got suspended?
Ohhhh spooky!!!
Posted By: Andy Baker (Guest) on March 14, 2008 at 03:14 AM
Im i the only one who remembers that Hardy only won the IC title when Umaga got suspended?
Ohhhh spooky!!!
Posted By: Andy Baker (Guest) on March 14, 2008 at 03:15 AM
in regards to your reference to Kurt Angle receiving the drunk driving charge, you should listen to his recent interview on the topic, in which he explains his innocence. check it out, the interview is conducted by The Sun in the UK.
Posted By: Hitman fan (Guest) on March 14, 2008 at 03:25 AM
Of the mentioned scandals involving high-profile WWE wrestlers, at least Vince was able to exploit and profit off of Eddie's death. and how cool would it be if Carlito won the MITB match due to interference by the golfer who killed the endangered bird during a video shoot. Ironically even the dead bird realizes the odds of Cena NOT winning the title are the same as not having a single Viagra joke told at a Hugh Hefner roast.
Posted By: jasonel (Guest) on March 14, 2008 at 03:59 AM
"Of the mentioned scandals involving high-profile WWE wrestlers, at least Vince
was able to exploit and profit off of Eddie's death."
Did he actually profit off the death? But from what I can understand Smackdown has cracked a 3 in the ratings like a couple of times since his death. He certainly exploited the death to a degree, but I'm pretty sure he didn't profit off of it, of course I may be wrong.
Posted By: Guest#3065 (Guest) on March 14, 2008 at 06:27 AM
"in regards to your reference to Kurt Angle receiving the drunk driving charge,
you should listen to his recent interview on the topic, in which he explains
his innocence. check it out, the interview is conducted by The Sun in the UK."
Wow if Kurt said he was innocent to a British tabloid than he must be innocent! Oh my Meehan you better redact that Kurt reference right away!
Posted By: Guest#2423 (Guest) on March 14, 2008 at 06:37 AM
Bob Holly just moved up to my all time real tough guy status. He was the first guy that continued up the ramp after Maywether's posse. Talk about blurring the line!!
Posted By: gunner (Guest) on March 14, 2008 at 09:05 AM
vince continues to profit off Eddie G. by wheeelin' out his wife every week! when will the Deddie! Deddie!Deddie! chants and t-shirts come out?
Posted By: little rusty (Guest) on March 14, 2008 at 09:10 AM
He's not as much of a douche as 'Tom' but he does use too many cliches.
'all in all'
'in the end'
'bottom line'
Posted By: lucio (Guest) on March 14, 2008 at 09:26 AM
Ken Kennedy is like a mixture between Scrubs characters Dr. Cox and The Janitor. Tremendous.
Posted By: Guest#8493 (Guest) on March 14, 2008 at 10:22 AM
am i the only one who got a chuckle when jr said during the jericho-hardy match that the IC title is "one of the most prestigious" ones? ....well it HAS BEEN one, but right now the E doesn't give a damn about it
Posted By: mongo (Guest) on March 14, 2008 at 10:51 AM
For anyone to assume that Jeff Hardy's main event aspirations are gone because of this suspension is unfair, and probably jumping the gun a bit for 2 reasons. Jeff Hardy sells a ton of merchandise, and the crowd loves him. It will be a while, and definitely not this year as I was hoping, but to think that if he can get his shit together, and get himself clean, mid-card is as far as he will go is insane. He will have to reprove himself again, just as he did after his first suspension. Anyone remember him coming back after that and losing to every person on the roster over 6'8"? I say if Hardy can get his shit right, it is not far fetched for Vince to start salivating at the money that, suspension or no, Hardy stands to make the company as champion.
Granted this scenario requires Hardy to keep clean and prove that he has really beaten the demons. I for one hope that he does, moreso for his own safety than to revive his push.
Posted By: Todd (Guest) on March 14, 2008 at 11:06 AM
I'm going with MVP in the MITB. And here's the fallout...
On the Raw following WM, MVP holds a celebration. A returning Matt Hardy comes back to ruin the celebration and challenges MVP to the long sought after US Championship match. MVP agrees - match set for Smackdown.
Smackdown comes, and MVP lays down for Matt. "I've got more important things to worry about than this minor title. Here Matt - you take it, I don't need it anymore." Oh - but I did speak to Vicki G, and I have a friend who'd like a shot at the title tonight - the redebut of K-Kwik Ron Killings. Killings comes in and beats Matt with MVP cheating to help Killings. You now set up Matt chasing Killings and MVP. When Jeff eventually returns, stick him back with Matt in some tag team action - with Jeff claiming if I wasn't an idiot, that MITB briefcase would be mine. Sets up a whole new program, and gets Killings into a solid mid-card fued.
Posted By: BobbyC (Guest) on March 14, 2008 at 11:32 AM
They should REALLY team up MVP with Money Mayweather. That would be logical and make for good interviews.
Posted By: Rollie (Guest) on March 14, 2008 at 01:53 PM
I was about to read this article, but I felt that it was "cryptic" and well, you know how that goes.
Posted By: daniel (Guest) on March 14, 2008 at 03:13 PM
your a tool right?
or is this article a joke
Posted By: tool (Guest) on March 14, 2008 at 05:38 PM
those big names you mentioned arent on ANY kind of drugs? after all their combined injuries and timeoff? youre an idiot
Posted By: Harley Rich (Guest) on March 14, 2008 at 05:51 PM
"be trusted either a) to stay drug-free, or.......
***b) at the very least, to do a better job of covering their own asses to make it seem as if they were clean."***
way to read, guys!
boy... anonymity sure brings out the morons, doesn't it?
Posted By: TerraRyzin (Guest) on March 14, 2008 at 06:00 PM
I think it's ridiculous to jump to the conclusion that Hardy's never gonna get a shot again...hell, he has a better shot than Kennedy just because Kennedy went PUBLIC for the WWE and made them look stupid...name me all three champs right now...Orton, Edge, Chavo....all three of which have been busted on Wellness and/or shitting in a sports bag or two....therefore, since Hardy didn't make an ass out of himself or the company, he still has a tremendous shot...as long as yes, he cleans up his act, which is exactly what he should use this break for
Posted By: Erik (Guest) on March 14, 2008 at 06:18 PM
The MITB curse is becoming the wrestling equivalent of the Madden curse.
Posted By: Peter (Guest) on March 14, 2008 at 07:47 PM
Keep Mayweather as a full-time employee and make him and Mike Adamle the new Smackdown announcing team
Posted By: jasonel (Guest) on March 14, 2008 at 10:39 PM
the homewrecker is right.
definitely a douche
Posted By: das vunderhooven (Guest) on March 14, 2008 at 11:38 PM
Jasonel is the most fantastically hilarious troll I have ever seen. I am a huge fan of your work.
Posted By: MP (Guest) on March 15, 2008 at 03:50 AM
"Of the mentioned scandals involving high-profile WWE wrestlers, at least Vince was able to exploit and profit off of Eddie's death."
"Ironically even the dead bird realizes
the odds of Cena NOT winning the title are the same as not having a single Viagra joke told at a Hugh Hefner roast."
--Seriously, these two quotes belong in some kind of 411 Hall of Fame.
Posted By: Guest#8990 (Guest) on March 15, 2008 at 03:53 AM
Hey Meehan I've got something here you can defend or at least TRY to defend. Explain to me how a slow watered down wrestling match from the WWE is better then a fast paced high impact TNA match??? How could any WWE match be as good as a TNA match?? WWE has a slow paced water down style that is boring what is the point getting excited about there matches when you know they wont deliver. They say WWE's matches tell a story but all it really is, is a bunch of headlocks and armbars. If your going to work the head at least find other ways to work the head. I understand the wrestlers need to catch their breath and to slow it down allows them to do this but they are doing it for 90% of a match. Anyway If you can defend this I would be impressed.
Posted By: Rvdtito4life (Guest) on March 15, 2008 at 10:19 PM
It pains me to say this, but Meehan... your "sliding down the 411mania card" seems to REALLY have affected your "writing", or so it SEEMS.
OR -
My memories are SOMEHOW "twisted", because I CLEARLY remember a time when your column was THE (long-sounding EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE) most "enjoyable" one to read in 411mania, "BAR NONE".
HOWEVER!
Nowadays these "things" are just so... "lame" and FULL of ANNOYING little quirks and clichés like THE (long-SOUNDING EEEEEEE)horrible "overusage" of quotation smarks. Not ONLY that, but you used to be one of THE (long-sounding EEEEEEEEEE) more mature, cool-headed and MAYBE even intelligent writers on a site (and, in fact, a whole SCENE) full of "writers" who have PERHAPS been less than "fortunate" when civility, maturity, class and dare I repeat it, INTELLIGENCE were "being handed out", so to speak. What happened? You are a mere "shadow" OF your FORMER self, and IT saddens MEE (with a long-sounding EEEEEE)to AN end I never IMAGINED possible. THIS MIGHT MAKE ME GO ON A RAMPAGE AND KILL MY FAMILY BECAUSE IT'S VERY COOL TO THROW REFERENCES TO HE-WHO-SHALL-NOT-BE-NAMED EVEN THOUGH FOR SOME REASON I'M STILL NOT NAMING THE HE-WHO-SHALL-NOT-BE-NAMED BY HIS REAL NAME-WHICH-SHALL-NOT-BE-MENTIONED FOR REASONS EVEN I-WHO-SHALL-REMAIN-ANONYMOUS-BECAUSE-I'M-TOO-LAZY-TO-REGISTER-AGAIN-AF TER-A-MESSED-UP-FIRST-ATTEMPT DON'T UNDERSTAND.
BUT STILL -
... I will keep reading. Because even though you have taken a mighty nosedive recently, I still look forward to your writings. Perhaps out of habit, perhaps out of respect for what you used to be, or perhaps out of hope that one day you might be as great as you once were, yet again. But please. Don't do the flair. Don't let your legacy get flushed down the toilet.
Cheers,
Mister Man
ps. Could you add the number of some sort of a depression hotline to the end of your column? You know, to go along with the domestic abuse one.
Posted By: anonymous coward (Guest) on March 16, 2008 at 11:33 PM
Meehan just doesn't back up his points. He gets mad because people attack his Celbrity Index, but if you don't want something under scrutiny don't write it ion the first place. The problem isn't Meehan's opinions. It is the fact that he doesn't back them up or the fact that his reactions to news aren't really opinions, but is just basically kissing the WWE's ass every chance he gets. Dude you need to go to WWE.com where that type of writing is desired.
Now I am not the WWE hater as some of the posters. However, this year's Wrestlemania build has not been good yet everything we read from you is how great it is. Well hopefully when you are at Wrestlemania Vince will let you becaome the first voluntary memeber of the kiss-my-ass club like you;ve always wanted
Posted By: Meehan's Biggest Fan (Guest) on March 17, 2008 at 11:07 PM
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