Being on the Internet for a while, I notice quite a few opinions about things involving anything.

Sports, music, sex, and oh, professional wrestling.

I've been introduced to a few factions of thoughts about professional wrestling or in its more modern form, sports entertainment.

I've been introduced to the hardcore puro freaks, who just hates sports entertainment.

I've been introduced to the "normal" professional wrestling fan, who just hates Vince Russo, but can tolerate sports entertainment.

And I've been introduced to the sports entertainment fan, who most likely is between the ages of 9-14.

I'd like to focus myself on the first two groups, if only because they are what interests me most when it comes to finding something to write about tonight.

Several angles on professional wrestling programs have really aggravated these two groups. Crucifixions. Blowjobs. Heart attacks. You know the drill.

Sure, there is a very huge segment of the online wrestling population that actually likes the stuff they are watching. Good for them to find some positivity in the show. I won't pretend to speak for everybody. Hell, my opinions change so much that alot of times, I can't even speak for myself.

But what makes these disenchanted people stay? That's what I'd like to focus on. Why don't they just give up on it? If the product is shit, then watch something else. "Survivor" on CBS is a good show, I hear. Follow Blasingame's example if you're disenchanted!

I guess people wish that someday, more stress will be placed on the wrestling aspect than the "fourth rate drama" aspect.

But after being pissed on for so long, why do people insist on harping on the negatives instead of just giving it up altogether? I wonder that myself right now while I'm writing this.

Is our love for the "good old days" so much that we have to continue to watch the stuff over and over again and then, talk about it in various chat rooms, message boards, etc.?

I believe that the disgruntled people continue to watch professional wrestling because they love watching the stuff, even if it's shit or gold, and there is a hope that once sports entertainment loses popularity, that maybe we can get back to good old wrestling.

I'm beginning to feel that this hope that wrestling will once again be in the forefront is a dream that may never happen. When Chris Benoit, Eddy Guerrero, Dean Malenko and Perry Saturn arrived in the WWF, many people were hoping that this would start a renaissance in professional wrestling.

And for a while, it did. The 8.1 rating that main event match involving the Radicals, DX, Mick Foley and the Rock, among others (my memory's shot) proves that.

But nowadays, the crowds seem quite apathetic for the wrestling. It's become filler for a Rock interview or some cool pyro.

I was on tOA and one of the posters there brought up a good point about the recent Benoit-Jericho main event match on RAW: The crowd didn't give a shit about the match and were more concerned about when the camera would be focused on them so they could show off their signs. Not that it's bad or anything. I'd like to get my sign on TV, but it's being disrespectful to the performers in the ring.

On the other hand, if *I* pay a sum of money to watch a wrestling match, shouldn't that give me the right to wave my stupid sign up so it could catch a couple of seconds of a glimpse on camera?

See how hard it is for me to form a definitive opinion? Heh.

Where were the signs back in my WWF Superstars and Wrestling Challenge days?

Anyhow, the audiences for "sports entertainment" are very different from the audiences for professional wrestling from the early 90's and further back in time.

The sports entertainment audience is being fed what they supposedly want to be fed.

When the audience has had enough food, then the wrestling audience's hopes supposedly will be satisfied.

The wrestling companies will have to realize that the product isn't working. They'll have to start from the ground up once more. Build the fanbase with more professional wrestling.

That may not going to happen, however.

Take a look at baseball. Many people here in the States can't stand to watch a good 9 innings straight. 2 and a half hours seems much too long.

That reminds a hell of a lot of those "Boring" chants that we hear on television. Those chants usually happen when there's a technically based match or the opening minutes of matwork.

But damnit, there's gotta be hope. At least a glimmer of hope!

I didn't hear a "Boring" chant for the HHH/Rock Iron Man match. There's a start!

The hope seems quite dim from where I stand. 3 minute quickie matches on RAW and Smackdown still seem inevitable.

But at least I've got hope.

So what's your opinion about the hope to get back to a more wrestling based product? Do you feel that there's any need for change? What would you like to emphasize in today's product? Oh, and most importantly, what'd you think about my REAL attempt to write a column about wrestling?

I'm curious about your thoughts. I'd like to know you're out there. Email me. Maybe I'll print some cool emails in my next column, that is, if I still have a desire to write...

Take care and be good to your neighbor,