Let me see if I have this right.

WCW is watching it's ratings go down the tubes and are in the market for a change. OK, I can agree with that.

So, this change will consist of either firing Busch and hiring Bischoff or Russo.

Pardon me?

Wasn't Bischoff fired because the ratings were starting to tank? And Russo the "genius" wasn't able to pull off anything of note in his admittedly abbreviated tenure as head booker.

Am I missing something here?

This is the same mentality that permeates the ranks of "mainstream" sports. Yeah, the coach isn't working out, so we fire him, and we hire somebody who had just as miserable a record with another team to lead.

Doesn't this situation scream for a little fresh blood? Why would you go back to something that you know doesn't work? Is it the "well, we have to do something" mentality at work?

If the WCW is serious about "doing something" I strongly urge them to read Jim Butler's column. He brings up a fresh viewpoint, one which I hadn't considered, and wish I had thought of, it's that good.

There's nothing wrong with consolidating your position and going back to basics. In the real world it's called "downsizing". There is a lot of deadwood that desperately needs to be pruned. A number of wrestlers are cruising along, living on past glory, trying to live by the adage "old age and treachery will overcome youth and enthusiasm every time".

This is the time that begs for bold, innovative leadership. Something that has been sadly been lacking in the WCW of late. Instead they seem content to keep aping the WWF, and making (not-so)-veiled references to it every chance they get.

WCW needs to remember another adage. "Dance with the one that brought you". Much like an old married couple, WCW needs to rekindle the fire that burned so brightly not so long ago. Forget about what everybody else is doing. Get out of the "me too" frame of mind.

Time for WCW to get back to basics and remind the fans what it was that made them fall in love with them in the first place. Good, old fashioned wrestling. There's still a market for it.

Now, all WCW needs to do is the vision to commit to a course of action and the courage to stick with it.

- - addendum - -

According to the Pro Wrestling Torch, this has happened. PWT reports that Bischoff is back in charge. Oh brother!

As we used to say in the Navy "Stand by for heavy rolls".