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/wrestling /guests /Root |
| Guest Columns | Jerry Root |
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THE MAT POTATO Sometimes things that would normally be unrelated, form patterns and trigger an unexpected emotion. In my case, that is generally nostalgia (being the long-in-the-tooth writer that I am). My kids' school recently put up a new school sign on the premises. This would normally have as much affect on me as an X-pac cross-body block on Kane. However the slogan at the bottom brought a tear to this old potato's eye, and got me to reminiscing about my early days on the net. At that time, I was like a kid in a candy shop. I had net access, and one of the first things I looked for (after the obligatory swing through the porno sites) was wrestling. There were a couple of interesting sites up then, but the one that I hovered around most was the Online Wrestling Museum. The OWM had links to all sorts of sheets and I would greedily devour each of them in turn. Eventually I got a little more discerning in my choices of reading material and settled on a few that I respected. The first news sheet that really got me hooked was The Bagpiper Report. It was the standard by which all others were judged, at least IMODO. I couldn't wait to see what was new and exciting, plus I knew I could trust what they were giving me. Another sheet that I really liked was The Ring Examiner. Hey, what can I say? It all started with a letter to Matt Elder (and if you're still out there, Matt, give me a holler). He invited me to write a column (the birth of the Potato), and the rest, as they say, is history. (And some say it's best relegated to that). "The Mat Potato" was my own limited edition sheet. Rich Boles and I started it up, but then events conspired to drive us out of the business. Not a bad sheet, if I do say so myself. (Humilty is not one of my greatest personality traits). However, life certainly isn't all serious endeavors, and there has to be a lighter side to it. There was a sheet called "Our So-Called Sport". That had to be one of the greatest sheets I ever read and I mourned it's passing. It had some of the funniest bits going (such as referring to "Iron" Mike Tenay as "Aluminum" Mike, or "Tinfoil" Mike. An absolute scream). I'm sure OSCS influenced quite a bit of us in our style. I can only imagine what fun they would have with the whole scene today. However they were afflicted by the same curse that seems to get to everybody eventually. The writers graduated from college, found that it was prohibitively expensive to maintain, and just didn't have the "fire in the belly" to continue on with it. Sad. Now, before I end up sounding like the stereotypical grandfather ("Back in my day I used to walk to school barefoot. 10 miles. Through the snow. Summer and winter. Uphill. Bothways."), I would like to say that there are new sites springing up to take the place of the dearly departed. Instead of OSCS, I now have Scoopthis.com. They have veered away from strictly wrestling, but they're still funny. The Bagpiper Report is still kicking. Editorship has changed, but it is still a fine sheet. And, instead of The Online Wrestling Museum, I now haunt CRZ (slash) wrestling. Oh, and the slogan? "Commited to Excellence", the very slogan that Matt and I came up with for TRE oh so many moons ago. Jerry Root [slash] wrestling Mail the Author |
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