Anyway, a few scattered tidbits before I get to the Off The Record report.

First off, I’d like to say that I believe Fully Loaded was a great pay-per-view despite a sub par under card. WWF delivered a show that left me more satisfied than any WCW Pay-Per-View I’ve seen this year. I didn’t do too badly in predicting the card either, I believe I went six for nine on the night.

I also caught HBO’s Arli$$ on Sunday night. I’m a fan of the show but don’t think it is half as good this season as it was last year, and the WCW episode was no exception, I didn’t really enjoy it.

WCW Nitro this week wasn’t half as good as RAW, so people were all excited last week over nothing. Having Hogan and Sting team is just stupid, having David Flair as US champ without Ric as president is useless, and I will be pretty upset if Benoit changes his finisher to the LionTamer. I did however enjoy Scott Hudson for the second week in a row, and that kid from the wonder years was pretty good too.

WWF Raw/Warzone presented the usual stuff I’ve come to know and love. Apparently I called Blackman trying to run Shamrock over 24 hours too early, too bad I guess. I’m digging the new HHH attitude though he seems to say the same things over and over again (It’s about me, I am the game, I’ve been watching Austin, etc.). I’m happy to see closure in the McMahon/Austin feud (not that I believe that’ll last more than six weeks). I didn’t like that the main event wasn’t over when the show finished. Billy Gunn needs to change his ring attire back to the shorts with the lips on them. THE ROCK IS THE FUNNIEST MAN ALIVE. JR needs to calm down a notch, otherwise he is doing a bang up job. I felt it was a great follow-up to Fully Loaded, but why didn’t we get to see the Countdown clock or another episode of GTV?

Oh…..I also saw Heat this week – Meat is a very lucky man!

Now, it’s time for the OTR recap. For those of you who don’t know, Off The Record is the highest rated talk show in Canada and is on every weekday from 6:00 to 6:30 on TSN (it follows RAW on Tuesdays and NITRO on Wednesdays) . They usually get two or three guests at a time and discuss various happenings in the sports world. The show’s angle is that nothing said can be held against the guest since it is all “off the record”, but that’s actually a load of BS.

Two of the biggest episodes of OTR came last year when host Michael Landsberg did a two part one on one interview with WWF Co-Owner Vince McMahon. Now, Landsberg will do three shows involving the McMahons, the first of which will be one on one with Vince (Tuesday), the second will be with Vince and his wife, Linda, (Wednesday) and the lastly will be an interview with Shane and Stephanie McMahon (Thursday).

I will try my best to recap all three shows for CRZ.net [slash] wrestling.

OFF THE RECORD w/ Vince McMahon. Aired 7/27/99 on TSN, Taped 7/23/99 in Stamford Conn. [Personal comments are in brackets.]

(Opening credits)

Landsberg: He is one of the most controversial men ion North America. He is widely respected as one of the best businessmen in North America. But he has had his morality and many other things questioned about him. He is Vince McMahon. Two months ago, the world wrestling federation and in fact the world was saddened by the death of Owen Hart the great Canadian wrestler. There are many issues that stem from that and for the first time since that tragedy Vince McMahon has agreed to speak one on one in a no holds barred interview with us today. Vince thank you very much for the opportunity to do so.

Vince: My pleasure.

Landsberg: So Vince, you have told me I can ask whatever I want no rules or stipulations in this interview. So let me throw it at you, Owen Hart died, one hour later Jim Ross came on with the tragic news to the audience at home and yet you continued that Pay Per View event. Many people have questioned you for that, have criticized you for that.

Vince: Sure

Landsberg: Why didn’t you stop it?

Vince: First off all, this is the first time and hopefully the last that any incident like this ever occurs in the WWF. And, it is an excellent question as to why we continued on, because we have been criticized by many, some also have supported us for continuing on. It is one of the most difficult things we have ever had to do was to continue on. Quite frankly, for better or worse and people are going to think a lot worse of me for saying this, at the time we didn’t think of not continuing. None of the performers, none of the producers, not me, no one. Now, whether or not that is because as performers it is ingrained that the show must go on, I don’t know. No one thought of stopping the show [yea right!] at that time.

Landsberg: So when you look back at it then, ‘cause at that time you were acting emotionally and you’re shocked like everyone else, and maybe you’re almost in a trance given what has happened, but, as you look back, and you say: “If I could do it again”. Would you have stopped the show?

Vince: Well first thing let me say that by continuing with the show certainly, even in hindsight, there was no disrespect to anyone intended. None whatsoever.

Landsberg: None intended, but I’m not sure that disrespect wasn’t laid on the Owen Hart family. I’m not sure that, if I was a family member, and someone close to me had died, in the ring, and as you put it, you’re business is entertainment, and you allowed the entertainment to continue, with Owen’s blood still in the ring, I’m not sure that’s not disrespectful to Owen Hart and his family.

Vince: It may be, from your standpoint. Again, it was not something that we did not think about, no one thought about stopping the show. We all thought about how difficult it was going to be to get through. I think we had two other events, after Owen’s...incident. After we found out that Owen had actually passed away, we had two other events. ‘Cause quite frankly, we didn’t know when Owen left the ring. At that time, we hopped for the very best, but we did eventually get word from the hospital that he had passed away and we had two more matches to go on. It was very difficult to go through that, but we did it somehow as performers.

Landsberg: Why didn’t you tell the live audience? JR, Jim Ross, came on and very eloquently and I think very appropriately told the people watching at home via Pay Per View that Owen hart had died. Yet the people in Kansas City, Miss. , in the arena, didn’t know that. Why weren’t they informed as well?

Vince: Well, my guts were telling me: “Don’t announce to the live audience that Owen passed away”, and I don’t exactly know why except for the fact that I don’t think it was really fair for someone who was there to have that announcement. They were going to find out for sure, as was the rest of the world in due time. Was it appropriate at that time to announce it after the event was over? “Oh by the way, Owen passed away!” that doesn’t seem right to me. Oh don’t know what would have happened to the audience. I don’t know how they would have felt. I don’t know what they would have done. Whether or not there could have been any panic or what have you, I don’t know.

Landsberg: There are so many issues that came from this and it seems wherever you went there was criticism. (Vince nods) You went to the funeral with your entire roster in Calgary. I want to talk about that, but before that I want to talk about your meeting with Bret Hart. Was it your first meeting since the Survivor Series (SS clip shown) and your breakup, your very publicized breakup with Bret Hart? He spat on you, he punched you, you changed the script on him. Was it the first time you spoke since then?

Vince: Yes it was.

Landsberg: And what did you guys talk about?

Vince: Out of respect to Owen, I met with Bret. Otherwise, I would have no reason to meet with Bret, only out of respect to Owen. And Bret carried the entire conversation, I really thought he wanted to talk about Owen. He mentioned Owen in one sentence, and the rest of it was about Bret. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. It was all about Bret.

Landsberg: What kinds of things did he say?

Vince: “I ruined his marriage.” “I ruined his career.” He wanted to go back to that incident at the Survivor Series. All he talked about was himself, nothing to do with his brother. It was like, I don’t know, it was like looking into the eyes of a skeleton in some respects. It seemed like he wasn’t human. It was a very weird experience.

Landsberg: So what do you feel like, in the funeral home, in that setting? You’re surronded by the Harts who are obviously feeling a lot of resentment towards you. The Ultimate Warrior, Hogan is there (clip is shown of Hogan exiting limo at funeral) I mean these are guys who don’t like you. You are clearely there in enemy territory. Give the viewer an idea of what it’s like to be Vince McMahon in that situation.

Vince: Well, firstly, it was my duty to be there, and I wanted to be there. (clip is shown of Jarrett at the funeral ) Whether I was persona en greta or not. Owen’s window, Martha, asked me to be there. So, I wanted to be there on my own anyhow. And, regardless of me being persona en grata at that, I didn’t care about ME, I didn’t care about what people were thinking of ME, I could care less at that time. That wasn’t a time for me to be thinking about me, it was a time for me to be thinking about Owen.

Landsberg: Vince, people say that you were thinking about publicity, about public relations, about public image. You knew that there would be plenty of cameras there and people have questioned the motivation behind you bringing the entire roster there. They think that you were doing this to try and put the best possible image on the company. And before you answer let me remind you that I think that is valid questioning because two years ago, when Brian Pillman dies there was no one from the WWF there, and that was a much less publicized event.

Vince: Well that was an entirely different set of circumstances as well. I mean I went to Brian’s wake, I didn’t go to the funeral because of a conflict. [of interest?] But as for this instance, it’s important to note that Owen’s widow, Martha, asked that as many people possible from the roster come to Calgary. So, I allowed that to happen, it wasn’t the entire roster, but anyone who wanted to go I was happy to make it as convenient as possible for them. And, a lot of people wanted to go because Owen was a wonderful human being, and a great friend to many of us in the WWF. [So Pillman wasn’t?]

Landsberg: In terms of the funeral itself, I want to ask you this question as it relates to the funeral itself and everyone there. You saw that as your opportunity to make a statement, you came forward and you said that you paid for the funeral. Martha has come forward, and she said that you did not. What’s the truth as you see it?

Vince: Again, you have to understand in all of this, I don’t blame the Canadian public for looking at me like the bad guy and looking at me on every, not with standing my character on television, I’m hardly a sympathetic individual, nor would I ask for any sympathy. But when you look at this I’m in a tremendous disadvantage in this situation because I of this situation and the tragedy of Owen leaving his wife and two little kids. So naturally the Canadian (interrupted)

Landsberg: Did you pay for support?

Vince: Well, here’s what happened. We contacted the funeral home, sent our deposit, and what Martha wanted was a very lavish funeral. Um, fine. If that’s what she wanted that’s what we’d give her, and we sent a blank check to the funeral home. [A blank check signed Vincent K McMahon, just imagine!] Subsequant to the funeral being over we found out that she, I guess on advice of attorney’s, I don’t know, decided to step in and pay for part of the funeral. And you say that I say that I paid for part of the funeral, but the only reason you can say that is because I wrote a letter to the Calgary Sun. Not a letter that was to be published by the way, a letter that was simply for the record to the editor. [Wow, it’s just like Bob Ryder and ScoopThis.] I only wanted to state: “Hey look here, things are being said, and I don’t want to engage Martha in a public debate.” I couldn’t win that in terms of sympathy REGARDLESS of the facts. Now she could be lying through her teeth!! I couldn’t win regardless of the facts. So, I did write a letter to the Sun stating the facts and those facts were “Yes, I thought we were paying for the funeral.” And a very lavish funeral at that, one of the most lavish funerals ever I guess, which is great if that is what Martha wanted for Owen in terms of a sendoff then that’s fine and I’ll support that in any way I can. I’m happy to do that, I was only happy to do that, all of that was sort of turned around and I would suggest that the reason there is such a PR incident here really doesn’t rest as much with Owen’s widow, Martha, as it does with Bret. Because Bret was right in Martha’s ear, and ALL of the talk shows, all of the publicity all of the media and this had Bret talking horrible about the WWF and it’s fans. Sure, there’s no question there’s the personal rivalry that he has with me. I mean the entire hour some conversation that Bret and I had was all about that! So I think it was mostly Bret being in Martha’s ear, and I’d think that some of the actions taken by the Hart family rest solely on Bret’s shoulders.

Landsberg: He is Vince McMahon, he is the President and Owner of the World Wrestling Federation and there are many more issues we could talk about. Issues that are fortunately less sad and you and I can engage in debate about. Issues such as what the hell you’re doing with the Governor of Minnesota in your ring. We’ll talk about that, when OTR returns. (Commercial break) Landsberg: A decade ago, he sued you. Jesse Ventura after the death of Owen came out and had all kinds of disparaging things to say about you and your company. He even talked about unionizing and how your workers needed more power, yet then, we see this Press Conference, and you hired Jess Ventura to work WITH you! (Conference clip shows Chyna putting a boa on the “Body”) First off all, whom asked whom on this date?

Vince: Well first of all, let me just say that politics makes for strange bedfellows as the expression says and I guess the same goes for entertainment business. Jesse, if you listen closely to what he had to say about our company, Jesse did advocate unionization at one time. But Jesse has been out of the buissness for some time and since then I’ve enlightened Jesse in terms of all the revenues that everyone shares in and I believe he’s now changed his tune on that.

Landsberg: So there is no legit heat between the two of you.

Vince: (hesitates) Not really. I think (interrupted)

Landsberg: That wasn’t very convincing Vince.

Vince: Well , I think there always been a little underlined... it’s funny our relationship the way it’s been even in the best of times. We’ve always respected each other in terms of our abilities.

Landsberg: And you know what, I used to respect Ventura, but now, as the Gouv. Of Minnesota, accepting this job? And I’ve defended you a lot. People who watch the show know that I’ve been behind you. [True, he’s a WWF mark all the way.] But on this I believe there is no way that an elected Governor of a state paid by the constituents of that State should perform in a wrestling show.

[Ouch!]

Vince: Ouch! You’re certainly entitled to your opinion, and I’m entitled to mine.

Landsberg: How do you justify his presence?

Vince: How do I justify his presence? [Is there an echo in the building?]

Landsberg: Yeah.

Vince: Well first of all I don’t live in the state of Minnesota

Landsberg: But you’re a National corporation, you service people all across the Country, so you can’t really hide behind the fact that you do or don’t have to vote for him.

Vince: No, no, no. But I would vote for Jesse, and I’d vote for him again! I really like a politician who comes out and tells me, you know, if he were a former piano player he wanted to play a final concert for someone.

Landsberg: It’s not the same thing.

Vince: Well wait a minute, why is it not the same thing?

Landsberg: Because he’s assuming a role with you and it becomes very difficult for some people to distinguish between the roles. He’s up there and he’s talking in this voice (spoken deeply). Plus, you have shorelines that I think compromise his integrity. A lot of his constituents don’t believe in your product and he represents them.

Vince: Again, you’re entitled to you’re point of view. Congratulations.

Landsberg: So, since you’ll work with Jesse Ventura, would you work with anyone? Would you work with Hogan again?

Vince: I think in the entertainment business, I think it’s important to never say never. I couldn’t imagine that I would be working with Jesse six months ago, but I wound up working with Jesse!

Landsberg: Because it’s good business.

Vince: It’s very good business! It’s controversial and you’re adding a little something to that controversy! Thank you very much by the way (smiles) [Damn! You think you nailed him, but it turns out you were helping him all along!]

Landsberg: See there that’s the thing! That’s the most complex thing about Vince McMahon, you go to interview him and you push him hard and you push him hard and you think you’re winning, but in your just thinking it’s good business, right?

Vince: Generally speaking, yes.

Landsberg: Who wouldn’t you work with?

Vince: I don’t know, I mean, I don’t know.

Landsberg: Eric Bischoff, he’s on the line, he says he likes the way things are going over there, he wants to work with you, he wants to jump over, you take the call?

Vince: Is he still working for the other people?

Landsberg: He’s looking to better himself! Something that you’ve done, you’ve had his guys better himself with you.

Vince: I don’t know, I don’t know what he could offer. [NOTHING!] I don’t know what he could do for the betterment of our product for the fans and for the fans, because everything we do is for the product and the fans. Quite frankly, when you look at it from my perspective, I think SummerSlam is going to be extraordinary [PLUG!] partly because eof the controversy, partly because of the involvement of Jesse. [There may be wrestling to.] This is, to my knowledge, the first time a sitting governor takes part in an event like this. And I think it’s pretty cool, I like that Jesse comes out and says that THIS is what I will be doing and THIS is what I will be making for it, as opposed to having a bunch of special interest groups and not knowing what the politician is doing, I like an outspoken politician! [SO you WONT work with Eric?!]

Landsberg: There’s a big surprise, Vince McMahon likes an outspoken politician. I can’t believe it! And we’ll talk about more things I can’t believe when Off the Record returns.

OTR Quirky Facts!: Vince McMahon was the promoter of the stunt of the century – Evel Knievel’s jump over the Snake River Canyon. [Cool!]

(Commercial break.)

Landsberg: This is going to be good. I hold in my hand Wrestling ‘86 - a picture of Vince McMahon on the cover. (Cover is shown on screen) Vince, it says here: “I am the Walt Disney of Wrestling” quoting you back in 1986. Last time I checked, 101 Dalmations, when Walt talked about “puppies”, he wasn’t talking about them in the same way as you. What is Vince McMahon now? You’re not the Walt Disney of 1999.

Vince: Um….I’m not so sure about that.

Landsberg: You’re not so sure about that?[There’s that echo again]

Vince: Well, when you think about ABC(interrupted)

Landsberg: I’m going to Disney world if that’s the case!

Vince: No, No, Now, hang on a sec. When you think about all that company has become, and all the different labels, all the different entities that Disney owns, some of them are out there. I mean some of the movies they produce are R rated under certain Studios, things of that nature. They are pretty much across the board...they don’t call it all the same thing. I mean you don’t see the Mouseketeer on everything that they do.

Landsberg: So you’re saying that this still works?

Vince: I don’t know about that. [Doesn’t seem to care about comments made in ’86. Seems to want to move on to the next subject.]

Landsberg: See, you’re very good at twisting semantics [and how!], you’re very good at saying “Well, we don’t use the word hore, we use the word Ho”.

Vince: Well, that’s true. [He’s speaking of the Hore/Ho comment and not the semantics remark I think]

Landsberg: Well, I know that that’s true. But there is no way that you can sit here, without breaking a smile and tell me that you’re the Walt Disney of 1999. [SIGH! Get off the Disney thing already!]

Vince: I wouldn’t want to be the Walt Disney of 1999. [Neither would, he’s dead! SO MOVE ON!] I think I was then, in ’86.

Landsberg: What changed you?

Vince: What changed me? [There is definitely an echo somewhere in the building.]

Landsberg: Um huh..

Vince: Uh.... Times. I think that any successful entrepreneur changes with the times, and has his finger on the pulse of the marketplace so he’s responsible of one thing – giving the public what they want.

Landsberg: And that’s the only responsibility?

Vince: Well, with giving the public what they want comes a lot of responsibilities.

Landsberg: It’s not just about giving them what they want, pornographers hide behind that!

Vince: Well I don’t know what portion of the public wants pornography, I would have to hope a small part. [And what may I ask is wrong with porno?]

Landsberg: But there has to be guidelines! You can’t just throw anything out there and say if you like it take it if not, don’t. There has to be some responsibility.

Vince: Well I think there is some degree of responsibility, yes. As any responsible broadcaster would have there is a degree of responsibility. At the same time, as long as you are working within the framework of everyone else I think that’s a pretty safe environment.

Landsberg: On our show, Eric Bischoff said that he would continue to kick your ass in the ratings Vince! [HA!] and I offer you the opportunity to answer to that when Off the Record returns right after the break.

(Commercial break)

Landsberg: Eric actually made a bet with me that he could continue to beat you in the ratings, we beat five dollars, I have yet to see the money. [HA!] (Vince laughs at this one too!) What do you say to Eric Bischoff and the attitude and the swagger that he carried when he was beating you?

Vince: I really have nothing to say to Eric.

Landsberg: Oh C’mon! You’d say it Monday Night on RAW, give us the good stuff!

Vince: No, not really, all I say is thank you to our viewers, and that’s all I have to say. [Classy.]

Landsberg: Are the Monday Night Wars over?

Vince: No. Definitely not.

Landsberg: What turned it for you guys? Because when we first met, you were losing.

Vince: Yes we were.

Landsberg: Ok, quickly what turned it?

Vince: I think a more contemporary product turned it. [aka Austin.] that’s what I think, and work ethic, [The Rock] and passion [DX Army]. Also, the fact that the product that Turner copied, or stole depending on your point of view, from us was a 1980’s model. [True.]

Landsberg: See, I think you are wrong, and I know what really turned it!

Vince: Ok, what was it?

Landsberg: The input of your wife, WWF Ceo, Linda McMahon (Vince laughs) and we will have her on tomorrow’s edition of Off the Record!

(End credits feature Vince’s entrance from St. Valentine’s Day Massacre)

Overall I think the interview was kind of a let down. I would have preferred if they asked some different questions. Maybe something about the Sable lawsuit would have been more interesting than a debate over Walt Disney. And something about the Hart lawsuit would have been cool too.