September 29, 2006

MAIL CALL!!!

Somewhat to my surprise, yesterday’s piece on coaching geniuses has gone over really well. Thanks to all those that seemed to dig it. The mail, of course, has been pretty interesting. Let’s start with Kevin in Cali.

I loved your article on the “geniuses” of football. Reading it made my day.

I am a loyal Sooner alum (who is almost over the Oregon debacle) and a shameless admirer of Barry Switzer (yes, yes, I know – he’s a lout, but he’s a lovable lout and, more importantly, he’s OUR lovable lout). I have always appreciated that Switzer never took himself all that seriously. He took coaching football and winning seriously – no doubt about that. But taking himself seriously? No way.

Living for 20 years at Ground Zero for the cult of football coaches as geniuses (i.e., the SF Bay Area), I grew very weary – and wary – of that cult many years ago. The Original Genius wasn’t such a success in his second stint at Stanford. Wonder why that was? Could it be that his genius had subsided? Or that the Stanford student-athlete could not grasp and implement the quantum mechanics taught by Bill? Or was it that Stanford just did not have the horses to keep up with the USCs and the Washingtons of the Pac-10?

And for all the complaining that has been lodged this past week against my beloved Sooners about being crybabies post-Oregon, does anyone in college football whine more – or behave more petulantly – than Notre Dame’s head genius? The guy has been at ND one year – where he had the same record as Ty Willingham. I guess having worked at the knee of the Hooded Genius – along with being the head guy at ND – confers automatic geniushood. (Although I don’t recall anyone saying Bob Davie was a genius. Maybe it was because he came from Texas A&M. Insert your favorite aggie joke here.)

But Switzer was an original. It was brilliant to use him as the petard on which to hoist the self-important geniuses in your story. If the phrase “comfortable in your own skin” were in Wikipedia, the definition would be a picture of The King (as he is referred to back in my home state). I still recall a Roy Firestone interview with Barry where Roy marveled at Switzer’s seeming comfort with (for lack of a better phrase) “the big picture.” Barry’s response to that was, predictably, a chuckle – and a comment that none of us gets out of here alive, so you might as well enjoy the ride. So true.

No ask yourself, could you see any of those so-called “geniuses” being that self aware – or being comfortable enough in their own skin – to say that? I thought so.

Thanks for the wonderful article.

An overwhelming number of people e-mailed to not just thank me for mentioning Switzer in a positive light, but also to find out how I got his speech patterns like that. Here’s the thing–while I’m an unapologetic Orangeblood, I’m the child of an OU alum. For that reason and a few others, I absolutely love Switzer. Never took himself too seriously and seemed to really appreciate what his players did for him, the state, and the university. For those reasons, he’ll always get love from me.

Some guy named Joseph says he’s heard it all before.

Wow! Another black man taking a shot at Notre Dame’s football coach. Say it isn’t so. It’s funny how your argument for ND’s success in 2005 was due to the weak schedule. Then, when giving your Walsh analysis, you say he was successful only because of his Hall of Fame defense. Somethin’s gotta give, right? (see 2005 Defensive stats for ND).

Now, I realize this was just a fun article on how loosely the media comments on winning coaches as “geniuses.” I really do appreciate your article, but your true beliefs clearly shine through. Nice try with your excuse for Willingham: “He was good under his previous coach, too, but he was young.” Unfortunately for Willingham, while he may be a “molder of men,” he is an average coach who had 1 good recruiting class because of the excitement of a new coach that always occurs in South Bend.

Thanks in advance for your response Jason, er Scoop, er Jas………… whatever. Same articles.

Right…because only black people think that Weis is a little overhyped. But the most interesting thing about this to me–I don’t mind people thinking black people all look alike, but now our words do, too? Man, who knew?

Anyway, I’d like for someone to find me a single place where I sung the praises of Ty Willingham. When you see it, lemme know.

Butch Fisco doesn’t like me cutting into his action. At least I think that’s what his problem was.

Advice: Stop trying to be funny. Either you are or you aren’t. You aren’t. Your attempts at humor is pathetic.

Sadly,

Butch Fisco–Professional standup comedian and author.

Yeah buddy, no one’s an authority on humor like a comic that I’ve never heard of. I did find out, through Google, that he co-authored a book of putdowns. Author indeed.

Dr. Chris in Tampa also thinks I’m a moron.

Ah, stupid. That’s my assessment.

Plus, Albert’s initials are “AE”. Way to check.

Apparently, Dr. Chris thought I was writing “AI” when I wrote “Al.” But of course, I’m the one that’s stupid. Don’t even get me started on what I think of doctors.
J.J. thinks I’m selling coaches short.

Are you that naive, or do you just have something personal against Belicheck, Weis, and Walsh? I don’t think any one of them has ever stood up on a soapbox and preached of their genius – in fact if anyone questioned them on it, they’d probably be too modest to discuss it. It’s your cohorts in the media who play up their IQ, and with good reason I might add. Teams win because they’re better than the opposition, but they’re generally better due to being well-coached. I think even Barry Switzer could figure that out.

It’s not that I don’t think coaching matters. It’s that I don’t think it matters a lick without talent. Bad coaching is more influential than good coaching, though. Either way, my point is that none of these dudes are really geniuses. They do something well, but so does my mechanic. And no one’s trying to put him into MENSA.

Finally, the greatest compliment I’ve gotten in a while. I don’t tend to get too gassed up about compliments, but this one made me drop my jaw for a second.

Hey man – that was the best P2 article I’ve read since Wiley passed. Keep it up.

I wouldn’t go that far, but I sure as hell appreciate the thought.

September 28, 2006

New Piece, Random Thoughts

Business…here’s a ditty on some of the “geniuses” of football.

My goal for today is to finish 100 pages of King of the World, a Pulitzer-winning bio of Ali.  I just don’t see that happening, though.  Oh well.

Quick music rec–the new Sleepy Brown.  Good listen, and he brings back two of my favorites from the last couple years: “I Can’t Wait” and “Me, My Baby, and My Cadillac” from the highly underrated Got Purp?.

I’m also getting word that message boards on Miami and Carolina football feature many users rooting against their teams.  It might be to the point where you won’t know who’s a fan of what team just based on what they wear and say.  My guess?  31-3, Miami.

I also got a couple of notes about the way I described the pain people frequently feel when they college they attend plays against the one they grew up rooting for.  They were happy I was able to articulate a prevalent, but rarely discussed, phenomenon.  If you dug it, thank you kindly.

And now I go to enjoy my off day.  Thursday is my Sunday.  Cuz that’s fun day.  My I don’t have to run day.

September 27, 2006

A Note for Enquiring Minds

Got an e-mail this morning that went like this…

I know Whitlock is your boy, so where do you stand on him getting dropped from ESPN and the reason given for the dismissal?

What are your thoughts on Scoop Jackson’s work?

Most of you know that I consider Jason Whitlock to be a friend and mentor. I also have a personal and professional relationships with Scoop.

So here’s a rule on stuff like this–if I haven’t talked to you about such things, chances are that there’s no need to ask. Because I won’t tell you anything. I’m not going to talk with just anyone about friends and colleagues. So if you’re not sure if I’d feel comfortable talking about something, then chances are I won’t be.

I’m exhausted. Back tomorrow.

Oh, and I’m doing a segment tomorrow wiht 96 Rock in Raleigh.  I’ll let you know when I’ve got a time for it.

September 25, 2006

MAIL CALL!!!

So I’m crazy busy today as I prepare to fly to Connecticut tomorrow morning, but I wanted to share some of the mail from Friday’s piece on when it’s okay to root against your favorite team. Varying opinions here.

Here’s Matt in Austin.

I was embarrassed to read your article entitled “OK to root against your team?” on espn page 2. Who actually roots against their own football team? Certainly no one who graduated from a respectable football school would agree with this sort of nonsense. Perhaps this is what separates true powerhouse programs from the pretenders.

Certainly a fan of Ohio State, Michigan, Texas, Oklahoma, or any other true perennial power would never root against their own team. I think there should just be one rule: It’s okay to root against your own team if: Your university fan base has no hint of football history, academic prowess, or state pride. On 2nd thought, I guess it is okay for Miami fans to root against their own team.

If only Matt knew I have a picture of Vince winning the Rose Bowl over my sofa in my living room.

George in NY has an additional suggestion.

Bomani,

I’m a Mets, Jets, and Knicks fan. So I know all too well why some fans root against their team. But I would add a fifth category to your list of “valid reason to root against your team”:

5. When your team should be rebuilding instead of foolishly pursuing quick fixes. See, e.g., the Knicks under Scott Layden and Isiah Thomas.

In support of #2 on your list:

The 2002-03 Knicks began the season 2-10, thanks to the suspension of Latrell Sprewell. Visions of Lebron James began dancing in my head. Then the unthinkable happens. The Knicks bring Sprewell back. NO!!! 35 meaningless wins later, the Knicks still miss the playoffs and, in a draft featuring Lebron, Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh, and Carmelo Anthony, end up with Mike Sweetney.

Cannon in Charlotte thinks I’m no Carolina fan.

So UNC is your “adopted home team”, huh? Well why don’t you send us back to the orphanage if you are going to be the kind of “fan” that writes like you did in your “OK to Root Against Your Team?” article. We don’t need “fans” that make the Furman game sound closer than it was (or did you even know that they scored a touchdown with 13 seconds left?). And why don’t you let the rest of the season play out before you start trying to get Bunting fired? Your article stinks, but I’m not trying to get you fired.

And by the way, it is not OK to root against your team – ever.

Seen that score, Cannon? 52-7.

Corey in the Dub-VA raised an ethical dliemma, one commonly felt by the Southern sports fan.

Hi Mr. Jones, I have a rooting dilemna. What if two teams you could consider “favorite” teams play one another? For example, I grew up near Morgantown, WV, so I grew up a WVU fan, but I went to Marshall University, where I became a huge Marshall fan. I cheered for Marshall because they had no shot, but now I feel like there’s an asterick beside my name when I cheer for WVU. Plus my friends think I’m an evil traitor. Help!

That’s a toughie for us folks.  Unlike many other states, Southerners attach themselves to college teams from childhood like people attach to pro teams.  Has nothing to do with anything academic.  But then we have to go to college, and sometimes pragmatism leads us to schools that are rivals to our initial love.  With that in mind, you’ve gotta look at the school you attend as your mistress and the team you love as your wife.  You’ve got your mistress for reasons that you’ve got to live with.  But you never ever ever ever ever take your chick on the side out instead of your wife.  If your mistress gets mad, she’s just gotta be mad.  She knew the deal before she got into things.

Okay, to work I get.  If you happen to take Principles of Economics at Elon University, don’t forget to bring your papers with you to class!

September 22, 2006

Carolina football

Business…here’s a guide on when it’s okay to root against your favorite team.

Now, lemme head a few readers off at the pass–you’re damn right I think Carolina needs a new football coach.

Let me start by expressing my reluctance to write about Carolina football.  Unlike the basketball team, I have personal relationships with a few players on this team.  Shelton Bynum, a starting defensive tackle, is like family to me.  He’s my best friend Jon’s cousin, and I’ve known him since I met him at Jon’s funeral.  Barrington Edwards, the second tailback, is one of my former students.  And many other dudes on the team have their locs done by my girlfriend.  That means it’s too close to home for me to comfortably write about them.

Anyway, they need a new coach.  Anyone that watches Carolina has been able to note how poor the team tends to play in teh second half.  Some would argue that’s an issue of conditioning, but I think it’s about halftime adjustments.  Either way, it comes down to coaching.

The only road game this team has won outside the 919 area code–which includes NC State and Duke–was against East Carolina in 2003.  Bad road teams tend to be poorly coached.

And have you seen the quarterbacks on this team?  Good gracious.

I’ve been told by someone I trust that Bunting will only be fired if this team goes 0-12.  Well, they’ve won one.  But by my math, they will only be favored again this year when they play Duke.  South Florida is undefeated.  The State game is over there.  Wake is undefeated and does have a very good coach (Jim Grobe).  They could beat UVA, but the game’s at night on the road.  2-10 wouldn’t at all shock me.

So yeah, that’s what I’ve got to say about that.  Enjoy the weekend.

September 20, 2006

Great Moment in Bomani History

Keep it real–I’ve done some impressive things.  I would run through a list of those things, but that’s unbecoming.  But today, I pulled off the most amazing of all those feats.

I managed to burn myself on the back.  With an iron.  Seriously.

See, I’ve got this bad habit of leaving whites in the dryer instead of folding them and putting them away.  Not like beaters and socks need ironing, the way I see it.

A related point is that I set my iron up right in front of the washer and dryer.  The best place to keep the board is by the appliances, so it makes sense.

Anyway, I had just gotten done ironing for work, and I needed to get a beater out of the dryer.  Being that I have long arms–I would make a simien reference, but I don’t want nobody gettin’ no bright ideas–I figured I could reach over the board and get the t-shirt.

Next time, I’ll do that after the iron cools off.  I was a wee bit short of the beater, so I stretched some more.  Next thing you know, the board tips, the iron falls, and the tip his me in me lats.  Rather warm, in case you’re curious.

What was my next trick?  Looking around the house for a half hour looking for my keys.  Put my hands in my pockets out of frustration and what do I find?

Told you…I’m impressive, Jack.

Busy day.  New piece running tomorrow and some other fun stuff.

Be easy.

September 18, 2006

Administrative Note

Here’s a quick message from the one-man staff at Virtual Bomaniland…

We at Virtual Bomaniland woke up this morning to 16 new comments. Unfortunately, 12 of them were from the same person. If you cannot figure out how to condense your thoughts into one comment, your posts will be treated as spam. This is particularly directed toward those we–meaning me–have asked several times to stop leaving several posts at once.  Also, expect any comment from an invalid e-mail address to receive the same treatment.

Thank you.

September 15, 2006

Different Skills from Different Writers

I take influence from a lot of writers. They’re not all cats on the page. I’ve learned as much from musicians and comedians as I have from authors. In the end, we’re all trying to make points as clearly as we can. With that in mind, here are a bunch of folks that do things that I admire.

James Baldwin – Plainness. The most amazing thing to me about Baldwin’s non-fiction is how few tricks he uses. He makes his points without dancing, but he still hits you hard as hell. Reading Baldwin is like what it must be like to block a bull rusher–you know he’s coming straight at you, and you still manage to get floored.

Ice Cube – Brevity. No wasted words here. Cube takes the shortest distance to his points, and he makes it work almost every time. Even on the wack shit he did during the late ’90s.

Chris Rock – Building. The way he writes contrasts is always good. He drills you with the factual, and then he comes with the counterfactual brilliantly. He usually builds with three factuals before making the joke, which can be a little predictable. But no matter what, he wins with the counter.

Bill Simmons – Excitement. One of the first suggestions Simmons made to me was to get in and show how much I love what I write about. I’m still pretty dreadful at that–all those years of econ aren’t great for making an exciting writer–but he’s the master. And where Simmons is underrated–there’s always a logical underpinning. The other thing Bill does well is finding the perfect reference to make his point.

Ralph Wiley – Indifference. Basically, Ralph didn’t really care if you got it or not. He said what he had to say then rolled from there, and he did so with no concern to whether you were ready for his jazz-influenced style (he once compared himself to Monk because of how he used well-timed silences). The thing, though, is that you have to be as good as they come to pull that off. And he was.

Peter Gammons – Ease. When you read Gammons, you almost wonder if he’s really reporting. The information is always there, but it flows so smoothly. He doesn’t go out of his way to tell you he’s about to make a killer point. He just does. It’s after you read it that it really hits you.

Harry Allen – Density. I try to put in as much information as possible in every piece I write. I really worked toward that after I did an interview with Harry where he talked about how proud he was of the density of a piece he wrote. As a writer, I’ve only got so many words to use to make the reader think. Harry showed me, in many ways, how it’s done.

John Lennon – Wit. Lennon always had that smirk. I wish I had that smirk. Still working on it, though.

Bob Dylan – The run-on. In the Jim Brown/Tiger piece, I sent a sentence to Fred to get his take. His criticism was an accurate one–the sentence ran on. The problem wasn’t that it ran on, though. It was that i didn’t execute it properly. It’s okay to use a run-on sentence if you want to convey a rambling tone. think about it–when you talk, sometimes rambling is the most engaging and entertaining thing you can do. As a writer, it’s tricky pulling that art. I don’t do it much–even though I’m partial to compound sentences–but I wanna drill it when I do.

Ray Ratto – The right lead. In boxing, a right lead is a straight right hand. As Norman Mailer points out in “When We Were Kings,” boxers don’t use it because it takes too long. It’s easily blocked and easily countered. Ratto, who writes for the SF Chronicle and CBS Sportsline, writes in these frenetic flurries…then he drops a quick point in that floors the reader. It’s not a jab because it’s too powerful. It’s a right because it can put you on your ass, and it only works because it’s imperceptible among all the other punches he throws.

Gary Smith – detail. I tend not to like reading magazine stuff by guys that do fiction because they care too much about little details that don’t matter much to the thesis. Smith, however, is the king of detail. The pictures he paint are vivid, but rarely does he offer something that’s not needed to get what he’s doing. Tricky balance.

Jason Whitlock – technical entertainment. I contend that Whitlock, one of my friends, is the best football columnist in the country. Why? Because he can hit you with technical details about football–which he knows from his time as a player–but still make it fun. Like him or not, Whitlock’s an entertaining, informative read.

Mack Jones – parsimony. As most of you know, that’s my daddy. He told me long ago to “never say with two words what can be said with one.” That’s the one thing I consider on every draft, the one thing I make sure to edit as I go along.

The Onion – the straight face. The Onion, though not as good as it once was, is still the best written site out there. Why? Because they propose such absurd scenarios, but they manage to do so in the most realistic way possible. They know the best humor comes when people aren’t trying to be funny. We know they’re trying, but they can make it look like they’re not. Great shit.

Jimi Hendrix – Voice. The thing with Hendrix is that his songs really only work well for him. It’s hard to cover Hendrix because, aside from the daunting task of replicating his solos, no one sells his lines better than him. That’s something Dylan can’t claim. But Dylan gets points because he writes songs that offer lots of interpretations.

I’m only stopping here because I have a million things to get done. But that kinda gives an indication of endless quest toward self-improvement. Long of the short–there’s lots to learn and lots of places to do the learning.

September 14, 2006

RIP, Gov. Ann

Business…here’s a new joint on why Jim Brown, not Tiger Woods, is the most dominant athlete of all-time.

Ann Richards, former governor of Texas, died at age 73. If nothing else, Ann was a lot of fun. But more significantly, she made great strides to open Texas politics to people other than white males. That’s a BFD, the way I see it.

But when you check that Times link, you’ll see something about the changes she made to the Texas penal system. I’m not quite sure why the Times writer didn’t get more specific about just what she did.

The Austin American-Statesman says a little more–that she doubled the size of what is now the largest prison system in the world. Not quite as cool, I don’t think.

But that point illustrates part of the difficulty in being a black, Southern, and toward the left. You can ride out with just about everything someone accomplishes politically…and then see something like that, which can completely shake your faith in someone you support for the most part. Ahhh, the hassles of being a member of a marginalized group.

But overall, Ann was all right with me. A great orator and probably the most important woman in 20th century Texas politics. Til the other side, Gov.

And in other news, Whitney and Bobby have filed for divorce.  I get the feeling this is a bit temporary.  Nutcases tend to stay together forever.  It tends to be a problem when one person is sane and the other crazy.  But two loonboons?  That’s true love right here.

September 13, 2006

MAIL CALL!!! PART II!!!

A frequent complaint in the mail from the wrasslin’ column has been that I cast wrasslin’ fans as a bunch of illiterate hillbillies. Many of them took particular umbrage with my use of the word “wrasslin’,” stating that it’s an obselete term since Ted Turner isn’t involved in the business anymore.

Well, a quick ’splanin’ on why I say “wrasslin’.” Some of the greatest laughs I ever had with Jon were about wrestling. A couple of our boys watched religiously, and we did not. But we watched as children and would tune in here and there, usually to watch the always hilarious The Rock. Either way, this was Jon’s take on wrasslin’.

“The stuff you see in the Olympics, with the headgear–that’s wrestling. But that stuff you see with the ropes and the face paint–that’s wrasslin’.”

So I call it wrasslin’. If it offends you, ease up. I’m not talking to you anyway.

But here’s the interesting thing about those offended people–they’re offended that I may be intimating that they’re not to bright, but they express their disapproval with the worst e-mails ever. I’ve never gotten a collection of e-mails with more misspellings, poor grammar and inept punctuation. So wrasslin’ fans may not be slow, but their e-mails do nothing to sway that opinion.

And I don’t even have that opinion about them. Were that the case, I wouldn’t hang with the WMD.

Anyway, let’s move on to more mail. None of these are edited in any way.

Here’s Matthew.

Dear whatever your name is, I don’t appericate you running down wrestling. What gives you the right to basilly shoot on the WWE? Well, here’s a shoot for you buddy. You talk about how WWE is racist, disgrades women or whatever. Why don’t you do a little research about it before you go off and “shoot” on WWE. The WWE superstars give more about the fans then your football players do. The WWE superstars actually go out and hang out with the fans. The WWE superstars beat the crap out of each other 365 days of year. This aint football there is no off season for WWE. While your players are out in Januray through September WWE is on the road STILL. What’s the diffrence between WWE having divas actually get invovled with the business and a bunch of bimbos dancing around and screaming? Nothing. I mean what’s the point of spending 4 hours of my day watching a bunch of guys chase a ball and everytime the ball slips or they get tackle stopping the game? Why don’t i just watch paint dry? I mean the paint would be dried before the first quater was over.I try watching football but i get bored 10 minutes into the game… and that my friend was a SHOOT! Best Wi.. oppps nevermind. Matthew

Whatever that’s supposed to mean. Micah didn’t dig the piece either. I admit I only put his e-mail up so we can laugh at his inability to spell.

Sorry, but I think that you’re going to lose this fight. Nice try to get people to stop watching wrestling and trying to get people to watch football. You must really be desprite.

Some guy with the e-mail address RawJoshWWE sent this one.

You are such an ass Vince McMahon could beat you MF’n ass any day of the week and as you said in you post I would be willing to drop pay-per-view dough for that one

Now Fuck off you looser.

Whatever a looser is. Here’s Andrew.

You are a closed minded fool, who should actually take the time to research and view the subject to which you write about. You might appeal to those out there with IQ’s low enough to slowly nod their head and go along with what ever you say, but those who can think for themselves know you are an idiot. Wrestling is not for everyone just as neither is sports, computer games, or other such activities, but if you are going to write about something, please know what the heck you are talking about otherwise your entire argument and point is completely lost and disregarded.

Josh ran through a lot of stuff that, quite frankly, has nothing to do with anything.

hello.i just read your colum on mnf vs raw.i thought it was very distastefull.maybe you dont realize the sacrifices wrestlers make on a day to day basis and the fact that they deserve respect.while i will confess that perhapes the wwe hasnt made the best decisions they have made great ones.for instance matches like bret hart vs shawn michaels,kurt angle vs eddie guerrero,kurt angle vs brock lesnar,kurt angle vs chris benoit,and benoit vs eddie guerrero personally i think wrestling pro and amatuer and mma are better then football in every way and they are much harder sports(yes i am calling pro wrestling a sport matches may be predetermined but you know what they get alot more injuries and are probally more athletic.i know this from being on a wrestling and seeing the top football players quit the team the first day because it was too hard.my point is while i dont like football i wouldnt disrespect it since i am someone who doenst know much about it so next time you wanna write a colum about something you dont know just dont write unless your gonna study it and be unbias.

I also added that just to pick on the grammar. Hate to be petty, but you’d do the same if you were in my shoes. Here’s one from some guy named Escobar.

I am both a football fan and a wrestling fan and i feel that Vince will survive football just as he has survived wcw. Wrestling will never die it will just get stronger, no matter how corny you think the wwe is, ignorant people like you can not kill it with your corny jokes. There are more wrestling fans worldwide then there are football fans. Everytime the wwe goes to any country outside the united states they sell out. You think people out in Mexico or Europe care how Tony does at commentating how bad the Redskins offense is even when they spend millions on an offensive corrdinator. No, they care about if DX is gonna kick Vince’s Ass,(story line but I bet you Knew that). We all know wrestling is faked and staged but wrestling fans watch it for the storylines and the entertainment, simmilar to how people were to watch a popular sitcom.Except the wwe gives you a little bit more that keeps you hanged. The point is the wwe will survive because the wwe is one, all year long un like football and two, wwe will always be around america needs the wwe just as much as they need football.

Antonio must hang with some weirdos.

The article that was posted on the website by Bomani Jones is complete BULLSHI*. Everybody know that football SUCKS with a passion!

Larry missed lots of points, not restricted to the ones I was making.

You are a completely bias idiot. You are one of those people who do not see wrestling for what it is, entertainment. And if you dont get it by now, you never will. WWE is not going anywhere and im sure many of these NFL Matchups will only draw in local markets. ESPN has great presentation, but come on, the announcers are a bore and the product of MNF is a shell of what it once was. Sunday Night Football is taking over and has the best games. That double header last night was terrible. Especially the second game.

BTW…did u notice the armed forces salute last night on RAW? Did the NFL have the nuts to go on national TV the week after 911? No.So get bent. WWE doesnt need you as a fan. Trust me.

I’m not sure what this guy’s name is.

THANKS FOR ATLEAST DOING AN ARTICLE ON WRESTLING NOT WRASSLING

This e-mail isn’t particularly interesting, but it was sent by someone named Kid Dynamo.

Ok, As I can see your not a wresting fan. I know there is more people can right about then wrestling on ESPN. I am a sportsfanatic by the way and I enjoy watching ESPNEWS almost everyday. I am not a fan of Monday Night Football unless it is a really good game and I still might not watch it. But that is besides the point. Vince has made it through alot and he is great at what he does unlike you. I read your column didn’t make much sense at all and you told us things most fans already know. So, next time you write a column about WWE make sure you have your information updated SUCKA!!!!

Here’s one from Al, who thinks I’m disrespectful.

For a person who shows immense knowledge on what goes
on and who is in WWE Raw, you are still blatantly
ignorant. First off, the cheap shot “wrasslin” name
shows you have no respect for the business. It is
wrestling, whether you wish to acknowledge it or not.
As much as there are tawdry, bonder line storylines,
it was never the bra and panty matches or the giving
birth to a hand that made Raw a force on Monday night.
It is the athleticism that the superstars show. I
watch the matches because it is the most pure form of
athletics in this world (yes, above your fat,
overwieght lineman) and when the refs screw up, at
least you KNOW that they are paid to do exactly that.

I have been watching wrestling for years and will
continue to watch it over the 60 minute, but 4 hour
game… and it isn’t even true football!

The most interesting theme from the e-mails has been the assertion that I don’t show wrasslin’ proper “respect.” What the fuck has wrasslin’ done to earn my respect? You’d be amazed at the reverence from Vince McMahon I’ve seen in these e-mails. Straight up–Vince has pulled some mind control on folks. I wish I was exaggerating.

But we’ll close with Sam. No introduction needed.

u stupid lil fucker i hope u fucking die u piece of shit ur fucking nothing making fun of vince wen he has created the worlds greatest sports entertainment show yeah its fake but wat the fuck WHO GIVES A SHIT all the WRESTLERS sacrifice there bodies for the fans and if u dont appreciate that u fucking go die u stupid nigger