TIGER WOODS STRUGGLES

Let me start off this blog by saying that I am a fan of Tiger Woods.  I have been a fan of his ever since he set the PGA Tour on fire.  With that said, I do not condone or agree with the personal issues he has faced over the course of the last few years.  Not only do I not agree with or condone those actions, I can separate the fact that I can be a fan of his work and work-ethic without being a fan of his personal life.

Another disclaimer, before I start to type my opinions about his struggles and why no one is mentioning the obvious – I do not know Tiger Woods.  I am not a personal friend of Tiger Woods.  Also, I have never even met Tiger Woods.

However, I can still give you my opinion on why he’s struggling… and it has nothing to do with his swing.

REALITY WRESTLING

With Monday Night RAW being such a hot television show, lately, with the rise of one of the most controversial characters since Stone Cold Steve Austin… It started making me really think. With the statements of CM Punk, in recent weeks, I sit back and not only think of how the business has evolved but I think of how damaging this could be, as well.

Hear me out.

WHAT WORKS… AND WHAT DOESN’T

Have you ever wondered why some things just work… And some don’t? Especially, when it comes to sports entertainment. Some things just click, while others leave you wondering what the heck they were thinking!

Even the most subtle change in an outfit, wrist tape or wardrobe could’ve helped a guy or girl get over. Or maybe it was just the wrong character completely? There have been too many times to even count, that I’ve seen on the indy scene. That is totally understandable. Most of what you see on the indies is horrible, anyway. But, when you see the largest wrestling organizations in the world make big mistakes, it leaves you really scratching your head.

I’m going to share a few examples that you may or may not have picked up on. Then, I want you to share yours.

Ready?? Here we go:

GREAT TIME FOR SPORTS FANS

With the NFL lockout ending, the Mississippi RiverKings filling out the roster for their inaugural season in the Southern Professional Hockey League and the excitement that CM Punk has brought to the WWE… It’s a great time to be a sports fan, indeed.

THE FUTURE OF SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT?

Simple question… right? Read that previous sentence with very heavy sarcasm. I know I’m opening up a can of worms by asking that questions, but I’m interested to see exactly what your answers are.

The future of our business should be in Florida Championship Wrestling, the official and only developmental system for World Wrestling Entertainment. But many people that I speak with do not seem to think that is the case. So, if the future of our business isn’t in the system of the world’s largest sports entertainment entity… then, where is it?

The More Things Change…

Like the old saying goes: The more things change, the more they stay the same. Even with the evolution in advanced technology, there are some activities or interactions that remain very similar to what I’ve done in the past. Maybe, the platform that I use has changed?

I was actually thinking about this, as I listened to the most recent “I Want Wrestling” podcast. Between fantasy booking, being a so-called “wrestling nerd” & live tweeting, it reminded me of my childhood days. It reminded me of how I watched wrestling, pre-WWE Attitude era.

Back in those days, I had a Monday Night tradition, so to speak, with my best friend, Danny. Flipping back and forth between RAW & Nitro was a given. Everyone did that. But we would do something a little different… But it’s also very similar to what many of us do, today.

STARR INTERVIEW: KEVIN “KILLER” KAMINSKI

Hockey fans, buckle your seat belts because Kevin Kaminski’s interview is HERE!  What an interview it was!  A big thank you goes out to Coach Kaminski for not only taking part in the discussion, but for being so willing to discuss his time in the Mid-South and transitioning to Louisiana.

Kaminski also tells a very interesting story about the toughest player he ever fought!  I won’t spoil the story, but for the die-hard hockey fans, he has a great story about fighting NHL legendary fighter, Bob Probert!

Be sure to post your thoughts because that’s what this is all about!  Comment, discuss, critique and more importantly – share!  Enjoy!

SELF-PROMOTION

If you have ever worked in the sports entertainment field, you know how crucial self-promotion is.  If you are a sub-contractor or business owner, you better know.  If you are any of the above and do not know how important self-promotion is, chances are, you are not succeeding in your realm of work.

Self-promotion means everything, in the world of sports entertainment and business.  If you’re doing it correctly, your sports entertainment career is your business.  Therefore, you promote it as such.  Getting your name and face out there as often as possible, in as many places as you possibly can is key.  The more people see your face and hear your name, the more familiar they become with your brand.  The more places you can be to spread that brand, the larger your audience becomes.

It’s pretty simple, really.  The more people who know you, the more popular you will become.

What a lot of you do not hear is the negative aspect that goes along with it.  Self-promotion is a double-edge sword.

CM PUNK

As I sat on my couch, watching a fast-forward-Tivo version of Monday Night RAW, I saw the arrival of CM Punk and immediately stopped.  Zipping thru most of the matches is a tradition that I’ve become accustomed to, every Monday night.  I typically just watch the promos, unless someone I’m actually interested in seeing, is wrestling.  Believe me, there’s only a small handful of them left.  Needless to say, I see CM Punk enter the picture and I immediately stop.

Main Event Tables Match between WWE Champion, John Cena, and one of my favorite characters on RAW, R-Truth?  No thanks.  CM Punk promo, sitting Indian-style on the ramp?  Yes, please.

THIS IS WHY ZACK RYDER ISN’T ON WWE TV

The Ryder Revolution is riding high… just not within the offices of World Wrestling Entertainment.  I hate to use this term, but Ryder has become an “internet darling” that WWE is accustomed to working against, instead of working with.

Take Daniel Bryan, for instance.  He was billed, on NXT, as an internet darling.  What did WWE creative do? Not only did they boot him from the NXT broadcast, but they’ve done everything in their power to hold him down.  Fortunately for him, his work rate and work quality has kept him afloat.  Have you heard his ring music, for crying out loud?  Horrible.

Another example would be Kaval.  Although he’s far from being an internet darling and has earned everything he’s received, WWE still put the label upon him.  He won his season of NXT and was still shunned by the company.  Internet darling?

Need another example?