Wow, was everyone wrong about Scribblenauts or what? Great idea, terrible execution, and maybe the worst play control for a game I wanted to love EVER!

Sigh. Okay. The nWo wasn’t really the nWo any time after 1997, and if you truly understand what the nWo was and why it worked so well, you know that. There’s no point in talking about the nWo at any poing after the dissension began, since, in fact, this was no longer the nWo. The truth is, for as long as WCW stayed with the story that made them number one in the first place–I’m talking, of course, about nWo vs. WCW–they remained on top. It wasn’t until after they began altering the concept on a fundamental level that they lost the upper hand to the WWF on Monday nights. I’m not claiming the WWF wouldn’t have emerged the victor anyway, but to dismiss this fact, and it is a fact, as mere coincidence is absurd. By taking away the nWo–which is really what happened after the new year of ‘98–they both eliminated their most compelling “bad guys” and drove the nWo fans–and their were millions of them–away to the WWF, where, by sheer coincidence (ahem), the nWo’s influence had created a whole slew of stars, such as Austin, Rock, and DX, who were very nWo-like.

And as for the nWo being watered down by too many members, the truth is that by the end of the REAL nWo–that’s the end of 1997–the group hadn’t gotten ANY BIGGER than it was at the end of 1996. That’s a whole year, and rather than a bunch of “nameless” (not my word) guys in black and white t-shirts, they were mostly guys with established identities who had gotten over to respectable degrees. Especially guys like Buff Bagwell and Konnan, who, while they may be the object of many a cheap joke today, were undeniably over as “cool heels” by the end of ‘97 going into ‘98.

I realize you guys weren’t really nWo fans, but I certainly was (and am, shocker), and I guarantee you millions of people hadn’t tired of the nWo. Though it may not have hurt to move someone else into the top spot, probably Nash, and to bring in some new blood, the biggest mistake was in splitting the group in the first place. You can’t just establish this whole factional warfare dynamic of nWo vs. WCW, blow it to smithereens, and then go merrily on your way. THAT’S your biggest problem.

With the fingerpoke, one of the things that fans forget is that it was advertised ahead of time as Goldberg vs. Nash for the belt, and that many fans tuned in to that segment unaware that it was changed to Hogan/Nash, which nobody wanted to see. It wasn’t just the fingerpoke that buried WCW, but the bait and switch of it as well. It was a double-burn.

To the guy who said the nWo wasn’t played, I’ll echo the calls of retard pointed at you. The nWo was played by February of 1998. When they split it off into the Wolfpac, it stunk of desperation and easily contributed to the fall of WCW. I think you can look historically at wrestling and see that faction vs. faction feuds don’t play well.

As an example, the nWo vs. the Horsemen at Fall Brawl ‘97 didn’t draw a big buyrate. Nor did the DX/Nation feud that everyone talks about. In fact those quarter-hours tended to be lower rated then even Val Venis vs. TAKA Michinoku matches. Rival tag teams? Fine. Rival groups? Historically, for whatever reason, it never draws good.

The nWo WAS watered down and DID go on for way, way too long in too many uninspired “returns” of different versions. The fingerpoke of doom has been proven (via actual ratings and ppv buyrates) to be almost the exact moment that WCW began the true slide downhill, from which they would never recover.

Also, Lord Koz is functionally brain-damaged and should be euthanized for the good of humanity.

—– That is gold.

Wrestlecrap had a great podcast with Vince Russo, who tries his best to explain all the crap he is blamed with. It’s the single greatest insight into the mind of a complete madman that I’ve witnessed. He was (and still is) soooo excited about some of the crap he did.

I am now spending the rest of my week affixing a cheapie holographic sticker to Easy E’s torso.

In Mick’s book, I think he talks about negotiating a new contract at this time, so if they wanted to fire him, they didn’t need a reason.

Okay that shit had me laughing hard aloud.