ESPN is Still Treating Pro Wrestling like a Sport

[PastyStoole]

Even before the Chinese virus broke out, these idiots were treating wrestling like it was an actual sport, filling pages and air time with that garbage. It's bad enough that they give air and space to unwatchable sports like the for-lesbians-only WNBA and drippy English league poo, but professional wrestling is about as much of a sport as a zoning board meeting, and every bit as exciting.

At its best, professional wrestling is nothing more than unbearably bad theatre, and should never, under any circumstances, be discussed in any other context. I actually heard an ESPN radio station today discussing, in serious tones, the skill development of some women wrestler I'd never heard of. Good God, it's no wonder they've had to lay off so many people over the last couple of years.

 

[JDW]

Wrestling < Soap Operas

 

[JDW]

ESPN is garbage and the only reason I use the service is for gator sports updates

 

[backstop13]

keep in mind the E in ESPN stands for "Entertainment"

Much like mainstream news networks, all they care about is the ad revenue generated by your clicks.

 

[soflagator]

My mother is a very strong willed person who never missed an opportunity to teach a visual lesson when I was a child, often using extreme measures. There are two that stand out to me the most. Once at around 4, I saw a morbidly obese early-20ish guy and asked why/how he'd become so fat. Her answer? He asks for more than just 3 scoops of ice cream(a firm rule in our house). The other was when I was about 5 and I noticed a mentally handicapped(DS) man at a dinner party watching this strange sport that I'd never seen. When I asked what it was, she told me that it was called "wrestling" and that it was only intended for the mentally handicapped. To this day, I never ask for more than 3 scoops of ice cream, and still associate "wrestling" with the mentally handicapped.

I don't know. It seemed relevant.

 

[TheDouglas78]

My mother is a very strong willed person who never missed an opportunity to teach a visual lesson when I was a child, often using extreme measures. There are two that stand out to me the most. Once at around 4, I saw a morbidly obese early-20ish guy and asked why/how he'd become so fat. Her answer? He asks for more than just 3 scoops of ice cream(a firm rule in our house). The other was when I was about 5 and I noticed a mentally handicapped(DS) man at a dinner party watching this strange sport that I'd never seen. When I asked what it was, she told me that it was called "wrestling" and that it was only intended for the mentally handicapped. To this day, I never ask for more than 3 scoops of ice cream, and still associate "wrestling" with the mentally handicapped.

I don't know. It seemed relevant.

Damn if that is for the mentally handicapped, midget wrestling has to be for Eagle Fans.

 

[soflagator]

Damn if that is for the mentally handicapped, midget wrestling has to be for Eagle Fans.

You haven't been the same since you got the Corona. I list that as among the worst of the consequences we've all experienced.

 

[TheDouglas78]

You haven't been the same since you got the Corona. I list that as among the worst of the consequences we've all experienced.

I'm just putting out there that you support Urgs family with your patronage of his career.

 

[oxrageous]

Damn if that is for the mentally handicapped, midget wrestling has to be for Eagle Fans.

 

[SGG]

Meh, I grew up watching it when it was pretty watchable. When the Ric Flairs, the Hulk Hogans, the Stings, the Macho Man Randy Savages, etc were the main attractions.

It’s pretty hard to stomach if I flip the channel over to it these days. No one has any charisma and it’s not nearly as “awe inspiring” as it once was.....that being said, some of the “sports entertainers” are pretty physically gifted and it takes one helluva toll on the body.

For anyone who grew up on old school wrestling, there’s a pretty good series on VICE called Dark Side of The Ring. This season started by documenting the Chris Benoit murder suicide and it was pretty wild and informative.

 

[Gatordiddy]

these idiots were treating wrestling like it was an actual sport

If my grandfather were alive today, he'd put down his unfiltered Camel and his Pabst, and ask you to step outside.

 

[GatorInGeorgia]

Even before the Chinese virus broke out, these idiots were treating wrestling like it was an actual sport, filling pages and air time with that garbage. It's bad enough that they give air and space to unwatchable sports like the for-lesbians-only WNBA and drippy English league poo, but professional wrestling is about as much of a sport as a zoning board meeting, and every bit as exciting.

At its best, professional wrestling is nothing more than unbearably bad theatre, and should never, under any circumstances, be discussed in any other context. I actually heard an ESPN radio station today discussing, in serious tones, the skill development of some women wrestler I'd never heard of. Good God, it's no wonder they've had to lay off so many people over the last couple of years.

Hey now, ease up there fella, lest you run afoul of “Dr. D“ David Schultz. He may do to you what he did to John Stossel. That doesn’t look fake to me.

 

[GatorInGeorgia]

Meh, I grew up watching it when it was pretty watchable. When the Ric Flairs, the Hulk Hogans, the Stings, the Macho Man Randy Savages, etc were the main attractions.

It’s pretty hard to stomach if I flip the channel over to it these days. No one has any charisma and it’s not nearly as “awe inspiring” as it once was.....that being said, some of the “sports entertainers” are pretty physically gifted and it takes one helluva toll on the body.

For anyone who grew up on old school wrestling, there’s a pretty good series on VICE called Dark Side of The Ring. This season started by documenting the Chris Benoit murder suicide and it was pretty wild and informative.

I couldn’t agree more about not enjoying it today like I did in my youth watching the same superstars like Hogan & Flair that you referenced.

I’m loving the Dark Side of the Ring series. The “Brawl for All”, “Dino Bravo” & “Jimmy Snuka” episodes were very good & the David Schultz episode was decent. I have the Benoit episodes recorded but haven’t watched yet. The Road Warriors episode is up next, early next week. I’m looking forward to that one.

 

[Sec14Gator]

t’s pretty hard to stomach if I flip the channel over to it these days. No one has any charisma and it’s not nearly as “awe inspiring” as it once was.

I couldn’t agree more about not enjoying it today like I did in my youth watching the same superstars like Hogan & Flair that you referenced.

It's definitely the wrassler's that have changed, not you guys getting older and (fortunately) less awe struck by oversized men in thongs. Hang in there, the glory days are coming back.

 

[Marine1]

As a kid I loved it. Then my dad who was a deputy at the time got an overtime gig every Monday night at the Polo Grounds auditorium in WPB for the wrestling matches. He would bring my younger brother and I with him. One night after the last match he brought us back to locker room to meet the wrestlers. Several of the mortal enemies were playing cards, drinking and smoking together. Best of friends. My brother and I couldn’t believe it. Never went or watched on TV ever again.

 

[Gatordiddy]

As a kid I loved it. Then my dad who was a deputy at the time got an overtime gig every Monday night at the Polo Grounds auditorium in WPB for the wrestling matches. He would bring my younger brother and I with him. One night after the last match he brought us back to locker room to meet the wrestlers. Several of the mortal enemies were playing cards, drinking and smoking together. Best of friends. My brother and I couldn’t believe it. Never went or watched on TV ever again.

Similar thing in Trashahassee after a "Showdown" at the Leon County Civic Center - 1987.
My buddy and I went right after work, neither of us had ever been to a wrasslin' match, and good lord was it painfully obvious it was fake in person versus the camera angles on TV. We were more entertained by the guys around us who treated it like a real sport and argued back and forth about the wrasslers.

Then we went to one of the nightclubs after the match and saw Rick Flair, Lex "The Total Package" Lugar and Sting yucking it up with some of the "bad guys" at the bar. I wouldn't say it ruined it for me, but yeah, kind of like.."Really?".
However - I will say those dudes are in awfully good shape.
Especially Lugar and Sting... the ladies was a-buzzin' around them.

I sat behind Hulk on a flight from TPA to ATL and man, is he huge.
Sat next to Savage/Bonesaw on a flight and he was ripped.
Stood right in front of the Big Show in line for a flight out of Atlanta and turned around to see who the doosh canoe was mouthing off to the gate agent, and was face to stomach with him.
Talk about a human Eclipse.

 

[Marine1]

 

[GatorInGeorgia]

However - I will say those dudes are in awfully good shape.
Especially Lugar and Sting... the ladies was a-buzzin' around them.

I sat behind Hulk on a flight from TPA to ATL and man, is he huge.
Sat next to Savage/Bonesaw on a flight and he was ripped.
Stood right in front of the Big Show in line for a flight out of Atlanta and turned around to see who the doosh canoe was mouthing off to the gate agent, and was face to stomach with him.
Talk about a human Eclipse.

I bumped into Barry Windham at the Atlanta airport a decade ago. The dude was fricking huge. I’m 6’3/6’4 and he towered over me. He wasn’t fat, he wasn’t muscle bound ripped, he was just a naturally big, country strong build type. Must have been 6’6 minimum, 300+ pounds.

Saw Rob Simmons around the same timeframe. I went up to him and told him he was and always will be a Criminole for his part in the FSU burglary ring back in the late 70s (Google it). Anyway, he didn’t do jack shiiat to me b/c he was scared to death! No just kidding, I saw him and didn’t say a fcvking word. The guy is built like a tank and he was probably early 50s at the time. Not overly tall, maybe 6’0 tops, but must have been 280 solid muscle. Not a guy I’d ever fcvk with!

Saw Lex Luger probably 12,years ago at a Barnes & Noble. He was in a motorized scooter wheelchair as this was after he was left paralyzed. Anyway, he was talkative to everybody around but I got the feeling that he was somewhat of a fake personality wise-trying to be friendly but had he been the Lex of old (not in a wheelchair) he would be a dick and wouldn’t give anybody the time of day. His character the Narcassist was probably pretty close to his real life personality from what I could guess.

Scott Steiner back in 1992 at Dave & Busters. Looked tough but was short and probably only 220lbs tops. The 65lbs of muscle he added over the next 10 years was all natural, though. :)

Disco Inferno at a QuikTrip gas station late 90s. 5’10, 200 lbs at most. Looked more like a 9-5 worker than a pro wrestler.

Chris Jericho at American Pie, mid 90s. I’d be surprised if he’s a hair over 5’8 but apparently he’s pretty tough in real life.

Plenty of others over the years that I’ll save for later.

 

[Marine1]

Another funny thing about this video is the dude was taking notes as former wrestlers spoke to the group in a high school gym. That’s serious dedication.

 

[Gatordiddy]

Saw Rob Simmons around the same timeframe

I worked the drive thru at the Burger King on Tennessee street across from the criminole campus - late 70’s.
He routinely came thru in a brand new sweet Trans-Am, usually with some ‘tang - and you’re right, not a person with whom you tangle.