Sports Talk with MC

by MC

For those of you with a well-oiled machine for a memory- you probably will all remember that it wasn’t so long ago that Britney Spears’ ex-hubby, Kevin “KFED” Federline dipped his wick into the crazy world of professional wrestling.

At face value, one can safely comment that Federline’s move to step into a WWE ring with no less than the company’s most marketable star, John Cena, was not only laughable, it was downright embarrassing.

It’s also ironic that Federline’s foray into pro-wrestling came not so long after his divorce with Britney, his ex-wife whom he had 2 children with.

KFed’s entire public persona, sadly, has been built on being the “laughingstock” trying to rebel against the his critics (his critics being, well, most of the inhabitants of the known world). It’s funny how the progression of the image of the man who has dubbed himself as “America’s Most Hated” can be seen as something parallel to the way Vince McMahon of the WWE has built his empire. The man’s constructed his empire upon a foundation of ostentatious displays of “excess” (think a slew of Divas in skimpy swimwear at every turn, hardcore matches as regular fare and things as crazy as father vs daughter submission matches as commonplace occurrences), and has used such a culture to allow for the metamorphosis of something which is, more or less, intrinsically embarrasing, into PURE GOLD. Federline’s rise to prominence has taken a similar path. He has gone from being a backup dancer to the partner of the world’s biggest popstar. He has gone from being that, to being a full-fledged recording artist. No matter how ridiculous people say KFed is, he seems to be raking in the big bucks because of his image as a purported, “loser”. At the end of the day, any publicity can be said to be good publicity when you add the numbers right up.

Still, I can officially say that I am “KFed-up”. Why? Because his public persona is corny as hell. Because on paper, it looks painfully obvious that he married Britney Spears for, well, the money (although they may have really been in love; Hollywood is Hollywood, though, and maybe, just maybe, there might have been some “screensaver” moments involved there, some expressions put on display for show). Because he is the ghetto’s version of French Toast when everyone else, is legit wheat bread.

Of course, that’s just me. The few others who may own a copy of his album might beg to disagree.

=)

by MC

I recently got to see an interview conducted by “Off The Record”’s Michael Landsburg featuring WWE Hall of Famer and Canada’s own Bret “The Hitman” Hart on a host of issues. Beyond Survivor Series 1997, the NWO and WCW, and the death of his brother Owen Hart, Bret’s candid anecdotes on a variety of subjects, on the whole, elicited surprise from yours truly.

The Hitman talked about his relationship with WWE Chairman Vincent Kennedy McMahon. After suffering a stroke some years back, Bret claims that Vinny Mac phoned him. It was then that the two discussed arrangements for the former’s tribute DVD. In the piece, Calgary’s favorite son also shared his personal views on the game’s biggest stars. As expected, he dissed Shawn Michaels for being somebody who was two-faced, and who epitomized disloyalty. He praised The Rock, and Stone Cold Steve Austin, for being “men’s men”.

Some may say that at this point, Bret’s comments are passe, and pointless to hear out. I disagree with that assertion, in that as long as a culture of usury, abuse, and inequity amongst peers and employees/superiors exists in the entertainement industry, or in any profession, for that matter, there will never be true progress that will ensue. I mean, a company like the WWE may net bigger earnings at the end of the day, but a culture rooted in disloyalty can, and will, create dissention in the ranks which, invariably, will cause a log jam- too many “stars”, too little “space”. It can happen. We saw it in the 2004 Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA. WCW had a plethora of talent but could never really beat the WWE in the ratings wars because their act had gotten “old”. The WWE, over the years, has ammassed its share of big names- Chris Benoit, John Layfield, Tazz, Shawn Michaels, Kurt Angle, etc. Couple a lion’s share of upside, with dishonesty, and what you get is something absolutely ridiculous- the poorest plots for the best people, which leads to dissatisfaction and perhaps, the complete and utter disillusionment of your entire fan base.

But I digress…

Bret Hart is a sports entertainment legend who did not deserve to go the way he did. Bret Hart does have a sharp tongue, yes, but for good reason. Most times, people are not akin to hearing the “awful truth”.

Now if only there were more who were willing to speak of the truth, and get off their keisters and work for change, then, well, fate may never get the chance to spawn a “Mr. McMahon” in reality.

Make no mistake about it- that barring of imagination morphing into flesh, blood, and a particular ideal, is a GOOD THING.

by MC

Vince McMahon “versus” Donald Trump. Wrestlemania 23. The loser gets his head shaved bald.

The stakes cannot get any higher than that.

No, we won’t neccessarily be seeing the Chairman of the WWE and the man who strikes fear into the hearts of contestants on “The Apprentice” officially get into fisticuffs, but we will witness a heated battle between two gladiators who carry the fate of the world’s most famous coiffs upon their massive shoulders- the ECW World Champion Bobby Lashley, and the WWE Intercontinental Champion, Umaga.

In my view, the Trump/McMahon tiff is the ultimate publicity stunt. Everyone pretty much agrees that there is no way that the Donald can lose this match (save for an odd plot twist, this is something which Vinny Mac isn’t so keen on based on how previous storylines have gone), and everyone more or less in concurs that whoever leaves WM 23 with a chrome dome, both Trump and VM would have benefitted from engaging, on air, exposure that should translate into financial pluses somewhere down the line.

The WWE’s impetus for it’s big time stars has always been to not only create outstanding in-ring athletes, but also to create marketable, multimedia, “characters”. Hulk Hogan, and, consequently, John Cena’s, rise to popularity is suggestive of such a trend in sports entertainment as defined by World Wrestling Entertainment. As tiring as this modus operandi can be after a while, it does translate into a consistent source of patronage and, invariably, income, so, in a sense, who can blame the top brass officials of the WWE for remaining steadfast in eschewing “creativity” in the name of a stouter wallet?

So, if you have nothing better to do come early April, swing by your nearest pay-per-view provider’s office and tell them you want to purchase Wrestlemania 23, if not for the intense title matches between Batista and The Undertaker, and John Cena and HBK, to merely be witness to the Vince/Donald fiasco. In in the event that you would rather witness a billionaire go bald rather than specifically see men in tights beat the heck out of each other, in the event that you’d rather be ABSOLUTELY cartoony instead of having even a sliver of appreciation for athletic ability, or true resilience, go for Trump/McMahon.

It’s the “Don” of Sports Entertainment, pitted against the “The Donald”.

Could anything be more ridiculously enjoyable?

I think not. =)