Now I wouldn't go as far as that Lord Sidious. Not everyone has My Network TV, and if they do, it's on a horrible night (on Friday Nights, most "normal" people are out socializing, plus a lot of big markets cut away for local sports).
Well, to be honest, I am not thrilled about Smackdown being on a Friday Night either. But that argument about it being on Friday, and blaming it for the ratings the show is doing today, needs to come to an end. It isn't a new argument, yet some people (not saying yourself, but a lot of people) try to make others think this is a new argument. Smackdown made the switch to Friday nights back in 2005, almost 4 years ago.
However, if one wants to argue that the network is the main problem, I am definitely more receptive to that argument, and I think it contains some degree of merit. BUT, with that being said, the show has produced a 2.4 rating as its highest rating on that network. However, since has gone down to as low as a 1.6. So, it's moving in the wrong direction, despite being capable of at least bringing in a 2.4. So, I feel there is still a problem somewhere, and I simply think that the fans of the show's current direction, although they personally like everything about the show, is not necessarily in tune with what the mainstream audience may want the show to be.
I agree that fans who want a show for only the wrestling should get a show representative of this under the WWE umbrella. Across the board on all shows? Absolutely not.
Vince appears to be trying an experiment this Friday with appearing in several segments on Smackdown. So, we'll see if adding Vince to the show brings the rating up or down. Again, my guess is up, even though I have seen the IWC groaning about the number of appearances he is making.
But again, I think this goes to show that the IWC wants one thing. The mainstream audience wants something else. Just like was discussed in that 411mania column. And unfortunately, the IWC is only a fraction of the mainstream audience.
donald Trump works on Raw because USA is owned by Univeral, which owns NBC, which distributes The Apprentice. Essentially, Trump and Raw are all apart of the USA Family Tree, and it makes more sense for Trump to be a part of an angle on a Universal owned station as opposed to the competition owned My Network TV.
And yes, that makes sense. I don't think anyone is disputing that.
This plan worked to a T. The WWE needed a way to convince USA to give up their advertising revenue for one night, and convince sponsors to buy segments as opposed to commercials. Trump was that guy. He's a polarizing figure, and he's coming off releasing Miss California, a story that has been in the national spotlight. It was perfect timing. So a combination of Trumps Name, the Univeral/NBC Family, and the fact that the show was commercial free with pay per viewesque matches on it were what led to the big Ratings jump. The big question is, on July 14, will I be able to read the ratings and will it show the WWE being able to mantain this huge boost it received from the Donald? We'll find out in three weeks.
I wasn't aware there was necessarily an experiment going on which the WWE was trying to get the sponsors to buy segments instead of commercials. If that was the true motive for bringing in Trump and doing the "Commercial Free" Raw, then the results can be expected to be this. They will keep the high rating this week, and things will drop next week, and will be back to normal in two weeks.
I actually blasted WWE for ending the Trump angle so soon, because the writing is on the wall that things will go back to normal, without doing anything interesting to give the fans reasons to tune in. WWE gave the fans those reasons with an interesting storyline and it worked wonders. It just shows that the audience is out there.
But if Vince wants those numbers weekly, he is going to have to start working for them again, like he used to do.
If he can get the "Expect the Unexpected" Feel back to Raw, I think he will deliver. However, I agree with you, in that no, you aren't going to see ratings near a 4.5 rating in 2/3 weeks, and that is why I am extremely displeased with the outcome of this, as far as ending in a week's time.
And I won't be tuning in next week, either. The TV is staying off until I hear about the next big angle/storyline they do. I'm not going to be used or simply thrown a bone for a week, and then expect for me to stay tuned in for the same stuff I've turned off 2 months ago.
Oh and by the way, we are nearing the 2 year anniversary of the Benoit Murder/Suicide, the WWE is doing a damn good job at making sure that doesn't come up in the media, that's why you see a name like Donald Trump coming around. It's an excellent media campaign to keep that story dead and buried.
That's an excellent point, and to be honest, I completely forgot about this. I have moved on from that a long time ago, that I don't even think about it anymore. However, that would be a great move for them to try to divert media attention away from the Benoit murders if this little experiment was coordinated purposefully with that in mind.
Sidious, I really hope you aren't addressing me there. I say Smackdown is the A show because I geniuinely enjoy it more. Yes Raw drew high ratings, but considering the angle was pure shit, I am willing to bet it drops again. I don't think the answer is more wrestling, I think the answer is putting effort into putting on a quality show. If Cena was on Smackdown, it would be more clear that it was the A show. I thought Raw had improved, but I don't appreciate being suckered into watching a show under false pretenses. Which is I wont be tuning in next week. Btw, I think R.O.H sucks.
No, to be honest, Nate, I wasn't addressing any one person in particular. However, there were many, many people on this board who overwhelmingly trashed the Trump angle and declared it ridiculous, before they even gave it a chance. However, the rating seems to prove that the general fanbase felt otherwise. Just watching the show, the fans were absolutely energetic and into the show, which sometimes makes all the difference. And when it was said and done, the show produced a 4.5 rating, which was almost an entire point higher than last week.
And I think this goes to show that Vince is capable of bringing in these ratings, as long as he gives the public a reason to tune in. Raw being in "Cruise Control" mode just doesn't cut it anymore. Just tuning in "for the wrestling" itself, isn't reason enough anymore. He has to put effort into the show and try to make each and every show as unique as possible. And I absolutely applaud him when he brought in Trump.
The reason why I call Smackdown fans "ROH fans" is because it is clear that the overwhelming number of IWC Smackdown fans tune into that program for the wrestling, and only the wrestling. That is what they like. And that was what the original ROH was founded on ... fans that want to watch wrestling, strictly for the wrestling itself ... without characters, storylines, or any of the other stuff.
I am absolutely 100% NOT CONVINCED that the majority of the total wrestling audience wants to tune into the shows for ONLY the wrestling, and that is why I have been a vehement opponent of this direction the company has gone in for a couple years now. But, if you speak to the IWC Smackdown fans, this is what they gripe that Raw needs to be more like. And these are exactly the people Vince needs to stop listening to, because they have proven yet again, that they are WRONG. They simply aren't in touch with the real mainstream wrestling audience, yet try to profess their views that they are.
I do think, as I have advocated many, many times, that these fans deserve their own program, but I feel strongly it is wrong for the WWE across the board to ONLY feature products that are solely wrestling-oriented.
I am a fan of both Traditional Sports Entertainment, which was offered in the Hogan Era, as well as the edginess and excitement of the over-the-top storylines of the Attitude Era. And those are the types of programs I feel should be represented on Smackdown and Raw, respectively. Wrestling could be either one of those things today, and I would be thrilled with it, however I think it would be even better if both of those products were offered by WWE simultaneously. It would give fans something unique and different to look forward to each and every week, as opposed to the "same old, same old".
However, the reality is that today's product doesn't even closely resemble either, and I find it to be plain and simply boring. I view today's product as a cross between WCW (what I feel Raw has turned into) and ROH (what I feel Smackdown has turned into). And I notice through talking with a lot of people that many of the fans of today's Smackdown are or have been ROH fans. You may not be, however.
Now, as far as the aftermath of the Trump angle, I am in complete agreement with you and am absolutely disgusted by the way it ended. Which is likely the same reason I am going to be turning Raw off again next week, just like you. I had Raw off for about 2 months, tuned in this week for the Trump angle, and found it to be simply a classic case of bait and switch. And that pisses me off to no end. So I am with you in tuning Raw off, as well.
Even considering the type of fan that I am who likes complex storylines and characters/gimmicks mixed with wrestling ... I have still found Raw to be absolutely boring, even though it is supposedly targeted to people like me. Whatever they have been doing has not been working to capture my interests. I thought the Trump angle was perhaps them turning over a new leaf, but I see I was wrong.
I can't help but think that perhaps there is more to this than meets the eye, because Vince has to be stupid to end this angle in one week's time. I heard reports they were in trouble with the SEC after the USA Network reported the angle as a shoot. Plus, the stock price actually dropped. (These investors have to be amongst the dumbest people on the planet if they thought it was a shoot. They invest in a wrestling company, yet don't apparently understand it enough to know that it's a storyline. Unbelievable.)
So that may explain why Vince ended it so quickly. Who knows? I think more may come out of this story. Either way, someone fucked up, and the USA Network and possibly Vince deserves blame for trying to be vague about whether this was a shoot or a work. That press release should have never, ever been released by the USA Network and presented as a shoot.
