Embrace the mistakes, Vince

[Mustang Sally]

How many times have we read statements like that? He's mad at this, he's in a blue fury at that. Clinically speaking, a man his age shouldn't indulge in rage at all, much less go nuts every time something goes wrong. In filmed movies and TV shows, when a mistake is made, camera action is halted and they get to try it again. What the audience sees is the finished product, a presumably perfect presentation. That's fine for prerecorded stuff, but one of the attractions of live TV is that anything can happen......and it's entertaining to see how the cast handles the flub. Usually, as in a play on stage, it involves blowing a spoken line and the cast is (hopefully) adept at picking up the action and smoothing out the rough edges. The audience may (or may not) know a mistake was made, but it's understood that these things will occur in live productions.

In athletic endeavors, whether scripted or not, it's much harder. It's one thing to simply misspeak a few words.....and quite another to perform maneuvers that require flying blindly through the air or lifting and throwing the weight of another human being......and having your boss demand it be done perfectly in front of a live audience of 10,000 people and a TV viewership of millions. In addition to that, the wrestlers are required to memorize the order that the matches and backstage shenanigans are supposed to proceed......and execute them flawlessly in front of the entire world.

Hard?

No, it's not hard; it's impossible to get it perfect every-damn-time.....and if anyone on the planet should appreciate this, it's Vince McMahon, who's been around it his entire life. In fact, he should understand that one of the great attractions of his product is that things are apt to go wrong at any time.

In the circus, isn't one of the thrills in watching the tightrope walker the possibility he/she could fall and be killed or seriously injured? In auto racing, isn't one of the big (though usually unadmitted) reasons to watch cars go around a track 200 times at 200 mph the chance there will be a huge smash-up? How about mixed martial arts and boxing matches? How many watch to see someone's brains beat in? If things go haywire, do they get to call "Do over!" Does a director cry "Cut!" and let them try it again?

One of the reasons people watch pro wrestling is to see how good the performers are at what they do; to see how well they keep the act going......in fact, to wonder if a mistake has been made at all, or was what we saw the intended result?

Daniel Bryan's injury last Monday night comes to mind. When the ref stopped the match, I didn't realize he was really hurt. We watch these guys fake injury all the time; I figured this was more of the same and that Creative didn't want a definitive decision between Daniel and Randy Orton, so they scripted that the match be stopped.... with no clean winner. (Yes, Randy was declared the winner, but not by pinfall or submission). After reading the injury was real, I wondered if Vince McMahon was furious at that. Was he stomping around and waving his arms in fury because the scripted result wasn't followed? Was he mad at Orton for not jumping out of the ring and attacking Daniel, whom Randy knew was legitimately hurt?

To my way of thinking, mistakes made by WWE performers are like watching the tightrope walker in the circus; errors that are obvious even to the fans make the product seem more real....and therefore more attractive.

Watching honest mistakes give us two things: The understanding that we're watching human beings, not robots..... and a greater appreciation of how hard it is to do what pro wrestlers do.

Accept mistakes, Vince. You want your product to appear as reality.....and nothing spells reality like human beings screwing up occasionally.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

I think Vince's biggest issue, just my personal opinion, is that the man is a well documented control freak who has a habit of trying to micromanage just about everything. Like the old bumper sticker wisely pointed out, shit happens. Sometimes, all the planning and all the obsessive attention to detail in the world won't prevent mistakes from popping up.

To be fair, however, Vince is someone who has put himself under an enormous and, at times, ridiculous level of pressure. He's worked hard and pushed hard to make WWE as big as it's become and, like every other well known businessman, he wants his business to become bigger still. As a result, I'm sure the man can be extremely difficult to work with a good deal of the time. At the same time, however, you don't hear about very many businessmen on Vince's level, or higher, in the annals of American history being labeled as laid back men who accepted their role in the grand scheme of things. J.P. Morgan, Andrew Carnegie, and Henry Ford were men of grand, sometimes even ruthless, visions to increase the success of their businesses any way they possibly could and would try damn near anything to do just that. Vince McMahon strikes me as someone with similar compulsions in regards to WWE.

I think some of Vince's goals are just unrealistic. The WWE Network, for instance, is something that strikes me as a bridge that ultimately goes to nowhere. There's just not enough of a demand for a network that's going to be operated by a professional wrestling company. At the end of the day, despite all the buzz words he tosses around and the effort he's put into branding WWE as more than a wrestling company, it's not fooling anyone. Everybody knows that WWE is and always will be a pro wrestling company. Making movies on the side, the WWE's strong status on social media, participating with well known charitable organizations like the Special Olympics, the Susan G. Koeman Foundation, Be A Star, & Make A Wish isn't going to alter that perception. Vince wants WWE to be more "mainstream" but I don't see pro wrestling ever being ultimately looked as anything higher than "low brow" entertainment.

It's kind of this attitude that has a lot of people waiting with anticipation for the day when Triple H assumes control of WWE. If what's written about Triple H's management style in how he runs NXT is accurate, then Trips is someone seems to be someone that has no qualms whatsoever about embracing WWE as the wrestling company that it is. Also, if what's written is accurate, Triple H is someone who doesn't seem to micromanage every single little thing that takes place and ultimately trusts people to do the jobs that they're hired to do and not, essentially, hijack it.

 

[FitFinlay4Life]

Vincent Kennedy McMahon is a very strange person, he has spent the entirety of his time in charge of the WWF/e trying to either distance himself from the actual wrestling or attempting a myriad of non wrestling activities (bobybuilding, football, movies). Despite this, he goes ape when things don't go as he wants (coming out and stopping a match to apologize to the audience, injuring himself in his fury at the infamous Batista / Cena Royal Rumble finish and instructing the commentators to bury segments that are not going over to his liking), despite the fact that he is regularly the guy changing everything at the 11th hour.

For all his foibles though, he is (by far) the most successful promoter in the history of the sport we love and he has gotten there by being the obsessive compulsive he is. While I, for one, am very happy to see a fan of pre "Sport's Entertainment" taking more and more of a say in the product; I have to say that Triple H has the biggest ever shoes to fill, especially if he is to change the product away (back?) from the model that has ran all of it's US competition out of business.

 

[HBsam31]

I am not trying to compare my business with wrestling exactly, but bare with my for a minute here. I am a restaurant chef. Usually what that entails is two services a day, one lunch one dinner usually six days a week. You have a guy that calls the orders, and 3 or 4 guys cooking those orders, depending on how big the restaurant is. So lets say in a busy restaurant 100 customers for lunch and 100 customers for dinner. That can mean about 500 plates of various foods served a day given customers that order multiple courses. Mistakes are bound to happen, but when they do the kitchen sure as hell hears about it. I am not a tyrannical chef, but I have worked for guys like that. If you undercook a steak you may be subjected to your whole family being insulted for said mistake. Not saying that is right, but still. You could have a perfect service except for maybe one or two dissatisfied people, and those two people could cost you a dozen customers, by voicing their displeasure to their friends and friend's friends. What I am saying is I totally understand the need for perfection. Do I agree with it? Often times I don't, but that is the business I am in. Go on a restaurant review website and check out the things people complain about. It can be quite absurd. Most chefs I know are exactly like what Vince appears to be. They put an unnecessary amount of pressure on themselves, and a lot of them get burnt out way to fast. We are in essence "live" everynight of the week. While I agree that mistakes will happen, I can kind of see Vince's thought process behind wanting things to be a certain way. Vince had a man die on a live ppv. I can't even comprehend being the man in charge on that night. No matter what he did he was going to get criticized for it. What I am trying to say is that I agree with the OP that things are bound to go wrong, but being the person in charge of fixing it is not an easy spot to be in. There are little flubs that people might not even notice, and then there are big flubs where someone might have broken their neck. It is definitely a tightrope walk, and just going by the stress that I have from my business I can completely understand why Vince is the way that he is. It all depends on the attitude of the person in charge.

 

[closet_fan]

I am not trying to compare my business with wrestling exactly, but bare with my for a minute here. I am a restaurant chef. Usually what that entails is two services a day, one lunch one dinner usually six days a week. You have a guy that calls the orders, and 3 or 4 guys cooking those orders, depending on how big the restaurant is. So lets say in a busy restaurant 100 customers for lunch and 100 customers for dinner. That can mean about 500 plates of various foods served a day given customers that order multiple courses. Mistakes are bound to happen, but when they do the kitchen sure as hell hears about it. I am not a tyrannical chef, but I have worked for guys like that. If you undercook a steak you may be subjected to your whole family being insulted for said mistake. Not saying that is right, but still. You could have a perfect service except for maybe one or two dissatisfied people, and those two people could cost you a dozen customers, by voicing their displeasure to their friends and friend's friends. What I am saying is I totally understand the need for perfection. Do I agree with it? Often times I don't, but that is the business I am in. Go on a restaurant review website and check out the things people complain about. It can be quite absurd. Most chefs I know are exactly like what Vince appears to be. They put an unnecessary amount of pressure on themselves, and a lot of them get burnt out way to fast. We are in essence "live" everynight of the week. While I agree that mistakes will happen, I can kind of see Vince's thought process behind wanting things to be a certain way. Vince had a man die on a live ppv. I can't even comprehend being the man in charge on that night. No matter what he did he was going to get criticized for it. What I am trying to say is that I agree with the OP that things are bound to go wrong, but being the person in charge of fixing it is not an easy spot to be in. There are little flubs that people might not even notice, and then there are big flubs where someone might have broken their neck. It is definitely a tightrope walk, and just going by the stress that I have from my business I can completely understand why Vince is the way that he is. It all depends on the attitude of the person in charge.

And really that last statement is what it all boils down to. How much leeway a person has if slight errors, that are only noticeable to him/her, are made. It's been pretty well documented that Vince is a control freak and has his hands on everything, which is a big reason why scripts for RAW are rewritten "that day." What seems like a great show to us might be a train wreck to him because it didn't go perfectly. And honestly, has it ever? I doubt any one show has been so good to the point Vince was 100% satisfied by the outcome.

Not that being this way is a terrible thing. It makes the product that much better. But when you are in charge of a company that has so many scenarios for something to go wrong, you really have to ease up a bit on the expectations.

 

[MCMG]

I think it is unfair to let mistakes slide. Vince and his father have obviously worked hard to build this company and it is acceptable. Some mistakes can be passed of but this is a product shown all around the world, there is no reason for him not to want perfection.

Yes, some of these mistakes make the product more real etc. but it doesn't mean they should be celebrated.

 

[It's...Baylariat!]

What's hilarious about Vince McMahon's madness when it comes to how something's executed is that this seems to happen a LOT recently.

After watching some shoot interviews with former employees of Mr. McMahon, the one constant in their opinions of him are that he's in his own world and that he doesn't watch anything except his product. He has no idea about TNA wrestling nor did he monitor WCW during the Monday Night Wars - that's something he had done for him. And what I've noticed is that Vince also blames everyone but himself when it comes to mistakes that are made. It's not his fault that the ratings are as low as they've been in the last 16 years and he's oblivious to other sporting events factoring into recent low ratings.

So even though no one really detracts Vince's methods, it's nearly proven that he's in his own world and we're merely just passing by.

 

[tvcolosi]

Personally I believed those for a while but since the emergence of the trust they have in Punk, I believe those are mostly a work. The one that I remember best was Cena/Punk on Raw for the #1 contender status at Mania. When Punk hit the piledriver reports were Vince was FURIOUS. Guys like HHH and Punk are aware, at least a little, of the IWC and what we buzz about. Saying Wrestler/Wrestling, calling it a belt, banned moves ect. I think Punk has the freedom to do stuff like that. The audience popped on the pile driver and the IWC creamed that Punk had the guts to do it. Its a small thing that people who know were shocked and those who didn't just said "Wow, haven't see a piledriver in along time".

 

[Mustang Sally]

Yes, some of these mistakes make the product more real etc. but it doesn't mean they should be celebrated.

Sure, but it's counter-productive to become so outraged that he gets blue in the face and screams at his employees, whom I'm sure are doing their level best. He would do well to remember these are human beings, not machines ..... especially in a business such as pro wrestling, where the performers have to operate on the fly and incorporate mental agility with physical moves. Perfection just isn't possible.

Pointing out mistakes to his people? Definitely.

 

[VinnieSunshine]

I love when stars make mistakes...it shows everyone is perfect. Sports stars make mistakes all the time, the difference is...WWE doesn't have a SportsCenter like show to keep pointing out the flaws.

I remember watching The Jets last season and seeing Sanchez run into his own player, fall, and cause a fumble that was picked up by the Patriots for a TD. After that it's all you saw and the sports updates all made fun of it. But you don't see that with WWE. We don't have a show that points it out.

In a match between Punk/Cena, these guys are veteran enough and have put on enough matches that a few mistakes are acceptable. IF they screwed up the enitre match, then you can get pissy. With guys right out of NXT having matches, if they screw up, ok...get mad. But it might have been from a miscue or nerves.

Here is the problem and the difference between Vince and Triple H. Vince is BUSINESS. He wants things to run smooth with no hiccups. When there are, he gets pissy and shows it. Triple H is WRESTLING. He knows that things can happen in the ring at the drop of a dime. Look at his injuries...one wrong move took him out for awhile.

Vince gets mad at a lot of things it seems. Triple H seems to be making his trasition to taking over. Things seem to be going smoother and when he actually DOES take over, you won't see stories like this.

 

[Pedigree1]

VKM is the super ultimate control freak! IMO this is the reason why he is as successful as he is. Finlay brought up some good points! Trying to distance himself from the actual wrestling to non wrestling activities. I.e,The WBF for those old enough to remember that one the XFL etc. Yes he goes ape shit when things dont go his way,changes his mind 1000 times a day,buries segments he doesnt like,tell the announcers what to say and what not to say.

VKM is a sure fire Genius. Us as the whole IWC,have no idea what it would be like to have a mind like his. Im sure his mind his brain never ever shuts up. We have all had those moments,when trying to go to sleep our minds seem to race.. Well im sure his mind races 24/7. His only outlet as far as i can tell is bodybuilding. He is in incredible shape,for a man his age. Hell,he even throws a fit when he sneezes a man like that can be very difficult to work for.. Perfection is not possible by mere mortals,when trips takes over im sure the gas pedal will be let off just a little bit allowing for people to breathe a lil easier

 

[Judah's Lion]

lots of good points thus far. always enjoy reading posts/threads from the OP. you know I love ya, Mustang!

one thing I haven't seen/read/heard on this particular thread yet and I think is an interesting point to bring up is the fact that some mistakes have been extremely profitable to the company.

i'm not saying that Vince should embrace EVERY mistake that happens. certainly there have been some terrible things that have happened both inside and outside the ring that have seriously changed lives forever -- even ended some lives. so yeah, obviously Vince should not embrace those kinds of mistakes. but I don't think that Mustang was referring to that by a mile.

in the world of live tv, especially professional wrestling, mistakes are bound to happen. lightening up on the reigns might be beneficial to all involved. adding pressure on top of pressure can't be easy on the talents. some could even argue that it'll only add to the mistakes. as one poster already stated, mistakes have seemed to happen a lot recently. it's true, and entirely understandable considering the high demands of a control-freak perfectionist genius.

but sometimes, a mistake can be the best thing ever. Daniel Bryan being beat for the World Title at Mania in 18 seconds was absolutely terrible. major mistake. and yet, it launched Bryan into superstar status immediately. and looking on his career since that time, you can see how his star has in fact been on the rise steadily ever since. that is one mistake that I see Vince and the rest of the company embracing.

long story short, as with all things in life and especially things sports entertainment related, I think the answer is balance. pick your battles. some things are worth fighting for and freaking out about when it comes to mistakes. other things should just be let go. don't embrace it but don't rant and rave about it either. and then there are those happy accidents that should be thoroughly embraced and taken to the next level cuz it was the best thing that could have happened, whether planned or not.

great thread, per usual, Mustang. lots of fun.

 

[VinnieSunshine]

one thing I haven't seen/read/heard on this particular thread yet and I think is an interesting point to bring up is the fact that some mistakes have been extremely profitable to the company.

i'm not saying that Vince should embrace EVERY mistake that happens. certainly there have been some terrible things that have happened both inside and outside the ring that have seriously changed lives forever -- even ended some lives. so yeah, obviously Vince should not embrace those kinds of mistakes. but I don't think that Mustang was referring to that by a mile.

It's funny you say that after what just happened with Byran on Monday night. They took a match stoppage due to potential injury and turned it around into a storyline. It's little things like that that make the product somewhat better and add more of a realism to it.