Leaked Production Notes for Commentators

[ayumidah]

"PLease do not use the term "Sports Entertainment". Going forward, please use "Entertainment" in place."

So now I guess we're just the Internet Entertainment Community?

[StuntGranny®]

"Everyone hates being told what to think."

The fact that the WWE lists this on there makes me laugh real hard.

[Deleted]

"Don't say what the crowd is chanting."

The King found a loophole in that rule when he said they are chanting "Let's go Sheamus." Seriously the only thing I got is Jerry Lawler doesn't follow half of this shit. He probably skimmed through half of the guidelines in a speed read and called it a day

[Deleted]

I don't see anything about this that validates it. Half of it is contradictory to what we've seen since this was supposedly written.

It's a long kinda official looking document, yes I can make one too, print it out, and put a napkin that says FAN on the pages also.

[Bang Bang Bart]

"Announcers are NOT THE STARS", this despite having a heel Michael Cole be the focal point of an angle in early 2011.

[Hit Girl]

If true, those notes do not surprise me.

[fortknox]

Could you imagine something like this in the 80s?

Gorilla Moonson would have read the memo and then throw it away and do his own thing. And as for Vince yelling in his ear? I think Moonson would have knocked him out to shut him up.

[wrestlinggod13]

I'm not convinced of the document's authenticity. Anyone could have created it. If it is real, I'm dumbfounded that the word 'feud' cannot be spoken by a commentator on a wrestling show.

[CMWaters]

Jul 7, 2015 22:15:26 GMT -5 fortknox said:

Could you imagine something like this in the 80s?

Gorilla Moonson would have read the memo and then throw it away and do his own thing. And as for Vince yelling in his ear? I think Moonson would have knocked him out to shut him up.

If not Monsoon then Ventura definitely.

[SCCB Was Told To Do Steroids]

To be honest, it doesn't seem anything different from what any other broadcasters would get. And, it looks like they are instructed to take the fans seriously...

[Crimson]

Jul 7, 2015 22:45:53 GMT -5 wrestlinggod13 said:

I'm not convinced of the document's authenticity. Anyone could have created it. If it is real, I'm dumbfounded that the word 'feud' cannot be spoken by a commentator on a wrestling show.

Is it though? When you think about it, Cole has consistently called feuds "rivalries" for the past couple of years. And it's not even a spur of the moment thing either. It was the same time he started the whole "WWE Universe" and "And I Quote" stuff.

[Dean-o]

"Don't call a move before it happens. If this is so predictable why should we watch?"

Judging by their ratings trend in recent years, many fans have asked that same question.

This list is comedy gold. It's the end result of an overproduced, micromanaged product. Ain't nothing "Raw" about the show, hasn't been for years.

[MrElijah]

Jul 7, 2015 22:51:36 GMT -5 CMWaters said:

Jul 7, 2015 22:15:26 GMT -5 fortknox said:

Could you imagine something like this in the 80s?

Gorilla Moonson would have read the memo and then throw it away and do his own thing. And as for Vince yelling in his ear? I think Moonson would have knocked him out to shut him up.

If not Monsoon then Ventura definitely.

You just know Heenan would have taken the piss out of this.

"Look Monsoon, a universe of humanoids! We're in trouble now!!"
"Will you stop?!"

[Ryback on a Pole!]

Some of these are baffling.

What is wrong with the words hospital, backstage, interesting and war? Especially war which is a good, descriptive word to use for a brutal match.

[Hit Girl]

Jul 7, 2015 23:18:09 GMT -5 Ryback on a Pole! said:

Some of these are baffling.

What is wrong with the words hospital, backstage, interesting and war? Especially war which is a good, descriptive word to use for a brutal match.

If I could venture a guess...

"Hospital" - Might encourage fans to go to the nearest hospital to see the wrestler in question and make a nuisance of themselves.

"Backstage" - Makes it seem too pre-determined, as if it's a play or something too theatrical.

"Interesting" - Too mundane

"War" - Too violent. Although I'm sure I've heard Cole often say "this match was a war!!" or phrases along those lines.

[Deleted]

Even if the line of thought on the hospital thing is, "Fans might really go there!", do they not think people would hear "medical facility" and think "hospital"?

[Hit Girl]

Most of those notes should really be sent to the creative team, not the commentators.

The burden is on the writers and the supervisors to come up with good stories and characters, not the announcers.


Micro-management like that set out in the notes is a sign of a shitty creative team who put way too much pressure on the announcers to make their terrible material sound coherent and compelling.

[Rave]

We don't have belts or straps. We have Championships, Titles. The belt represents something. Talk about what it represents (hard work, dedication) or it means (accomplishment of goals, bulls eye for others)

Can we get the writers to read this part, especially regarding the IC and tag titles? Maybe the Divas title as well?

Do your homework. An Announcer should never, ever do a show they have not done research on.

Wow, Lawler must've had to crash course on the Smackdown move, then...

You should create a list of exclusive features and assets for every WWE Superstar.

Is this where the fat jokes came from?

Be conversational. You are talking to your buddy in a bar!

*facepalm*

Nobody likes someone talking in a movie theater. We make movies. It is not necessary to fill in every moment with verbiage.

That last part, can we get that tattooed backwards on the foreheads of most of the main roster announcers?

Don't call a move before it happens. If this is so predictable why are we watching?

Too many jokes...

Let the talent speak for themselves, feels more real. E.g. seeing and hearing Triple H's reaction in the ring after Randy Orton attacked his family was far more impactful than Announcers calling what they were seeing.

Then why have the announcers yammer about what they saw during the 40 billion recaps? Not necessary. If the moment spoke for itself once, it can do so again.

Tell Stories - This is the most important aspect of your job!

Oh really? I thought it was helping the people in the ring connect with the fans more, not undermining and disrespecting them with stupid crap, announcers getting themselves over, dumbass jokes, and yammering about things completely unrelated to the match, usually those old chestnuts "What's happening in the main event scene?" and "This week in John Cena!".

Big bumps hurt a lot! If your brother was thrown through a table how would you describe it?

Depending on one's relationship with one's siblings, that can have a pretty wide range of answers. Would think it'd be "If you were thrown through a table" instead.

[Johnny Flamingo]

Jul 7, 2015 22:56:26 GMT -5 SCCB Was Told To Do Steroids said:

To be honest, it doesn't seem anything different from what any other broadcasters would get.

I've worked college football broadcasts and this really isn't any different (or longer) than the notes they work with provided this is true. If true some of the suggestions are funny as they are the exact opposite of what actually happens on commentary.

Funniest notes I ever read while working college football games (Fox Sports Net)were

"Don't mention Hal Mumme's butt"

and

"Dont' say 'did you just see that', of course they just saw that, you are on the TV not the radio'

[Cranjis McBasketball]

"All announcers must read WWE.com ALL week"

That's really gonna cut into the free time.