Post by valiens on Feb 9, 2007 11:49:31 GMT -5
I know this was said when ECW was first airing but I think we've forgotten the incredibly simple fix that would make ECW work: give it back to the fans.
Tape the damned show in smaller venues in fan territory. What sets ECW apart from the other shows isn't just the hardcore aspect but the rabid fan response. It dawned on me over the last two appearances of Vinnie Mac that it's not working precisely because of this problem.
We were told it was a big deal that this was his first appearance inside an ECW ring. Did it feel like a big deal to you? No! Of course not! Because that only matters to rabid ECW fans, not to people who are there watching Smackdown & ECW.
Then the whole "these people have criminal records" with the obvious allusion to RVD and Sabu. That should have gotten a HUGE response from fans "in the know." But those fans are outweighed by children, let alone just casual adult fans.
It's clear from the effort of late to speak to the "smart" wrestling audience, the ones who fill these chat boards with griping that someone in WWE is paying attention to us. In fact it must be someone's job to read boards like wrestlecrap to keep up with our concerns and play to them in coy ways to keep us from jumping ship to TNA or otherwise tuning out.
So if some zit-faced WWE writer's intern is stuck reading this post, because you think it's going to advance your career, heed my advice: IT'S NOT WORKING BECAUSE THE AUDIENCE YOU'RE PLAYING SMART TO ISN'T IN ON THE SMART JOKE.
Your ECW Originals vs. new breed is going to gain you no ratings unless we care about it. Wrestling is one of the few shows where the momentum of the crowd really makes or breaks such special efforts. Get the right crowd in there or you'll forever wonder why ECW failed.
Tape the damned show in smaller venues in fan territory. What sets ECW apart from the other shows isn't just the hardcore aspect but the rabid fan response. It dawned on me over the last two appearances of Vinnie Mac that it's not working precisely because of this problem.
We were told it was a big deal that this was his first appearance inside an ECW ring. Did it feel like a big deal to you? No! Of course not! Because that only matters to rabid ECW fans, not to people who are there watching Smackdown & ECW.
Then the whole "these people have criminal records" with the obvious allusion to RVD and Sabu. That should have gotten a HUGE response from fans "in the know." But those fans are outweighed by children, let alone just casual adult fans.
It's clear from the effort of late to speak to the "smart" wrestling audience, the ones who fill these chat boards with griping that someone in WWE is paying attention to us. In fact it must be someone's job to read boards like wrestlecrap to keep up with our concerns and play to them in coy ways to keep us from jumping ship to TNA or otherwise tuning out.
So if some zit-faced WWE writer's intern is stuck reading this post, because you think it's going to advance your career, heed my advice: IT'S NOT WORKING BECAUSE THE AUDIENCE YOU'RE PLAYING SMART TO ISN'T IN ON THE SMART JOKE.
Your ECW Originals vs. new breed is going to gain you no ratings unless we care about it. Wrestling is one of the few shows where the momentum of the crowd really makes or breaks such special efforts. Get the right crowd in there or you'll forever wonder why ECW failed.
