cowboy hats

i think it's fakeplastictrees himself. trying to throw everyone off the scent by obsessing over this.

Call me crazy, but I doubt it's that hard to find wrestling fans in the frigging video production business unless you're just not trying. If I took a job working at a new streaming service for, say, the EPL (and one that, in this alternate universe, upended the league's decades-long business model), knowing nothing about the league or its history, I trust I would immerse myself in it and also hire/consult peeps who are very interested. So so dumb. Haven't had a chance to watch the new MNW episodes, but after the first episode my expectations were set pretty low, so this all sounds about right.

Ughh...you tell us? (though reddit confirms RAW aired a commercial for the network putting up 100 hours of Nitro next week). Positive thought about the network: watched the Shield special tonight and really enjoyed it

And they know enough to get Keith David and Gary Thorne as narrators. Can one of the dozens of pop culture websites desperate for content put together an oral history of the first six months of the network?

I may have missed the detail and we'll find out in the next few days anyway, but do we know what the Monday Night Wars will look like? I think I read it will be twenty episodes? How will they frame each episode? Profiles of particular angles, or highlighting a month or two each episode? A new Beyond the Ring is up this week - I think it's the 50 Greatest Finishing Moves

Video vault: Punk/Cena from Raw, February 2013

What's the date of this MSG match?

Lame idea that came to me last night: Sandow falls in love with the idea of being a lumberjack and comes out to most matches to act as one.

I should mention that my problems with the Network last night were with the 360 wired directly to the modem. Really no difference between that and wireless. Again, not sure whether to blame the Network, the 360 or the internet connection (Time Warner). New video vault tonight: Kurt Angle/Undertaker from 9/4/2003 Smackdown. Its inclusion seems a bit...odd. Are they celebrating its 11th anniversary coming soon? Taker returning at NOC and they'll highlight a number of his matches for some reason?

Was (pleasantly) shocked the match ended with a pinfall. At several times I thought the ref would call it all off cuz chaos. Kane involvement knocks this down a bit, though (despite Goldust getting in his way). Is there another good lumberjack match that doesn't involve Kane? That might be worth a look.

Yeah, was watching a random SNME (May 1989) a few weeks ago and Duggan beat IC champ Rick Rude by countout and thought that was a bit WTF

Reddit had Summerslam 2015 in NY/NJ a few days ago. Speculation/wishing has talk of the Red Bull Arena. Not sure how well that would play with the MLS schedule, but it would be different.

Not sure whether to blame the network or the 360, but I'm willing to hate on both. Got home thirty minutes into the ppv, so fired up the ol' 360, hit watch 'from beginning' instead of 'now' and it brought me to the live feed (and the ending of a match). Tried that a few times with the same result. Finally rewound from the live feed to get to the beginning. Horrible picture quality. Tried to tough it out, but as I was now 50+ minutes behind instead of my original 35, I abandoned the first hour and went to the live feed and Ambrose/Rollins. Picture quality was HD-solid the rest of the night, with a few weird skips here and there (the worst being a particularly egregious one at the end of Lesnar/Cena). Experience of watching a ppv live on the network for the first time since Wrestlemania: disappointing!

Sweet job by the network skipping ahead to show Lesnar holding Cena for the F5. Not sure how much I missed. Went from Lesnar getting out of the STF, punching Cena, then skipping ahead to the F5. Took a little bit out of the finish I was looking for. Good to see them play this clean, though. Didn't know how they could have Cena survive that mauling.

But they cut off '...of his own'

Calling it Summerslam NY/NJ means no MSG, right? Izod or Prudential? Any chance they run it in the Mid-Hudson Civic Center?

Will ppvs go past three hours in da network era? How much time are they giving to Reigns/Orton and the main?

Ugh, really want a clean finish in the main. Even with having had the network since the beginning, I've only carved out time on a Sunday night for Wrestlemania. Doing that again tonight and would like it to pay off (with a satisfactory viewing experience).

Who are Goldberg's guests?

From this week's schedule: Smackdown Flashback - beginning with 8/26/99 and the 'network premiere', it looks like they may be showing Smackdown from the beginning? This is not a 'best of' and other flashbacks are scheduled during the week - 9/1/99, 9/8/99, 9/15/99. Wrestlemania Rewind - Wrestlemania 15, Austin/Rock Beyond the Ring - not sure I've seen episodes for Lesnar and Randy Orton before, and they are showing this week Best of Raw - 6/6/10 - 'This first ever viewers choice episode may be for the fans, but it's the debuting nexus that truly takes over the show.' Best of Smackdown - 7/4/01 - 'Booker T defends the WCW Title against Diamond Dallas Page. Stone Cold Steve Austin has a surprise gift for Kurt Angle and Mr. McMahon.'

Watched this via video vault on the Network and agree with those a bit down on it. Have not watched the WM X match in some time, so I took this on its own and just didn't love it. I don't mind that it's not a spot fest and I don't mind Shawn's tantrum (thought him jumping for the belt may even have been planned, but not if he immediately just went back up to grab the belt for reals). But the clunkiness of some of the spots (Shawn trying to hit Razor out of the ring with the ladder and instead falling through the ropes himself was...not smooth) and the lack of selling after Razor's extended leg work is enough to take this down some. I assume his work was standard for that era and nothing unusual, but Vince is insufferable on the pbp.

Plus he was given a lot of good material with which to work at WCW. A no brainer.

http://www.avclub.com/article/can-simpsons-world-learn-wwe-networks-mistakes-207484

From the upcoming schedule: Da Video Vault - Extreme Rules 2012, Lesnar/Cena Da Video Vault - Summerslam 2000, Hardy Boyz/Dudley Boyz/Edge and Christian (TLC) Next Wrestlemania Rewind - Rewind and Relive the rivalry between the last outlaws in WWE - The Undertaker and Triple H, and their epic match from WrestleMania XXVII. Best of Raw - July 16, 2001 - In the fight between WWE and the invaders, will anyone be able to get through to a despondent Stone Cold Steve Austin before it's too late? Best of Smackdown - April 24, 2002 - Chris Jericho and Triple H battle for a chance at Hulk Hogan's undisputed title. Randy Orton makes his WWE debut against Hardcore Holly.

Did not work on the second attempt. Status revised to: less happy