Comments that don't warrant a thread - Part 3

[bradhindsight]

Does anyone here play Filsinger Games "Legends of Wrestling" card game?

Yes, and I create many of the card stats for the LOW series.

 

Cool. I try to play the game whenever possible as a way to get away from computer monitors and TV.

 

I was going somewhere with this when posting the question and have totally forgotten where I was going with it

 

I'm intrigued - so there is a series of LOW card games? Anyone have a link to more info (or where to get?)? I searched Amazon and eBay and only Amazon shed a little light.

[vikingsfan73]

Does anyone here play Filsinger Games "Legends of Wrestling" card game?

Yes, and I create many of the card stats for the LOW series.

 

Cool. I try to play the game whenever possible as a way to get away from computer monitors and TV.

 

I was going somewhere with this when posting the question and have totally forgotten where I was going with it

 

I'm intrigued - so there is a series of LOW card games? Anyone have a link to more info (or where to get?)? I searched Amazon and eBay and only Amazon shed a little light.

 

http://filsingergames.com/legends-of-wrestling/

[Loss]

I don't like the idea of WWE getting rid of Survivor Series. I feel like this has come up before about them moving on from this show. As a traditionalist, I would like them to always have this show but they haven't been following the gimmick as much since the mid 90's. I think the problem with MITB is that it's the PPV just before Summerslam which is still a major show. You end up with a big gap until the next big show as far as treatment in Royal Rumble.

Agreed, and I also just really, really, really don't like that MITB has become a WWE institution. It's a way for WWE to half-invest in midcarders who they aren't willing to build around as champion or give a victory in a real match, where they can hide behind the "We gave them an opportunity" excuse when the push inevitably fails.

[Blehschmidt]

I haven't played a ton of the Filsinger Legends. But I do have Chikara and all of their other Indy game releases. I plan to eventually get all of the Legends, but haven't yet.

[Al]

I think Survivor Series can matter, but it's harder in a day and age where you have more big tag matches on the weekly shows, to the point where it's basically it's own Teddy Long meme. Traditionally, it was always a great way to build a feud without giving away another singles match (when such things, televised, were rare) and to transition one feud into another while protecting a lot of guys and their finishes.

 

I think it'd probably work best now if they had feuds dovetail into each other and highlighted the personalities on the various teams and how they interact with one another, but that'd probably involve some semblance of build I'm not sure WWE is capable of anymore.

I like the late 80s Survivor Series events as WWE's version of the All Star game. Basically taking all the stars of the territories they could get their grubby hands on and putting on one huge exhibition card.

[Jimmy Redman]

I think Survivor Series can matter, but it's harder in a day and age where you have more big tag matches on the weekly shows, to the point where it's basically it's own Teddy Long meme. Traditionally, it was always a great way to build a feud without giving away another singles match (when such things, televised, were rare) and to transition one feud into another while protecting a lot of guys and their finishes.

 

I think it'd probably work best now if they had feuds dovetail into each other and highlighted the personalities on the various teams and how they interact with one another, but that'd probably involve some semblance of build I'm not sure WWE is capable of anymore.

One thing I think they did well in the mid-00s with the show was actually make the Survivor Series match the focal point and giving it an extra meaning. In 2003, it was Austin vs Bischoff with "Austin's career on the line", and Bischoff granting favours to the winning team which fed into Raw angles for the next couple months. In 2004, it was Orton vs HHH and the winning team got to be GMs for the night (remember Maven as Raw GM? Actually this sounds less ridiculous in the post-Guest Host age.) In 2005, it was Raw vs Smackdown when that hadn't been done in a major way since 2002.

 

Even when there was still one or two world title matches on the card, the elimination match was still important and the result mattered in some way. After that it just became a normal PPV with elimination matches to get all of the midcarders on the show, with no rhyme or reason.

[Superstar Sleeze]

Quick question is there a general consensus 1988 WWF Match of the Year? It is a pretty light year in terms of in-ring quality. I would presume it is one of the Randy Savage vs Ted DiBiase matches, but other than that I cant think of any major 1988 WWF program/feud that would deliver great matches. Just curious, if I am brainfarting and missing something wicked obvious.

[Kevin Ridge]

Quick question is there a general consensus 1988 WWF Match of the Year? It is a pretty light year in terms of in-ring quality. I would presume it is one of the Randy Savage vs Ted DiBiase matches, but other than that I cant think of any major 1988 WWF program/feud that would deliver great matches. Just curious, if I am brainfarting and missing something wicked obvious.

Tough one. Maybe the big tag team Survivor Series match?

[Ricky Jackson]

Well, Hogan/Andre 2/5/88 won the PWI match of the year in 1988. Or is that not "great" enough for you? (the angle was great)

[Alucard]

One thing I think they did well in the mid-00s with the show was actually make the Survivor Series match the focal point and giving it an extra meaning. In 2003, it was Austin vs Bischoff with "Austin's career on the line", and Bischoff granting favours to the winning team which fed into Raw angles for the next couple months. In 2004, it was Orton vs HHH and the winning team got to be GMs for the night (remember Maven as Raw GM? Actually this sounds less ridiculous in the post-Guest Host age.) In 2005, it was Raw vs Smackdown when that hadn't been done in a major way since 2002.

 

Even when there was still one or two world title matches on the card, the elimination match was still important and the result mattered in some way. After that it just became a normal PPV with elimination matches to get all of the midcarders on the show, with no rhyme or reason.

Really enjoyed those 3 Survivor Series matches. Loved the 04 one with the winners being GM.. Maven was awesome booking himself in a world title match. Maven/HHH was always a great underdog vs champion pairing.

[mookeighana]

Quick question is there a general consensus 1988 WWF Match of the Year? It is a pretty light year in terms of in-ring quality. I would presume it is one of the Randy Savage vs Ted DiBiase matches, but other than that I cant think of any major 1988 WWF program/feud that would deliver great matches. Just curious, if I am brainfarting and missing something wicked obvious.

Tough one. Maybe the big tag team Survivor Series match?

 

When we did the non-cannon WWF Best of the 1980s set, the top finishers for 1988 were:

 

#21 Randy Savage vs Ted DiBiase (7/22/88 MSG)

#37 Blue Angel (Owen Hart) vs Barry Horowitz (8/13/88 Los Angeles CA)

#49 Ten Man Tag Survivor Series 1988 (11/24/88 Richfield OH 1988 Survivor Series) - high standard deviation on this one

 

Other matches on the list were:

#51 Bret Hart vs Bad News Brown (4/25/88 MSG)

#75 Tim Horner vs Barry Horowitz (12/30/88 MSG)

#86 Brainbusters vs Young Stallions (11/6/88 Toronto)

#95 Hulk Hogan vs Ted DiBiase (3/12/88 Philadelphia PA)

[Matt D]

I really like Harts vs Demos at Summerslam but yeah, that's me. I really don't like that Brainbusters vs Stallions match.

[Sean Liska]

I don't like the idea of WWE getting rid of Survivor Series. I feel like this has come up before about them moving on from this show. As a traditionalist, I would like them to always have this show but they haven't been following the gimmick as much since the mid 90's. I think the problem with MITB is that it's the PPV just before Summerslam which is still a major show. You end up with a big gap until the next big show as far as treatment in Royal Rumble.

Agreed, and I also just really, really, really don't like that MITB has become a WWE institution. It's a way for WWE to half-invest in midcarders who they aren't willing to build around as champion or give a victory in a real match, where they can hide behind the "We gave them an opportunity" excuse when the push inevitably fails.

 

That's a bit of a harsh critique. Punk, Bryan, and Edge all broke through this way. It sent Miz on his way to a Mania main event until that went wrong, but they went all-in with Miz for a while.

[Jimmy Redman]

I don't like the idea of WWE getting rid of Survivor Series. I feel like this has come up before about them moving on from this show. As a traditionalist, I would like them to always have this show but they haven't been following the gimmick as much since the mid 90's. I think the problem with MITB is that it's the PPV just before Summerslam which is still a major show. You end up with a big gap until the next big show as far as treatment in Royal Rumble.

Agreed, and I also just really, really, really don't like that MITB has become a WWE institution. It's a way for WWE to half-invest in midcarders who they aren't willing to build around as champion or give a victory in a real match, where they can hide behind the "We gave them an opportunity" excuse when the push inevitably fails.

 

That's a bit of a harsh critique. Punk, Bryan, and Edge all broke through this way. It sent Miz on his way to a Mania main event until that went wrong, but they went all-in with Miz for a while.

 

Its true though.

 

The first time with Edge it worked fine. But since 2008 when they started using it largely as a way to be lazy and give some random midcarder a "world title reign" without actually building him up to that level in any way, only Punk and Bryan have got out of it. Punk had to do it twice, and both times they got out of it by working really compelling heel turns into the angle which kept them on top in the end. Without them, they are the same inadequate champions that everyone else was - Swagger, Miz, Alberto, Dolph. They have a guy win the briefcase and then continually job for months afterward, because apparently "it doesnt matter because he'll be world champion soon". Then we are left with paper champions with zero credibility.

 

I always love MITB as a match, and the briefcase thing worked for a while, but after so many years, the overload of cases and the constant refusal of WWE to do anything to protect the guys who win it, MITB as a concept has only watered down significantly what it means to be a world champion in WWE, and to its detriment. Anyone can be champion now, they only have to cash in at the right time. It kills the title on-screen, and it kills guys' careers because WWE have replaced an actual main event push with a MITB non-push.

[Matt D]

Reading Bix' Divas recap makes me frustrated that the Bellas didn't have Jimmy Hart as their manager at the fake movie meeting.

[KrisZ]

Doug Gilbert posted on Facebook that he visited the WWE Performance Center in Orlando today.....Dougie as a trainer would be awesome

[BrickHithouse]

Doug Gilbert posted on Facebook that he visited the WWE Performance Center in Orlando today.....Dougie as a trainer would be awesome

I'm running across a guy named "Gas House" Gilbert on 70's WWWF stuff. I think his name is Doug. Dumb question, is this guy Doug and Eddie's father?

[Bix]

Doug Gilbert posted on Facebook that he visited the WWE Performance Center in Orlando today.....Dougie as a trainer would be awesome

I'm running across a guy named "Gas House" Gilbert on 70's WWWF stuff. I think his name is Doug. Dumb question, is this guy Doug and Eddie's father?

 

Nope.

[goodhelmet]

Doug Gilbert posted on Facebook that he visited the WWE Performance Center in Orlando today.....Dougie as a trainer would be awesome

I'm running across a guy named "Gas House" Gilbert on 70's WWWF stuff. I think his name is Doug. Dumb question, is this guy Doug and Eddie's father?

 

 

The father is the great Tommy Gilbert!

[tim]

More a random question than a comment but I don't know if there's "Random Questions" thread:

 

Did the idea that Japanese crowds are "quiet and respectful" come from Taz's commentary on the Benoit DVD or has it always been a thing people have said?

[JerryvonKramer]

I've heard loads and loads of old guys on shoots say things along those lines, but often they'll qualify it with something along the lines of "they could go wild too, but work differently from a US crowd". I've seen and heard so many at this point that I can't even think of specific examples.

 

Sure Flair talks about it somewhere or other, either on the 13-hour HS interview or else on one of his (excruciating) appearances on Legends of Wrestling. Ted DiBiase definitely talks about it too. But loads of them do.

[Death From Above]

It's been around a long time. Old timers talked about it a lot. Sometimes they were on point, others frankly they were making excuses for their inability to pop the crowd looking for something different.

 

Japanese crowds are hard to define exactly. They don't get as rah rah as north American fans over any old thing. But when you really light it up over there they will go as nuts as anybody. I mean hell I've seen those late 70's Funk Brothers matches where there's fans dressed up as cheerleaders and they are outright getting mobbed on the way to the ring. There's "jumping in the aisle guy" during Misawa/Kawada 6/3/94 which I think everyone who sees the match multiple times can't help but notice. It's not like they're a bunch of statues when the mood strikes. But just because they were quiet didn't always mean they were bored. There are a lot of long 70's/80's matches where it's almost silent at points but when the big nearfalls come they're just as into it as you'd hope. I think over the years it's become somewhat less true, at least in spots. Korakuen Hall for example tends to be a pretty energetic building, probably because it's hosted possibly thousands of shows at this point and undoubtedly there's a lot of Japanese superfans at a venue like that regularly.

 

It's just a social quirk. Like that speech in Pulp Fiction about being able to get a glass of beer at a movie theater in Amsterdam.

[rovert]

Doug Gilbert posted on Facebook that he visited the WWE Performance Center in Orlando today.....Dougie as a trainer would be awesome

Have the mental image of Demott getting trainees who don't know who Doug is to do 1,000 squats. As well as Bill giving Doug a couple of hundred out of the slush fund to show Mojo Rawley how to deliver a good working punch.

[JerryvonKramer]

This will sound weird, but I think Japanese fans are easier to understand if you think about something like fans watching tennis at Wimbledon. Sometimes it can be quiet, even if they are engrossed, and sometimes they'll go wild if someone does something cool or if there's a dramatic point. I actually think boxing crowd dynamics around the world are closer to the way Japanese fans watch wrestling than US fans watch it. The strong emphasis on face/heel divide and cheering faces and booing heels is what marks US crowds from Japanese ones.

 

Too much is made, I think, of Japanese fans being "quirky". The more I think about it, the more they are just like fans of lots of real single competitor sports and it's just US wrestling crowds that are "quirky" (because of this need always for there to be a hero or a villain).

[jdw]

More a random question than a comment but I don't know if there's "Random Questions" thread:

 

Did the idea that Japanese crowds are "quiet and respectful" come from Taz's commentary on the Benoit DVD or has it always been a thing people have said?

Dave talked about it in the WON, probably before Benoit and Tazzzzz ever debuted.