Hogan is an empty suit. Plain and simple. When he has Vince McMahon's creative department pulling his strings, he's the Hulkster all over again. When it's Terry running the show, not so much. Look at the nWo Hogan. When the nWo was at it's height, at it's very coolest, in the middle you had Terry Bolea with a fucking painted on black beard. It was a joke and it was pathetic. Turning Hogan heel was brilliant. But this black paint beard...I mean, how fucking stupid. To me, it was slamming both feet on the brakes of a ton of momentum heat- wise. And at the time I wondered if that company was just full of yes men who couldn't just say that he looked like a fool. And reading about the last few years of WCW, I'm pretty convinced that's the what was going on.

Fast forward to the first TNA kinda run. When Jarrett bloodied him up in Japan. A fucking heat machine. And then, for reasons unknown, it died.

Fast forward to the last TNA run. The booking is a trainwreck, and no matter what potentially good storylines get started, they have to be stunk up by Hogan coming in, ad- libbing, stumbling over his stick time, speaking in these Ultimate Warrioresque ramblings. Generally stinking up the joint, but still keeping his crippled ass out in front. Over everyone else.

Sure, Hogan is the most recognizable face in the business. And I respect that. But to be let him anywhere near Creative is madness. But he has this cache' that seems to blind even the most talented of bookers. History has shown this. Even if he weren't poison to Creative, to have him as the face of your company is simply living in the past. He can't work, he can't talk, he sure as shit can't book. I can see the value of having an old timer as a "commissioner" sort of thing. But to put that guy out there as the company's face, the head character, is just a mistake. The top worker needs to be the guy who is the top worker. In this case the top character is Hogan, and the top worker is AJ. Hogan trying to be at the top, while not working, and trying to bury the guy who is really at the top, shows that Hogan is either a petulant crybaby puss. Or that for all his glorious years in the biz, he really doesn't know how it works. A little from Column A, a little from Column B.

That said, for a company with a ton of kids who have endless potential, who say they are looking to the future, having a 60+ year old, who is as good as crippled, as their public face is just bad business. I'm all for having the veterans, because they season the younger kids. The Bischoff/ Flair/ Gunnar thing has the potential to be entertaining as hell, while at the same time giving Gunnar and Garrett the schooling that they need to progress to their respective next levels.

So, TNA has a development deal with OVW and are possibly taking over (worked or shoot) AAA. Endless potential. As a fan, I want them to do something with it. As a realist, well...you know. I think too much creative energy is spent trying to "beat" the E. Which, let's face it, isn't going to happen. They have too much of a head start, they have a huge budget. They have synergy with other communication companies. And the E has the tape libraries. An unending goldmine of content that costs a pittance to disseminate, making it almost pure profit. TNA is simply not in the same world as the E. If they spent more time trying to put out the product they're capable of putting out, and less on beating Vince, they would attract the audience that just wants to see a good, entertaining and compelling wrestling show.

It ain't rocket science. It's episodic television.

Fuck. What a rant.