Feedback Feedbag–04.24.2002

The Feedback Feedbag - April 24 2002

(Fun fact for the day:  These were sent to me for the most part by my Swedish friend whose name I can’t reproduce reliably, most of them HTML dumps of the original 411 or Smarks pages.  This one was from 411, and even though the 411wrestling.com site is long gone, even the 11 year old copied page STILL REDIRECTED ME TO MALWARE.  Or at least attempted to, since even the malware site was long gone now.   Still, Ashish, dude, WTF?) 

Good evening, ladies and germs, and welcome to another mostly content-free episode of the Feedbag, where you the reader do all the work and I the writer get all the credit. So without further ado, let's hit the mailbag!

Ryan Rashid asks...

"Ok, I have a few questions I like to ask you.

First off, how the hell do two wrestlers call spots in a match when they don't speak the same language? Do they rehearse the whole thing before?

My next question is: You stated in your book that the WWF wasn't sure which one of the Rockers was going to get the push when they broke the team up. That ended up using Shawn Michaels. If you had been choosing(on talent here,minus the drug problems)which Rocker did you think had the most potential? I always thought Janetty was as good as Michaels and could have become better.

My final question is a list question. I know your not the biggest fan of lists but I love them things. The question is, who would you rate as the ten best wrestlers of the modern era.

And five best tag teams. "

Okay...

1) You may have noticed while watching tapes from Japan that often announcers call certain moves in English rather than Japanese. That's because wrestling is in some ways universal -- a lariat is the same thing on both sides of the ocean. With that being said, everyone's done backyard wrestling and fooled around with friends, right? So you know that it's easy to "work a match", even just playing around, without calling spots. If you stick your arm out for a clothesline, it's pretty apparent what the intention is. Great wrestlers can easily overcome language barriers with simple body language and gestures.  (Also, lots of Japanese wrestlers speak enough English to get by during a match.) 

I mean, hell, if the Hardy Boyz can thrive in the WWF despite not speaking any English, there's hope for anyone! (HIGH FIVE!  Anyone?) 

2) On sheer talent they were always pretty close, but I'd have gone with Shawn Michaels anyway. He just always had the look of a singles wrestler. They don't call people "The Marty Jannetty of the team" for nothing, you know.

3) Don't even go there.

Clifford D. Pine appeals to my literary side...

"

I'm in process of writing my own book and I hope to have it published. No need to worry, it had nothing to do with wrestling (though I do quote Jim Ross a fair amount). But I am curious about a few things:

1. I know you were approached by someone regarding your first book, but when no one knows you, do you just send a copy to every publishing house you can find and hope for the best?

2. What you wrote was no doubt as truthful as possible and it was your own opinion, but I'm sure some people may have been upset. What I am writing isn't slander, but it is the truth and it can be damaging. How I do avoid such pitfalls as lawsuits and such?

3. If no one wants to publish my book, what is the minimum copies I'd have to order for self-publishing? I heard it was 5000. Or does it depend with who does the publishing?

4. Finally, do you know offhand any small companies that would take a chance of a young unproven author?

Any help you can give me would be much appreciated. I look forward to reading your latest installment."

1) Find thee an agent. Publishers generally do not take unsolicited manuscripts without some sort of professional representation. It's best to protect yourself in the long run by having someone to act as a go-between and make the contacts for you. I've never really shopped for an agent -- my editor for Buzz, Frank Scatoni, asked to be my agent after that book was done. Frank's company, Venture Literary, has a website at www.ventureliterary.com if you're interested in checking it out.  (Of course, now your best bet is to self-publish through Kindle or the Apple stores, where you don’t have to deal with layers of editing and delays and such.) 

2) If it's the truth and you can prove it, you have nothing to worry about. Just make sure to document your sources and use common sense. For instance, in the new book, I had some REALLY nasty things to say about the WWF in general in connection with the whole Owen thing, but after reading it over a few times I toned it down a lot to a point where I'm probably just going to be blackballed from the WWF's offices for the rest of my life, rather than sued. Balance is the key. (Although I’m not sure why anyone would come to me for journalistic advice.) 

3) Self-publishing depends on the publisher and the material. I've been toying with using the revenues from the WWF book (and maybe the followup book on WCW) to self-publish the rant archives into one big volume for the fans, which would allow me to keep 100% of the revenues from sales, rather than the more modest cut you get from a publisher. On the other hand, you're on the hook for any losses, as well as all the advertising and distribution. So you're taking your chances. But there's been many cases of self-published works getting picked up later by major publishers and becoming huge, so don't give up hope.  (Again, now it’s no-risk on Kindle, so GO FOR IT.) 

4) I don't really follow the whole publishing scene, I let others do that for me. ;) No help here for you, sorry.

Robert Vollman writes...

"In point form to ease your email-reading burden:

1) Gene's Platt's story sounds suspiciously like Mark Twain's famous saying "a scalded cat never sits on a cold stove." (or something like that).

2) I absolutely LOVE Booker T's comedy, but it doesn't make me want to watch him wrestle (except to do something funny). What's your take? Does this increase viewership? Is this good for his career?

3) My buddy was amazed at how I not only prognosticated Big Show's heel turn, but predicted exactly how it was going to happen (Big Show wouldn't tag in until the very end). And I never even watched WCW. Big Show went nWo because the nWo is pathetic. Scott Hall and X-Pac? How is that scary?

That's like Mr. Perfect and Scotty 2 Hotty.

4) How many of the 4 Canadian teams will advance to the next round? For purposes of this question, you may count Ottawa and Toronto as being Canadian. Iggy for the Hart all the way. The play-off officiating has been a disappointment unequalled since the 1993 LA/Toronto screw job.

5) No comments on Bret contacting Helen, Dean and Owen? Or did I miss it?

6) They ought to scrap the women's division. They're awful! It's been years and they still can't find anyone that doesn't suck.

7) Incidentally, it will be revealed, eventually, that Ric Flair has indeed been against Austin all along, and all of these "accidents" are on purpose and that he is affiliated with the nWo (or the N-W-whoa as he calls it).

Either by or at the next PPV I'd think. Agree?

8) With Show turning, and Kane/Bradshaw all injured, are there any upper midcard or main event faces on WWF Raw?"

1) It can't be that famous if you don't know the quote. :)

And for the record, the quote is:

"The cat, having sat upon a hot stove lid, will not sit upon a hot stove lid again. But he won't sit upon a cold stove lid, either. "

2) Booker T's comedy just makes me think back on all the other effective World champions who were comedy heels, like...uh... (King Booker, eventually.) 

3) Any sign of Big Show in the main event again should scare all of us. (Yeah, he’d be champion again by the end of the year.) 

4) My playoff prognostication skills seem to be on the wane lately, what with Detroit taking 2/2 from the Canucks in Vancouver instead of losing both like I wanted, so I'll pass on this one.  (This ended up being the series where Dan Cloutier got scored on nearly from the RED LINE, causing the Canucks to collapse.  The Red Wings went on to win yet another Cup that year, at least.) 

5) I didn't see the show so it's not fair to comment, but Bret has been a few noodles short of a lasagna since 1999 so it doesn't really shock me that he'd resort to this sort of thing.

6) That's not a question. But I dig Trish Stratus and Molly.

7) I'm sure that will be the eventual payoff.

8) Well, there's Austin. And his watch. Besides, 1998 was basically Austin against the entire WWF, so as long as he stays relatively undamaged and the storyline is compelling, it can work without anyone else. Or they can trade someone from Smackdown. Or just wait three days for Big Show's weekly turn.

Edward Rawlinson, who is ashamed of his e-mail address, asks...

"I'm a big fan of yours, and a fellow Albertan (although I come from Calgary). I'm at the tail end of an allnighter to write a university paper, and to take a break I was reading your WM 3 retro rant. While talking about the Steamboat-Savage match, you say that it was considered the greatest match ever until 1989. I'm curious, what's the 89 match you're referring to?"

Oh MAN you guys are making me feel old. I seriously got like 5 e-mails asking this basic question.

Anyway, the answer is (altogether now everyone else)...Flair/Steamboat from either WrestleWar 89 or Clash VI, depending on my mood that day. I had never before seen a better wrestling match, and I've never seen anything that has topped it to this day and probably never will.

And finally, Cory Nealy gives us the cheap time-waster of the day, with this...

"What is your wrestling name?

Normally I try to avoid these random name generator type things, but

being a life long wrestling fan I couldn't resist:

http://sclose.home.mindspring.com/wrestler.htm"

I know you're all dying to know that my wrestling name is apparently "Mister Macho". Start prepping the t-shirts right now.

And on that note, we close up the feedbag!