Donald Trump brought in to revive pro wrestling show

Monday was a rare instance in which I tuned in to pro wrestling, and I was greeted with the “news” that Donald Trump was buying the WWE’s “Raw” show that airs Monday nights on USA Network.

Donald Trump

The storyline came complete with Trump making a grand announcement via satellite that next week’s show (June 22) wold air commercial-free in an attempt to win fans back.

I am thankfully beyond the point of believing that the stories that appear on WWE are real, but NBC released a statement that indicates they’re playing the angle up for all it’s worth (NBC and USA Network are owned by the same company).

“The Monday Night RAW franchise has been one of the top cable franchises since its launch 17 years ago,” said  Trump in the release. “I’m going to do things on the show that have never been done or seen before.”

The move seems to be a bit desperate, but give WWE chairman Vince McMahon – always a shrewd businessman – credit for at least trying to pump life back into his product.

WWE will never regain its glory days of a decade ago, when eight-figure viewership was common. “Raw” still draws decent ratings hovering around 5 million viewers each week, but it seems that the ability to draw in new fans – like what was done in the 1990s with The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin – is gone.

This move might just revive interest in fans like me, who grew up during those glory days and have since (basically) moved on. It might also get WWE some press, although the story has largely been ignored to date by most major media outlets.

Whether Trump can breathe fresh air into pro wrestling remains to be seen. But at least McMahon has thought of a stunt that doesn’t involve the fake violating and/or death of anyone. As for Trump, well, I can’t really question someone who has the money that he has, and his name can’t get more soiled than it does with “Celebrity Apprentice,” so good luck.

NHL ratings are up, but does it matter?

NBC announced that Friday’s Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals between Detroit and Pittsburgh posted a 4.3 rating and 8 share, making it the most-watched hockey game in America in 36 years (Montreal vs. Chicago, Stanley Cup Finals game 6, May 10, 1973).
That’s great, and so is the fact that the series drew an average of 5.6 million viewers for NBC’s five games (the best since ABC broadcast Detroit-Carolina in 2002).
But does it matter?
Will hockey EVER receive the long-term fan base boost it so desperately craves? Or did a lot of people simply tune in to see a trophy awarded on a slow TV night?
I’d like to believe the former, but if pressed I would say this phenomenal rating is the result of the latter.
Hockey, as great of a game as it is, will never catch on nationwide. People are used to living without it, and they’ll continue to do so come October, when the next season begins. One game can’t possibly sway people to like a sport. If that were the case, the NFL would draw 93 million viewers every week instead of just on Super Bowl Sunday.
Maybe hockey, with stars such as Evgeni Malkin, Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin, may bring in a few new fans. But don’t hold your breath on this being the great turnaround in the game’s perception. You’ll pass out waiting for that ship to ever set sail.
In the meantime, those of us who do enjoy hockey can continue to cherish the sport even as it’s deciding game gets four minutes of “Sportscenter” coverage, which was less than the NBA Finals – which were on an off night Friday – got, with the ESPN crew even reportig live from the set they built in Orlando’s arena, with no one else in the building (I should stop here, because the shambles that ESPN’s become in terms of objectivity could be a whole other post).
Hockey fans, don’t worry about everyone falling in love with the game. We know what we have. Just go with it.