DR. TNA: Maybe we need more Assholes?

Columns, Features

by David Roberts

If you managed to tune out the LeBron worship hour on Thursday, or if you watched it, but at least had your DVR set for iMPACT, you saw a great show.  TNA execs could not have been pleased to hear that James’s big announcement would be spread out over the first hour of their programming on a competing network, but they certainly put their best foot forward to reward the fans that still tuned in last night.

Early there was a great match between AJ Styles and Kazarian.  The match had an unfortunate ending, but it really was an excellent match.  I have not been a big cheerleader of Kazarian, to this point, but I must give credit where credit is due.  That was a great match.  The writers should have thought of a better ending, but that is not the wrestlers’ fault.

Another group I have traditionally not been excited to watch is the Motor City Machine Guns, but they also were a great part of the show.  First, TNA aired a fairly funny promo previously cut by the group making fun of Beer Money.  Then they were part of a very good six man tag match pitting Beer Money and Matt Morgan versus the Motor City Machine Guns and Hernandez.

Finally, the RVD match with Samoa Joe was phenomenal.  If you haven’t seen it, do yourself a favor and watch the clip below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldF82Iu82fQ

After watching the episode, I wasn’t sure what the best column topic would be this week.  Honestly, it wasn’t until Friday morning when I saw the response from Dan Gilbert, owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers, and their fan’s reaction to LeBron James leaving.  For some reason I saw a parallel to something Mr. Andersen has been saying for a while: “I’m an asshole.”

Now, I promise not to go too deep here in relating wrestling to real life.  However, I ask you to consider the following.  Would Cleveland be as angry this morning if at the end of this past NBA season LeBron James had been inspired by Mr. Anderson and said the following:

“I am going to look at every opportunity available to me and make the decision that I feel is best.  I have enjoyed my time at Cleveland, but I want to be clear that I am not going to resign here just because this is where I was raised.  I have fulfilled my contract and frankly this team just does not look very good to me right now.  Just as the Cavs would move on if I was not their best option, I may need to do the same.  The Cavs are a team I will consider, but they are one of several teams that I may play with next season.”

Cleveland fans would no doubt be disappointed, but would they feel betrayed by the final decision had they been told this eariler?  No way to know for sure, but I doubt it. 

I really hate to be that guy who finds a life lesson in scripted entertainment.  However, I cannot ignore Mr. Anderson directly telling Jeff Hardy that if he meant to hit Hardy with a chair, he would tell him because “he’s an asshole,” happening at the same time that LeBron finally conveyed a decision to Cleveland that few people believe he had not known for some time. 

Many in Cleveland probably feel that Mr. Anderson would have been proud of LeBron for his actions Thursday night on ESPN.  However, perhaps that decision would have caused less pain if LeBron had taken the advice a lot earlier and been that asshole from day one of free agency.  At the end of the day, maybe we just need more assholes.