"Tribute": Tenacious D
I think I'm allergic to something. To what? I don't know. However for the past little while, my eyes have been getting really itchy and my nose has been runny and itchy as well. I'll be going to the doctor soon to see what's wrong. I just think that it's a little weird that I develop allergies this late in my life.

On a different note, I want to do one of my long overdue rants. I want to warn people in advanced because I'll be touching a subject that I assume many people aren't too interested in. I'm going to be talking about wrestling and if you don't care for that don't read on. However, if you feel like reading by all means continue. No one is stopping you.

I just finished watching RAW and it wasn't the best show as a whole however the main event match with RVD taking on Eddie Guerrerro for the Intercontinental Title Belt in a ladder match was bar none the best match on RAW in 2002 and maybe the best match of the year. The match felt like a solid Pay-Per-View match and for those of us who were lucky enough to watch it on television, I am amazed that we all got to watch that for free. Rob Van Dam won the title belt and you know what? It didn't matter who won because both men did an outstanding job. Hopefully RAW storylines will continue to improve as time goes on.

As many of you already know, I am a fan of professional wrestling. "How can you watch wrestling? Don't you know it's fake?" I get this question quite often and to tell you the truth - it bugs me. Yes, I know that it is scripted and that the outcomes are usually known. I know that most of the time the men and women who are out there in the ring are not really trying to go out there and hurt each other. But does that prevent me from watching it? If they really were trying to kill and maim each other would it be more popular? I don't know but what I do know is that Wrestling is theatre. It is theatre at its base. Good vs. evil, drama, betrayal, lust, and the list goes on. WWE entertainers are actors (some may contend that they are bad actors but they are actors nonetheless) and they are actors that have to perform in front of people with only one take. On top of that, they are athletes who are risking their lives just to entertain people. Yes that's right folks, they are athletes. I'd like to see someone who thinks wrestling is "fake" to go into the ring and have a match with someone. Let's see how "fake" it is to get hit on the head with a steel chair. Let's see them take a hard "bump" on the mat.

Wrestling is fake because the outcomes of matches are predetermined and because the wrestlers are not really trying to hurt each other. Do people complain because "Friends" is just fiction or because the characters in "Star Wars" aren't real? No. People realize that those things are scripted and yet people still watch them. Maybe I should go and tell people that "Yoda" isn't real. Will people get upset? I'm just trying to make a comparison because non-fans just don't get it.
People who don't watch it and tune into RAW or Smackdown without any knowledge of wrestling will never love the sport. It's a fact. They don't understand what makes a good match. They don't understand the pychology of a good performer. Why bother explaining to them? If their minds are set on hating it, they will continue to hate it.

I admit that wrestling is having a hard time right now compared to its surge in popularity in 1998. Having the WWF renamed to WWE was a big blow to the industry as well as the WWE being the only show in town. However a true fan will not stop watching it just because storylines are getting stale. The WWE is in a slump, but it will rise once again.

I am very passionate about wrestling and I'm not embarrassed about it. I will continue to watch it and I will continue to defend it. If you have a problem with it - Don't watch it!This has been a long rant and now I think I'm going to shut up. For those of you who are still reading, thanks for putting up with my venting and have a good night.