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The following Keller's Take was originally published on PWTorch.com two years ago, Feb. 16, 2001...

Original Headline: Cynical fans ''too smart for own good'' can be a promoter's most valuable customers


The major theme of this week's Torch Feedback section has been whether fans privy to insider knowledge through newsletters and the internet are too cynical and picky to enjoy wrestling as its meant to be enjoyed.

There is some truth to that idea, but it's not black and white.

In any form of entertainment, people have a thirst for more knowledge about what they watch. That is a natural progression. The VH1 "Behind the Music" series may expose the seedier side of rock sometimes, but fans who grew up idolizing bands love that insider perspective, filling in gaps in knowledge and exposing what was happening behind the curtain.

Pro wrestling fans are no different. It's natural, and frankly inevitable. There is no way we could keep the same innocence toward pro wrestling that we had as kids, or even as teenagers to a certain extent.

As people grow older and more sophisticated, they aren't willing to accept what is presented to them at face value. Is my favorite wrestler really the best, or is he just friends with the booker or promoter? Am I being cheated out of seeing cruiserweights because some over-the-hill heavyweights feel threatened by their athleticism?

Those are important questions that should be asked by wrestling fans who care to watch wrestling with their brains turned on and understand what it is that makes the form of entertainment they enjoy tick. People want to be entertained, but people are naturally inquisitive and curious.

It is nothing to be ashamed of, nothing to apologize for.

Being a reader of "the internet" does not mean you are a "smart fan," though. For one obvious reason there are varying degrees of quality when it comes to the knowledge and insight provided by internet sites. Heck, there is quite a variance day to day on this site, even article to article (more than we'd prefer sometimes).

Different fans bring different perspectives to the table, too. Some are homers. They choose an organization and take pride in sticking with it through good times and bad. There are fans who are addicted to certain styles, such as cruiserweights or garbage brawling or Japanese strong-style or WWF-style heavyweights. When evaluating a program, their opinion will be greatly affected by whether their particular style was featured. Thus a show that is considered "great" by one fan may be "mediocre" or "crap" by another. Neither is right or wrong, they are simply looking for different things.

One argument being made in Torch Feedback is that WWF isn't stale to the mainstream fan, it just is to overly-critical "smart" fans trying to show how smart they are to the product by second-guessing and believing they could "do a better job."

One thing to remember when making such an argument is that the WWF had what was widely considered the "better show" in the Raw vs. Nitro battle among internet/newsletter readers long before it took over in the ratings.

Viewership habits have inertia that's hard to break. Once a show establishes momentum in terms of viewership, it takes a while to turn off those fans. WCW found out the hard way, though, that once those viewers are turned off, it's difficult to get them back. They thought they could get away with a shoddy product because for so long their loyal fans stuck with them. Eventually those fans threw up their arms and walked away.

If the vast majority of WWF viewers are growing bored with the product - viewers who wouldn't bother to spend time reading about it on the internet much less drafting letters and guest editorials pointing out what they think is wrong - that doesn't mean they're ready to give up watching it yet. They're patiently waiting for that one big week where something captivates them again. They don't want to miss that big show.

The tricky part for the WWF is finding the right time where they aren't giving up too soon on a comfortable and profitable cruise control booking pattern that works by trying something radically new, yet risk turning people off by shaking things up.

Listening to their staunchest fans is not a bad idea, though. The internet fans who complain are watching more WWF shows more closely than the casual viewer who is still tuning in, albeit perhaps with a bit less enthusiasm than a few months ago - just out of habit. A trend in internet opinion should be seen as the early indications of a pending earthquake. Internet wrestling fans have their ears to the ground and can pick up on stagnation better and quicker than the casual fan.

Yes, there are fans who evaluate a product on purely their wants and desires with no consideration given to the fact that most casual viewers watch wrestling differently and for different reasons than they do. But to ignore a clear widespread trend in internet/newsletter fan opinions of a product is dangerous.

The fans who take time to complain are like customers who take time to complain about any business. They're the most valuable customers out there because rather than just give up, they care enough about the product to let management know, tipping them off on what they may not have been aware of otherwise, hoping it will be fixed.

Send feedback on this article to pwtorch@gmail.com and we'll regularly publish reader feedback in the "Torch Feedback" category on the Main Listing.

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