[Tom Guycott]

Originally Posted by screech I learned via the SquaredCircle reddit that you're racist if you don't like Hit Row.

Originally Posted by screech I didn't post anything but someone else said they're trash and got a lot of "wow racism" replies

I'm on the fence. It has all the potential to be wack-ass bullshit and stereotypes with eventually proven subpar talent, but then again, I thought the same thing about Cryme Tyme at first. They had enough personality to carry it off and not seem like something they were "saddled with".

With that said, I do wish they wouldn't keep doing that ALL THE TIME: just grouping minorities together just because. Or, if they add a white boy to Hit Row, it won't be because he fits in the picture - it will be "look at this wannabe" in full "comedic" effect. Doing something like adding Owen to The Nation and making it make actual sense would be too much like work for the writers.

Originally Posted by Mr. Nerfect It depends why you don’t like them. I’m not sold on the whole presentation yet. It has potential. AJ Francis has something. Ashante Adonis is athletic. They feel like too much of a gimmick to me right now though. I prefer my teams to have that American Alpha ring work energy.

American Alpha was one of those things, though... a combination of Vince being super horny to get Jason Jordan over very quickly as a breakout singles star and, at the same time, leading a company that constantly tries to foster a sporadic Tag Team division when he's assed to for a few weeks to months, then splitting teams that work and pairing two rando singles together with no plan for them as a team - not even a name.

Originally Posted by Mr. Nerfect Swerve will be kicking himself that he signed with AEW to be a nothing champ with that husk Keith Lee. AEW is going to have a bit of trouble signing free agents who will be waiting for that WWE call. Hell, a lot of AEW champions probably want to drop their belts and jump back over. Actually, I’d bet Triple H would be able to sign all the ROH champs if negotiations were open.

Originally Posted by XL Swerve, Keith Lee, Undisputed Elite all probably kicking themselves with HHH now in charge.

I've said before that I think that whole "HHH lied to me" thing where people were unhappy with him making promises that didn't pan out that was going around awhile ago was because he rightfully assumed he'd be in charge of shit while Vince was playing with this revamped football league, and by the time he looked back at "his baby", all the NXT call-ups would be on the main roster, pushed, over, and selling merch in a "better to ask forgiveness than permission" move to where he might not have personally picked guys like Balor and such to be main-eventing, but the results would have been too popular to change. But the exact opposite happened. Vince folded the XFL - again - and barely had time to have that train leave the station before he started running it backwards to not only undo Hunter's plans, but erode the foundational groundwork for his plans. And then, with the whole NXT edict of "super young talent with zero wrestling experience" to become wrestlers in their wrestling program, fucking with all the call-ups for seemingly no reason, and leaning too heavy on Roman and Brock without trying to push too many other people into that echelon, it seemed like the writing was on the wall for career trajectories.

Nobody expected Vince's penis to change all that. Those guys weren't just going to sit by the phone expecting Hunter to call them a half year or so later, nor did they know they'd be so minimized in AEW. That's less of a shot at Keith Lee or Swerve (my personal hangup about Keith notwithstanding) than it is about AEW doing stupid shit and not thinking past their surprise debut moment.