The Critic

QUOTE (Brian @ Jan 5, 2010 -> 03:40 PM) Jeff Hard indited. Will face trial. Nice timing TNA Is Jeff Hard a co-star in one of Val Venis' movies? And yes, it seems like another shot in the foot for TNA, although I wonder if they could have known how likely indictment would be before they signed him.

SPOILERS for tonight's Impact tapings:

I got this email from Metro this morning, and this merger would SUCK for concertgoers. These two companies have done enough damage separately, imagine if they merged! CONCERT FANS BEWARE There's a train wreck about to happen and consumer groups say YOU will be the victim - if the two most powerful corporate interests in the live concert business get their way. But you can help stop the merger of Ticketmaster and Live Nation. The government needs to hear from music fans now. Tell the Department of Justice that you're against these monopolies amassing illegal power over consumers, before it's too late. As a concertgoer you have already felt the pain, and if Ticketmaster and Live Nation get their way, it'll get worse. In the last 12 years, since Live Nation and its predecessor started its widespread take over of the concert industry, concert tickets have shot up 82% while the consumer price index has gone up just 17%*. We are concerned that if the two concert industry behemoths, Live Nation and Ticketmaster, were permitted to merge, the variety and quality of artists coming to local venues would be affected, and your prices could rise further and faster. Five of the nation's most prominent public interest groups called on the Department of Justice to block the proposed merger of Ticketmaster and Live Nation. In the consumer groups' and lawmakers' words: "Consumers deserve a fair deal in the entertainment marketplace, not the fewer choices and higher prices that would result from this merger," said Susan Grant, Director of Consumer Protection at Consumer Federation of America. "This merger is an insult to both musicians and consumers," said James Love, Director of Knowledge Ecology International. "We cannot envision a remedy that would ease this chilling impediment to competition... In the absence of other effective, expeditious remedies, the proposed transaction should be prohibited." American Antitrust Institute White Paper As described by Senator Herb Kohl (WI) in the Senate Antitrust hearing, "This merger will not only expand Ticketmaster's control of the ticketing market by eliminating a competitor, but it is also creating an entity that will control the entire chain of the concert business - from artist management to concert promotion and production to ticketing and ticket resale." "This merger would be a disaster for consumers. Nothing short of blocking this takeover of the ticket market by two industry behemoths will be acceptable," said National Consumers League Executive Director Sally Greenberg. "As president, I will direct my administration to reinvigorate antitrust enforcement. I will step up review of merger activity and take effective action to stop or restructure those mergers that are likely to harm consumer welfare...," said Senator Barak Obama when he was campaigning for the presidency. If you agree with the consumer groups and lawmakers, make a difference and LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD NOW. If you are tired of paying exorbitant ticket prices and service charges and paying for parking on a per head basis and dealing with the gouging, unregulated secondary ticket market in an effort to get good seating. If you are disgusted with paying more and more every year for the live concert experience THAN ACT NOW, CLICK ON THE LINK IMMEDIATELY BELOW AND SEND A MESSAGE TO THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE URGING THEM TO STOP THIS MERGER! To email your concerns click below: [email protected] To learn more click below: ticketdisaster.org Public Interest Groups Call on Justice Department to Block Ticketmaster/LiveNation/Comcast Merger American Antitrust Institute's White Paper TICKETMASTER - LIVE NATION Philadelphia Weekly's cover story "Monopoly Rules" Signed, Metro / Smart Bar and The 9:30 Club, Merriweather Post Pavilion, Jam Productions, Metropolitan Talent, Another Planet, Frank Productions, Stone City Attractions, Rams Head Live, The Black Cat ...... and independent concert promoters and venue operators nationwide.

Yeah, it's funny to be labeled an E mark when I watch(ed) much more of every episode of Impact than I do of Raw. I want TNA to succeed, but if last night is The New Way, then I'm afraid my interest will quickly fade. Hogan is obviously in this for himself and his friends, and the show felt and looked like an old wCw show (with the TNA guys replacing the luchadores and cruiserweights). The only moments I found myself drawn to involved existing TNA guys, with the exception of Bischoff. I like(d) TNA when they would wrestle more than talk, but now they have over a half-dozen guys who will talk way more than they'll ever wrestle (Hogan, Bischoff, Nash, Hall, Flair, Jarrett, Foley). All this can do is draw attention and airtime away from the guys on their roster who can and do actually wrestle. AND, every second those 7 guys talk is time that could have been spent trying to develop the characters and storylines of the actual wrestlers.

This thread should have been titled "In MY DAAAAAAYYYYYYYY...."

QUOTE (FlaSoxxJim @ Jan 5, 2010 -> 07:42 AM) Alas, the 2010 Soxtalk Dead Pool appears itself to be dead. That's what I had in the pool - I WIN!!! PAY UP!!!!!

QUOTE (MHizzle85 @ Jan 5, 2010 -> 12:10 AM) Oh Brian, Christy Hemme > Velvet Sky. I disagree wholeheartedly.

I'll give TNA a 3.5 - Bischoff and Angle/Styles were the only things I was glad to see. Raw gets a 4.5 for the Bret segments and Jeritino. A completely underwhelming night of wrestling.

Vinny with a kick to the balls....or probably guts, but still! Is it just me, or did Bret actually look a little younger by the end of the show? It's the weirdest thing. He looked a lot more alive at the end than he did when he walked out at 8:00.

Now comes my only dilemma of the night. Hart/McMahon or the end of this match, which I'm really enjoying. I have to choose Hart/VKM. Please, TNA, don't fail to let me down with a stupid run-in screwjob ending to this match. I know you have it in you!

TNA tries to derail the highlight of their show. Jesus Christ, they're dumb.

QUOTE (Brian @ Jan 4, 2010 -> 09:28 PM) Samoa Joe is so overrated, IMO. He is an agile big guy, but just doesn't do anything special anymore. He needs to be a heel or else he is worthless to me. He's supposed to be a heel. He's just really frustrated because they've buried him. They haven't done anything meaningful with him in forever.

QUOTE (CryptviLL @ Jan 4, 2010 -> 09:10 PM) Correct, but we've had Flair, Hardy, Styles, Jarret, HOGAN, Eric, The Knockouts going Crazy, Backstage going crazy The intensity is there, Yes Nash and Hall were duds, but we will see what they have up their sleeves I'm glad you're enjoying it, but I'm not seeing anything that has grabbed my attention other than Bischoff. For some reason I'm always interested in his character.

QUOTE (CryptviLL @ Jan 4, 2010 -> 08:54 PM) What show are you watching? The energy is there - The matches have been a failure. Nash = asleep. Hall = drunk. Taz almost laughed when he was "gushing" over how awesome the show has been. Styles = lackluster. This show has not impressed me one bit.

There is no energy at all in the TNA broadcast. None.

Ugh. Val Venis.

QUOTE (Rowand44 @ Jan 4, 2010 -> 08:04 PM) He looks oooooooooold. Sounds like himself, though. A little scraggly, but not bad all things considered.

Long hair never looks good on old guys.

WWE knows, you don't bury the lead. No 8-man tag match at the top of Raw.

I'm looking forward to the ratings analysis tomorrow to see how many people tune Hogan out at 8:00. I know I am.

Hall looks drunk. What a shock.

QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ Jan 4, 2010 -> 07:48 PM) retarded ECW comment! EXTREEEEEEEEEEME RETARDATION!!!!

QUOTE (nitetrain8601 @ Jan 4, 2010 -> 07:40 PM) Strip Poker...you guys can't hate on that. They won't show anything, so it's Tease Poker, and I hate that.

Oh, man, this show smells so much like wCw it's not even funny. Wow, Nash, way to dial up the energy. I can't help but get excited over this........zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.........

Your biggest show EVER gets a "This Is Bulls***" chant. Nice work AGAIN, TNA.