This week a brief thought or two, then another plug for "Curtis Comes Home", the fundraiser for WCW referee Brian Hildebrand.

Applause to Fritz Capp for his "Enough is Enough" posting on PWBTS and several other sites. More and more wrestling are getting tired of the blatant hypocrisy of WCW as a corporate entity. This is a hypocrisy born out of the company which has criticized the WWF, which has bragged how advertisers will come over to WCW from advertising on WWF programming; yet has turned around and aired a product reminiscent of Titan Sports.

Accordingly, the "sickening predictability" (to borrow a phrase) of WCW formatting the monologue of Bret Hart PRECISELY at the time when fans would turn to Monday Night RAW somehow didn't shock me as much as it has others. It did however, nauseate me. Unlike Fritz in his article, I'd like to assume that Bret was sincere in what he said.

Sadly, however, given all that's gone on in recent weeks with the Hart family, I can't absolutely guarantee it was, though. At the very least, Bret Hart should have been smart enough to the business that WCW would use this monologue, and the Owen Hart memorial video package, as a ratings boost at 8:55 pm. This is no different than what occurred with Melanie Pillman's appearance on RAW, an appearance that was widely criticized by WCW was the very same thing.

So applause to Fritz and the many others who are pointing out the reality of what's happening in WCW right now. WCW neds to understand that the only way the criticism will stop is when changes are made, and made for the better. Making changes beginning at the top might be a good start.

Now to "Curtis Comes Home"...

As has widely reported, the card is being held to raise funds for the medical expenses of Brian Hildebrand, who is suffering from inoperable stomach cancer. While WCW has kept Hildebrand on the payroll fulltime during his convalescence, considerable medical bills have piled up for his medical care.

"Curtis Comes Home" is being held on Friday, July 30th at the Ice Gardens, located on Route 51 in Belle Vernon, PA.

Here's the lineup for this event as it stands right now:

MAIN EVENT:
Shane Douglas vs. Chris Jericho (with special referee Mick Foley)

SEMI-MAIN EVENT:
Chris Benoit/Dean Malenko vs. Tracy Smothers/Chris Candido (with Tammy Sytch)

LEGENDS MATCH:
Dominic DeNucci vs. Lord Zoltan

The Public Enemy vs. Death & Destruction (Frank Parker & Roger Anderson)

Cody Michaels (with Jim Cornette) vs. "Dirty White Boy" Tony Anthony (with "The Duke of New York" Al Getz)

Sheriff Steele vs. Big Dick Flanagan

The Heartland Wrestling Association's Shark Boy defends his 1999 Pillman Memorial Cruiserweight Tournament Title against an opponent to be determined.

Additionally appearing at this event will be Terry Taylor, Les Thatcher, Sandy Scott and others.

You can order tickets for this event NOW at the following Pittsburgh area Ticketmaster outlets:

At all Giant Eagles, located at....

6320 Shakespeare Street 15206
6511 Steubenville Pike 15205
88 West Steuben Street 15205
Camp Horne, 132 Ben Avon Heights 15229
McKnight & Peebles Road 15237
Parkway Center Mall 15220

All Kaufmann's

3000 Robinson Center Drive. 15205
400 5th Avenue 15219
Ross Park Mall 15237
South Hills Village 15241

Music X at 3712 Forbes Avenue 15213

At all National Record Marts, located at...

230 Forbes Avenue 15222
4768 McKnight Road 15237
5524 Walnut Street 15232
5820 Forbes Ave 15127
Northway Mall 15237
Parkway Center Mall 15220
South Hills Village 15241
Waves Waterworks Mall 15238

You can also order tickets online for this event directly at the below URL. If your browser doesn't support linked text, cut and paste the URL into your browser.

http://www.ticketmaster.com/cgi/tm2k_by_id_FS.idc?event_id=6002EDCC96EECCE%26searchname%3DCURTIS_COMES_HOME%26minorcat%3D75%26state%3DPA%26majorcat%3D

Even if you can't make it to Pittsburgh; here are two suggestions for other ways you can help:

1) Order tickets anyway from the URL above.

After they arrive from Ticketmaster, send them back to the Hildebrands at:

Pamela Murphy Hildebrand, 1351 Gentry Road, Talbott, TN 37877

Let them re-sell the tickets, or use them as a give-away (in order to get media coverage, for example). The idea came to me from reading a book about Bob Geldof, organizer of the LIVE AID famine relief benefit concert in 1985, and the writer of the "Do They Know it's Christmas" song the previous Christmas. People in Great Britain bought copies of the song, then gave them back to be re-sold so more money could be raised.

2) If you find that idea too impractical, but you'd still like to help order merchandise from the Renfield Merchandise website (out of the address above, and from the following address:

http://hometown.aol.com/RenMerch/renfield/index.html

Pam Murphy-Hildebrand (Brian's wife) operates the site, which sells classic Smoky Mountain Wrestling tapes and other SMW merchandise, as well as some other indy tapes. There will likely be shirts available for purchase from the "Curtis Comes Home" show after July 30th from this website.

Please take the time to help out someone who is more than worth taking that time...and money.

Until next time.....

If you have comments or questions, I can be reached by e-mail at bobmagee1@hotmail.com