Assorted thoughts again...

First: Why is Paul Heyman so damned afraid of the memory of Eddie Gilbert?

At the last ECW Arena show, a surprisingly classy farewell was given to Jim Fullington (aka the Sandman). In it, Tommy (Dreamer) Loughlin mentioned the history of the promotion, giving proper credit to Eddie Gilbert's role in the beginning of the company during 1993. This surprising mention got a good round of applause from the Arena crowd, and a small "Eddie" chant. Some of us oldtime fans wondered if it was Loughlin's own idea....

Fast forward to this past week's ECW TV...and this mention stayed in...but the applause was edited out...with a bland explanation by Styles that "Thomas Edward Gilbert, Jr. known professionally as 'Hot Stuff' Eddie Gilbert was here for five months as talent coordinator and executive producer".

Um....excuse me?

Why in hell is it so damned hard for Paul Heyman to acknowledge the fact that Eddie Gilbert started the ECW we all know, had the first feud of note with Terry Funk...ran the first shows in the ECW Arena...and no small matter brought Paul Heyman into the company with him, which allowed Paul Heyman the chance to do what he's done since? Without Gilbert having brought in Paul Heyman, the ECW that most people outside the Philadelphia area know would NEVER have happened.

Is it that people seem to hold Gilbert in higher personal regard than they do Heyman? It's not necessary to go into why I think that is the case...regular readers are well aware of my thoughts on that subject.

I will say that this...On the fifth anniversary of Heyman's taking over ECW, he could have served to try and bury the ill feelings once and for all...He ought to remember what Eddie did himself at UltraClash in September 1993...when Gilbert came in to the Arena unannounced and told the crowd he was leaving, but that they should keep supporting ECW. One wonders what the fans of the still-young promotion would have done if Gilbert hadn't.

At a time when the ECW talent pool has been drying up, and when the booking has been somewhat tired, (I mean...Jack Victory and Rod Price as new incoming talent?)...some of that kind of loyality and decency would have been a welcome change from Mr. Heyman. But Paul Heyman missed the chance...

Second: Anyone else getting tired of the Scott Hall "drunk" angle?

Readers have heard my thoughts on the similar Hawk angle in the WWF.... I pretty much feel the same way about this one. Particularly since this one is a lot more real. There have been recent stories that the heat being acted out by Kevin Nash toward Scott Hall may be a bit more real than some have been led to believe. Hall's real life behavior has been somewhat less than appropriate, to put it mildly.

As I've said before and will likely say again, alcohol and other drug abuse isn't a subject for a wrestling storyline....It isn't adult, it isn't "cutting edge", it isn't "pushing the envelope". It is just plain inappropriate. Period.

Third: Kudos to one of the favorite whipping boys of the Internet "smarts", Bill Goldberg.

Bill Goldberg did an appearance for Hall of Heroes in Echelon hall in suburban Voorhees, NJ on Saturday afternoon, hours before working the main event at a WCW show in Fairfax. Even with this show, Goldberg stayed an hour past his scheduled time after seeing children waiting in line to buy tickets, and refusing to have the line cut off. Goldberg was then taken directly down to the Patriot Center in Fairfax after the session. Considering the circumstances, it would have been easy for Goldberg to leave at his scheduled time. Nice to see someone who remembers where in hell his money comes from...He gets points from me for doing so. If you have a problem with the WCW title being on him, the gentleman to contact is named Eric Bischoff, not Bill Goldberg.

A closing plug.... for PWBTS's own Kathy Fitzpatrick, who has moved on to the NWA office. Kathy's in charge of the NWA 50th Anniversary Weekend Convention happening on October 24th in Cherry Hill, NJ.

If there are any DEALERS reading this who would like to run tables at the convention.... please note the following information below from the NWA 50th Anniversary website.

The "NWA 50th Anniversary Celebration Weekend" kicks off with a Fan Convention on Saturday, October 24th from 9:00 am-2:00 pm, pausing for the Cauliflower Alley Banquet, and resuming from 5:00-7:00 pm.

There, fans will have the opportunity to view and purchase all sorts of pro wrestling memorabilia and merchandise from the common to the hard to find. Not only will there be items such as hats and tee shirts of all sorts to choose from, but there will be dealers from all over the U.S. offering everything from action figures and dolls to magazines and programs. Everything you can imagine such as video tapes, trading cards, posters, wrestling masks, belt buckles, Japanese and Mexican items and just about anything else you can think of that says "wrestling" will be on display and available for purchase.

On hand will be special autograph and photo sessions with some of wrestling's biggest stars as well as some of the legends. The line-up will be announced as we get closer to Convention day. Tickets for the event will be only $8 in advance ($10 at the door on the day of the convention) and will made available through Ticketmaster in the coming weeks.

Dealers and vendors who are interested in displaying their merchandise at the NWA 50th Anniversary Fan Convention, should contact Kathy Fitzpatrick and Lee Keys via e-mail at NWA50th@yahoo.com, or call (609) 627-5123 between the hours of 9:00 am-10:00 pm ET for exact vendor details.

Dealer pricing for spaces are $100 per table and $25 for each additional table up to a maximum of four (4) tables per vendor. The price includes a complimentary ticket to the 50th Anniversary show at 8 p.m. Dealer space is limited and is available to vendors on a first come, first serve basis.

Please support this event...it is a a chance to meet wrestling legends, to hang out with fans like yourself, and to support some damned hardworking people. If you are planning to attend the Convention or Show, order your tickets online from http://www.ticketmaster.com, as well as Ticketmaster outlets in PA, NJ, and DE

Until next time.....

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