http://www.canoe.ca/SlamWrestling/jan17_wre.html

Monday, January 17, 2000

Wrestling fans crushed by Rogers

By GREG MACDONALD -- Toronto Sun

Rogers Cable slammed Ontario wrestling fans last night when its pay-per-view network went down the tubes.

Thousands of subscribers from across the province -- both those with digital boxes and descramblers -- were left in the dark when all pay-per-view programming was cut off.

'PROBLEM'

"The digital network was down for repair and when they put it back together the system went down," said a service representative, who refused to be identified.

"We're trying to sort out the problem. Maybe we can fix it by tomorrow."

Media calls were re-routed to a public relations line, but the spokesman is not available until Wednesday.

The glitch blacked out World Championship Wrestling's Souled Out presentation, an event that saw Sid Vicious grapple Chris Benoit for the World Heavyweight Championship.

-- Steve Baxter (chicoqh@home.com), January 17, 2000

Answers

Well, don't keep us in suspense. Who won the Championship -- Sid or Chris?

-- Ed Yourdon (ed@yourdon.com), January 17, 2000.

This is a tragedy of unprecedented proportion.

-- futureshock (gray@matter.com), January 17, 2000.

Personally, I am a boxing fan, so I couldn't care less, but if Martha Stewart's Living or Sesame Street gets affected - you know - anything that would affect *your* viewing habits, I'll be sure to let you know ... oh, I forgot. You "courageously" post only with anonymous information. In that case, just hold on to your apron-strings and hope for the best.

-- Steve Baxter (chicoqh@home.com), January 17, 2000.

...and to think some people were worried about silly things like the power grid, oil, telecommunications, and the financial industry.

-- I'm Here, I'm There (I'm Everywhere@so.beware), January 17, 2000.

Probably whoever drew the longest straw before the match. (BG)

-- Steve Baxter (chicoqh@home.com), January 17, 2000.

Ah - but you would REALLY care if MANKIND was wrestling the UNDERTAKER. I believe that match was originally scheduled for back on January 1, but was moved back a few months.

-- anon (anon@anon.calm), January 17, 2000.

"when its pay-per-view network went down the tubes"

LOL! futureshock, it appears that the writer shares your perspective. 8^)

I'm Here, I'm There, I'm afraid a lot of people think it's silly to worry about those things. 8^(

Steve, it's longer straw. Sorry, I hadn't corrected anyone's grammar in at least a week, and I needed a fix. 8^)

-- David L (bumpkin@dnet.net), January 17, 2000.

Thanks, David.

Now, if you could only explain that whole "who" vs "whom" thing ... I never could get that.

-- Steve Baxter (chicoqh@home.com), January 17, 2000.

A little 'rasslin' trivia. For one million dollars---who was "Hatpin Mary"?

-- (GorgeousGeorge@hair.net), January 17, 2000.

The upside to computer glitches.

-- Blew5M (gaf@mindspring.com), January 17, 2000.

Did she have a sister named Typhoid?

-- Steve Baxter (chicoqh@home.com), January 17, 2000.

Ed Yourdon (and other interested parties) It is with regret that we must inform you that due to the legalities of owned or paid for one time viewing contracts etc. we will not be allowed to share the outcome of the Sid and Chris bout or any other results, please stay tuned for special offers or you can buy the video for your continous and repeated viewing (remember- we only stipulate you may not reproduce or show to a group for profit) Thank you for your interest and the free exposure on this widely read site.

(humor)

-- Living in (the@real.world), January 17, 2000.

That's it, back to the bunkers men!

-- COLONEL M.I. LITIA (snafu@thecompound.com), January 17, 2000.

Gorgeous George:

Early TV wrestling (circa the late 1940s): TV's first "character"-- "Hatpin Mary," an elderly lady who always occupied a ringside seat and would jab her long hatpin into the bad guy anytime he came within arm's reach...

A little before my time, but thank goodness for the Internet and search engines...

-- Don (whytocay@hotmail.com), January 17, 2000.

Everyone's a comedian! A good friend of mine works with Rogers Cable (which is far from profitable at the best of times). They're a MAJOR player in the Canadian Cable market. Lost revenues to Rogers (regardless of how ridiculous you find the source of that revenue) could be devastating to him, his wife and their new born child. I hope the Super Bowl is available to all who flamed (though you don't deserve it). Steve, thanks for the post.

-- Paranoia Will (Destroy_Y@BlackCopters.com), January 17, 2000.

Thank God it wasn't mud wrestling. King of Spain would have committed suicide! <:)=

-- Sysman (y2kboard@yahoo.com), January 17, 2000.

Chris Benoit won the WCW world title but looks to be out of WCW in the near future since Kevin Sullivan gained booking control after Vince Russo was ousted from power by Bill Busch on Friday.

I heard he left prior to WCW Nitro tonight but nothing is confirmed about his future or anyone else.

-- Patrick (BAMECW@aol.com), January 17, 2000.

Don,

Nicely done. I was a kid then and remember hearing about Hatpin Mary. Of course, you know that Gorgeous George was the first showman-wrestler. Not much else on TV in 1949.

Oh, call Regis about the million dollars.

-- (GorgeousGeorge@hair.net), January 18, 2000.