When this story came out about how the Baked Potato in Charge appointed Vince McMahon among other leaders of sports organizations to some think tank of how to revitalize the US economy, numerous Facebook friends shared it in the typical “ha ha look at what stupid shit the baked potato did now” kind of attitude that the landscape of social media among people my age tend to operate.
It felt like I was being baited to debate over it based on how many people were posting the link, with the flippant ridicule at the tips of their tongues. Now as much as I want to heroically say that I never took it, I did, to the first friend who posted it; naturally, sticking up for anything that the Baked Potato in Charge does means I’m an asshole, and it didn’t take long for some person I didn’t know to snidely remark to me, but I got the last word in and decided to take this offline to where I can really explain my opinions without strangers flapping their e-gums at me.
Sure, I get it, the headline itself does sound ripe for criticism given the types of people that the Baked Potato in Charge and the chairman of the WWE are. But what really got on my nerves was not just people shitting on professional wrestling because “it’s a fake sport,” but the fact that so many people have such blatant disrespect for professional wrestling that they aren’t capable of actually realizing that maybe Vince McMahon really isn’t that horrific of a choice, and that if anyone took two seconds to get over the whole wrestling thing, might actually realize that there’s an avalanche of far worse people to bring aboard as an advisor to stimulate an economy.
Vince McMahon is absolutely no saint, he’s perceived as an egomaniacal tyrant who is kind of racist, kind of sexist, kind of size-ist (if there’s such a thing as someone who discriminates against non-roided up freaks of nature). But the reality is that most people can’t delineate between the on-screen persona of Vince the Asshole Boss, and the off-screen Vince McMahon, owner and chairman of World Wrestling Entertainment.
The latter is a shrewd businessman who has operated the WWF/E for four decades and has steered his ship through several generations of fans and the changes of the time that come and go with them. He’s kept his business afloat through numerous scandals, allegations and criticisms when it came to drugs, steroids, concussions, among others. And he not only revolutionized professional wrestling, he brought it into the mainstream, constantly evolved it, and continues to grow and expand.
Sure, throughout the annals of the industry there have been some less-than acceptable by the standards of many generations, characters or storylines to have come and gone through the WWE. Racist personas. Sexist angles. Controversial storylines. But what a lot of people don’t often realize that those involved in these were peoples’ jobs to do, and when the day is over, they could choose to not do them and walk; but they did, because if they didn’t, there would always be someone who would be.
However, one of Vince’s strengths throughout time, has been his willingness to let his company change and adapt with the times, something that all sorts of failed organizations and businesses past and present have been incapable of doing. Take the NFL for example, led by the oft-criticized and reviled Roger Goddell. The aforementioned snide remark I was given for defending this on social media was:
shrewd businessman at the expense of a mountain of his employees’ skulls. Yea that should really resonate with the current zeitgeist
I mean, it’s not wrong, but it’s also nothing that the NFL, or the NHL, or any other MMA or Boxing promoter isn’t guilty of either. But unlike the NFL, the WWE actually has changed and adopted physical wellness checks, most notably pertaining to concussions. Meanwhile, the NFL can’t seem to understand that armies of men bashing each other helmet to helmet 17 weeks a year plus preseasons and practices cause concussions, but the difference is that the NFL is loved and treated with respect, while professional wrestling is not.
Just throwing this out there as well, the WWE has not just employed, but elevated, on-screen: gays, women and all sorts of minorities. Of all the other organization leaders that Baked Potato in Charge appointed as advisors, I’m pretty sure none of them can say similarly, or close to it.
I think what people don’t want to admit to, because it all swirls around an industry known for sweaty men in briefs performing in choreographed fights to predetermined outcomes, is that Vince McMahon is among the most longest and successful businessmen out there.
I get it, it’s often times fun to poke fun at the dumb shit Baked Potato in Charge does, with frightening regularity. And sure, at first blush, it does seem questionable that only a bunch of men in charge of large, athletic organizations are the only ones brought aboard to advise on how to revitalize a nation’s economy. But Vince McMahon being the one that everyone zeroes in on as being the most scrutinized? That’s bullshit. He’s easily one of the more competent ones, and when the day is over, I’d take Vince McMahon over some soulless corrupt Wall Street banking asshole, or some Silicon Valley Steve Jobs poser who has been rich for two seconds. As stated, there are tons of worse options in the world that some other Washington shithead would have appointed for this, who would’ve tucked and run at the first sign of adversity. Vince McMahon, at least knows how to fight and survive.
