Dot Net Water Cooler Mike Adamle as the Raw General Manager, Freddie Prinze Jr. joins the WWE creative team By Rich Twilling and Chris Shore Aug 1, 2008 - 01:22 PM Email This Article | Printer Friendly Page Send Us News & Results | Back to Main Listing Rich: So, anything going on in wrestling this week?! Seriously, what do you think of Mike Adamle as the new Raw General Manager? Chris: What a #@*%# stupid idea. Seriously, Adamle was great as a reporter back in the day. And he will always have a special place in my heart from American Gladiators. I won’t bore you with the details, but it was the only show my stepdad and I ever agreed on. At any rate, he knows less about wrestling than I do and he gets $300,000 a year to know the business. He sucks. Rich: In an industry that prides itself on history, paying dues, and politics, it surprises me that Vince does not seem to be old school at all. I know he is a businessman but it was a slap in the face to everyone who has paid their dues over time when Adamle was hired for that much coin. I hate that he fell ass backwards into a more high profile position because of how much he sucked as the ECW play by play announcer, but I think he will be entertaining in the role. I feel bad for Tazz though. He deserves better. I like Todd Grisham. He did a solid job in his ECW debut. Chris: I agree that Tazz deserved better and they had to move Adamle from the announce table. But obviously, he doesn’t catch on too quickly, so return him to an interview roll and let him learn a little. Entertaining? Unless his character makes decisions in the background and stays off TV, he can’t be that entertaining. He can’t act, he isn’t funny, and he has no idea what he’s talking about half the time. How the hell can he be entertaining? Rich: He is different. If he plays the dumb but calculating heel, it could be a character we have not seen in a long time. That could be entertaining. I am already intrigued by the backlash that is coming his way after what he did last Monday. Also, somewhere down the line, fans are going to want to see someone kick his ass. I am looking forward to it. Chris: From the payoff standpoint of him getting beat down in the future, it could be entertaining. But he is terrible on the mic when it comes to talking to someone in a scripted way. He is OK when allowed to just talk. But when he has to repeat lines he’s terrible. The problem of course, is that you can’t just let him talk because he has yet to learn anything about pro wrestling. So we have idiot Mike or the William Shatner version. I am not looking forward to it. Rich: For now, those are the exact reasons I will find it entertaining. Many wrestlers on the show may get the best of him in verbal situations, but Adamle will use his power, manipulative skills, and ability to be cerebral to get back at them. In terms of his wrestling knowledge, time in the business, and seeming unwillingness to learn the product, I think such a high profile spot for someone like that is bullshit. Remember, Maria started off as a crappy interviewer and it blossomed into a character for her. I compare Adamle’s situation to that. Chris: But Maria has the ability to look pretty so you can look past her idiot character. Adamle looks like John McCain after a hard day on the campaign trail. We are always clamoring for credibility. We are always saying how when Cena destroys the tag champions it makes them look weak. Well, when Adamle says the stupid stuff he does, it will be hard for anyone to believe he was crafty enough to make a match that allows him to “get even” with whoever he is in the angle in. He has zero credibility and unless a miracle happens, he will not earn any for a while. Rich: Yeah, I do not see Mike Adamle landing a Playboy cover, that is for sure. You’re right, he has no credibility. However, he has made a career despite having no credibility. I go back to the original problem; the person that signed him for $300,000 a year is crazy. For example, Freddie Prinze Jr. just joined the creative team. He is a fan and he knows the product. Paying him to be the play by play would have created buzz and he would have done a good job. Adamle has to earn his money somehow. Chris: I don’t know about play by play, but I will be interested to see what he brings to the table. He is a fan and he knows the product, like you said. And considering Vince’s propensity to fall in love with each non-athlete he signs, Prinze just might have a say in a match or two. Let’s hope he’s not as big a bust as Mike F. Adamle. Rich: I think Prinze is going to end up being a very good hire. He has the Hollywood bloodlines that Vince loves and he is knowledgeable of the product. If he is allowed to put forth a combination of those facets, this could turn out very good for the creative team. Chris: I certainly hope you are right. He is smart and could do some really good things if allowed too. At least I think he will. I have to get back at it, I’ll see you back here later. HELP SUPPORT DOT NET! BECOME A MEMBER AT OUR CHARTER RATE OF JUST $5 A MONTH - GET THE FIRST LOOK AT EXCLUSIVE INSIDER DOT NET NEWS, TONS OF EXCLUSIVE AUDIO SHOWS, MESSAGE BOARD ACCESS, START YOUR OWN BLOG, AD-FREE MAIN LISTING: SIGN ME UP (or MORE INFO) GOT AN IPHONE OR IPOD TOUCH? THEN BE SURE TO DOWNLOAD OUR NEW FREE iPhone APP: (click here!) (or SEARCH "pro wrestling" in iTunes App Store) FOR MORE BREAKING WWE & TNA NEWS AND COMMENTARY, VISIT OUR AFFILIATE PWTORCH.COM (click here!) FOR MORE MMA & UFC NEWS AND COMMENTARY, VISIT OUR AFFILIATE MMATORCH.COM (click here!) CLICK TO RETURN TO DOT NET MAIN LISTING OR SELECT A LINK BELOW FROM THIS CATEGORY Dot Net Water Cooler Latest Twelve Articles WWE Unforgiven with Shawn Michaels vs. Chris Jericho, WWE Championship Scramble matches WWE Summerslam edition of the Water Cooler WWE Raw, Weak Summerslam title matches, why competition is good for Vince McMahon Mike Adamle as the Raw General Manager, Freddie Prinze Jr. joins the WWE creative team Matt or Jeff Hardy as a future world champion? Chris Jericho and Shawn Michaels, John Morrison and The Miz, pushing young talent Twilling and Shore discuss the WWE Great American Bash pay-per-view