Powell's Blog WWE's Michael Hayes must wake up and realize it's 2008 By Jason Powell Apr 23, 2008 - 11:16 AM Email This Article | Printer Friendly Page Send Us News & Results | Back to Main Listing Wednesday, APRIL 23 - 11:16 A.M. Michael Hayes is lucky to still have a job. He was suspended for 60 days for using a racial slur that several sources claim is a word he uses on a regular basis. This should be a lesson to the office workers and wrestlers in every company and at every level. I don't think anyone can say they've never used inappropriate language in select company. I think it really depends on the comfort level you have with certain friends. I know I routinely call my friends names (and they return the favor) that I wouldn't say in public. Let me stress that I don't use the word Hayes throws around, but I think many people would admit to using questionable language while joking around with friends that they wouldn't use in public, let alone in a corporate environment. For whatever reason, though, Hayes felt comfortable using this word in most settings. I've been told he's uses the word in public and while on the job routinely. Some coworkers don't believe there is any malice intended (others disagree in some specific cases), but I think they also realize that he needs to wake up and come to grips with the fact that it's 2008 and he's working in a corporate environment. It doesn't matter how comfortable Hayes feels with certain talent or colleagues. He holds a power position. There are wrestlers and colleagues who have been offended by his racial slurs, yet bit their tongues because of his stroke within the company. Others have been vocal about Hayes in the past, so it's troubling that it's taken the company this long to punish him. As an employee, Hayes must realize that he puts himself and the company at risk by using racial slurs regardless of his intent. Hayes and everyone else in the industry must come to grips with the fact that a judge isn't going to accept the "I was only joking" excuse for using a racial slur. It's really just common sense. Tuesday, APRIL 22 - 11:09 A.M. -There's no denying that WWE pulled off a major coup by getting the Presidential candidates to record messages for Raw last night. However, this was hardly one of those "made me proud to be a pro wrestling fan" moments. Rather, it made me embarrassed to think that I'll be voting for one of these people in November. Is there any piece of copy they won't read? HIll-Rod? The Mac? Ugh. I think all three candidates deserve the criticism they're getting in some circles. They're really no better than a cash-strapped actor who shills for any company that is willing to meet his financial demands. I'm sure some people will defend the candidates by commending them for not taking themselves too seriously. Call me crazy, but I guess I like the idea of a President who takes himself seriously. -Am I alone in thinking that if the Mamajuana website had enough visitors, the candidates would have happily appeared in some type of video on the site and read some type of plug for his love potion? Yes, there's a Hillary Clinton joke that would tie in nicely, but I'm not going there. -By the way, I'd love to hear from someone who has tried Mamajuana. Was it everything you and your significant other hoped it would be? By the way, does the bottle say anything about flabby man boobs being a possible side effect? -Note to Mamajuana users: Clicking on the advertisements here at Dot Net will also increase your libido. Yes, I'm joking. -Monday's Raw did nothing to make me want to order the Backlash pay-per-view. Of course, I'll be covering it here on Dot Net, but Shawn Michaels vs. Batista is the only match I'm really intrigued by. I'm sure there will be some good action in the two title matches, but one is a WrestleMania rematch and the other is a glorified WrestleMania rematch with Mr. Mamajuana added to the mix. Keep in mind that I originally endorsed the early pay-per-view lineup. Somehow, WWE has managed to make me lose interest in Backlash over the last few weeks. -TNA had the right idea by sending out a series of text messages on Monday. There's a ton of interest in pro wrestling on Mondays due to Raw, but TNA really drops off the radar unless they had a pay-per-view the night before. I'd like to see them to launch a newsworthy edition of TNA Today on Monday. Perhaps Jeremy Borash could conduct a short interview segment with one of the wrestlers and offer a legit news item or two. Yes, it should be more than clips from a house show, a pay-per-view ad, and Don West shilling merchandise on Mondays. Monday, APRIL 21 - 12:09 P.M. -I admit that I'm probably being paranoid by keeping my guard up for some type of swerve from WWE regarding the presidential candidates appearing on tonight's Raw. After all, it only requires one candidate cracking before the other two follow suit. If they do appear, it will be interesting to find out which candidate agreed to appear first. WWE spokesman Gary Davis stated that they contacted John McCain last, so it's probably safe to assume that Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton committed first. -Honestly, I couldn't care less about the candidates appearing on Raw. I realize it's a big deal for WWE and I'm sure plenty of people will enjoy it, but I'm much more excited about the King of the Ring tournament. King Kennedy has a nice ring to it, but so does King Santino. No inside information here, folks. Those are just two guys I'd like to see win the tournament. -I hope WWE has more than one goal in mind for this tournament. A good wrestling tournament does more than simply elevate the winning the wrestler. ROH did a great job of elevating more than one wrestler in their Race to the Top tournament last year. Here's hoping that WWE books one wrestler in a manner that surprises viewers by pulling off an upset or two even if he doesn't win the actual tournament. Really, it's like any sports tournament or playoffs. Ultimately, the history books only remember the winner, but that doesn't mean the fans aren't talking about how good that young team that made the surprising run could be in the future. -Am I the only one who is looking forward to tomorrow night's ECW show a lot more than usual? It will be interesting to see if Mike Adamle spent the entire week catching up on all things WWE, which he should have done to begin with. For that matter, I'm curious to see whether he can hold his own in a live broadcasting situation even if he is familiar with the product. Remember, Adamle has a bad reputation in Chicago for struggling in live situations stemming from his work as an on-air sports reporter. -It's time for TNA management officials to put their issues with Chris Sabin and Alex Shelley aside. These two are capable of carrying the TNA tag division and I think I speak for most fans when I say I'm ready to see a Motor City Machine Guns vs. LAX feud. TNA could get at least six months of great matches out of those two teams if they booked them in a carefully crafted six month program. -Speaking of the Gun and LAX, I suggest turning over the booking of their feud to Jim Cornette, who knows a thing or two about long-term tag team programs. I know TNA officials see Sabin and Shelley as a babyface duo, but they've both been more effective as heels throughout their careers. I was excited to hear them say during a recent interview that they've been watching classic Midnight Express tapes because that's exactly the type of team they could be for TNA. -Sorry to hear about Mark Briscoe's wrist injury. The Briscoes are always among the highlights of Ring of Honor shows and it sounds like it will be at least a few months before they are able to team again. That being said, it will be fun to see whether ROH gives Jay Briscoe a singles push while his brother is recovering. 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!) 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