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Wrestling nostalgia has wide reach
By Mike Meiler
On April 7, 2012
Every once in a while, something happens that takes us back to our childhood.
Maybe you're watching daytime television and notice that old cartoons are on, or
your roommate stumbled upon and bought a Nintendo 64 at the flea market.
For me, at least most recently, it was paying attention to Wrestlemania this
past weekend. I didn't watch it, but for some reason simply reading about what
happened was enough to take me back to my carefree days.
I'm no wrestling fan. I might've paid attention to it for a year or two when I was
younger, but I couldn't tell you a thing about what's happened in the WWF (fine -
WWE) in the past decade.
Still, reading that The Rock was coming back, or that ring legends like the
Undertaker and Triple H were squaring off again somehow took me back.
It's evident everywhere, too. On Twitter, #wrestlemania was trending all day.
Facebook feeds exploded every time a familiar face entered the ring.
The award for the most surprising Wrestlemania reference of the day goes to
Philadelphia Flyers winger Scott Hartnell who, upon being taunted by a Penguins
fan dressed as Hulk Hogan after a scrum in a game in Pittsburgh Sunday, gave Hogan
a tribute of his own, putting his hand to his ear in a retaliatory taunt similar to the
one Hollywood Hogan became famous for.
As corny as it was (or awesome, depending on your viewpoint), it's these little
gestures that remind us why watching wrestling was fun. You could've never
watched a wrestling match in your life, but you would've known who the fan was
dressed as and what Hartnell was going for in his response.
It's entertaining, no matter how faked. I challenge anyone try not to smile while
watching tapes of Hogan prancing around before a match or The Rock firing up a
filled arena with one of his trademarked speeches. It's impossible to watch Stone
Cold Steve Austin or The Heartbreak Kid, Shawn Michaels, and not marvel over how
they capture the attention of a crowd.
No matter how you feel about wrestling (and again, I'm nowhere close to a huge
fan), there's something about it that can grab anyone's attention.
The entertainment factor is appalling, especially considering people are watching a
staged event. It's no better than watching a live soap opera, but for some reason, it's
impossible to look away.
There are a few days a year I look forward to. St. Patrick's Day and Halloween
are locks, and as a Buffalo boy, Dingus Day is up there. After this weekend,
Wrestlemania might've added itself to the list.
Mike Meiler can be reached by email at meiler.record@live.com.
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