Missing out on a Christmas tradition
Over the past five years, WWE’s Tribute to the Troops has joined A Christmas Story, It’s a Wonderful Life and Miracle on 34th Street as a holiday viewing tradition in my house.
Regretfully, I was forced to break with tradition last night. The Ravens-Cowboys game aired in the Baltimore market on the NBC affiliate, thus pre-empting Tribute to the Troops.
Talk about mixed emotions. As a diehard Ravens fan, I wouldn’t have missed the game for anything, and I thoroughly enjoyed watching the boys in purple spoil the ’Boys’ final game at Texas Stadium. But I’m still disappointed about not getting to see WWE’s visit to Baghdad to entertain the troops.
I had intended all along to watch the football game and tape the WWE special, not realizing the scheduling conflict until it was too late. After the game ended, I did catch some of the Tribute highlights on wwe.com and YouTube, but it’s not the same as watching the show in its entirety on television.
While Tribute to the Troops offers very little in the way of advancing story lines, I agree with many of the WWE performers who refer to it as the company’s most important show of the year.
No matter what you may think of the war – or WWE, for that matter – there’s no denying how much WWE’s visits mean to the troops, as evidenced by the smiles on their faces while interacting with the WWE talent. I have never made it through a whole Tribute to the Troops show without getting choked up, especially when the men and women of the military show pictures of their kids.
Yes, watching the Ravens’ upset of the Cowboys was exhilarating, but Tribute to the Troops always helps put things in proper perspective. JBL, who came up with the idea for the annual show, said it best when I interviewed him last year: “There’s never enough thank you that I can give those guys for being over there. You get caught up in thinking your world is so important, and it really isn’t.”
Comments
In that first shot after the game of Romo running down the tunnel to the locker room, I kept waiting for TO to hit him and start one of those brawls that takes all the Refs, Sgt. Slaughter, Dean Malenko, and IRS to stop.
Posted by: Elevation | December 21, 2008 3:04 PM
Kevin , on a serious note , your comments about WWE's "Tribute to the Troops" was well said . It's a great gesture from all involved .
On a lighter note , a few days ago you mentioned how you didn't intend to turn your blog into a football blog . It's seems however you are doing your best to perpetuate it .... and I liiike it ! How 'bout them Ravens !? What a breath of fresh air to see a gutsy performance by D. Mason while the likes of T.O. pouts on the sidelines .
Now Kev , apart from football , do you have any insight into "Tex" playing for the O's :)
RESPONSE FROM KEVIN ECK: I interviewed Teixeira and his parents six years ago for a story I wrote for Baltimore Magazine on him and Gavin Floyd. For what it's worth, he didn't strike me as someone who was all about money. I think playing in his hometown might mean somehing to him. Or maybe that's just wishful thinking.
Posted by: the artist formerly known as jack in hebron | December 21, 2008 4:43 PM
back to football , I would rather listen to Ivan Putski sing for 3 hrs . than to listen to Deion Sanders call a football game for 3 hrs .
Posted by: the artist formerly known as jack in hebron | December 21, 2008 4:49 PM
I feel the same way Kevin. I wish WBAL would have rescheduled Tribute With The Troops fo sometime during the night or sometime Sunday so we could have watched it. I read the outcome of the matches on the spoilers but that kinda ruined it for me.
Posted by: Dave | December 21, 2008 5:00 PM
Seeing the many Americans who are risking their lives over there makes one realize how meaningless a game like football really is.
Even if you don't agree with the war (I do not), these soldiers are heroes, representing this country with honor. I'm glad the WWE goes over there and supports them every year.
Posted by: Ryan | December 21, 2008 5:11 PM
Kevin - Do you think they'll show the Tribute to the Troops some other time over the holiday season. You're right, that is one of my top shows to watch over the holidays and it puts things in perspective in life? I actually called WBAL last night (sorry I'm not a football fan, so the Ravens game meant nothing to me) to see if they planned to show it at any other time. I thought maybe they'd show like at 2 a.m. and I could tape it but they said since they were the flagship station of the Ravens, they had to show the game... But thanks for the hints of youtube, so I might be able to catch glimpses of.... Have a happy holiday.
Posted by: Jeannette | December 21, 2008 6:15 PM
I am not an American, but I wish the U.S servicemen and women all the best, and it's good that WWE gives them something to look forward to.
I'm not much of a Ravens fan, either, but I am less of a Terrel Owens fan, so good game.
Posted by: Christopher | December 22, 2008 12:08 AM
choked up? lols
Posted by: Bhen Chod | December 22, 2008 1:08 AM
I was a little disappointed with Tribute to the Troops. Not in what they do or anything, I just didn't like the fact that it was only an hour-long show. There was just so much stuff that happened and they only had an hour to fill us in.
Joey Styles and Michael Cole both did blogs from Iraq and there's a lot of pictures on wwe.com, so that's something extra.
I think WWE should release the Tribute to the Troops shows on DVD, or maybe find a way to include them in the WrestleMania disk or something.
Posted by: Chris Slater | December 22, 2008 1:53 AM
Speaking of the Ravens' game ... Has there ever been a two month time period where we have witnessed the closing of three venues such as Yankee Stadium, Shea Stadium, and Texas Stadium? The final Sammartino-Zybysko match was at Shea Stadium to give this a wrestling reference.
Posted by: Bob Buscaglia | December 22, 2008 2:08 AM
I hope these heroes are treated much, much better than the Viet Nam vets were...and still are.
Posted by: Marko50 | December 22, 2008 2:40 AM
Memo to Kyle Walker:
Go back to school and take an English course. Thank you.
Posted by: the magnificent mark | December 22, 2008 9:45 AM
The Tribute is the best holiday viewing tradition in my house. It's wonderful to see how much the service men and women enjoy it. But I agree with another "poster"...make it two hours.
Also, the first year, it was nice to see even the heels come out of character at the end of the matches and greet the troops as they left the ring area. In the shots of the wrestlers visiting with the troops on the show and on the WWE website, it seemed that very few heels were shown talking with the servicemen. I'm sure they did, however.
But WWE deserves praise for making the extra effort.
Posted by: Charles Williams | December 22, 2008 10:11 AM
According to my sister, who fell asleep while watching the Saturday Night Live rerun and woke up in her recliner about 3:30 in the morning, there was "some sort of wrestling show" playing on channel 11 at that time. I assume it was the Tribute show.
RESPONSE FROM KEVIN ECK: I talked with someone from WBAL who said the show was not aired at all.
Posted by: Jeff | December 22, 2008 10:11 AM