Teddy Long

[browne81]

Just a few thoughts/questions about teddy long. I don't really have a problem with him but as I recall he was a referee. How the heck did he get a job as a GM in the first place.

Also even though I don't really have a problem with him, I also don't to much care for his character.
He is kinda boring and his segments in my opinion don't really do anything to make the show better.
They also don't make the show worse. They are kinda just there serving no real purpose.

I know most GM's are heel or turn out to be heel eventually. I don't think teddy has ever been heel nor
do I think he ever will. I really don't want him to become one either, what I would like to see though is
them bring in a co GM not an assistant but a co GM that is a heel and can feud with the baby face GM teddy long.
In a power struggle I know its been done before but its not been done nearly as much as the self serving heel GM formula.
I think that would be pretty cool. What do you think?

[The Brown One]

If it leads to Long being permanently replaced, then sure! As long as it isn't Laurinaitus - he botches way too much.

[SleepingPowder]

Just a few thoughts/questions about teddy long. I don't really have a problem with him but as I recall he was a referee. How the heck did he get a job as a GM in the first place.

I don't recall they ever explained the reasoning behind him. I think they just said, "Here ya go, bub."

Actually, he had a stint as a manager between his referee and GM role. He started out with Rodney Mack, but he went through quite a few wrestlers, and at one time, Jazz. Rodney Mack lost all momentum when Teddy was drafted to Smackdown, where he continued to manage for a short time before being named GM.

Also even though I don't really have a problem with him, I also don't to much care for his character. He is kinda boring and his segments in my opinion don't really do anything to make the show better.
They also don't make the show worse. They are kinda just there serving no real purpose.

That's a fair statement, but his character has never had the storyline penetration that someone like Bischoff or McMahon has. I don't mind him now, I kinda like that he has a little character and doesn't speak in that deadpan tone most wrestlers use. He was actually pretty entertaining when he took Booker's title away on the precedence that he was drinking "Hate-orade".

I really don't want him to become one either, what I would like to see though is
them bring in a co GM not an assistant but a co GM that is a heel and can feud with the baby face GM teddy long.
In a power struggle I know its been done before but its not been done nearly as much as the self serving heel GM formula.
I think that would be pretty cool. What do you think?

Teddy did something very similar to this when Vickie Guerrero became the GM of Smackdown and Long feuded with her over that position. It was so so... Vickie proved herself to be the black hole of drawing heat.

I like Long; he carries Smackdown pretty well and is interesting to listen to. His role as a face GM gives us something other than a storyline repeat of what we saw on Monday of that week. His longevity has been a plus, too, in my humble opinion... it's worked a lot better than the Anonymous GM bull. If he ever gets sick of managing Smackdown, he should hop on the announcers table.

[Robstar]

Actually if you do your homework, Teddy went from ref to manager in the NWA/WCW. He managed Ron Simmons & Bitch Reed as Doom. (C&P) - He also managed Johnny B. Badd, One Man Gang, Norman the Lunatic, The Skyscrapers(Sid Vicious, Dan Spivey and Mark Calaway), Marcus Bagwell, 2 Cold Scorpio, Joey Maggs, Craig Pittman, Jim Powers, Bobby Walker, Ice Train andBobby Eaton while in Jim Crockett Promotions and WCW. (ref.) - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theodore_Long

He's halfway decent on the mic, which is why I feel he was called up from reffing. Long stems from the grand tradition of typically hiring small guys as refs to make the wrestlers look bigger. Ever notice that?

Like I have been banging on about, get rid of Teddy, bring in Edge as SD GM!

[SleepingPowder]

Actually if you do your homework, Teddy went from ref to manager in the NWA/WCW. He managed Ron Simmons & Bitch Reed as Doom. (C&P) - He also managed Johnny B. Badd, One Man Gang, Norman the Lunatic, The Skyscrapers(Sid Vicious, Dan Spivey and Mark Calaway), Marcus Bagwell, 2 Cold Scorpio, Joey Maggs, Craig Pittman, Jim Powers, Bobby Walker, Ice Train andBobby Eaton while in Jim Crockett Promotions and WCW. (ref.) - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theodore_Long

I think it'd be good to note that Teddy Long managed the Skyscrapers (Sid Vicious and Dan Spivey) as well as the Skyscrapers (Dan Spivey and Mark Callous, as he was called). Wikipedia is always pretty lame on the details.

And while it's true he did go from ref to manager in NWA/WCW, the OP made a comment which warranted not elaborating on that part of his life (in order to answer the question):

I don't really have a problem with him but as I recall he was a referee. How the heck did he get a job as a GM in the first place.

GM being the operative acronym, I chose to talk discuss his WWE career rather than NWA/WCW. One other thing:

Like I have been banging on about, get rid of Teddy, bring in Edge as SD GM!

Sounds good to me. Edge would be a great GM. He's been afflicted by an onset of Post WWE Syndrome, though, as I've recently heard him interviewed saying he doesn't even watch Smackdown now; he's "taking a break from it". Though he doesn't mind an appearance when he's plugging his role on a different show... hmmmm...?

Anyway, when he's ready to come back, I'd be happy to see him as GM. Teddy can do something else.

[Robstar]

Which is kinda why I supplied the Wiki link, to flesh out his history. But you could ask the same about Mike Adamle. How on earth WWE came to hire him, who's decision was it? It's just one of those internal decisions noone seems to know the root of

[SleepingPowder]

Which is kinda why I supplied the Wiki link, to flesh out his history.

You're right, excellent citing. I apologize. I'm on edge today... too much crack.

But you could ask the same about Mike Adamle. How on earth WWE came to hire him, who's decision was it? It's just one of those internal decisions noone seems to know the root of

And for so much damn money! I don't know who's idea it was to bring him into WWE in the first place, I guess they assumed that the guy had chops because he'd been in the field. From what I understand the decision to make him GM was based on the large dollar amount in his contract and Vince wanted to try and get his worth out of him.

Ugly saga all around, though.

[Robstar]

Duly noted. I'll be careful not to piss on your rug in the future.

[SleepingPowder]

Robstar, you sir are a class act 110%, and as I've made note one helluva wrestling mind here.

[VanHooliganX]

Actually if you do your homework, Teddy went from ref to manager in the NWA/WCW. He managed Ron Simmons & Bitch Reed as Doom. (C&P) - He also managed Johnny B. Badd, One Man Gang, Norman the Lunatic, The Skyscrapers(Sid Vicious, Dan Spivey and Mark Calaway), Marcus Bagwell, 2 Cold Scorpio, Joey Maggs, Craig Pittman, Jim Powers, Bobby Walker, Ice Train andBobby Eaton while in Jim Crockett Promotions and WCW. (ref.) - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theodore_Long

He's halfway decent on the mic, which is why I feel he was called up from reffing. Long stems from the grand tradition of typically hiring small guys as refs to make the wrestlers look bigger. Ever notice that?

Like I have been banging on about, get rid of Teddy, bring in Edge as SD GM!

I doubt mind Long being GM but I would love the bolded to happen.

Could make for an interesting storyline if he kept giving Christian 1 more match at the title as well.