"Ask What You Can Do..."
By Chad Merritt
2:10 AM on 3/05/2002


“Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.”

It’s a memorable quote from an American icon. It’s certainly applicable in the days we live in.

Believe it or not, it’s even applicable to Fantasy Wrestling.

There has been a rash of columns recently about the current ‘focus’ of our sport. More and more people are decrying the focus on symbolism and calling for more substance.

But there’s a catch. It means that YOU have to work.

There’s absolutely nothing inherently wrong with a great site design or Poser. Forums aren’t the great evil. Either is hype. The look of a league is important. Features are important. Remember, it’s all about entertainment.

What is inherently wrong are FWers who want it all, but are unwilling to work for it.

I’ve seen notes about how this-or-that league ‘sucks’ because it had a late card. (That’s certainly a subject near and dear to my heart, if you know anything about the CSWA [Grin]). I’ve read commentary on how this-or-that fed that hasn’t opened yet is the BEST THING EVER! I’ve seen forums erupt into chaos because users and mods bicker about who’s doing their job and who isn’t, or because of who is ‘immature’ and who isn’t. I’ve watched as private transactions and conversations have been brought into the public eye and people decide to take one side or the other without any hint of proof. I’ve seen others put down people who ‘spend money’ on this sport to keep sites active, arguing that that’s just ‘going too far.’

If half the commentators, detractors and personal attack artists put effort into roleplaying instead of in-fighting, then we wouldn’t have any columns about how the sport is ‘in decline.’

Feds come and go…that’s part of our game. Handlers come and go for various reasons… that too is part of the game. It’d just be nice if they weren’t helped along by a vocal minority in our sport, who would rather tear down than do anything helpful.

FWrestling.com is fully open again. It’s a new incarnation with the same goal. To provide a place where people can have fun. That’s why I work at this in my spare time. It’s even why I (gasp) spend money to keep this site operating.

There are some great sites out there. They’re well done, and they’re vital to our sport. FWrestling.com is going to try to do something slightly different. And I’m challenging you to do the same.

As you’ve already seen, like many other sites, we have ‘news’ on our front page. In “FW News,” you’ll find information on major leagues around the Web, including the member leagues hosted on the site. “Circuit News” is a place where fedheads, staff, and handlers can post information on their league and their characters. Here’s the catch: it’s in-roleplay. That’s right, except for some site news, all ‘news’ should be done by league ‘officials’ and ‘commentators,’ as if it’s on TV or a pro wrestling website. It means you’re going to have to work…but it also means that the rest of the community can learn more about your fed and its *real* news…not just its new design or boards.

That brings us to hosting. Yes, I know every site has it. Here’s the difference. We all talk about ‘geocities’ and ‘angelfire’ feds…all those feds that don’t have their own domain. Most of us know that some of the best roleplay on the Net takes place in some of those feds. Now they can get hosted on a fantasy wrestling-related site without having to worry about when their host is going to ask for cash or shut down.

That doesn’t mean that just sites with the best design or most elite handlers will get hosted. Whether you’re just getting started or you’re an HTML wizard, there’s a spot for you here. Some ‘premiere’ sites will be eligible for additional space, subdomains, all that good stuff…but for those of you that could care less about that, hosting is here. It’s simple, it’s dependable, and it’s free. See the Hosting link on the main page for more info.

I know…it’s nothing earth-shattering. It’s not meant to be. This is meant to be a place where everybody can participate, no matter how advanced or how new. It’s a place where great HTML, Poser, and even hype, are welcome. It’s also a place where those things aren’t prerequisites.

It’s time to step outside the circle and back into the game. Because if one thing is for sure, it’s that the game is ‘even better than the real thing.’ Go have fun.