False Finishes: A Pat Patterson & Donald Trump Connection?

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False Finishes: A Pat Patterson & Donald Trump Connection?

After watching 1000’s of professional wrestling matches as a fan, producing a couple thousand for television and even participating in a few that might be better described as stunt matches I came to the opinion back in the late 90’s that well structured finishes are a crucial element in a great match. As athletic as any particular match may be without the drama of a three dimensional finish it is just that… an athletic match.

I felt so strongly about WCW & Nitro’s need to improve on that particular weakness in our creative process that I set about trying to find someone who could be ‘Our Pat Patterson’ and help us structure what I felt we so badly needed to improve our product. While I had not yet met Pat Patterson, and clearly never had the opportunity to work with him, many of the people who worked with me on Nitro had previously worked with Pat in WWE. They all spoke with Monteverdi Choir-like harmony of Pat’s ability to tell a story within a story with his finish structure.

Knowing Pat was not a viable option for me I set about my search. By that time I had been studying the Japanese presentation of sports entertainment product and had been trying to adapt some of their presentation and psychology that I felt would resonate with my domestic American TV audience.

Enter John Laurinaitis. Better known to sports entertainment fans as Johnny Ace. While the singing of Johnny’s praises as a finish man lacked the awe inspiring resonance of Pat Patterson’s back-up band Johnny had a great reputation as a finish man with many of the people whose opinion I respected. To top it off Johnny had enjoyed great success in All Japan Wrestling and clearly understood the element I was hoping to bring to WCW/Nitro. So I brought Johnny in and was hoping to finely bring the much needed dimension to our story telling I felt we needed.

Timing is everything and unfortunately I never had the opportunity to really work with Johnny as closely as I had hoped before the cluster of the AOL/Time Warner/Turner merger. My own relationship with WCW & Nitro found me fly-fishing in Wyoming rather than being able to see if we could finally get the kind of finishes I had hoped would elevate our product

With the history lesson is over and if you are still reading this you may be asking yourself, “What in the hell does this story have to do with Wednesday night’s debate?”

Fair question.

The general election drama we have seen between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton over the last few months most likely will provide material for the writers of House of Cards and similar TV series for years to come. Seriously, some of the things we’ve seen, heard and learned over the last two weeks would most likely have been rejected by executive producers and show runners as being too void of believability to make it to a table read.

Every time we think Hillary Clinton will be starring in the reality version of Orange Is The New Black she kicks out on the count of two and a half. When even the most ardent Donald Trump supporter quietly begins to admit that his bombast and self-styled, street smart, frat boy, billionaire character has finally shot enough holes in his own yacht that he will go down with his ship he makes his way to the helipad only to take off on his jet helicopter, land on another yacht and keeps sailing toward his Presidential hopes with his loyal supporters once again hoping for a miracle.

This movie wont be over until November 8.

Last night’s debate made me realize how much I enjoy a great finish. Trump’s performance last night was the ultimate ‘hope spot.’ It made me wonder to myself if perhaps the greatest finish man in sports entertainment isn’t quietly coaching the Trump campaign team from a karaoke bar somewhere in Montreal.