I bet that's a name you never thought you'd see on a byline, huh? Yeah, me neither. I'll make this clear right off the bat: this is my first, and quite possibly, my last Dirtsheet column. Why? Because, frankly, Camel's gotta have something he can do better than me, and on that note, thanks for the vote of confidence in this Monday's matchup, Ryan. Makes me feel real good.

But ya know, I couldn't go anywhere in the locker rooms this week without hearing someone mention the publication. Jon Storm, Shawn Hunter, Michael Draven, and a whole bunch of other guys who had seen my writing personally came to me, and they all said one thing: "Sean," they said, "you seen this new Dirtsheet thing they got on the web, there?"

My response was of course, "No... what the hell are you talking about, exactly?"

And they'd go on at length about this new news informer, and they'd talk about how great it was, and how anyone who wanted could get an article up... and they pointed to Jon's article, and they pointed to Camel's articles (seriously, if you're sitting here writing article after article, Camel... get a life, ya wierdo)... and time and time again, the conversation ended with "Sean, you should write something."

So here it is, to appease those of you who tortured me to the point where I spent my Thursday evening writing an article. I didn't want to, because frankly, I've never thought I've personally written anything good.

Actually, this is also in response to Alex Haven's tirade, as well. Now, Alex, I know there's some bad blood... but if you can write a column that long about the fed, it's still got a little clout. I'm more upset that you didn't mention me at all... what's with that, man?

Anyway, what I'd like to say is this: there is no such thing as a bad fed. Now, before you guys in the back room start pelting me with fruit, let me clarify: a fed is as good as its workers. If you have strong, dedicated workers, the fed will succeed. If you don't, then it still could succeed, but its chances are dramatically diminished. The President of a fed only has so much power. If he abuses it, the workers leave. If workers leave, viewers leave.

Such was the case during the infamous walk-out a little less than two months ago. I'll be the first to admit, Corey made some bad business decisions, and that caused a lot of problems in the back, no doubt. But the walk-out humbled him a little. The NYSWF juggernaut of a month earlier had suddenly crumbled to scattered pieces, with Jon Storm here, Sean Boden there, Spiral over there... but the cornerstones were gone. No more Alex Haven. No more Michael Draven, Robert Orr, Matt Hoffman, Grady Smith... the place was a shambles. So Corey did the only thing a good businessman can do: pick up the pieces and ride it out. The NYSWF isn't about to close down with Corey Collins at the helm, no, he'd sell it before he'd shut its doors.

And it was a bumpy ride. There were more than one stumbling block, but in the end, Collins made the right decision. In my eyes, the fed is back on the upswing... much like it was when I first entered wrestling back in '99. Will it be able to compete again with feds like the EWA and the NPWA? Maybe, maybe not. However, there is a lot of good, new talent on the roster, and who knows? Maybe the next Alex Haven is in there.

In conclusion, let me say this: those of you who want to bash the NYSWF, I can't stop you, and I really can't say I'd even try to. It's not perfect. Nothing is, no matter how much you say it is. However, it's still going. That in itself is a testament to both the fed's resilience, and Corey Collins' drive to succeed. There's more up-and-coming talent coming out of here than ever, and anyone who says otherwise hasn't cared to watch these past few weeks.

And as for the Dirtsheet, it would absolutely sadden me to see it made up entirely of columns like this one. A waste of bandwidth, if that happens. I'm not against the occasional rant against something/someone/someplace, but if this becomes a habit, I'd recommend not even bothering.

And now, I leave you to read some more of Camel's Phoenix-worship. Stay true to yourself, or selves. :)