The results are in, and the number one wrestler of the week is...??????

Hang on here sports-freak. Does it really matter who won? Well, yes and no.

It matters to the person at the top of the list, to those closely ranked, and to those that voted as they get to see their choices getting recognition. But other than these people, e-wrestler rankings are all but worthless. Why? I'd thought you'd never ask.

Let's look at the two ways such rankings are compiled shall we. The first method, is when a host site allows voting to be done by the individual e-wrestlers themselves. Personally, this is the most useless method of the two. The results will never reflect any sort of credibility at all, instead, becoming nothing more than a popularity contest. If six members of the fictitional FIGHTING FISHERMEN's FEDERATION placed ballots for e-wrestler of the week, but no more than 2 members from each other fed voted, who do you think would have more e-wrestlers high on the list? Why the FFF of course. I bet their # 6 debutting wrestler gets more votes than the World Champions from the other feds. College football has a polling system where the head coaches themselves, rate the schools. Image what sort of crap would hit the fan if each school was allowed to vote more than once by allowing the assistant coaches and students to vote as well. If Black Hills State goes 1-11, but had 5,000 staudents vote for them and have them top the polls, does that make them the # 1 ranked football team in the nation deserving of a spot in the BCS Championship game? Hardly! The NCAA, who have been running this sort of poll for the last 100 years or so has already recognized that popularity contests are no yard stick for measuring ability. It only takes a single person to point out that wrestler # 6 from the FFF would not be so high if it wasn't for such an overwhelming voting splurge by fellow roster members, to spark credibility problems, complaints and excuses.

And what of the e-fed that loads the list with multiply wrestlers by having members send in ballots. Are they really the better RPer's?. Have they really accomplished more this week than the other wrestlers? Beats me. Most voters have no idea what's going on in other e-Feds to any big extent, after all why should they? Keeping up with your own e-Fed is tough enough. Shouldn't more qualified people do this? Shouldn't people who "DO" keep track of lots of Feds do the voting instead? Like say, the management? Ok, let's see about that.

The second method is when management of a host site determines the e-wrestler's rankings without any input from the e-wrestlers at all. Is this any better? After all, they are supposed to be unbias and unconnected to any particular e-fed. On the surface, it would be flaming suicide to show favortism to a particular e-fed, so on the surface and even consiously, host sites do not practise this trait. However, subconscienciously, favortism ends up being the dreaded results in the end, either on purpose or by experience. What that means, is that site managements are made up of E-fed experienced players who have already preset ideas of what makes a good RP due to their playing days. Anything outside their preferences gets looked down upon. For example, if X-Net came back to life, and employed newbie staff members that absolutely loved trash talk RP's, then e-wrestlers that posted 3 page, in-depth, life lesson Rp's would not get many votes. An e-Fed with lots of trash-talkers would dominate the list, as management would vote for them more often, at the expense of other styles. Flip the coin, and imagine that the judges prefer those same 3 page in-depth, life lesson RP's instead, and think trash-talkers are the boring ones. Again I ask, are those on the list better RP'ers? Have they accomplished more? According to the list they have. But then, I bet debates and flame wars would occur when some hot-shot from the GGG gets passed over because his buds and e-fed thinks he's better than most on the list. When those posts start to fly, the list again loses it's credibility.

So in the end, neither one is a perfect method, both riddled with credibility problems. So do Wrestler of the week lists really have a place in e-Fedding? The answer is yes, yes they do. But only for single e-feds. The troubles that plague both methods actually, help and solidify the credibility of Wrestler of the Week lists, for single e-feds. Having staff members that like your RP style, is a good thing and takes you up the ladder to better matches and shiney titles. You are actually counting on management liking your RP style, that's why you joned the fed in the first place. Also, getting votes from fellow e-wrestlers by the other method, means that they too, think you have what it takes. The use of either method, be it the popularity contest, or a management decision has no flaws and ends up with a list that everyone in the e-Fed loves to see and strive for. No wonder people like "Wrestler of the Week" lists and want to expand the idea to a larger stage. To single fed members and staff, this is a great way to bring a community together and to show off your e-fed to the world.

Too bad it isn't going to work out that way...