A1E Mercury Rising (and some self shilling!)

First up, TEAM Super Show I has been posted. Check it out and leave me some feedback. Please? Pretty please?

And now onto the meat of the post...

A1E Mercury Rising

It's funny. The chatter from other blogs would make you think that A1E right now is some place that no one wants to go to, that has rampant problems, etc. Jarrett and Phil have kinda hinted at it, but I don't know where they're getting it from. I know I've been critical of A1E off and on, but I don't think I've really put the hammer down on my home fed for awhile now.

I think most of the e-fed world, at least the e-fed world that is familiar with the fed, has been looking positively upon A1E for the last six and a half months. Look at it this way. A1E's gotten no less than five returnees or new signups (Justin Evitable, Cross, Rocko Daymon, Troy Douglas, Freakshow) among handlers, and guys like Dan West are still handling multiple characters. I've had at least one person from a community that A1ers might consider to be very far off inquire about A1E as if he'd want to join. There has been very little in the way of major complaints, and outside of an IM or two, I don't hear the massive bitch-stories that I'd hear and propagate myself three or four years ago.

I honestly think A1E is among the healthiest feds on the 'Net, and judging from all these extenuating circumstances as well as the matchwriting and promo activity, the fed is quietly having a terrific year. I'd venture to say it's having a better year than any fed hosted on FW, better than any angle fed not named LoC, and it would compare favorably with the feds at PTC. They consistently come out with solid shows, their sense of angle advancement and matchwriting ability have both come a very long way since this blog has begun, and the OOC atmosphere has improved drastically over the last two years.

This manifests itself once again in Mercury Rising. As with their two previous PPVs this year, the matchwriting is solid and it's indicative that this is a PPV and not a glorified version of Warfare. In fact, the matchwriting here is better than it was at Bloody New Year, mainly because the finishes were less screwy here. Particularly standout were the Contract on a Pole Match, the Best of A1E Final and the Triple Star Championship Match. We also possibly saw the beginnings of a Slambo face turn, which I've been saying for awhile would be as money as money could be, given the participants involved.

People are also getting involved with submitting stories and angles. Of course, there was the Slambo and Andy stuff, but then you had segments and attacks featuring Promo and AJ Cirrus as well as their Anarchy opponents, and by IrishRed and Eliminat0r.

All in all, I'd have to say this was the best A1E PPV of the year. Keep up the good work, but don't start resting on your laurels now.