Tom

Tom Shannon, who was not only the father of my best friend, but a man who I considered a dear friend and almost a second father figure, passed away today of a sudden aneurysm. He was 63.

Those of you who met Tom knew him as a kind but firm man, always quick with an opinion and generous with a smile and laugh. He was also a caring family man, who raised his children with a level of love and support that one can only wish all kids would find as they grow up.

I can personally vouch for his effectiveness and persistence as a parent. Shortly after I became friends with Sean and Heather, it quickly came to my attention that the Shannons now considered me one of their own, and treated me accordingly. This meant that not only was I given more love and support than I would ever deserve, but also that I would not be allowed to waste any potential they saw in me.

In the years since my failed attempt to finish my thesis, Tom would forever open conversations with me by asking, “Get your thesis done yet?” No sir, I would always respond, not this week. He would frown with an indignation which only half the time seemed jovial. He wanted me to succeed. And he wouldn’t let me forget about it.

He was also a kindred spirit in mischief and satire. Tom frequently wrote his own comedy songs, and his love of the genre rivaled and surpassed my own. One of his proudest moments came when one of his songs was played on the nationally syndicated Dr. Demento show, an event commemorated by a plaque in his office featuring a recording of the fabled episode. As I composed my own songs, Tom’s opinion was one I cherished above all others, and when I made him laugh (or, more specifically, when I made him chuckle and look at me sideways, shaking his head), I knew I had accomplished my goal.

Tom’s deep love and devotion to his wife Diane was boundless. I have never known a married couple who were so clearly in love with each other as the two of them. Whenever Tom was not working in his upstairs office, they were together, having lunch, going shopping, talking, laying snuggled together in front of the television (the fabled “couch time”). They would spend as much time together as possible.

They should have had more time. They deserved all the time in the world.

Tom Shannon was a husband, a father, a son, a brother, a friend, an artist, a writer, a craftsman, a businessman, a critic, and much more. And he will be missed more than I could possibly ever say.

Twenty Years

I just realized - today was a pretty big anniversary.

Twenty years ago tonight, the WWF broadcast its first ever Main Event in prime time on NBC. On that show, Randy Savage beat the Honky Tonk Man by DQ, and Hulk Hogan lost the world title to Andre the Giant.

Also on that night, a 10-year-old kid named Jeff watched pro wrestling for the first time.

Yep, this day marks TWENTY YEARS that I have been a wrestling fan. Kinda scary, huh?

In commemoration of this little event, here are a few things I will never forget from each of the past 20 years.

1988 - Watching that first Main Event and getting hooked, Savage winning the title, and Liz's skirt at Summerslam.

1989 - Demolition's title reign ending and starting again, and Mr. Perfect smashing Hogan's belt into pieces.

1990 - Warrior/Hogan at WrestleMania VI, and Demolition/Harts at SummerSlam.

1991 - Bret winning the IC title at SummerSlam, and Ric Flair, the "real world champion," jumping to the WWF.

1992 - Undertaker turning babyface, and Bret/Davey at Wembley Stadium.

1993 - The debut of Raw, going to see SummerSlam live at the Palace of Auburn Hills, and the Yokozuna/Undertaker confrontation at the Survivor Series.

1994 - Bret winning the title from Yokozuna at WrestleMania X, and the first Shawn/Razor ladder match.

1995 - Lawrence Taylor, and Shawn Michaels collapsing on Raw.

1996 - The Iron Man Match and The Night the Lights Went Out at In Your House.

1997 - The Montreal Screwjob, Steve Austin becoming the hottest star ever, and first becoming aware of this little company called "ECW."

1998 - Mick getting thrown off the cell, and getting to see ECW Heat Wave live.

1999 - Mick winning the title, and Y2J's arrival.

2000 - Being thoroughly p*ssed off at the end of WrestleMania 2000.

2001 - WWF buying WCW, the tragic end of ECW, and the farce that was the Invasion angle.

2002 - Jericho's title reign, and Jodie being shocked at my language as we all watched WrestleMania at Ziggy's.

2003 - Brock's shooting star press, and the last Rock/Austin match ever.

2004 - Eddie winning the world title, WrestleMania 20, and my first exposure to a little company called "TNA."

2005 - The Unbreakable 3-way match, Angle/Shawn, and losing Eddie Guerrero.

2006 - Angle/Joe, Rey getting a title reign, seeing TNA live with Steph and J (Steph: "I like both guys! What do I do?"), and seeing ROH live with Greg, Chris and Matt.

2007 - Watching Mania at Downtown with the Shannons, seeing Taker win the title, reading Jericho and Bret's books, and the shock of that horrific and tragic day in July.

2008 - The emergence of Awesome Kong, Nigel McGuinness winning the world title and Cena's surprise return at the Rumble.

I still don't know, nor will I ever know, I suppose, why this art form holds such a large portion of my imagination. Maybe it was Jeff Jarrett who said it all best: "For those who understand, no explanation is necessary. For those who don't, no explanation will do."

I understand, and I still don't know. So, a salute to all those performers who have entertained me so much for the past 20 years. And a sincere hope that you'll all take better care of yourselves (and the business takes better care of you) throughout the next 20.