Sheets spoil holy 'sheet' moments

If you've ever perused the wrestling dirt sheets, then you know it's a great place to get behind-the-scenes information.

For instance, right now you can find out how Kurt Angle feels about his move to ECW, check out a pick of the Rock's new hippie haircut, or discover how WWE management feels about Lashley.

But the sheets don't just give added context to WWE events. Most fans frequent them because they inform us of the big events before they happen--in other words, they spoil them.

For example, the answers to JBL's return, the return date and roster lineup of Degeneration X, and the identity of the masked Kane, are all online and just a few clicks away.

I'm a wrestling fan too, and I know it's hard when you don't get your wrestling fix. But reading spoilers is not the answer.

You know that feeling you get after you watch Raw, that excitement and curiosity after you've just heard a good promo or witnessed a great storyline unfold? That's WWE doing its job.

If on Monday night you salivated when John Cena and Rob Van Dam were nose to nose or screamed "Holy shit!" when Paul Heyman announced that Angle was now ECW, then you experienced what wrestling's supposed to be about.

But that excitement wanes after you visit the dirt sheets.

The problem with spoilers is that well, they spoil things. They take away the unpredictable and surprising moments that wrestling fans crave.

I've stopped scouring the sheets for spoilers and I've discovered that it's not wrestling that's become stale; it's the dirt sheets and their readers that make it stale. (Especially Smackdown!, whose spoilers run three days before it airs!)

To keep away from the lure of the sheets, try any of the following:

Head over to youtube.com and watch classic and recent wrestling matches for free.

Play out your fantasy matches on Smackdown! vs. Raw 2006.

Read another wrestling blog.

Visit the sheets, but don't read the spoilers.

Get a second hobby to pass the time.

But the best remedy? Try not reading the sheets at all, just for a week. You'll be surprised how much more interesting wrestling is.

Sorry for the absence folks. I just had to finish up some finals.

Next time on Sports Entertainment in 500 Words, we'll consider the merits of the WWE draft. It's been discussed before, but never here. Hope you can join us.

**This just in: Tazz & ECW news (possible spoiler)**

Tazz jumping to ECW? Holy crap! I'll be there in two clicks!