In past years, WWE television in Oklahoma City usually meant a cheap means of embarrassing then-lead announcer Jim Ross for no other reason than so Vince McMahon could project his hatred of anything Southern. Ross is long gone, having moved on to other ventures, so when WWE came to Oklahoma City this time, what could Vince do?
Bring in former referee and Smackdown GM Teddy Long and embarrass him, that's what.
More than once, Long was brought out and acted like he was out of touch with current events. More than once, Stephanie McMahon had him leave the premises.
What's wrong with this picture?
I've long said that Vince is out of touch, but he refuses to admit it on the air. So he's projecting again, this time projecting the public's perception of him (he'll be 71 in August) onto a former employee in Long, who was brought in to lobby for his old job back when Smackdown moves to Tuesday nights next month and begins live broadcasts. With Shane absent and "on vacation", Steph went back to being her father's ventriloquist dummy and repeatedly dressed down Long. It shouldn't have to have been that way, but, as noted, Vince won't admit how weak he's become, won't teach his writers the basics of the wrestling business, and won't let Steph be the sweet, charming lass she was on Smackdown (2002-3). I wouldn't blame Long if he didn't come back the next time he was asked to make a 1-shot return, and, mind you, this was after they'd been in his hometown of Atlanta a few weeks back.
Vince needs psychiatric help, won't seek it, doesn't think he needs it, and doesn't realize he's wrong as wrong could be. It's a shame that Teddy Long was used as a scapegoat in front of a live audience. Coming as it does three days after the passing of boxing legend Muhammad Ali, you wonder if McMahon had planned the angle with Long regardless of current events. Yep, the man needs to have his head examined, preferably yesterday, and the sooner he's finally convinced of that, the better we'll all be. Holla, holla, holla.