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I have been a fan of professional wrestling for years. Eleven years to be exact. In that time, I have purchased thousands upon thousands of events. Events from Japan, Mexico, Canada, The United States, and everywhere else in between. My first love was the WWE, (probably because it was the only professional wrestling available that I knew of at the time). I soon began to love WCW, ECW, and eventually TNA. My love even encompassed the local Indies. I could not get enough. However, In early 2000 I came across what the Industry has come to know "Dirtsheets." These are websites where you would find out: "Who is Steve Austin going to face at WM X-8" or " The Latest On The Rock's Wrestling Future". At first, I thought that reading these were harmless enough. Six years later, I have come to realize that like an addiction, you only realize when it's too late.

My love of wrestling is now out of pure habit. I watch and tape RAW on Mondays. Go through the same routine on Thursdays with iMPACT!. Then repeat those when a brand showcases a monthly PPV.

We have all read the columns that ask , "What I would do if I were Vince" or "What I would do if the brands were combined." I want to ask: "Would we all enjoy wrestling more if there were no more dirtsheets?"

Let's face it: dirtsheets are like watching Extra, Entertainment Tonight, or Access Hollywood. It gives us a glimpse into the backstage world of pro-wrestling. It puts some reality into an otherwise fake profession. At what cost are we getting that glimpse though?

I believe that once you find out about that dream match between Kurt Angle vs. Shawn Michaels, it takes away that certain feeling that leads to the build-up between the two superstars. Or how about Special Surprises? Like Kurt Angle arriving in TNA, or Chris Jericho in WWF(E)? At the time, both were huge for both TNA and WWF(E). The only difference was that dirtsheets had leaked that Chris Jericho had signed with the WWE(F), whereas TNA never let the signing of Kurt Angle past six people. From personal experience, I can remember the elation of hearing about Kurt Angle signing with TNA. I can't recall the same feeling for when Chris Jericho appeared in the WWE.

I believe that dirtsheets are to blame. I believe that if there wasn't a plethora of sites that offer rumors on such absurd topics as: "Who will Batista face at WrestleMania?" or "Click Here to find out who is going to arrive in TNA next!", we would all still have a childhood love for wrestling. Moreover, I believe that ECW could still be around. WCW may still be around, and other independent companies may still be active.

Are you like me, and you hate dirtsheets? Not because they shed light on the business, but because they do it in a way that takes away from the childhood love of the entertainment. I'm not going to start up a online petition to stop dirtsheets, but I think we as fans need to be aware that they do more harm then good. We need to be aware that when we find out HHH vs. Cena vs. Edge is PLANNED to happen at WrestleMania, we were never meant to find that information out. When that knowledge is bestowed upon us we need to realize that we are sacrificing the gratification of finding it out on our own, for the instant gratification of finding it out via David Meltzer, or Wade Keller.

When we seriously think about that situation in that aspect and the enjoyment we are sacrificing as fans, the answer becomes much clearer.

by Pete Cruise (Submit your feedback here)..