-- According to one source, head SmackDown writer Michael Hayes has a reputation for changing house show lineups for the sake of changing them. Similarly, fellow writer Brian Gewirtz doesn't enjoy putting together the lineups for Raw brand house shows, so he's handed off the duty to Ed Koskey, although he signs off on them. All of the tweaks to house show lineups reportedly upset Executive Vice President of Talent Relations John Laurinaitis. It is his responsibility to put together house show cards, but he has been forced to work in conjunction with the creative team.
-- A former member of the creative team defended Theodore Long after watching Vince McMahon put the SmackDown General Manager on probation in the storylines. The former writer felt that it would be a bad move for WWE to pull Long from television.
"He makes his money on house shows," the former writer said. "He goes and mingles and gets the crowd worked up. He's a team player. I think they would be so poorly advised to make a switch in the management role."