He had an official title—I think when I was there, he was in charge of international— but he was really there just to say what he thought of things. Mind you, the franchises Barnett had been associated with had been sold or put out of business years before, left behind in the wake of Vince McMahon’s wrestling revolution. But to the executives at Turner, Jim was an invaluable resource. It was laughable, but you have to put yourself in Turner Broadcasting’s shoes. The company didn’t have anyone they could rely on who was a seasoned wrestling executive, someone with a corporate memory, if you will. Jim Barnett had a lot of wrestling experience, he knew the players, and he knew the culture. That’s why he was there—so the Turner people could get their basic questions answered. Straightening Things Out As likable and well-intentioned as the Jeff Carr and Jim Barnetts of the world were, these informal and circuitous lines of communications hindered the organization. And there were plenty of other people who were neither as likable nor as well-intentioned toward WCW.
