Chicago Sun-Times: McMahons' plans: Return in full force

The WWF's ratings and ticket sales have slipped over the past two months despite the return of Stone Cold Steve Austin, and the one piece missing is the presence of the McMahons.

Despite Stephanie staying involved with the Kurt Angle; HHH feud, the big Macs Vince and Shane have been missing. Vince has been off planning the XFL and fulfilling his duties as the "genetic jackhammer" while Shane has been out recovering from his 50-foot fall off the TitanTron at the hands of Steve Blackman.

But all that is about to change. At this month's "Survivor Series" PPV, it is expected that the McMahon family will return in full force- Vince, Shane, Stephanie and possibly even Linda united and moving toward a common goal. The McMahons will return looking to put stability back in the company, and quite possibly to aid Angle in his fight against HHH, Austin and The Rock. If they do come back, look for a turbulent ride in the WWF-and more importantly, higher ratings and revenue for the company.

RATINGS: "Monday Night Raw" continued to slip in the Nielsen ratings, posting a 5.0. WCW "Nitro" improved to a 2.5 last week.

By moving to TNN, the WWF is responsible for quite a shakeup in the cable TV world. USA dropped from the No. 1 cable network all the way down to No. 6, while TNN jumped to No. 9. The Cartoon Network is cable TV's new leader.

HEARD AROUND THE RING: The ECW "November to Remember" PPV will feature a Double Jeopardy main event. The Sandman will face Steve Corino, and Jerry Lynn will battle Justin Credible in the same ring at the same time. The winners will face off for the ECW championship later in the show. . . . The Big Show is down to under 440 pounds and could be back in the WWF in time for the "Royal Rumble." . . . Curt Hennig and Dennis Rodman could have a match at an upcoming WCW PPV. . . . Scott Hall reportedly is telling friends Razor Ramon will return to the WWF in the very near future. . . . At the WCW "Mayhem" PPV, Goldberg will face Lex Luger, Booker T meets Scott Steiner for the WCW heavyweight title, and Chuck Palumbo takes on Shawn Stasiak. . . . Returning to the WCW Monday on "Nitro" will be former champion Diamond Dallas Page. . . . Billy Gunn will take on a new persona and will be much more Hardcore in the coming weeks. . . . ECW head man Paul Heyman remains in Los Angeles looking for a new television home for the ECW. USA and FX could be possibilities, but the company needs a TV deal desperately in the next few weeks in order to survive. . . . DX could be close to a return in the WWF with Road Dogg, Billy Gunn, Chyna, X-Pac, HHH and Shawn Michaels all getting back together.

HOTLINE: What was Rob Van Dam doing at the WWF headquarters in Connecticut? Get the shocking details on the hotline: (900) 454-SLAM ($2 per minute).