Nobody is asking SmackDown" to be any more than the second-best show WWE has to offer. Raw" is WWE's flagship program because all the big story lines take place on Monday night.

But in the last three months, the SmackDown brand has become incredibly bland. Despite numerous efforts to spice things up, the biggest optimist can see the Thursday night program is not getting it done. For months, if not years, fans have called for the end of the roster split, and it seems even the wrestlers are beginning to doubt the product.

Word is, many of the SmackDown-brand stars have been talking among themselves backstage about how poor the product -- and, in turn, the morale -- has become.

WWE has drained everything it can out of JBL. He had a better run than anyone could have predicted, but it is over. He has done nothing to help Batista, who continues to flounder without Triple H.

SmackDown needs a major facelift. Maybe Brock Lesnar, who was just offered a contract by WWE, could be the answer.

Copyright The Chicago Sun-Times, Inc.
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved.