Email in response to chapter 214.

Jinsei has some interesting responses to my #214 early preview for Survivor Series:

Like you said, there are predictable endings towards the Shawn/Orton match. Shawn goes for the superkick, while Orton holds up a chair (notice they had stated that "if he appears to attempt to cheat"). I think that's the most likely scenario to happen.
Then again, WWE's been playing with the smarks lately. All the predictable happenings are changed so the smarks are left scratching their heads. So that ending may not occur. Let's hope WWE doesn't make a habit of this. WCW in its Russo years went on a full fledged battle against smarks and trying to swerve them, they eventually left logic aside which caused fewer and fewer viewers to tune in.

On another note, this stipulation is intriguing. Shawn Michaels has done nothing but superkicked Orton for the last three to four weeks, so he relies on it. With Michaels' finisher taken from him, there's a less chance for him to really win.

Lately, though, it seems as though heels never win anymore. Yes, Orton has won and kept his title, but not until after the face already wrestled twice in that evening or by DQ, which was a loss, but allowed him to keep his title. Though look at the last four weeks, Michaels continually getting over on Orton then all of a sudden, he's the underdog again because he can't use his finisher. That's almost a dead giveaway that Shawn is going to win the match... unless Triple H runs in and saves Shawn with the pedigree.
The elimination match itself is a so-so deal. I love the fact that they're big names in the match and even more so that each participant has been involved so heavily on their respective programs. However, for the last five years it seems like the faces win all the survivor series matches.

S.S. 2002 - Los Guerreros defeated Angle/Benoit & Rey/Edge in a triple threat elimination.
S.S. 2003 - Team Angle defeated Team Lesnar (Angle was face)
S.S. 2004 - Team Guerrero defeated Team Angle (Angle was heel).. also Jericho/Orton/Maven/Benoit defeated HHH/Batista/Snitsky/Edge
S.S. 2005 - This year had RAW against SD with heels and faces on their respective shows.
S.S. 2006 - Flair Squad beat Spirit Squad.. DX beat Rated RKO.. Team Cena defeated Team Big Show

Pretty much with the exception of 2005, which heels and faces were on the same side to represent their own brand, the faces have each match of every year's major Survivor Series elimination match. The only exception is 2003's Team Austin vs. Team Bischoff match, which the heels won.
I'm sorry, but after thinking about the last five years and WWE's tendency to have faces win all the time, I can't get excited about the match.

I am looking forward to Jeff Hardy becoming a major player, though. I loved that video package they had put together.