First off:  Nick, that was the lengthiest and strangest parenthesized asides I've ever seen... and I've seen a lot of them in my day.

When I looked at the card for this week's Friday Night Smackdown, I expected it to be an above average show.  But the three main matches were hindered by the 'Beat the Clock' stipulation that was unfortunately bestowed upon them.

Jeff Hardy and Brian Kendrick should be a fast paced match.  Vladimir Kozlov and Matt Hardy should have been and underdog against a behemoth.  And HHH vs. Shelton Benjamin should have been a technically driven contest.  None of these matches lived up to their potential because neither Shelton, Matt Hardy or Kendrick did not have an opportunity to get a title shot if they beat the clock.

Rather than having these six wrestlers construct well thought out and unique matches, we got 12 minutes of keep away three times.  THREE TIMES on one show.  Why not throw some other guys into the mix, just to make things interesting?  Or to, at least, have the performers go head-to-head in a competative, compelling match? 

Another head scratcher from the WWE booking crew.

In other news, get excited because Hurricane Helms is making his in-ring return next Friday.  How will not being acknowledged by anybody other than yourself affect Helms' ability to connect with the fans and move up the Smackdown ladder?

I'd expect him to have a few matches to get the rust off and if he is clicking, he'll most likely get a US title shot and run.

Earlier, I was watching some of Helms' matches through the magic of YouTube.  I think we've all forgotten how good he really is. He was the longest reigning champion on Smackdown.