There are some things I don’t think sports writers are supposed to write about, or at least enjoy talking about.

But there has been a few events recently that I just don’t think I can ignore any more.

I have been brought back to my childhood, and I have re-sparked a fire that once burned bright inside me. I want to talk about the world of professional wrestling, most notably the WWF.

Before I go any further, I want to say that I am not arguing wether professional wrestling is a sport, because it is very obviously not, due to the simple fact that winners are decided before a match even begins.

Rather, I want to discuss what makes wrestling appealing to both a sports and entertainment fan.

In my experience as both an entertainment writer and now a sports writer, I have come to recognize why wrestling is one of the most popular things on television.

I began watching wrestling way back when most guys did, when Hulk Hogan was the man and Jimmy Super Fly was flying high and Andre the Giant was unstoppable.

Back when wrestling was on Saturday mornings and had specials on Saturday nights.

I don’t know when I stopped watching for sure, sometime in middle school it seems. Lets just say my friends have given me a crash course over the past six months on what the hell has been going on the past eight years.

Earlier this year, I got into a habit of turning “Monday Night Football” into quite the party for my friends and I, and when football season ended, we just turned the channel to TNN. I have been secretly enjoying wrestling since.

The drama on the show is cheesy and un-realistic, but so are soap operas (I have been watching “Days of our Lives” with my mom since I was four).

Though the matches are pre-determined, the athleticism of these wrestlers has gotten to a point where a good handful are appealing to watch.

These guys really do get hurt sometimes, and the creativity of some of the moves is so addicting, you just want to try them out on your friends.

Isn’t that right Danny? Stunner coming.

If you want an idea of how physical wrestling can get, watch “Tough Enough” on MTV. I refused to watch it at first, but it’s actually just like the “Real World,” except their group activities consist of training to become wrestlers.

There are still many parts of wrestling I can’t stand, some of the story lines, a lot of the acting and many of the characters are just plain stupid.

The superstars of the WWF, people like the Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin, are fun to watch both in the ring and when they are interacting outside the ring.

The Rock refers to himself as the most electrifying man in sports entertainment, and he is pretty much right. His personality is way more appealing than many athletes on the pro level, and he makes wrestling fun to watch.

When I mention the events that have taken place recently, I am referring to the most recent pay-per-view wrestling special.

Hulk Hogan – one of the most recognizable figures in entertainment, whether you like it or not – won the undisputed WWF championship belt 18 years after winning his first title.

I found myself yelling and screaming at the television as much as I do when the Vikings are getting their butts kicked. Seeing Hogan win the belt one more time put some sort of closure to my childhood love of wrestling.

The amazing thing is that Hogan, at age 48, is still in amazing shape and can pull off his moves with a strong degree of believability. Not to mention he is still one of the most popular wrestlers in the WWF.

The Hulkster, though he has turned bad once or twice, has brought back his signature red and yellow colors.

He still tears his shirt off, and he gets his Hulkamaniacs pumped up the same way.

If you sift through all the crap of wrestling, you may recognize the purity it represents to the real American – drama, violence and, of course, hot chicks.

Even though I’ve spent more years criticizing professional wrestling than enjoying it, I’ve learned not to ignore the Hulkamaniac that lives inside me. Maybe you should do the same.

Kyle Moss is a junior in journalism and mass communication from Urbandale.