I wrote this up for them and decided I should probably post it here as well:

During the WWE house show on 12/28/2008 at Madison Square Garden, I could not help but notice the increased amount of children (ages 5 – 12) in attendance. The WWE has made a very clear effort to become more family friendly over the last few months. Any fan that has attended a wrestling event, or any sporting event, knows that a New York crowd is one of the more unique crowds to experience. I felt a distinct change in the camaraderie that I had always felt before and cannot help but to believe this is due to the shift in the audience. Starting chants felt much more difficult and chants with adult themes (which had been more prominent in the past) were rarely started and did not last. The WWE is targeting a new audience now and although this change in style will eliminate some viewers, it was rather nice to see entire families together at the show together. The WWE maybe doing something right. Families coming out together to MSG for the evening to watch WWE Superstars while buying hot dogs, popcorn, and toys for the children during a struggling economy says a lot, I feel. I am going to keep a watchful eye on the audience the next time I visit MSG to see if this tend continues. Maybe I will see you there!