This past Monday on RAW it was officially announced that Daniel Bryan will take over as the General Manager of SmackDown Live and Mick Foley will take over as the General Manager of RAW.

In terms of capitalizing on fan-enthusiasm for the creative direction of the upcoming "brand split" (or "brand extension"), these are great choices for the GM roles. Two beloved fan-favorites in positions of fictional power will be a nice shift away from the domineering "evil boss" gimmicks that have defined the WWE's primary narratives in recent years.

While The Authority has existed in one form or another since the inception of the Mr. McMahon character, it's been a strangely long time since viewers were treated to some levity and enthusiasm by way of a likable GM. Few characters on RAW or SmackDown have spoken on behalf of the fans recently. No powerful character has functioned as a proxy for the love fans want to have for the WWE.

The characters in charge of RAW have acted as antagonists, chewing up most of the scenery, snatching agency & strength from both heel and babyface talents, hating their own jobs and despising the people they supposedly seek to entertain. Depending upon their involvement, Foley and Bryan can reassure fans that they're making the right choice, that the fans' eagerness to get wrapped up in the joy of pro-wrestling (and the WWE's specific brand of pro-wrestling) is understood, appreciated, and even encouraged.

The last significant representation of the fan's voice was CM Punk; but he was the voice of fan-discontent during a time of creative unrest. Now is the time for contentment, for a love of wrestling (and a love of what the WWE does well) to serve as the foundation for "The New Era".

No two former WWE Superstars are more appropriate for setting that kind of positive tone than Foley & Byran.

While it's unlikely the presence of Foley & Bryan will answer all the criticisms leveled at the WWE's programming (that shouldn't even be their purpose), there is now an opportunity to allow the positivity of their characters to inform the product and help create a livelier, more communal atmosphere at a time when the pro-wrestling community (and society itself) is defined by division and turmoil.

But that's how Foley & Bryan's mystique can help the fictional WWE, the shows we watch and the characters they engage with. There's a much more significant real-world benefit to having Foley & Bryan working so closely with the WWE again, and it's a benefit the fans might never witness firsthand.

Mick Foley isn't just The Hardcore Legend, Cactus Jack, Mankind, Dude Love, Santa Clause, best-selling author, philanthropist, spoken word performer, or that guy who shows up for a Cheap Pop every now and again. Mick Foley is a master of his craft, a wrestling-veteran with a lifetime of experience and knowledge, a deep understanding of psychology, an unwavering commitment to the craft he loves, and quite possibly the most reasonable perspective on the business at a time when being overly reactionary, negative, and emotionally explosive is the norm. He understands the traditions of "the old ways" and the basics of effective pro-wrestling storytelling, but he's not bitter or jaded about today's young roster or even the direction of the flagship program.

Mick gracefully walks that fine line between critical thinker and unapologetic fan. He understands exactly what the WWE is going for, but he's demonstrated a willingness to carefully "call it like he sees it" when there's a chance for his voice to affect positive change.

For example, Mick Foley is one of the fixtures of the Women's Wrestling movement, helping to popularize that more accurate, life-affirming phraseology in the wake of the less successful #GiveDivasAChance/#DivasRevolution movements. The popularization of those two words, "women's wrestling", in modern wrestling culture was a key component in helping to raise the consciousness of pro-wrestling fans. Those fans took to social media, podcasts, and blogs throughout 2015 and 2016 to make their desires known, to spread that language and the message it contained throughout the pro-wrestling community until it inevitably burst forth on WWE programming in the form of "Women's Wrestling!" chants.

In combination with the efforts of the WWE'S great female roster, the "Divas" label was eventually dropped and the Women's Championship was reinstated. Regardless of the current booking of the women, these were incredibly significant ideological & practical shifts that embody incremental change and will eventually lead to more permanent improvements, and Mick Foley played a big part in that process just by showing how much he enjoyed the work of talented female wrestlers and asking his followers to get #WomensWrestling trending on Twitter. He's used his power via social media to share legitimately constructive criticisms of the company, but to also share his unabashed enthusiasm for anything and everything the WWE does well.

Mick is very passionate about his opinions and his beliefs, but he's not going to rant and rave. He comes from a place of love for wrestling and love for the WWE (he's often referred to it as "home"), rather than a place of searching for what's wrong and screaming about why everything about the show needs to change immediately.

That's exactly the kind of calm voice the WWE needs on the inside (or, at least, closer to the inside than before) because it's the kind of voice anyone in a position of creative power is more inclined to listen to. For the past several years Mick has been hard at work on documentaries and touring for his one-man show, gaining even more experience as he ceaselessly seeks to innovate in his chosen fields. His trajectory has gradually brought him back toward the WWE, and any time he has appeared on the show in the past several years it has always been to contribute to a story and "put over" the younger generation of wrestlers rather than shine a spotlight on himself.

His intent as a performer is fundamentally "best for business".

The benefit of Foley's presence in the WWE runs even deeper than his rational perspective on the product itself, however. He will now be surrounded by today's eager, younger roster on a more consistent basis. Pro-wrestlers, all attempting to redefine pro-wrestling and the WWE for their own generation, will hopefully have direct access to one of the business's keenest, most successful minds. While today's wrestlers (and fans) also have that kind of access to constructive criticism and psychological insight by way of podcasts, there's no adequate substitute for looking someone in the eye and listening as they drop wisdom into your mind.

Mick meets with Roman Reigns backstage following the conclusion of WrestleMania 31.

And Mick Foley is the kind of veteran who isn't going to dismiss anyone or contribute to a vaguely contentious environment. He's demonstrated throughout the years that anyone can come up to him, if they're willing, and pick his brain. He offers advice in an incredibly controlled, kind, and gracious way and that's to the benefit of everyone and anyone around him. Even if the storylines and the overall product itself doesn't improve in the slightest now that Mick is the GM, today's roster has the opportunity to sit beneath a learning tree that wasn't quite as accessible before and that will make them better wrestlers and better people in the long run.

Mick also has a degree of emotional investment in the general manager role that other performers simply don't. He made the GM character what it is during his first run as commissioner in the early aughts. It remains to be seen what his degree of creative freedom will be, but he's proven that he'll put his heart, his soul, and his personal stamp on anything and everything he's given in the interest of making the show the best it possibly can be. For example, his recent backstage segment with Dean Ambrose, where he bequeathed Cactus Jack's "Barbie", is indicative of the kind of creativity and enthusiasm he can bring to what could have otherwise been just another forgettable skit.

Daniel Bryan similarly appears to have a deep emotional investment in his role as General Manager. First and foremost, it's a new challenge, a way to explore another aspect of the art he absolutely adores while simultaneously riding on the undying love he's received from pro-wrestling fans.

Daniel Bryan returns to RAW to be named GM of SmackDown...

When an active member of the roster, Daniel Bryan was always depicted as the tried and true wrestler. Several of his best angles revolved around the fact that he wasn't a "sports entertainer" but instead a great wrestler. Given that SmackDown's head writer is the former head writer of NXT and Mauro Renallo's realism-based style of commentary, a GM like Daniel Bryan seems a natural fit if WWE's "blue brand" intends to be the more wrestling-centric program.

Bryan's youthful enthusiasm, general likability, and quirky sense of humor will draw in that reliable diehard wrestling fan even more, providing the specific kind of WWE-wrestling show they've been clamoring for and easing some of the pressure placed upon RAW to be everything for everyone. If that particular WWE-viewer has a show designed for them then there will be, at the very least, less reason to complain about the company and instead focus on something they do like. That simple strategy could foster a more positive mindset among wrestling fans.

Bryan similarly has an extensive career behind him, having wrestled all over the world, performing at the highest level. He is one of the few recently retired WWE Superstars who "got over" organically, made it to the WrestleMania main event, and is still in the good graces of the company and the talent. That kind of experience is invaluable; and his closeness in age to this younger roster could help breed the lighthearted behind the scenes familiarity and camaraderie that the company needs during this transitional period.

Put simply, Bryan & Foley are great choices because they're reliable entertainers on-screen, and reliable teachers off-screen. The GM role will exist as an extension of the careers they've already built, and so there's incentive for longtime viewers to tune in, to see how these characters evolve, and to see how the shows evolve under their "guidance". They will always commit to their segments with a degree of emotional intensity fans have been yearning to see (their RAW face-off was a perfect example of this), and today's younger roster can see the responses they elicit and figure out how to incorporate that into their own work.

Or, today's roster will be inspired to react against this GM-oriented drama, and stake their claim in a powerful, entertaining way.

Lastly, Bryan & Foley are great choices because they're choices.

The "who is going to control RAW?" drama ran its course, stretched paper-thin by the end and nearly sapped of all intrigue.

Now, WWE fans, whether they like the choices or not, have something definitive to rely upon. We know what we're getting and there's less room for confusion. We finally have a starting point after months of creative upheaval.

Bryan and Foley can be the fuel this generation needs, propelling us into a new, genuinely uplifting era of World Wrestling Entertainment.

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MICK FOLEY AND DANIEL BRYAN: THE GENERAL MANAGERS WE NEED & DESERVE