If you're a wrestling fan in any kind of dedicated capacity, you will have seen the #FireRoadDogg hashtag.

The former D-Generation-X star has long put down his glow sticks and now works as SmackDown Live's lead writer, much to the internet wrestling community's collective chagrin.

But why? Why has Brian James gone from beloved showman and a member of one of the most popular stables in WWE history to wrestling pariah?

Now, before rage gets the better of you, please hear me out. Your patience will be rewarded with some well-earned perspective and rationale.

Fans like to lay the blame of SD Live's decline at his proverbial doorstep and, in a sense, he does have an overriding responsibility for how the show is presented.

But, he's not the only writer. Both of Steven Guerrieri and Ryan Ward - who rose to internet acclaim for his work with NXT which led to his promotion to the Blue Brand - work under Road Dogg and have responsibilities of their own.

It's easy to pin the blame on Road Dogg, but, remember, he also has bosses. Nothing on WWE television gets the green light without going through Vince McMahon and Triple H's influence in the company is growing by the day.

Are we really to believe that both of those men - both incredibly hands-on in their own rights - have just left Road Dogg to his own devices and the former six-time WWE tag team champion has been sabotaging Tuesday nights at will? It would be naive to believe that notion in even the smallest way.

Remember, it's Vince McMahon and the upper echelon of WWE bosses like HHH, Kevin Dunn and Michael Hayes that try and map out the storylines in the company months in advance, often working their way towards WrestleMania.

Road Dogg is simply given a destination to get to. Does he choose to leave Rusev off the show? Does he personally write every superstar's promo? He has a say, but to suggest he dictates the entirety of the show is narrow-minded.

The hate that spews out on Twitter sometimes is more attention seeking than constructive; Road Dogg has tried to engage with fans on social media and talk about their concerns and has even opened his DMs on occasion, and all he got for his troubles were insults and exploitation.

And now, the 48-year-old is constantly hung out to dry for either blocking fans or booking a product that is supposedly in dire straights - it's not.

This isn't an article absolving Road Dogg of any criticism - he plays his part. It's about trying to open eyes to the fact that he is A) not the only one writing the show and B) will always be at the mercy of those above him - particularly Vince McMahon.

In 2017, the exclusive home to WWE Champion A.J. Styles was averaging 2.93 million total viewers, with 1.27 million of those hailing from the main demographic of 18-49. Those numbers were up eight percent and 13 percent, respectively, from 2016.

Switching to the live format undoubtedly had an impact and by the same token, Raw continues to beat SmackDown in the ratings because it is the 'flagship show', established six years earlier and recognisable to the casual viewer.

SmackDown Live last beat Monday Night Raw in the ratings in late November of 2016 where the return of John Cena gave them a 100,000 viewer spike. Guess who wrote that?

The March 6 episode of the show did 2.59 million - which is actually better than the go-home episode before the Royal Rumble and the third best of 2018 for the Blue Brand - and yet, fans are calling for Road Dogg's head weekly.

Do these same fans hate Rusev Day? Did they not enjoy the electric feud between the New Day and the Usos? The Usos character change has been brilliant full stop.

For many weeks, the Fashion Files was the most entertaining part of the show and fans relished seeing Breezango getting the airtime they deserved.

Of course, Lana's in-ring dabble, Baron Corbin's stop-start push and Luke Harper's months in the wilderness are examples of the furstrations that spawned the hashtag, but it's also worth remembering SmackDown is a two-hour show and doesn't have three hours like Raw to showcase more talent.

No show is perfect, but there is plenty to invest in on Tuesday nights. It's certainly a team effort on the Blue Brand and Vince McMahon has the final say on everything WWE - so can we stop solely taking aim at Road Dogg? I have no association with the man or reason to write this beyond the fact that laying the 'blame' on someone who can't reasonably control everything the fans seem to believe he can is just plain unfair.

The fact that he makes himself so accessible on social media should be celebrated, not punished.