Fans had for the most part seen right through Michaels' alleged knee injury that kept him out of action at Wrestlemania 13, and had begun to boo him as a result. The MIA, in comparison, are a hollow attempt at the same. No real emotions come forward during a Hugh Morrus speech, nor do crowds have any legitimate reason to love them or loathe them. While the MIA are a wrestling angle in soul, DX in its prime was a backstage situation that spilled over into the world before the cameras. Fans absolutely hated McMahon for what he had done to Bret Hart, and the WWF amplified these boos by presenting him on television as the jackass promoter.
Nothing attracts a crowd faster than controversy.
McMahon realized this with the Bret Hart conspiracy theory, as ratings on Raw jumped a full point the night after the '97 Survivor Series. They had the attention of the masses, and they rode that for all it was worth. WCW, too, has had a taste of this several times during their current slump. Though it's obvious that WCW is slowly beginning to grasp what cost them the lead in the wrestling industry all those years ago, I fear the lessons themselves are still a long way from being learned. For the sake of the viewers and the sake of the industry as a whole, I hope they learn them soon, quickly and concisely.