Let’s not burn any daylight and get right to some of your comments:
UGA Dawgs- I would love to see an OU-UGA home at home, but with the SEC being such a freaky college football conference – essentially from top to bottom, I don’t see the value in scheduling a team of OU’s status for Georgia. I would love to hear Larry Munson call the game on radio nonetheless. The SEC is the best conference in college football, but I am naturally partial to the Big 12 South. When the Big 12 North returns to being more of a national player, there might be a better argument but until then, the SEC is the big “dawg” in college football. The NFL Draft is proof enough, as the SEC dominated day one. When I did my radio show on WSB AM-750 in Atlanta back in the day, I followed the Georgia football coaches’ show hosted by the “Legendary Voice of the Georgia Bulldogs,” the incomparable Larry Munson, who is one of my broadcasting heroes. (more…)
I spoke to Stone Cold last night on the phone while I was attending the 4th Annual Toby Keith Foundation Charity Auction for children with cancer. Steve is really working hard promoting his new movie “The Condemned” which is in theatres now. I am anxious to hear how you like the film as I know many Austin Fans will be going to the movies over the next few days. You won’t be disappointed!
Let’s address a few of your comments:
Jason- Starting a career in broadcasting in the sports entertainment business is no different than starting a broadcasting career in any other field. I started in radio and worked my way into TV wrestling. You have to have a demo tape. Find a way to get some experience and it certainly doesn’t have to be doing wrestling. It probably helps if you aren’t attempting to do wrestling, quite honestly.
Bill- Gagne vs. Maddog Vachon may be a featured rivalry some day on WWE 24/7. I don’t know where or how you obtain a DVD of just Verne vs. Vachon. (more…)
O.K., you bunch of body slammin’, Beef Jerky buying maniacs, let’s get to your questions that seem to be burning up my computer:
Matt B.- I heard that the Simpson brothers from South Africa were still in the Metroplex selling bedding, but were no longer affiliated with wrestling.
Jason- Every Make A Wish opportunity is a special memory that many of us will take with us forever. Sometimes they are challenging, especially when one knows significant info about the “Wish Kid”. I am honored to do them and consider those children the real heroes in my life. (more…)
It is great to be home, after my original 3-day trip to Milan turned into a 10-day trip that also included being in London for a week! I got word on Friday afternoon that our travel plans had changed and that I would not being coming home between Milan and London’s Raw broadcasts. No worries mate, one just packs more clothes and a few extra packs of J.R.’s Beef Jerky! Some WWE staffers made the trip back home, but I think Mrs. J.R. was happy to get rid of me for a few days so she could continue with our home re-modeling project that has been on going since late 2006. Plus she knew I would stop by the fabulous Harrods Department Store in London to do a little shopping for her! (I’m only kidding, but I did do exactly that.) (more…)
I arrived in London on Tuesday afternoon to beautiful weather and friendly WWE fans, who are anxiously awaiting Monday Night Raw from the sold out Earl’s Court. With only about a week or so to go until our next pay per view in Atlanta, things are beginning to heat up. This Monday’s Raw main event between John Cena and Shawn Michaels should be huge, especially as it relates to Backlash. (more…)
I just flew over the English Channel and Lord are my arms tired!! (rim shot)
Coach Bruce Harrell- Best of luck to the Maud Tigers football team. Championships are often won in the off season and I am sure your players are working hard as we speak. Without the hard work and commitment to excellence there can be no glory in what ever any of us do. I hope to see you some day at J.R.’s Family Bar-B-Q in Norman. We open in June. Come see us!
Simon/UK- I have zero issues with Chris Kanyon. Never had. I was told he made some remarks about me last year but I addressed them here and moved on. Chris had talent and his sexual preference was never an issue with me. I never asked him about his private life. If anyone thinks the fact that Chris is gay cost him his career in the WWE, they are sadly mistaken. Yes, I have made light hearted remarks about my friend Pat Patterson, but they were not mean spirited and Pat knows how much I respect him. With today’s top-line talent depth so shallow, I can assure you that if a gay individual was talented enough to sell tickets, their sexual orientation would not hold them back. No one who matters cares about sexual orientation these days, as best as I can tell. A generation or two ago, I could not say that within the business. (more…)
I may be miles away from the USA, but that’s the beauty of a computer!
This trip has been so far, so good and I seem to find plenty of great food (no jokes please) and beverage. Life is good and Bar-B-Q is life. (more…)
Thanks for all the comments this week. Our website is growing much more quickly than any of us that are involved could have imagined. That’s not a bad thing for sure. Plus, the sales of our 4 sauces and our 4 flavors of Beef Jerky are selling really well. We now have our beef jerky in several retail outlets in Oklahoma, mostly in the OKC/Norman area. Business is picking up without question and we are so thankful to the many of you that are shopping with us. I assure you that your business is appreciated by the entire Ross family. (more…)
Here’s some more of your comments that I will try and address:
Jason- I am a life-long Cruiserweight fan. Danny Hodge was one of my heroes, but I don’t know if I am in the majority. Some wrestling philosophies have it that the smaller talents will not draw the money the bigger guys do. Cowboy Bill Watts had that mindset back in the 70’s, so it is not a new theory. Rey Mysterio certainly dispels that theory to a large degree, but Rey is extraordinary regardless of his size and has the innate ability to connect with the fans. That’s next to impossible to teach. Rey is the exception and not the rule.
Some have asked about Dr. Death’s mindset when he played “Oklahoma”, Ed Ferrera’s bodyguard on TNT’s Monday Nitro. I assure you that Doc was simply doing his job. I feel he was reluctant to be put into such a challenging position, but he is a team player and did as he was instructed to do. We never had a cross word over it. Things like “Oklahoma” never draw a dime and rarely earn consistent ratings. The “let’s get them talking on the internet” doesn’t usually translate into money or ratings, which is what producing TV shows is all about. By the way, Doc has relocated to his boyhood home of Colorado. (more…)
Let’s get to your questions and remember, many questions posed have already been answered on previous blogs. I suggest you read the archived blogs when you have the time. Plus, I am not going to start speculating on who should or should not be in the 2008 WWE Hall of Fame. That’s WAY too early to begin nothing but pure speculation. I also don’t know when or where Wrestlemania tickets go on sale, but I suggest you check out www.wwe.com for that sort of info as the travel packages seem to guarantee fans tickets as I expect tickets to sell out quickly for the Citrus Bowl Stadium in Orlando for next March. (more…)
