Welcome to J.R.’s Blog

I hope this short blog finds every one well and happy. This blog covers more than simply wrestling, so for some of you that are “all wrestling or not I’m not interested,” then you may feel compelled to move along. Or, you can read it and make comments on this website or other sites about how P.O.’ed you are when I actually express an opinion of something other than ‘rasslin.

Random thoughts:

We have a new Q/A section posted on the site as of Sunday February 10 that you might want to check out. We realize we are behind in answering your questions, but I can assure you that it isn’t for a lack of trying. As my Dad used to say, and that’s all a steer can do. As you may have read we are doing some upgrades here on our site and our webmaster is doing his best to continue to help make our site a fun one to visit and in which to interact. So bear with us as positive changes are on the horizon.

The new J.R.’s Family Bar-B-Q that will be located in Moore, Oklahoma will be approximately 5,300 square feet and will feature a separate sports bar area which our original store doesn’t have. Our new menu will be out this week, we hope to have it in the store on Tuesday, so please check out the site later on to take a look at the positive changes we have made to the menu. All for the better we hope. We are selling an amazing amount of our delicious Bar-B-Q Sauces along with our Chipotle Ketchup and Jalapeno Honey Mustard on this site which can provide you a little of the true flavor of J.R.’s Bar-B-Q no matter where you live.

The Mrs. and I went to the OU-Colorado Women’s Basketball game Saturday night in Norman and the Buffaloes had a starting player named Brittany Spears who really caught hell from the student section. Bad time to be named Brittany Spears, but some of the catcalls were brutally classic. We will be back at courtside Tuesday night to see the Sooners take on Texas A/M in an important Big 12 Conference game, which will see the crowd wearing pink in recognition of the efforts to cure breast cancer. As one might surmise, my wardrobe is a little shy on pink attire. I’ll have to get fashionably creative for such a worthy cause.

Over 6,000 fans attended the WWE Raw live event in Seoul, South Korea a few hours ago. All the superstars are healthy and the reports are that the crowd was “hot” and had a great time. Candice Michelle, who is still healing from the multiple breaks of her collar bone (Clavicle), actually learned a little Korean and spoke to the crowd at “half time” which was well received. Reportedly, one of the most popular Superstars on the event was the venerable, "Nature Boy" Ric Flair, as many fans look at appearances by “Naitch” as possibly his last in their arena.

While Raw was in South Korea and preparing to head to Japan, the Smackdown folks were in Guatemala City and essentially had a sell out as only a few single tickets remained in the arena. Another “energetic” crowd by all reports. When I first got in the business in the 70s, if someone would have told me that American wrestling would become so popular globally I would have asked what they were smoking.

By the time all the WWE Superstars get to No Way Out in Las Vegas, they will have accrued plenty of frequent flier miles. I’m really pleased that my role will be to describe the action and not get too close to the Elimination Chamber, which I can almost assure you will cause multiple injuries to some of the participants. How can it not?

A small correction from a previous blog, Bobby Lashley has had the same representation since 2004, but Lashley’s reps do also represent several MMA competitors as I previously mentioned. Some speculate that Lashley may not travel the MMA route, which certainly is a possibility, but “highly unlikely” as Gorilla Monsoon would say and is simply my opinion. Playing hard to get, so to speak, can work well in a variety of negotiations and for anyone to think that Bobby Lashley doesn’t have the background or basic skills to become a MMA fighter is hard to fathom. My money is on Lashley taking a deliberate route in the MMA field that allows him to learn his craft at a compatible pace all the while making some solid paydays. All the organizations in the MMA world are looking for new stars, not unlike pro wrestling organizations, and with Lashley’s high profile exposure over a significant length of time on WWE global television programming and his high profile role on the last Wrestlemania, Lashley can bring with him exclusive features many other prospects cannot. Bottom line is that it would seem that Bobby Lashley has some leverage right now, as it relates to his potential future in MMA.

Pat Rose, a former wrestler who had excellent fundamental skills and would most likely be best described a “journeyman” performer is now on the professional bass fishing circuit. Pat was a solid hand back in the day, much more fundamentally sound than many of the wrestlers that we have seen on various TV programs over the years. Maybe Pat will pull a Tony Stewart and shave only every 3 or 4 days and become the “badass” of bass fishing as Stewart is to NASCAR.

Funaki has a broken nose, but his modeling career is still on target. Smackdown’s ”#1 announcer” may be the biggest Dallas Cowboys fan in the WWE, in case you are keeping score at home.

Stone Cold Steve Austin and I spoke via telephone a day or two ago and he is staying busy with “movie business” and fully expects to do a couple of movies in 2008, especially if the writers’ strike ends soon. The DVD of “the Legacy of Stone Cold Steve Austin” is not loaded with a great deal of talk from other superstars, but is instead a straight on presentation of some of Steve’s most significant moments and promos. It was a helluva trip down memory lane for me when I watched this DVD, as it was no frills, let’s kick some ass type of a presentation. I am told that Wal-Mart already has it on shelves and it is due out February 12 everywhere. Back on the movie front, it seems that several movie makers are interested in Stone Cold for 2008 projects.

There is lots of speculation as to who will be in the WWE Hall of Fame class for 2008. I stand by my original picks of Gordon Solie and The Brisco Brothers, but there are so many deserving individuals that have earned the right for this distinction. One has to assume that word will be released soon to help sell tickets for the event, as tickets go on sale soon for the induction ceremony to be held in Orlando at Amway Arena the night before Wrestlemania 24. As a fan, I can’t imagine making the trek to Orlando for WM24 and not attending the Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony.

Big week for Roger Clemens. The Rocket will apparently testify before Congress this week about his use of steroids and/or Human Growth Hormone. I have met Roger and his sons on a few occasions and had a nice visit with the future Hall of Famer out in Vegas on Super Bowl Sunday a few years back. We always kid each other of our loyalty to our college football teams of choice, Texas for Clemens and Oklahoma for me. The media has really done a number by and large on Roger, which makes one wonder what ever happened to the adage of “innocent until proven guilty”? I simply hope Roger tells the whole truth and nothing but the truth, because perjury is damn sure more serious than admitting that he dabbled in steroids or HGH which I would assume if he did were for injury rehab purposes. Plus, there is a helluva difference between using these drugs for pure medical reasons under a reputable physicians care or abusing them for any other reasons. My point is that the Roger Clemens that I have met is not a bad human being, whatsoever, and is arguably the greatest right handed pitcher in the history of Major League Baseball. Plus, “The Rocket” is a lock for the MLB Hall of Fame, from where I sit, no matter what happens on Capitol Hill.

Nice opening “storyline” in NASCAR to get our attention with the “unseen” physicality between Tony Stewart, who seems to not enjoy a nice, close shave, and Kurt Busch. Their on the track bumping and grinding, along with their “melee,” has folks talking just in time for the kickoff of the NASCAR season. I am pulling for Dale, Jr. who everyone seems to like, except his stepmother. NASCAR is great stuff!

Could anyone argue that Archie Manning isn’t the “Secretariat” of the NFL after siring his sons/Super Bowl winning QBs Peyton and Eli Manning?

Former NFL QB, Seattle Seahawks assistant coach Jim Zorn, being named as the new head football coach of the proud Washington Redskin franchise reminds me of when an unsuspecting Booker would come to work for Cowboy Bill Watts under the guise that it would be the wrestling business as usual and things would be smooth sailing for the most part. Wrong. Daniel Snyder seems to be a little overwhelming and demanding, while making Dallas Cowboys head honcho Jerry Jones, who I happen to really like, seem introverted.

I received an comment recently from a fan who complained about wrestling play by play people not really doing play by play as they once did. The commenter is absolutely right. I cannot speak for all PXP people, but for me the game has changed significantly and there are different marching orders with which to follow. The term “story teller” is more applicable to “play by play” guy these days. I see this process continuing to evolve and would not be surprised to see the role of the announcers be more about sound bytes and filling in gaps than going wall to wall with commentary, which honestly I don’t think is a bad idea. All of us that do what was once referred to as PXP can easily over talk a situation but I still remain steadfast that some of wrestling’s most classic and memorable moments would not be so classic and memorable without commentary. However, I do think that many of us can cut back on the over use of yelling and I also believe that color commentators need to definitely have an edge, but I don’t necessarily believe that they have to be “100% antagonists." Just my two cents.

With RAW in “the can” as “on tape” and not meaning “in the toilet”, there is no trip to the airport for yours truly this week until Friday when I head to Las Vegas for No Way Out. It’s like a holiday! I will be able to spend more time at J.R.’s Family Bar-B-Q, which I love doing.

Our store is open for your shopping convenience and don’t forget we have some unbelievable specials on Beef Jerky for only $3 a bag!!!

Boomer Sooner!
J.R.