J.R.'s Family Bar-B-Q

With the Big Show announcing on www.wwe.com this week that he is taking a sabbatical from the WWE for perhaps an extended amount of time, I could not help but think of the many memories and the good times I have spent with the “World’s Largest Athlete”.

Jerry Brisco and yours truly were the two WWE representatives who met with the big fella in Tampa when the negotiations with the WWE first got underway. I must admit when I walked into the large man’s beach front condo I was in awe of the enormity of this human being. Plus, his crib wasn’t a bad place to hang one’s clothes either. It was a supersized, deluxe bachelor pad to say the least.

We had a productive several hour conversation and talked about many things such as our lives, our health, goals, the business, and a bunch of general “guy talk” that included cars (the big guy loves cars), sports and, of course, women. In other words, we got to know each other. Show was just a big, ‘ol country boy from South Carolina who both Jerry and I could relate to as we were both country boys from Oklahoma. We were all raised on fried food and the occasional trip to the woodshed.

I vividly recall Show getting hungry, which should come as no major surprise, and getting up and preparing himself a bite to eat which included nothing but protein including a LARGE quantity of BEANS. I whispered to Brisco that we needed to end the meeting soon as the big guy was about to devour enough beans for 3-4, hungry people. Flatulence is a story best told rather than experienced especially when the flatulence manufacturer is a 500 pound, 7 foot tall athlete who would make the “farting” scene in the “Blazing Saddles” movie come off like a church social.

Soon after the world’s largest albeit kind hearted bean eater had finished his bean dish that had more ingredients than I can remember we ended our meeting. Soon there after we had our man.

Another quick story entails Big Show on a trip to Connecticut to have meetings at WWE headquarters and he came to our home for dinner or supper as we call it in the South. My wife Jan is an amazing cook and she cooked a whole ham, an entire chicken and a plethora of side items. I am no lightweight when it comes to putting away the groceries either so needless to say when we finally finished off the feast prepared by my bride I was packed and some to be in need of a nap. However, the big guy wanted desert. That’s when I discovered the 500 pounder’s weakness. Here’s the secret that I have kept hidden for all these years:

THE BIG SHOW LOVES APPLE BUTTER WITH A PASSION.

So now it’s out there. Yes, The Big Show ate a pan of home made biscuits and an entire jar of apple butter. OK, I helped some but he did most of the damage. My wife has never forgotten our custom Italian tile dining room floor cracking under the pressure applied by our giant sized house guest. We have all laughed about it many times since then especially when we discuss how a big, southern raised kid found authentic apple butter in a Connecticut kitchen.

I hope Show gets healthy and will take the time to enjoy the fruits of his labor. He deserves it. I know in my heart that the big guy will step back in a ring some day as wrestling….sports/entertainment is in his blood.

I also hope WWE Films finds a vehicle for the largest Game **** I ever saw to try his hand at acting (I haven’t forgotten Waterboy.) The Big Show has a great gift for comedic timing and with the right script I can see Show doing some great work on the silver screen.

But again the Big Show needs to get healthy and that may mean dropping a few lbs. I can look in the mirror on that one.

I will always have a soft spot in my heart for the big guy from South Carolina who I have seen literally grown up and become a man before my very eyes.

Good Luck Show. You will be missed.

By the way, you’ll be getting some Bar-B-Q Sauce and some apple butter for the holidays.

J.R.