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

Here's hoping that every one is having a great weekend. It's really nice weekend here in Norman, Oklahoma and college football fever is in the air. I attended a couple of functions with the Sooner football coaches this week and their summer is essentially over as practice starts next Wednesday, the day I return from Long Island, and they will hit it hard until National Signing Day in early February 2010. My goal is to attend every OU game, home and away, and I have already made travel arrangements to travel from Lincoln, Nebraska to Sheffield, England in November among other "interesting" road trips. These trips serve as "great escapes" and help me keep my sanity (no jokes please.) At least that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

 Today's Special.....BBQ'ed Random Thoughts.... 

UFC has yet to sign heavyweight fighter Fedor Emelianenko to a deal after the Affliction promotion bit the dust. UFC sounds as if they have offered the fighter with a 30-1 record a truck load of cash but to no avail. From what I understand, Fedor's management team is trying to use their MMA company, M-1 Global, as leverage in this circus. UFC has nothing to gain by caving to Fedor's "people" and inflicting a "Plaxico Burress" by shooting themselves in the leg. UFC is doing an excellent job of home growing their stars and the future of their heavyweight division looks intriguing.

I went to a party Thursday night at my business partner's home that was a private, OU Football kickoff gathering. More of the men there wanted to talk about Brock Lesnar than any MMA fighter and MMA, in general, seemed to be the topic of the night. Only a handful of these sports fans had any tangible knowledge of who Fedor Emelianenko is. On a side note, many of my friends became bigger Lesnar fans after his UFC 100,  post match comments including Brock's apology re: taking a shot at Bud Light. Strange how things are perceived and then how they work out. But that's another story.

Bottom line is this,  if Fedor wanted to sign with UFC and cement his legacy and enhance his arguably padded 30-1 record he would do so. Great competitors always want to compete on the highest level and one could assume that Emelianenko would be no different. The excuse that "we couldn't get a deal done" feels more like a cop out than a reason.  

Perhaps Fedor Emelianenko simply wants to pick his spots and his opponents whether it be in Japan or parts unknown and avoid the competition that awaits him in UFC. 

If this deal doesn't get done then It's a damned shame if you ask me because I thought Fedor was a legit badass.   

Actor Jeremy Piven will guest host Raw Monday night from the sold out Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Ct on what could be an unique night as it relates to Mr. Piven. The Entourage star and the star of an upcoming film that actually looks very funny is reportedly somewhat attitudinal. I only know what I read and I am not claiming that Piven is a tool, for the record. Nonetheless, as I wrote earlier, I hope that Piven is exactly like his character Ari Gold on the HBO's Entourage and "runs rough shod" on Monday night. In the old days many of the veterans would have clamored to see who could play the biggest rib on Piven or any other "celebrity" who came into the locker room area and acted any thing less than respectful to the biz. 

How cool would it be for someone to make this introduction, "Mr. Piven please meet Mr. Fuji."

It will be fun to hear what stories actually do come out of Piven's experiences in WWE Monday night. I think while watching Raw that it will be easy to tell if Piven is on the show to have fun, like Shaq last week, or to simply promote his newest project.

"Mr. Piven please meet Bobby "The Brain" Heenan. He'll show you around."

Tito Ortiz is positively back in UFC after being angrily absent from the company. It seems like a fitting way to end what has been a tumultuous relationship with the company that made Tito rich and famous. I remember meeting Tito, who was attending a WWE event with Rick Bassman many years ago in Anaheim at the Pond, if memory serves me correctly,  when Tito had an interest in discussing a potential career in WWE. Tito had/has a great look, charisma, is obviously very athletic and would have likely done very well in WWE. However, Tito's true calling is MMA and for an athlete to be able to perform only a few times a year for big bucks and not endure excessive travel is the only way for some athletes to go about their professional lives IE Brock Lesnar. 

UFC 100 reportedly did over 1.5M pay per view buys which is a freakish number.  It's amazing what happens when a personal issue is cultivated over a 17 month period between two men both of whom the consumer has made an emotional investment who then settle their angst physically.

It looks as if the Tuesday night WWE event in Long Island will be a packed house in the Nassau Coliseum. Does any one remember the WCW "Bunkhouse Stampede" that emanated from that arena back in the 80's? I remember it for, among other things, riding in a car with the late Jim Barnette, who like the cartoon character Mr. Magoo, he did not see well nor did he ever learn to drive, promoter Gary Juster, and, I think, broadcaster Tony Schiavone all getting lost driving out to the Island from probably La Guardia Airport. No GPS and no one wanted to stop and ask directions, the guy thing, and we wound up arriving a little late for work. Ah, but the show went on and the night seemed to last forever. Was the show that bad or has its perception changed in my mind after all these years?

Someone on our Q&A section asked me what the C.M. stands for in C.M. Punk. Beats the hell out of me but I have heard "Cookie Monster," "Championship Material," and "Chicago Made." Take your choice or make up your own rendition. 

Helluva match Friday night on Smackdown between World's Champ Jeff Hardy and John Morrison. I watched this match as it aired and then again right afterwords on DVR and I rarely do that. Really innovative stuff, the guys took their time and had the time, the in ring action was compelling, and we had a winner and a loser. Wow.

Plus, the crowd emotionally invested into this main event even though it was two fan favorites competing which has been known to damper a live audience's emotion.  Not this time. 

The SD crew should be commended for their efforts on Friday night's show as it was a really solid team effort from start to finish and overall a fun show of which to be a part.

It made another, damn airplane ride worth the trip.

Check out all the deals in our store,  some of which come with free shipping. We are planning something big for the site in the next few days so stay tuned. 

We have lots of signed swag, including both our BBQ Sauces and the Chipolte Ketchup, in our BBQ joint in Norman on the east side of I-35 at exit 109. Come see us when you can.

Boomer Sooner!

J.R.