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

It's a scorching hot day in Oklahoma and won't be any cooler Sunday in Kansas City for the WWE presented Money in the Bank Ladder Match PPV that I will be attending. Also, all products that you order this weekend from us will be shipped on Monday and we hope that you will try our products as there is still plenty of the grilling season remaining. Random thoughts...

Tickets for the MITB PPV in KC are still available as I expect there to be a strong 'walk up' crowd in market known to be a 'walk up' town. I'll arrive in KC Sunday morning thanks to Southwest Airlines and will hook up with the King to head to the arena on Sunday afternoon. 

Lots of younger, up and coming performers will get the opportunity to impress Sunday night and as I have always said most talents can't control their minutes so I suggest that they make the most out of the time they're afforded. I think it's akin to playing on special teams in football. One may not get the number of snaps that they would ideally like in a game but they still have a chance to make an impact and be a game changer w/ their special teams play. 

Tulsa's beautiful, new BOK Center hosts Monday Night Raw this week and ticket sales for that event are brisk to say the least. Tulsa is another 'walk up' market and I fully expect that T-Town will be packed and rocking Monday night for WWE's flagship broadcast. There are tickets still available for Tulsa area fans who are traveling from out of town. Due to travel issues, I'll be watching Raw from Tulsa on TV as will many of you.

This week marked a milestone of the murder of Frank "Bruiser Brody" Goodish in a Puerto Rico locker room shower. Frank was stabbed to death. One of our emailers had a graphic story to share in the Q&A section of the site about the incident that was one of the most disgusting days in the annals of the business. Frank's death was seemingly an after thought in Puerto Rico and no justice was served. The judicial system in San Juan failed miserably.

Frank and I got to know each other in 1974 when we were both rookies in the biz and both sat under the Bill Watts' learning tree in Mid South Wrestling. Frank and Stan Hansen were tag partners in those days and were obviously, young, big, strong, and athletic as hell. Watts wanted them to split up and become single stars but the two refused and ended up leaving Mid South. At the end of the day Watts was accurate in his assessment that both Stan and Frank would become much bigger stars on their own than they ever would as a team. 

When I attended MLB Umpire school in '76 in St. Petersburg, Florida, Frank was wrestling in the Florida territory and we reconnected. He was a highly intelligent, fiercely independent individual who did not trust an abundance of those who called the shots in the biz. I always got along well with Frank as the former sports writer was a huge fan of athletics in general and we always had plenty to talk about other than the wrestling business.

I miss Frank and am saddened every year around this time when his untimely and unnecessary death is often discussed and remembered. St. Louis' Larry Matysik and Frank's widow wrote a great book on the late Bruiser Brody that is a superb read. 

The lack of justice in Puerto Rico regarding this matter still disgusts me to this very day. Some people do get away with murder.

Emailer...Yes I saw the WWE produced "Satan's Prison' which is a collection of all the Elimination Chamber matches and it brought back a plethora of good memories. I especially enjoyed broadcasting the early ones because the concept was so fresh and new. One thing's for sure, an athlete needs to be as tough as a government mule to thrive and survive inside the Chamber. I suggest that you check out the DVD. 

Did any one really expect Floyd Mayweather, Jr to adhere to Manny Pacquiao's Friday night deadline about the two greats agreeing to box on PPV? Mayweather isn't going to be dictated to by anyone, including the great Manny Pacquiao. Boxing needs this fight in a big way for a variety of reasons notwithstanding the genre desperately needs a 'big fight' to keep prize fighting with some degree of front of mind awareness. I'm a boxing fan but other than a pending, and it will happen, Mayweather-Pacquiao fight nothing else in boxing captivates my imagination. How about you?

Oklahoma University is contemplating starting their own TV Network centered around Sooner sports which has piqued my curiosity. Their studios will be three miles from where we live.

Chael Sonnen is doing a nice job of selling his upcoming UFC fight with Anderson Silva. Sonnen is extremely entertaining and has natural, outstanding verbal skills. There will be many MMA fans who will invest in the PPV to simply see Chael get his ass handed to him and for Silva to shut Sonnen's mouth. That's been a part of the magic formula in pro wrestling and in boxing for generations and has manifested itself in MMA in recent years as well. Rashad Evans and Rampage Jackson "talked" their way into a helluva PPV number with their promo abilities that allowed each to showcase their legitimate disdain for the other and made us all anticipate their fight even more. Sonnen may not beat Silva, but then again he might, but I suggest that we have just begun to hear from the talkative Sonnen as the days near for their main event. 

Some MMA purists may not like the 'trash talk' and think it has too many pro wrestling-like traits but let's not forget that Muhammad Ali raised 'trash talk' to an art form beginning in the 60's thanks to experiencing as a youth the verbal skills of Gorgeous George and Freddie Blassie.

BTW...our new Hot BBQ sauce is getting rave reviews. I invite you to give it a shot. It's awesome on all type of "Q" plus it enhances burgers and grilled chicken. I put it in drained, pork 'beans with a chopped up sweet onion and a little brown sugar and they came out delicious. Damn near fool proof. I also added some garlic powder and ground, black pepper. Every thing is seasoned to your own, individual taste. Try and let me know how they turn out for you. Another thing you can add is bell pepper to this foolproof concoction.

Emailer...Did I get up at 3 a.m. to watch golf this week? Hell, no. The last time I was up watching TV at 3 in the morning I was watching either a replay of that day's OU Football game, WWE 24/7 On Demand, or The Sopranos On Demand. 

Emailer...No I do not want or deserve a Flair-like retirement presentation. Those types of presentations should be strictly reserved for wrestlers in my humble opinion. Plus, I might have a few more miles in the tank I can use somewhere down the road. 

Emailer...Yes I would like to have a 'last broadcast' which isn't too unique for any broadcaster but if I don't I sure won't have any regrets regarding my career. It's far exceeded my expectations.

Don't forget that I will be in Charlotte for the NWA Legends Fanfest on August 5-6. On Thursday August 5 we are doing a BBQ Cookout beginning at 5 pm as I understand it. This should be a lot of fun and I hope that you will try and attend. Promoter Greg Price has purchased several cases of JR's Original and HOT BBQ Sauce plus our amazing Chipotle Ketchup to sell at the Fanfest, too. I'll be inducting Danny Hodge into the Hall of Heroes on Friday night at the banquet which is a huge thrill and honor for me. 

I'll believe the rumored Batista-Lashley PPV fight when I see it. Not trying to be overly pessimistic here but so much has to evolve for that fight to occur that I don't see it as a 'lay-up.'  If the fight does come off, I'll certainly watch it and Lashley would be the heavy favorite.

Emailer...How can any one logically think that Monday Night Raw ISN'T WWE's top TV priority? I'm not saying that I dislike, or not, any other wrestling show as this matter isn't about what I like or don't like but about 'priorities' and no one can convince me that any WWE TV program is more important to them than their Monday night, flagship show. To me, it's a no brainer.

Emailer...No I don't think that the LeBron James to Miami issue is a detriment to the NBA. The media has been seemingly, incessantly talking about the NBA long since the Lakers won another title. The NBA will remain topical for months and then their season starts and the speculation and over analyzing of all the free agent moves especially in South Florida will commence again at an even higher level. I did not like the one hour, ESPN TV special or the way LeBron, who I do like, left Cleveland and feel bad for Cavs fans but I can't blame James for doing what he perceives is best for his career. This hoops thing at the high level of performance won't last forever. 

Check out my Facebook page at http://facebook.dj/jrbbq/ for an interview I did this week on Ringside Rap with Rich Tate and company. The link is there.

Our Twitter numbers are growing rapidly. http://twitter.com/JRsBBQ. Join us. 

The Q&A's here on our site have been updated as of Saturday afternoon. 

Have you ordered our Beef Jerky? Strongly encourage you to try it as we have began utilizing a new smoking process and it is so much more tender and moist. Great stuff and 97% Fat Free!

Emailer...Yes I actually sign every item that calls for an autograph on our website including personalizing the JR's Cookbook that features the lovely Stacy Keibler and Trish Stratus on the front cover with some stocky dude in a cowboy hat. We personalize these books with whatever you want and ship them in the USA for &19.88...all in. We would never be a part to a non legit autograph scam. Never.

I plan on watching the MITB PPV from the locker room area in KC with Joey Styles Sunday night and may do a chat on www.wwe.com as the night progresses. I have high expectations for this PPV and hope that it over delivers. The use of the ladders is always a risky proposition and innovation in not one but two MITB Ladder matches has piqued my interest. 

Home Shopping Network has approached us about doing some business with them. We are a long way from getting the deal done but it's nice to know that HSN has an interest. If we can craft a win/win deal then this platform could become very exciting.

BTW...if you want to order our products and live outside the USA, please contact the WWE at WWEShop.com on www.wwe.com. Their business for our products being shipping to the UK and Canada has especially been good. 

Thanks for the visit and remember that if you order this weekend that we will ship your order on Monday.

Boomer Sooner!

J.R.