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

Before I head off to New York's La Guardia Airport and then on to WWE corporate headquarters EARLY Wednesday morning, I thought I would throw a short blog at you. So here goes with a little of this and a little of that.

When I write these blogs I write them largely as a wrestling fan. I am not and will not ever shy away from the fact that I am a fan of pro wrestling. I love what I do for a living but even if I was put out to pasture tomorrow I would not leave the business that has been so good to me and my family in an angry state of mind. I've seen too many guys do that and man are they miserable to be around. I've been frustrated many times myself and have opened my mouth when I shouldn't have like last year when I was drafted off Raw onto Smackdown. That was pure and simply an over reaction by me. Taking a look at today's economy, and BTW this issue isn't going away any time soon folks, and the fact that I have a good job and can live a life style that we enjoy, not opulent but comfortable, I have been counting my blessings more of late. Perhaps that is a trait that all of us should consider.

I recently wrote that I was interested in seeing new IC Champion JBL be a tag team partner with Russian Vladimir Kozlov this Monday on Raw against HBK and the Undertaker in San Antonio. It just seems to me that a man like JBL is often times challenged to get along with anyone much less someone from a different culture that, most likely, JBL was raised to not trust. Hey, maybe the former Texan and the Moscow Mauler will function well but that's what makes it fun to watch the live show and to see what does transpire. That's not to say that there could be fireworks in HBK's hometown between him and his tag partner of the evening and opponent at WM25. Hell, you know somethings got to happen, right? 

Someone at our JR's Family BBQ in Norman today asked me if I knew the WM25 card and I told him the truth and that was that I didn't. I know some of the matches which would be the same as most of you who follow WWE closely but do I know the final card, hell no.  I love finding out what is going to happen either by watching Raw or ECW TV or by broadcasting Smackdown. There is no reason for me to know any "insider" info ahead of time. I feel confident enough in my work ethic and experience that I honestly think that I could arrive in Houston late on Sunday April 5 after being up most of the night with Stone Cold, get out of my car, walk into Reliant Stadium, go to ringside and commence to kicking ass if that was the hand that was dealt me. Personally there are matches that I really want to be a part of but the same can be said, I would hope, of every announcer in WWE. I know that what I have said in this paragraph will l likely have some eyes rolling and that's o.k. because this is how I truly feel.  

Another guy asked me what was the greatest Wrestlemania I ever participated in which is another question that I don't think I can accurately answer. I will always remember WM9 (Toga) because that was my first and we all remember our firsts of alot of things but enough about that. I will always remember WM17 in the Astrodome which was an arena I always dreamed of working as I was a fan of the Houston Oilers who played there. WM20 is special as it was MSG and the title bouts that night left me wrought with emotional exhaustion. I can always think back of the Wrestlemania when Austin first wrestled Rock and I was coming back from my last Bells palsy attack after my Mom had died. That was an emotional and a special night. WM23 in Detroit was where I went into the WWE HOF so that one will always be memorable. So how then do I narrow it down to one? I can't. Perhaps the best answer is to simply say the last one was the most special but the next one will be even better.

Don't know if WWE is going to have a celeb entrant into the HOF this year or not but some day I hope that Bob Uecker can break his way free from spring baseball and join the festivities as he is one of the funniest guys around. Uecker's classic bits with Andre are still replayed and are still funny. I have his "Major League" films damn near memorized and the former MLB catcher really displayed his comic genius in those over achieving films. Uecker reminds me of Bobby Heenan, just a naturally funny guy with impeccable timing. 

Speaking of The Brain, I haven't heard how he has been feeling lately but I think about him daily. I owe Mrs. Brain, Cindi, an email. However, for my money there has NEVER been a more talented three prong guy in the business as Bobby Heenan. Is any one even close? He was a wrestler who took the biggest bumps while taking the greatest ass whipping ever, to becoming the best  manager ever in the business and finally becoming , arguably, the most colorful antagonist, color commentator on TV. The business will likely never see another like Bobby Heenan especially with the fact that wrestling managers seem to be on the endangered species list and Bobby's talent was a gift from the good Lord.  

2009 WWE HOF'er Ricky Steamboat's son Richie has been in Japan for the past several months training in a dojo but will be back in the States in time to see Ric Flair induct Richie's Dad into the Hall. The younger Steamboat, and I have said this before, looks to be a near "can't miss" prospect and that is something that I don't throw around freely. 

Will Ferrell as George W. Bush live on HBO Saturday night is a must see for me. I may have to DVR it if one of the Oklahoma hoops teams make it to Saturday's play in the Big 12 tournament up in OKC. I got a high five from OU's Blake Griffin executed rafter rattling slam-dunk Saturday afternoon against O-State in the Bedlam Game on ABC. It made me feel like a kid again and let me say that, without question, Blake Griffin is the best basketball player in the college game. 

Our BBQ rub is selling like crazy which is good news for us. We have also packaged some items together and that includes reduced cost shipping in our store here on the site that I hope you will take a look at before you leave us.  Also on the BBQ front, we will soon be selling all our sauces in plastic bottles including the HOT BBQ Sauce which will get you to saying, "Oh, Hell Yeah!"

Nice to see Evan Bourne returning to ECW from an ankle or foot injury. I really like this young man who has a great attitude and might not be the biggest dog in the fight but so what?!  I hope "Air" (a nickname I suggested at TV one night) gets red hot on ECW and then gets drafted to Friday Night Smackdown. Or it could work the other way around and I could get drafted to ECW and help establish the younger talents being brought onto the roster. That would be a fun assignment too. 

I hope that you will closely watch the aggression and the effort put forth this Friday night by Kofi Kingston who wrestles World's Champ Edge on the first bout of the night as best I recall. I was hugely impressed with Kingston's much improved game and it certainly seems as if this young man has more star potential than some thought when Kofi first came on the scene. to me, this is Kofi's break through singles match of his young career and yes I saw him wrestle Chris Jericho on Monday night.

I felt for Slammy winners Grisham and Striker (That can't be his REAL name, can it?) when they had both John "I'm Channeling Jim" Morrison AND fast talking Carlito both doing guest commentary during a really solid Miz vs. Primo bout on ECW. I'll bet the closed captioning person went banana. 

WWE should sell lottery tickets to raise new funds during this recession we are in to see who gets to referee the upcoming 25 Diva Battle Royal at WM25. The King might sell his Coca Cola, Gone with the Wind, and Norman Rockwell collections to get the right to be surrounded and "accidentally" bump into some of the most beautiful and sexy women on TV. King might even get an Enzyte sponsorship for his referee gear if he was the zebra of the evening. 

It is going to really be intriguing to see how WWE follows up with the home invasion situation we all saw on Monday night where HHH forcibly entered Master Randy Orton's home. There are lots of ways for this story to go and I for one am going to be glued to my ridiculously sized TV Monday night to enjoy the evening from San Antonio. I sure wish I could be there as I know where my favorite Whataburger joint is along with a couple of Mexican food places that are big time.  Wait a minute, I will be in Corpus Christi Monday night where I will still get a Whataburger and watch Raw from what ever sized TV I have in my room. Maybe I'll get lucky and get a room with a flat screen. A flat screen, Raw, and a sack of Whataburgers followed by my nightly hit of Lipitor and that is what I call living. ...redneck style.

While in Stamford I am doing a LONG interview on the rise and fall of WCW. Man, am I ready for this one!

Thanks for stopping by and I have tried to keep the Q&A's updated today so there should be some new ones for your entertainment ready as we speak

Boomer Sooner!

J.R.