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

For those of you that might not "get it" this website was created to establish a platform to sell our BBQ products and other products related to J.R.'s Family BBQ Restaurants.  The reason I bring this up is because apparently some people feel it is inappropriate for me to mention our line of products in these blogs.  Just to make sure everyone knows where I'm coming from, I plan to write about many topics other than pro wrestling in this space. The good news is that no one is forced to log on and read my ramblings. So, with that said, read on at your own risk.     

Sources tell me that OKC's new NBA team will indeed be named the "Thunder" and that their team colors will be navy, light blue and black. In a few days, we can see if that info is accurate or not. Oklahoma City getting a NBA franchise will help the city's economy especially the businesses near the Ford Center specifically the River Walk-like Bricktown area. 

For WWE fans, I hear that the WWE is likely to return  to Oklahoma in March of 09 a few weeks prior to WM25.  This info isn't verified but I would assume Raw would emanate from the the BOK Arena in Tulsa while Smackdown and ECW would be taped in OKC. 

CBS' next MMA fight will be on October 4 headlined by Kimbo Slice vs. Ken Shamrock.  This pairing is disturbing  to me as the 44 year old Shamrock doesn't need to be in the ring any longer after being such a warrior all these many years.  Kenny is a bona fide tough guy as most who have followed his career can attest.  I saw Ken a few months ago in Albany, New York. I  had the chance to visit with him and I came away from the conversation feeling that Ken needed to stop fighting and stick to training fighters.  Slice will throw his bombs at Shamrock and if Ken doesn't try and ground Kimbo quickly then this fight won't last long. Shamrock has a magnificent heart which might be a curse and not a blessing for him in this fight.  CBS seems to be betting their MMA future on Kimbo Slice and the novelty of Kimbo being a legit, street fighter. This could well be CBS' last foray into the exploding world of MMA unless curiosity brings the viewers back that sampled the product the first time. CBS can do some great promos to air during their NFL games featuring Ken Shamrock who has name identity and a lion's heart but CBS shouldn't feel proud of this booking. 

People used to say that they had "made it" when they were spoofed on Saturday Night Live back in the day when people actually watched it.  Our blog was recently spoofed in an established and successful wrestling newsletter. Does that mean that we have made it? Or are spoofs simply a nice word for the old carnival term "ribbing on the square" which is when someone says something they actually mean but do it under the cloak of humor? Some of pro wrestling's greatest con men were expert at "ribbing on the square."

Thanks to those of you that have shopped with us recently as business has been steady and growing. Pricing T Shirts, caps and autographed cookbooks at $9.99 has helped our cause in addition to the addition of our locally grown, bar nuts which are also selling well.  

Would charismatic but troubled MMA fighter Quinton "Rampage" Jackson ever think of trying his hand in the world of sports entertainment? "Rampage" is a Memphis native who grew up on the weekly, Memphis pro wrestling TV show starring The King Jerry Lawler.  Jackson has the personality, athletic look, and name identity  to get him jump started  in the grappling game. Once "Rampage" has cleared his recent legal hurdles and feels like he has redeemed himself in the MMA world,  it could make sense that Jackson's future could include a stint in pro wrestling. This speculation will no doubt be endearing to MMA purists.   

Is Eric Bischoff going to start a new, wrestling promotion using CMT as his network?  I don't know the answer but Bischoff is an aggressive, entrepreneur who understands the art of the deal.  Being successful in this genre is all about talent and television and there, unfortunately,  is no abundance of available talent out there that could headline a weekly TV show.  Producing a slick looking show is less challenging than creating a viable talent roster in today's marketplace. However, I will add that if anyone could pull this off it would be Bischoff. 

Oklahoma is a 48 point favorite over UTC Saturday night but I would not give 48  points if the Sooners were playing the Irish Leprechaun School for the Blind. 48 points is just to many points to lay on any game.

The Brian Kendrick has been really impressive as of late and I hope that his charisma and overall talent don't get checkmated by his lack of size. Some fans and others should not look at "The" and say he is too small for the big time or for main events.  Experience tells me that simply isn't true. 

Lots of talk on the Internet this week about Gail Kim leaving TNA and allegedly coming back to the WWE. I was never quite sure why Gail was released in the first place but if she is coming back to the WWE I think it will be a positive move. Gail has a ton of ability and has evolved nicely as not only an in ring performer but behind the mic as well since leaving the WWE. Some websites really made a huge deal out of this matter which confounds me somewhat.

The Brock Lesnar vs. Cheick Kongo MMA fight has yet to be finalized for November. Has anyone heard of Lesnar signing a new UFC deal as I read where Brock had originally signed a 3 fight deal with the company?  By my last count that would leave only one fight left on this contract and the last thing the UFC needs is for Lesnar to be a free agent which they obviously won't allow to happen if at all possible. BTW unless Kongo can catch Brock early,  Lesnar should dominate this fight.   

Football weekends means busy times for our two restaurants in the college football crazy area in which we live. Each place will experience 12 hour days both Saturday and Sunday and there will be multiple TV's airing a multitude of football games. Without question, this is my favorite time of the year. Saturday night OU games in Norman are quite an experience and usually last on into the night long after the 4th quarter has expired.  Getting on a plane Sunday morning at 6 won't be easy. 

It looks as if St. Louis on Sunday night will be a sell out or really close to it which is always the best situation for those who are on the job. It's unusual what one thinks of when thinks of a particular city such as St. Louis. I think of broadcasting a WCW PPV from the historic Kiel Auditorium when it was discovered that Ric Flair was the "Black Scorpion", introducing the NWA Legends that made a guest appearance there at a WWE PPV, and finding out while standing in the arena of the passing of Brian Pillman. Every arena has it own set of stories, some are fond memories and others are not. 

Boomer Sooner!

J.R.