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

Rainy day in Oklahoma and more rain expected over the next few days. So much for quality time in the backyard. The rain, however, will not stop me from grilling.   

We're working on making our personally autographed J.R.'s Cookbook available for fans in Canada and the UK. These books would be signed to anyone the buyer chooses with the message of their choice and would be shipped/mailed via United States Postal Service. We hope to have this up and running next week and will keep you posted. Getting liquids and meat products into these regions is still a work in progress. Government customs issues are a real pain in the backside.

Yours truly got taken to task by a fan who vented and likely thought that I would not post their email in the Q&A section of the site. I've said it many times that my work wasn't for everyone. All one can do is work hard and bring their A Game every time out and that's what I always tried to do.

The one thing that I did not want was for this matter to become an issue pitting Gorilla and the Brain vs. JR and the King. I loved the work of Monsoon and Heenan and thought even more of them as human beings. They had natural chemistry and were largely allowed to be themselves and were not over produced to the best of my knowledge. 

The King and I developed great chemistry over the years but some fans liked it when we bickered with each other more than in the later years when we were more like allies. Nonetheless when we were working together in the Attitude Era I would put our work up against anyone's. Plus, Jerry and I had to change with the times as the presentation of the product changed over the years some of which some were significant changes in the role of a broadcaster.     

The best announcers are not unlike the best wrestlers in that both are better served simply by being extensions of their natural self. Yes, one has to amp it up somewhat but being close to who one actually is makes what is done or said more real, organic and believable.

I can assure you that I never played the 'role' of a wrestling announcer except in the movie 'Man on the Moon.'  

How all talents are produced and managed has a great affect on what viewers see and hear. With that said, all talents cannot be produced the same. Mgmt people have the ability to evaluate their staff and to embellish their strengths and suppress weaknesses.

The wrestling biz could well find itself in a bind one day when they discover that new, young on air talents are not being developed with the same priorities that wrestlers are.

I was really pleased to be able to send a case of JR's Beef Jerky to a member of the US Armed forces recently as we can ship to APO addresses via USPS. The Jerky is a great snack, is loaded with protein and is 97% Fat Free. Plus, with each case order we throw in a FREE, autographed JR's Cookbook. A case is 48 bags of Jerky with a shelf life of one year. Case pricing of our sauces, ketchup and jerky will save you money and we still pay the shipping.

Our Facebook page is growing. Join us at http://facebook.dj/Jrbbq/.

Interesting email from a fan about Brian Pillman. I really enjoyed the Pillman DVD and we get comments from folks on a regular basis who are just now obtaining that DVD and watching it for the first time. Brian and I were very close and managing him and keeping our friendship separate was challenging and I don't know that I did it well or at all to be honest with you. Brian was so obsessed with the business that he would stay up at all hours and talk on the phone with whomever he could find that was a night owl or lived in a different time zone to simply talk philosophy and the long term direction of the genre. I don't think that I ever met any one who wanted to be a major wrestling star more than Brian Pillman. He had been an overachiever all his athletic life, enhanced his size in an unhealthy manner to be able to play in the defensive line at Miami of Ohio and truly enjoyed and embraced 'living on the edge' just as his TV persona resonated. When Brian's ankle was destroyed in a car accident that was the beginning of the end, or so it seemed, as the 'Loose Cannon's' personal sense of urgency seemed to heighten. When I would talk to Brian about being the next Heenan, Piper, Savage, Ventura, etc as the next great color analyst on TV he cringed. He wanted to wrestle and nothing else would fill the void that not being the wrestling star that Brian was obsessed in being. 

There is rarely a day that goes by that I am not reminded of Brian in some form. I sure miss him.

I read where a new documentary is coming out or is out regarding the Original Sheik, Ed Farhat. The thing that made the Sheik the great villain, some historians will argue that he was the greatest antagonist in pro wrestling ever, was that Farhat was an intelligent man who seemingly had no fear of fans who truly hated him. Most men who are antagonists in today's pro wrestling world are not cut of that cloth and will never be ready to immerse themselves in the controversy that surrounded the Sheik and being despised by emotional fans.  

When I first got in the business in the mid 70's, the villains were the most fun to hang with because they generally had the most 'attitude' and charisma and were, as a rule, engaging to be around behind the scenes. However, some villains did not want to socialize with their peers and maintained their TV persona's virtually 24/7. Sheik struck me as that kind of performer. 

Pet Peeve of the Day....lame descriptions of attacks "in the back"....backstage cameras more often than not being at the right place at the right time....I used to get a kick out of Freddie Miller coming out to update Gordon Solie on TBS about what was happening in 'the back' which allowed 'The Dean' to embellish on Freddie's story and allowed our imaginations to take over.  Some times what we don't see is actually better than we we do see.

Yes...as I answered an emailer...if Eddie Gilbert had lived there is no doubt in my mind that he would have been very successful over the long haul in the wrestling biz. Eddie had a great mind for the product and was one of the unique talents who had the ability to see viable, marketable things in other wrestlers. Perhaps it was merely Eddie's ability to visualize but without question 'Hot Stuff' had natural instincts which cannot be taught. I don't know if Eddie would have realized his dreams inside the ring as time went on but I do think that either at the broadcaster's table or behind the scenes that the Tennessee native would have made even more of a lasting mark on pro wrestling. I do know that Jerry Lawler had a HUGE influence on Eddie even down to the way Eddie walked and punched. 

Have you joined us on Twitter? We're at http://twitter.com/JRsBBQ.

Our latest WWE Smackdown blog should be up by the time you read this or soon thereafter at www.wwe.com. 

Chris Jericho has to be in the running for the hardest working man in show biz as his band Fozzy sold out Nottingham, England tonight. Jericho is a work horse who doesn't have a lazy or unmotivated bone in his body. He's also working on his next book in his spare time. Chris' band plays London on Saturday night. 

What's your favorite I Quit Match? Of course, mine is the 1989 New York Knockout Clash of the Champions main event that featured Terry Funk, with Gary Hart at ringside, vs. Ric Flair on the live TBS broadcast that I was honored to work with Gordon Solie. (Two words...five letters..I Quit!) I also thought the I Quit battle between Magnum TA vs Tully Blanchard in the Mid Atlantic NWA was a slobber-knocker. The Rock defeated Mankind to win an I Quit Match for the WWE Title once upon a time that was memorable, also. John Cena beat both JBL and Randy Orton in main event, I Quit Bouts in WWE. Cena will face Batista in the main event of the upcoming Over the Limit PPV in Detroit. 

Try our Chipotle Ketchup along with sliced, purple onion, lettuce, tomato, and sweet pickle relish for an awesome hamburger topping. I'm backing away from mayo these days so my choice would be some mustard on this masterpiece but that 's not even necessary. 

BTW...my WWE Hall of Fame ring will never be used in a TV storyline. Not sure why that just popped into my head but it might be the only thing from this blog that the internet picks up on and if so I just hope that they will plug our on line store. Help a brother out, will ya?

Raw is commercial free this Monday night from what looks like it will be a jammed ACC in Toronto. Should be a big night for the Hitman Homecoming but my experience in my favorite 'home' markets hasn't been sterling over the years. What's up with that? Good luck Bret and here's hoping TO turns out in droves and is a rabid and fun crowd all night. Cole and King will likely have a good night with no commercial breaks to concern themselves with but, as always, no bathroom breaks. 

Nice article on www.wwe.com on Vader and his talented and athletic son Jesse White. I would suggest that indy promoters use this father and son team now that Jesse has graduated from Oklahoma with his bachelor's degree. Perhaps someday Jesse will be afforded the opportunity to hit the WWE's developmental program in Tampa. I think he has something special at this stage of his game and time will tell how much or how fast the 6'1"-240 pound former high school all America center can go in his dad's profession. 

The Q&A Section of the site is updated as of Friday afternoon. 

The term 'Sultan of Slither' seeped into my head when thinking of the 'Vintage Viper' Randy Orton today. 

Had a great time Thursday night at a friend's home who hosted a dinner that some really wonderful folks bought at a charity auction. The guests of honor were the legendary Barry Switzer and OU Sooners head football coach Bob Stoops, and I got to hang out too, and we had a superb 'football evening' and I heard enough gridiron and recruiting stories to write a book....if I could just remember them. 

Thanks for the on line orders and for keeping us in mind during the grilling season. Our products make for great gifts as well and we will be some unique additions to our site in the next couple of weeks. 

We've had a unique week that I will be able to discuss in a few days. Lots of things on going but life is good as we count our blessings every day. 

Boomer Sooner!

J.R.