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

"Any day above ground is a great day!"

Thanks to those of you that have placed orders this week. I signed and personalized several cookbooks Monday night while watching Raw. Several of our packages are selling well and we're moving lots of HOT BBQ Sauce and J.R.'s Championship Original Beef Jerky. Check out all our offers and please consider us for a source for some of your holiday shopping needs. 

Raw Thoughts and more.... 

I enjoyed Raw Monday night. Any three hour broadcast, no matter the genre, challenges me personally to stay focused and this show was no different.  I'm writing this feedback tonight w/o notes and going from simply what stuck with me. 

Jesse Ventura did an excellent job as guest general manager and Verne Troyer will have a helluva time following the Governor. Let's hope Ol Verne stays away from any adult beverages prior to going on live as some of his TMZ moments have been classic along with other reality TV moments. Doing live TV makes things like this interesting as one truly works without a net.  Plus, Verne is quite the lady's man from what I read...not that's a crime. Diva's beware except of course the Bellas.    

Jesse looked good, had his usual distinctive, great delivery and, for me, created an interest in checking out his new "Conspiracy Theory" program that debuts soon on truTV. 

Ventura and McMahon was a fun trip down memory lane and they were, perhaps, the 2nd best broadcast team to appear on Monday Night Raw in a good while as in the summer of '08. Just one man's totally biased opinion. I would have been happy to have flown in and produced the two wrestling legends.

Kofi Kingston's star continues to rise. Upcoming stars, especially fan favorites, have to encounter adversities and be provided the opportunity to over come those challenges. Kofi did not win the Battle Royal Monday night but I thought he continued to be elevated. Kofi Kingston is the hottest young star in WWE as I write this. 

The overall theme of the show was good. One can always debate creative and I am not immune to such Monday morning quarterbacking either but the WWE's theory of openly beginning to elevate younger wrestlers is refreshing. The exact methods that these young talents are being elevated will, as I said, continually be under each individual fan's creative scrutiny but one would have a hard time convincing me that creating new stars is any thing but essential. 

C.M. Punk is a star in my eyes even though I feel his "message," which I think is on the right course, needs to be delivered in different ways. Punk also needs a personal issue in which to be involved, perhaps R Truth, but that wasn't mentioned Monday night that I heard. 

Nonetheless I liked the match between Cena and Punk and felt that the two, hard working guys have chemistry. 

I loved that Batista decided that discretion is the better part of valor as many great antagonists have done for years. Winning all one's fights and being a large badass doesn't make one a wrestling villain. What Batista did Monday night when confronted by Kane does. Plus, we now have the opportunity to anticipate the Batista-Kane match on Friday Night Smackdown if we choose.

It would surprise me to see Rey Mysterio back any time soon meaning sometime in 2010 but that's not "official" so don't take it as such. Just my take on Rey's banged up body that needs medical attention.  

Better selling of the history of TLC seemed to be lacking. If new fans see some of those infamous, TLC moments they might decide to buy the next PPV which is only three weeks away.

Sheamus has found himself in a great spot to help begin building his long term foundation in WWE. I read where some pundits felt the incident between the young Irishman and John Cena was "flat." I disagree. Obviously, the crowd sitting in their seats over three hours is challenging, has an influence but isn't the real reason. However, let's all remember that Sheamus hasn't been on Raw in any significant role for, what, a month, 5 weeks? Sheamus has not even been in a long term personal issue with a main event, Raw wrestler yet...until now. Bottom line is that Sheamus' persona is still evolving and the next two weeks and then TLC is highly important to Sheamus' development. At worst, the WWE has made a new, fresh main event for a PPV and from where I sit that is a good thing.

I'm anxious to see the physical Sheamus wrestle the physical Cena in San Antonio in 3 weeks. It's new and fresh and those are two traits of which we need more. 

The balance of the week needs lots of Raw promotion on ECW, WWE Superstars and Friday night Smackdown as next Monday Raw goes up against the undefeated New Orleans Saints vs. the talented New England Patriots.  That game will get a huge rating without question. 

Got an email today from Steve Austin who is in Vancouver and started filming another kick ass film Monday morning. Steve will be finished before Christmas and then will eventually migrate down to Texas to his ranch to hunt deer and to kick back a while. Mrs J.R. and I plan on visiting Steve some time in January. 

We're getting lots of emails about a few radio interviews that Dwayne Johnson has done recently talking about doing something with WWE down the road beyond hosting a Monday Night Raw. I would bet a 6 Pak Challenge and throw in a case of BBQ Sauce that those remarks don't mean that Dwayne is thinking about wrestling again.  I do not see that occurring but his appearances could mean an unlimited number of other things that don't include putting on the tights. Time will tell.

Man, it's tough on any wrestler, especially the veterans,  to go on a succession of 17 one night stands abroad and then come back to the USA and perform on a major PPV and then produce two days of TV. I'm just saying. 

I'm making some significant life style changes in my goal of attaining better overall health while my facial nerve takes its time to regenerate. My take is that I likely won't be back on TV this year. I wish and hope that I'm wrong but I'm only being honest, which is unusual for some in the wrestling biz, and realistic. I have to admit that the longer than I am home the harder it is going to be to go back on the road on a weekly basis. 

To say I don't miss doing the big events would not be honest either. I found myself really wanting to kick some ass Sunday night while watching the Survivor Series. My friends tell me that I have nothing left to prove but I've always wanted to be able to influence my own destiny when the time came to call it a day. I don't feel that day is on anyone's calendar just yet. Stay tuned. 

If I were putting together the pending Mayweather-Pacquiao fight for 2010 I would do it after May and in a Dome with cites bidding for it. This fight will be a "happening" and will easily do north of two million Pay Per View buys at likely around $59.95 or so a pop. 

My Sooners have had a challenging year but I remain loyal to those entities of which I have made a commitment. I am committed to my team. We are going to be severely challenged with the annual Bedlam Game this Saturday, luckily in Norman, against the 9-2 Oklahoma State Cowboys with the Cowboys' Fiesta Bowl/BCS at large bid at stake. It looks as if I will be spending New Year's Eve in El Paso as it seems OU will play in the Sun Bowl.  I expect to hear from my dear friend and OSU alum Jerry Brisco a few times this week as his Pokes will look to snap OU's 28 home game winning streak. 

I will be at JR's BBQ Friday, off and on, and Saturday after the Bedlam game which kicks off at 11:30 a.m. central time on Fox Sports Southwest. 

Remember, our on line store never closes and we still offer FREE SHIPPING on many items to the USA. 

Boomer Sooner!

J.R.