Leaving Saturdays and returning Wednesdays isn’t my idea of a great travel schedule at this stage of my game. Nonetheless this last road trip to the northeast was good and started with an autograph signing in Franklin Park, L.I. Saturday with Jerry Lawler and Mick Foley. Nice folks at Franklin Square Video and what a selection of wrestling swag they have!

This was my first Smackdown PPV and then being off on Monday before taping Smackdown on Tuesday in Philly. So Monday was essentially a travel day from Long Island down to Philadelphia and once I arrived I had a chance to finish some time-sensitive office work which got done. Thank goodness for fax machines….and room service.
This Friday’s Smackdown felt like a nice show with a much better than I perceived it would be Battle Royal to determine the #1 contender to the WWE Title at Summerslam. I am not a fan of Battle Royals in general and never have been after refereeing so many of them in the 70’s where wrestlers would often times play grab ass and not give the fans their money’s worth. The Battle Royal that airs Friday night on Smackdown far exceeded my expectations and really added positively to the broadcast.

It was interesting reading the Internet reviews of Tuesday night’s ECW TV show which were largely positive. It is a simple recipe when the product isn’t over analyzed by those within the business. Compelling wrestling matches involving competitors that the paying customers are emotionally invested in usually delivers a positive result.

Today’s wrestling product is often over thought including how new wrestlers are introduced. If a wrestler in today’s marketplace simply shows up and has a match without any build up or fan fare, the chances of the individual making an impact is slim and none. The possible exception of this theory is when a new hand makes a debut and "upsets" an established star. Bottom line, new talents should be "rolled out" somewhat like any new "product"with a long term strategy and a game plan that provides the individual the best chance of succeeding.

Jesse Ventura not running for political office from Minnesota did not surprise me. After upsetting political traditions by winning the Governor’s race in Minnesota in the late 90’s, Jessie has build what seems to be a nice life for himself and his family writing a few books, lecturing, etc which I personally think fits his life style at this stage of his life. Being a Senator is hard, often times thankless work especially when one is not a member of America’s tired, two party system that looks out for their own rather than for the citizens of this country. I think Ventura made the right call and should enjoy his life, take on projects that he likes that aren’t long term commitments, and generally enjoy the fruits of his labor. ( I kinda like that concept.)

For any aspiring wrestler out there, if you get the chance to attend a Dr. Tom Prichard seminar, he apparently has some scheduled in New Jersey coming up, jump at the opportunity. Tom knows how to teach, he knows the WWE system, if that company interests one as a wrestler, and Tom is honest.

The latest NBC Saturday Night’s Main Event, which I think is a one hour program this go around, will be taped Monday in Washington D.C. prior to the live broadcast of Monday Night Raw. As I write this on Thursday, I have no idea who will be broadcasting the show or who will be competing on it but I do know that I have not heard any thing about being personally involved and my current travel has me going from OKC Monday into Harrisburg, PA via Cincinnati late Monday afternoon for the Tuesday taping of Friday Night Smackdown in Hershey, Pa.

It is great that the WWE is working with Jenny McCarthy’s Generation Rescue that assists in autism research and supports families with autistic children. I remember many years ago doing the play by play for Jenny’s WWE audition to become an on air personality. She’s a really cool person who is a tomboy at heart and loves sports. I sincerely applaud Jenny’s efforts in creating awareness for autism.

Is Brooke Bollea Hogan actually considering posing for Playboy Magazine? First of all, I have zero issues with Playboy Magazine but wouldn’t one think that the timing of this particular matter helps no one but Playboy? What’s next, Nick in semi prison garb in Playgirl magazine? Can everyone, all at one time, say…"LAY LOW"? Leave the media crazy, TMZ-like radar screen and watch public perception improve….if that matters and perhaps it doesn’t. There was a fan’s sign in Philly Tuesday that read, "Hulk We Still Love You." BROTHER!

Affliction made a nice foray into the pay per view marketplace last Saturday night. The franchise guy is obviously Fedor, who needs no last name, who, at 28-1, is a physical freak and as long as he can stay on top the brand has a great chance to continue to grow and build momentum. Affliction would be wise to carefully market Fedor outside their envelope all the while being careful not to overexpose Fedor and to maintain his "mystique". Also, rushing into a Fedor-Couture fight might not be the best promotional strategy for Affliction as fans love the build up to a big fight and "anticipation" is a great marketing tool for a potential consumer. Plus, Couture needs a fight in which he can display his skills prior to venturing into the ring with Fedor which obviously is a big money piece of business.

The UFC has their next PPV on August 9 in Minneapolis where former WWE Champion Brock Lesnar faces Heath Herring in a bout that Lesnar would be well served to win. Brock was over-hyped by the UFC when the former NCAA Champion arrived on the MMA scene and expectations for the former Minnesota All American were extraordinarily high. However, Lesnar has the size and strength to be "the man" in the UFC heavyweight division once he acquires the entire package of skills that a MMA fighter needs to be successful. There may not be a fighter alive that Lesnar can’t take down but as all MMA aficionados know, once a fighter is taken down an entire new phase of combat begins where specific skills must be perfected and efficiently utilized.

My pal Nancy Lieberman is back in the WNBA on a 7 day contract with the Detroit team. It’s hard to argue that Nancy isn’t to women’s hoops what Michael Jordan was to men’s basketball. Oh, yeah, Nancy is 50 years of age which sort of makes her the Ric Flair of the WNBA. Whoo!

This is just me but the word, "poop" has a limited shelf life for ever being utilized on a wrestling show. Again, I am an old school guy and, yes, perhaps the "business has passed me by" but that’s my opinion. Wrestling=No Poop.

It was great seeing Jonathan Coachman for a few minutes Sunday afternoon at the Nassau Coliseum and getting to meet his new, baby daughter who is beautiful for the record. Coach is leaving the WWE and will begin a new career with ESPN and will be moving to the Bristol area in the near future. I am not sure but I think I first met Coach in Kansas City where he was working with Len Dawson, the former K.C. Chiefs Hall of Fame quarterback, doing local sports on TV. It seems as if Coach may have visited the day we produced Smackdown show #1 which I broadcast with The King. Michael Cole took over then the next week on episode #2. I wish Coach nothing but the best and he is genuinely and deservedly excited about his new gig. Our infamous "Country Whipping Match" that took place in Chicago on Monday night Raw was a unique experience for both of us and I am sure provided some insiders with a chuckle or two. I do think it got a decent TV ratings from what I recall, and quite frankly ladies and gentlemen, isn’t that what makes the world go ’round?

This thought just popped into my mind (please no wise ass remarks on the vaunted and oh so valued message boards) but back in the day many old school wrestling promoters would have made ECW’s Mike Knox some variation of an Alaskan with Knox’ bushy beard and raw boned physique. BTW I like Knox’ potential and am anxious to hear him speak more on camera.

Wednesday night I attended my business partner Hal Smith’s 10th Annual Coach’s Dinner at his home in Norman which sort of kicks off the upcoming college football season for Oklahoma Sooner fanatics. About 200 invited guests attended to mingle with the OU football coaching staff and many former players at the private function. I found myself towards the end of the evening sitting at a table outside with College Football HOF’ers former OU and Dallas Cowboy Head Coach Barry Switzer and former Sooner, he of silver shoes, and NFL great Joe Washington along with current OU head ball coach Bob Stoops which put me within the city limits of "football heaven". Many of my pals were talking about my new Friday Night Smackdown assignment which gives me most weekends off which will make my traveling back to Oklahoma after OU road games much easier and less stressful than having to get to the Monday Night Raw site from who knows where.

I noticed that when I dispelled the "J.R.’s Heading Back To Raw" rumors that many printed that I inferred that I would not go back to the Monday show if asked which is inaccurate. Of course I would take the assignment because I still cash the WWE’s checks. My Dad taught me that if one is going to accept another’s cash then do your damnedest to earn one’s keep. The day that I decide to hang it up will occur some day but until then I am going to continue to be a team player and I have no issues in accepting pay for my work even though I personally believe that I am "bargain priced" for the WWE. I know this statement will cause some morons to write about my perceived lack of character or intellect for "being a team player" especially in light "of all the negative things" that have occurred to me over the years. Say what you wish, I still have fun seeing the wrestlers when I go to work, I enjoy meeting fans and interacting with them, and I still have a blast doing commentary of which I am damn competitive and still think that I can carry my share of the water (thanks to Deadwood’s Al Swearengin for that one).

Does any one else agree that wrestling antagonists can’t be part time comedians? Some critics will say, "why can’t villains be entertaining?" They can and the great one’s are but not as a poor man’s stand up comedian. I may be missing the mark on this one but when an individual is put into a dark light as in I want for them to get their arse kicked I like for them to be clearly defined as a villain. Could all these "shades of grey" philosophies be another example of the wrestling business being over thought regarding the basic texture of the business? Or, am I simply losing touch?

Be prepared to check out our new line of shirts and caps priced at under $10 which will be featured soon on our newly improved website. We also have great deals on autographed copies of "J.R.’s Cookbook" and on our 97% fat free Beef Jerky. Another thing we are diligently working on is changing our bottling for our sauces over from glass to plastic which will greatly reduce the ridiculous shipping costs that we are faced with in today’s world. We are also preparing to ship plastic bottles of our "bar nuts" which are awesome.

Remember that both our J.R.’s Family Bar-B-Q Restaurants are open 7 days a week starting at 11 a.m. The original, Norman store is located at exit 109 just east of I-35 while the store in Moore is located at exit 116 on the west side of I-35. I try and spend as much time as my schedule will let me in both stores. This NFL season I will be easy to find as both our places feature DirecTV’s NFL Ticket so we can overload on pro football every Sunday. BTW, if you visit our store in Moore, sample the smoked, NOT FRIED, chicken wings. They are healthy and damn good…and that, my friends, is the proverbial bottom line.

Boomer Sooner!
J.R.