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JR's Blog: Post Wrestlemania Q&A's Updated...Heath Ledger fans spank J.R...New Announcing Philosophy

Posted: Apr 10th 2009 By: mikeiles

I have gone through a ton of questions and I'm sorry I had to omit some of them which I know doesn't exactly endear me to a few people who think that every question that they submit deserves to be answered. There are some classics on this grouping of Q&A's that many of you will get a kick out of reading.

Heath Ledger fans took me to task about my poor choice of words during Rey Mysterio's entrance at WM25 and for good reason. I had something else I wanted to say in reference to Rey's attire and I fumbled. My bad. My attempt to make a topically, funny remark came out wrong but it's on me. Sometimes on live TV things are said that one would like to have back
but when one works without a net that's what occasionally happens. Nonetheless I am sorry for offending any of you with my remarks.

My hybrid role as a quasi play by play guy/analyst is likely going to be the direction that I will be traveling in the future with WWE. I actually like it and had a good time with working in the new role at WM25. I will assume this role again this Friday on SmackDown, working with Todd
Grisham, and it is a work in progress but I think that in time, hopefully Sooner than later, that I will nail it. The old school play by play role is considered obsolete in WWE these days as the broadcasters are more story tellers than play by play people or color commentators. I look at this repositioning as a challenge and one that I look forward to refining.

What all this means as it relates to where the announcers will be going come Draft day on Monday on Raw is anyone's guess. I personally have no preference of brands but I would be really surprised if I returned to Raw. I like the schedule that Smackdown provides me as working on Tuesdays allows most of my weekends to be free of travel. Raw will always be the
#1 TV brand for WWE because of its positioning on the USA Network as cable TV has always been "wrestling friendly." It will be interesting to see how all the stars align this Monday night in Atlanta and hopefully whatever brand I am on when the night ends will have its fair share of talented wrestlers to help make that particular brand competitive.

Thanks for shopping with us and for supporting our site with your business in our store. My thanks also to those WWE fans who stopped at our BBQ joints while heading down to WrestleMania in Houston. Your business is also greatly appreciated.

I'll see you in the Q&A section until our next blog which will be imminent.

Boomer Sooner!

JR