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JR's Blog: Brisco Update...SD From Richmond...WWEClassics.com...Shaq...Ron Simmons...Happy B-Day HBK

Posted: Jul 23rd 2009 By: CMBurnham

I hope all are well. Just got home from Richmond via St. Louis to OKC. I could elaborate on travel in general but any one who does much of it knows it isn't enviable but simply goes with the territory. Business at J.R.'s BBQ in Norman is brisk for this time of the year even though many of the college kids who attend OU are away for the summer. Our internet business is o.k. but really needs to improve. Remember, I am interested in hearing any suggestions on potential promotions and any help on the shipping facet of our business is welcomed. Any on line store biz you can toss our way is greatly appreciated. Here we go with some BBQ'ed Random Thoughts...

Spoke with Jerry Brisco Tuesday afternoon while "in hurry up and wait mode" in Richmond. Jerry's doctors are extremely happy with the HOF'er's progress and expect him to make a full recovery from heart surgery after a few months rest. Having three months off sounds pretty intriguing to me but having to have heart surgery to facilitate such hopefully isn't in my cards. Jerry's speech and strength are making a big comeback!

Mark me down for being someone who thinks that disgraced, former, NFL poster child Michael Vick deserves a 2nd chance to play in the league and I don't even think that Vick's a great NFL QB. People who make mistakes usually deserve 2nd chances and Vick fits in that category to me even though I detest what Vick did to the dogs he owned. Vick is another illustration of a "bullet proof," monied athlete who hung around with the wrong posse and got burned for perceiving that, because that he was a star athlete, that he was above the law.

Shawn Michaels celebrates birthday # 44 Wednesday and our very best wishes go out to HBK. There is rampant speculation that Shawn will return to WWE in time to compete at Summerslam but I have yet to hear that confirmed. HBK returning at Summerslam would be my guess but I just can't be sure at this time. Michaels is still, arguably, the best in ring performer in the business today.

One of my favorite writers, Bill Simmons of ESPN, is leaving ESPN to pursue other opportunities. Simmons must have been a wrestling fan at some point in his life because he has referenced wrestlers from the 80's many times in his column. Simmons, a Boston native, said that "it was time to walk away" which gave me plenty to ponder after reading Bill's wonderful, last column about his retiring Dad. No one, no matter what they do for a living, is going to have their job forever unless one becomes a Supreme Court Judge and even they resign or die at some point. "The Sports Guy" column by Bill Simmons was the first thing I read in ESPN The Magazine when it would come in the mail.

Here's hoping Bobby Lashley isn't coerced into fighting Fedor in a couple of weeks as a last minute replacement. Lashley is still learning his new vocation and to fight one of the most dominate MMA fighters ever with little time to train and having inadequate, overall preparation for Fedor would not be smart, no matter the pay day. A Lashley loss would be predictable and a Lashley upset would be tainted because Lashley would have been a last minute substitute that Fedor would have had "little time" for which to prepare. Bobby is steering a smart, deliberate course in MMA that he should remain on for the next several months.

Much has been made of the Steve Austin tax matter resulting from the sale of some property. Knowing Steve as well as I do, and we have not discussed this particular matter, I would assume that this is merely a clerical error and someone on the accounting or Realtor end dropped the ball. Austin is one of the most obsessed individuals I know regarding saving money and taking care of his business the right way. Austin "got it" when I used to preach to the wrestlers about saving their money, preparing for their future, getting professional financial planning and income tax help and not living beyond their means IE pay one's bills and don't buy too much bling. Trust me, Steve Austin won't have any issues taking care of this $22K matter that I suspect simply fell through the cracks. I can tell you from personal experience and from dealing with accountants that things like this have happened to many of us and more often than not, if one is diligent in this area, these matters are simply oversights. Austin shares my philosophy and that is to NEVER "mess" with Uncle Sam and the IRS.

Now if I had heard this story about some other current and former wrestlers I would likely be singing another tune. And that, boys and girls, is a damn shame.

Helluva coup for Raw to nab Shaquille O'Neal as guest host this Monday night in Washington D.C., the day after Night of Champions in Philly. Shaq should be tremendous as his personality, like the rest of him, is huge. Shaq has been a long time fan and he once told me that he DVR'ed Raw every week so that he could keep up with what was happening especially during his NBA season. Shaq has an upcoming reality show that ABC is going to air this summer which will likely get some "stretch" come Monday night. The big fellow is a legit good dude let me assure you. Could we see Shaq in the ring Monday night? I don't know but I do suspect that the Cleveland Cavaliers would likely not be overwhelmed. I suggest the Cavs send King James to D.C. to chaperon. LeBron is a big wrestling fan too. Nice tag team.

So Raw gets Shaq but, remember kids, Friday Night Smackdown still has "Delicious" so it's all good, right?

Speaking of the Night of Champions, the only night of the year as I have been told when EVERY WWE Title will be defended in one evening, is almost a complete sell out. Tickets are still available but they are limited and the box office tally is well over $850K which is stout. Great job Philly!

Yours truly did a WWEClassics.com feature this week at TV on The Great Muta and his WCW years on "J.R.'s Picks." Muta was a huge star in the late 80's and early 90's and could have been one of the hottest fan favorites ever in WCW if wrestling politics had not reared its ugly head. Imagine that, politics in 'rasslin. Muta created, as best I know, the move the "Shining Wizard" and was once even billed by his manager, Gary Hart who was SO underrated, as the son of the Great Kabuki. The son part was embellished but Muta's abilities were not. Being on TBS in such a high profile position really catapulted Muta's career in Japan which has been excellent for many years until knee injuries, among other injuries, have slowed down the man who moonsaulted his way into the hearts and minds of TBS wrestling fans . If you have not checked out WWEClassics.com you are missing something special. You owe it to yourself, no matter where you live, to check it out.

Nice, lively crowd in Richmond Tuesday night which is always appreciated. A young lady had a cool sign at ringside that said, "J.R. Is My Slobber-Knocker" that you know won't make air. "J.R." signs don't appear to have a good shelf life. Sigh.

But, hey, our BBQ Sauces and Chipolte Ketchup do. I'll sell you some and prove it. Order to day and we'll get it right out and check out our FREE SHIPPING OFFER.

Richmond was one of the first cites I worked a TV show for Jim Crockett Promotions way back in the day soon after JCP bought out Bill Watts UWF. Things have gone full circle I suppose as I was on the #2 show then too, NWA Pro Wrestling, with the classy and talented Bob Caudle who did the role that I do now which is to be Todd Grisham's side kick. Bob Caudle was one of the most underrated gentlemen that I ever worked with and I owe him a great deal. I do remember the Horsemen wrestling that night in Richmond, I can't remember their opponents, but I vividly remember how good the Horsemen were at that time. Freakishly good. Another reason to watch WWEClassics.com

SD has two excellent main events this week including Jeff Hardy vs. Chris Jericho to start the show and a Champions vs. Champions match between C.M. Punk and Rey Mysterio to end the night. Solid show or so it seemed to me.

I don't know why I thought of this off the way subject early this morning flying from Richmond to St. Louis on 2 hours sleep, and I could definitely be wrong, but I find it strange that so many ex-wrestlers would encourage their sons or daughters to get in the business before their children earned a college degree or a trade to fall back on when their wrestling days were over. I hope some day that the business evolves to the level that no one is hired without a college degree or without a background that wold allow them to be successful when their wrestling days were over. It's going to happen to essentially each and every individual in the biz because no one can logically compete forever. Not even "Naitch."

Finally, a congrats to Ron Simmons for his induction into the College Football Hall of Fame this past week. Being the OU football fanatic that I am, I knew of Ron Simmons long before I met him in the wrestling world. OU played FSU twice in the Orange Bowl in the early 80's as I recall when Ron was a dominating nose guard for the Seminoles and I do mean dominating. There's a cable station here in our area that plays old, OU games every Saturday night and I have caught both those Orange Bowls and watching Ron play, against Dr. Death on some plays, is great TV. Ron winning the World Title from Vader in Baltimore back in the Watts era of WCW was one of the more memorable nights in my career as a broadcaster.

Again, we are looking for your suggestions especially on shipping and, BTW, we are aware that the USPS won't allow us to ship sauce trying to use the "media" or "book" rate. Nonetheless, thanks for all your business and I hope that you are able to place an order with us this week. Be well.

Boomer Sooner!

J.R.

Tags: Jim Ross, Jerry Brisco, WWE, WCW, Gary Hart, Great Kabuki, Bill Watts, UWF, NWA, Ric Flair, Steve Williams, Vader, WCW