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JR's Blog: Monday Update

Posted: Nov 3rd 2009 By: CMBurnham

Good day everyone! Hope everybody's well and thanks for stopping by our site.

It was really a beautiful weekend in Norman, Oklahoma Saturday and Sunday which turned into a fun, football weekend, too. Nice win by OU against a much better than expected, well coached K-State team Saturday and now it's on to the great football town of Lincoln, Nebraska this Saturday night for another chapter in the OU-Cornhusker rivalry. I hope to attend my first ever game in Lincoln if all goes well this week on the health front. That's one of my goal's for the week...feel good enough to make the trip up I35 north to Huskerland.

Business has been steady in our on line store and many orders will be sent out today via Federal Express. It looks as if we will likely not be able to guarantee Holiday orders to be delivered before Xmas that are placed with us AFTER December 17 or so. We're still working on that exact date but let's use December 17 for now and I hope we can encourage you to not only use our products for unique and affordable holiday gifts but to order early to make sure that you get delivery of your products.

Here's some random thoughts for you to BBQ....

Seems like my interview with the Baltimore Sun's Kevin Eck got a fair amount of play. When I first saw that I was being "critical" of the recruiting system being used by WWE I was somewhat taken a back to some degree but upon further review I understood what some pundits were saying. First of all, any system can be improved upon no matter what it is or who is in charge. Every level of one's business has room for improvement much like our personal lives. I do think that the future of the pro wrestling business lies in the hands of the development and evolution of new talents as fans/consumers want fresh elements added to the equation. It also seems to make common sense that one would want to recruit the best athletes in the world, if possible, especially gifted athletes who are fans of the genre and who demonstrate an aptitude for athletically entertaining discerning fans.

Big time athletes who can develop their wrestling personas organically and not merely portray what they perceive a wrestler would do in a certain situation but instead be enhanced versions of themselves is an ideal situation to create.

"I'm not really a wrestler but I play one on TV" doesn't work for me.

I did some "research and development" this weekend with our JR's Championship Original Beef Jerky and it is awesome. We have worked diligently on a new cooking method, every batch is individually prepared in a small place not far from OKC, and the results have been amazing. We have our 6 Pack offer that includes a FREE, personally autographed photo and FREE SHIPPING available now and we expect this offer to be a hot seller thru the holidays. Our new Jerky is more tender, more flavorful, and is still 97% fat free. We use eye of round and our Beef Jerky has plenty of taste and personality. Give it a shot.

Some emailers have the erroneous impression that I don't like "gimmick matches" which is their term not mine. That would be wrong. I do like "specialty bouts" but not when they are overused. Instead of telling a long arching, well told story, many times we fans get a steady diet of "gimmick matches" which often comes off as a lazy way of doing business. These unique bouts need to be utilized strategically and not as stop gaps or band aids.

For example, I saw one "Inferno Match" and I liked it just fine but the environment is so limiting for the talents that I don't want to see them put in this type thing again. That's just one guy's opinion but why put people in an environment where they are unable to deliver the best performance possible? I use the Inferno Match as an example as that illustration is akin to putting guys in a Scaffold Match who are afraid of heights. It's a can't win booking.

It would be like a wrestler making his or her debut on a TV show and the debut be in a "gimmick match." That's just not wise booking in my humble opinion.

Ric Flair called me Saturday as I was pulling into Owen Field in Norman about 2 hours before the Sooner game. Ric is staying very busy and the state lottery, promotional endorsement that he's doing may be growing to other states outside the old, Mid Atlantic Territory area. Ric told me he was working out twice a day, when he could, in preparation for the upcoming Australian tour on which he's booked. After talking to "Naitch" it's obvious to me that he still has the passion and the fire to perform inside a wrestling ring which should come really as no shock or surprise and I don't think that his passion to perform will ever wane. Mother Nature might cause Ric more "female problems" but Ric's will to compete and perform can't be deterred.

An emailer asked me to expand upon my comment in a recent Q&A that many wrestlers were "under utilized" in the business today. This is a subjective matter and one that evokes plenty of debate. If one of your favorites isn't in the limelight then they are likely "under utilized" in your opinion. I know that I personally think that there are talents who could likely be more productive in the big picture so my assessment would be that some wrestlers are "under utilized." Many wrestlers can solve this issue by simply being consistently good whenever they get an "at bat."

With the obvious lack of main event depth throughout the biz, the wrestlers who are "this close" simply need to steer the course and to not "over think" their personal situations.

It's not new, news to read that "wrestler X" is "unhappy." Just like it is not unusual these days to read about a pro athlete who has ruffled feathers. These talents need to converse not confront the people who can actually solve their problems unless they enjoy living in turmoil which is another issue altogether. Wrestlers have been "unhappy" to some degree since the day I first walked in a locker room in 1974. Same story for any locker room or entertainment dressing room environment. It's simply a part of the lay of the land and goes with the proverbial territory. Paranoia runs deep in sports and entertainment...always has...always will.

Nice MMA promotion on CBS's NFL coverage this past weekend for the Fedor Emeliankenko vs. Brett Rogers bout this Saturday night on CBS. Fedor is being positioned well but one can argue that Rogers needs some love too as Fedor beating "no one" means less and Rogers is certainly far from a "no one." Obviously Fedor is the face of his brand and the man CBS hopes will garner them a great TV rating and I fully understand that there is only so much promotional time to go around. Nonetheless CBS using the NFL to get some stretch to the male demographic is strategic. Fedor not being able to communicate well in English doesn't do him or the fight any large favors but Fedor being "Russian" can be positioned to add to Fedor's mystique if properly executed. I will be anxious to see the Showtime special on this fight later in the week.

As a MMA fan, having Mauro Ranallo on the broadcast team helps me put all the viable pieces together and better understand the story being told much better.

In hindsight perhaps the folks promoting Fedor are being smart as TV viewers can only absorb so much info and only so many talents can get the notice that they need to become "stars." One of pro wrestling's biggest issues seems to be trying to focus on too many talents which generally ends up with very few getting to the next level. Attention spans are short in today's world and people who produce wrestling need to understand that their one or two hour show comprises such a small part of the Average Joe's week. Less is more and retaining info after watching a wrestling, TV show is challenging for all of us.

Big weekend for #4 Brett Favre upon his return to his old neighborhood in Green Bay. The Vikings are for real folks and they just happen to have some of my "boys" on their squad namely several former Sooners. My signed, Green Bay Packers, Brett Favre jersey is one of my my prized collectibles.

Caught the World Series Sunday night on Fox. Great game but man oh man the announcers feel compelled to talk so much and reiterate what we as TV viewers just witnessed. I think baseball is a game where "less is more" on commentary especially when the fans in attendance are so vocal and passionate. Heck of a game nonetheless and I rarely stay hooked for 9 innings of baseball except during the Series.

We are shipping a bunch of 6 Pak packages which is a super deal valued at $54 that you can get for only $24.88 and that includes FREE SHIPPING! This is theoretically 6 holiday gifts for friends and relatives and we also throw in a personally signed JR autographed photo. I spent a large part of Sunday afternoon signing these photos so every photo is individually done.

Steve Austin called me Sunday afternoon during the Packers-Vikings game and most of our discussion centered on football and how I was doing battling my "little friend" Bells palsy #3. Steve is preparing to head up to Vancouver to film another action/adventure movie that is going to be largely done outdoors in the beautiful terrain of Vancouver, British Columbia. The Texas Rattlesnake expects to encounter plenty of "weather" including ample rain which apparently is what they want for the film to have the organic grittiness to fit the script. I don't know the release date but one can assume some time in 2010 nor do I know the title. I obviously don't know much but as I said we talked football and not work.

Also, for those that email us and want to know "where is Steve staying in Vancouver" you've got to be kidding me. Just stop it...stop it right now. :)

I still feel that I am making improvements on the health front and am anxiously awaiting the nerves to regenerate in my face. Only time will tell. I don't have any tests scheduled at this time this week which works for me. I will lay low and stay off the radar and just hope that I wake up every day better than the day before.

I continue to be motivated by your many emails, etc and the personal text messages and other phone calls I get from those within the business and beyond has been amazing. I actually think that I could hammer out a short book simply on the conversations that I have had with so many over the past few weeks.

On the other hand, it's interesting to see who hasn't checked in with us. I'm not keeping a tab or a ledger, even though it may sound as if I am, but it is a little amusing for a variety of reasons.

Being at home and doing a little self evaluation has been good for me and certainly gives me more info to base on how I want to proceed with my career when I get healthy. For the record, getting healthy is by far my top priority these days and not when I describe another head lock.

Don't forget to check us out this Wednesday on www.1560thegame.com in Houston at 5 central time on the Sean and John Show were we talk football and a little wrestling. You can hear it any where in the world by logging on to their website and it doesn't cost you a dime. Sean and John will be broadcasting live from JR's Family BBQ in Norman on Friday November 13 and I will be joining them along with several special guests so if you're in the neighborhood be sure and drop by and say hello.

For our area readers, please consider JR's as your source for your Thanksgiving turkey. We are slow, hickory smoking 14 pound turkeys and I can guarantee you that they are amazing. You can call us at 405-360-4227 for more info or simply drop by JR.'s Family BBQ in Norman.

Thanks, again, for the visit and especially for those of you that are placing orders no matter how big or how small. Please consider us as a holiday gift source with our delicious products are affordable prices. Be well.

Boomer Sooner!

J.R.

Tags: Jim Ross, WWE, Ric Flair