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JR's Blog: WWE Battle Ground, Taker at WM30, OU vs. Texas, Clowney, UFC or Kansas??, Order JR's Online Today!

Posted: Oct 8th 2013 By: CMBurnham

Greetings all! Just a quick reminder that http://www.wweshop.com is offering FREE SHIPPING on JR's products for a limited time. Check it out. Plus, our friends in the UK, http://www.americansoda.co.uk have a great deal on a JR's package that includes a personally signed Topps Trading card. Check them out. Ding ding ding....

Controversy abounds following the WWE PPV Battle Ground Sunday night in Buffalo. Many fans hitting me on Twitter @JRsBBQ with ample venom regarding the finish of the show. Obviously, it was a way to continue a storyline between Bryan and Orton. Pro wrestling creative is more subjective today that ever in my lifetime. Like most theatrical productions that I watch, I enjoyed some aspects of the PPV and wasn't as enthralled with some of the other content.

I'm a big fan of Boardwalk Empire and thought the first episode of the new season wasn't up to my expectations. Nonetheless, I stuck with the show I've watched from day one and thoroughly enjoyed Sunday night's broadcast.

Point is that it's a creative entity and no creative entity is infallible. No excuses...simply that's the way that the creative process works.

The two things that stood out to me on Battle Ground were the Rhodes-Shield business and Cesaro's Giant Swing.

The payoff on the personal issue involving the Rhodes clan and the Shield, representing the establishment, was spot on in my view. The spotlight was on Cody Rhodes as it should have been. Now, let's see where it goes from here and if Cody evolves into the main event level superstar that many feel he is capable of doing.

Loved the post match nuance of the stars, both old and new, congratulating the Rhodes family.

Plus, I got the one, Bionic Elbow that I was hoping for from the Dream.

There is no doubt that Goldust can still contribute in today's WWE at least for the short term IE through WM30.

Cesaro's Giant Swing, among other nuances, had the crowd in Buffalo cheering for the villains vs. the comedy duo of Khali and Santino. Tough match to call for the announcers which one website took as me criticizing the match. I wasn't for the record but was simply stating fact.

Any match that has no back story poses more challenges for any announce team. For the record, all matches cannot have a back story and some rivalries start anew. When matches don't have ample back stories the announcers have to rely on what they are seeing and embellish or "get over" the talents who are also aware that they are in a 'cold match.'

If the average fan knew how hard it was to broadcast today's product they would have less negative things to say about @MichaelCole, @JCLayfied, and @JerryLawler. I'm proud of the way they navigate the waters and certainly am happy that it's them and not me having to do the heavy lifting.

Was asked on Twitter @JRsBBQ, actually several times a day, it seems, if I was ever going back to pro wrestling commentary. At this time, the answer is a definitive "No, thanks." I've learned to never say never but I have zero plans to re-enter that world. Very proud of my career and have nothing left to prove within it.

Here's another Twitter beaut...someone asked me who I thought would wrestle Undertaker at WM30? I said that I had NO IDEA. That's, NO IDEA. I added that I'd likely put Ryback and Cena on a short list that could include several names. Now, I've got some who feel I'm endorsing Ryback as Taker's WM30 opponent and they think that I'm insane.

What part of "I don't know" is confusing?

I do know that IF WM30 were to be Taker's last match, I don't know that it will be or not, that WWE would have their 'theme' for their biggest event of the year in New Orleans next April.

Now, let the conspiracy theorists get rolling with that.

It's OU-Texas week in my life. Heading to Dallas in a few days to enjoy another Red River Rivalry game in the historic Cotton Bowl. Saw my first one there in 1971.

I am not buying in to the "poor Texas" routine some are discussing. Mack Brown is a multi millionaire who likely is coaching his last season at UT. Mack won't need any benefits. The new, Texas AD will want to hire his own, younger coach.

This game is one where win loss records are irrelevant. Stupid gamblers will lay WAY too many points on the Sooners side which I wouldn't do if I had a gun to my head. I think my Sooners win but way closer than the experts think.

We will be back from Dallas in time for me to celebrate my 20th wedding anniversary Saturday night with my wife Jan who has put up with my 'rasslin and other craziness for more than two decades. She was the perfect partner to have while I was head of WWE Talent Relations. Always caring and always taking time to listen to talent's many issues when the need arose. To be married to the same woman for 20 years while one's in the pro wrestling biz is akin to being hitched 140 years.

Yes, I indeed "out punted my coverage."

I'm casually looking at some broadcast opportunities but all are in 2014 and beyond and, again, none in the pro wrestling genre. I will be heading to NYC soon for more, post wrestling career talks.

Another pet coon goofy mindset...When I say I have zero interest in going to TNA, I then get TNA fans tweeting me that I'm an elitist or an asshole. TNA has two great announcers in @MikeTenayTNA and @OfficialTaz. Both are my friends and both do excellent work. So, TNA doesn't need me to broadcast. Secondly, the last thing I want to engage at this stage of my life is to dive head long into more 'rasslin politics, pro wrestling madness, performer paranoia, and to even remotely deal with the lack of long term planning, start & stop creative planning, and the lack of a definitive end of the day decision maker, etc that often times just goes with being in the biz.

I actually caught the last 5 or so minutes of TNA last Thursday night between football games and felt that Tenay and Taz did perfectly as a very strange (IMO) show went off the air....say absolutely nothing. As Hogan's Heroes (No pun intended) Sgt Schultz used to exclaim, "I KNOW NOTHING."

South Carolina football star Jadeveon Clowney is getting massive bad advice, likely from agents and family members who are looking for a payday, by not taking the field with his teammates. Obviously, Clowney is a physical beast but his character and overall intellect is certainly in question.Very disappointing after the one big hit last year in SC's bowl game made the defensive end a cult hero.

NFL GM's could give a damn if Clowney ever plays another down of college football. I wonder if they care if he's going to class? (Of course not)

Debating on whether to go to the UFC event in Houston or the OU at Kansas game in Lawrence on October 19. I'd love to see Junior Dos Santos attempt to unset Cain Velasquez for the UFC heavyweight title. The crowd in Houston will be wild as the event sold out in a day or so and there's no hotter crowd than those that buy early and build anticipation for the event for which they covet.

When it comes down to these matters, the Sooners usually win.

Speaking of @UFC this week on #TUF18 should be one of the best episodes of the season on @FoxSports1. If you haven't been watching and you are a MMA fan as am I, I suggest that you check out an organically, gritty, real reality show.

Join the Twitter train @JRsBBQ as we approach 1M followers.

Order JR's today and we certainly appreciate it. Or visit the Norman Homeland stores or the Lawton Country Mart stores for all things JR's.

Q&A's here are updated. Check them out. Leave a question.

Boomer Sooner!

J.R. @JRsBBQ