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JR's Blog: Q&A's Updated on Friday...Couture vs. Nogueira...CAC...Albert Haynesworth...Skip Bayless...The Rock Is No Sellout

Posted: Feb 28th 2009 By: mikeiles

We have updated the Q&A section of our website as of Friday afternoon. I hope you will check out the new info. In this blog we discuss Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, who's a sell out and who isn't, Albert Haynesworth, ESPN's Skip Bayless, ticket sales, and why I attempt to sell our BBQ products and merchandise on a free, BBQ website.

One of my answers regarding the question if I thought that Rock was a "sell out" drew several responses including fiery feedback on other websites. I stand by my answer which is not just no but Hell no. I assume that former NFL stars Jim Brown and Bary Sanders are also considered sellouts because they got out of the league when they were still able to effectively carry the football. Obviously, both Brown and Sanders are NFL legends and are not sellouts. What about Michael Jordan? He was still plenty good enough to be a star in the NBA and could have continued to sell tickets and contribute to any team but MJ decided it was time to move on and do other things.

The Rock had been around the wrestling biz his entire life. From day one since he arrived on this planet, Dwayne Johnson had been surrounded by wrestling. I think his love of the business will always be with him but he had a wonderful opportunity to move into films, earn a great living, maintain his physical health, but most importantly move into a vocation that had interested him for years. Even though Dwayne Johnson has likely wrestled his last match I would not bet against seeing the "Great One" appear at a WWE function before all is said and done sometime in the future. On this one, I certainly feel that the old wrestling clich? of never say never is applicable. No fan, no one in the wrestling business, and no one but the man himself can say conclusively that wrestling fans will never see Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson at a wrestling event again.

Also, for the record, Rock did not walk out on his CFL team the Calgary Stampeders. He was on the practice squad and they cut him. But why let the facts get in the way of rant filled diatribes from disgruntled wrestling fans?

Yours truly has also been taken to task with some profanity filled rants from fans who still quite don't understand why I mention our on line store so much in these blogs. As I have attempted to clarify here on other occasions, without the sales of our products from our on line store we cannot afford to maintain this website that, quite frankly, I enjoy doing. This website is not a "premium site" and is free for all to browse, or not. I appreciate everyone checking it out but if my "constant mentions" of our products irks you then I strongly suggest you not log on and become irked. We produce some outstanding products that we are extremely proud of that I am sure many will attest and the sale of those products fund this project.

More non wrestling stuff.....defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth signed with the Washington Redskins for a reported $100M deal with $41M guaranteed. It will be interesting to see the info included in the contract regarding conduct and weight issues. Haynesworth is regarded as the NFL's top D-Lineman but let's see how me plays now that he has $41M guaranteed no matter how well he plays or doesn't play.

ESPN's Skip Bayless, who I actually find entertaining more often than not, inferred that Oklahoma's Blake Griffin might not be tough enough to play in the NBA which is laughably sensationalist and so wrong. Griffin might be college hoops player of the year and is currently sidelined with a concussion after being hit in the head against Texas last Saturday down in Austin. Bayless joins an increasing number or ESPN "shock jocks" whose primary responsibility is to spit out the sound byte of the day and create "talk" which Oklahoma native Bayless has successfully done. However when Skip, if that is his real name, finds out he's been included on a BBQ/Wrestling blog he will likely become nauseous.

Another bit of house cleaning....occasionall y I will have a typo, misspelled word, etc on these blogs. That is simply my bad and I take the responsibility. However is it a sign of the times in which we live that my grammar or lack of spelling expertise is taken to task so fervently? Nonetheless, it is my error and I am sorry it offends so many of you that are without fault.

With the economy as shaky as it is these days, I have to admit that I was worried about Wrestlemania selling out Reliant Stadium in Houston especially since Houston had been hit so hard by Mother Nature and the oil and gas market's ills of which the city of Houston is so dependent. Not only is WM25 well on its way to being a sell out but less than 900 tickets remain for the WWE's Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on Saturday night April 4 from the Toyota Center. I truly believe that the HOF Ceremony is the most special night of the year and I wholeheartedly encourage all that can to get their tickets and join us for this historic night that can never be replicated.

I will not be able to attend the Cauliflower Alley Club function this year in Las Vegas due to the WWE Draft on the Monday in Atlanta and a Friday Night Smackdown taping on Tuesday night in Knoxville, Tennessee. I'm assuming that I will remain on Friday Night SmackDown but we all know what happens when one assumes, especially in the 'rasslin biz. Plus, if I remain on SD I will have to do voice over work from my home in Oklahoma on Wednesday evening which eliminates any chance I have of attending another great CAC event that I enjoyed so much being a small part of in 2008. I am a life member of the Cauliflower Alley Club so I will be there in spirit. The CAC is a wonderful organization that I encourage every fan to join.

The WWE Monday March 30 event in Dallas will feature all three WWE brands including the live Monday Night Raw broadcast, the taping of some Smackdown and some ECW bouts all pointing directly to WM25. Metroplex fans and fans from Oklahoma, etc should try and attend this Superduper Show in Dallas on March 30. I'm liking it as it is a car trip for me driving straight down I-35 from Norman to Dallas.

The WWE live event in the Nassau Coliseum is expected to pack the place Friday night and do north of $450K in ticket sales. Events in Burlington, Vt and Poughkeepsie , N.Y. are sold out for this weekend while Monday's Raw in Boston is going to be big (tickets are still available) and the Tuesday Smackdown doubleheader is almost sold out as I write this but tickets are usually made available the day of most televised events after production procedures have been completed in the afternoon. I'm really looking forward to the full house Tuesday night in the Mohegan Sun Resort and Casino.

The latest Q&A's also reflect the loyalty and respect many fans have for the Intercontinental Title which is refreshing. I am a big fan of both the IC and the United States titles and have been for years.

Apparently Couture vs. Nogueira will happen in UFC likely in August, UFC 101, as both men have now verbally agreed to the fight. Couture will be making a film soon starring Sylvester Stallone, Mickey Rourke, and Jet Li and needs the time after the film to properly prepare for the anticipated heavyweight bout with the tough Brazilian. UFC has to be calculating and smart with Couture as Randy doesn't have that many fights left in him as the former Oklahoma State star is now in his mid 40's. I love Couture's fighting spirit and his amazingly sound fundamental skills and will not miss any more of his fights on pay per view which I can't see going much past 2010. One more time against Brock Lesnar in a "retirement" scenario would not surprise me and would guarantee a helluva number of pay per view buys. Bottom line is that UFC is in the process of building up their heavyweight division which should be fun to watch evolve.

MMA fans who visit us, gasp...I know that is against all the law's of MMA nature, have also asked me about Shinya Aoki who, upon further review and help from some MMA friends, is a skilled, submission expert from Japan. This fighter has big time charisma but is not a stand up expert so he is usually fed fighters who do not have viable take down defense. Some MMA grunts would assume that Aoki would destroy B.J. Penn but I'm not buying it unless Penn, as is the case with most fighters, showed up in less than serious, fighting shape.

Thanks for checking out the many specials we have just posted in our store with many having reduced shipping costs. Be well.

Boomer Sooner!

J.R.

Tags: Jim Ross, WWE