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JR's Blog: Happy New Year...Dr. Death's Memorial Celebration plans...Tommy Dreamer...Thanks, El Paso...Collard Greens and Black Eyed Peas

Posted: Jan 2nd 2010 By: CMBurnham

Happy New Year to All. this is my 2nd blog today with the first being devoted to the late, Steve 'Dr. Death" Williams. I hope that you will check it out.

Here's a few random thoughts...

I enjoyed my brief but eventful trip to El Paso for the Sun Bowl which resulted in a Sooner victory over a very good Stanford Cardinal team. The trip to El Paso from OKC was scheduled to take less than three hours including changing planes in Dallas' Love Field but due to mechanicals and oversold flights my journey took over 12 hours. Miserable experience on Southwest Airlines which is actually one of my favorite carriers. It was simply 'one of those days" and the bottom line is that I made it to El Paso, had dinner with my coaching friends and others, and then had a fun time at the game.

El Paso has a ton of wrestling fans living there and even though I have not be a part of Monday Night Raw since the summer of 2008 I was sort of amazed with how many folks that I met just had to tell me their favorite J. R./Raw story. Pretty cool stuff on a day that I needed to smile and have a good laugh. The folks with the Sun Bowl committee made me feel at home and brought back many great memories.

I even met a high school football coach there who played high school basketball in Oklahoma back in the day in Muldrow, Oklahoma who I once gave a technical foul in a basketball game. He couldn't wait to share that story with me and those in the hospitality suite and from the way he told it he had recited it on many occasions. Small world, huh?

I went to a restaurant/bar, L&J's I think, that was right next to a cemetery and opened in 1927 which was a unique and memorable experience. If I had drank all the beers that folks there wanted to buy me I would have never made it to the game the next day. Luckily, I kept it in moderation plus I wasn't driving. Too bad the kitchen was closed as I hear the food there is really good.

The Tommy Dreamer send off on ECW was nicely done. It is good to see a guy who has dedicated so much of his life to the business and who has been a fan forever to be acknowledged as Tommy was Tuesday night. Kudos to WWE for facilitating the opportunity for "Big Beefy" to say adi?s to his fans. Tommy would have made it in any generation including the territory days as his work ethic and toughness would have been welcomed attributes for any promoter. Congrats Tommy, you made all of us Old Schoolers proud.

Ric Flair called me during the Christmas Holidays and was in great spirits. "Naitch" really loved wrestling in Australia and I expect Ric to continue to wrestle for as long as he is able albeit not on a regular schedule nor should he. Ric Flair is "special" and his success outside the ring with his "Whoo" endorsements with various state lotteries is going great guns for him. Ric is also working in the Carolinas with Wal-Mart, Coca-Cola, and Kroger's Grocery stores.

We have updated all the Q&A's as of January 1 and invite you to take a look at them. We discussed Taz, Rock, Bret Hart, Monday Night Wars and much more in these recent Q&A's.

Amazingly, business here on our site has been awesome these days since Christmas. We are still offering some super deals on several packages and many that provide you with FREE SHIPPING of which I encourage you to take advantage. Our family really appreciates your business and look forward to having a record year with on line sales in 2010.

It looks as if the Memorial Celebration for Steve "Dr. Death" Williams will be held next Friday in Lakewood, Colorado at the Mile High Church. Details are still being formulated and should be finalized the first of the week and most likely on Monday. As soon as we have the info we will pass it along.

The goal is to set up a college scholarship fund for Steve's 16 year old son Wyndham in lieu of flowers, etc. More info to come.

WWEClassics.com and WWE 24/7 On Demand are good places to catch some of Doc's matches.

Quick story about tough love and coaching the old fashioned way...which apparently and unfortunately did not work for Texas Tech's Mike Leach or Kansas' Mark Mangino...when Doc got the 108 stitches in his eye in the infamous TV bout with Brad Armstrong the stitch work was done by a neurologist because of the placement of the cut near the eyeball...Cowboy Bill Watts told Doc that Steve would feel better when Doc got back into the ring the next night after making the nice, little drive from Shreveport to Biloxi. Doc kept his commitment, made the long car trip in agonizing pain and wrestled the next night.

Have a safe and happy New Year. It's time for my annual meal of black eyed peas (for health) and collard greens (for wealth) that many of us Southerners eat every January 1st. Plus, I need to get back to the bowl games. Life is good and remember to always count your blessings. God Bless.

Boomer Sooner!

J.R.

Tags: Jim Ross, Steve Williams, ECW, Ric Flair, Brad Armstrong, Bill Watts