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JR's Blog: Will Koscheck Beat GSP?..Austin vs. Orton..Announcers Instincts..Holidays w/ 'Big Cowboy'..Holidays Orders Still Accepted

Posted: Dec 11th 2010 By: CMBurnham

Thanks for stopping by...really busy times...on line biz is great...always could be better but we sure appreciate everyone's support. You still have plenty of time to order from our store but my suggestion, Pilgrim, is to "not burn any daylight."

I'm looking forward to UFC PPV Saturday night emanating from what will be a raucous Montreal, Quebec. Montreal fans can be loud and passionate from my own personal experiences and, without question, Saturday night's UFC event should have a memorable atmosphere. Well north of 20,000 fans are expected in the arena.

The atmosphere at televised, live events is so important for the viewing experience. I've been a part of great crowds that made an average TV show be perceived as much better than it actually was. Plus, I've had to sit through some dead crowds that seemingly didn't like any thing that they were seeing.

Texas A&M calls their crowd the '12th Man' and the 'home field advantage' in sports simply infers to the home crowd giving their team a lift. GSP should get plenty of additional motivation from his hometown fans Saturday night but will it be enough?

Stranger things have happened in competitive athletics I can assure you and GSP being a 'slam dunk' to defeat Josh Koscheck isn't that definitive in my eyes. Even though GSP is a 5-1 favorite, Koscheck has a fighting chance to win and avenge his loss to GSP a few years ago.

Is Koscheck, who's amateur wrestling skills are stellar, going to be able to execute better take down defense against the man who has earned folk hero status particularly in Canada but through the world of MMA?

When fighters wear four ounce gloves, the competitors are always just one, good clean shot away from losing. Any thing can happen in UFC which is one of the reasons that their events are so compelling.

It will also be interesting to see what under card fighters take advantage of their opportunity on a much ballyhooed PPV to step up their game and make a name for themselves. Relevancy draws money IE sells PPV's and several fighters have that opportunity prior to Saturday night's main event. This is no different in pro wrestling when talents are on the under card but are provided an opportunity to turn heads and 'steal the show.'

Koscheck will be booed out of the building and often times a fighter builds off that especially if their mindset is that 'I don't give a damn.' I don't think that the talented and brash Koscheck gives a damn and will give the vaunted GSP a true run for his French Canadian buck.

The fact that GSP did some stand up/boxing training at famed trainer Freddie Roach's gym in recent weeks is impressive. Would this be something that Brock Lesnar would consider going forward?

Some may perceive that Saturday's UF?C PPV is a 'one fight card' but I think that we will be surprised at the competitive nature of the under card which features several fighters than need to impress the fan base and UFC honchos.

I, like many, see GSP winning in Montreal but I do think that this fight has a chance to be a real war in the Octagon and a physical confrontation that many fans won't soon forget.

If Josh Koscheck does upset GSP, don't be shocked but be prepared for what could likely be one of the most combustible situations we've seen on any PPV since another event in Montreal in November 1997.

If you are reading this from outside the USA and want to order our products be aware that http://www.wweshop.com stocks and ships our Original BBQ Sauce and our Championship Original Beef Jerky. We do not ship outside the USA from this site.

One of the great, American sporting events will be held Saturday when Army plays Navy in their annual, college football game. These players/athletes do so much more than simply play a game as the real game that they participate in is ultimately important to the security of our nation. I always watch this game and even remember as a young kid watching Roger Staubach play QB for Navy before serving his military commitment and then going to the Dallas Cowboys as a late twenty something year old signal caller. Plus, for us old fans of the wishbone, both Army and Navy run various forms of the option.

Nice compliment from a fan who is reading several Mick Foley authored books and he mentioned that Mick used to hear calls that he thought I would make in his head while thinking of maneuvers to utilize in big matches. Mick and I rarely talked about what he was going to attempt to do in any match and we trusted our instincts to be on the same page to help provide the fans with a well told story both physically and emotionally. Today's announcers who did not have the opportunity to work for a variety of bosses in multiple territories are at a disadvantage when developing their broadcasting instincts. Learning only one system slows down the learning curve in my opinion.

Plus, some folks are just blessed to have more natural instincts than others not unlike in ring talents. Personally, I never played the 'role' of a wrestling broadcaster but was an extension of myself for better or for worse. I think that the best wrestlers of any generation had the same basic, fundamental traits. Be yourself and turn it up.

As I have mentioned many times, one can't manufacture 'it.'

A new Ross Report is posted now at http://www.wwe.com under WWE News.

An emailer asked me to compare Steve Austin to Randy Orton. While there are attitudinal similarities between the two, Austin had the benefit of the Attitude Era and was the first, truly defiant, global, fan favorite mega star. Orton has comparable traits... he's a loner...unpredictable...as edgy as he is allowed to be in his product's current form...and of all the WWE Superstars actively competing at this time, Orton comes closest to be somewhat 'Rattlesnake-like.' Nonetheless Stone Cold was an 'original' and Mr. RKO is working on his own body of work as he continues to advance his own individuality which is exactly what he should do. The great thing about Orton, barring unforeseen injuries, is that his best days still lie ahead.

Another emailer asked if I thought WWE would forsake their PG TV rating any time soon. I am not privy to that info but my educated guess would be not at this time. I do think that there is room for the TV presentation to be a little more edgy in an organic, natural way and still stay within the confines of a PG rating. I do find it smart that the PG rating enables younger fans to engage the genre with their parents.

We fans can still sample TV wrestling that isn't PG rated that many don't consider to be must see, compelling TV. Bottom line is that NOT being PG doesn't equate to automatic success. Successful TV wrestling comes from having skilled athletes who are perceived by the consumers as stars and who can execute bell to bell in addition to being able to verbally communicate well thought out, personal issues of which they are involved.

It sure as heck isn't about chair shots to the head, over kill of low road verbiage/profanity and multiple use of bloody scenarios.

The Q&A section of this site has been updated for your reading pleasure.

I'm somewhat jealous of not being in New Orleans this Monday for Raw. The Big Easy is one of my favorite cities and for years and years I spent more Thanksgivings and Christmas days there than I did with my family. To make that statement even more impactful I spent them with the bombastic, Cowboy Bill Watts, my mentor, as we prepared to promote our biggest, Mid South Wrestling shows of the year in the Super Dome. Some of those planning sessions the day of and dealing with unforeseen issues certainly helped me prepare to be battle tested later in my career.

Plus, I learned some new curse words.

Also, I did learn early on that I did NOT enjoy oyster stuffing or liver in my stuffing of which was plentiful in New Orleans. I also learned that when the croissants weren't buttery or flaky enough in the hotel restaurant that we would soon be checking out more often than not in a moment's notice but only after witnessing the obligatory 'promo' on some unsuspecting baker. In a moment's notice means, "We're leaving in FIVE MINUTES and never coming back to this F'n place again! Invariably, I would get these types of calls as nature called and have to frantically pack and "go get the damn car."

Like I said, I got battle tested early on and would not change a day of my career and what I learned from several wrestling people starting with the large Cowboy. I always equated working for Bill like it must have been playing for the Packers in the Lombardi days.

The new, Main Event Mustard has become a great seller for us and with that goes our sincere thanks. It's a healthy condiment for sure and I can't wait to try it in deviled eggs on Christmas Day. I'm also going to mix it with some of our BBQ sauce or both sauces and see what we have.

You still have time to order from us for the holidays but remember NO post office box orders are accepted. Thanks for working with us on this matter.

You following us on Twitter? @JRsBBQ.

Several orders will go out via Federal Express Ground tonight at 6 central and then we'll work diligently all weekend to process orders and they will be shipped Monday afternoon.

Boomer Sooner!

J.R.