• Look Back In History
• Pmessages
• Quiz
• Stump The Staff
• Top Fifty
• Close

JR's Blog: Strikeforce Challengers, UGH!..Kofi..Dolph..Cookbook Love..Joe Rogan..Joey Styles, Creative Foodie..NFL Predictions..Ducks!

Posted: Jan 9th 2011 By: CMBurnham

Happy Saturday and let's roll...tide... ( love the ESPN 'Tide' promos) on to some random thoughts and to address more of your questions from emailers and Twitter @JRsBBQ.

The Strikeforce broadcast produced by Showtime Friday night was embarrassingly mediocre.

This statement is not a reflection on fighters phoning it in or the announcing soiling the bed. The fighters fought hard but none of them were household names and really needed pre-produced, personality profiles and more info on who they are from the announcers to let casual fans 'in' the process so that we could care more about the fights and the overall broadcast.

On a free preview night on Showtime, the network really dropped the ball in making the fighters human as well as apparently forgetting that Showtime was going to have a much ballyhooed heavyweight tournament in 2011 on which they seem to be hanging their hat.

One broadcast trend, IMO, in MMA is that often times the broadcasters will narrow-cast and speak primarily to the die hard MMA fans while virtually ignoring the casual fan who is attempting to make a decision whether or not to emotionally invest in this relatively new, TV and PPV sport.

There needs to be a better balance on these broadcasts and TV producers and the broadcast teams themselves have to make a more concerted effort to consistently not speak over the heads of casual fans who are sampling the product. This by no means is saying that broadcasters need to 'dumb down' their presentation but simply do a better job of covering all bases regarding their viewing audience.

The Strikeforce Challenger broadcast reminded me of one of the many nights that yours truly spent in the Georgia Mountain Center in Gainesville , Georgia taping WCW product before a sparse, largely silent, crowd who was not into the product.

Caught a good portion of Friday Night Smackdown and thought it was a solid broadcast. Lots of wrestling was featured which kept the live audience more engaged in what they were seeing which generally always translates more positively for home viewers. Doing too many backstage pieces of business can be the kiss of death if they are in an overabundance and/or poorly executed.

Congrats to Kofi Kingston on winning the IC Title. Kofi was on the cusp of something special when he had his issues with Randy Orton last year specifically their encounter at MSG which I thought was impactful. Let's hope that Kofi gets right back on that roll. He's a very athletic talent and a smart, educated individual.

Something made me smile when I read on line that a 'diva' was making an upcoming appearance in 'silicon valley.' Just keeping you 'abreast' of my warped sense of humor.

Why are we asked every day on either Twitter @JRsBBQ or here if we ship to the UK? No..we do NOT ship outside the USA nor do we plan to any time soon. However, http://www.wweshop.com does ship our products outside the USA and I wholeheartedly encourage you to check them out. That helps us build our business as we appreciate everyone's continued support. WWEShop is considering carrying more of our products in the future which is good news for our little, family outfit.

Emailer...Dolph Ziggler doesn't remind me of HHH but more of a Mr. Perfect type wrestler. Ziggler has a great amateur background and as he adds more nasty physicality to his game he will take another step up to the next level. I am a Ziggler fan without question.

Emailer...Yes I broadcast back in the day with Curt Hennig, Mr. Perfect, and he was really fun and easy with which to work. Curt was a little mischievous and had Heenan-like sense of humor. One has to believe that growing up watching 'The Brain' do his thing in AWA influenced Perfecto.

Emailer...I do not know why TNA tapes so many of their weekly TV shows in advance as you would have to ask them that question. I assume it has to do with economics because it certainly isn't the most effective way to produce a 2 hour TV show. Not my issue.

Emailer...I have predicted on Twitter and here on this site that I like Oregon over Auburn in the long awaited National Championship game to FINALLY be played this Monday night. Reason: I like Oregon's speed and enjoyed meeting Ducks head coach Chip Kelly when he visited Norman late last summer. Like me, Chip enjoys a cold beer...in moderation of course. Obviously, these are not valid enough reasons to wager the farm on Monday night's game as Auburn has Cam Newton and a HUGE size advantage over the speedy Ducks.

Emailer....Yes I enjoy Joe Rogan's UFC work as he adds a much needed entertainment element to the process with his sense of humor notwithstanding Rogan also throughly understands the intricacies of MMA. Rogan, not unlike any other MMA broadcaster, still has to remember that every viewer isn't as educated in the finer points of MMA as MMA message board dudes are and that 'recruiting' and educating new fans is imperative for the long term growth of the UFC brand.

Emailer...Thanks for the positive comments on JR's Cookbook. Yes, it is a cookbook largely for men or cooks who are not at the elite level ala Bobby Flay as our home grown recipes are easy to execute and still provide great tasting dishes. Plus, we will personalize them with any inscription that you choose. For USA shipping, the cookbook is still $18.88 all in including FREE SHIPPING. It's a great, affordable gift idea. Includes photos and wrestling, road stories too.

Emailer....Saints over Seahawks unless Saints can't run the ball, turn it over and the crowd in Seattle takes over. Bottom line: Saints. For my pal Taz's sake, I'm not pulling against his Jets, I like Rex Ryan who is a native Okie & who once coached at OU, but Colts are tough to handle in their dome at home. I'm a Colts lean because of the home field but if Jets win I won't be shocked. Ryan has cut ample promos and his team needs to play some offense to back up their HBC.

Twitter...Saw where Joey Styles got his Main Event Mustard and Beef Jerky and the resourceful Stocky Balboa dipped the Jerky in the Mustard. Smart man. Seems as if Joe enjoyed the unique combo. If you want a healthy condiment, our Main Event Mustard is your ticket and is a happy blend of honey mustard with some jalape?o. Also, I encourage you to visit http://joeystyles.com. OMG!!

I actually took some of our HOT BBQ Sauce and mixed it with some Main Event Mustard to taste to make a version of a Carolina styled BBQ sauce.

Emailer...Yes it is possible that you might have seen Steve Austin driving a RV prior to Christmas heading west on the interstate as that's the way Steve travels from Southern California to his ranch in Southern Texas. Steve's lab Hershey has her own, famous chauffeur and quite the nice ride to boot.

Emailer...No our book idea isn't dead but we tabled it during the holidays as the decision makers in the book biz seemingly don't work much after Thanksgiving through the end of the year. The project is still alive but I have to light a fire under my ample behind to get back in a creative mindset.

Emailer...I do not know if either Chris Jericho or Dave Bautista will return to WWE for WM27. I'm not in that loop and don't have a clue on the subject. Personally, I would be surprised if either returned for a special Wrestlemania appearance. Who knows?

Emailer...Yes Oklahoma University should be a team to watch in 2011 in the National Title chase with so many starters coming back including All Americans WR Ryan Broyles who had 130 catches this season and linebacker Travis Lewis who has lead the team in tackles the last three years and who both decided to forgo the NFL Draft in April. The Sooners have to avoid the injury bug and keep pushing their young stars to improve.

In any field of endeavor, when one stops growing then they start dying.

Thanks for the orders many of you are throwing our way. We will always work hard to continue to earn your business and if at any time you have any issues with any aspect of an order from us, then write us at the Contact Us location on the home page of this site. I will get these emails and we will address any concern that you have. This is a family business where you will always get personalized care.

However, if you use 'Contact Us' to ask questions that should be on the Q&A site, they will be deleted.

Thanks for stopping by and have a great weekend.

Boomer Sooner!

J.R.