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Post Christmas Blog loaded w/ Random Thoughts..Cotton Bowl..UFC..Steelers..Announcing..JR's Fav Moment of 2012..Foodie ideas

Posted: Dec 26th 2012 By: mikeiles

Happy Holiday season everyone and here's hoping that everyone who celebrated the holidays in some shape, form or fashion had a memorable one. Christmas was great here in Norman as the cold weather moved in with some snow that kept us homebound which isn't a bad thing. Let's 'unwrap' some random thoughts....

Got an IPod Nano from my wife for Christmas which I love but have no idea how to fully utilize it. Way above my pay scale even after reading the info on 'how to' online. I'm an analog man in this Ol digital world...thanks @JoeWalsh. Got a feeling that a visit to the Apple Store or to the Geek Squad boys at Best Buy is in order later today. I had an older IPod but accidently left it at security in Tampa along with my jacket coming back from England the last trip and, of course, both items never made it to lost and found. So someone in Tampa is wearing a jacket with a JR's logo and listening to my classic rock laden, old school IPod. How did I forget my items? The IPod was in my jacket, I was jet lagged and wore out and the TSA dude wanted to do a Q&A like meet and greet. I got distracted and forgot the damn stuff.

If I had one low level, simple request for the New Year it would be that people would actually read our archived blogs and our Twitter timeline @JRsBBQ before asking questions that have been addressed multiple times. That failure is the epitome of laziness.

I'm going to celebrate my January 3 birthday in Dallas as that falls on the eve of the January 4 Cotton Bowl on which I plan to attend on the Sooner sideline. The Texas A&M, Heisman Trophy winning quarterback @JManziel2 is getting all the media love and living life in the fast lane, 2nd Eagles reference BTW, while my #Sooners are the underdog and essentially considered an after thought by many pundits. All I ask is for #OU to play with intensity, don't turn the ball over and then let the cards fall where they may.

Hitting Del Frisco's in Dallas on January 3 with some OU buddies and an ample portion of red meat.

Where does Cain Velasquez career go if he loses to Junior Dos Santos at the upcoming @UFC PPV? Has #UFC missing the boat by not portioning Cain as being in a 'must win' situation in his attempt to regain his UFC Heavyweight Title? Basic human nature is always the best natural 'hook' in any competition including performances within sports entertainment. If heroes or any athlete who fans respect/like are put in believeable and feasible jeopardy it generally helps build the bottom line. This should be a great fight that I'll likely buy on PPV but the build, thus far, has been less than compelling.

Any one who thinks that women can't contribute to the profitability of @UFC, etc are miss informed. Athletic women are interesting to interview, promote, and to watch in a genre that has a strong male demo. Plus, women MMA fighters, when their personalities are allowed to be developed on TV, will attract more new, female fans plus the female partners of the already established male demo. @RondaRousey is in the right place at the right time and has made many fans virtually forget about Gina Carrano who carried a large facet of Strikeforce on her shoulders before moving to making films. I see women in MMA as a promoter's/marketers dream unless said promoters ignorantly put limits on what they perceive the gender can produce. At worst, female MMA fighters, who are properly built and marketed, will be vital attractions that provide the consumer with another reason to buy a PPV in an era of less than ideal disposable income.

Speaking of Strikeforce, I hope to attend their January 12 event in OKC, if schedules allow. Broadcaster Mauro Ranallo is trying to hook me up with tickets.

Doing some radio this week, Thursday at 12:30 pm central time on Norman's KREF, www.sportstalk1400.com, and Saturday morning nationally on http://www.yahoosportsradio.com at 10:30 am central time with my pal Sean Pendergast...noted Notre Dame alum.

Thanks to all who made the holiday season so successful at http://www.wweshop.com including those who 'sold out' of all our JR's shirts. Our BBQ Sauce and condiment biz is booming and we are looking to grow significantly in 2013. If you are a business owner or buyer in the retail grocery business and want to carry our line of products, please email Ed Clements at eclements@clementsfoods.com for more info.

If you live in the UK, you can access JR's products from @americansoda and at their American Candy stores.

This time of the year is nostalgic for yours truly. Lots of big holiday cards were held this time of the year that were memorable. Starrcade events notwithstanding Mid South Wrestling holiday shows in New Orleans on most Thanksgiving and Christmas nights. For a good period of time, I spent more of those two holidays away from family and with the Big Cowboy (Bill Watts). I missed the cornbread stuffing/dressing in Oklahoma and could never acquire a taste for the Louisiana oyster dressing. We had some great times there nonetheless.

Thanks for those who thought my call at the Flair-Luger Starrcade '88 was up to par. Wrestling announcing is a unique entity. The best are able to suspend disbelieve regarding the theater of the genre while not insulting the audience and to provide adequate lyrics to the music that the performers create. I learned early on that, as Shakespeare said "The play is the thing." Announcers who attempt to 'get themselves over' and make the conversation about themselves or talk in long, mindless sentences are doing the talents a disservice. Antagonist broadcasters who are simply 'bad guys' for 'bad guy's sake' soon become jokes. Selective objectivity is always a good goal to have for every broadcaster and in the entertainment world one can always bring things back around to fit the proper TV persona to which they have been cast. Same goes for protagonist broadcasters who always damn the villains, no mater the circumstance, and support the fan favorites no matter their deficiencies.

Been asked the highlight of my WWE year and without question it was being afforded the opportunity by WWE upper management to broadcast the HIAC bout at WM28 featuring the Undertaker, HHH and @ShawnMichaels. Big time bucket list memory for me and a night that I'll always fondly remember. I'm hopeful that I can call one bout at WM29 just to be a part of the event. Many of us worked some amazing hours over the years to contribute to building this amazing event. When I sit back and see where WrestleMania has come since I made my debut in Vegas at WM9, I am honestly amazed. I see continued use of stadiums for future WrestleMania events and hope that I can be a small part of the proceedings for as long as I'm able. It's our Super Bowl and who wouldn't want to be associated with the biggest event in our profession? Old players still like to play.

Disappointed that @Steelers are not going to the NFL playoffs this year but it never seemed to be in the cards. Untimely holdouts at the start the year along with seemingly an endless list of injuries that carried over deep into the season adversely affected the Pittsburgh season. An offense that seemed to never find its identity or much needed rhythm and the apparent philosophical differences between the star QB and the new, brash, offensive coordinator didn't help matters. The favorite team in the Ross household feels old and will hopefully address all their issues after the season and get back in the hunt in 2013.

Was thinking about a Christmas might many years ago when the Rock-N-Roll Express defeated Ted DiBiase and Hercules Hernandez to win the Mid South Tag Titles on Xmas in New Orleans. RNR was one of the greatest teams ever in the business and will always be on any personal top ten teams that I ever saw or worked with back in the day. I wonder how tag teams today who really want to be good ever take the time to study the greats from previous generations or do they think that those amazing teams are too 'old school?' If the latter is applicable, then the teams of today are likely too stupid to consistently lace their boots because fundamentals and basic crowd psychology will never go out of style.

If I were a young in ring talent in today's word (no jokes please), then DVD study of my predecessors would be a a regular part of my weekly routine just as is going to the gym and eating smartly. Some talents will spend more time 'tanning,' playing video games, etc than watching the work of stars of previous generations which is somewhat pathetic when one thinks about it.

If you have questions that you would like for me to address, please submit them here on our site at the Q&A section of which I've updated and try to keep updated throughout the week.

JR's Chipotle Ketchup makes a great steak sauce. Warm a small portion up in the microwave or stove top and use on steaks, prime rib, etc. Mix with sweet relish and onion if you choose for a great burger topping. We don't produce regular, run of the mill, ketchup.

If you mix JR's Main Event Mustard with our ketchup, relish and onion you've created an amazing hot dog relish or sandwich condiment.

Enjoy WWE this week for their big, super sized Holiday cards adn let's hope that the seats are full, the athletes are primed and that there are no injuries to report.

Boomer Sooner!

J.R.