From under the custom-made, black hat, it has been a busy week for the WWE’s resident Oklahoma Sooner loving, barbecue restaurateur with appearances on Monday Night Raw, Friday Night SmackDown, and NBC’s Saturday Night’s Main Event.

The news that former ECW announcer Mike Adamle was named the General Manager of Monday Night Raw certainly was a shocker to most who follow sports-entertainment, notwithstanding those men and women who still earn their paychecks on the Raw brand … many of whom were legitimately dumbfounded with Adamle’s announcement Monday from Washington D.C. I do know that my old broadcasting partner, who I will reunite with on NBC’s Saturday Night’s Main Event, Jerry “The King” Lawler, is on edge regarding Adamle becoming Raw’s chief executive. King can always “drown his sorrows” by gazing at page after page of lovely WWE Diva’s featured here on WWE.com. (By the way, I hear that “The Fink” has some rather provocative Polaroids of Hall of Famer Mae Young. I wonder just where the illustrious Mr. Finkel obtained the alleged pics.) As King always told me, “one can’t grieve forever” and now perhaps he will have to practice what he preaches.  

It’s much too early to tell how effective Adamle will be as the Raw General Manager, but the former NFL running back may have a better “feel” for the administrative aspect of WWE than he had for announcing matches … but time will tell. I say give the guy a chance to see what he can do before he is indicted, convicted and sentenced as a failure. Some could argue that Mike Adamle has as many qualifications to be the General Manager of Raw as a couple of folks have that are running for president of the United States. 

My personal pick for Raw G.M. would have been WWE.com guru Joe E. Styles because of his product knowledge and his nifty, flat-top haircut. How long has it been since a guy with a flattop has been the head honcho of Raw? Plus, Joe E. has plenty of Paulie Walnut-like black suits to fit the role.

In any event, Adamle will still be governing the No. 2 brand under the WWE umbrella as Friday Night SmackDown has just taken over the pole position in the race for No. 1 in WWE.    

By the way, this week’s Friday Night SmackDown ended up being one of the most emotional broadcasts that yours truly has been involved with on any WWE TV event in recent memory. It was even more emotional than my being “drafted” from Monday Night Raw … you remember … the time when I was squealing louder than a pig caught under a gate … BUT I did recover from the heartache (poor me), and have lived happily ever after on Friday Night SmackDown since.

That was until this week’s Friday Night SmackDown, as that broadcast left a gnarly taste in my mouth much akin to “Q” not of the quality of  J.R.’s Family Bar-B-Q.

I will make this point abundantly clear … the closing moments, including the build to those closing moments, of this week’s Friday Night SmackDown are some of the most compelling memories one will have of any WWE television program in a long time. If any wrestling fan doesn’t get into this week’s SmackDown, especially the final several minutes, then the ribs ain’t pork and those cynics need to permanently stick to “weather on the 8’s."

Don’t look now, but The Brian Kendrick is evolving into a “player” on Friday Night SmackDown. Yeah, I played the “Pillman Card” when describing Kendrick, who has so many of the late Brian Pillman’s personality traits it’s spooky. Plus, keep an eye on Kendrick’s “man” Ezekiel this week, as he provides us with a peek as to what he may be all about.

Mr. Kennedy is certainly in a “must-win” situation against the new United States Champion Shelton Benjamin Friday night, and these two demonstrate their skills well in what I would term as an “old school” wrestling match.

Jeff Hardy is still one of the most popular superstars in all WWE, and the “Unique Enigma,” has his wagon loaded Friday night with the No. 1 contender for the WWE Title, The Great Khali. And on NBC Saturday night in prime time against Edge, who may be in dire need of the WWE’s resident shrink and some “couch time,” by the way he has been conducting himself in recent weeks.

Speaking of Jeff Hardy, it looks as if Jeff and MVP are on a collision course, and one has to wonder if this one will manifest itself at the 21st Annual SummerSlam in Indianapolis.

Poor Michael Cole was physically welcomed to Raw in somewhat of a humiliating way by Cole’s new G.M., Mike Adamle. I can speak from experience; an announcer stepping inside the ring attempting to “wrestle” is no place for an announcer who has no wrestling training. Was Adamle simply showing Cole who is boss, or is there more indignation on tap for the new voice of Raw?

Again, how lucky am I to be plying my trade on SmackDown? Even though I will suggest that the personal issues of our General Manager Vickie Guerrero and her newlywed husband Edge have had their ‘moments” but I shall not digress any further as I still have a few more months of work until I have earned my “gold watch” and need no more “interruptions in service” on my resume.  

My hat is off to Todd Grisham who is the new play-by-play man on Tuesday night’s ECW broadcast. I thought “T ‘n T,” Todd and Tazz, did a helluva good job Tuesday night on their inaugural broadcast together. Tazz can now do less of the broadcast, but yet be more effective working with the lovely and talented Grisham who has been waiting his turn in the WWE for about five years now. 

It hard to believe that August is upon us, which means to yours truly it is time for SummerSlam and Oklahoma University football as the Sooners’ season starts when OU meets UTC in Norman on Saturday, Aug. 30. Just to let many of you know who visit our Web site, www.jrsbarbq.com, we have some excellent specials in our store, including some $9.99 T-shirts and caps, and some really special prices on selected flavors of J.R.’s Beef Jerky which is, you got it, 97 percent fat-free. If you are ever traveling down I-35 please stop by one of our restaurants which are located at exit 109 in Norman and exit 116 in Moore just south of the giant, Warren Theatre.

Also, just a reminder that our many of  J.R.’s BBQ products are also available at WWEShop.com. 

I personally invite you to tune in for Friday Night SmackDown, and encourage you to make sure and get your DVR or TiVo ready for that broadcast and for NBC’s Saturday Night’s Main Event, which airs at 9/8 CT. How lucky am I … a jovial good ‘Ol boy with an Oklahoma drawl and two bouts of Bells Palsy who gets the privilege of being on network TV Saturday night? That’s an “American Dream” if there ever was one, and I am not referring to the son of a plumber Dusty Rhodes, even though he, too, has had his battles with Bells Palsy. It just goes to show us all what one can do when we are passionate about what we do in school or for a living.  

With passion and hard work, anything is possible in our lives. Take care and eat more barbecue! And remember, “Got Sauce?!”

Boomer Sooner!
J.R.