Somehow we have survived a chaotic, three-hour Monday Night Raw marathon in Philly, an unpredictable night of Friday Night SmackDown in Bridgeport, Conn., Tuesday evening, a late-night trip to a LaGuardia Airport area hotel Tuesday night where I wouldn’t want to take a leisurely walk after midnight without weapons, AND riding the “loop” with the “World’s Angriest Announcer” Tazz who is in full Long Island Baseball mode smack dab in the middle of winter.

Oh yeah, I also took a side trip driven by the dominating, former ECW Champion, the Human Suplex Machine, by the original ECW Arena in Philly and had not one but two Philly cheesesteak sandwiches from the world famous Tony Luke’s in Philly after Raw which felt like we had just broadcast the Jerry Lewis Labor Day Telethon in terms of time.

The WWE crew that traveled to Iraq for the annual “Tribute to the Troops” should be commended for their dedication, time and efforts for making this year’s journey another successful venture. My hat is off to every man and woman who participated, and I am anxious to see the TV special that will air on NBC on Saturday Dec. 20 at 9/8 CT.

Dr. Joe E. Styles and Michael Cole, who both made the trek to Iraq, both had some interesting stories to tell about their experience, with Mr. Dot Com especially having some unique experiences considering that this was his first trip to Iraq while Cole is a veteran of this long and challenging journey.

I can tell you that there were many WWE stars “dragging” a bit on Monday afternoon after most of them arrived at their homes at various hours on Saturday before having to report for work for the “Gone with the Wind-like” Raw in Philly. Much coffee was consumed on Monday in the City of Brotherly Love. 

Friday Night SmackDown was taped Tuesday in Bridgeport at the Arena at Harbor Yard, and is headlined with one of the most intense confrontations I have seen in quite some time between Jeff Hardy and Triple H. These two held nothing back considering that Armageddon is this Sunday on PPV in Buffalo, N.Y. (Ahh, balmy Buffalo in mid-December, the perfect booking if one wants to break out one’s new, winter outerwear.)

Matt Hardy is Edge’s guest on “The Cutting Edge” this Friday night, which is a volatile situation to say the least. Edge is still trying to sell the bill of goods that it was Triple H who assaulted Jeff Hardy in the infamous Boston hotel stairwell Survivor Series weekend, which is about as likely as Olympian Michael Phelps not looking dorky even though he is allegedly dating a Vegas stripper.

Did you know that you can buy many of our soon-to-be famous J.R.’s Family BBQ products right here on WWE.com from WWE Shop. J.R.’s products may not get any DX-like mentions on TV but the good folks at WWE Shop sell our sauces and our 97-percent fat-free Beef Jerky.

Speaking of J.R.’s BBQ, acclaimed actor Billy Bob Thornton stopped by J.R.’s in Norman, Okla., on Monday with his band, The Boxmasters, and freaked over our “Q” and even took several boxes with them for their two-day bus trip back to L.A. Billy Bob even left wearing one of our black, J.R.’s trucker caps with our logo.

As former Arizona head football coach Dennis Green once so passionately mentioned during a press conference, “THE SLAMMY’S WERE WHAT WE THOUGHT THEY WERE.”

Pet peeve of the week … cash for gold dot.com commercials on TV where ugly women talk about selling their diamond wedding bands from their FIRST marriage for cash.

Congrats to Todd Grisham and Matt Striker for winning the Slammy for Announce Team of the Year. “Atta boy” is all I can say to Todd and Matt which is something I am relatively sure that they don’t hear often. These two are the main reason I watch ECW on Sci Fi on Tuesday nights.

If OU’s Sam Bradford doesn’t win the Heisman Trophy Saturday night, not to be confused with “The Adamle” won by Striker and Grisham, it will be, as my late, mentor Gorilla Monsoon would say, a miscarriage of justice.

Did anyone else think that The King was channeling ESPN’s Lee Corso at times Monday night? Might have just been me.

For those that don’t think native Canadian Edge and Chris Jericho won’t have their share of fans in Buffalo Sunday you might want to think again. Edge grew up in nearby Ontario and Jericho was raised in Winnipeg which is also a part of Canada the last I looked.

Some fans enjoy booing World Heavyweight Champion John Cena as if he were the Governor of Illinois, who was apparently caught trying to “sell” President-elect Obama’s Senate seat. Cena doesn’t mind and the louder the boos the harder Cena competes.

However, even though Cena is the defending champion and is likely a prominent favorite Sunday, don’t ever count Jericho out of the equation.

My money is on Edge retaining his WWE Title in Buffalo as it seems as if Triple H and Jeff Hardy are on a collision course to cancel each other out. However, I’m usually wrong with my predictions which may mean that Jeff Hardy shocks the world Sunday night. There is only one way to find out … either ask “The Fink” on the Live Blog or watch the event.

The Great Khali, now how’s that for a segue, has a new name for his chokeslam and it’s “The Punjabi Plunge.” You heard it here first.

What happened to the WWE Tag Team Titles on Friday Night SmackDown? How often do the Colon Brothers, Carlito (big hair) and Primo defend the titles?

Hurricane Helms has a huge tattoo on his back with the name “HELMS” prominently displayed. What did you expect him to have tattooed on his back, “GREGORY?”

Is MVP the Detroit Lions of WWE … can’t get a win come hell or high water?

Did you know that you can e-mail www.jrsbarbq.com and that I will answer the e-mails on our Q&A section of our ever-growing Web site? We aren’t anything like the powerful and omnipotent WWE.com, but we are hanging in there and invite you to check us out.

With the momentum he garnered on Monday night, I can see Randy Orton beating Batista Sunday at Armageddon. The RKO finishing maneuver is a difference maker as are Orton’s young allies.

Will Matt Hardy be the first man to hang a pinfall or submission loss on the undefeated Russian Vladimir Kozlov Sunday? Highly unlikely from where I’m sitting.

Prediction … The Brian Kendrick and Ezekiel Jackson will be the WWE Tag Team Champions “Sooner” than later. 

Word on the street has it that an individual new to WWE will make his first appearance on Friday Night SmackDown this week.

Tazz and I aren’t sure what bouts we will call this Sunday at Armageddon other than the Triple Threat Match for the WWE Title which should go on last, but we do plan on stealing the broadcast.

I’m just saying.

Thanks for all of you that have done a little shopping at www.jrsbarbq.com as your business is greatly appreciated. We are doing personalized autographed cookbooks and affordable cap/shirt combos as a couple of items we have awaiting you for the holidays.

See you Sunday in Buffalo and then on Tuesday in Baltimore. Be well.

Boomer Sooner!
J.R.