Random BBQ'ed thoughts from under the custom made, black Oklahoma hat.

This week's Friday Night Smackdown emanates from the Igloo in Pittsburgh, home of Sid "the Kid" Crosby, yes we watch hockey in Oklahoma, and it is a broadcast that continues to establish rivalries and begin to establish newly drafted competitors to the Friday night brand.

And yes,  it's still a hotter show than Monday Night Raw. O.K. so I'm not overly objective about the team for which I play. Is that so wrong? Should a man not be passionate about his brand? Can I not show my feelings? Is it so wrong for a man to cry?

Lighten Up Francis.  

The main event Friday night between #1 contender Jeff Hardy and the "disrespected" Chris Jericho is a stout, two segment bout.

Jericho is so talented both athletically and verbally but the verbal aspect of his game is wearing thin on many. It might be akin to taking a long, van trip with Cryme Tyme and a couple of Divas and having to stop for coffee every time one saw a Starbucks. After a few hours, no matter how entertaining the journey was when it started, it would get old.

C.M. (Chicago Made) Punk is looking forward to his return to the Windy City for Judgment Day (what in the hell ever happened to the "E" in Judgment anyway??) in his home town. Punk is attitudinal and talented and needs more mic time because his outspoken nature is entertaining or at least it is to me.  

I expect several members of the Chicago Bears, some of them former OU Sooners, to attend the PPV in the All State arena which is one of the most amazing venues in the world to see WWE in person.

Rey Mysterio is elated to be back on Friday Night Smackdown and I can't think of any WWE Superstar who has developed more popularity on the Friday night broadcast than the masked underdog of all peoples. We have a silver, Mysterio mask Rey wore when he returned from injury last year at Summerslam that is beautifully framed for display at J.R.s Family BBQ in Norman. This was a gracious gift from Rey and it is most appreciated.  Thanks Rey!

If John Morrison has displayed some young, HBK tendencies at times, then the Shaman isn't the only young Smackdown star who reminds yours truly of other famous wrestlers of yesteryear.

Dolph Ziggler has a little young "Mr. Perfect" in him and I'm not just talking about his hair color. Ziggler is cocky, confident and athletic just like Curt Hennig was. 

Big, raw boned Mike Knox reminds me of a young Frank Goodish aka Bruiser Brody circa the mid 70's. Goodish/Brody was a big man who was athletic, quick for his size, had great balance, and a mean streak. Plus the behind the scenes Goodish/Brody was very well read and had a high IQ. Knox at this stage of his game has similar traits. 

Only time will tell if Morrison, Ziggler, and Knox achieve the same level of success of the men of which they remind me. 

Today I was at our BBQ joint enjoying a sampling of hickory smoked chicken, pulled pork, and chopped brisket (no eye rolling please) and I had the opportunity to meet some WWE fans from the Atlanta area. They had just flown from Atlanta to OKC to attend the graduation ceremony at Oklahoma State which is only a little over an hour and change north of our place. We had a nice visit and they encouraged us to put a J.R.'s in Atlanta. Who knows, some day it might happen. 

BTW all foods at J.R.'s Family BBQ are Major League Baseball "approved" which means that newly suspended Manny Ramirez can dine at J.R.'s all he wants with no worries and Manny's first meal is on me. Manny can play baseball but obviously Manny isn't too bright. Of course, even after his hiatus Manny will still make about $34M this year which is a bunch of BBQ. So much for "Mannywood."

Why is Umaga so seemingly hellbent on destroying C.M. Punk? I don't get it. I think dot com guru Dr. Joe E. Styles should dispatch either Stocky Balboa or HOF'er Howard Finkel to get an exclusive with Umaga even if they have to fly to the "ISLE" of Samoa. Sure beats the "ISLE" of Malta this time of year. I guarantee you that "The Fink" could find an inexpensive airfare which would be even less than some executive's lunches in New York City.    

Wow...what happened to Charlie Haas? The native Okie and grad of Seton Hall had his most physically aggressive outing in a WWE ring in years this week on Smackdown. Watch this week and you'll see what I'm talking about. 

Did you know? Ricky Ortiz is now a member of the Friday Night Smackdown roster? "Sources say" that Ortiz isn't too popular in the locker room but I have no idea why nor do I know if that "rumor" is true. Might be the rally towel.

Edge does color commentary with Todd Grisham and me on Friday night during the Jeff-Jericho main event. Edge has a future at the announce desk after his wrestling days have ended. I've worked with the best in the business over the last 30+ years and I will assure you that Edge could quickly rise to the level of many of the men that I have broadcast with and do so in a short length of time.

ESPN's Rachel Nichols being assigned to go to Hattiesburg, Mississippi to report on the Bret Favre situation feels about as out of place as the Great Khali being selected to read the great works of Hemingway to elementary school kids in the Carolinas. I'm happy that Bret is staying retired even though he would have had a blast playing with Adrian Peterson in Minnesota. I'll bet little Rachel didn't have any BBQ while down in Mississippi.  

Curt Hawkins has a new "make over" and wait until you see it. Check that, it's Zach Ryder who has the new "make over" and Ryder wrestles Thursday night on WGN America on WWE Superstars. I guess I answered my own question as to why Hawkins and Ryder needed new looks. Both are much better wrestlers than some folks perceive and now that they are on their own I think we will be pleasantly surprised at how well they both do.

Don't adjust your TV sets, it's just the multiple, color patterns worn by ECW broadcaster Josh Mathews (if that is his real name.) I jest....Josh is a good young man who is going to evolve into a broadcasting fixture in WWE unless he picks up Dusty Rhodes' lisp from working with "The Dream" on broadcasts down in Tampa. Mathews and Matt Striker are fun to listen to on ECW even though Striker is a self professed wrestling nerd which isn't really a bad thing.

Nothing like watching the inmates run the asylum on Raw as WWE Champion Randall Orton and Legacy apparently are doing. GM Vickie Guerrero better grasp the bull by the horns before the "Most Watched Show in the History of the World on Cable TV" implodes.

Speaking of the train wreck known as Raw, why wouldn't WWE officials intervene when Big Show was annihilating John Cena Monday night knowing full well that Cena was on the "injured list?"  

When will TMZ report of the alleged relationship between MVP and "The View's" Sherri Shepherd? What, there's no relationship? That's not what I heard. As a matter of fact, Michael Cole inferred to me that the charismatic duo washaving a "Vintage" relationship. Charismatic duo as in MVP and Sherri and NOT Cole and King. Oh, my!

Why isn't WWE.com Shop selling Jerry Lawler T shirts? The King wears new "Kingwear" seemingly every week on Raw almost begging for WWE to sell its first ever Jerry Lawler shirt. Nothing like a man who takes great pains in what he wears on global TV.....a new T shirt every week. Now that's dedication.

Just so you're aware, if Eve and Layla ever do have a real wrestling match T.G. (Todd Grisham) has told me he's going to shriek "CATFIGHT" ala one of my heroes, Joe E. Styles, but I have advised T.G. that he can't follow Joe and to just.......let it go.

This week we return to Dayton, Ohio for our Smackdown taping on Tuesday night. This was the city in 1993 that I broadcast the King of the Ring won by the WWE Hall of Famer and wrestling Icon Bret "Hitman" Hart right before I mysteriously disappeared from the PPV scene for an extended amount of time. I guess I didn't have such a great night as I seemingly joined Henry Hill in the witness protection program after that event. What a chapter that will be in my unpublished memoirs.....BROTHER!!

A couple of my blogs created a little controversey this week on www.jrsbarbq.com but such is life. Read them for yourself and you be the judge. We also sell the world's best BBQ Sauce plus autographed caps and cookbooks on our small, BBQ site as well.

Be well and hurry back.

Boomer Sooner!

J.R.