Thanks for taking a moment to stop by our space here on WWE.com. Things are great in the land of J.R.’s BBQ here in Oklahoma and with that said let’s get this show on the road as we are “burning daylight.”

Friday Night SmackDown emanates this week from Atlanta, once the home of multiple, regional wrestling promotions including WCW, which much like the Atlanta Falcons of the NFL, had many more “losing seasons” than winners. With that said, I still have many fond memories of working and living in Atlanta in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s before coming to WWE and lovely Connecticut in 1993.

Whatever one does, do NOT, play any sort of drinking or eating game Friday night based on a litany of Olympic Games’ references during the opening match of the night which features six SmackDown Divas in a variety of Olympic garb. This match will never be confused with a Triple H vs. HBK mat classic, but it was uniquely entertaining. Yours truly may have even channeled the late, great Jim McKay for a few seconds.

Hawkins and Ryder, along with most of “The Family” had interesting nights in Atlanta as the WWE Tag Team Champions are still looking to establish themselves as bonafide WWE Tag Champions, whose names belong with some of their more noteworthy predecessors. Just one man’s opinion, but ECW’s Morrison and Miz just might be the best tag team in the entire WWE as I write this. Ryder and Hawkins are a talented, young duo and I love their upside, but they need to step out of Edge’s shadow, including the Edge-like haircuts. The Long Island-bred duo also might want to study WWE 24/7, especially when tag teams such as Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard, the Midnight Express, and the Rock ‘n Roll Express are featured. Knowledge is power. 

Yours truly mentioned last week that Triple H will achieve the most success at SummerSlam when he defends the WWE Title against The Great Khali if The Game is able to destroy Khali’s 7-foot 3-inch vertical base. The WWE Champion makes that point abundantly clear to the most popular Indian athlete ever in WWE. I have never seen an arm wrestling contest like we featured Friday night including shards of glass on the arm wrestling table. In this contest, one can see the amazing size difference that Khali holds over Triple H and The Game is 6-foot-4!

United States Champion Shelton Benjamin faces Jeff Hardy, or is it Jeff “Harvey,” this week on SmackDown, and these two put on quite a wrestling display. It’s another strong SmackDown one-on-one match that surpasses any other bout on WWE TV this week in my biased opinion.

It looks as if Jeff Hardy and MVP will finally get their one-on-one match at SummerSlam, and this match has the potential to steal the show from where I will be sitting. Both these two athletes have glowing skills and both truly need a victory at a major pay-per-view such as SummerSlam. One of these two will likely be very disappointed in Indianapolis come Aug. 17.

In doing research on the still-undefeated-on-SmackDown Vladimir Kozlov, it seems that the Moscow Mauler started his physical training to wrestle and compete in the Russian submission style, hand-to-hand combat known as Sambo, while he was still in elementary school. The big Russian wants more competition and I am sure he will be accommodated regarding that request soon enough. Kozlov has the chance to be the most dominate Russian grappler ever in WWE, and that includes former WWWF Champ Ivan Koloff.

Friday night on SmackDown, The Brian Kendrick continues his campaign to reinvent himself, which is working in a strange sort of Pillman-esque way AND we find out Ezekiel’s last name for those of you that are keeping score at home and, no, it isn’t Ezekiel Finkel.

Edge seems to once again “steal the show” on Friday night which is getting to be habitual for arguably, in the eyes of many observers, the hottest Superstar in WWE. I don’t know if Edge is the hottest WWE Superstar or not, but he certainly seems to damn sure be the most controversial. 

Edge vs. Undertaker at SummerSlam inside Hell in a Cell may be the most compelling Cell Match any of us have ever seen, and speaking from personal experience, yours truly has seen them all and has called the action on the vast majority of them. I fully understand, as sure as Joe E. Styles loves a nice, black suit, that Edge/Taker will have to go the extra mile to overshadow Undertaker vs. Mankind from back in the day, but that is a distinct and viable possibility. I look for the Undertaker to win at SummerSlam, but if anyone thinks it is going to be a slam dunk or that Edge doesn’t have a fighting chance to beat the Deadman at his own game then think again. I would not even wager one bottle of J.R.’s Original BBQ Sauce on this one – which, BTW, one can find at WWEShop.com or at www.jrsbarbq.com. 

Did anyone notice new Raw General Manager Mike Adamle’s new haircut? It looked as if Adamle, who did a nice job on his first full night in charge of Raw, was looking to emulate the previously mentioned Dot Com Guru Styles’ classic “fade.” Suggestion for GM Adamle … don‘t lose your index cards with your notes on them. Then you might start sounding like Mike “W” Adamle.

Bravo to the new broadcast duo, at least for this past week, of Todd Grisham and Matt Striker for their efforts on ECW Tuesday night on Sci Fi.

Finally, I regularly address a variety of sports including football and MMA and wrestling topics on my blogs at www.jrsbarbq.com several times a week and I also write blogs on a regular basis for the WWE Fan Nation, which you're reading right now.

Thanks for checking in and I hope to see many of you next Tuesday night in Norfolk, Va., which is the city that I first met the legendary wrestler Lou Thesz when he attended a WCW pay-per-view at the Norfolk Scope of which I was a part. Be well everybody and count your blessings. Enjoy Friday Night SmackDown.

Boomer Sooner!
J.R.

My goodness it's warm in Oklahoma! Temps are in the 103 range today which isn't just warm but Ron Simmons' DAMN hot.

One could assume that all Monday night Raw fans will hear some sort of response from new Raw G.M. Mike Adamle Monday night in Knoxville. Remember, it's live TV without a net so Mr. Adamle's remarks will be out there to live forever. Not that is a bad thing.

Did anyone ever figure out why 'Ol J.R. was summoned to appear on Monday Night Raw last week in D.C.? Me, neither.  

NFL's Carolina Panther wide receiver Steve Smith got sent home and suspended for the first two games of this season for fighting with a teammate in practice. Back in the old days if two wrestlers started a locker room fight in Mid South Wrestling, head honcho Cowboy Bill Watts would fire anyone who broke the fight up before its conclusion. I remember one time when Butch Reed and John Nord got into a tussel in OKC on Sunday afternoon and when they arrived in Tulsa for the Sunday night TV taping, Watts made them finish the fight in the locker room area before the taping started.

The R-Truth vignettes that have been airing on Friday Night Smackdown have been on the money. Nice work by all involved. Killings found himself incarcerated for quite some time at a young age and is now doing his best to be a positive role model and not allow history to repeat itself. Killings future is largely in his own hands and I,  for one,  hope that he makes an impact over the long haul in the WWE. 

I saw some of WWE HOF'er Superstar Billy Graham's orginal art work recently and it is truly impressive. Superstar would be great at capturing  life like images of WWE Superstars either on merchandise or in publications. With The Superstar, Jerry Lawler, and Jeff Hardy all accomplished artists,  there may be more in the WWE, one coudld make an argument for another "Art Show" in 2009 at WM25 in Houston.

Time will tell how badly banged up Mick Foley will still be when it comes time to tape another edition of Friday Night Smackdown this Tuesday night in Atlanta. Perhaps G.M. Adamle would loan Lawler to SD G.M. Vickie Guerrero if Mrs. Foley's baby boy is still on the mend. Stay tuned.

If you are intrested, on my latest blog on our BBQ website which is www.jrsbarbq.com yours truly discusses a variety of topics including MMA, football, Olympic hoops, Brett Favre and more. 

Adding The Undertaker back in the mix on the Friday Night Smackdown roster only makes the strongest talent roster in the WWE even better. Just a thought but at this year's Summerslam, it would be my assumption that this will be the only Hell in a Cell match scheduled for 2008 in the WWE. I don't have any "insider" knowledge on that one but it sort of makes sense.

Todd Grisham had a solid maiden voyage as the play by play voice of Tuesday night's ECW broadcast. Todd has paid his dues in the WWE and I hope he has a long, enjoyable run as an on air talent. It certainly won't be boring Todd. Trust me on that one.  Plus, Todd gets the opportunity to work with the greatest athlete to ever attend C.W. Post University, The Tazz. Now all Todd needs to learn to do is to shreik "CATFIGHT!" ala the beloved and immortal voice of E-C-Dub, the man with the fashionable "fade", Joe E. Styles.

Down on the farm, the WWE Developmental program located in Tampa, keep an eye out for former Oklahoma Sooner All American wrestler Jake Hager who looks to have the physical tools to be a "BTP" (big time player) in the WWE much Sooner than later. Hager was a 2 sport star, football and wrestling, at OU and is in the 6'6"-270 pound range and is cat quick.  However, let's all remembrer that potential will get a guy noticed but potential won't buy the groceries over the long haul. Hager will be sternly tested if he is called up to the WWE. Jake allegedly had an alpha male-like close call  with the great TE of the New Orleans Saints Jeremy Shockey during the spring in Norman, Oklahoma. Sometimes, boys will be boys.      

I wonder how long it will take for the Boston area WWE fans to sell out the Survivor Series? It might already be "clean" which is promoter talk for a sell out. This might be the one market in American where John Cena is regarded as an overwhelming fan favorite. No one should feel sorry for Cena, a muscle car enthusiast, as he is living his dream and earning a fair amount of cash one would have to assume. I'd trade checks with John for a month just for the helluva of it and sight unseen!

Mick Foley and yours truly have worked hard to add credibility and a sense of heritage to the United States Title currently held by Shelton Benjamin. For students of the game, the individuals who have been a U.S. Champion reads like a who's who.

Thanks for checking out our blog. Excuse the spelling errors as I don't know how to use spell check on this site. I do appreciate all the emails and I am going to try and become more interactive in the future or as my schedule permits. Be well.

Boomer Sooner!
J.R.

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. 

I am looking forward to the Saturday Night's Main Event on NBC that will air Saturday Aug. 2 in prime time and will be taped prior to Monday Night Raw in Washington D.C. I'll have to set two alarms to make sure I don't miss my early morning flight from Oklahoma City to Dallas-Fort Worth to Washington D.C. It will be a long day, but it will be fun working with The King again and then being able to relax and watch Raw.

Our second J.R.'s Family Bar-B-Q Restauarant is doing super after opening on July 16. Our original place in Norman still rocks  and has overachieved since day one. We have a great team that makes all these barbecue dreams come true. Soon, we will be able to respond to your Q&A's on our Web site, which is undergoing a facelift (no jokes please) at www.jrsbarbq.com.

We have some great buys on shirts and caps for less than $10 and some clearance-priced beef jerky, too. Check them out when you have a moment. 

Friday Night SmackDown is really getting interesting and I'm  having fun working with my old pal Mick Foley. I don't know if announcing will ever replace the thrills and fun Mick had inside the ring, but I hope he sticks with annoucning for the forseeable future. We feel we are the top annoucing duo in the biz. That's our story and, of course, we are sticking to it.

The return of The Undertaker has many of us anxiously awaiting the return of The Deadman. Perhaps Edge isn't in that "anxiously awaitng list," but that's no revelation. Taker is already a WWE HOF'er in my eyes and his induction someday into the WWE Hall of Fame is a mere formality.

Good to see Shelton Benjamin taking great pride in being the United States Champion. As a kid growing up in South Carolina, the U.S. Title was a staple in the Mid-Atlantic Wrestling territory, which regularly had live events in the Carolinas, Benjamin can be as good as he chooses to be. Shelton has some amazing physical gifts that most athletes would kill for. One of the great WWE Superstars of yesteryear, the late BoBo Brazil, a WWE HOF'er, was once the U.S. Champion. I would love for men like Bobo and the late Ernie Ladd to be able to take a long car trip with Shelton and allow the U.S. Champ to sit under their impressive learning trees, because those two amazing gentlemen could see "main events" written all over the former collegiate wrestling and track star.  

Rumor has it that Raw will be getting a new General Manager soon and perhaps as early as this Monday night in D.C. That would not surprise me as that brand has been rolling somewhat out of control the past few weeks, which I can tell you has made my former broadcast partner uneasy. I have heard some amazing names mentioned as potential G.M.'s for Raw, some so extraordinary that I won't even mention them here for fear I might get laughed off WWE.com. All I can say is stay tuned because from what I hear, business is going to pick up big time on Monday Night Raw "Sooner" than later.

If chosen, I will not serve. (That's an attempt at humor.) 

Keep an eye on The Brian Kendrick as this young Superstar has designs on being in SmackDown main events in the near future. Kendrick has a great "wrestling mind" and is a true student of the game. Don't be like a sheep and be mislead about Kendrick's perceived lack of size as leverage, technique and three seconds is all it takes to win most any match. 

Look for Triple H to chop away at the legs of the 7-foot-2 Great Khali in the WWE Title Bout at the 20th Annual SummerSlam. For Triple H to successfully defend his WWE Title, The Game must destroy Khali's vertical base ... because as long as Khali is vertical, he is one unpredictable and dangerous hombre. However, Khali would be even more idolized in his homeland of India if he were to win the coveted WWE Title.

Yours truly is a big football fan as many of you know, but lately I have started watching the MMA fights on TV. I like MMA and look forward to seeing former WWE Champ Brock Lesnar in what looks to be a must-win situation fight in August from his hometown of Minneapolis. Brock has an opportunity to be one of the mainstays in MMA, but after losing his much-hyped debut, the former NCAA National Champion needs to win this, his 2nd pro MMA fight. 

Edge doing Slim Jim commercials and John Cena doing Gillette Fusion commercials not only creates great paydays for the Superstars, but allows them the opportunity to reach a new audience. I like a Slim Jim occasionally, but I am more partial to J.R.'s Beef Jerky which is 97% fat-free. 

I am a Brett Favre fan, and I would bet my bottom dollar that NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell will make sure that Bret plays for someone this season. Favre equals TV ratings and the NFL is a TV friendly sporting event that funds itself largely thru their TV revenues.

We got a cool gift from Tazz recently, a pair of his wrestling boots, orange and black singlet, and one of his signature towels to display in our of our restaurants. My personal thanks to the "Human Suplex Machine" who I had a great time a few years back broadcasting a "Royal Rumble."

Did you know that ... WWE.com guru Joe E. Styles is a barbecue lover? Strange but true as the Connecticut native worked and lived for a time in Atlanta where there is no shortage of excellent "Q." Joe E. and I talk barbecye on a regular basis and our last conversation concerned our smoked chicken wings.

Is it just me or would a well matched, 2-out-of-3 Falls Match be a heck of a TV main event on one of the WWE's broadcasts?

Remember the 2-out-of-3 Falls Match that HHH had with Stone Cold a few years ago? Back in the day, 2-out-of-3 Falls bouts were the order of the day, and the wrestlers even left the ring and returned to their locker rooms between falls so the promoters could sell more programs and hot dogs.

I read a nice article on one of the great managers and one of the strongest men to ever lace his boots, General Scandar Akbar, recently in the Tulsa World newspaper. Ak is now 73 years young and was one of my early mentors. He taught me never to be late for a booking, that it wasn't what I made but what I saved, and to always keep one's word in a business that wasn't long on truthful people. Akbar, given his ring name by Fritz Von Erich, played high school football in Vernon, Texas and whose elders came to America from Lebanon to make a better life for themselves and their family. If I had a vote, I would have no problem voting for General Scandar Akbar to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2009 in Houston.

This sort of blogging is new to me, but I enjoy communicating with you and hope you will check out our space from time to time and be sure and tell a friend about it. Who knows, some day it may do so well that I might get a little extra cheese on my burger inside the old pay envelope. :)

Take care and count your blessings. Boomer Sooner! J.R.  

I may be a little edgy or attitudinal today, because one simply has to be that way to make it big here on WWE.com, OR be a hot Diva of which I am not, nor are there enough surgical procedures in the world to accomplish such.

Nice Great American Bash Sunday in Long Island, where I noticed that most folks talked differently than I. Nonetheless, I enjoyed signing autographs and such at Franklin Square Video on Long Island with Jerry Lawler and Mick Foley, the first time all three of us were together in one place at the same time for a signing. Cool couple of hours, and I discovered what to get my pal Mick for the holidays, a Rand McNally Road Atlas or one of those little GPS systems.

SmackDown had a good Bash, and the SmackDown announce team even got to sit in the middle between the Raw and ECW announce duos … which is a spot usually occupied by Monday Night Raw. It’s sort of like being in the center square on the old Hollywood Squares TV show. “Let’s go to Mick Foley for the block.”

It looks as if Edge has many more pressing issues on his professional agenda these days other than focusing on Triple H and the WWE Championship. This “Hellacious” prophecy will be made abundantly clear before Friday Night SmackDown leaves the air this week.

Yours truly likes the skill set of Jimmy Wang Yang, but the Asian Redneck has to lose the “black” cowboy hat. This “gimmick” infringement thing is getting out of hand. Yang has a nice one-on-one non-title match with the new United States Champion Shelton Benjamin this week on SmackDown. Benjamin has every tool in the box he needs to be a star in WWE, but the question will always remain until Benjamin answers it himself: Will the Gold Standard remain focused and do all he can to get better each and every outing? Gifted athletes often times find their comfort zone and are content to remain in said zone. If the new U.S. Champ can avoid this matter, the sky is the limit for the native of South Carolina.

Hawkins and Ryder have brought the WWE Tag Titles back to SmackDown, which is a good thing, but I still have a helluva time telling the title-holding duo apart. They cause me major problems in discerning one from the other.

Did you know that the original “Dark Knight” was WWE’s own Howard Finkel? Howard has the leotards and body armor from the El Gigante collection to prove it.

Lot’s of locker room maneuvering going on these days on Friday Night SmackDown. Many folks seem to be willing to sell out their friends to better themselves, no matter the cost. Loyalty and character seem to be a fleeting trait for some within “The Family.” Gosh, it reminds me of working in the offices of a couple of wrestling territories I passed through years ago. 

I am not sure when it will be, and it could even be 2009, but some day Vladimir Kozlov has a legit chance to be a BTP (big time player.) Athletic, 6-foot-6 300-pounders don’t grow on trees.

Yours truly is generally not a fan of Battle Royals, but the Six-Man Battle Royal featured this Friday Night on SmackDown exceeded my expectations by a long shot. By the way, I pronounce it “battle royal” and not “battle Roy-AL” if anyone is keeping score at home. The winner of this Battle Royal faces the WWE Champion at SummerSlam in Indianapolis on Aug. 17 … the same day my friends, ZZ Top, are coming to Oklahoma City … dammit!

Congrats to Michelle McCool for becoming the first ever Divas Champion. Someone can and will be “next,” but no one can ever be “first.” Michelle was an outstanding, three-sport athlete while playing basketball, volleyball, and softball in high school and was a Division I athlete at Florida State University, Ron “Damn” Simmons’ Alma Mater. Michelle was also a former high school teacher in Florida. 

Brian Kendrick looked to be channeling the late Brian Pillman on SmackDown this week, as you will see when you tune in on Friday night. Kendrick is developing quite the “attitude” of which Mick Foley says that Kendrick has had all along and that Brian has always been a jerk. I never noticed that particular trait, but I will take Mrs. Foley’s baby boy’s word for it. The things a wrestler like Brian Kendrick would do in the ring to headline a PPV are frightening.

I have yet to see Ezekiel in action but he is one, put together, big dude. For some reason, I don’t think ‘Zeke is a traditional bodyguard, but, of course, I could be wrong … which is another term for “straddling the fence” which is big in this business. BTW Kendrick’s Sliced Bread No. 2 finishing maneuver has been changed to “The Kendrick” by Kendrick himself. 

Did you know … that fans in the Oklahoma City area that come to J.R.’s Family Bar-B-Q can watch Friday Night SmackDown on the many flat screen TV’s we have available? Plus, we are launching a new look on our Web site which you all know, love and occasionally visit, www.jrsbarbq.com. 

My best wishes to Raw broadcaster Michael Cole and his family during the onslaught of Hurricane Dolly which hit Cole’s south Texas home area with a double-breasted vengeance. There may be something wrong with using the word “Dolly” and double breasted in the same sentence.

The next NBC Saturday Night’s Main Event is slated to be taped this Monday in Washington D.C. as I understand it. I am not sure who is broadcasting the event, but I do know I am looking forward to the Tuesday night SmackDown taping in Hershey, Pa. This SNME is slated for one hour, and will decidely be more exciting than the middle leg of the “Tour de France.”

Thanks for checking in, and finding our space. By doing so you have just qualified for the F.B.I. Academy.

Boomer Sooner!
J.R.