Grilling JR

[SomethingSavage]

JR did a lot of Starrcast shilling during the Punk episode. Like, A LOT a lot.

There wasn't much of interest in terms or insight or stories. You really get the sense that JR was well outside the inner circle by this time.

It always bothers me when Conrad doesn't care to correct assumptions or misunderstandings on his shows. He just lets JR goes on this tirade (several times, in fact) about Punk being a WM main eventer in his eyes - by way of the Taker match - despite the fact that it's actually Punk himself (and not the fans, as JR had assumed) who has voiced that he's NOT the main event if he's not on last.

Highlight of the episode though? It's got to be JR talking about Hunter and Shawn's issues with Punk's look. The line from Hunter about Punk's white ass being "too big" and "too soft" is just bizarre - and yet, it's exactly the sort of criticism I'd expect from Hunter.

[JerryvonKramer]

Encourage people to dig out the Harley Race episode if only for the story about him looking at the mirror with Vince trying to bribe him with $250k to give him the NWA belt.

 

The more Vince stories one hears, the more he really was the real life Million Dollar Man.

[BigBadMick]

I really enjoyed that one too, Parv. 

 

Whatever flaws the the show has, it’s refreshing to hear Ross go off on management. He clearly doesn’t give a fuck anymore. 

[SomethingSavage]

I've been enjoying JR's show most weeks, but that Harley Race episode was a brutal chore.

[BigBadMick]

Oh, I thought Parv meant the Vince McMahon episode.

[El-P]

So, what I got from the Jerry Lawler episode is that really, most of the stuff he's been involved in in WWE has been pretty bad apart from the first Bret feud (not the 1995 one) and that he had "legal issues" in 1993, which was resolved. I understand JR and Lawler are best friend, but I dunno, it came off like a huge cop out to me to just say "legal issues". Conrad basically sent people toward the Survivor Series 93 podcast with Brucie. I mean, I understand why, but it did not come off well.

Also, did you know once JR had a lunch with the Rock when they were hiring him, and every waitress came to the table wanting to serve him because he had a tank top and looked like a God ? No ? Because I think that's the fourth or fifth time he's telling that story already. 

The SS95 episode was ok and I was interested in the topic, but really, JR is grumpy, ranting, repeating himself a lot and not very compelling at this point.

[Johnny Sorrow]

You can make a drinking game out of this show. Every time JR creates a straw man to argue with, take a shot. 

[SomethingSavage]

This show has had some moments, but yeah. The frumpy, grumpy JR has become more and more noticeable.

I did crack up during the ad read for some cell service or WiFi or whatever, where Conrad is selling it & JR comes in with, "Eh, if you're a user... If you use the internet, ya know... You're gonna want to check this out."

Hell of a sales pitch on a podcast.

[BruiserBrody]

Salty JR is fun.  Anything pre-2000s is still a good listen for me. 

Hearing about Terri's penis and Mabel viagra induced masturbation sessions is better than Corny's 2 day too late AEW rantings. 

[BruiserBrody]

I know the fans voted on it, but this week is my least favorite type of Conrad podcast.... one of his podcast hosts talking about another wrestling personality who has/is covering his own career.

I tapped out 20-30 mins in when "Eric B in the WWE" was just JR rehashing his own WCW experiences-  stories he has already told on this podcast. .  

[SomethingSavage]

I'm fairly hot & cold toward this podcast.

The Lawler episode was certainly a letdown. I will say that I enjoyed hearing JR briefly go on (very glowingly) about how much Jerry genuinely loves the business. I can definitely see that ringing true.

But yeah. The week prior, JR tried to pitch it to people like it would be more about Lawler's less discussed stuff - speaking specifically about Mempho and his AWA ties.

Instead, it was basically a beat by beat breakdown of Jerry's WWF tenure. Which we should expect coming from Conrad, but it's doubly lame because we JUST got the same ground covered by Bruce over on that show.

There was very little to discuss here. It was just reading facts and results, which is the most tasteless go-to recipe for these Conrad shows. And unfortunately it feels like we get these more often than the interesting ones.

[SomethingSavage]

The Armageddon 04 episode wasn't too bad. There's still ample saltiness for sure, but there's also plenty to enjoy.

As a proud Rollins hater, I'm loving the not-so-subtle shots at Seth. I'm particularly amused that a discussion about Maven of all people is what originally brought it on. But yeah. Given the same push and positioning, I see no reason why Maven would draw any better or worse than Seth Rollins. They're equally ineffective, bland, and inconsequential to everything. They make no difference in either direction. They command exactly the same amount of attention. Same/same.

Watching a Seth Rollins match is a lot like looking at a car commercial. It evokes the same response. It's just movement and a bunch of turns. Means nothing. All motion. Zero emotion.

Guys who somehow earn bucket loads of money without earning it sums up Seth Rollins to me. Well done, JR.

That Jerry Lawler news story sounds like a Coens Brothers film waiting to happen. Professional entertainer is out of town, so his stripper one night stand & her goon squad attempt to burglarize his secret jukebox safe in his home. Just rescript the finish so that The King returns home off the road in time to stumble upon the heist, and boom. Instant screenplay.

I totally forgot about that funky period when Big Show was using the F-5(00) as a finish. What a weird, petty thing.

[BigBadMick]

This weeks podcast provided one unforseen laugh for me. Jr had been spouting cliches and generalities as replies for a while, then Conrad asked why Daniel puder never took off. Jr thought he was asking about other tough enough contestants Miz and Ryback and launched into an answer. Unusually for Conrad (with jr, anyway) he testily stopped him in his tracks and clarified the question. 

 

Just seemed like Conrad had had all Jr's bullshit he could handle for 1 day. 

[Johnny Sorrow]

JR was clearly smoking weed on this show, which led to something I've never heard before, someone being cranky and stoned.

[SomethingSavage]

I mean, is JR the moodiest motherfucker on the planet? Pretty sure he's runner up, if not.

There are still some decent discussion points here or there. But, at the drop of a black hat, the guy can go from thanking the fans to just spastically bitching about the words "war" and "push" like a fucking madman. In the most condescending manner imaginable. Without any provocation whatsoever.

It's a little weird and awkward, like hearing your crazy uncle rant and rave about some deep-rooted personal grudge he still holds from his days of high school football or some shit.

Although it's not a priority in my rotation or anything, I'm still sticking with the show and giving it a listen. But man. He makes it hard to get through some weeks.

[rovert]

JR has always been cranky apparently but loosens up a lot after a few drinks.

Social media really wrecks people too.

[BruiserBrody]

On 12/28/2019 at 6:45 PM, SomethingSavage said:

I mean, is JR the moodiest motherfucker on the planet? Pretty sure he's runner up, if not.

There are still some decent discussion points here or there. But, at the drop of a black hat, the guy can go from thanking the fans to just spastically bitching about the words "war" and "push" like a fucking madman. In the most condescending manner imaginable. Without any provocation whatsoever.

It's a little weird and awkward, like hearing your crazy uncle rant and rave about some deep-rooted personal grudge he still holds from his days of high school football or some shit.

Although it's not a priority in my rotation or anything, I'm still sticking with the show and giving it a listen. But man. He makes it hard to get through some weeks.

I thought Cranky JR made the Starrcade 88 episode fantastic!  

This week's Nitro review was highlighted by Conrad shilling for car insurance (ROOT) only to be interrupted by JR telling a story about his football coach calling big cocks "Roots" and how one of his current friends is nicknamed "Swampy"" due to his "Swamp root" which reaches deep in the ground. Conrad no sold it and moved along. 

[SomethingSavage]

15 hours ago, BruiserBrody said:

I thought Cranky JR made the Starrcade 88 episode fantastic!  

I don't disagree, to be honest. I dug that episode. I sometimes have to search & sift through JR's bitching & groaning to find little gems to enjoy, but this one was alright.

I liked all the talk about Flair and the NWA Championship especially. The unfair comparisons, what he did to boost Sting and Luger, etc. It's all material that has been covered elsewhere, for sure. But it's neat to hear JR weigh in with his thoughts on Flair's influence overall.

I also liked his brief talk about sometimes being expected to fake or force more emotion or excitement in his commentary. I don't want to misquote him, but it was something along the lines of needing a better beat or tune to make a hit song. In other words, give me something to work with & I'll gladly match it.

[BruiserBrody]

JR going off on text lingo and emojis at the 24 min mark of the Bret Hart 2010 podcast that was just released had me HOWLING.  

[Petey]

Yea it was one of the many example of JR's "old man yells at cloud" character. A couple of days after that ep, I was listening to one of the WHW with Tony Schiavone podcast's from over the summer and Tony was talking about how he frequently includes emojis in his texts.

I'll always like JR but good grief his constant rants against "push" and "war" and anytime someone directs a negative tweet at him can make his podcast insufferable. The other issue is that a lot of the WWF content has already been covered with Bruce so there's often not a lot that JR can add to those topics. That said, I do think the Crockett/WCW stuff tends to be better since JR seems to have a decent memory of that era and it hasn't been covered to death. I wish they'd focus more on that time period but my guess is that it'll never get the download numbers that WWF/E content generates.

[SomethingSavage]

JR was extra cranky & super salty on those last few episodes. He goes the fuck off on everyone from emojis and his own daughters' texts to "click mongers" and the little bastards that can't create their own promos. It's awkward and embarrassing and AMAZING to hear.

I don't love it, but I damn sure don't hate it. I guess the weirdest thing is how the smallest talking point can set him off, and he has no problem derailing the whole ass conversation in order to huff and puff about pushes and wars and other assorted horse shit. It's fascinating.

The Conrad watch-alongs need to die a sudden death in a dozen dirty dumpster fires though. Those shits are the worst. There's never any redeeming value to them. It's just random babbling and unfunny inside jokes about Conrad's house or whatever dick sponsor they've got to plug that week.

The only entertaining watch-alongs i've ever heard from Conrad's camp came on the early days of Tony's show, which is the only one I completely steer clear of anymore. But the ECW and Mania watch-alongs with Tony were at least enjoyable enough back then. All this recent stuff is a chore and only serves as meaningless background noise.

[Petey]

The Barely Legal watch-along was one of my favorite things ever. Tony's first exposure to ECW and him trying to name the wrestlers got me every time. For the most part they're whatever and of all the podcasts I listen to, WHW is the least priority but sometimes I enjoy it as a change of pace. Conrad's at his most insufferable but there are worse things.

[SomethingSavage]

Absolutely loved that Barely Legal episode, and I believe I posted my initial thoughts about it over in the WHW thread.

I also recall really enjoying the Mania X8 watch-along from Tony and Conrad. Tony put over Rocky and Hogan HAYUGE in that show.

Any recent ones you'd recommend? I've steered clear for a long, long time.

[Matt D]

56 minutes ago, Petey said:

The Barely Legal watch-along was one of my favorite things ever. Tony's first exposure to ECW and him trying to name the wrestlers got me every time. For the most part they're whatever and of all the podcasts I listen to, WHW is the least priority but sometimes I enjoy it as a change of pace. Conrad's at his most insufferable but there are worse things.

I tried the episode with the old Mid-atlantic, but right when Tony started to give some insight on people he DID know, Conrad forced him to give them goofy names and I was done.

[Petey]

On 1/12/2020 at 5:52 PM, SomethingSavage said:

Absolutely loved that Barely Legal episode, and I believe I posted my initial thoughts about it over in the WHW thread.

I also recall really enjoying the Mania X8 watch-along from Tony and Conrad. Tony put over Rocky and Hogan HAYUGE in that show.

Any recent ones you'd recommend? I've steered clear for a long, long time.

Nothing stands out in particular but anything non-NWA/WCW is usually pretty good because Tony's particularly engaged and Conrad can't fall back on "LOLWCW so stupid!" or "mid-80's Crockett ain't for me".