Iron Cowboy - Part 3

What needs to change and how I would do it



Besides the obvious things from my Part 1 post (start time, concert, etc.), there two aspects that I would like to discuss in more detail. One is the reride situation, and the other is the format of the event itself.


First, re-rides and replays have to be part of the competition. There is a reason for both during the regular events and there is a reason for it in this format, as well. Have a pen of the best ABBI bulls as the re-rides. Start promoting the younger bulls on a big stage.

Second, the format needs to be tweaked. Twenty four riders was too many, in my opinion. There was a lot of discusssion about the fact that all forty should have been invited, but I disagree. I think that this event needs to be version of other sports all-star games, the best of the best.

Let's move this event to the start of the second half (after the summer break) and narrow it down to the Top 15 from the first half of the season. The 16th spot will be filled after the top 4 Touring Pro riders go head to head at the beginning of the night. This does two things. Introduce the top young riders to a huge crowd and give them a chance to build an immediate following. Two, it fills time, since there will be fewer out with only the top 16 in the tournament.

Once we have the 16th rider, everyone rides, and similar to the NBA dunk contest, the best 8 scores advance (ties are broken by rider score). This will eliminate the aggravation of Kody Lostroh riding for 88 and going home, while others fall off their bulls and move on (at least for the first round).

Now we are down to eight. Here is where I am torn. Do you start the head to head format at this point, or go one more round with the top 4 scores advancing? Personally, I would rather see the top 4 advance before the head to head is introduced.


Once the final four is in place, there is an intermission (which is where the concert would come in), so that the guys can take an hour break or so, then they ride head to head for the Iron Cowboy buckle.


I am sure that not everyone will agree with this format either, but I think that it addresses some of the issues with the event.


Since it is pretty clear at this point that the "Iron Cowboy" isn't going away, I hope that the PBR can make some adjustments, so that it becomes a great event.


God Bless Cowboys.

Iron Cowboy - Part 2

What parts of the Iron Cowboy should stay in place?

In my opinion, there are some aspects of the Iron Cowboy event that should continue in order to make the event successful.

This event needs to be held in Dallas, and specifically at Cowboys Stadium. That is part of what makes it a spectacle. This is a great area of the country for western lifestyle, while still being an area of growth for the sport. Houston and Dallas are huge markets with lots of money that the PBR needs to tap into. Reliant Stadium would be a good candidate to alternate with Cowboys Stadium if things get stale.

The Iron Cowboy needs to be an elimination type format. Not necessarily a head to head bracket, but the whole idea of the "Iron Cowboy" is that of a survival style event (this doesn't mean that you get to "survive" even though you fell off your bull. I have a couple of ideas to make this the case without seeing a string of buck-offs result in $260,000 being given out for a 4.4 second ride.

It needs to include an "invited" list of bull riders. It is for the best of the best only. I know that there are lots of PBR fans who want to see everyone included, but I think that the only way this event survives, is as an All-Star Game type of event.

Other than these, I am not sure if any of the rest of the event proved itself worthy of being repeated.

I will expand on ways to improve the rest of the event in my next blog post.

God Bless Cowboys.

Iron Cowboy - Part 1

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

The Good:

50,000+ : Bull riding fans invade the greatest stadium in the U.S.

Bull Riders of the past: This weekend was a virtual reunion for riders from the 60's to the 90's. All to see someone win more in one night than they did in their whole careers.

Kody Lostroh: riding for 88 points and showing no signs of pain.

Dallas Cowboys Stadium: Even if it isn't the best bullriding venue, it is impressive.

Location: Having the "Super Bowl" of bull riding in Dallas only makes sense.

Iron Cowboy concept: It needs tweaking, but it can work (I'll discuss my ideas later this week).

Production: This was a step up in production level for teh PBR and it went off pretty seamlessly. There were a couple of issues, but it went pretty well for the first time.

Seeing the Bulls: It was great to be able to take pictures of and watch the bulls prior to the event.

The Bad:

Bulls: They didn't buck very well in the wide open arena

Logistics: Brackets were hard to keep up with since they were bucking in different areas. Each bracket needed to have a corner. More on this later this week.

Riders: With the bulls having "off" days, the guys should have ridden more of them. I think that there were a lot of nerves which is backed up by the fact that, for the most part, the older riders outperformed the "Posse".

Gary Allan: Great songs, hard to look at. Just scrap the concert. We were all there to see the PBR.

Start/Finish Time: Should have started at 7pm, at the latest. Getting back to the hotel at midnight was a letdown. I was beat after driving all day, and didn't get to visit with any of the riders, etc. that were staying at the Hilton.

The Ugly:

No Rerides: Don't know who made this decision. Not good at all. When there is that much money on the line, you can't eliminate guys whose bulls fall down, get hooked in the gate, or the riders who don't get the gate opened when they ask.

Traffic: No explanation needed

No replays: Sorry to all of the Brazilian fans, but Marchi slapped one bull before he fell off and fell of another short of his competitor, only to get a long count from the clock. Both would have been overturned, and it might have changed the entire outcome of the evening.

Kody Lostroh: Not getting to see a guy who made one of the best rides of the night, while several guys advanced multiple rounds without making a ride at all.

The Motorcycles: You know what I'm talking about. It was a good thought, but it was awkward and unnecessary.

As you can see from the list, there were more negatives than positives this go around for the "Iron Cowboy", but I really think it can work and be a great event. More on that tomorrow.

God Bless Cowboys.

PBR's "Mauney Rules"

As I write this blog, I know full well that there are dozens, if not hundreds, of folks posting or reading posts on PBR.com (Finally we can get rid of PBRNOW.com)following today's event in Oklahoma City. They are ranting and raving about the alleged bias that is taking place on the PBR's Built Ford Tough Series toward none other than J.B. Mauney. The opinions will be as diverse as the fans of the PBR. Some will swear that the PBR is doing everything that they can to help J.B. win, and is going to hell in a handbasket. Those same fans are the ones who think that Ty and Jewel being on the WWE broadcast tomorrow night is a sign of things to come for the PBR. Others will defend J.B. and claim that those who continue to complain, only do so when these things happen to J.B., and not when they happen to Chris Shivers, Mike White, or any other number of "good guys". The fact is that the truth lies somewhere in the middle.

You can probably tell from the opening paragraph of this blog where I stand on this, but it wasn't always like this. When I started following the PBR on a weekly basis and really becoming a fanatic, instead of a casual fan, I was not a supporter of J.B. Mauney. I fell into the same crap that a lot of the posters on PBR.com fall into. I didn't like his hair, his goatee, his attitude, etc., etc. I wanted to see Kody whip him every week. However, as I began to watch J.B. during the remainder of the season, I began to respect what he is about, and how he goes about his job. While attending the finals, I was still pulling very hard for Kody Lostroh, but I found myself wanting J.B. to continue his run towards something that noone had done before. When they announced that Kody had held on, I was ecstatic for him and his family, but I had learned to look at J.B. in a different way.

As I watched J.B. and compare him with his counterparts and with other athletes that I have been around, or studied, the same attributes that the "greats" have stand out. He puts in the time, he puts out maximum effort on a more consistent basis than anyone on tour, and he is never afraid to go after the rankest bull in the pen.

These are the things that gain respect in any sport, and especially in the sport of bull riding. J.B. is the epitome of "cowboy" to me. Being a cowboy isn't about starched Wranglers and 20X hats. Any clown can go to Cavender's and buy these the night the rodeo comes to town. It also isn't always about pushing cattle or whispering to horses. The basis of the cowboy attitude is hard work, fierce independence, and more hard work. Yes, we all love the clean cut cowboy with the "awe shucks" attitude, but that stereotype doesn't fit every bull rider. It takes a lot of guts, confidence, and intensity to get on the back of a bull one time, much less 5-6 bulls a week, year after year. Sometimes that confidence comes off the wrong way. Sometimes that intensity leads to fits of rage after failing to reach your objective. Of course, we would all like these guys to handle failure like Cord McCoy, but not everyone is blessed with that type of personality. J.B. has a chip on his shoulder. He has been told that he doesn't have what it takes for a long time, and like any great competitor, he carries that with him. He takes flack for everything from his facial hair to his tobacco use, but regardless of any of that, he stays on the back of bulls, and that is what he gets paid to do. Right now, he is doing it better than anyone in the world, and I, for one, hope he keeps it up.

God Bless Cowboys.