Post by CThrash13 on Sept 21, 2008 21:33:28 GMT -5
Another BFTS event is in the books, and there are only four more before the PBR World Finals. Here are a few random things on my mind after Jacksonville.
Built Ford Tough Standings
First off, congrats to J.B. Mauney on his second consecutive win. The youngster is definitely starting to find his groove at the right time. He has hung in there all season while not riding his best, and now he seems to be peaking. He has moved up to third in the BFTS standings and is only a ride or so away from moving to second. If I was a betting person, I'd throw some money his way in Vegas.
Speaking of the BFTS standings, Guilherme Marchi had another mediocre weekend. He rode one out of two (technically he rode his first bull but bucked off the reride bull) and missed yet another short-go round. I mentioned last week that it seems like the pressure is starting to affect him, and that looked like the situation this event as well. He isn't far off from where he was a few months ago, but in bull riding, the guys don't have to be far off to struggle.
Marchi's lead in the standings is still over 3,600 points, and he will have to completely crumble to get bumped out of top spot. That being said, J.B. Mauney's two straight wins has made things a little uncomfortable to say the least. The other top guys haven't pounced on opportunity the last couple months, but Mauney is doing that and more. It's still a long shot, but things are getting a little dicey at least.
Personally, I'd like to see Marchi finish the year off strong. I'd hate for him to win it all by limping to the finish line. Here's to hoping he has a great Finals and gets the job done.
Random Bull Thoughts
Did anyone else think the short-go round of bulls was pretty weak? The events in Florida aren't ever as good as the ones in the Midwest, but this one was pretty lackluster at best. In fact, it felt more like a decent long-go round than a short-go round. Bones was the only bull scored above a 45, and there were 12 others scored below a 44. That's not going to get the job done.
Also, I'm officially eliminating Chicken on a Chain from Bull of the Year contention. He was hanging by a thread on my list because he wasn't in good health a month or so ago, but his out this week wasn't good enough to keep him in the top five. There are too many others out there that have been more consistent over the span of the entire season. I would have loved to see CoaC pop out another 46 or 47, but it just didn't happen. Maybe next year!
Another disappointing bull was Blackjack. They hyped the hell out of him going into the short-go round, and he delivered a 43-point out. I'll give him a pass because it was his first time under BFTS lights, but they probably shouldn't have said anything until we got to see an out or two from him. His scores on the lower tours have been great as of late, but the bright lights may have blinded him. I do, however, look forward to seeing his second out.
As for bulls that impressed me, I'll start with Bones. I've been very pleased with his outs so far, and he is gaining some respect as the weeks pass. He may be a contender in 2009. Two others that caught my eye were Ghetto Booty and Man Law. Ghetto Booty was one of the few bulls that scored over 44 in the short-go round, and that was after a 44+ in the long go as well. Man Law continued to improve after starting out the season a little sluggish. He was nearly 45 points with Kasey Hayes in the first round.
The Final Say
That's all I have for now. I figured I'd throw in a few rider and bull comments from the past event. Feel free to chip in with your impressions, favorite moments, etc. from the BFTS event in Jacksonville. We might as well get some discussion, debate, etc. going. Nonetheless, keep an eye out for this week's matchups and other thoughts. Thanks for reading!
Built Ford Tough Standings
First off, congrats to J.B. Mauney on his second consecutive win. The youngster is definitely starting to find his groove at the right time. He has hung in there all season while not riding his best, and now he seems to be peaking. He has moved up to third in the BFTS standings and is only a ride or so away from moving to second. If I was a betting person, I'd throw some money his way in Vegas.
Speaking of the BFTS standings, Guilherme Marchi had another mediocre weekend. He rode one out of two (technically he rode his first bull but bucked off the reride bull) and missed yet another short-go round. I mentioned last week that it seems like the pressure is starting to affect him, and that looked like the situation this event as well. He isn't far off from where he was a few months ago, but in bull riding, the guys don't have to be far off to struggle.
Marchi's lead in the standings is still over 3,600 points, and he will have to completely crumble to get bumped out of top spot. That being said, J.B. Mauney's two straight wins has made things a little uncomfortable to say the least. The other top guys haven't pounced on opportunity the last couple months, but Mauney is doing that and more. It's still a long shot, but things are getting a little dicey at least.
Personally, I'd like to see Marchi finish the year off strong. I'd hate for him to win it all by limping to the finish line. Here's to hoping he has a great Finals and gets the job done.
Random Bull Thoughts
Did anyone else think the short-go round of bulls was pretty weak? The events in Florida aren't ever as good as the ones in the Midwest, but this one was pretty lackluster at best. In fact, it felt more like a decent long-go round than a short-go round. Bones was the only bull scored above a 45, and there were 12 others scored below a 44. That's not going to get the job done.
Also, I'm officially eliminating Chicken on a Chain from Bull of the Year contention. He was hanging by a thread on my list because he wasn't in good health a month or so ago, but his out this week wasn't good enough to keep him in the top five. There are too many others out there that have been more consistent over the span of the entire season. I would have loved to see CoaC pop out another 46 or 47, but it just didn't happen. Maybe next year!
Another disappointing bull was Blackjack. They hyped the hell out of him going into the short-go round, and he delivered a 43-point out. I'll give him a pass because it was his first time under BFTS lights, but they probably shouldn't have said anything until we got to see an out or two from him. His scores on the lower tours have been great as of late, but the bright lights may have blinded him. I do, however, look forward to seeing his second out.
As for bulls that impressed me, I'll start with Bones. I've been very pleased with his outs so far, and he is gaining some respect as the weeks pass. He may be a contender in 2009. Two others that caught my eye were Ghetto Booty and Man Law. Ghetto Booty was one of the few bulls that scored over 44 in the short-go round, and that was after a 44+ in the long go as well. Man Law continued to improve after starting out the season a little sluggish. He was nearly 45 points with Kasey Hayes in the first round.
The Final Say
That's all I have for now. I figured I'd throw in a few rider and bull comments from the past event. Feel free to chip in with your impressions, favorite moments, etc. from the BFTS event in Jacksonville. We might as well get some discussion, debate, etc. going. Nonetheless, keep an eye out for this week's matchups and other thoughts. Thanks for reading!