Post by Gus on Nov 23, 2005 19:59:11 GMT -5
The PBR made this announcement today about pulling out of Tulsa:
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (November 23, 2005) The Professional Bull Riders, Inc. (PBR) and Express Sports have declined to renew the lease with the Tulsa Convention Center for the 2006 Express PBR Classic scheduled July 28-30. The decision was made due to city leaders and arena management's decision to host a competing minor league bull riding event just prior to the Built Ford Tough Series tour stop.
Last fall, Oklahoma City-based Express Sports and the Tulsa Oilers combined forces to secure Tulsa as an annual presence on the world's premier bull riding circuit, the PBR Built Ford Tough Series presented by Wrangler. The Tulsa metro area responded in a record-setting fashion as more than 14,000 fans packed the Convention Center for the three-day event. The PBR generated the highest gross ticket sales in the 41-year history of the Convention Center.
The PBR's direct economic impact on the City of Tulsa was in excess of $2 million according to data provided by the Tulsa Convention & Visitors Bureau. The event also promoted the City of Tulsa to a national television audience of 489,000 via live and taped coverage on OLN.
"I asked the PBR a year ago to take a chance on Tulsa," said Bob Funk, owner of Express Sports. "I wanted another stop in Oklahoma. I knew Tulsans would support major league bull riding. I am stunned to learn the city had opted to enter into an agreement with a minor league competitor."
Funk, Oilers' owner Jeff Lund, and PBR officials met recently with Mayor Bill LaFortune and Tulsa Chief Operating Officer Alan LaCroix in order to outline the PBR's stance on the City hosting a Built Ford Tough Series Event immediately following a Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) bull riding; the PRCA league representing the double-A standard in the sport. The PBR offered the compromise of the PRCA event occurring after the already scheduled and publicized PBR tour date in July. In the final decision, none of PBR's suggested compromises were entertained or implemented.
Convention Center Manager John Scott informed the Oilers last month that the Mayor's office elected to proceed with lease arrangements with the PRCA. Funk and Lund submitted a letter to LaFortune and Scott on Wednesday formally notifying the city of its intentions to only enter into an agreement with acceptable "non-compete" language included.
"We have major cities and venues interested in hosting Built Ford Tough Series events," said Randy Bernard, CEO of PBR. "Unfortunately, we have to take a stance in order to distance ourselves from markets that host competing minor league bull riding events just weeks prior to our dates. We had every intention of returning to Tulsa and even offered Mayor LaFortune a multi-year lease agreement that would have coincided with the opening of Tulsa's planned new downtown arena," added Bernard. "It's unfortunate that the Mayor doesn't want what is in the best interest for Tulsa. The PBR is a proven success which was shown when our event generated the highest gross ticket sales in the 41-year history of the Tulsa Convention Center."
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (November 23, 2005) The Professional Bull Riders, Inc. (PBR) and Express Sports have declined to renew the lease with the Tulsa Convention Center for the 2006 Express PBR Classic scheduled July 28-30. The decision was made due to city leaders and arena management's decision to host a competing minor league bull riding event just prior to the Built Ford Tough Series tour stop.
Last fall, Oklahoma City-based Express Sports and the Tulsa Oilers combined forces to secure Tulsa as an annual presence on the world's premier bull riding circuit, the PBR Built Ford Tough Series presented by Wrangler. The Tulsa metro area responded in a record-setting fashion as more than 14,000 fans packed the Convention Center for the three-day event. The PBR generated the highest gross ticket sales in the 41-year history of the Convention Center.
The PBR's direct economic impact on the City of Tulsa was in excess of $2 million according to data provided by the Tulsa Convention & Visitors Bureau. The event also promoted the City of Tulsa to a national television audience of 489,000 via live and taped coverage on OLN.
"I asked the PBR a year ago to take a chance on Tulsa," said Bob Funk, owner of Express Sports. "I wanted another stop in Oklahoma. I knew Tulsans would support major league bull riding. I am stunned to learn the city had opted to enter into an agreement with a minor league competitor."
Funk, Oilers' owner Jeff Lund, and PBR officials met recently with Mayor Bill LaFortune and Tulsa Chief Operating Officer Alan LaCroix in order to outline the PBR's stance on the City hosting a Built Ford Tough Series Event immediately following a Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) bull riding; the PRCA league representing the double-A standard in the sport. The PBR offered the compromise of the PRCA event occurring after the already scheduled and publicized PBR tour date in July. In the final decision, none of PBR's suggested compromises were entertained or implemented.
Convention Center Manager John Scott informed the Oilers last month that the Mayor's office elected to proceed with lease arrangements with the PRCA. Funk and Lund submitted a letter to LaFortune and Scott on Wednesday formally notifying the city of its intentions to only enter into an agreement with acceptable "non-compete" language included.
"We have major cities and venues interested in hosting Built Ford Tough Series events," said Randy Bernard, CEO of PBR. "Unfortunately, we have to take a stance in order to distance ourselves from markets that host competing minor league bull riding events just weeks prior to our dates. We had every intention of returning to Tulsa and even offered Mayor LaFortune a multi-year lease agreement that would have coincided with the opening of Tulsa's planned new downtown arena," added Bernard. "It's unfortunate that the Mayor doesn't want what is in the best interest for Tulsa. The PBR is a proven success which was shown when our event generated the highest gross ticket sales in the 41-year history of the Tulsa Convention Center."
