I am READY for Mandatory Helmets, what about you?

[NoGeeksPls]

Hi everyone,

I thought I would post this topic and see what others think.

I am ready to see the PBR enact a mandatory helmet rule.

I see no reason not to. I personally do not want or need to see head injuries that could be prevented or greatly reduced by the PBR enacting a mandatory helmet rule.

As a long time NHL fan, I remember the old days when there were no helmets, then optional helmets and then they phased in to mandatory helmets.

There are enough injury opporutnites in the sport of Bull Riding, that I think it is not too much to ask the PBR to try to mitigate head injuries by enacting this rule.

I applaud the decision the other night of NOT allowing one of the riders to ride because of an injury-not fully checked out by doctors- the previous day. I do hope that Dr. Tandy is given the ultimate say.

I do not think mandatory helmets will take anything away from the great sport of Bull Riding, except some future tragedy.

What do you think??

[cowboyup1991]

i think the pbr is on its way to it, do i agree well no. yes i do ride with one but it still should be the cowboys decision. Every helmet you see in the arena is simply a hockey helmet go to any western store that sells rodeo gear and read the sticker on the back of the helmet, (this is on the back of all three of mine) one sticker says HECC Certified hockey player helmet and one that says certified hockey helmet CSA. Even the bull tough helmets are just a hockey helmet with a souped up facemask. Also the facemask on these "bull riding helmets" direct all force to the point of your chin, which causes a collision at the TMJ joint which cause the majority of concussions. Even if they did create an all bull riding helmet the risk would be just as high as riding without one, due to the slick surface of the helmet itself. Plastic has very little traction on a slick hoof, a bull could step on the helmet, loose his footing and land on the cowboy causing a cowboy pancake. But yeah i do think people should wear them, they help... sometimes. i broke my jaw in two places and dislocated it at the left joint and had a major concussion two years ago at a high school rodeo, i was wearing a helmet and a mouth guard. but i still dont think they should be mandatory.

[CThrash13]

For current riders, it should be their choice since that's how they have learned to ride. However, I'd make it mandatory for any rookies on Tour. Most of the younger riders are wearing them anyway, so it's probably something that will work itself out in the end. 5 years down the road, I'd imagine 90% of the riders will be wearing helmets.

But for those guys like Mike White who learned to ride without one, I can't imagine making it mandatory. I'd like to see em' all wear one, but it's not my choice.

[Homeslice]

While things would probably be safer, I don't agree with a mandatory rule. It should be up to the rider, and losing the cowboy hat would just break tradition in my book. No, I'm not a rider (nor would I ever be), but I seriously think it should be up to the cowboy.

[BucknSpin]

My opinion: NO.
It should be up to the rider. Like others have previously stated, most younger riders are starting out wearing them, so we'll probably see most or all riders wearing them in the future. Mandatory helmets are just another "rule" to add to the ever-growing rule book by the PBR.
I just have to wonder whatever happened to one bull, one rider, 8 seconds.....

[NoGeeksPls]

I am surprised that a few of you are really ok seeing someone die or even worse left living with a traumatic brain injury that could be avoided. All in the name of "tradition".

Hopefully you make continued contributions to the resistol relief fund. Send money, not prayers it does a lot more....

Ever wonder how Lee Aiken is doing? I bet his wife and family does not think a head injury and the results are a party.

Mike White is a perfect example of someone who should HAVE to wear a helmet. With all the head injuries he has had he is just asking for it. I think it is so selfish of him not to wear a helmet when he has a wife and kids.

I understand this is a dangerous sport, but I have no problem mitigating the danger.
I guess some are sorry the guys wear chest protectors....you know that just was not tradition.

Slavery used to be a tradition in this country, as well as not letting women vote....
Some traditions need to be changed.

I have a family member with a brain injury. It left our family devastated and financially ruined.

[Homeslice]

Look, we're not disagreeing that it's a safety issue, but we still think it should be up to the riders. Please don't bring slavery or women's rights into this.....it has nothing to do with this topic. Please don't try to make us all feel really bad.

[carpshooter]

thanks homeslice, i wanted to comment on the really off topic, but everytime i started i figured i was getting too rowdy. i agree it should be up to the riders, i know it would make them safer(most of the time) but it is their choice. as far as bringing those other subjects in---what in the world do they have to do with helmets??
as far as nogeekspl, i am sorry for your families troubles

[cowboyup1991]

its not exactially tradition it is more freedom. riding bulls and living rodeo is about freedom. Every bull rider knows the risk when he puts his hand in the rope, does that stop us? no it doesnt. In my honest opinion the pbr is overstepping their boundries as it is with telling cody ford he couldnt get on.

[sistersue]

When people love doing something that's dangerous they take risks that others don't understand. Driving a car on the highway is supposedly more dangerous than anything else we do but since we do it every day sometimes we don't feel the danger as much as we should. The same goes for people who get on bulls almost every day. They're taking a chance for what they love to do. I will say that when my favorite PBR riders (and there is a long list of them) come out on a bull with a helmet on, I feel better than watching the ones that don't wear one. It's too bad these young guys have to get their head or face busted open before they finally wear a helmet. When someone gets hurt really bad it makes me sick and ruins my whole day, so I feel better when they wear helmets. A little protection is better than none. jmo

[Barney Rubble]

When they start paying the riders a fixed salary then they can mandate helmet use. Until somebody actually sets a safety standard for bullriding specific helmets I believe it is a moot point as, if a rider were to suffer a traumatic head injury while wearing a mandatory helmet that was not specifically designed for the sport they would be opening themselves (and the helmet maker) up to all kinds of lawsuits.

I believe it should remain up to the rider, but it appears to be an issue that will be moot in a few more years as it is now pretty nearly unheard of for a kid in the junior ranks to not wear a helmet. I think it will be very nearly universal within a few years without a mandate from the PBR.