Post by WI8SecFan on Dec 31, 2007 11:26:19 GMT -5
Well I just returned from Atlanta and am still a little jet lagged and recovering but there were some interesting things seen at the first event of the season. I have not seen the televised event but here are a few things that you may or may not have seen:
1. Some Old Familiar Faces are Missing-
No I am not talking about Tater and JW that we all miss but rather some of the sponsors that we have been very prominent. Many of you may have noticed that Mike and Austin have new chaps and vest and no longer sport the black and yellow of the US Army. The Army was nowhere to be seen. Woe to all the faithful Bud light beer drinkers out there. Not only are they not seen at the arena but the after-party was suspiciously void of any Bud products. It was a little strange to see people standing around drinking Heineiken. The targets are gone and so are Flint’s grilling jokes and Brat gun. Johnsonville Brats has taken the tailgate party and somewhere else. Now that you are hungry you can also not reach for the Oh Boy Oberto as they have also left…although I have to say I will not really miss the bad “bull riding challenge” between Frito and the Beef jerky they played in the arena at events. Also as you may have imagined with the addition of a new tractor company Branson has also left. If all of that is not enough the female population will also be disappointed to hear that the company that brought us one of the most popular PBR ads of last year is also no longer on the concourse. Jeffery Scott and their autograph zone have moved to a new location.
The question circulating with the loss of so many sponsors were they not getting the return they needed on their investments and is a sign of trouble or can the PBR now demand so much from sponsors that the old sponsors can no longer afford to play and we will see new sponsors replace them in the next few months…I guess only time will tell.
2. There are some new Sponsor faces-
With the loss of so many familiar sponsors we have a few new ones that have been announced over the past weeks. They include Pike Electric and Montana Tractors.
3. Where in the World is….
The new “production show” that was supposed to be the reason for the delay of the Cincinnati event? The openings were the same…the arena set was the same…the only addition seemed to be the new score boards that hang behind the chutes. They are basically giant circles made out of the same things they hang the lights on. It provides a great sponsor showcase but does not really add to the “production” quality. Not enough to loss hundreds of thousands of dollars. The pyrotechnics still include the fire breathing bulls and the PBR or USA fire in the dirt. Is there something more to it?
The draw sheets…The first night we tried to track down draw sheets and were told by all of the PBR merchandise booths and the program booth that they were not doing draw sheets. Hmmmm..even my local open rodeo usually has them. After a little more research and a little help from one of our favorite contractors we discovered that they did in fact have draw sheets. NOTE TO PEOPLE GOING TO FUTURE EVENTS: They now look almost like a program now with a finished cover that is title PBR Insider and they were available for free at the Resistol Reliefe fund booth. They were free but they were asking for a free will donation if you could afford to do so. Two thumbs up to the PBR to offer these now for free and helping the money go to the Resistol Relief fund that does so much for the riders. A thumb down for not letting people know this!
First to fail…YIIIIPPPPPPEEEEEE! Sorry never liked it in the first place. It did not add excitement and well some guys just aren’t good at sitting in the middle of the arena trying to think of something clever to say. We no longer have to suffer with them. Now if we can just get them to get rid of the pick your own bull format before that nonsense starts!
Cody Lambert..okay this one is not that big of a question….more of an observation as the show ran smoothly. I am hoping that he is taking a well-earned break and enjoying his time off. I know that there are probably a lot of conspiracy theorists out there that might have other opinions though.
Okay Now for 2 you probably all saw but deserves to be noted:
4. New Year New Chaps
Yep the fans are going to have to memorize the new outfits that the Cowboys sport at the beginning of each year to help you spot your favorites behind the chutes. My award for the best new Chaps go to Tony Mendes and his Black and Pink Breast Cancer Awareness Chaps. Honorable Mentions go to Valdiron de Oliveira whose Blue Silver and White Chaps looked great and Mike Lee’s Light colored outfit with the crosses. They may just be magic chaps as his form was stunning this weekend. If he can keep it up he will be going to Vegas looking to be a two time Champ.
5. Flash Back
At the end of the event the leader board made many people feel like they had gone back a few seasons. Adriano, Mike, Paulo and Chris are all show that they are there and a challenge to everyone this season. In many ways it is a testament to the fact that riders are able to compete at a higher level longer now then they were years ago. Two thumbs up to the advances in the sports medicine teams, the equipment advances and the ability to make a living with a more manageable schedule that makes it possible.
Finally, if you are looking for a young gun to root for this year keep your eyes on Reese Cates. I am not sure what kind of TV time he got but he is one sticky rider that has gotten on a ton of bulls in the last few years. He is a newer face to the PBR but has had success in the CBR and the NFPB.
Any other thoughts on the first event? It should be intresting to see if they make big changes for the much hyped NYC event.
1. Some Old Familiar Faces are Missing-
No I am not talking about Tater and JW that we all miss but rather some of the sponsors that we have been very prominent. Many of you may have noticed that Mike and Austin have new chaps and vest and no longer sport the black and yellow of the US Army. The Army was nowhere to be seen. Woe to all the faithful Bud light beer drinkers out there. Not only are they not seen at the arena but the after-party was suspiciously void of any Bud products. It was a little strange to see people standing around drinking Heineiken. The targets are gone and so are Flint’s grilling jokes and Brat gun. Johnsonville Brats has taken the tailgate party and somewhere else. Now that you are hungry you can also not reach for the Oh Boy Oberto as they have also left…although I have to say I will not really miss the bad “bull riding challenge” between Frito and the Beef jerky they played in the arena at events. Also as you may have imagined with the addition of a new tractor company Branson has also left. If all of that is not enough the female population will also be disappointed to hear that the company that brought us one of the most popular PBR ads of last year is also no longer on the concourse. Jeffery Scott and their autograph zone have moved to a new location.
The question circulating with the loss of so many sponsors were they not getting the return they needed on their investments and is a sign of trouble or can the PBR now demand so much from sponsors that the old sponsors can no longer afford to play and we will see new sponsors replace them in the next few months…I guess only time will tell.
2. There are some new Sponsor faces-
With the loss of so many familiar sponsors we have a few new ones that have been announced over the past weeks. They include Pike Electric and Montana Tractors.
3. Where in the World is….
The new “production show” that was supposed to be the reason for the delay of the Cincinnati event? The openings were the same…the arena set was the same…the only addition seemed to be the new score boards that hang behind the chutes. They are basically giant circles made out of the same things they hang the lights on. It provides a great sponsor showcase but does not really add to the “production” quality. Not enough to loss hundreds of thousands of dollars. The pyrotechnics still include the fire breathing bulls and the PBR or USA fire in the dirt. Is there something more to it?
The draw sheets…The first night we tried to track down draw sheets and were told by all of the PBR merchandise booths and the program booth that they were not doing draw sheets. Hmmmm..even my local open rodeo usually has them. After a little more research and a little help from one of our favorite contractors we discovered that they did in fact have draw sheets. NOTE TO PEOPLE GOING TO FUTURE EVENTS: They now look almost like a program now with a finished cover that is title PBR Insider and they were available for free at the Resistol Reliefe fund booth. They were free but they were asking for a free will donation if you could afford to do so. Two thumbs up to the PBR to offer these now for free and helping the money go to the Resistol Relief fund that does so much for the riders. A thumb down for not letting people know this!
First to fail…YIIIIPPPPPPEEEEEE! Sorry never liked it in the first place. It did not add excitement and well some guys just aren’t good at sitting in the middle of the arena trying to think of something clever to say. We no longer have to suffer with them. Now if we can just get them to get rid of the pick your own bull format before that nonsense starts!
Cody Lambert..okay this one is not that big of a question….more of an observation as the show ran smoothly. I am hoping that he is taking a well-earned break and enjoying his time off. I know that there are probably a lot of conspiracy theorists out there that might have other opinions though.
Okay Now for 2 you probably all saw but deserves to be noted:
4. New Year New Chaps
Yep the fans are going to have to memorize the new outfits that the Cowboys sport at the beginning of each year to help you spot your favorites behind the chutes. My award for the best new Chaps go to Tony Mendes and his Black and Pink Breast Cancer Awareness Chaps. Honorable Mentions go to Valdiron de Oliveira whose Blue Silver and White Chaps looked great and Mike Lee’s Light colored outfit with the crosses. They may just be magic chaps as his form was stunning this weekend. If he can keep it up he will be going to Vegas looking to be a two time Champ.
5. Flash Back
At the end of the event the leader board made many people feel like they had gone back a few seasons. Adriano, Mike, Paulo and Chris are all show that they are there and a challenge to everyone this season. In many ways it is a testament to the fact that riders are able to compete at a higher level longer now then they were years ago. Two thumbs up to the advances in the sports medicine teams, the equipment advances and the ability to make a living with a more manageable schedule that makes it possible.
Finally, if you are looking for a young gun to root for this year keep your eyes on Reese Cates. I am not sure what kind of TV time he got but he is one sticky rider that has gotten on a ton of bulls in the last few years. He is a newer face to the PBR but has had success in the CBR and the NFPB.
Any other thoughts on the first event? It should be intresting to see if they make big changes for the much hyped NYC event.