Too Many E's?

Probullstats - April 2, 2003

More and more judges are quick to slap an “E” (which means eliminator) on bulls. Some of the better judges do it in order to help the NFR guys get bulls placed into the right pens. I know it helps me anyway. But we can’t get carried away on the E thing. Save the E’s for the bulls we really need to monitor in regard to being dangerous. Save it for the BIG E’s.

From a contestant’s viewpoint seeing an E on a score is often a good thing since they sometimes have to weigh competitive opportunity against travel cost. On the other hand, for MORE contestants a carelessly attached 'E' to a bull score is an E-xcuse not to go-- even if the rodeo is across the street. For others it plants a negative thought in their noggins which ends up being an E-xcuse to buck-off. All these indiscriminate E’s being attached is hurting the bull riding business. One judge I know is likely to E half the bulls out in a performance. What’s the point? Is he telling half to not go or half to fall off? Knowing the judge—he may be just practicing his alphabet. He’s a paste eater.

“OOOOOOO NOOOOO I’ve got an E Bull. I better stay here in this honky tonk.” Anything that bucks hard likely earns an E these days. (like lettering in high school) A bull jumps out it—just trying to get set up to reverse it—heck he’s an E. One shoulder roll? That’s an E. E as in E-xcuse to roll off. A bull stumbles on bad ground… he’s an E. A guy miscalculates in his nod and jump-off routine and topples into the well—oh no—that bull is WELLY—let’s double E him. A bull jumps high and a guy is on the flank to begin with and if that bull kicks at all the guy goes out over the front end—well… that bull needs to come out of the draw—he’s a triple EEE.

Guys who can’t ride a lick get popped and we have attempted murder investigations. A guy who has his feet in stirrups gets whipped down so you punish the bull with an E. If you’re gonna do that you should put an “I” on the rider (IDIOT). Or maybe an “S” so the investigators know it was a suicide attempt. Stirrups work on lots of spinning type bulls but on a BMF or a bull that has some size and strength and isn’t a pattern bucker—they can get you hurt. That isn’t the bull’s fault. That is a choice a rider makes. Riding bulls is a choice to begin with.

REAL Eliminators are few and far between these days. You want to see REAL Eliminators look at some NFR tapes from the 1980s. Fifteen bulls that seldom if ever were ridden and all of them could turn out your lights.

Bulls that buck hard and want to win are going to have to do things to buck a guy off. They can’t remain pattern buckers if they are going to last—if their competitive spirit is to remain intact. That’s what’s happened to many of the bareback horses--they never get to win. Sure it makes them more difficult to ride but these days judges mark difficulty a lot more than performance. You ride a 22E bull most of the time you’re going to beat a guy on a high performance 22 spinner.

Bull riders should be concentrating on the number part of the score not any letters attached to them. We can’t just keep lowering the bar to where only duck spinners are acceptable. That is not competition. That is not professional bull riding. There is not a picture of a duck on the World Champion's buckle.

Bull riders are riding for more money than any other event because THE EVENT is inherently dangerous. People will PAY to see it and pay higher ticket prices. They’ll even attend more than one venue per year. They haven’t shown any indication whatsoever that they will pay to see any other rodeo event if offered by itself (or combination of events for that matter). That is a fact and all the pouting calf ropers in the world can’t change it. The bull riding event SELLS tickets to rodeos. It carries some of the other events. Some events keep people from even coming to rodeos—or coming back. Some events chase them to the concession stands or restrooms in droves (just watch sometime). (P.S. -- make sure you don’t get mixed up or you could be putting mustard on the wrong weiner)

People standing up and applauding at the NFR is a great thing but getting those same people to put $30-$50 in those same hands and go to watch the event offered all by itself—that’s the trick. There is no indication that any other event can stand alone. People often really enjoy the events once they get to the rodeos but it takes the bull riding event to get them there. The bull riding EVENT is the DRAW.

Don’t make the mistake of assuming that bull riders as people are necessarily better than the people of the other events. (Better looking—sure) (Better breath—uh huh) (Better with women—automatic). But being human, some are good, and some not so good. Some are just great guys; some are ungrateful, selfish, self centered—you know—just people. Personally some of my favorite guys over the years have been the bulldoggers. And some bareback riders. My favorite event is the bronc riding. I love bronc horses. I’d rather watch Jesse Bail get on a good bronc than ten bulls.

The best athlete I ever saw in a rodeo arena was Phil Lyne, followed closely by Roy Cooper. I love to watch the calf roping but being a fan I watch the guys not the calves. Over the long term, the people who will count the most—people who will buy product from potential sponsors, sponsors who will buy television spots, television people who will approve programming, people who will elect city councils, people who will contribute to local events, people who will elect Congress members and Senators --- they will ALL watch the calves and not the guys. It is a miracle that the event exists in many states. And like I said, I love to watch it and appreciate the great athleticism involved and the great horses. My brother was a time-ee so that’s who I grew up around. I used to go to the rodeo the night Dean Oliver was up. But for every ONE like me, there are 10,000 THEMS who have a different view about livestock. Televise the event on a regular and national basis and there will be 100,000 THEMS. More exposure will hasten the demise of the event.

But back to bull riding—it is the EVENT that is special. The EVENT sells. It makes normal guys into rock stars. No one likes to see anyone get hurt but it is the nature of the beasts(s). Danger defines the event. Danger is why people buy tickets or tune in. Greatest wreck tapes outsell greatest ride tapes 10 to 1. Actually 100 to almost zero. People like to see good bull rides but those good rides are elevated to GREAT status after people have watched a bunch of BMF’s having their way. Guys who choose to risk their lives participating in the event deserve every cent they get—even more. It’s a dangerous damned event—the most dangerous in sport. High risk—higher pay. It’s open to the world… buy a bull rope and mount up. I repeat—if you want a piece of the pie THEY baked—don’t try to steal it off the bull rider’s plate—buy a bull rope and nod your head. Death is an annual reality. Careers are short. Even the guys who have had long careers have spent much of those careers on the sidelines—unable to earn a living. I offer no apologies from the bull riding event or its participants. It’s open to anyone.

And how about those E bulls? In football the big bad line men allow the running backs to get all the recognition and the MONEY. In bull riding it’s the big bad bulls that serve the purpose. They generate the interest which turns into ticket and sponsorship sales and television coverage. They make the little skinny bull rider seem like little David of the David and Goliath encounter. Both had stones—Little D just slung his. The big bad bulls turn Barney Fife into Kid Rock.

Bull riders are viewed as the bravest of the brave (which, next to protection bull fighters, they are) and whenever they prevail, whenever they beat the odds and win or at least escape serious injury, people are elated. The world is right again. The skinny kid at the beach kicks the bully’s smelly butt and gets the girl (being a bull rider—he had probably been slipping around with her anyway).

For judges E’s should be used like cop bullets. Save them for the most dangerous criminals.

And the next time your buddy is crawling on an E bull… give your pal a slap on the back and while he is puke-ing on the gatemen —give that E bull a little pat on his hump. (but wear a helmet when you do it).

Bmac
Probullstats.com 2003