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Behind the Scenes at the 2000 NFR - Part 2

Make no mistake, the NFR is the greatest rodeo in the world.   It is also the most organized and regimented.  It has to be.   So you’d think that the contestants would just LOVE the NFR.   Most do.

As a rodeo fan, I’d imagine that if you interviewed some of the past NFR competitors you might have your NFR bubble burst.  Some of the bitterest feelings toward the PRCA are often based on incidents that might have happened at the NFR.  Yes, it is the greatest rodeo, with the greatest cowboys and stock.   BUT….. and it is a BIG danged BUT for a lot of guys and gals—contestants often aren’t treated in a manor befitting such an event.  At least in their opinion.  And all this stuff I write about is pure old opinion—mine and other people’s. Take it with a grain of salt or a big glass of firewater.  

Oh, the contestants get lots of free stuff, the Las Vegas community welcomes them with open arms, most host hotels are great, Las Vegas Convention Authority goes out of its way to be hospitable ….. what the disgruntled past NFR contestants will point to is the way contestants are treated once they get ON the rodeo grounds.  

Some past contestants swear the NFR has almost a prison atmosphere (not sure how they’d know).   Security, badges, more security, check points, even more security.  Pages and pages of DON’TS… which are supported by FINES.  

It is true that people with binoculars actually watch for violations during the rodeo.    “Better to see you with” said the Big Bad Wolf.   A National Finals Rodeo Commission (NFRC) meets before and after each performance and among other things—they ratify some of the fines.   I know of no formal appeal process.   I believe that a contestant can appear before the Commission and plead his case but I can’t remember any winning their appeal.

Here are just a few of the fines:

• Not ready when called upon:  $250
• Turn-out without a doctors release from the NFR doctors:  $5,000 and disqualified from the rodeo
• No honest effort (if unanimous decision by the four judges):  $5,000 and disqualified from the rodeo.
• Rattling the timed event chute:   $250
• Riding outside the designated areas:  $100      progressively doubles
• Failure to enter or leave the arena by the correct entrance or exit:  $100   doubles each time
• Climbing on the ladder from the seats down to behind the chutes:  $100    unless you’re a stock contractor
• Circling your horse in the arena:  $100
• Failure to have your NFR number visible:  (no coats)  $100  … doubles
• Practicing or riding in arena other than at designated times:  $250     doubles each time
• Not clearing the arena 30 minutes prior to the perf:  $100
• Throwing equipment into the audience:  $100
• Don’t check in room or release it:  $240
• Missing rehearsal:  $100
• Failure to take the winning ride lap around the arena:  $100
• Failure to not carry the state flag in the grand entry (the highest money winner from that state):  $100
• Waving the state flag in a manner that might endanger other people:  $250

I’m sure that every one of those fines was put in in order to stop someone from doing something.

But geez…. Fines are posted on the rodeo office wall.  Sometimes riding event contestants get so beat up that they never come into the rodeo office.  One or two guys will slide by and get the draw then call the others when they get back to their event’s host hotel.   Every year, for more than one bull rider, that ultra fun trip to Viva Las Vegas, basically amounts to going from bed to Thomas and Mack for therapy… back to bed… back to therapy, get on, get carried in for more treatment, then it’s back to bed.  

Sometimes it takes every ounce of their courage just to keep anteing up.   The farthest thing from their mind is someone sticking fines on them.  Unless another contestant tells them, they sometimes won’t know that they have been fined until they go to pick up their NFR winnings check only to find out that the fines have been deducted.  (They pay off after the last performance of the rodeo so they only have to write one check).    For some reason, these contestants resent not only the fines but the lack of consideration and respect behind them.

So why all the hard-#ss treatment?   It’s really nothing personal in MOST cases.  It’s all about TIME.   If ANY rodeo runs much over 2 hours and 20 minutes there is a problem holding the audience’s attention—or even holding them at all.   Having to run 15 contestants in each event makes every second count if you want to stay within those time parameters.   Many of the fines are directly related to actions that cause loss of production time.  Not being ready, dinking around in the chute, circling your timed event horse—all those things take-up valuable production time.   The NFR is the fastest paced rodeo in existence.   People can see the rodeo and be back at the hotels in time to catch a show, have dinner, or GAMBLE. 

Las Vegas didn’t invite all those fine people to town to see the world’s greatest rodeo—they invited them to spend MONEY.  And they can’t do it when they are tied up watching a rodeo.  When Las Vegas first pitched the PRCA to move from OKC I seem to recall that they said they anticipated 22-28 million dollars of economic impact for their economy.  Back then the first week of December was a dead one in Las Vegas.   Then… for the first few years, I’ve been told that Las Vegas newspapers supposedly reported that that the rodeo was generating 50-60-70-80 million dollars of impact.   (If I remember my college learnin… a dollar spent is supposed to turn over eight times).  Seems like I read somewhere that the National Western Stock Show and Rodeo in Denver generated 40 million and that has to have been at least 10 years ago.  If my learnin recollection is correct then if the total expenditures of all the people in town for the rodeo (tickets, cabs, eats, shows, rooms, movies, shopping mall purchases, etc.) is 10 mil then it could mean an 80 million dollar impact.  And we aren’t even counting gambling losses.   BUT…. as contract renewal negotiations drew close and ever since that time—the economic impact estimates mysteriously dropped right back down around 20-25 mil.  HMMMM.  Hasn’t changed a bit in 15 years (or however long it’s been)?  

I have always been told that the Convention Authority (which I believe is funded by a room tax) spends money in order to bring events into town which will create economic impact.  They hustle trying to entice conventions, trade shows, and events.   They may put up 1 million bucks to get a heavyweight fight to come to town—that type of stuff.   They invest the million  in order to help the local economy.   If the cabbies are working, they buy more gas; if the gas station guy is selling more gas, he goes out to eat more often…. that type of stuff.   I’m assuming that the Convention Authority doesn’t get funds directly back as a result of this other than from the increase in room occupancy and the resulting tax revenue.  

The thing about the NFR… even though the free rooms have related costs, the Convention Authority has to invest very little CASH… and the rodeo does better than break-even just from ticket sales and the merchandise market.   It seems to me that the PRCA ought to be PAID to bring an event of this stature into town.  Instead, I’d estimate that the NFR costs the PRCA money.   How?   The PRCA PAYS a couple of hundred thousand into the purse and SPENDS another $800,000 if you include TV production and time buys.   My guestimates.

Don’t get me wrong… I love Las Vegas and appreciate all the nice treatment the town, hotels, and Convention Authority provide the NFR contestants. I’ve never talked to a contestant who didn’t like the NFR being there—in the city, I mean. While the bull riders are always way to beat-up to enjoy their stay, their family, friends, and fans all benefit from cheap airfares, good deals on rooms and eats, and the availability of big name Country Stars.  It is the best place to have the NFR—the town.   Thomas and Mack doesn’t seat enough people.  AND the thousands of people in balcony seats can’t see much of anything.   AND the competition arena is also too small for nearly every event except the bull riding.