PBR Notes: Wichita

You-know-who

This was a good bull riding that was marred by a messed up broadcast schedule.  I don't fault the PBR.  Getting the sport on CBS is a good deal.  The PBR is still the only bull riding you can see on a timely basis on national television, and it's still the Big Show in the bull riding world, and we can complain about the broadcast, but truthfully, let's count our blessings, too.

That said, it's both unfortunate and understandable that these CBS broadcasts come so late in the season.  Understandable because getting newcomers to bull riding engaged before the World Finals is a great way to get new fans.  Unfortunate because it leaves loyal fans in the lurch at the end of the season when they most want to follow the action.

But what we did get was a good event that built to a nice conclusion, with some excitement along the way.  You had the typical bull riding mayhem, some rough injuries, the usual close calls (hooves coming down inches from riders' bodies), and some really nice bulls in the house.

In short, we got:

• Ryan Dirteater riding four for four and notching another win, with two 90+ rides along the way.

• Luke Snyder coming in second and picking Bushwacker in the second spot in the draft.

• Guilherme Marchi getting stepped on and limping off the dirt with broken ribs and a punctured lung.  That's an Ironman right there.  At least he got a score.  (88.25)

• Fabiano Vieira getting dragged all around the place under the bull by one leg and coming back just fine for the short round.  That was a cringe-worthy wreck and Vieira's knee must be made of titanium.  

• Pistol Robinson taking a full body slam into the fence, courtesy of Circle T's Shepherd Hills Trapper.

• Silvano Alves turning down a re-ride with a score of 73.50, and taking a lot of flack for it from the announcers.  I'm not so sure that Silvano needed such a talking to about that.  His decision-making seems to being doing him just fine.  I would rather he get a note for the chute time, but that apparently isn't going to happen any time soon. 

• A broadcast that was all mixed up: midnight on Saturday, 3 or 5 p.m. on Sunday if you got lucky and the NFL game in your territory didn't last too long or the after-game wrap-up didn't go on forever.

• Bushwacker, Whiskey's Rebel, Kent Cox, and some great bull moments.  (Read more about those in Bulls and Bloodlines.)

Scroll down the page for "Bulls and Bloodlines" and "Wichita by the Numbers."  Check out the injury report for Wichita here.