Columbus was, on the surface of it, a normal, not-so-remarkable event. Silvano Alves won it, in a good close race. Some guys made it into the Finals and some didn't. The same was true with some bulls.
I'm usually all about the bulls, but this was one of those weekends that was really all about the riders. It was about Silvano Alves, who is just getting it done. About Valdiron de Oliveira, who is struggling. About Cody Campbell, who passed Brendon Clark for the 40th spot in the Finals by virtue of simply appearing in Columbus and getting the $400 in appearance money. About Cord McCoy who suddenly could ride a bull and look really good doing it. About Shane Proctor, who aggravated the groin injury less than two weeks before the Finals and less than a month before the NFR.
These are three other riders that stood out for me this weekend.
How tough is Robson Palermo?
He rode two bulls and made both short rounds and didn't ride in either of them. But at this point, he's heroic. His damaged shoulder will be repaired two days after the conclusion of the Finals. I've been through the torn up shoulder thing and by the time I got to surgery I could barely hold a carton of milk, never mind hold onto a bull (not that I ever held onto a bull with a good shoulder, either). The man has steel for determination. I'm a fan.
Why is Ben Jones being allowed to ride?
He led the event going into the Championship Round, picked a pretty good bull, got pulled down and hit his head against the bull's head. His body flopped around a little bit before hitting the ground, whereupon he half-ran, half-stumbled to the fence. He couldn't make it up the fence and appeared to go unconscious about halfway up it. He had to be pulled and pushed up to get him out of the bull's way.
After the event, Craig Hummer said that the word from Tandy Freeman was that Ben was okay. Really? I'm no doctor but I'm in agreement with Ty Murray, Shorty Gorham, and whoever else thought that Ben was out cold the minute his head hit the bull. There is such a thing as walking unconscious and in my opinion that's what he was doing when he made the run for the fence. I like him as much as anyone does, but it is not fun to watch him anymore. It's not fun to watch him ride and it's not fun to watch him dance. He has a traumatized brain. Enough is enough.
I'm usually all about the bulls, but this was one of those weekends that was really all about the riders. It was about Silvano Alves, who is just getting it done. About Valdiron de Oliveira, who is struggling. About Cody Campbell, who passed Brendon Clark for the 40th spot in the Finals by virtue of simply appearing in Columbus and getting the $400 in appearance money. About Cord McCoy who suddenly could ride a bull and look really good doing it. About Shane Proctor, who aggravated the groin injury less than two weeks before the Finals and less than a month before the NFR.
These are three other riders that stood out for me this weekend.
How tough is Robson Palermo?
He rode two bulls and made both short rounds and didn't ride in either of them. But at this point, he's heroic. His damaged shoulder will be repaired two days after the conclusion of the Finals. I've been through the torn up shoulder thing and by the time I got to surgery I could barely hold a carton of milk, never mind hold onto a bull (not that I ever held onto a bull with a good shoulder, either). The man has steel for determination. I'm a fan.
Why is Ben Jones being allowed to ride?
He led the event going into the Championship Round, picked a pretty good bull, got pulled down and hit his head against the bull's head. His body flopped around a little bit before hitting the ground, whereupon he half-ran, half-stumbled to the fence. He couldn't make it up the fence and appeared to go unconscious about halfway up it. He had to be pulled and pushed up to get him out of the bull's way.
After the event, Craig Hummer said that the word from Tandy Freeman was that Ben was okay. Really? I'm no doctor but I'm in agreement with Ty Murray, Shorty Gorham, and whoever else thought that Ben was out cold the minute his head hit the bull. There is such a thing as walking unconscious and in my opinion that's what he was doing when he made the run for the fence. I like him as much as anyone does, but it is not fun to watch him anymore. It's not fun to watch him ride and it's not fun to watch him dance. He has a traumatized brain. Enough is enough.
Smackdown? Really?
J.B. Mauney. Okay, I always say that I'm not a rabid fan and I'm not a hater. Still true. But this is a guy who does not complain. He doesn't complain about being in pain, about not getting bulls that "fit" him, about not doing well. He just goes about his job. Who knows what's up with him, but one thing for sure, he is not whining about it.
On the other hand, why he picked Smackdown for his last short round bull, is a mystery to me. All he really needed to do was get a score. Pick a bull you can ride, get a score, and take your chances on how Silvano and Ben do. Rather than pick a bull chances are you (or anyone else) probably can't ride, and hope for 90+ points if you do. I know, I know...that's what he does.
On to the big show
J.B. Mauney. Okay, I always say that I'm not a rabid fan and I'm not a hater. Still true. But this is a guy who does not complain. He doesn't complain about being in pain, about not getting bulls that "fit" him, about not doing well. He just goes about his job. Who knows what's up with him, but one thing for sure, he is not whining about it.
On the other hand, why he picked Smackdown for his last short round bull, is a mystery to me. All he really needed to do was get a score. Pick a bull you can ride, get a score, and take your chances on how Silvano and Ben do. Rather than pick a bull chances are you (or anyone else) probably can't ride, and hope for 90+ points if you do. I know, I know...that's what he does.
On to the big show
The last regular-season event of the year is now behind us. Now we'll see who's got game.
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