The Final Word: Glendale
Fortune favors the bold
GLENDALE, Ariz. (March 16, 2010) - It’s a ride L.J. Jenkins won’t forget.
Sunday afternoon, with the fifth pick in the short go draft, Jenkins chose Voodoo Child for the second time in three events. The 22-year-old had also been unsuccessful on him last November during the 2009 PBR World Finals.
But the third time proved to be the charm.
The subtext, though, is about the opportunity Aaron Roy gave Jenkins to make up a four-point difference in the average.
Roy came into final round of the two-day event in first place. But with the first pick in the championship round draft, he passed over Voodoo Child for RMEF Bugle.
“You have all different guys, all different situations, and all different scenarios,” said Ty Murray, in his weekly audio blog. “That’s one thing about the draft: Every time we do have a draft, it’s usually under a different set of circumstances and a different scenario for each of the guys.”
Afterward, Roy admitted he had contemplated selecting Voodoo Child, but left him for Jenkins.
He added that when it comes to the first pick in the championship round, “You gotta pick one you know you can ride.”
Roy went on to score 89.5 points, while Jenkins posted 94 and edged Roy by just half a point in the overall average. It was the difference between first and second - between $28,643.40 and $15,870.40.
“That’s just another one of the elements behind the draft,” Murray said.“The draft allows you to get to know your favorite riders better, or say a rider that you may not like as much. The draft might be a reason you don’t like a rider or that you love a rider.”
During the 20-minute interview, which can be accessed by logging onto www.pbr.tv and selecting the Podcast tab on the left-hand column, Murray went on to explain that the draft allows fans, fellow riders and others to see firsthand the strategies, tendencies, approaches and personalities of all 40 of the top riders in the world.
While some might think Roy made a “smart pick,” others will think “he played it too safe.”
“For me, I enjoy watching the guys who want to go for it,” Murray said. “I enjoy watching the guys who have the confidence in themselves and they want to go for first, and they would rather take the chance of coming up short trying to win than live and suffer through the consequences of playing it safe and not winning.”
Murray also touched on Adriano Moraes’ decision not to include Renato Nunes on this year’s roster for the upcoming World Cup.
“I’m still really surprised,” Murray said, “blown away.”
Murray noted that Nunes is the highest ranked Brazilian rider in the world standings who is still competing on the Built Ford Tough Series.
Nunes is ranked fifth, and although Valdiron de Oliveira is ranked second, he is out of the competition with an injury to his shoulder.
“I don’t know some of the other guys that Adriano picked,” Murray said, “but I know in the world of elite professional bull riding, that right now, they’re not doing better than Renato.
“I’m not sure of the reasons behind why Renato’s not on the team. I have no clue.”
The nine-time World Champion closed out this week’s audio blog by talking about Monday’s announcement that the PBR was nominated for Professional Sports League of the Year by the 2010 Sports Business Awards presented by Street & Smith's Sports Business Journal and Sports Business Daily.
Other nominees in the Professional Sports League category are Major League Baseball, the National Basketball Association, and the National Football League.
According to a press release, the 2010 Sports Business Awards recognize excellence and outstanding achievement in the business of sports for the period from January 1, 2009, through February 28, 2010.
NEWS and NOTES
Shouldering a big decision: As of Monday night, Kody Lostroh hadn’t made a decision on whether he’ll pursue a non-operative treatment for his dislocated shoulder or have it (along with his left elbow) surgically repaired. In fact, in a short text message, Lostroh wrote, “Haven’t been able to get it looked at yet.”
PBR NOW on RFD-TV: Hosted by J.W. Hart and Justin McBride, “PBR NOW” is a weekly live one-hour TV series that airs every Thursday on RFD-TV at 10 p.m. ET. Fans are encouraged to call in with questions at 866-547-9696, or email them to pbr@rfdtv.com.
Event Center: Follow all the action from this week’s BFTS event in Fresno, Calif., by logging on to www.pbr.com and entering the “Event Center,” which is accessible from the tab located at the top of the main Web page. The Event Center provides live scoring, live blogging and event-related Podcasts and interviews.
—by Keith Ryan Cartwright
Final Word with Ty Murray (20 min); Tuesday, March 16, 2010
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great job LJ! wow, that was a great ride. you totally deserved to win that event and every one of those 94 points. congrats and keep up the good work. good luck, stay safe, and always, God Bless.
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deealn
March 18, 2010Sure glad I read this this evening!!! Didn't know Versus was back on Directv. Yahooo!! I've
really missed it. Can't wait for the weekend now. Thank you, made my day!!! Dee -
padros11
March 18, 2010Ty Murray is one of my hero's but what you said is wrong about how you can learn to dislike a rider because of who he picked in the draft(talking about Aaron's choice). It is very easy for murray to say after the fact that he should have picked voodoo. You have alot of fan's here in Canada Murray, we know you play favortism, but don't harp on a young guy who just finished his best weekend to date. Way to go Aaron, you have alot of fan's riding with you every ride! -
rclement
March 17, 2010To Bill McBride....I hope someone in the PBR can address this issue. We are also huge PBR fans and have been going to the Finals for the past 6 years. We have tried repeatedly to get better seats and have had the same run around you are talking about. We even tried buying our tickets for the next year while we were still at the Finals and could not get anything but balcony seats. It's frustrating to sit there and see empty seats down below when there are die hard fans who would love to be siting in them. It doesn't make sense. We are thinking about not going to the Finals this year because we have a better view watching it at home on Versus. -
smartypants
March 17, 2010I agree. Televise the draft. Our group is always grumbling when the draft is going on and we get announcers instead. Love the PBR. -
Badbill507
March 17, 2010Way off the subject here, but it's a question I have been unable to get an answer to for several years.
We've been PBR fan club members for many years. We love going to the finals. But the first year we intended to go, we couldn't find out how to get decent seats. In the end, we found someone who had tickets to good seats but couldn't attend, and bought theirs. The second year we tried again through PBR to get good seats, but couldn't. We bought half-decent seats through a re-seller, and paid through the nose for them. This year we tried again, WAY EARLY, and PBR said "Sorry - youv'e gotta buy your seats from Thomas & Mack." All they ever have is binocular seats.
Can anyone tell me how & when one goes about getting decent finals seats at a decent price?
THNAKS!
Bill McBride (NO relation to Justin - if I was, maybe THAT would be the key!) -
lilfire5
March 17, 2010WHOOOWEEEEE! I LOVE ALL THE riders and don't care who wins. after being without PBR since last summer, Versus is back on in Tucson re Qwest as of yesterday and I'm just happy to watch whoever wins. You Go Guys!!!! Make a lil ole lady happy!! -
Layne77
March 17, 2010Maybe Dish Network doesn't want them to talk about Versus being back on DirecTV. Dish took full advantage of the situation and apparently poured a lot of money in PBR. -
cowcatcher
March 16, 2010And another thing KRC.... Quit ignoring the fact that Direct TV turned VS back on. Thats all we heard when they turned it off bla bla bla bla. Come on puddin give us the story. We'll keep bugging you till you do. -
cowcatcher
March 16, 2010KRC.. Aaron Roy collected $15,000.00 because he made a smart pick. He picked the bull he knew he could ride and in my opinion he made the better choice than LJ. Sure LJ rode Voodoo but if Aaron Roy would have picked him it was over because he knew he couldn't ride him and Ty will be the first to tell you that you have to believe you can ride what you draw. So give the riders a little more credit for making the choices they make. And I would hate to know I didn't like a bullrider just because of the bull he picks in the draft. Thats pretty sad in my opinion. -
Jwhirlwindhorse
March 16, 2010I think that Moraes is making a big mistake not having Renato and Ednei on the brazillian team. they
They are both riding good, but I think Adriano will end up changing his mind and put them on the
team.
As for the ride LJ did on voodoo child was an excellent ride, he was in control the whole ride
and I am very happy for him. -
TroyDunn
March 16, 2010When I was riding my father told me that it felt better to get thrown off a bull that bucked
than it did to ride one that didn't. He was absolutely right. At the end of the day, a
guy needs to be able to truthfully say that he did everything in his power to win. Picking a
weaker bull doesn't allow for that. Just my opinion. -
ilikepie
March 16, 2010i also agree that aaron chose good. he picked a bull he knew he could ride and for points, and would have gambled if he picked voodoo. -
iscoffy
March 16, 2010It's pretty easy afterward to contemplate the "if," but Aaron Roy made a decision and took advantage of the draft as he saw fit. It didn't work out for him perfectly this time, but the odds were definitely in his favor. Second-guessing a loss by .25 points when the other guy got an amazing score for making a ride that certainly was not likely by the odds, well, that's why this sport is exciting. If Aaron had picked Voodoo, he could very well have bucked off and placed lower. If L.J. had been scored a smidge lower by one judge... if, if...
There's many ways to approach the draft and second-guessing close results, well, I guess it gives us something to talk about. -
reznibd
March 16, 2010TWTX - Yes, you're right, it was Dustin's third cover on Chicken--sorry about that, Dustin!
Indeed, Dustin is a cutie patootie with a great smile. I was glad Dustin covered him too since he'd been having a bit of a tough time of late, and if someone is going to cover Chicken, it's more palatable with a fabulous score!
It's amazing to me that Chicken can still pull down those big scores. I mean, Renato covered him for 95+ a good long while ago and he's still bringing it--what a guy!:) -
webpbr
March 16, 2010shawnna - See, we can agree on something. We may or may not agree on anything ever again, but people that disagree do at least have some common views. :) -
shawnna
March 16, 2010I too think Aaron should have rode in the iron cowboy. If he had won that would have been a great start to a marriage financially. Not to mention great college funds for future children. -
layne77
March 16, 2010It's strange about Dish Network... they boast about having a better price because they do not provide any major sports sponsorships. But what do you call having their name all over PBR? I've been happy with DirecTV, aside from losing Versus. Not trying to bash Dish or anything, I'm sure there is ver little difference in the two.
Sorry to bring up an off-topic discussion, but there still is no article/announcement about it on the site. -
Shannon K
March 16, 2010I do hope the fact that Versus is back on DirecTV doesn't mean that Dish Network's sponsorship of the PBR will end. I will go into some *serious* withdrawal if we lose the Event Center! -
TWTX
March 16, 2010Rez - I believe before this event Dustin had successfully ridden Chicken twice and bucked
off of him twice. So I guess Dustin is one up on Chicken!!!! Gotta say I was pulling
for Dustin over Chicken and would love to see him cover him against! It was also an exciting
ride next to L.J.'s!! Gotta love Dustin's big smile!!! :) -
layne77
March 16, 2010KRC - No announcement about Versus being back on DirecTV? -
reznibd
March 16, 2010Oh, and KRC--you slipped in that little nugget about Team Canada, hmmmmmmmmmmmmm.
Well, all I can say is: "It sure enough better NOT happen!" -
reznibd
March 16, 2010webpbr - had I been engaged to Aaron, I would have wanted him in Arlington competing :) -
Shannon K
March 16, 2010KRC: Yes, I'm aware that RMEF Bugle hasn't had many outs/rides and that a larger sample size would be better for calculating statistics...but there's nothing I can do about that :). -
Twiggy
March 16, 2010Wow, with all the "odds" & percentages that are being tossed around here I feel like we are
talking about Texas Holdem Poker. Takes a pretty smart guy/gal to win in that field and I
think the riders are smart themselves in figuring out what their likelyhood is of riding vs
buckoff. This is a sport, one that requires you to make a "businessman's" decision. If you
don't win money & points you don't stay on tour. If your not on tour then your working like
heck to get back on tour. Doesn't take long after falling down in the ranks to figure
out that the rankest bull isn't always the best draw. The odds are the more bulls you ride
the more money your going to make and the higher in the standings your going to be. I do
enjoy seeing rides like the one's LJ had on Vodoo & Reindeer, but a middle of the ground type
ride can be just as fun to watch, especially if it's one of your favorite riders.
I will always cheer for the guy that picks the most rank bull in the draw, but I'll cheer just
as loud for the guy that picks the bull they think they can win on. -
reznibd
March 16, 2010Oops! KRC, I think you misunderstood me again. I wasn't finding fault at all, but rather reiterating what you and Ty said--in a nutshell, there are two sides to the story and it's how you look at, which is like everything we talk about in the PBR, really. There are always pros and cons and like JB often says: "This time it worked out." This time it worked out for LJ, but in my mind it worked out for Aaron too. Granted he didn't win as much money, but he made a pretty good haul. Yes, Chicken is always a great choice, in my opinion, and he scored well for Dustin, but in this sport nothing is a given, so you go with your gut--for Aaron, his gut check indicated RMEF. He just might have bucked off Chicken and then maybe we'd be wondering why he didn't pick RMEF? Wasn't this the first time Dustin was able to cover Chicken?
Oh, ultimately I haven't a clue, but it's been a good discussion and something to ponder--thanks KRC and Ty :) -
webpbr
March 16, 2010Keith -I know I will catch it from some females, but I still think Aaron should have rode in the Iron Cowboy. Yes, Aaron left the door open, but what were the chances of LJ or any other rider getting a 94? He did play it safe, but he also played it smart, which is what the draft is all about. Play the odds and you will win more than you lose, long term. We can sit here all day long and play the if game. However,the bottom line is, if I am Aaron and if the circumstances are the same, I would make the same choice again. Who is to say that if Aaron would have picked a tougher bull, he would have rode him. If he didn't, he wouldn't have even finish second. This does make for an interesting discussion. -
Keith Ryan Cartwright
March 16, 2010WebPBR,
You said LJ's dad mentioned it's not about who's the toughest but more about "winning and getting the check." Exactly. Aaron had a better chance than the other 14 riders to win, but he gave some of them -- not all of them -- an opportunity to beat him.
I was surprised to hear him safe he thought about taking Voodoo Child and I don't think anyone would say he needed to take the rankest, but with five other guys in contention if they all rode Aaron obviously didn't play his cards right.
It's not about being tough or reckless. It is about winning and it is about getting paid.
Unfortunately, Aaron, who rode great all weekend, came up a half point short and that was a $13,000 difference for a guy who, a couple weeks ago, p!@#ed on an opportunity to win $260,000 (and, yes, with good reason). But nickles, dimes and quarters begin to add up over the course of the season.
In any case, it was awesome short go and one that folks are still talking about for different reasons and it's all because of the draft. You have to hand it to LJ for picking a bull he set himself up to ride and one that he was able to make up the needed points on...
KRC -
Keith Ryan Cartwright
March 16, 2010Shannon K,
I believe he got everything he could have out of the Bugle on Sunday afternoon. And lets put in perspective the the statement: "Sunday's out tied RMEF Bugle's lowest bull score ever on the BFTS."
Bugle was maked 44 points, which he's been marked twice before and in three other outs he was maked 44.25 points, so that's six of his eight outs this year. And in the other outs he's never been 45 points, which it means it took his best out at 44.75 points for Renato Nunes -- who, on his better day, can dress a ride up better than Aaron -- to be 90.5 points.
The average you referenced was based on two rides and now his average on three is 90 points, which would have tied for the event win.
In any case, a better word on part is that Aaron made a "safer" pick than he first thought about and as a result, he finished second. Believe me, I know there's nothing wrong with second. Heck, 38 other guys wish they had finished second.
KRC -
homer299
March 16, 2010Shannon and webpbr you make some good points.
I think Aaron made the right call. As Shannon pointed out, he had the bull to win it on based on the bull's previous outs. If that bull would have had a normal trip, Aaron would have won even if LJ got 94 points Voodoo child. For this and other reasons, I can’t see why KRC would say Aaron was playing not to lose.
And the other reason I think it was a smart decision is this:
LJ had to "make the ride of a lifetime" to win. I would always take the odds against the only guy that can beat me has a 45% riding percentage is riding a bull with a 95.6% buckoff percentage and not only has to ride, but has to get the highest score of his career.
99.9% of the time, Aaron's decision will get the win, and 95.6% of the time picking Voodoo child will get you a mouth full of dirt and a big fat loss. So I disagree with KRC saying the Aaron was playing not to lose…all of the data and information he had at the time suggest he WAS playing to win, and if LJ had fallen off, we’d all be talking about how smart Aaron was. -
webpbr
March 16, 2010By the way, off topic, do we know what the points set up will be in the Finals? The Finals is now 5 days, instead of 7. Will the points stay the same, increase, or decrease? If the PBR does not know yet, when will they decide how the points will be set up? -
webpbr
March 16, 2010Keith - How many times has LJ picked the rankest bull, when he is within the top 5? That would be interesting to know. The reason is, I talked to LJ's dad in St. Louis and he did not agree with Justin's view that you take the badest bull. I think his exact words were "that's bullshi-". He sid he knew LJ was going to take him in St. Louis, because he was close to riding him before, and felt he could ride him. He said that it is about winning and getting the check, not who has the toughest, well .. you know. The decision in Glendale worked out for LJ, because he had been on Voodoo Child before, and as Justin said before the ride, he felt that LJ had the type of riding style to ride him. It will be interesting to see if LJ picks the rankest bull, other than Voodoo Child, when he is in the top 3, when it comes to the draft, or a bull he thinks he can ride and get a good score on. -
Shannon K
March 16, 2010KRC: Well, prior to this weekend, the average ride on RMEF Bugle was for 90.25. Had Aaron scored that, he would have defeated LJ by 0.25. Sunday's out tied RMEF Bugle's lowest bull score ever on the BFTS. So while I can see your (and Ty's) point that Aaron could have drafted more aggressively (I'm not saying he *should* have -- that's for him to decide), it's not correct that Aaron "rode that bull for everything it was worth and he lost." -
Keith Ryan Cartwright
March 16, 2010One other note, listen to Aaron's interview which is posted on the Live Event Center. He considered taking Voodoo Child and, by his own admission, made the safer selection so to speak because he had the lead. That's playing not to lose as opposed to playing to win.
You also have to tip your hat to LJ. His selection two weeks ago really set up the opportunity he had Sunday afternoon. There again, twice he went for the win and he was rewarded the second time.
Ty nor myself are saying Aaron is wrong, but it is interesting watching guys who have the confidence to pick for the win... it's probably why LJ is a Top 10 rider and Aaron is knocking on the door.
Don't get me wrong, personally, I'm a big fan of his and, I think, the Canadians pose the biggest threat to the U.S team in the upcoming World Cup event. And I'll say it here right now... if the Americans don't defend their title it's because the Canadians took it from them. -
Keith Ryan Cartwright
March 16, 2010reznibd,
You realize we're not talking about what he might have scored had he rode Bugle. He rode that bull for everything it was worth and he lost. Personally, I thought he was going to walk up there and take Chicken or a bull like that.
I would have suspected someone in the middle of the pack with Bugle in an effort to solidify a Top 10 finish and earn a paycheck.
In a two-day event with seven guys having gone 2 for 2 and all but Robson, who was something like 18.5 points behind, were right there battling it out. That's why we talked about scenarios being different every week.
It took the best ride L.J. has ever made to win, but Aaron gave him that opportunity--and not just because he p!@#ed on Voodoo Child.
You referenced the injury conversation from a week ago, well, later this week you'll get to hear from Shorty Gorham about what an added risk everyone is at when a rider is down in the arena, especially one that could find his way to the out gate.
With either topic -- last week or this week -- it's all a matter of opinion, but the facts are the facts and we're just putting it all out on the table for discussion.
KRC -
reznibd
March 16, 2010Everyone should listen to The Fianl Word with Ty Murray this week, because he and KRC discuss this topic. It's like injuries, though, only the rider can really decide for himself, that is unless Tandy says, uh, "NO"! Yes, we like to see riders "go for it," but we also say theat they need to be business men, keeping in mind they earn pay for what they do, so. . . .
Guess it's all in how you look at it--like everything else in the PBR :) -
Joan Simpson
March 16, 2010The only thing I have to say about the draft, in the short round, that the fans that are not able to be there and are watching on TV and as I do love the PBR, I wish the fans could see all of the draft. Like you say, it does let you see the personalities and each bull riders thinking on which bull he wants to ride. Whether it is the rankest bull or the one they think they know they will be able to ride. I know I like to hear what each of them have to say. I know it would make it even more exciting for me to be able to watch all of it.
It seems like the announcers are talking at that time or we get a commercial, so I wish that could be changed, since we do have the draft now. -
reznibd
March 16, 2010I think Aaron Roy was smart to pick as he did. The draft means getting on the rankest bull you
think you have the best chance of covering and win on, for Aaron that meant RMEF-Bugle and for
LJ that meant Voodoo. Of course, there's always the chance that neither would cover, one
would or both would. As luck would have it, they both would and did!
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March 19, 2010