2012 Wrangler NFR Review!

During the last week and a half, I was saturated with papers and finals. However, I did manage to catch some of the nights of this year's NFR on GAC without spoilers.

Congrats to all of the winners this year. Trevor Brazile getting another all-around buckle and earnings are continue to pile high, almost to $5 million. Tuf Cooper winning another world title in tie-down, Luke Branquinho fighting a knee injury to win another world title in steer wrestling, and a close finish in the top of the standings of saddle bronc that almost saw Cody DeMoss win a world buckle. It was DeMoss' flawless 10 for 10 qualifying rides in saddle bronc that did win him a buckle for being number one in the average!

And out of all of this, comes Mary Walker, who lost her horse and went to an emotional stage in life to win the average and came away with a world buckle in WPRA barrel racing. You knew the tears were running down her face when she was awarded the buckle on Saturday night at the Thomas & Mack.

Sadly, this year's NFR will most likely be Fred Whitfield's last, despite barely qualifying for this year's event. He has been there 20 times, and won the tie-down world buckle seven times. He has a book coming out too, so keep an eye out on it.

For the second year in a row, GAC carried all ten nights, 'live'. Although I didn't like how it was stretched to believe it was 'live,' at least yet again, Geronimo and their staff, actually upgraded their presentation from what ESPN/Winnercomm had prior to 2011, simply by showing every cowboy, whereas during ESPN coverage, some of the cowboys went during break. Well done, but I wish that the coverage is actually 'live' in the near future, not delayed.

Overall, despite the nights that were conflicted with the combat sports, it was yet another good NFR. Even the prca commissioner said that their fans are the "most educated in sports." Take that Zuffa Zombies!

PRCA National Finals Rodeo Thursday Night!

It's finally here! The 76th edition of the PRCA Wrangler National Finals Rodeo at Las Vegas' Thomas & Mack Center.

Up to 120 participants this year as usual, who qualified their way in through performances in various events this year and after all that hard work, the time has come.

Will Trevor Brazile go for another All-Around (number 10?)? Will Fred Whitfield get his 8th buckle in his 20th appearance (he has a book out early 2013)? Will Shane Proctor make it through the ten days healthy enough to repeat his crown in bull riding?

All ten days are LIVE on GAC beginning Thursday night. ProRodeo.com is where you should head straight for the contestant list.

NFR 2011: Final Thoughts.

Another year and another all-around buckle for the world's greatest all-around cowboy Trevor Brazile. The roper is could be on track for $5 million in career earnings!

Brazile was one of 11 champions crowned this year in the prca Pro Rodeo and Xtreme Bulls tours in 2011, joining the likes of Luke Branquinho (steer and a crowd favorite), Lindsay Sears (barrel racing) and Shane Proctor (bulls) as those crowned champions in the prca in 2011.

Speaking of Proctor, the PBR veteran suffered a horrendous injury on the final night on Saturday. Black Attack stepped on his back and had to be carried off by the world-renowned Justin Sports Medicine team (now doing medical work on the PBR tours as well!). He was able to show up at the banquet on Sunday night. 

Overall, another year of greatness in this, the Super Bowl of Rodeo. What I didn't like was the GAC coverage. After all these years on the ESPN family of networks (including ESPN8 the Ocho), prca and production company Winnercomm of Tulsa (the people who produced the prca broadcasts not just on ESPN, but also on CBS and FSN) announced that beginning this year, the NFR will move to GAC. If you have digital, cable or satellite, you should have GAC. GAC is what ye olde TNN and CMT used to be (and ought to be). The main problem was delays in the broadcast. I think this was to basically get to see every contestant without missing out on one that was going whilst on commercial break (see that ESPN?). Other that that, keep in mind, the same people who were commentating for GAC, same people who were part of ESPN's NFR telecast the past few years (same company too). As a result of the delays, radio was heaps ahead. If you wanted spoilers, listen to the radio broadcast as it happens.

The solution is to have two boxes during break. One to see the contestant and the other one for ads or just wait until after the event is over to take those breaks. But in todays world, every sport does have to take as much ad breaks for monetary support. This is how the business works. Watch the NFL for example, especially the night games on NBC or ESPN. 

Overall, a pretty fair but exciting NFR to commemorate the prca's 75th anniversary. GAC will have the Xtreme Bulls beginning on February 14. Keep an eye out on it!

NFR 2011 Preview!

Trevor Brazile is coming to a point in his career where he will surpass $4 million in earnings.

Last couple of years saw Brazile shattering all-around records set by the one and only Ty Murray in which Brazile surpassed Murray in earnings. And we all know both Brazile and Murray had different styles, with Brazile being a team and tie-down roper and Murray was in fact a bull rider.

The reiging all-around returns to the NFR with the always recognizible #1 as the number on the back of his tag. We all know why. The numbers on the back of the contestants represent where they are in the all around standings for the 119 qualifiers who made it to Las Vegas this year.

Some new faces and some returning faces are back this year. Among the newest to qualify for the NFR is PBR veteran Shane Proctor. Proctor currently leads in earnings in the Xtreme Bulls tour.

This ten day journey, part of the diamond anniversary (75 years) of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (prca), begins Thursday through next Saturday (12.10). All the nights will be televised LIVE on Great American Country (GAC), in which not many cable providers carry.