What a Great First Month!

Well, with the first five events of the 2009 Built Ford Tough Series under our belts, I know I couldn't be happier with how the tour has gone so far. Honestly, heading into our first event in Baltimore, many of us held our breath as we walked out into the arena a few minutes before the show.

The media had just spent the entire holiday season telling us that nobody in America had a dime to spend and that "extras" like sporting events, concerts and other entertainment options would be the first to suffer.

So far, so good.

Our ticket sales at all our stops so far are either up or holding steady compared to previous years. That's because we have loyal, dedicated fans that love our product, and it is up to us to keep producing a great show to keep those fans coming back--even in times of economic difficulties.

But the fans now have a responsibility, too. There has never been a time when we need you fans to be loyal to our corporate sponsors like now. The corporate dollar is tight right now for all sports and those sponsors need to see that return on their investment.

So when you have a choice to make for a purchase, service or to make a donation, make a list of all our PBR corporate sponsors and USE THEM!! If you are a true fan, you're stupid if you don't. Period.

The way it looks so far, I don't think there is one rider that is going to completely run away with the world title this year. I'm going to go out on a limb right now and make a prediction...A prediction? From me? Odd, I know. J.B., Lostroh, and Marchi will battle all year for the title.

I don't know who will win it, but it will be one of those three.

I went waaaaay out on a limb there didn't I?

I just think they are the ones who can settle into a groove as the tour gets long and grueling. And they are the ones with the experience and ability to ride the short-round bulls.

Put me on TV and call me Justin McKee!

But hold on. There are some guys out there that are looking awesome right now.

Where the heck did Austin Meier come from? He woke up and smelled the coffee! Ryan Dirteater? That kid cracks me up. He is just a great guy and can ride some tough bulls.

He and I talked at the end of last season and I told him he looked perfect for about 6.5 seconds. So what's the big deal for another second and a half? He's been finding that second and a half.

Oh, yeah, Renato and Valdiron will be in there and make an impact, too. You can count on that.

My lawyers are going to be in touch with my good friend Justin McKee. Sunday, January 25th was my birthday and the telecast showed LeAnn Hart singing to me in the arena in Dallas. Justin then wished me a happy 51st birthday.

If I can move like this when I'm 51 then I should get some kind of award!

It's hard enough at 41! So I think Mr. McKee slandered me on national television by saying I was ten years older than I really am. He's just jealous because he recently turned the big 4-0 and his legs don't even slightly resemble mine in quality.

I will think of some way to get back at him. Oh, yes, I will think of something.

I had my usual January marathon trip again this year--New York to Denver to Pueblo to Fresno to Sacramento. Ten shows in ten days in five cities.

Denver and Pueblo are great Enterprise tour events that I am not required to go to, but I contract independently. They are quality shows and many of our BFTS riders enter them to pad their pocket books a bit. Canter won close to $20,000 in Denver and Dirteater took about $5500 out of Pueblo. Pretty good week for those guys.

But, as usual, when I got home I suffered through a few days of bad sickness. I had strep throat, flu and all that fun stuff. Many of us ended up with it and Frank Newsom even ended up missing the Dallas event because he was so sick.

When one of the bullfighters misses an event because of sickness, you know he's sick. Frank is probably the toughest guy I have ever met, so I hope he's recovered and ready to go this week.

The holidays were great at my house, even though we suffered through record cold and heavy snow.

It was nice to be home for awhile and spend time with the family, but now I'm back in the touring groove and spending time with my "other" family: the production crew and all the office staff that tour with the PBR.

Those familiar faces every week are comforting when navigating new and strange cities.

Winston-Salem was a great stop for us last season and I'm looking forward to it again this year. I have always been entertained by the fan base in that part of the country. They are passionate and fun.

This will be our first stop ever with just 40 riders on the big tour.

It is definitely something new and I completely agree with it. It will tighten up the show for those of us involved in production and raise the bar for the guys trying to qualify for the elite tour. I love when we shake things up a bit.

Laugh Always, Flint