'An Open Letter to My Fellow PBR Fans'

Posted At : February 6, 2009 10:57 AM | Posted By : Craig Hummer
Related Categories: Craig Hummer,All

Another week, another story. One of the best things about the PBR is whether we are ready for it or the riders are ready for it: the BULLS are gonna be there!

But here's the thing, I know I'm not supposed to single anybody out, but I have to...I am digging the reporting work done by Keith Ryan Cartwright.

Seriously, I am hopefully always going to be someone who gives credit and directs the accolades to someone who deserves it and KEITH, to use the vernacular of the younger generation, IS THE MAN!

I log on to pbrnow.com every day HOPING to find a new article!

Whether it's on the bulls, on the riders or the fans reaction to it all. He works his butt off to get information that benefits everyone one of us. I think it's because, like most of us, he just loves the sport.

Whether we rode, have been a fan forever or have come to appreciate the amazing work these riders and event organizers do--I'm continually impressed.

In a lot of ways, this is a 'crossroads' age, as Ty mentioned this week, whether you believe in helmets or not, we are in the midst of a timeframe where the sport IS changing.

Whether you prefer Ty's comments or JW's or G-Man's or either of the "Justins" (McBride or McKee), the great, amazing and cool thing is IT IS ALL there. And on the website we have Keith to thank for a lot that.

He has grabbed the bull by the horns and, in many cases, given us the information to make an informed decision about a variety of topics.

For that, I salute the PBR. I give credit to you the fans for weighing in with an opinion and most of all I thank Keith for all his hard work. I know I have benefitted from it and I hope you have all found something interesting as well.

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nobody likes mcbride and ty is only tolerable in small doses

# Posted By DR | 2/6/09 12:21 PM

Hey Craig, love your blogs. The fact that you really love this sport really comes thru when you talk/type about it. We fans appreciate you in the booth every week holding things together. Though we may all have different opinions, I think the fact that we love this sport is something we can all agree on. Thanks Craig & keep up the great work!

# Posted By chiefangel | 2/6/09 1:04 PM

hey dr,speak for yourself.my wife and i like mcbride more than any other.and i know alot of other fans feel the same.

# Posted By curt | 2/6/09 2:51 PM

I agree that Keith works very hard to bring us fans good articles. He deserves some credit! Thanks for the post Craig and keep up the good work!

I for one am a huge fan of Justin McBride in the booth. He would be second behind JW.

# Posted By TheeRebel | 2/6/09 8:56 PM

Yeah thank you for the blogs and you're right Keith does a GREAT job! An thank you for keeping everything anchored in the booth it's not the same without you. You really love the sport and fans can tell. Keep it goin'!!!

# Posted By CFpbrFAN | 2/6/09 9:14 PM

Thanks to everyone for bringing Shorty back to the telecast!!!

# Posted By rebelstand | 2/7/09 8:50 PM

We want to thank those responsible for bringing Shorty back, too. We really missed his comments and his psychic predictions!

# Posted By lhesson | 2/7/09 11:54 PM

Being a 70 's female and following bull riding long before PBR came about I would like to comment about the mind game these athletes play. I really think some of the fans are not aware of the necessity of mind control and the rider deciding he can make the 8 seconds on that bull.

Also, please keep JW in the booth, love his commentary, he knows the riders and bulls....McBride is interesting also.

# Posted By Jan | 2/8/09 9:45 AM

Thanks for addressing so many of the concerns on the air. It is obvious that you do care about the PBR from the way that you have evolved from the beginning of your broadcasts until now. Thanks for bringing Shorty back. It is good to see that the broadcasts are trying to stay in the positive and promote the great athletes (both riders and bulls) I think the split screen idea is the best if it it at all possible. We could see interviews and see bull riding at the same time! Keep giving us those bull names and scores and keep promoting all of the contractors as there are a lot of good stories there too. We love when you use Jerome Davis! He puts a great spin on it all ..positive yet insightful. Thanks for continuing to do a great job and tell Justin McKee to keep telling the bulls' stories too!

# Posted By Minchfan | 2/8/09 10:05 AM

Having been a PBR fan from the beginning, with the only way of being able to watch and enjoy the sport through the TV I have to complement all of the commentators on the job each and every one do. Having all of the different individuals on at different times gives a varied perspective on the sport the riders and bulls. The way that the banter and jobbing each other is done is the way it has been done around the branding fires and stock corrals since cowboys were created. Keep Shorty reporting from the ground, he adds 110 percent to the picture. For those of us that cant make it to a live show would like to see a little more of Flint on TV. Keep up the good work.

# Posted By dbleak | 2/8/09 2:27 PM

Anybody who thinks JW and McBride don't belong in the booth is crazy because they are the real deal! They can put in perspective what these real bull riders are thinking and most importantly doing with each ride. They can tell us the ins and outs. They are the best of the best and we might as well hear it from them! Keep up the good work Craig!

# Posted By Heather | 2/8/09 7:17 PM

I enjoy both Justins, Ty, JW, and G-man, but could you at least put a cowboy hat on Hummer. His comments, at times, seen very lame compared to the real cowboys. He just does not fit PBR

# Posted By maryann | 2/9/09 10:55 AM

Hi Craig, just wondering if you guys questioned the clock on Brian's ride and why the backjudge reviewed 2 other rides in the shortgo but not his? Any inside info? Thanks

# Posted By Fred Crane | 2/9/09 3:48 PM

I for one like Justin McBride in the booth. He sees the ride through a different eye and can spot things that a fan does not always see. He also has a suggestion as to how to fix the ride. When you see the playback you see Justin is right. For example he may say the rider had his arm back to far and the replay shows that. He is very professional and an asset to the team. Keep him there he has great insight. What Justin has is knowledge and confidence and not arrogance. He is extremely kind. Ask Rob Smits. In an interview he said he was the only rider that ever gave him a gift of a hand drill or tools. It brought tears to his eyes as he talked about his kindness. So he must be nice if Rob said so.

Craig you make a great moderator. You keep everyone else on track with time control. Don't pay attention to the remarks of others. It's like Holy Moly we could have Donny Gay but that wouldn't be all that bad either.

As Far as Leah's interviews, I love most of them. She has great knowledge of each rider and watches the ride closely. I felt so bad the year she had quit. All I knew was I wanted Leah back and luckily she came back. She never grabs the riders and make them talk at inappropriate times. I'm glad she is with Versus. I do agree with the interviewing of celebrities tho. I think it is a waste of our bull riding time. The split screen is a good idea or just show the rides when interviewing.

I am still PO'ed about the 40 riders and would like 45 again but I guess I"ll have to get over it. Hopefully they will reconsider and make it 45 again some day.

# Posted By Jeana Walsh ND | 2/9/09 4:00 PM

I agree with Fred Crane about the judges not even questioning Brians ride in the short go they just threw the points up there and then it was like somebody said; oh sh-t we better not show favoritism between him and travis so lets go back and show it over and over like we are really looking at it, of course all the scores were already put up. You can't tell me that those jusges say that he had the fringe of the tell in his hand without reviewing it. Come on guys don't treat us leik were stupid! I Tivo and I can run it back over and over and stop it when I want so you need to show all the views to us that you are viewing and not just what you want us to see. I know how the timer works and the stop watch ect. been there done that.
Also Craig you just can't leave things alone!!! As soon as Reese Cates got in the shoot and the cameras were on him you started in on him about throwing his face mask; SHUT UP ALREADY--I FOR ONE AM SICK OF HEARING YOU GUYS GO ON AND ON ABOUT IT. It has caused such a wild storm of emotions for everyone. You are a great commentator but you need to read more of these blogs. I love Justin McKee, Gafney, Ty and McBride.
DR you are out of your mind if you think the fans dislike Justin Mcbride, I love watching him ride besides that he is a good friend of Ross Coleman's and that's just awesome to me. My nephew Josh had the honor of riding with all of them in Molala, OR at the Coleman Ranch and he still talks fondly of his old buddies.
I miss JW and his honest but really respected remarks, and thank you Lord for bring back Shorty.
Gayle in Bakersfield

tivo

# Posted By Gayle in Bakersfield | 2/9/09 7:06 PM

Hi Craig, I saw the comments made by Maryann & I just wanted to speak up on your behalf. I think that the PBR appeals to a variety of people, not JUST cowboys. I think the fact that Craig is more "city-fied" than the rest of the commentators only adds a whole other element to the mix in the booth. We don't need 3 or 4 guys in the booth who all think, act & talk in the exact same way. I think the mix is great but I would like to ask why we haven't seen Adriano in the booth at all yet???

I may not like all the commentators the same but I think the mix of different personalities & perspectives keeps it interesting. And I can't get enough of McKee's little McKeeisms!!! So, to the naysayers, quit yer whinin'! I say keep up the great work Craig'! I like you just fine without a cowboy hat! ; )

# Posted By chiefangel | 2/9/09 10:19 PM

Craig , you the man! I know your not a cowboy but thats alright because I'm not an MMA fighter , but love the sport. You have the dream job, covering the PBR and the WEC and the thing about it is you do a great job at both. Your probably the best sports commentator working a mic these days and just want to say great job and thank you for taking your position serious.Keep up the great work and looking forward to more PBR & WEC!!!Larry in NM

# Posted By Larry in NM | 2/9/09 10:32 PM

Gayle in Bakersfield ....Get a clue! It wasn't Reese and Craig has never been negative about any of the PBR cowboys, others may have but Craig hasn't.Been there done that, yeah , sure ya have....

# Posted By Larry in NM | 2/9/09 11:42 PM

thank you for bringing shorty back, what is with the judges this year they sure do show that they like some better than others do they not think that the viewers have eyes! I even heard guys from the booth comment on the judges scoring maybe someone should let them know that they are being talked about I agree with some of the others having 3 or 4 guys in the booth including Mcbride is great. you all do a great job and have fun doing it it is very entertaining. all we need now is 45 riders

# Posted By fans | 2/10/09 12:09 PM

We have watched bull riding religiouly for about 10 yrs or more...watched our favorite Chris Shivers when he started as a kid. We have to plan our real lives around these events on TV. We are going to Worster this May to see "our boys ride" and are very excited!!! We commend you ALL for the awesome job you do; from the riders/bull breeders/web site, all of it. Very nicely done and professional and full of info. & fun. BUT>>> (there's always a but isn't there?) We want to know why a certain rider who's initials are GM is allowed to consistently pick soft bulls? Can't there be something in place that ONLY allows a rider a certain # of soft bulls per season or period of time? This particular rider is playing by the numbers and using strategies instead of old fashioned bull riding! We don't care for him much. Also, someone should have told him when he lost the title that there is "no crying in bull riding"...Maybe we could get Tom Hanks to talk to him & explain that!!! Anyway! Great Job by all and we LOVE JW in the booth...love his frankness and we love all the guys in the booth & the bantering in the booth! Thanks Guys for Great Entertainment.

# Posted By Gayle Plummer | 2/13/09 12:22 PM

I'm going to jump in here real quick and respond to the comment about Guilherme picking "soft" bulls.

I would just like to point out that the majority of the drafts take place during the short go and I can assure you those are the 15 rankest bulls in the pen that weekend. For a typical two-day event there are another 80 outs leading to the championship round and, last year there were 90.

If Guilherme is, as it's been mentioned, indeed picking "soft" bulls then what can be said of the other bull riders who are riding at a far lower percentage in the long rounds?

Yes, I will admit, it can be argued that Guilherme -- and every other rider for that matter -- has an easier time with a bull going into his hand then away, but there is no such thing as a "soft" bull at a Built Ford Tough Series event.

And now back to your regularly scheduled comments...

# Posted By Keith Ryan Cartwright | 2/13/09 12:43 PM

Larry in NM; you are so right I need to proof read my comments before I send them. I guess I had Reese on my mind from the cut. Sorry Craig if I confused you I meant to say Kasey Hayes; please give it up about him I am so tired of listening to everyone commenting on the face mask incident---say something else about him, try something nice, just anything like "Gayle in Bakersfield said enough already; I will not bring up the face mask incident again."
Thanks Larry for correcting me, did you notice how bad my spelling was? So many type'os!
Good luck to JB in Okie on Bones.
But I have lots of relatives there especially in the Cherokee Nation so I know they all will be watching Ryan Dirteater.
Luv the PBR Gayle in Bakersfield

# Posted By Gayle in Bakersfield | 2/13/09 2:20 PM

By the way Larry in NM:
Been there done that---------Yea I have! You can do a lot in 60 years. And I have'nt quit yet.
Gayle in Bakersfield

# Posted By Gayle in Bakersfield | 2/13/09 2:26 PM

I agree with KRC that there are no "soft" bulls to pick, especially in the short go. Marchi has a draft strategy; so does Mauney. I enjoy the draft *because* it's fun to see guys use it, or try to use it... That said, I wouldn't want it in every round, because as Molly Ivins used to say, "Ya gotta dance with them what brung ya" -- and that's the luck of the draw.

# Posted By walkamungus | 2/13/09 5:25 PM

Mixing up the "guest" announcers is kind of refreshing! But if you don't think JW and McBride aren't the most fun in the banter department, then you just don't watch enuf! My request is on the technical side...I sometimes cannot hear JW or McBride's comments..they are too soft spoken at times. They often have some very provocative comments that are lost due to the soft mics. ALSO: Thank you to whoever answered my prayer to have Shorty back on! I would love to see more of them (the bullfighters) on the PBR site. Like when Frank was sick with the flu a few weeks back. Nobody knew where he was! I think I finally found a mention on Flint's blog that he was sick.

# Posted By Lisa Claborne | 2/13/09 6:06 PM

I guess, I can throw my opinion into this bull event. With all the other B... S... out there, what's one pile to step over. The PBR commentaters are the best in the business. Justin McKee stays up on the bulls and the bull owners, that's something you don't learn about from the other (brand X bull events). Craig is "Mr Smooth". He keeps every thing flowing no matter what's throwed at him. Ty is "Mr Responsiblity". Don't get me wrong, not a goody-two-boots. But he holds up the integrity of the sport. G-Man is "Mr Nice Guy". He brings out the good-ol boy image. JW (my favorite) is more the John Wayne type; "I won't hit ya, I won't hit ya,... the hell I won't!"( McKlintock). I like his locker-room talk comments. He gives his honest opinions, and then stands behind them(.) My true cowboy image. McBride (like Ty) watches the performance and tells his opinion. Some of your best nights have been when JW and McBride go at each other in that good ol boy back slap. Thanks for bringing Shorty back "live". I would like to hear more about the bull fighters, that the tough job! WATCH your step, that's a big pile of B... S... left steamin there!

# Posted By Janet Wolfe | 2/13/09 10:27 PM

A response to Keith R.(who responded to my comment about G.M. riding "soft" bulls): Okay, I stand corrected...there are no soft bulls in the short go; you are correct & I agree to that. However, my point here is>>> GM consistently picks bulls that he's either ridden before OR are into his hand - if there is an "easier way to get the job done" ...this man will take it. I meant no insult to the rank bulls being presented.

# Posted By Gayle Plummer | 2/13/09 11:11 PM

Craig, love your commentary. What happened to you on NBC last Saturday in OKC? I'm not so big on Kenny Rice. Where'd he come from?

# Posted By Cindy | 2/16/09 5:25 PM

Seems every time I watch a PBR, Never miss one, I keep hearing this same comment "Why can't any of the riders who win PBR Champion of the season" Why can't anyone seem to repeat. No one has ever won two in a row. It's simple really. "A Goal once achived no longer motivates."

# Posted By Randy H | 2/18/09 12:58 PM

Hi Craig, my friend Tiffany and I made a video for Harve Stewart and Reese Cates and now made a video for Ryan Dirteater. Dirteater doesn't have a blog so we thought we would post the video on your blog and ask if you could pass word along to dirteater and the other riders. Thanks so much Craig, we're HUGE PBR fans! Keep up the awesome work! the link below is to the video!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6wh94RiZVc&fea...

-Abbie

# Posted By TiffanyandAbbie | 2/24/09 8:46 PM

Craig,
I enjoy watching the pbr on versus and love your positive remarks about the riders whether they buck off or not.

P.S. To the young ladies who made the youtube video about Dirteater...It was great... I can always use a good luagh

# Posted By RMC | 3/5/09 8:32 AM

Craig could you ask Gman and McBride and J.W. to STOP saying one or the other of the bullriders is picking easy bulls?

The way I see it PBR does not have easy bulls otherwise they would not be in the PBR

# Posted By Pauline Stephenson | 3/7/09 12:17 PM

My Lady & I love bull riding. We watch it on VS every weekend & attend when it's in St Louis. We live in Illinois. I do like both Justin's, Ty, JW and any other bull rider who they get in the booth to talk. Sorry, but when Hummer is on, we turn the volume off. Keep covering the bicycles Craig. Good luck to Flint.

# Posted By James Leonard | 3/18/09 7:00 PM

I love your blog. I just have to say ant all announcers are doing a wonderful job. Those who are critical need to walk a mile in your shoes. Can they do better? I think not!

I just HAVE to comment about Apollo. I have watched that video of Robson Palermo riding him quite a few times. I do beilieve that bull thinks he can fly if he just bounces a little higher. Watch his feet and how they wiggle when he gets launched! That was an amazing ride!!

# Posted By Phyllis Phucas | 5/6/09 1:34 PM

Craig, Are you still out there? Am very concerned about the contract negotiations that are going on right now between Versus and Direct tv. Do you work for Versus or the PBR? Does anyone have any imput on this. A few years ago I subscribed to Dish. They decided to take OLN off the air and thousands of us out here switched to Direct. Now it looks like we might have to go thru that again. Myself, I would like to see the PBR go with another network, one who would put on all the events when they happen and with Fridays too. Please encourabe the PBR to push on this issue. Thankyou

# Posted By Joy Roeder | 8/24/09 7:55 PM

please have direct tv finalize a deal with com cast. i can't get versus & i am SICK. i watched every event & thought everone did a great job. charge me more money & get it back on direct tv. that's what it is all about anyway or get new channel.
go j.b nancy

# Posted By nancy smith | 9/22/09 11:49 PM

this sucks i finally break down and get direct tv and then time warner jacks up their price for verses so now i don't get no pbr bull on my tv anymore that was one of the main channels i wanted!!!!!!!!!!

# Posted By skip | 9/30/09 7:36 PM

I agree with Nancy Smith's and Skip's comments - please get us back PBR on DirectTV... I would pay more $ if needed. What was this about it now on RFD, is this true? I can only hope.... Please update us on this matter. GO JB --- GO Wylie ---- Go RyanDE!!!

# Posted By JackieC. | 10/1/09 5:33 PM

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