Welcome New York Mavericks - The Big Apple Embraces Team Format Bull Riding

​by John Chuhran, Editorial Director - MetroSports Magazine August 10, 2024 Photography by Clark Thompson and Warren Rosenberg

One of the great cultural benefits of sports is the way recognized competitions can connect the past with the present. The trick is to constantly find changes that appeal to younger people while not alienating older fans.

Those aren’t easy to identify and create and they aren’t always successful (consider auto racing’s Superstar Racing Experience (SRX) that wanted to duplicate the success of the old International Race of Champions (IROC) series, but failed to generate participation from top drivers and TV viewers), but when the public finds something that has universal appeal – such as hockey’s NHL Winter Classic outdoor games or baseball’s MLB Field of Dreams game in Iowa – those innovations give new enthusiasm that significantly boosts popularity and financial value.

Above: The beast is ready. The writing on the gate says it all - PBR Camping Series : Maverick Days : Brooklyn NY Photo credit: Warren Rosenberg - New York Sports Photo Group

On August 9-10, local sports fans saw the future at Barclays Center, well-known in the tri-state area as the home of NBA basketball’s Brooklyn Nets and the WNBA's New York Liberty, as the Professional Bull Riders (PBR) celebrated the New York debut of the Camping World Team Series and the home debut of the New York Mavericks, a New York franchise in this league.

Bull Riding has been a popular annual staple at Madison Square Garden for more than two decades, but the traditional format has some limitations similar to a golf or tennis tournament. Perhaps the biggest issue involves the size of the field (more than 40 riders) and three-day nature of competition. Bluntly, if you go to see the first two days of riding, you can see some magnificent performances, but you do not get to see a winner because that is only determined after the final day’s scores are added to the scores from prior days.

The PBR Camping World Team Series solved that problem quite simply and, now in the third season of operation, it provides spectacular entertainment divided into small chunks that are easily understandable by even the most casual of curious sports fans. The team format created eight teams (with two expansion teams – including the Mavericks – added this year) each with five active riders (and several reserves in case of injuries or other issues). The format is similar to that of an end-of-game shootout in soccer; riders each get one ride, alternating with riders on one opposing team, and the team with highest points total from its five rides is declared the winner. Each “game” lasts about half an hour with brief break between games.

Above: Opening ceremony presentation during the National Anthem by color guard of the NYPD, FDNY, and US Border Patrol (from left to right). Photo credit - Warren Rosenberg, New York Sports Photo Group

The strategy is involved is fascinating and certainly more interesting than for the individual series. Because more than half of all rides result in no score from riders not riding for the required eight seconds before being thrown off by the unpredictable, 2,000-pound, angry animals that really dislike someone sitting on their backs, team captain have to consider whether to keep low-scoring initial ride where a foul is noted by officials, or to choose a re-ride where the result could be either a higher total or zero points. The order the riders compete is also a challenge. Much like a baseball line-up where the top power hitter bats fourth to “clean up” his teammates who are expected to get on base ahead of him, the fifth rider is the closer, usually the most successful rider based on past performances.

Above: The safety of athletes, both riders and bulls, is central to PBR events. Here, members of the U.S. Border Patrol branded PBR Bull Fighters at work. Photo credit - Clark Thompson, Clarkshots1

In this setting, fans saw four games on the final night. In the first game, The Kansas City Outlaws beat the Arizona Ridge Riders, 172.5-86.75. Game two saw a showdown of the two former PBR Teams league champions; 2022 titlests Nashville Stampede had four riders score points and cruised to a 345.25-0 over reigning champs Texas Rattlers.

Highlight of the evening was the spectacular third game in which five riders scored points and the Austin Gamblers took a walk-off win over the Missouri Thunder, 220.5-176.5. Three-time world champion Jose Vitor Leme, who always seems to excel in New York and was the final rider from the chute, rode The Judge to score 85.25 points.  In the finale, the Mavericks squeaked by the Florida Freedom 85.75-0 as third rider Hudson Bolton rode Whip with confidence and style.

Above: New York Mavericks rider, Hudson Bolton aboard Whip and his way to completing an 8-second ride on Saturday helping to secure the Mavericks weekend sweep. Photo credit Warren Rosenberg, New York Sports Photo Group

Fan reaction to this initial effort in Brooklyn was overwhelmingly positive. Attendance was a near sell-out, enthusiasm and cheering were as loud as any heard at Rangers or Giants games, and smiles were seen on attendees from age 8 to 80.

However, there is still room for improvement. Walking out with the crowd at the end of the night’s games, a young girl about seven years old was heard to ask “grandpa, did the New York team win?” His response was “I have no idea.” Back in the old days – when dinosaurs roamed the earth – fans could keep track of the scores themselves with a scorecard and a pencil. Perhaps a bi-lingual free app for fans (generating revenue from advertisers) could enable modern fans to read brief biographies of the riders, an overview of how the team games are scored and what the current scores are. For the grandpas in attendance, a simple one-sheet of paper could enable them to grab the same info from the stadium message boards and record the info (since the math involved in adding points to the team total is also displayed) to show their granddaughters.

And if the PBR does adopt my suggestions, please make sure to send me the check….oops, I forgot that journalists can’t do that. Darn, with the growing success of the Team Series, I am confident that the PBR is going to be making money as if they have their own printing press.

(-MetroSports-)