2010 PBR Memphis Invitational Preview

The PBR Built Ford Tough Series will be in Tennessee for the second consecutive weekend when they head to Memphis this Friday and Saturday. This past weekend, Ben Jones won his first-ever BFTS event, while Austin Meier gained a lot of ground on Renato Nunes. The bull power was excellent, and it will be similar this weekend as well. Here are five questions I have heading into the Memphis event. If you have anything to add, please comment below or email me at: [email protected]. Enjoy!

Will Austin Meier and Valdiron de Oliveira Continue to Chip Into Renato’s Lead?
I mentioned above how Austin Meier cut into Renato Nunes’ lead in Nashville. Meier went 3-for-3, while Nunes went 0-for-2. The lead is now less than 1,000 points. In addition, Valdiron de Oliveira also had a good weekend and pulled to within 1,880 points of the lead. Anyone who thought the race was close to being over before last weekend will hopefully realize it’s just beginning. Meanwhile, J.B. Mauney moved up a couple spots to fifth, and it looks like he figured some things out as well. It’s going to be a race to the finish.

As far as this question goes, however, it’s hard for me to give up so quickly on Renato Nunes. He is still number one, and I highly doubt he will get shutout again this weekend. It remains to be seen whether or not the pressure has finally gotten to him, but I wouldn’t bet against him in Memphis. He is far too talented to struggle two consecutive weekends. Meier and Oliveira may ride well this weekend and put more pressure on Nunes, but he should be up to the task of defending his lead. Then again, a lot of it depends on the bulls each rider draws.

Which Bull Will Steal the Show in the Short-Go?
Last weekend, all the bull talk going into the event centered around Code Blue and Uncle Buck. Both had great outs in the short-go, but Bones’ performance stole the show. Which bull will do the same this weekend? If Highway 12 is still in Tennessee, he gets my vote. He was outstanding in Nashville (45.5), but nobody mentioned his name much after the event. I gave him credit in my recap the other day, and fans need to take notice. The riders won’t wait as long to pick him this weekend, and he looks like a bull who can help take a guy to 90-93 points pretty quickly. If Highway 12 gets out enough towards the end of the season, he might end up in the running for PBR Bull of the Year.

Will Travis Briscoe Have Any Success Riding With His Other Hand?
Travis Briscoe has been battling injuries the last several months, but he sprained his left wrist and elbow in Nashville. He told Leah Garcia he was going to switch hands this week and see how things go. If nothing else, it’s an intriguing story to follow because he is fourth in the standings right now.

I haven’t ever ridden a bull, but since I’ve been a fan, riders switching hands haven’t had much luck. Kody Lostroh attempted it last year before coming to an event, but he realized he wasn’t comfortable enough. Briscoe has done it before in the past, so we will see. It seems like it’s tough enough to compete every week with the correct riding hand 100% healthy. I won’t be betting the ranch on the New Mexico cowboy anytime soon.

Update: It looks like Briscoe will not be riding this weekend, but it hasn’t been 100% confirmed by the PBR website yet.

Which Bull Will be the Favorite for Bull of the Year After Memphis?
Voodoo Child has ruled the discussion for PBR Bull of the Year all season, but it seems like he has lost a half step since the summer break ended. He has only been marked under 45 points twice this season, and those are his last two outs. If the riders still voted on Bull of the Year, Voodoo might have already wrapped things up. However, he will have to earn it at the PBR Finals, and I’m not sure he can beat out Uncle Buck, Bones, Code Blue, etc. if they have their day.

I hate to say it because of how great Voodoo Child has been all season, but Uncle Buck might have become the new favorite after Nashville. Now that Jeff Robinson is hauling him, fans will see him more and more. If he keeps bucking like he did last weekend, Voodoo won’t be able to hang with him the rest of the season. As intriguing as the PBR World Title race is, the Bucking Bull of the Year race may be just as good or better. It’s going to be a fun last two months.

Will Ryan McConnel Continue to Struggle and Fall Down the Standings?
Now that J.B. Mauney has seemingly snapped out of his slump, my attention has turned to Ryan McConnel. He is one of my favorites to watch because of how easy he can make it look when he is on his game, and I actually picked him to finish third in 2010. That being said, he has looked pretty sub-par the last few weeks. In total, he is 0 for his last 7 on the BFTS. Because of the slump, he has fallen to eighth in the standings and is only 100 points or so in front of Mike Lee. If any rider is going to fall out of the top 10 before the Final Five Chase, it might just be McConnel.

Like many others, McConnel has dealt with the injury bug lately. He dislocated his finger, and there have been questions about how healthy his neck is. Tandy wouldn’t let him ride because of it in Tulsa, and that seemed to take something out of McConnel. He hasn’t been his usual self since the PBR returned from break, and it wouldn’t surprise me to see him struggle a few more events. If anyone can snap out of a slump and go on a major run, however, it’s this guy. We will have to wait and see.