Friday, Nov. 4, 2005 | 7:35 a.m.
Commonly referred to as the "King of the Cowboys" Ty Murray retired at the top of his game -- or pretty darn near it -- in 2002 with seven all-around cowboy championship belt buckles in his dresser drawer.
He still holds the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association single-season earnings record with $297,896 in 1993, has more than $3 million in career earnings and has dated pop singer Jewel for seven years, although he says they have no plans to marry.
"We're both happy with the way things are," he says.
So that leaves just enough time for his newest pursuit, overseeing the meteoric growth of the Professional Bull Riders tour as its president, an office he has held since July 2004.
Murray took eight seconds out of his busy schedule -- actually a bit longer than that -- to discuss the future of the PBR as it geared up for the second weekend of its World Finals at the Thomas & Mack Center through Sunday.
Q: In 1994, the inaugural PBR tour featured just eight events and a total purse of $250,000. Now, it has 29 events with a $10 million purse. How do you explain the phenomenal growth?
A: What's led to that growth is our mission statement of making bull riding a more followable sport for fans and not just something that comes to town once a year. We've got good TV coverage, the very best bulls and the very best guys riding those bulls. That's what we're working toward. We want to become less of a circus and more of a sport. Q: We've seen where the PBR has been and where it is today. Where do you see it going from here? A: We've grown tremendously but we're just now getting to the point with TV where there's enough interest in the sport where we can begin humanizing the (riders) and delve into the personalities. Mainstream America has no relation to the sport ... people can even relate to NASCAR drivers because everybody has driven a car. That's why it is great for (TV) to be doing all these different stories (on the riders). The more we can humanize the sport, the more people will get to a point where they can relate to it a little more. Q: In the old days, an orchestra wearing western outfits used to play little ditties during bull rides. Now you've got Led Zeppelin and ACDC playing over the public address system and laser beams lighting up the arena. Do you think the PBR has been successful in cultivating younger and/or nontraditional rodeo fans? A: We're not trying to be something we're not. You look at the energy -- it's an exciting, adrenaline-pumping sport that appeals to a lot of people across the spectrum. We're just trying to do an entertaining show for a lot of people from a lot of different walks of life ... and I think the music and the show reflects that. Q: You've mentioned TV several times, and the PBR now has an estimated 100 million viewers worldwide on the Outdoor Life Network and NBC. How important is TV to the future of bull riding? A: TV is everything. We've sold out venues where there are 36,000 people, but that's a drop in the bucket to what television reaches. We realize how important that is. Fans are starting to relate to the guys (because of TV) and not just seeing hats on top of a bull. Q: What about the influx of riders from Brazil and Australia? How important are those markets to the PBR's future? A: We've got offices in both places as well in Canada. And next year, we're going to have our first major event in Mexico. There's going to be a news conference Saturday but I'm giving you the scoop (Thanks, Ty!). It's going to be gigantic. Q: The PBR was formed as a breakaway series from the PRCA in 1992. How would you describe the PBR's relationship with the PRCA today? A: I'd say the relationship is good ... although I think there was some (animosity) toward us for a while because of the success we were having. When I look at who am I and what I've done, all of it is through rodeo. I don't think we've done anything but help the sport and the western lifestyle. It (the PRCA and PBR) is like comparing NASCAR to Formula One. They are two different things, but I don't think (the success) of one hurts the other one. It was never about taking better care of the bull riders (financially). It was just that we looked at (bull riding) as a completely different thing that we thought could be great. And that's what happened. Q: Bull riders have adopted safety equipment such as flak jackets made of Kevlar, the same material that bullet-proof vests are made of, and hockey helmets. But they don't wear a protective cup. Why not? A: You're getting a little personal there, aren't ya? A lot of guys wear athletic girdles, similar to football players. I did. Q: If there's one thing you could say to the average sports fan who has never been to a PBR event, what would it be? A: I just hope that through the PBR, people will begin to understand we're just not a bunch of crazy cowboys holding on for dear life. There's a lot of athletic ability and control involved in doing something this scary. I just hope that people will appreciate that.
archive
