CALF_News_February_March_2021

20 CALF News • February | March 2021 • www.calfnews.net By Larry Stalcup Contributing Editor F ort Worth and Arlington, Texas, don’t have the glamour and glitter of Las Vegas – and they don’t want it. But they quickly saddled up the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo (NFR) after COVID-19 dealt a “no time” to the celebrated Entertainment Capital of the World. Vegas had hosted rodeo’s Super Bowl for nearly 35 years before the ‘Rona rattled its plans for 2020. Thanks to the quick thinking of Patrick Gottsch and others at RFD-TV and The Cowboy Channel, Fort Worth teamed with the Texas Rang- ers baseball club to host rodeo’s superstars at Globe-Life Field, Major League Baseball’s newest stadium with a retractable roof. The traditional Las Vegas extravaganza at the Thomas & Mack Center was nearly canceled due to the state of Nevada’s COVID-19 restrictions. The pandemic had penalized many rodeos, equine and livestock shows and events this year. Calgary was stampeded by COVID. So was Cheyenne. NFR’s chances looked dim. The Cowboy Channel had acquired the broadcast rights to the big roundup in Septem- ber 2019 after ESPN, CBS and other networks had broadcast the NFR for years. The Cowboy Channel had broadcast The American mega rodeo from AT&T Stadium ( Jerry’s World) for several years and didn’t want to lose the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) championship performances. “We were instrumental in introducing PRCA to the folks at Globe-Life Field,” says Gottsch, head of RFD-TV, founder of The Cowboy Channel and longtime broadcast specialist with Superior Livestock Auction in Fort Worth. “Since we have The American across the street at AT&T, we initially wanted to have the NFR there, but the Big 12 Championship game was already set for early December.” Gottsch and associates contacted Globe-Life Field, which earlier in the fall hosted MLB’s National League Championship Series and the World Series, again due to COVID-19 restric- tions elsewhere. “Globe-Life couldn’t have been a better set up,” Gottsch says. “It’s just too bad we couldn’t sell more than 28 percent [of the seating capacity].” The early December broadcasts were expanded to include opening ceremonies without commercial interruptions. Military personnel, veterans and first responders were honored. “The TV ratings were more than double what was done last year [2019],” Gottsch says. “People really liked it. We did 10 hours of broadcasting [daily].” RFD-TV’s Western Sports Roundup Show featured much of the content. NFR video was featured on the giant screen at the Texas Live entertainment center near Globe-Life Field. “The city of Arlington, Fort Worth and the Fort Worth Stockyards did a heck of a job in welcoming rodeo fans and others to the event,” Gottsch says. “The stockyards area was full. We also partnered with John Wayne’s son, Ethan Wayne, to open the John Wayne Museum exhibit next to the stockyards.” National Finals Rodeo Rides Into Texas COVID Forces Las Vegas to Deal Rodeo’s Super Bowl to Arlington’s New Globe-Life Field LEFT: NFR All-Around Champion Stetson Wright of Utah tackles a tough one at the NFR at Globe-Life Field. RIGHT: This bronc couldn’t throw NFR All-Around Champion Stetson Wright during the NFR at Globe-Life Field. PRCA ProRodeo photos by Clay Guardipee