PBR

our friend michael stopped through town this weekend and we got a chance to hang. he was in town for work, but had the time friday to go out to dinner with us; read: elliot bay brewhouse! we made arrangements to hook up with him on sunday for 'take you friends to work night.'

it was typical michael to tell us to meet him at the loading dock at the tacoma dome. when we arrived at the back entrance and phoned, he popped out of a door with backstage passes!
michael has the coolest job ever!

we made our way through the bowels of the dome to a patch of dirt and row of fences.

there andrea found one of her favorite things...
a rodeo waiting to happen! actually, it was more of a quasi-rodeo. diet-rodeo if you will...but it.was.awesome!

our first stop was the 'chutes.' this is where the cowboys...well...cowboy up. they strap themselves to a bull and try to hold on for 8 seconds.
these guys are so gentle of creatures, it's hard to believe there can get so riled up.

michael operates a camera in the chutes. when your flippin' channels and see bullriding, pause...see if it's PBR, and then wait for a chute-shot. that's michael behind it. like i said...his job is awesome!

next stop was the video truck; imagine a semi trailer filled with video screens, blinking lights, and wires. this is where they take care of the broadcast of the event. michael said it got very busy when the show was on, but now it just contained a guy playing poker on his laptop [sorry to narc you out. :)]

we couldn't believe the arsenal of cameras they used. this was mike's.

there was also the camera along side of the ring.


we both got to 'play' with it. this camera has mad-zoom and great depth of field!

we concluded our tour and made our way to our seats, via hot dogs and mountain dew; hey, sometimes you just have to live the life.

and waited patiently for the show to start.

here it goes!

Professional Bull Riding at it's best! [a very close second to the Jackson Hole Rodeo.


enjoying the action from the nose-bleed section. like i said, sometimes you just have to live the life.

bull riding. what a funny sport. totally enthrawling; but funny. 2.1 isn't going to cut it. andrea rooted hard for 'snake oil,' but was a little disappointed.

we finish with the bull riders equivalent to the zamboni. cute, in a wall-e sort of way...but no zamboni.

michael, thanks for the backstage tour of PBR. we both have a greater appreciation for what it takes to get it to our TV, and what a circus must be like.

all of the versus group was gracious, and we look forward to seeing you soon in tacoma!