McBride and Hart to Team Up in CBS Broadcast Booth in Okeechobee
By: Justin Felisko
PUEBLO, Colo. – The first 15/15 Bucking Battle of the 2021 Unleash The Beast season is going to feature plenty of bull power, and two-time World Champion Justin McBride will have a fellow bull riding legend alongside him in the CBS broadcast booth to break it all down.
McBride will be pinch-hitting as the lead television host during the first day of competition at the PBR Coors Banquet Invitational in Okeechobee, Florida, with longtime PBR host Craig Hummer missing Round 1 and the 15/15 Bucking Battle because of a scheduling conflict. (Hummer will be back in the booth for Championship Sunday’s CBS Sports Network broadcast at 7 p.m. ET.)
Joining McBride in the booth Saturday from the Okeechobee Agri-Civic Center – as well as from behind the bucking chutes, as he has done during previous television broadcasts – will be none other than 2002 PBR World Finals event winner and stock contractor J.W. Hart.
“For as scared to death as I am of us screwing up, I am actually pretty excited for him and I to do a show together,” McBride said before laughing. “We have done a lot of different stuff together in the past, from the riding to racing cars to doing TV shows together. We have done a lot of things together over the years. It will be really, really fun.
“The good thing is it is just one show. Craig will be back the next day, and we got one professional in (CBS Sports sideline reporter) Kate (Harrison). Me and J.W. are in good shape with Kate. It is a one-time deal, and the gang will be back together Sunday.”
Fans can watch the 15/15 Bucking Battle Sunday on CBS national television at noon ET (check local listings). Round 1 airs at 9 p.m. PT (midnight ET) on Saturday night on CBS Sports Network.
McBride has hosted a PBR telecast before with nine-time World Champion Ty Murray, so he understands how his role will change for Saturday, and he talked with Hummer during the week about hosting for this weekend.
Hart has joined Hummer and McBride from the back of the bucking chutes at times during the 2020 PBR World Finals and other broadcasts, but now McBride and Hart will have some more time to dive a bit further into select rides or bulls.
“I am going to obviously stay within the same structure as Craig,” McBride said. “This is something I talked with Craig about. We are going to keep it in his framework with just our spin on it.”
McBride believes he and Hart can give fans a glimpse of some of the conversations they have outside of the arena during the week. Essentially, they will be having a conversation between two former bull riders.
“The real thing that I am hoping our fans will enjoy is that, yes, Craig and I are always having that conversation, but with doing that with J.W. and I, you are going to have a different opinion on that same conversation from J.W.,” McBride said. “Him and I will look at the same thing and have two different takes on it, while Craig will have ask me the questions and let me answer them. J.W. and I will change roles from ride to ride. He might be going Craig’s job at times, and I may be doing his, and vice versa. While we agree on the same fundamentals, we’ve got different takes on them from time to time. It will be fun for me. There are a lot of times I see something, and I wonder what J.W. may think on this one. Just to have his knowledge on all the bulls will be nice too.”
And man, are there some fantastic matchups to watch for in the 15/15 Bucking Battle, as well as in Round 1.
15/15 Bucking Battle Matchups
Joao Ricardo Vieira vs. I’m Busted (9-1, UTB/METC)$
Dener Barbosa vs. I’m Legit Too (21-8, UTB/METC)$
Brennon Eldred vs. The Right Stuff (22-1, UTB/METC)
Marcelo Procopio Pereira vs. Diddy Wah Diddy (1-1, UTB)
J.T. Moore vs. Canadian Mist (38-5, UTB)
Dalton Kasel vs. Short Night (15-4, UTB)
Marco Eguchi vs. Smooth Operator (85-10, UTB)*
Silvano Alves vs. CopperPoint Swagger (7-1, UTB)
Keyshawn Whitehorse vs. Red Clark (7-0, UTB)*
Cody Teel vs. Zero Time (11-1, UTB/METC)
Cole Melancon vs. Midnight Rock (9-4, UTB)
Cooper Davis vs. Ridin Solo (10-3, UTB)
Kaique Pacheco vs. Homegrown (10-2, UTB)
Mauricio Moreira vs. Marquis Metal Works Coriolis Effect (7-1, UTB)*
Junior Patrik Souza vs. Young Man’s Blues (11-0, UTB/METC)*
*Rematch
$Rider has previously successfully ridden the bull
Plenty of focus will be on the Cooper Davis/Ridin Solo matchup, and McBride believes Davis may also win Round 1 Saturday aboard Stretch. Davis is 2-for-2 against Stretch, including a 90.5-point ride during the 2018 PBR World Finals.
“I am looking forward to that matchup, but I am looking forward to his long round matchup against Stretch as well,” McBride said. “You might possibly have Cooper winning the long round and not only winning the 15/15 but making one of the all-time great rides in the PBR.”
Follow Justin Felisko on Twitter @jfelisko
Photo courtesy of Christopher Thompson/Bull Stock Media
© 2021 PBR Inc. All rights reserved.