CBS Game of the Week: Past and Present Collide in Team Union Home Mortgage vs. Team Cooper Tires Matchup
By: Justin Felisko
PUEBLO, Colo. – Silvano Alves was a runaway bull riding World Champion train from 2011-2014.
Other than two-time World Champion J.B. Mauney, no one could ever seem to get in the way of Alves and his pursuit of multiple gold buckles.
However, much has changed in the six years since Alves became just the second rider in PBR history to win three world titles in 2014.
The era of Alves dominance is a distant memory in many ways. He has never returned to the No. 1 world ranking since the fourth week of the 2015 season, a year in which he appeared poised to make a run at a record-setting fourth world title before breaking his hip in Nampa, Idaho.
A new era of dominant riders have risen to the top of the PBR since Alves’s reign concluded.
While Alves has still qualified for every PBR World Finals in the last five years, a new crop of World Champions has taken over – Cooper Davis (2016), Jess Lockwood (2017/2019) and Kaique Pacheco (2018).
Alves has passed his torch as the best Brazilian bull rider in the world to riders such as Pacheco and Jose Vitor Leme in the past five seasons.
In fact, Leme’s sensational 6-for-6 victory at the 2017 World Finals in his first premier series event on American soil was the only thing stopping Alves (4-for-6) from becoming just the fourth rider in PBR history to win multiple World Finals titles.
On Sunday, the Monster Energy Team Challenge, presented by U.S. Border Patrol, will feature Leme and Team Cooper Tires squaring off against Alves and Team Union Home Mortgage.
The matchup has been named the CBS Game of the Week, which fans can watch live on CBS national television beginning at 12:30 p.m. ET.
The CBS Game of the Week is pitting two significant faces in PBR history against each other and their respective teams.
Leme’s Team Cooper Tires appears to be one of the strongest units at the Monster Energy Team Challenge with reigning six-time PRCA champion Sage Kimzey, as well as Keyshawn Whitehorse and Stetson Lawrence on his squad, while Alves’ Union Home Mortgage squad features a slew of young guns in 2015 PBR Brazil champion Luciano de Castro, Mason Taylor and Marcus Mast.
Every game at the METC is comprised of 12 collective outs, with each team attempting six bulls. Three riders per team, as selected by the General Manager, will attempt two bulls per game. The winner of each game will be the team with the top combined aggregate score from their six outs.
The Monster Energy Team Challenge features, 12 teams, 48 bull riders and two Divisions (A&B). The Top 3 teams in each division, based upon win-loss record, will qualify for Championship Weekend and a single-elimination tournament in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, on July 10-12 in front of fans.
Division A competition begins Friday night in Las Vegas and concludes June 14.
Sunday’s final lineup for Team Cooper Tires and Team Union Home Mortgage will be set 30 minutes following the conclusion of Challenge Day 2 competition Saturday night at the Pendleton Whisky Let ‘Er Buck Saloon at South Point Arena.
It is more than likely that Leme and Alves will be competing for their teams on national television Sunday.
Leme finished the first half of the 2020 Unleash The Beast atop the world standings by putting forth one of the best starts in the PBR’s 27-year history, even despite missing two events because of three broken ribs.
The 23-year-old headed into the summer UTB break leading the PBR in event wins (4) – qualified rides (25), riding percentage (73.53%) and 90-point rides (6). Leme’s eight round wins is also tied with Jess Lockwood, the General Manager of Team Union Home Mortgage, for the most in the PBR.
No World Champion has ridden more than 70% of his bulls on the premier series since Guilherme Marchi (2008). Marchi began the 2008 season 28-for-34 (82.35%).
Lockwood finished last season with the highest riding percentage (67.69%) by a World Champion since Alves rode 69% in 2011.
Is Alves the same rider as he was in 2011?
His current 34.38% riding percentage at all levels screams no.
Yet, Alves went 4-for-6 at his last two premier series events before the summer break, and he has a 62.16% riding average at PBR events in Las Vegas.
Alves said recently that he believes he can lead Team Union Home Mortgage to a championship.
The 32-year-old actually worked his way out of his early 2020 slump by practicing alongside Leme in Decatur, Texas, in the early spring.
Alves and Leme fine-tuned their skills during the PBR’s 41-day hiatus amidst the COVID-19 (coronavirus) outbreak.
The 10-time PBR World Finals qualifier wanted to get on some practice bulls, and he had seen that Leme, who also lives in Decatur, was back in the pen following his three broken ribs.
“It is hard for us to stay home all the time,” Alves said last month after he passed two-time World Champion Chris Shivers for the fifth-most qualified rides in PBR history. “You can’t do nothing more. You work at home all day and then look outside and think the same. I call Jose and say, ‘Let’s go ride some bulls for practice,’ and he said, ‘Yeah. Come here and help me, or I come to your house and help you.’
“He learn from me a little bit, and I learn from him a little bit. We are just riding bulls trying to stay healthy. Every guy stay great for next competition.”
While neither rider went into full details of what they are helping each other with, Leme did say it is a dream come true to train alongside a legend like Alves.
“It is certainly a very cool thing, to practice and to be with a guy you have always been a fan of. This is crazy for me,” Leme said. “Five years ago, if someone told me that this would happen I would say that you are crazy, that would be impossible, and today seeing dreams like this come true is very rewarding. I am having the opportunity to learn more each day.”
Leme finished the first half of the Unleash The Beast first half with a 235-point lead on the injured Lockwood in the world standings. Leme appears more poised than ever to join Alves in the PBR record books as a World Champion.
For now, though, Leme and Alves will be focusing on a different path to the record books between now and the conclusion of the Monster Energy Team Challenge on July 10-12 at the Denny Sanford PREMIER Center in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
Alves is a 2010 World Cup champion and Leme is a 2018/2019 Global Cup champion, but both aspire to be the first captain to win a Monster Energy Team Challenge championship.
“I like a lot about my team,” Alves said. “I pick my team. They are all great bull riders. We have a good chance to win.”
Leme concluded, “I believe that the team was well chosen and we have great chances of winning the title.”
WEEKEND SCHEDULE FOR TEAM COOPER TIRES
Friday vs. Team Can-Am at 9 p.m. ET (CBS Sports Network/RidePass)
Saturday vs. Team YETI at 10:40 p.m. ET (CBS Sports Network/RidePass)
Sunday vs. Team Union Home Mortgage at 12:30 p.m. ET (CBS/RidePass)
WEEKEND SCHEDULE FOR TEAM UNION HOME MORTGAGE
Friday vs. Team Wrangler at 10:40 p.m. ET (CBS Sports Network/RidePass)
Saturday vs. Team Las Vegas at 9:50 p.m. ET (CBS Sports Network/RidePass)
Sunday vs. Team Cooper Tires at 12:30 p.m. ET (CBS/RidePass)
*Game times subject to change.
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