Pro Bull Riders hoping to help bring sports back - ESPN

3:29 PM ET

Two weeks ago, as the National Anthem played inside the Lazy E Arena in Guthrie, Oklahoma, Sean Gleason remembers all the air leaving his body in a giant sigh of relief.

"I knew we were going to buck bulls," Gleason, CEO of the Professional Bull Riders, told ESPN, "and I knew that we had gotten everybody in safely."

One of the first U.S. sports leagues to return during the coronavirus pandemic, the PBR is back in action this weekend at the Lazy E Arena. The two-day Cooper Tires Invitational begins Saturday and is the second PBR event since its season was suspended in mid-March as the pandemic took hold and halted essentially all organized sports.

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Prominent professional leagues like the NBA, NHL and Major League Baseball continue to weigh their options of how, when and if to return this year. The PBR is hoping it can help lead the way and has consulted with other leagues, including NASCAR, about the steps it is taking.

Spectators were prohibited at the PBR's first competition back, the "Unleash the Beast" competition on April 25-26. Riders and production staff drove to Guthrie from around the nation and stayed in RVs on site. Social-distancing protocols were in place, and participants received COVID-19 tests upon arrival in the days leading up to the competition.

The back of the chutes, where riders saddle up on the bulls, normally have dozens of riders and event staff watching intensely. Now, less than 10 people are allowed in the back of the chutes, and overall, the PBR says it has reduced the number of staff members required to stage the competition by roughly 30%, down to around 170.

"The biggest thing that we did was really just break down our sport and understand where every potential point of contact could occur in which the virus could be passed from human to human or from surface to human," Gleason told ESPN this week. "We spent a lot of time thinking through the interaction of the riders and the production crew and others, as well as the places they hang out and touch as they compete in the sport or do their jobs.

"We worked through something that none of us have ever faced before," Gleason added, "which is figuring out how to get back to business and buck bulls in the one of the most challenging and unique times of our lifetime."

Professional rider Matt Triplett made the trip from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, to Guthrie to compete. He said he missed the fans but the bull had his full attention.

"When you climb into those chutes and get sat down in the back of the bull, it's all the same game," Triplett told ESPN this week. "You have to be ready to go."

Sportsbooks have noticed the PBR's return, and odds are up in sportsbooks in states around the nation. Brazilian Jose Vito Leme, the No. 1-ranked rider, opened as the favorite this week at Score Bet in New Jersey.

Jay Rood, a veteran Las Vegas bookmaker now with sportsbook operator Bet.Works, has been setting odds and taking bets on professional bull riding for years. He compared the amount wagered on past PBR events held in Las Vegas to generally how much money is bet on an average NASCAR race.

"PBR fans, when they come to Las Vegas, really enjoyed being able to bet on their sport," Rood said. "They're not quite invested as a rider, but pretty invested."

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