Loyal Scaiaholics will recall how my associates and I had plotted out an epic road trip to take in this year’s Pendleton Round-Up in SuperOregon.

My first boss and I have made a tradition of attending the Round-Up with a round robin of folks, once with a classmate from high school (who once recorded a promo for me at that station), other times with friends from Portland or his family.

I was excited to make the trip up this year with associates from right here in Texas. In a tragedy of sadness, the Round-Up was cancelled.

“Where will I pretend to be a cowboy for one day a year?!” I screamed out toward the heavens.

Jerry Jones stepped in with a socially distanced solution.

Before society was discontinued, the PBR held its Global Cup in Arlington.

The PBR World Finals couldn’t take place in Nevada this year, so they came to Arlington. AT&T Stadium was allowed to open up to 25% capacity, and at a place the size of AT&T Stadium, that’s about 18,000 people.

I stopped by for the first round last night. The PBR presented me with a rider from a town south of Calgary, Alberta to interview. I asked him if his approach changes coming to an event this big.

But he also explained you’ll get pumped up coming to a place the size of AT&T Stadium.

When the event started, the announcer laid out the unexpected obstacle was awaiting us last winter. At the risk of editorializing, I agree: COVID-19 was challenging, but nothing takes away from the thrill of man versus beast.

Jerry Jones does know how to put on a good show [although I suspect Jerry Jones had little, if anything, to do with the set-up]. I texted this picture to that first boss, and still a mentor offering sage advice, he ordered me to have a half dozen beers on his behalf.

But the PBR World Finals did have substantially more lasers than the Pendleton Round-Up. Also, I would love to see Pendleton write, “Let ‘er buck,” in fire on the grass in the arena.

An associate made a strong point, though: Maybe Pendleton doesn’t need lasers and fire to prove its point. Maybe Pendleton is confident enough to know if you serve whiskey, people will come.