A nine year-old girl who had been born with a cleft lip and palate is bullied so badly, the stress causes her hair to fall out. She is invited into the locker room of a major professional sport where she gives the athletes a rousing pep talk (one of them, bald, after shaving his head in solidarity with the young girl). She is later honored on the playing field in front of a roaring crowd.
A boy with cerebral palsy, physically challenged by a stroke at birth, is a big sports fan with deep knowledge of the game. He’s invited into the broadcast booth at a major event, turns in a tremendous performance as color commentator, and becomes an instant hit with the fans.
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A cancer survivor, who happens to be a bull stock contractor in Professional Bull Riders, is inspired by a fan valiantly battling cancer. He names his bull after the fan, a retired Navy seaman. And along with 2.5 million other people watching PBR on CBS, Mary Apper sees her bull namesake, “Apper’s Mind Freak,” toss a rider like a rag doll.
All of these stories, in fact, happened recently in PBR.
They’re part of the sport’s “Be Cowboy” campaign – which puts on a pedestal ordinary people who have the grit, tenacity, and courage that epitomizes the values of the cowboys who settled the American west and are showcased each week in PBR.
PBR isn’t alone. Just about every professional sports league and team does yeoman’s work in giving back by providing unforgettable fan experiences to those dealt a difficult hand in life.
NASCAR has orchestrated epic Make-A-Wishes. (Just Google “The Lucky Penny Girl.”) NHL, MLB, and NBA players routinely and quietly visit hospitals while their teams honor deserving fans at events. UFC has fighters like Cody Garbrandt bringing kids battling challenging illnesses into the Octagon. The combined works of each NFL team’s Walter Payton Award recipient are awe-inspiring.
These kind of stirring stories that help restore our faith in mankind can be seen on ESPN’s award-winning “My Wish” series, which airs on SportsCenter each July.
What PBR has been doing is worth a look for how the sport has made each fan an authentic star of the event. The organic experience is often truly life-altering.
“PBR is an ecosystem that’s defined and nimble, where something can go from an email or league website story onto national TV in a matter of days,” said Craig Hummer, the play-by-play voice of PBR on CBS who’s covered dozens of sports during an award-winning career.
“If the NFL is the ‘super tanker’ of Sports, PBR is more of a speedboat. They both accomplish great things. In the case of PBR, everyone onboard responds so quickly, the organization can turn on a dime,” Hummer said.
Indeed, that was the case with Molly Steffl, the 9-year-old girl who went from being horrendously bullied to training in cross fit and gaining notice on “American Ninja Warrior” prior to becoming a darling of pro bull riding.
Tipped off to the story by Samantha Mauney, the wife of two-time World Champion J.B. Mauney, PBR’s PR team noticed Molly’s family was within driving distance of Minneapolis, and event lead Kacie Albert reached out. Precocious Molly was thrilled at the chance to share her story with the riders.
Last Friday, Hummer received an email about the plans to bring Molly into the locker room and make her an honorary bull fighter. By Sunday’s broadcast of the Minneapolis Invitational, Molly’s inspirational story and pep talk was on the CBS Sports Network PBR telecast.
So when PBR puts a Molly on the dirt or the Las Vegas Golden Knights have a 13-year-old fan battling Hodgkin’s lymphoma replacing goalie Marc-Andre Fleury in the nets for day, it’s done first and foremost, because it’s the right thing to do. And in turn, the sport gets back more than it puts out. PBR employees will tell you making fans’ dreams come true is their favorite part of the job.
By doing well, they also do good for their sport.
For example, in the case of Molly Steffl, PBR’s post on Facebook showing her pep talk performed significantly better than the organization’s average post.
At a time when controversy and scandal tend to get the most clicks, it’s refreshing to see sports organizations with their priorities set, and fans ultimately responding best to human decency.
For Ethan Brown, a passionate rodeo fan since he was a toddler (and now, after rising from his wheelchair to become a fan favorite on PBR’s digital network), what started as a “Wish” at World Finals in 2018 and led to subsequent guest appearances on RidePass has sparked a love for journalism…which may just turn into a career.
The 17 year old – who has undergone multiple surgeries, each time demonstrating cowboy grit in getting up every time he’s knocked down – has been offered an internship by MMG, a PR agency serving PBR at many major events, including World Finals coming up Nov. 6-10 at T Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
MMG owner and PBR account lead, Mandi McCary, preferred not to be quoted here. She wants to the focus to be on Ethan, “where it should be.”
Sorry for going ahead and quoting you Mandi, but that says it all right there.
When our focus is on the stories and people that matter most, everyone ultimately wins.
