ProRodeo Sports News - Sept. 30, 2022

EDITOR’S LETTER TRACY RENCK Sioux Falls set to play prominent role in Cinch Playoffs

I n November 2001, then Indianapolis Colts coach JimMora turned a run-of-the-mill postgame press conference into a clip that has lived for more than two decades. “What’s that? Ah - Playoffs? Don’t talk about - playoffs? You kidding me? Playoffs? I just hope we can win a game!,” Mora said in response to a reporter’s question about making the playoffs following a Colts’ loss to 49ers. Jim and all rodeo fans, I am going to talk to you about the Playoffs. More specifically the Cinch Playoffs. On Sept. 26, the PRCA, the State of South Dakota, Experience Sioux Falls and Cinch announced the Cinch Playoffs will have athletes competing for the Governor’s Cup and vying for the more than $1 million purse Sept. 28-30, 2023, at the Denny Sanford Premier Center in Sioux Falls. It will be the richest rodeo in South Dakota history. What better place to have a rodeo like this than South Dakota. First off, South Dakota is the home of legendary ProRodeo cowboy Casey Tibbs. Tibbs, who won a record six world saddle bronc riding titles, was the first cowboy to transcend the sport and become a household name. His personality and flamboyant style put him on the cover of Life magazine. South Dakota also has ProRodeo Hall of Famers – saddle bronc riders Billy and Robert Etbauer and bareback riders Marvin and Mark Garrett. Then there’s all-around timed-event great Paul Tierney with South Dakota roots, and four-time PRCAWorld Champion Steer

Wrestler Ote Berry and stock contractor Jim Sutton who were born in South Dakota, and all three are in the ProRodeo Hall of Fame. “South Dakota’s full of good people, and you get to play cowboy there on a daily basis,” said Billy Etbauer in a Sept. 22, 2015, article in the ProRodeo Sports News by Kendra Santos. “A lot of bronc riders (the likes of the legendary Casey Tibbs) and great cowboys in every event come from that country. I’m grateful I got to play cowboy growing up and am glad I got to grow up in a place where neighbors still help neighbors.” Now, the top PRCA cowboys will get the chance to qualify for this prestigious event at the state-of-art Denny Sanford Premier Center, which has a seating capacity of 12,000. This is truly going to be a mini-Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. Better yet, it will be a game changer for contestants. If a competitor has a dream performance in Sioux Falls – he could walk away with $50,000 in earnings that count toward the PRCA | RAMWorld Standings. With money like that up for grabs on the final day of the regular season it will not only result in high drama, but also there’s no question it will essentially guarantee spots in the covetedWrangler NFR for event winners. This is a win-win-win situation – for the PRCA, for the cowboys and South Dakota.

Tracy Renck is the editor of the ProRodeo

Sports News . He previously served more than seven years as a media coordinator at the PRCA. He has three decades of experience in sports journalism with the last several consumed by ProRodeo.

Let the excitement begin Sept. 28-30, 2023.

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ProRodeo Sports News 9/30/2022

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