PUEBLO, Colo. (June 29, 2010) - Take a look at the statistics from last season and you might not recognize Mike Lee.
A year ago, he rode just 37.7 percent of his bulls. He finished in the Top 10 in only four of the 27 Built Ford Tough Series events in which he competed. The former World Champion finished the season 28th in the world standings.
However, in 2010, he’s riding 2 points above his career average of 53.5 percent, and in the first two-thirds of the season, he’s registered seven Top 10 finishes, four of which were in the Top 5. He also won an event, which is something he hadn’t done for more than two years.
His numbers this year rival those of 2004, when he won the World Championship. That year he covered 58.7 percent of his bulls - 35.7 percent of which were marked 45 points or more. Despite not winning a regular-season event, he finished in the Top 5 in 10 of 27 events, and won the World Finals outright.
Going into this year’s summer break, Lee had qualified for the short round in seven of the past 10 events, including a current run of three straight.
Riding percentage: 55.7 (2010), 53.5 (career); Influential ride from 2010: Des Moines, Iowa, Round 3, Sooner Shaker, 88.25 points (the difference between winning and finishing fifth); Most telling statistic of 2010: His riding percentage is nearly 20 points higher than a year ago.
In the second of a ten-part series, a panel of experts – Cody Lambert, Ty Murray, Justin McBride and Justin McKee – weigh in on the current Top 10 riders in the world, and what it will take for any one of them to win the 2010 PBR World Championship.
What the experts are saying:
Ty Murray: “He has a ton of talent, and like McKennon [Wimberly], he’s naturally built right, he stays in great shape, he’s quick, he’s explosive. He can ride the rankest bulls at the very highest level, and when he gets in the zone, he can be unstoppable, but I don’t think that I necessarily have the answers as to why he hasn’t been up to par the last few years.”
Justin McBride: “I’m not surprised by anything Mike Lee does or any position he’s in. Over the years I’ve seen Mike Lee be great and I’ve seen him look like he’s never been on a bull before. Nothing he does ever surprises me anymore, at this point. When he’s got everything lined up, Mike Lee rides great, but I’ve seen him do things leaving the bucking chute before that make no sense whatsoever, and you’ll see him do it time and time again until finally he quits doing it. It causes him to get bucked off in two jumps, and I don’t know why he goes through those things.”
Justin McKee: “He lost focus and I don’t know that this is the reason, but I’ll speculate: When bull riders have babies, they lose focus and their priorities change. I’m not condemning the guy at all. I think it’s commendable, but it happens, and it’s taken him a while to gather himself back up, and I think he’s done it.”
Cody Lambert: “He’s always shown he’s one of the guys who puts out the effort and likes riding bulls, so … I’m not surprised that he’s in the Top 10. I’m a little surprised at how streaky he’s been the last couple of years. I think he has that turned around and some corrections made.”
Chance of winning title in 2010:McBride: “In 2004, when won the World Championship, you would think he’d stick with what he did then. Am I surprised he’s No. 9? No. Would I be surprised if he was 39th? No. Would I be surprised if he was first? No.”
McKee: “If you take away the numbers from the first (10 BFTS events) he’s in the Top 3, so all he has to do is continue doing what he’s been doing.”
Lambert: “Being in ninth place, he’s going to have to get real lucky, and what I mean by that is the guys who are in the Top 5, their seasons are going to have to about fall apart.”
