Paying to Play

After reading some sports but non-rodeo news, I was wondering who would be willing to pay to play? No I don't mean you get a check if you win, I mean you pay Joe Schmoo for the privilage of getting on the bull or roping the calf! No not at a practice pen either but lets say in from of 10,000 fans! So would you be willing to pay?

Ah here is the kicker. Did you know that there are people in rodeo who are willing to pay to play in order JUST to get their name out there OR worse because they don't need the money! Now you're probably saying to yourself what kind of idiot would do that. Well to me the idiots or gunsells aren't riders (but that is happening) but they are the "Professionals" who make the sport work. There are Announcers, Pickup Men, Bullfighters and yes even us lowly Photographers who are stupid enough to PAY to work a rodeo! So lets figure this out, hmm Doctors are professionals, have you ever gotten a no charge on a Doctors bill without insurance? And Lawyers are free, bet you couldn't count the number of times a lawyer has worked for free on one hand! Professional Athletes work for free right, woops nope they work for about $100,000 or more per game. So what professional works for free?

In fact it has gotten so bad that people now EXPECT these rodeo "professionals" to pay to work their events. So as a photographer you expect me to pay you for the privilage of shooting your event? And you expect to deal with a professional? Sure I'll pay you whatever you ask, ahh but here is the kicker, the photo you want to advertise your event now cost $5,000 per single use. Oh and what about the Professional Bullfighter you had pay you to work your event, do you expect him to be good enough at entertaining to keep your crowd into the event? Do you expect him to be good enough to keep serious harm from coming to riders? Have you ever known judges who got paid a six pack of beer and a cheese burger and you left wondering where they got these jokers from?

Ladies and Gentlemen, Professionals except on rare occasions are never free! So the next time you hear of a big event and they say they got their help for free, wonder this, how bad is it going to be?