BY: MATTHEW VAN WAGENEN

So the struggle ensues-ground has yet to be gained for extending the weekend hours of the Fieldhouse.

Joseph Schlueter, student president of the Baron Athletic Committee (BAC), in his crusade to get funding from Student Government for the hours that so many of us want, has encountered difficulty along the way. Despite not being granted any money as of yet, he is still pursuing the cause. There is still hope! Once again, I'll have more on this later as the pursuit of more hours continues.

I recently received an email in response to my open offer to talk about different sports. This week, I'm going to talk a little about the true American sport of bull riding.

Over the years, I've followed a lot of sports. I've got to say, although I've watched some Professional Bull Riders (PBR) on Outdoor Life Network, I never got super into it. I will say, what I have seen is pretty intense (and therefore pretty great).

After doing some research, I can fill in everyone who is a little lost already. Sports involving bulls have been around for centuries. The ancient Minoans have depictions of some sort of bull jumping game in their artwork, and of course everyone knows that the Spanish have loved bullfighting for ages. But the all-American sport of bull-riding is a bit different. Texas Rangers and other cattle herding men began to organize steer-riding competitions in the late 1800s, and by the early 20th century, the bull was the preferred animal of choice. The Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association formed in the 1930s, and in the 1990s the Professional Bull Riders group was formed.

In PBR, riders mount onto bulls, gripping nothing but a rope with one hand. The bull, with rider on his back, is released into the arena, where he attempts to buck off the rider while the rider holds on for dear life. Riders have to hold on for at least 8 seconds without getting thrown off. Each ride is scored on a scale of 0-100, and this is largely based off of the amount of time they stay on the bull. Also, points are awarded for the ability to control the bull.

I'm not going to lie, these cowboys are real tough sons-of-guns. It's not just as easy as holding on-he's only allowed to use one hand, and he will constantly be jarred by the bull jumping, bucking, rearing, and different types of twists. They're strong, tough, and can endure some serious pain. Many a bull rider has met the hooves or horns of an irate bull. I've seen these cowboys get thrown around, slammed into fences and stomped on. It takes a special breed of man to climb onto the back of a beast as powerful as they are. Yet they come back for more, day in and day out.

I was raised on baseball, football and NASCAR on Sunday afternoons after Church. It was Little League and pickup games of wiffleball and touch football. It was watching my man Jeff Gordon driving the 24 Dupont car to yet another win. It was watching the Yankees in the chilly October air winning yet another World Series title. It was watching the Giants, (who happened to just beat the Patriots in the Superbowl-AGAIN!!!) go to battle every Sunday afternoon.

When I moved from the suburbs of Kingston, N.Y., to the woods of Milford, Pa. at the age of 11. My love of all things outdoors and all things sports grew even more. I still remained loyal to my hometown heroes, but soon discovered Steelers football and Pirates baseball. I played some soccer. I became addicted to bass fishing at the lake down the street from my house. When high school and the age of driver's licenses rolled around, going mudding in my buddy's Bronco before watching the football game on a Friday night became the next thing to do. Mountain biking on the old deer paths and running cross country style through the Pocono Mountains were also up there on my list of things to do. I picked up lacrosse in high school and loved it.

Sports are in my blood. And sports don't have to be on a regulation sized field. They don't have to be on perfectly trimmed plots of grass. They don't have to be with organized teams. Just get out there and DO them. God gave them to us. It's that simple.

This semester, I'll be focusing largely on "true American" sports, but like I said previously, I'm always open to suggestions. Send me an email at mattmattvw@yahoo.com if there's anything in particular you would like to read about.

God bless, and remember to stay in shape!