Robert Biddle’s Post

Did you catch the new Gold Buckle Buzz with Ky Hamilton? Bull Riding at the 2023 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo was a little more grueling than usual and Ky Hamilton's story is a part of it. You can read the newest blog now through the link below! #WranglerNFR #Champion #GoldBuckle #Blog

Gold Buckle Buzz is back! Writer Brian Hurlburt takes us into the minds and hearts of the PRCA World Champions who clinched titles during the 2023 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. You can read the first blog about 8X World Champion Stetson Wright now through the link below! #WranglerNFR #Champion #GoldBuckle #Blog

New Post: Scottie Scheffler rips ‘silly’ PGA Tour playoff format: ‘It is what it is’ - https://lnkd.in/gznkD67V Scheffler is all but a lock to take home his first FedEx Cup — but all it takes is a bad weekend to screw it all up.And that's why the reigning Olympic gold medalist (and Masters champion) isn't too fond of the PGA Tour's current playoff format."I talked about it the last few years. I think it's silly," he says.CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COMScheffler knows all too well that one bad tournament can ruin it all. In both 2022 and 2023, he began the Tour Championship at East Lake at 10-under, thanks to his previous performances. But bad final rounds in both tournaments kept him from being named the FedEx Cup Champion.The Top 70 golfers are in the first leg of the playoffs. The top 50 will go to the second tournament, and the Tour Championship will host the top 30, in which the leaderboard kicks off with a strokes-based system based on everyone's performances throughout the season. In all likelihood, Scheffler will begin the tournament with a two-stroke lead at 10-under, but again, one bad weekend could cost him."Hypothetically, we get to East Lake, and my neck flares up, and it doesn't heal the way it did at The Players. I finish 30th in the FedEx Cup because I had to withdraw from the last tournament? Is that really the season-long race? No, it is what it is."TRANS GOLFER DOESN'T 'UNDERSTAND ATHLETES WHO BLAME A TRANSGENDER COMPETITOR ON THEIR OWN ATHLETIC FAILURES'"It's a fun tournament," Scheffler said. "I don't really consider it the season-long race like I think the way it's called. But you've got to figure out a way to strike a balance between it being a good TV product and it still being a season-long race. Right now, I don't know exactly how the ratings are or anything like that, but I know for a fact you can't really quite call it the season-long race when it comes down to one stroke play tournament on the same golf course each year."Rory McIlroy, a three-time FedEx Cup champ, joked that he likes the format, because it's the only way somebody can catch Scheffler in the standings. He has a nearly 2,000-point lead over Xander Schauffele (5,993 to 4,057), and more than twice as many points McIlroy has (2,545).McIlroy, though, did admit it may not be the "fairest reflection of who's been the best player of the year.""But I think at this point, we're not in for totally fair. We're in for entertainment and for trying to put on the best product we possibly can," McIlroy said.The playoffs begin on Thursday with the FedEx St. Jude Championship in Memphis at TPC Southwind.Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

According to ESPN, viewership for Ultimate Fighting Championship prelim cards in 2023 was up 35% compared to 2022 Every fight card starts with prelim fights and I'll be the first one to admit, it is hard to really get into some of them unless you’re one of the diehard fans It is clear in the arenas by the empty seats and low energy that when fans pay hundreds (even thousands) of dollars for tickets, they don’t even show up for the full event. Some do, but a lot don’t and the same goes for watching at home *Opinion: if you ever get to attend a UFC event, arrive as early as possible. Normal sporting events cost hundreds of dollars for ~2 hours of action. If you are at a UFC event start to finish you are in the arena for over 6 hours (with plenty of time between bouts to get refreshments) One performance early in someone’s career, on the prelims, can make you remember that person and can make you root for them forever Fans feel more of a passion for athletes when they feel like they have watched their rise from the bottom to the top. There’s a sense of pride for a fan, in any sport, to have “discovered” a star early in their career or “watched them before they were popular.” By the time someone is in the spotlight, they have had an entire career before them with iconic moments that have gotten them there (with the exception of some rare talents who jump to the top, but we will get there) With that being said, the depth of prelims is a factor that distinguishes great cards from just good or average cards. This is a phenomenal card. These prelim fighters are the farthest things from nobodies So what kind of prelim fights did the UFC book for their biggest card in history? Most prelims start with a few fights of lesser known athletes, younger prospects, or fighters on losing streaks. This one starts with two former champions, both coming off wins, and it does not slow down after that In the biggest card of all time, every fight will have eyes on it, and my gut tells me the viewership is going to continue to increase with this card breaking some records. Every fighter, start to finish, has a unique story and I am excited to dive into some of my favorites soon… #sports #sportsbiz #linkedinsports #UFC

The greatest sport on Earth goes to the greatest sports venue on Earth

When the dust settles on the 124th US Open, the narrative will inevitably become fixed that it all came down to two short putts (both missed by Rory McIlroy) and one extraordinary bunker shot (executed by Bryson DeChambeau). As always, the Clippd data offers extra layers of nuance. A superb and testing course in Pinehurst No.2, a Sunday leaderboard packed with quality, and a shootout between two genuine superstars of the game that came down to the 72nd hole and ended in high drama were all key ingredients that made the 124th US Open the most exciting major championship in recent years. For Bryson DeChambeau, a place in the history books alongside Bobby Jones, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods as the only winner of a US Amateur title and multiple US Opens. And, of course, his newly earned status as the people's champion. For Rory McIlroy, possibly the most painful major championship experience of his career, eclipsing the loss to Cam Smith at the 150th Open Championship at St Andrews, the Sunday meltdown at the 2011 Masters Tournament and last year's runner-up finish at LA Country Club. But what does the Clippd data tell us? Rory was considerably better than Bryson on the final day in every department other than approach play. He also hit 10 more elite level shots (scoring 120 or more for Shot Quality) than his rival. You might think that would be enough to seal the deal but the key to success, as we see time and time again, is minimising the number of bad shots (0-40 Shot Quality). Bryson hit considerably fewer than Rory. Four of Rory's six worst shots resulted in bogeys, three of which came in the last four holes. Those mistakes, ultimately, proved to be the difference. To read our full data breakdown of an exhilarating and heartbreaking final day at Pinehurst, head to the link in the first comment below. #golf #usopen #bryson #golfdata #sportsdata Steve Martin Giles Morgan The Golf Marketing Hub Tim Meggs Tim Ellerton Tom Coyne Tom Motley Andy Johnson Dave Sampson Dave Tindall Mark Chivers Mark Townsend Neil Tappin lawrence donegan Geoff Shackelford

R&A Champion Golfer of the Year …. Xander Schauffele Having played a fair amount of golf and following it intently in my younger years, it is amazing how much emphasis is placed on equipment, swing plain, practice and repetition. In fact, the golf swing may be the most analyzed functional movement in all of sport. Yet, when it comes down to it, the ability to achieve success is predicated in large part in mastering the nervous system. As legendary golfer Bobby Jones has stated, “Competitive golf is played mainly on a five-and-a-half inch course … the space between your ears.” Schauffele has been labeled as one of golf’s elite for several years now. In contention in Major Golf Tournaments many times, yet falling short of winning the prize! 🏆 His breakthrough moment came this past May as he won the PGA Championship, his first Major. Now, 2 months later, he has bagged 2 of the 4 Major Championships for 2024. He is noted for being a “flatliner” or showing little to no emotion on the course, focusing in the moment, the next shot. In golf, the two best to ever play the game, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods had amazing resolve in which they seldom, if ever, beat themselves. Bill Belichick, arguably the greatest football coach of all time is noted for stating to his teams that more games are lost than are won. His teams went into games knowing they had that competitive edge, believing they were mentally tougher. The ability to train the brain for peak performance is available to us all. Can you think back to your breakthrough moment, be it an athletic, personal or professional challenge which resulted in the desired outcome? #XanderSchauffele #TheOpen #Golf #InnerGame #Emotions #Fear #MentalGame #LimbicSystem #Neuroplasticity #Breathwork #Interoception #Performance #Stress

I love the game of golf, but rarely watch the pros unless it's a major championship or other big events. Randomly I caught the late night re-run of yesterday's Mexico Open and I watched Jake Knapp (a PGA rookie) lose a 4 stroke lead right off the bat. Yikes. Jake only hit 2 fairways the entire final round (and if you aren't a golfer, that is NOT even good for an average player, least of all a PGA Tour player). Nobody has won a PGA event in the last 40 years only hitting 2 fairways in a final round. Jake did yesterday. Despite being out of position on most of the holes, he somehow scrambled his way around the course and gutted out par after par; battling another competitor in his group the entire way. When you are faced with adversity or you find yourself in a position where you need to perform at a high level, you have to know who you are and what you are about. Keep focused on your goals, believe in your dreams and stay determined against all odds...your hard work will pay off. Don't give up. Jake won the tournament and is now qualified for some of the year's biggest events, including The Masters this spring. 👏 "I know myself and what I'm doing, it feels like the right time." - Jake Knapp after the win. #perseverance #dreams #success #knowyourwhy #dontgiveup #knowyourself https://lnkd.in/gs9NGuZU

Not many people had heard of Cole Hocker before last night's 1500m final. I had seen a few of his races the last couple years, and in the back of my mind, I really did think he had a chance to pull off the upset. Why would it be an upset? Well, he was facing the current World Champion as well as the defending Olympic champion in the event. These two were the favorites for the race, and they made it known that nothing was going to stop them from tearing the other person's head off. Cole Hocker wasn't one of those favorites, and didn't have much limelight going into the race. In fact, his personal best in the 1500m was the SLOWEST in his field of competitors. But ... On game day ... He won. He set a personal best by three full seconds (which is impressive in the 1500m). And he set a new Olympic record. How'd he do it? Simply, but brilliantly. ✅ He played to his strengths. He, by far, has the best closing speed in the field. So, throughout the race, he stayed in the middle of the pack, made his way up slowly but smoothly, and remain unbothered by the guys in front of him. He waited for his opportunity to strike, and he used his closing speed to secure the victory. ✅ He outsmarted the two frontrunners. On the final stretch of the race, Cole tried to take the inside lane to make his move. But, he was denied by the defending Olympic champion. Then, about 50 meters later, the inside lane opened up. The defending Olympic champion saw the current World Champion making a move to his right, so he drifted right in order to stall the World Champion's charge. That slight shift to the right was all that Cole needed to veer left, take the inside lane, and make his move to win it all. Cole was simple and brilliant in this race. He played to his strengths, and he outsmarted his competitors. We should do the same today, tomorrow, and the next day. ✅ Be aware of your strengths. ✅ Play to your strengths. ✅ And outsmart your competition. Congrats, Cole! A well-deserved victory that showed the world what the heart of a champion entails. #raiseyourrevenue #sandler #sales #growth

I wanted to wait a few days before capping off the series of UFC 300 posts because: 1) I wanted to wait until the numbers were released and 2) Because I had to digest everything that happened If you watched, you know it exceeded all hype, but even if you didn’t odds are it has been all over your social media We’ll start with the social media records. Best performance in company history in terms of video views, impressions, and interactions (1.1b through out fight week) - 213m from Max Holloway KO - Take a peak at post from last week to learn about him There are plenty of other accolades the company was proud to share: → Highest USA PPV results since July 2021 (McGregor’s last fight) → 3rd highest-grossing UFC event ever ($16.5m) → Highest attendance in T-Mobile Arena history (tons of massive cards here) → 11th straight sell out event → Most watched prelims ever on ESPN peaking at 2.49m → 2nd most all-time merch sales for any UFC event (only one higher was at a stadium event in AUS) → Highest grossing sponsorship sales in UFC history But, Dana White said something in the post-fight conference that caught my attention when talking about the success of the event… To paraphrase, he said the night was phenomenal, when a night on paper looks amazing and it exceeds expectations it is a phenomenal night But then he said something I think ALL business professionals should make note of He said he doesn’t possess rear view mirrors. He only looks forward. When things go well, you enjoy them and on to the next. When things don’t go well, you shake it off and on to the next - I like this advice In this case, he quickly moved on to the next and released massive news… The return of the biggest star in company history, after 3 long years and a brutal injury, Conor McGregor is back… I discussed McGregor’s PPV impact for the UFC in an earlier post And before that fight, we get to see fan favorite Dustin Poirier get another chance at gold. All of this, while planning the “greatest live combat event anyone has ever seen” at the LV sphere for Mexican Independence Day The way 2024 has started and looks going forward, this will be the biggest year in Ultimate Fighting Championship history… Can’t wait to enjoy the ride “Surprise, surprise, the king is back.” - Conor McGregor (2016) #sports #sportsbiz #linkedinsports