Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association Chair Keith Martin yesterday said that his BOD "wants to make a counter offer" that would keep the National Finals Rodeo from leaving Las Vegas for Florida after '14, according to Alan Snel of the LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL. The BOD voted "unanimously to approve further negotiations" immediately after rejecting an offer from Las Vegas Events that was for 10 years and $150M. Las Vegas tourism officials "took the rejection as the final word." But Martin said that the BOD "also voted unanimously to submit a counter-offer to Las Vegas Events in hopes of keeping the prized rodeo in Sin City." Las Vegas Events President Pat Christenson said that he was "unaware of a desire to keep negotiating." Christenson: “We didn’t know that they wanted to counter. There’s not a lot of time. We’ve been negotiating for over a year and a half. It would have to be timely, in the next two weeks.” Martin yesterday said that the PRCA BOD "didn’t vote Sunday to move the Super Bowl of rodeos to Kissimmee, Fla." He said that the BOD is "legally obligated to consider all offers from other potential host markets, which include Dallas and Oklahoma City" (LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL, 12/17). In Las Vegas, John Katsilometes noted "talk of a new rodeo to replace" the NFR in Las Vegas is "very premature." PRCA Commissioner Karl Stressman said that he "was 'totally surprised' that his colleagues at LVE had acted so swiftly and decisively to cut off negotiations." Stressman: “Never, and I say never, was there ever any intention that this was the end of the negotiations between us and LVE. I’m reading their statement in response to our vote and thinking, ‘Wow, they are in a rush to do something different’” (LASVEGASSUN.com, 12/16).
