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It's bull season again. No, we're not talking about the election. We're talking about the running of the bulls. This year, you can do it with Groupon.
Wait.... Isn't the running of the bulls in Pamplona each summer? Well, yes, it's true that Spain is the only place anyone really associates with that weird sport. It's been happening there for four centuries. Machismo isn't a new concept. Neither is making money from it, which is where Phil Immordino comes in.
Immordino's the guy behind Running of the Bulls USA, which celebrates its fifth running Saturday in Cave Creek, a suburb of Phoenix. I checked out the madness last year and watched about 1,000 people play pinball with 2,000-pound horned mammals. I caught up with Immordino by phone this week to ask a simple question about his crazy event: Why?
"Simple answer: To make money," he said. "This is a unique event. I know there is a desire and a need there, so why not deliver it?"
I haven't been to Pamplona, but I've seen the same – videos and pictures you have. It's the kind of thing that makes you ooh and aah while leaving you speechless and thinking, WTF? The American version is much more docile. If Pamplona is NC-17, Cave Creek is PG-13. Why's that? Well, these bulls are rodeo animals, not fighting beasts. They're (a little) more used to having people around, and their horns have been blunted. That cuts down on the gore. And the course has plenty of exits so people can get away if things get too crazy. Here in the states, sensibility and safety trump history and tradition.
That's not to say things don't get crazy. When the starting gun went off during various heats last year, runners by the dozen sprinted to the finish in triple-digit heat. If the bulls don't kill them, I thought, the heat just might. The bulls were more laissez-faire about it all and took their time getting up to speed. Most of the runners actually slowed down so the bulls could catch up — the point being to run with the bulls, after all. Once they hit full stride, though, the beasts caused a mild panic as some runners got a little closer to the action than they'd planned.
Immordino has never actually run with the bulls. Turns out he isn't terribly interested in participating in the event, only profiting from it.
"This ain't for me," he said. "I'm a golf addict. I don't need to ruin my swing."
Although the event in Pamplona has seen its share of death — 15 fatalities since 1910 — people are more likely to die of laughter at the event in Arizona. A few people go home with cuts and scrapes, but nothing serious.
Last year's run drew about 1,000 and about five times as many spectators. About as many are expected this year, and the early birds scored half-price entry with Groupon. The action will be more fast-paced this year, with seven heats running at the rate of one per hour. In between races, there will be bullfighting (American, Mexican and midget), along with food, drink and music. And the weather should be cooler — Siri says it'll be just 90 — even if the bulls aren't any nicer.
