NFR season begins with official photo shoot at Pioneer Saloon

National Finals Rodeo season officially spurred off Thursday with the annual promotional photo shoot. This year it was at the Pioneer Saloon in Goodsprings, which seemed a great place for it, considering the Pioneer was established in 1913 and still offers palpable Wild West ambiance.

According to lore, a guy was murdered while cheating at cards at the Pioneer in 1915. You still can see the bullet holes.

The Pioneer also is where Clark Gable reportedly sat at the bar in stunned and mournful silence while volunteers trekked to the top of nearby Mount Potosi on mules where Gable’s wife, Carole Lombard, had perished in a plane crash on Jan. 16, 1942. You can see the infamous rocky ledge from the courtyard out back that is dedicated to the memory of the beloved actress.

The photo shoot was Thursday around 9 a.m., when the sun was just right and before the bikers rolled in to wet their collective whistle and listen to ZZ Top songs on the jukebox.

Michael Gaughan brought the official South Point Express stagecoach out to the dusty hinterlands south of town and even agreed to pose for the photo. The hotel-casino owner and No. 1 NFR enthusiast wore a black hat and a duster like a gunslinger, and seemed excited to learn he would be sitting next to world champion barrel racer Sherry Cervi for the photo.

It looked like 1913 again, until a forklift was brought in to raise Mr. Gaughan onto top of the stagecoach. Although the forklift was invented in 1906 by the Pennsylvania Railroad company, this one was yellow with a basket on front and appeared much more modern.

A guy on the photo shoot crew said he’d also have to Photoshop a green street sign out of the background.

As for the Wrangler and other sponsor patches on champion bull rider Sage Kimzey’s sleeve, those would stay. Probably because Wranglers are real … comfortable … jeans. Like it says on the commercial.

The guy on the smoke machine went to work, and the rodeo stars and Michael Gaughan looked totally authentic, especially with the forklift having been pulled away.

Afterward, Sage Kimzey told me he was from a small town in Oklahoma, the kind with dusty holes in the wall called the Idle Spurs and whatnot, but that the Pioneer had a lot of awesome western memorabilia. He said he wanted to check it out, along with the photos of Clark Gable and Carole Lombard in the old picture frames.

WORKOUT FOR MARTREL

It wasn’t too long ago that Martrel Johnson was an outstanding basketball player at Durango High. He was outstanding enough to earn a scholarship to Montana State.

Then he literally got sick and tired. Now he needs another kidney transplant.

He has needed one since 2012 or thereabouts, to be frank about it. His doctors say if he doesn’t receive one soon, he’ll ultimately need a heart transplant, too.

To be more frank, the diagnosis is not good. While he continues to wait for the gift of life, Martrel Johnson’s medical expenses have piled up, as one might imagine.

There is going to be a benefit for him at Durango on Saturday. It’s called “Workout for Martrel.” For a minimum $15 donation, one can take part in a boot camp style workout administered by Las Vegas Sports Performance with proceeds benefiting the former Trailblazers standout.

To contribute, or for more information concerning Martrel Johnson’s ongoing battle with this debilitating disease, click here: https://www.facebook.com/FindMartrelJohnsonAKidney/

ONE SHINING (DERBY) MOMENT

The horses were at the top of the stretch when No. 5, the one called Gun Runner — one of the few horses in the field not colored gray — briefly took the lead.

Gun Runner’s lead lasted for all of two hoof beats. He was quickly overtaken by Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist.

But for one brief shining Derby moment, the horse owned by Las Vegas resident Ron Winchell was out front in the Kentucky Derby.

Had it been NASCAR, they would have given Gun Runner points for having led a lap.

“ … and here’s Nyquist, champion Nyquist, comes off the turn and takes the lead away from Gun Runner,” the track announcer said, his voice rising in excitement. “It’s these two clear by five …”

Gun Runner would finish third. His connections still are undecided about entering him in the Preakness, the second jewel of horse racing’s Triple Crown.

But for one brief shining Derby moment, a horse owned by a guy from Las Vegas, whose father had owned a chain of doughnut shops, was leading the Kentucky Derby. What a thrill it must have been.

BLOCKING FOR DOLLARS (UPDATE)

When I recently wrote about Valley High football coach George Baker having set up a GoFundMe account to raise money for a new blocking sled and other much needed equipment, the effort had raised $5,100 — just enough for a blocking sled, Baker said.

Donations have doubled since the story came out.

They are up to $11,452. Two donations of $2,500 have come in. George Baker said he would like to thank these new donors from the bottom of his football heart, and the same goes to those who donated $20 or whatever they could.

Because of their generosity, it now appears the Vikings will be getting the other much-needed equipment, too.

HARPER BIZARRE

After he was ejected and then suspended one game for running onto the field during a Washington Nationals’ postgame celebration to drop a couple of more F-bombs on the home plate umpire, one of Bryce Harper’s critics (I think) referred to him as “baseball’s biggest star and head bro in charge of the Make Baseball Fun Again Movement.”

Which, I must say, is a pretty apt description of the controversial Las Vegas slugger.

Then the staff at Big League Stew — it takes a whole Stew staff to keep tabs on Mr. Harper’s goings-on — wrote down 10 things that have made baseball fun again, or made Goose Gossage and other older baseball enthusiasts despise him. They also attached a few videos.

You can see it here: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mlb-big-league-stew/10-times-bryce-harper-gave-people-a-reason-to-hate-him-195239435.html

SHIRT OFF HIS BACK

Brandon Marshall, who plays linebacker for the Super Bowl champion Denver Broncos, had his high school jersey (No. 21) retired Friday by Cimarron-Memorial High School.

This is a really nice honor, because when he was at Cimarron, Marshall said he only had offers from UNR (which he accepted) and Colorado State, and that UNLV didn’t want him, because he wasn’t a running back or a tight end or a linebacker. Whatever UNLV meant by that.

“Bowling Green had a trip set up for me, but my mom said it was too far,” Marshall told the R-J’s Todd Dewey before this year’s Super Bowl.

Pretty cool. Super Bowl champion @BMarshh54 of the @Broncos gets his jersey retired today at @CimarrOnSpartan pic.twitter.com/ZIjheUQO9l

— Anthony J. Ruiz (@ayejayruiz) May 13, 2016

(MICHAEL) SAM I AM

Michael Sam, NFL celebrity (as he was listed on the official advisory), will be the special guest at a private brunch Sunday at Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill in downtown Summerlin benefiting the Human Rights Campaign.

Sam, who played college football at Missouri, was the first openly gay player to be drafted by an NFL team. He was released by the St. Louis Rams, who drafted him in the seventh round in 2014.

During a preseason game against the Cleveland Browns, Sam sacked Johnny Manziel, though that’s usually not what people at these dinners tend to ask him about.

Las Vegas Review-Journal sports columnist Ron Kantowski can be reached at rkantowski@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0352. Follow him on Twitter: @ronkantowski