Show your support for breast cancer research by wearing pink

Don’t be makin’ fun of my shirt today.

Yeah, it’s pink so what?

This here is the 21st century and a man — sure ‘nuf a bad hombre like ol’ Buck — can wear any color he wants just not brown ’cause it clashes with my eyes.

And in Las Vegas, you can darn near wear anything you want.

But this shirt is special. It’s an official Wrangler Tough Enough to Wear Pink shirt, and it’s very pink.

You might think a cowboy in a pink shirt would stand out in a crowd but not tonight at the fifth go-round of the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo.

If I were a bettin’ man, I’d wager nearly everyone in the crowd of almost 18,000 in the Thomas & Mack Center will have pink on.

And that’s not countin’ the 119 NFR contestants wearing pink, except for Trevor Brazile.

The soon-to-be nine-time PRCA all-around world champion almost certainly will have on one of his traditional black shirts, maybe with pink lettering. He’ll have a little pink on him somewhere and rumor is his undies are pink but maybe Shada washed his Jockeys with some red socks.

The sea of pink at the NFR ain’t a fashion statement. It’s a love statement.

It started back in 2004. Shortly after Terry Wheatley had breast cancer surgery, her son Wade and hubby Jim had team roped at the NFR. She knew that was the stage to kick off her Tough Enough to Wear Pink campaign.

Since the debut of TETWP, something like $11 million has been raised.

It’s spread like pink wildfire through rodeo and Western communities.

Terry’s idea got a big boost from Wrangler when PRCA commissioner Karl Stressman was pushin’ shirts and jeans for Wrangler before becoming the commish.

It’s not surprisin’ Wrangler wasn’t makin’ many pink, long-sleeve shirts then so Karl fired up some extra Singer machines and met the demand by getting 200 shipped out here in time.

Those tiny bareback and bull riders could have fit into some pink women’s shirts but those backward buttons would have thrown ’em.

This is a special day for me because my momma was a breast cancer survivor. Probably all of you know someone whose been hit by the big C.

Thinkin’ pink helps raise bucks for cancer research and gettin’ more folks to get screened for the dastardly disease.

If you can’t get out to the corral tonight, head over to ToughEnoughTo WearPink.com and kick in some money.

TETWP also has a little trailer outside the Thomas & Mack selling neat pink T-shirts, decals, pins and hats. Proceeds go to breast cancer research.

It’s easy to find the trailer. It’s right across from the big MGM Resorts International tent with the good-lookin’ dancin’ girls out front and win-a-prize spinnin’ wheel.

It’s not surprising the rodeo community has kicked in so much to help Terry help others.

That’s what cowboys and cowgirls do.

All the time.

Just look to the Justin Cowboy Crisis Fund that looks out for injured rodeo athletes.

Justin started it in 1991 and has provided more than $5 million to help almost 900 athletes and their families after catastrophic rodeo injuries.

I was chattin’ with Joe Beaver the other day and ‘ol Joe B. said he’s helpin’ some folks start "Bold Enough to Wear Blue" to raise money and awareness for diabetes.

Did you know that calf ropin’ world champ Luke Branquinho has Type 1 diabetes and wears an insulin pump?

Beaver is a good soul and back in ’04 helped spur contestants to wear pink. His buddies tend to listen to the big, eight-time world champ.

So unless you want Joe B. to rope you, you had better wear pink tonight and start shoppin’ for a nice blue shirt.