There's a common thread among those who accomplish great things.

Whether it's an athlete being inducted into a hall of fame, an actor being recognized for his work in film, or, in this case, a professional bull rider receiving the Ring of Honor, there is a deep-seated passion for what they do.

"For me, what's neat about it," said nine-time World Champion Ty Murray on today's Legends Reunion and tonight's Heroes & Legends Celebration. "When you look down the list of guys who have this ring, they are all guys who are heroes and peers of mine that you have a lot of respect for, and they've done a lot within the sport."

In his daily podcast, Murray talked about this year's inductees Tater Porter and the late Brent Thurman, as well as the other honorees: Rob Smets, Leanne Lambert and Little Yellow Jacket.

'When you look down the list of guys who have this ring, they are all guys who are heroes and peers of mine that you have a lot of respect for, and they've done a lot within the sport.'

Today's celebration will take place at the MGM Hotel & Casino.

The venue itself, which is where the Finals were held from 1994 to 1998, brings back memories, none more humorous than the initial negotiations.

"I remember in typical bull rider fashion, the first meeting with MGM, we were apart on our numbers," Murray recalled, "and we told them we'd flip a coin for it. If we won, they gave us our number, and if we lost, we gave them their number.

"They got a kick out of that, and decided they wanted to do business with us."

Murray said that Monday night he saw men he hadn't seen in 15 to 20 years.

He said they are all proud to see how for the PBR has come in its 18 years of competition. Coming to Las Vegas and seeing the World Finals firsthand is a reminder that riders of today's era have opportunities that riders from years past could only dream of.

Murray said today's Legends Reunion will be as enjoyable for those reuniting as it is for the fans, who have more contact with athletes in the PBR than in any other professional sport.

"Nothing like this has been done before, where you bring this many guys together, who helped shape this sport into what it is," Murray said.

NEWS & NOTES

HEROES AND LEGENDS: The World Finals officially begin today with the inaugural PBR Legends Reunion at the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino.

The event begins at 4 p.m. with the Founders Forum, and continues until 9 p.m. with the PBR Built Ford Tough World Finals Kickoff Party. Each Legends Reunion ticket package contains tickets to the Founders Forum, Alumni Meet & Greet, Heroes & Legends Ceremony, and the Built Ford Tough World Finals Kickoff Party, as well as a commemorative Legends Reunion ball cap and an autograph book.

The Founders Forum and Heroes & Legends celebration, including the inductions of Tater Porter and Brent Thurman into the Ring of Honor, will be live streamed here at PBR.com. For a complete schedule of live-streamed events, click here.

TV GUIDE: The 2011 PBR World Finals will be televised live in HD on VERSUS at 9 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, and on NBC at 4 p.m. ET on Sunday. DIRECTV will have the first-ever 3D broadcast of bull riding at 4 p.m. ET on DIRECTV's 3D channel, n3D™ (channel 103).

WORLD FINALS: A complete listening of events in Las Vegas and ticket information can be found here.