re: Anyone here ever been to a bull fight?

You should definitely try to see one in Pamplona if you can. Read one of the aforementioned books before so you know what’s going on. I felt like I had stepped back in time going to one, and apparently the Pamplona fights during Running of the Bulls are a much more lively spectacle (the crowd, as Celery mentioned) than most other fights throughout the year.

The fights are either very good or okay. They all start out well. A good matador that can quickly kill a bull is incredible to watch, while a struggling bullfighter needs to just get it over with and take the L. The problem is when a bad matador still tries to showboat on a worn down bull. That’s when the crowd jeering indicates he went too far, has lost, and subsequently degraded his reputation.

I am surprised by all the bleeding heart liberal responses throughout this thread. The bull will die by the sword, whether it wins or loses the fight. That means blood, stumbling, and confusion. If you don’t want to see it, don’t go. They are bred for hundreds of years to kill, be extremely aggressive, and fight to the death.