I talked to Russ today & nice one Scott, I got sucked right into that one.
Here's alittle history on why I was so quick to stick up for Russ on here.
Let's go back to 1984 shall we? My Mom was a short bus driver for the SLC division of Notch Johnson's school for Orphans & Retards. She spotted this huge, freak of nature teen that was a student (at 19) there. Him having an I.Q. just under 70, you can guess what catagory he was admitted under. None the less, my Mom spotted him wearing a BMX t-shirt one day & inquired about it. He used to race in Denver, where he was from & he would like to really get back into it, but didn't know how. My Mom offered to take him to the races with me & my bro & we hit it off immediatly. He also could race a BMX bike for sure, lots of power & with the tracks back in the 80's he did pretty good. Enough to land a Co-GHP ride.
Things went great from there, we had him over for Thanksgiving & after awhile, my Mom let him move in which I thought was good until I really saw what he was like away from the track. We sat down one night & I asked him what his life was like before he ended up in SLC & it went something like this...........(in his words)........"The details of my life are quite inconsequential... very well, where do I begin? My father was a relentlessly self-improving boulangerie owner from Belgium with low grade narcolepsy and a penchant for buggery. My mother was a fifteen year old French prostitute named Chloe with webbed feet. My father would womanize, he would drink. He would make outrageous claims like he invented the question mark. Sometimes he would accuse chestnuts of being lazy. The sort of general malaise that only the genius possess and the insane lament. My childhood was typical. Summers in Rangoon, luge lessons. In the spring we'd make meat helmets. When I was insolent I was placed in a burlap bag and beaten with reeds- pretty standard really. At the age of twelve I received my first scribe. At the age of fourteen a Zoroastrian named Vilma ritualistically shaved my testicles. There really is nothing like a shorn scrotum... it's breathtaking- I highly suggest you try it."
Yeah, I thought that was wierd too at the time. His morals came into question too, one day I found 'roids, horse traquilizers & painkillers just laying around his bedroom. He couldn't come up with a good answer when my Mom found some gay porn stashed in his laundry hamper, it was really just he last straw in our household & 'ol Mom gave him his walking papers. He disappeared on a day in late 85' & didn't even say goodbye. I just hoped he could change his ways in life & find direction..............
Fast forward to 1993 when I got a phone call out of the blue & guess what? It's Russ! He's living in Denver & all seems to be good. We strike up our realationship again, both get into BMX again & we are having a ball. A few years go bye & things "seem" to be all good but it really wasn't. Russ was working up in Alaska in the winters & making good money but his wife confided in me one day about what he was really doing up there....................
.......................................she was so upset after finding out the truth that she left him. When he came back to town & things settled down, I talked him into quitting that horrible job & get into a trade, he did. We still kept our friendship up & I made sure he flew straight & narrow in life. He's quickly temped by lifes vices & a slip up on his part in late 98' almost cost him our freindship. Let's just say it involved a carney, a midget, duct tape, a car battery & the police. His poor parents moved to Minnesota shortly after this mess, the embaressment to the family name was just too much in the area for them, not that I blame them.
After another heart to heart, he wanted to have a clean start so he moved to MN. where he was born. Things seem to have worked out so far since he's been there. I came out & visited this past July & life seems to be good for him & his girlfriend. I did notice he still can't let his past go though, he has nothing but Judy Garland DVD's & Barry Manilow CD's in his collection. Hey, that's OK (I guess) but he did confide in me a few weeks ago his new part time job isn't what he said it was. He said he was helping out at the hospital. That's great but what he's doing is working with the Med students & "practice proctology exams". Hey $60 bucks a pop ain't bad cash but it's really not a career. He's listened to my advice & moved on.
So as you can see, Iv'e been Russ's pillar of strength throughout his life. Iv'e always been there for him & yes, if me getting alittle uptight when I read people talking trash about the little shaver, then yeah I'm guilty as charged.
I realize his racing skills aren't the best, actually they are some of the worst Iv'e EVER seen. But he's working hard riding once a month to cure that. I pray every night he succeeds.
One more thing, Russ's favorite movie (& mine) is the Mad Max series, no lie. He has always liked to role play his two favorite characters...........
the first one is the "Humungous" from the Road Warrior, for obvious reasons, he looks just like him.(2005 Mr. Minnesota, 40-44 class).
But I'll tell you what, he just loves to impersonate the "Master Blaster" from MM 3. I guess it just comes naturally.
There you have it sports fans, a quick history on my best friend, Russ Newcomb.
Now for you Scott.............
I haven't met you yet but this is what I'll be thinking when I finally gate up with you.......
"The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by the iniquities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men. Blessed is he, who in the name of charity and good will, shepherds the weak through the valley of darkness, for he is truly his brother's keeper and the finder of lost children. And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who would attempt to poison and destroy my brothers. And you will know my name is the Lord when I lay my vengeance upon thee."
b.
j/k
. It was great to see some people I haven't seen in a while (Rod, Smitty, Mo, Little Jack, Big Jack Ferrel, Matt Purcell). This is going to be a great Winter season. See you guys this weekend!
niiiice!