Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Cowboy up!


I am not ashamed to admit that I thought I was a cowboy when I was in high school. I wore a cowboy hat... wore cowboy boots... listened to country music (I still know more old country than you do... and still love it... the new stuff is not nearly the same... and by "new", I mean anything from the last two to three decades). I even built a 50 gallon drum bull for me and my buddies to ride in my backyard. My parents tolerated it, but could never understand it.

I saw the movie "8 seconds" last night and had to laugh because it used to be one of my favorite movies. The movie is about a great, young bull rider, Lane Frost... the movie is about his life and early death by a bull. The parallels of bull riding and bike racing are surprising and really made me sit back and think.

One of the guys that traveled with Lane that was always writing poems... he read one to his buddies right before they went out to ride at the rodeo national championships and right before Lane Frost's last ride (I think this was probably souped up for the movie, but still). Since I have a DVR, I was able to stop it and rewind it and get most of the lines... if it is copyrighted, I hope no one will mind... I filled in a couple spots with cycling references but showed the other... enjoy...

There is a hundred years of history
And a hundred before that
All gathered in the thinkin
Goin on beneath this cap (hat).

The cold flame burns within him
‘Til his skin’s as cold as ice
And the dues he paid to get here
Are worth every sacrifice.

All the miles spend sleepy drivin
All the money down the drain,
All the “if I’s” and “nearly’s”
All the bandages and pain,

All the female tears left dryin’,
All the fever and the fight
Are just a small down payment
On the ride he makes tonight

It’s guts and love and glory,
One mortal’s chance at fame.
His legacy is cycling (rodeo)
And racer (cowboy) is his name.

THE END

-If you race bikes(I don't care what level), you just got chills...
-if you race, but didn't get chills, you may want to ask yourself why...

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