Page 15

20204RD

BY TERI WILLIAMS | PHOTOS BY DAPHNE WALKER WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM LOCAL KIDS LIKE MEREDITH DURDEN AND SOME INTERESTING SIDEKICKS, BARNEY BONFIELD BRINGS SPORTS, CONVERSATION AND FUN TO HIS RADIO LISTENERS EACH DAY. Two of my sons-in-law, Noah and Canaan, (yes, I realize we have a biblical theme going on here), were out for a run a few weeks ago and got chased by a goat. Yes, a goat. At first, they thought the animal lying out in front of someone’s house was a large dog. As they passed by, the animal stood, which is when they took note of the large horns on its head. Without a word between them, both picked up the pace. Too late, they realized that the goat took it as a challenge. Hoping to deter the animal that was quickly closing in on them, Canaan picked up a bottle from the side of the road and threw it, which only seemed to infuriate the goat. Needing a quick escape, they jumped a fence into a cow pasture. Thankfully, the herd of cows in the field did not contain a bull. Although I’ve never been chased by a goat, my running and biking buddies will tell you that I forsake all bonds of friendship in a dog chase. As long as I’m faster than one other person, I figure I’ve got a chance. It’s not a very virtuous attitude, but one Barney Bonfield would probably understand. The only thing that saved him the day he was attacked by three dogs while out riding his bike was the sound of a gunshot from a stranger who stopped to help. He was bitten 57 times and nearly lost a finger. Sixteen years later, Barney still has trouble straightening his hand. It’s no wonder he no longer rides outside, but the reason he quit riding his road bike was not the reason I imagined. “It died,” he said, referring to his Italian racing bike that once belonged to Stephen Roche, winner of the 1987 Tour de France. “It finally rusted out and could no longer be repaired.” But that doesn’t mean he quit exercising. On the contrary. Barney works out two or so hours a day at Meadows Wellness Center as often as he can. Some might think that much exercise is a bit obsessive, but that’s only if they don’t know Barney. It’s just what he enjoys doing in his off time. Some watch TV. Others read books. Barney works out. His real obsession is sports and radio. If you ask, and I asked, where he’s from, he will say, “‘Bamer,” which I realized after a moment of confusion was obviously a colloquialism for Alabama. As much as he loves sports, the only sport Barney ever played growing up was ice hockey. “We won back-to-back state football championships in high school. It was a little intimidating ‘cause there were so many good athletes, and I was kind of a realist about my abilities.” With the same sense of realism and practicality, Barney listened to sports commentators like Joe Tate, “the play-by-play guy for Cleveland.” And he learned. By high school, he Hometown Living At Its Best 13


20204RD
To see the actual publication please follow the link above