'Redneck Games' a problem for police

More than a few athletes have been accused of doping over the years _ but the competitors at the "Texas Redneck Games" might just be dopes.

These competitors forgo the shotput for the "Mattress Chuck" _ in which two-man teams heave a mattress from the back of a pickup truck as far as they can. And if you aren't planning on heading to Beijing for the next Olympic Games, there's always the ugly "butt-crack contest."

By the time the latest Redneck Games ended Sunday, more than 54 arrests and citations had been issued on charges ranging from public intoxication to speeding, according to the Henderson County Sheriff's Department. Officials are considering charges against the organizer and landowners where the event was held.

"I'm an old fuddy duddy and all that, but you got a vehicle, you got alcohol, and you got illegal dumping, and you're making a contest out of that?" said Lt. Pat McWilliams, sheriff's spokesman. "We are very fortunate that we didn't have a fatality."

For years, Bobby Williams has awakened to the roaring engines of all-terrain vehicles, midnight fireworks shows and thousands of drunken revelers who every so often gather across the narrow county road from his property at events like the Redneck Games and the Texas Redneck Muddy Gras.

"We're just a nice, calm community, and nobody can get any rest; nobody can get any sleep," said the 76-year-old, who had hoped his 100-acre ranch would be a scene of post-retirement tranquillity.

Modeled after similar games that have been going in Georgia for more than a decade, the four-day Redneck Games took place about 70 miles southeast of Dallas and included an estimated 6,000 people and live music.

McWilliams said the organizer, Oscar Still, could face a misdemeanor charge for not having a permit, required for any gathering of more than 2,500 people. Telephone messages left with Still weren't returned Wednesday.

The misdemeanor charge carries a fine of $1,000 and 90 days in jail.

It was less clear whether there was any wrongdoing by Garland Pool, the owner of the 3,000-acre ATV park where the events were held, McWilliams said.

Pool, who lives about 5 miles from the ATV ranch, said he was aware of neighbor complaints but hadn't heard anything from the sheriff's department.

"Maybe the neighbors don't particularly like the traffic," he said, "but it seems like most of the businesses in town had a lot of success."

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