Friday, September 07, 2018

Burt Reynolds

I was sorry to hear about the passing of Burt Reynolds.

There are three very short things I'd like to say about Reynolds and how I'll remember his work.

The most recent personal memory I have is of him working at WrestleMania X in Madison Square Garden. He was there as a guest ring announcer for the main event which saw Bret Hart successfully challenge Yokozuna for the WWF Championship.

Another memory I have of watching Reynolds is from Smokey and the Bandit. I can't remember which one (I am guessing it's the third one), but my parents went to a Christmas party and I was being babysat by my aunt. It was on TV and I begged to watch it. I was really young at the time and I got my wish... until there was a topless lady on the screen. Off went the TV!

The earliest memory I have of Reynolds was when I was very, very young. Once again, I was watching a film in the living room. This time, I was sat on my dad's lap. I spent years unaware of the title, but it was all about American football - the first time I ever came across the sport. The movie - I later found out - was The Longest Yard. If you know me, American Football has since become a huge deal to me. I am sure I would have ended up liking the sport even if I hadn't seen the movie, but it definitely has the distinction of being the first thing about American Football that entered my consciousness. To make a guess, I'd go so far as to say I was three years old when I watched that movie. That's how long ago it was.

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