Friday, August 10, 2007

DALLAS (AP) — 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 shot put for the “Mattress Chuck” — where teams of two slam a 12-pack of beer, get into a pickup truck and start driving, then climb into the bed and throw the mattress as far as possible.

By the time the event 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.

“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, public information officer for the sheriff’s department. “We are very fortunate that we didn’t have a fatality.”

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. Lt. McWilliams said the organizer, Oscar Still, faces a misdemeanor charge for not having a permit — which is required for any gathering of more than 2,500.

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