The 2005 NBL Competition Congress was scheduled for January 28 thru the 30th in Nashville Tennessee. I was hyped about the Congress and the fact it was to be in Nashville. Last year it took place in Virginia and I learned a lot of information that I used at Peachtree City as Track Director. Now as State Commissioner, I wanted all the other track officers to learn what I had learned at Congress last year and go back as excited as I was. I was a little disappointed that I did not find Congress as useful as last year, but I did find out some good information.

ESPN, Hyper Bikes and the NBL are working together with Wal-Mart and other department stores to get inexpensive aluminum race bikes into the mainstream. NBL's tie to the deal is to offer a free one day membership/race hangtag that will go into the owner's manual packet. This should help the local programs and as BMX Parents Association, we could work a deal out with the department stores to put on bicycle safety clinics or BMX demos in their parking lots. All this extra promotion will definitely increase rider count.

Other news from Congress was the introduction of a new girls class. It is a girls Jr. class for girls 17 and 18. It will be a no money class so it will not interfere with racers that compete in high school sports.

The only other news I got was bad news. We will not be getting the "new" (three years in the making) Windows based software. The programmer told me that it will be tested at the Vegas national on February 26th and could be out in the Spring or Summer. So if you are in charge of registration, don't hold your breath. Like I said, three years in the making.

Over all the Congress was great. Georgia had twelve representatives, which I am guessing was way more than in many years past. There were meetings, awards and seminars all three days, but the real excitement came on Saturday night at the Wildhorse Saloon.

Operation Wildhorse:
The following is my recollection of the events that occurred during Operation Wildhorse. I received the operation details from Colonial Jason Schiefelbein from NBL a few weeks before the mission was to begin. Operation Wildhorse was a training/combat mission for the NBL BMX troops.

We were to assemble just outside Nashville Tennessee on January 28th and receive a day and a half of training and then go into combat on the night of the 29th. The target was the Wildhorse Saloon. I was familiar with the location. During my first tour of dirty with the Sweet Brothers platoon, we came across the Wildhorse and exchanged light fire with the enemy. However, I knew how dangerous this mission could become, so I started planning.

Anytime you go into battle you should have the right gear. My mindset was to win the war, whatever war it was. I went to my box of props that I usually reserve for larger invasions and found as close to a cowboy outfit as I could. The cowboy hats that Private David Goen and I were wearing had just been acquired about a month earlier. There was a family of Mexicans, not BMXicans, living in the command center that I currently run as Cloned Skate Park. When they moved out they left the 10-gallon gold for me to discover. It was the ultimate prop for this country weekend battle. One thing. When David put his hat on, all I could think of was the Brew Bikes mascot; I knew then we would have the upper hand in this battle. David was an instant hit. He was getting compliments for everyone and even attracted the ladies, which in the end was his ultimate demise.

The NBL and the state of Florida were responsible for logistics and troop movement. They were the master control. For troop movement, they had brought in two huge chartered armor plated buses that would bring in reserves and evacuate the injured in fifteen minute cycles. I heard they were equipped with 50 caliber guns, but we experienced no resistance during deployment and therefore did not get to see them in action. During deployment, David got the troops ready for battle by starting the wave. He even had Commanding Officer Alice Bixler start the practice.

We arrived at the war zone and instantly the old school Sweet Brothers' Horseman came over me. It is a state of mind that happens in war that hardens men. You focus on the job at hand while being aware of your surroundings. It is the basics of Sweet Brothers fighting tactics. I am usually in the Horseman zone no matter where I am stationed, but the only thing was that none of the other NBL troops had ever seen me in wartime action. They would be in for a surprise.

As soon as we entered the Wild Horse Saloon, we took our positions on the second floor. One of the basics of combat is to get the elevated position and survey the battlefield. We took our positions around the parameter and noticed very little action. There were two men from the enemy forces that controlled the battlefield when the fighting stopped. They would organize troop movement and try to work on their battle plan during the breaks in fighting. I knew they were my main targets. I ripped off a Horseman battle cry to get our troops ready for the attack. The enemy, which must have been from Canada, misinterpreted the battle cry as an Elk call. It worked to our advantage. I was able to break into their home camp and spy on their plans. After all, I was wearing their combat attire.

I was able to get control of their communications and got a propaganda message out for NBL BMX. From that point on, our troops were called the "BMX people." I guess just like the Sand people in Star Wars. Those Canadians definitely have a different culture. I made it back to the safe zone and relayed the information I obtained. At that point, the battlefield became a full on war zone. All the fighting was hand-to-hand or at least body part-to-body part. Amongst all the fighting, David and I became separated. We always had each other's back. It was the Sweet Brother code. It was not until the following morning in the mess hall that I learned of David's frightening ordeal. If you want all the details, ask David personally. All I can say is that he left the battle early with injuries to his manliness, but he did survive.

The night progressed and the troops were tired and for some reason very thirsty. We had pretty much defeated the enemy and were just setting up our base camp. There were all kinds of events going on. I sat in on AA General John Purse's speech on "How to win in AA." I watched Commander Bob Tedesco school the troops on weapons training, a.k.a. pool sharking. They even had choreographed line marching. Now I am a good marcher in my own right, but when it comes to choreograph line marching I am like a bull in a china store. One mistake while in the line march could get many people killed and even more injured. I opted out. That was too much pressure. I focused my efforts on the POWs. I wanted to learn more about the Canadian's battle techniques, which turned out to be very manipulative.

Private Richard Bunt and myself agreed to meet with the Canadian Commanders and that was our downfall. They somehow turned Bunt and myself against ourselves. We were to perform a dance off. The by-standing women were to judge the duel. Flashing back to my MC Hammer days, I knew that the only way to resolve a dispute was to break dance. Bunt started the show off with the classic white man dance. Arms to his side, elbows bent and the Terry Tennitte thumbs pointing skyward. As he felt the groove come over him, he began working his arms, his upper torso and finally his butt. By the end, he had women yelling and going crazy like the Beatles just walked in. I knew I had my work cut out for me, but I only had seconds to plan out my routine. I stayed focused and resorted back to my Sweet Brothers basic training, "When in doubt, what would Vanilla Ice do?" And it came to me. Poised and ready, I queued the Commanders. Just like in war, it happened so fast that I don't remember the order of events. I do however know that the Russian squat dance, the worm and a backspin were all part of the successful battle plan. Together we worked the on-looking women into a frenzy.

At that point, Bunt and I thought the battle was over. Oh, but we were wrong. We were both given boxer shorts and a challenge. The challenge was to get as many women to dance with us at one time as possible. The old record was 69. We were told it was held by two Canadian Mounties that were the best that Canada had. I felt we could possibly achieve the new record, especially after seeing the Beatles like hysteria that happened when Bunt and I danced alone.

The music started and instantly women flooded us. And I am not talking the caliber of women you might see hopping out of a semi while fueling up at a truck stop gas station, but the caliber of women you might see on TV during a college football game when the camera man pans the crowd. I know I was enjoying myself and I am sure Bunt was having the time of his life. I peered out over the sea of blonds and brunettes and noticed there were many other women still on the coastline scared to venture into the water, so I had to help them in the sake of competition.

With the help of my wife, Private Stacy Potter and an old BMX war buddy, Private Shanda Shaughnessy, we managed to consume the dance floor with around 125 women. We shattered the previous record. That is just how we, BMXers roll. Give us a challenge, and it is on.