R.I.P. Burt Reynolds
A local hero here in Palm Beach County, Florida and well loved by all.
We loved him for all his good will, donations to the community, all his acts of charity and kindness.
We were only angry at him here (temporarily) for breaking Dinah Shore's heart, marrying that bimbo, Lonnie, and also for letting Sally Fields get away.
For every sit down with the few remaining true Floridians that were here when I arrived in 1985 there are 5 "Buddy" stories. To the locals he was "Buddy" Reynolds.
I only met him once with my wife and children at his petting zoo on his ranch in Jupiter, Florida (circa 1990).
Rest in peace, Bandit Buddy
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Avis_OWEZlI[/ame]
PS: After Smokey and the Bandit, a few NYC "organized business people" got a fantastic idea to bring in the forbidden fruit of Coors beer to NYC. It started a craze. If it was illegal in NYC (or you could not get it, like original formula Coke when NEW Coke was released) EVERYONE wanted it ... and paid dearly, for it.
Here's what Wikipedia writes:
Legal status of Coors beer[edit]
In 1977, Coors was unavailable for sale east of Oklahoma. A 1974 Time magazine article explains why Coors was so coveted that one would be willing to pay the Bandit such a high price to transport it. Coors Banquet Beer had a brief renaissance as certain people sought it out for its lack of stabilizers and preservatives. The article says that future Vice President Gerald Ford hid it in his luggage after a trip to Colorado in order to take it back to Washington. President Dwight D. Eisenhower had a steady supply airlifted to Washington by the Air Force. The article also mentions Frederick Amon, who smuggled it from Colorado to North Carolina and sold it for four times the retail price.[14] The lack of additives and preservatives meant that Coors had the potential for spoiling in a week if it were not kept cold throughout its transportation and in storage at its destination. This explains the 28-hour deadline.[15]
