Where the buffalo roam

“Buffalo Roam in Baltimore Suburbs

PIKESVILLE, Md. (AP) — A herd of buffalo somehow got loose and wandered around an upscale neighborhood Tuesday, disrupting traffic and alarming homeowners before officers managed to corral them onto a tennis court.

More than a dozen police cars as well as a police helicopter were used to herd the roughly 10 beasts, authorities said.

"Somehow they figured it out; I've got to give a lot of credit to the creativity of our officers," police spokesman Shawn Vinson said.

Authorities have identified the owner of the buffalo but did not release the person's name immediately.

Residents in the Baltimore suburb first reported that buffalo were meandering along the road about 7 a.m.

Police shut down several major traffic arteries, including a section of the Baltimore Beltway, while they tried to anticipate which way the buffalo would roam.

Officers eventually managed to maneuver the buffalo onto the tennis court about a mile from where they first were spotted.

Fourth story”

“I let them out. Free My People!”

“I saw this in the paper this morning. Just knew bit would have a thread dedicated to it! They had a great pic of one of them leaping over the tennis court net like he'd just won Wimbledon.”

“I heard it on the radio last week and couldn't find it in the Sun the next day.

Bless you, bitpusher!!”

“Luckily they were loose in a neighborhood loaded with tennis courts.

Too bad they didn't jump into someone's pool.”

“Buffalo stew!”

“Buffalo chips!”

“Talk about floaters...”

“Sure, anyone can play well when it's just you and the court, but add a few bison in there and it's a little more challenging!I'd like to see the Williams sisters try to play on that court!”

“If the ball bounces off a buffalo, is it still "in"?”

“ooops, hit the bison, 30-love!”

“Hit me with that tennis ball and I'll gore you! Free My People!”

“[Commentator speaking in hushed tones...]: "Here's Venus sizing up her next serve. She tosses the ball, hits it, and-- ooh, hit that big one right between the horns. He doesn't look too happy about it, and-- oooh, he's after her, and... he... gores her in the leg! That's a nasty gash! Let's see if she can-- oh, no, his friend has now trampled her! Here comes Serena to help out. She's pounding that first big one with her racquet, and, yes, it looks like she's having some success. OK, now back to business. It's warming up out there, and most of the bison seem to be settling down for a mid-day nap. Here's the serve... it's off of one, two, no three of them and... out! Too bad, another double fault...."”

“Dang. I thought this was a thread aout the Hunter S. Thompson movie with Bill Murray.”

“Bison, you horny little bastard!!”

“My money would have to go on the Williams sisters.

Have you seen the buns on them gals?”

“Do they really expect 9 full size bison to fit in that little pool?

”

“Is that a chef in white?”

“So, did the bison land in the yellow kiddie pool, Hyway?”

“Wait a minute! I see it now! They're doing the steeplechase!!”

“So the guy in white is a buffalo jockey?”

“Not the horsey steeplechase, the track & field steeplechase! Good god, I think they're trying to break up the Kenyan monopoly on Olympic steeplechase gold medals!!!”

“By trampling them, maybe.”

““I heard it on the radio last week and couldn't find it in the Sun the next day.

Bless you, bitpusher!!”
MarkO
9:40:07 AM
4/27/05

Oooops!!

It must have been Monday or yesterday.”

“arky....i knew this was a bit thread about the news story...but was hoping the same as you. no such luck..

And does Embears BF's parents know they have a BI-Son?”

“Officer 'Buffalo Bill' earns badge of courage after bison showdown
25-year veteran gains fame overnight
By Jonathan Pitts
Sun Staff
Originally published April 28, 2005

Baltimore County Police Detective Ed Spragg showed up to work yesterday a sudden celebrity with a slightly bruised ego and a new nickname: "Buffalo Bill."

The 25-year veteran of the Baltimore County force gained overnight fame Tuesday when he was knocked on his keister by an escaped bison, making the front page of newspapers, national television newscasts and even snagging the No. 4 slot on ESPN's nightly Top 10 list of sports highlights.











"I never took a shot like that on duty before," said Spragg, 49, who managed to escape his showdown with the 700-pound animal without injury. "Guess I was a bit slow in my reaction time."

Yesterday, at the Franklin police precinct in Reisterstown, Spragg recounted his starring role in Tuesday morning's surreal Wild West show. He and a dozen other officers were commended for helping corral nine escaped bison during the morning commute without accident or injury - though not without drawing international attention.

"All kinds of things happen in this line of work," Spragg said with a shrug. "Today it seems funny, but honestly, we're glad nobody got hurt, including me, and that none of the animals had to be destroyed."

The good-natured Spragg didn't seem to mind that celebrity had found him on his backside, fending off a great beast with a chaise lounge. County Executive James T. Smith Jr. had called him and a dozen other officers to a special roll call presentation at the Franklin precinct, where he commemorated their feats with a framed poster.

"Baltimore's County Buffalo Brigade: April 26, 2005" read the poster, which featured a Western-style drawing of a vanquished buffalo with three police officers standing over it.

According to Smith, the bison roundup proved the county's police were the best around.

"Not only did you protect the people, but you didn't have to kill the bison," he told them. The award, he said, was for "handling the unexpected."

"I know everyone wanted buffalo burgers," he joked," but it's better that they're safe."

Spragg's sprawling moment of fame came after the nine bison escaped from a Baltimore County farm and proceeded to run roughshod over a neighborhood near Greenspring Valley Road. After police managed to corral them in a parking lot at a Pikesville condominium complex, they formed a makeshift chute with their bodies to herd the beasts into an enclosed tennis court for further wrangling.

Once on the court, several officers lined up to help coax the bison into a trailer to ferry them back to the farm. For Spragg, things went downhill after someone decided to create a fence out of some patio furniture.

"They figured the animals would respect the barriers and enter the trailer," Spragg said. "Up 'til the last buffalo, they did.

"I had no idea buffalo were so agile," he said. "Did you know buffalo can jump a fence? Unfortunately, I was the fence."

After Smith's tongue-in-cheek presentation, Spragg's fellow officers took their best shots.

"He'll never be able to go undercover again," one shouted.

"Meet 'Buffalo Bill' Spragg," cracked another.

Even Terrance B. Sheridan, Baltimore County's police chief, joined in. "I opened my morning paper today," he said, "and there was Detective Spragg, on his back with his feet in the air."

For the moment, the detective seemed to be enjoying his sudden, oddball renown. His voicemail, he said, was crammed with messages - "Just buffalo jokes, nothing I can repeat," he said. He had also already made his front-page photo the wallpaper on his computer screen.

And for lunch yesterday? Buffalo wings, of course.

As to whether he had received the official stamp of American celebrity - a call from Jay Leno or David Letterman - Spragg was happy to report that he had not. "God, don't wish that on me," he said.

At home Tuesday in Abingdon, Spragg's wife, Cynthia, had heard nothing about his unusual day until he called her and said, "In case you see it on TV, I'm OK."

"The whole thing was funny," she said, "till I thought about it." Despite his notoriety and the ceremony with Smith, "Buffalo Bill" Spragg, in the end, was mostly modest. "Everybody here was a part of it," he said. "The buffalo just happened to pick me."”

“tree and myself just watched this movie last night with Bill Murry about Hunter Thompson, I forgot how freaking funny this movie was.

hunter, hunter?
aint no huntin goin on here, this is a party not a safari!”

“I liked what the Doberman did when he said, "NIXON!"”

“attacked the privates LOL”

“exactly!!”

“Somehow, I don't think the Secret Service would be amused,     LOL


last edited: 12/05/07 10:19:42 AM”

“you mean like Harris from the Post?”

“You got me on that one.  I haven't seen it in ages.... but I happen to have this Internet Thing here.....

Odo the shapeshifting alien wrote for the Post?     LMAO

It's slowing coming back into focus ----”

“just think.....the zoo plane”