The Loop
Jeremy Roenick explains why he once tried to tackle a gator on a golf course (Sort of)
Earlier this year, Cody Gribble grabbed headlines by giving a gator a love tap during a round at Bay Hill. It was a bold move, but the PGA Tour winner has nothing on what former NHL star Jeremy Roenick did in the fall of 2015.
With the an iPhone camera rolling, Roenick rolled up on a gator on a golf course. He then dove on top of the reptile, trying to wrap his arms around it as it quickly scurried back into the pond. Jeremy Roenick, it seems, isn't scared of gators. Gators are scared of Jeremy Roenick.
Check out the video that went viral, which concludes with the brave crazy Roenick screaming, "That was awesome!" into the lens.
What a maniac. In a teleconference with reporters earlier this week that was set up by the American Century Championship where Roenick has become a fixture, one of the great goal scorers in NHL history explained why he tried to tackle a gator. Well, sort of.
I’m pretty known to do crazy things on a golf course whether it’s catching a rattlesnake or catching other animals," Roenick said. "My antics are pretty crazy in general."
OK, but. . . what if the gator had reacted differently?
"Charles Barkley said he 'hoped that gator ate my ass,' Roenick said. "And I think to myself I never go into anything thinking of the repercussions. I do a lot of things for shock value. And a lot because I know you won’t. It keeps my edge on. I’m hoping it won’t backfire on me!"
Then Roenick admitted there was also a little liquid courage going on.
"When you have one vodka or two, all of a sudden that gator looks a little smaller than it is," Roenick said. "Sometimes, I just love to do things to create a story or shock value. I’m an entertainer."
For now, at least. We love the enthusiasm, but it's probably best to avoid tangling with wildlife that can kill you.