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Buenning Shoots Down Country Boy Cliches

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 9, 2007

Reserve guard Dan Buenning's country pride can be heard every Friday in Tampa Bay's locker room.

As players finish morning practice and prepare for a quick meeting, Buenning blasts country music from the iPod speakers in his locker, much to the chagrin and annoyance of neighbor Anthony Davis. Considering I'm from Lakeland and know more about catching possums and Conway Twitty than I care to admit, Buenning's music is reasonable, despite Davis' objections.

Tampa Bay and Houston play today in Texas, home of 10-gallon hats and snakeskin boots. Staying with the country theme, I spoke with Buenning about being a Good Ol' Boy.

Anwar: What is the biggest misconception about Country Boys?

Dan: Confederate flags. That everyone has one and everybody is a racist.

Anwar: Do you have a Confederate flag?

Dan: No he said while laughing.

Anwar: Ford or Chevy?

Dan: Chevy all the way. It's what I grew up on. My dad was a Chevy guy. It's just a quality truck, and they're solid, like a rock.

Anwar: What kind of Chevy do you drive?

Dan: A Silverado. It's nice.

Anwar: Since you're a Wisconsin guy, what is one thing you know about cheese most people wouldn't know?

Dan: They probably don't know about cheese curds. You get that right out of the factory. You take them right out of the vat where they keep the milk. It's fresh cheddar cheese curds.

Anwar: Can you eat them?

Dan: Oh, absolutely. It's 100 percent edible. It's a form of all cheese. All cheese is curd. They just form it into a box, but it originally starts as little cheese curds and are fresh and squeaky.

Anwar: Who would you rather meet - Carrie Underwood or Shania Twain?

Dan: I guess I'd say Shania because I've been to her concerts and she's been around longer.

Anwar: Do you own many Jeff Foxworthy DVDs or CDs?

Dan: Yeah, I own a couple of his CDs. Seen his videos. I've seen the Blue Collar Comedy Tour.

Anwar: Do you ever identify with the things he says?

Dan: A couple of things, maybe. Nothing I can think of offhand. You're trying to get me there.

Anwar: What's your biggest hunting or fishing catch?

Dan: Last summer, I caught a 140-pound tarpon off of Boca Grande Pass. I also shot an 8-point buck in high school. Those are the best I've done.

Anwar: What does deer urine smell like?

Dan: It smells like deer urine. It's not a pleasant smell. It's not something you want to have on your body, or even on your clothes for that matter, because people have been known to be attacked. It draws them in, and if you're sitting there wearing doe urine and a big 10-point buck comes there and you're sitting on the ground, he's going to come after you.

Anwar: Have you ever been attacked?

Dan: I'm pretty good about putting doe urine on a tree, or where it needs to be, but not a situation where it could happen.

Anwar: Did you grow up on a farm?

Dan: Not exactly. I spent a lot of time there because my uncle has a dairy farm.

Anwar: So you know how to do everything on a farm?

Dan: Milk a cow, baling hay, cleaning mud up. Everything.

Anwar: So who has better music - you or Cato June?

Dan: Oh, I do, definitely. I have "A Country Boy Can Survive" and "The American Way," both by Hank Williams Jr.. Hey A.D. Anthony Davis, what's your favorite song I play for you?

Anthony Davis sitting next to Buenning: You don't play anything I like.

Anwar: You're just trying to give these guys some culture, right?

Dan: Exactly. I'm trying to give them something different to keep it level in here.

Anwar: So, do you like Jeff Gordon or Dale Earnhardt Sr.?

Dan: Dale Earnhardt. Jeff is from California and drives a rainbow car. The Intimidator was Old School and drove that black-on-black car. He intimidated people. The teammates he had were also a big draw, too.

Anwar: Are you surprised at how country Kevin Carter is?

Dan: I was. Kevin is a cool dude. He likes it all. He's a well-rounded guy.

Anwar: Does he dip more than you?

Dan: I have no comment about dipping.

Anwar: What were you hoping to do with your agricultural science degree?

Dan: Graduate. No, really there are so many fields you can get into, and I say fields, literally. Look at the agriculture business. Ethanol, that's all about growing agricultural. There are major companies you can work for if you have a degree in agricultural. It's not going to work at the feed mill, or going to work as a farmhand. There are so many big corporations in agriculture.

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