Whether you grew up in Gardendale, Fultondale, Brookside or Elsewhere in Small Town America, “Main Street” was IT. In most small towns in the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s and probably a few years before or after… that was the life-blood of what was going on. In Week Four of the BDFL, The Bulletin salutes Main Street America, and the Americana those streets, shops, stores, pool halls, Jiffy Check’s, bars, and pool halls that influenced a lifestyle that has somehow passed away. And, The Bulletin doesn’t really have to do anything except include the lyrics from Bob Segar’s classic, “Down on Main Street.”

I remember standing on the corner at midnight, trying to get my courage up.

Armadillos Give Dogs First Defeat via A.W.:

The Duncanville Armadillos ruined the party that had been raging up and down Main Street in Brookside for three weeks by dealing the Brookside Dogs a 37-13 A.W. in Week Four. Mark’s Mutts were on a roll to start the 2019 season, kind of like the roll where Jonathan Carroll came down the Hill on Main Street on skates, flying! with hair flying back and no parachute… no way of stopping for approaching intersections, cars and a bridge. Wayne’s Place – a perpetual pool hall – always on the brink of closing and parental warnings never to ever go close to that place. But, the Brookside Dogs were stopped. Stopped like the 4-way stop where everybody waited for the other guy to go, or waited for Jonathan Carroll or Dodie Goode… who can remember… to come flying down the hill. Like Main Street in Brookside, the Dogs dreams of an undefeated season are over. They are now 3-1, and will look to regroup for next week.

There was this long lovely dancer in a little club downtown, I loved to watch her do her stuff.

Bullets Double Down on Gambers:

After four weeks of BDFL action, only one team remains undefeated. Ladies and Gentlemen (or as Bullet’s great nephew says: “Ladies and Gentle Trucks…”) the envelope please. The only 4-0 team in the Big Daddy Football League is the Benton Bullets. The Bentonites rolled to another impressive win in Week Four, defeating the Gulf Coast Gamblers on the road in Biloxi, 24-13. Now, the whole league Fantasy Football cyber-universe will have to brace for the bragging that is expected to come out of the small Lowndes County hamlet of Benton, Ala. (pop.51), which has a Commerce Street, Washington Street, and a Church Street… but no Main Street. (And, the “main street” in nearby Selma is called Broad Street).

Through the long lonely nights she filled my sleep, her body softly swaying to that smoky beat. (Down on Main Street)
Bellcows Remain Winless After Losing to ‘Nauts, 30-21:

Main Street in Gardendale and Main Street in Fultondale is basically the same road. It actually changes names a little (Stowers Rd.) in between the towns, mostly in extreme South Gardendale into North Fultondale. But, in Downtown Fultondale the addresses pick back up as Main Street. It’s the old, old, Highway 31. With Gardendale (Juggernauts) and Fultondale (Bellcows) going at it Week Four, the Main Street’s in each town could be recognized with Fultondale’s being pretty much dormant since the 60’s. Meanwhile, Gardendale’s Main Street stayed strong, active, and busy up until the Interstate went through sometime after 1984. In the 60’s, 70’s, and 80’s along Main Street, you could visit City Hall, get a suit at Yielding’s, a steak at Bartee’s, or a Mountain Dew at Jiffy Check. So, just like the Gardendale main street trumps the Fultondale version, so too in Week Four do the Juggernauts take care of the Fieldstown (should be Fultondale) Bellcows, 30-21.

In the pool halls, the hustlers and the losers, I used to watch 'em through the glass.

Mayors 33 – Grenadiers 22 in Big Al’s Showdown:

Just behind the old Jiffy Check off Main Street in Gardendale was Big Al’s. It was reportedly the first (and last) arcade in the tightly-buttoned-up Gardendale of the 60’s, 70’s, and early 80’s. Alan and Chris squared-off there in BDFL action this past weekend, watching and monitoring the NFL games, while getting in some Gallaga, Missile Command, Pac Man, and Space Invaders. The Bulletin cannot confirm if they really encountered Johnny Hunt and Fish Ferguson in attendance after a break at the Civic Center. When the “high scores” flashed on the video screens at the end of the night, it was the Magic City Mayors who captured the vict’ry over the Mineral Sprangs Grenadiers by 11, 33-22.

Well I’d stand outside at closing time, just to watch her walk on past.

Dorians edge Sloth in Double-Header at Big Al’s:
Two of the most frequent patrons at Big Al’s in the early 80’s, met there again in BDFL action, in what turned out to be a Fantasy Football doubleheader. After Sharp Dressed and the Mayors cut out from the arcade establishment, Mukes and Barry decided to pay a visit to their old haunt off Main Street. They actually stopped off at Jiffy Check for a Mountain Dew and some 5-for-1 BBQ sandwiches before the game. And, once the game kicked off, it was close all the way between the Sloth Monsters and the Dorians. Finally, in the closing minutes, the Dorians pulled away from the ol' proverbial Three Toed Tree Dwellers to snatch a vict’ry on Monday Night Football 20-19. The Sloths fall to 0-4 and can blame the Dreaded Schedule Maker.

Unlike all the other ladies, she looked so young and sweet, as she made her way alone down that empty street. (Down on Main Street)

Cheetahs Fall to 0-4, Laying an Egg vs. Freebirds:
The Main Street activity continued in Week Four, but moved down the street in Gardendale on Sunday to the old Civic Center. Jamin’ Jaimie Hand and his Fabulous Freebirds had no trouble with the Southside Cheetahs, who really laid an egg, and captured the “Toilet Seat Team of the Weak” award by scoring only 4-points in Week 4. Butch Neal’s team lost 15-4, and dropped to an astounding 0-4 on the young season. After the game, the Sin Wagon rolled down Main Street and made a left on Tarrant Road, and went to lick their feline wounds. Meanwhile, Jaimie “whipped that sum%$#@,” out on Main, then Fieldstown Road to Pasquale’s to celebrate the win.

And sometimes… even now, when I'm feeling lonely and beat, I drift back in time and I find my feet.

Sleds Embarrassed by Bishops:

The PowerSleds earned the “Toilet Seat of the Weak” and the Blue Deacons were probably at Pasquale’s too… celebrating, when their BDFL game was over. Mad Jack’s Sled Heads only scored 4-points and were embarrassed by the Heavy Duty Bishop Squad, 12-4. Not only was Anthony reveling in the vict’ry, but he was also looking to thank the Dreaded Schedule maker for his good fortune in Week Four. Bishop’s dozen points would have lost to a dozen teams this past weekend, but his match-up with the Mean Machine meant a few things: a win, some pizza, and a few pitchers to commemorate the occasion.

Down on Main Street… Down on Main Street…

Blitz 22 – Wildcats 21; Gritz Avoids 0-4 Start:

In the 8^th and final game being reported this week in the award-winning Bulletin, the Druid City Blitz escaped an 0-4 start to the 2019 season, with a come-from-behind, 10-point vict’ry over the Western Hills Wildcats by the final score of 22-12. There’s no “main street” over on Five Points West as there are five equally average avenues converging at one point in a beleaguered part of town. The Gritz Blitz took one road in and a different road out and notched their first win of the season. The “James Gang” took this loss hard. Jerry’s team just seems to be missing a key element or two thus far in the young season. While on the other hand, Jerry’s team is glad to finally get their first win of the season and be able to hold his head high for at least one week. So, now after the “Jerry Bowl,” it looks like both teams with shake hands and move on to Week Five in the BDFL, which promises to hold more excitement, and possibly no more trips down “memory lane,” or is that “Main Street.”

Week 4 in the Jr BDFL - “It’s all about the kids.”

In the Junior League, all the Hand kids of Benton won their games in Week Four in the JrBDFL. The details of these three games and all of the others can apparently be found on espn.com, if you have the proper browser.