It was indeed a sad day when wrestler Ben Askren lost a piece of himself. Then again, it was better than an opponent grabbing a piece of him. Most recognizable by his bushy, curly locks, the 163-pound wrestler shaved off his signature hair this weekend, just in case an opponent got the idea of snatching a chunk mid-match.
One of six American men participating in freestyle, Askren remains one of the more colorful U.S. athletes. Such was the case when he met President Bush on Sunday.
“I’m thinking, ‘My mom would probably like to have a picture of me and President Bush.’ But everyone already had a camera in their hand, except for this lady standing there, so I’m like, ‘Excuse me, can you take my picture?’
“I turn around and everyone’s laughing at me and I can’t figure out why. They asked me, ‘Do you know who that is?’ And I said, ‘No.’ (They said:) ‘That’s President Bush’s daughter!’ I was kind of embarrassed, and I don’t get embarrassed too often.”
Benjamin Hochman, The Denver Post
