THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, April 21, 1995 TAG: 9504190160
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 11 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: Bill Leffler
LENGTH: Medium: 65 lines
It's a mistake for folks to take on a wordsmith behind a podium.
It happened again last Friday night at the Ambassador Club, when old friends gathered to ``roast'' Russell Borjes at a retirement party in his ``honor.''
The roasters - master of ceremonies Leo Antonucci, entertainer Slim Parker, Square Edmonds, Billy O'Brien, Odell Benton, Booty Baker and Russell's brother George - became the roastees.
For several hours they painted Russell into a corner. In the closing 30 minutes he really spattered them with the paint.
The 66-year-old lifelong Portsmouth resident retired from The Virginian-Pilot and The Ledger-Star at the end of 1994 after a 37-year writing and editing career.
Antonucci, Baker and O'Brien were teammates of Borjes on the Wilson basketball team when Russell won all-state honors.
Old pictures of Borjes were scattered throughout the Ambassador Club. Quipped Antonucci: ``Did you ever see so many pictures of such an ugly person?''
Edmonds recalled a community league game when Russell, who should have been playing for Park View, was competing on the Swimming Point team.
``Russell was wearing No. 43. When they found out he was from Park View, he was kicked out of the game.
``A little later he came back in - as No. 34.''
Chipped in O'Brien: ``Russell can do anything now that he could do at 18. It just shows you how pathetic he was at 18.''
Baker recalled Borjes' ventures into tennis as a young man and his many attempts to win a match with Harry Moore Gumm.
``He still can't beat Ham Gumm,'' said Baker. ``And Ham is 91 years old.''
But Russell was ready to volley and attack when rebuttal time came.
He commended Parker on his banjo playing. ``Not bad for a guy who couldn't make the Lawrence Welk junior varsity,'' said Borjes.
He recalled the basketball prowess of Antonucci, the captain and an all-state tackle on Wilson's 1947 state championship football team: ``You know he holds one school basketball record at Wilson. He's the only guy who played all season in every game without scoring a single point.''
Then the ax was swung at former fire chief Benton.
``You know Odell was a four-sport star at Wilson, don't you? He won letters in football, baseball, basketball and cursing. And maybe he was best in cursing. He's the most profane man I know.''
Borjes questioned how O'Brien, the winningest football coach in Great Bridge High School history, even remembered what he was doing.
``Once he called me on the phone from the school and his quarterback walked in. He said to hold on a minute, that he had something to tell the player. After a long wait, I started whistling into the phone to get his attention. An assistant coach picked up the phone and asked what I wanted. I told him I was talking to Coach O'Brien. He said that was impossible. Coach O'Brien had gone to lunch about 10 minutes ago.''
The Borjes clan - wife Shirley, their children, grandchildren and great granddaughter Brielle O'Connor, filled two tables. ``So many of them it almost put us in a financial hole,'' said Antonucci.
``My great granddaughter gave the first review of this thing,'' said Russell.
``She fell asleep. And when she woke up, she cried.'' by CNB