The Curious Case of Gary Reasons

April 7, 2009

By James Miko

Note: This is a supplement to the Belly of the Beast investigative series used to provide additional background information on parties associated with Anita Bryant’s husband Charlie Dry.

In the suite of offices housed by Charlie Dry and Anita Bryant, Gary Reasons has an almost spartan nook that northerly adjourns the infamous hate queen’s office. Whereas their offices are virtual shrines to themselves, Reasons’ personal space looks as if no one does much in it and one might even think the office vacant, but it does house the workings of a man who possesses two Super Bowl championship rings, is a long time television sports personality, is involved in entrepreneurial ventures, and has first hand knowledge of Dry’s suspect business practices.

Gary Reasons sporting his football bling.

Born Gary Phillip Reasons on February 18, 1962, in Crowley, TX this future business associate of Charlie Dry gained notice as a high school football player. After being recruited by Northwestern University in Louisiana he racked up 394 tackles before graduating and heading off to the pros. 

From 1984 to 1991 Gary Reasons was a linebacker with the professional football team the New York Giants. During that time he was involved in helping his team garner Super Bowl Championships XXI and XXV. As brutal 6’4” and 235-pound linebacker #55, he gained much attention for snapping Washington Redskin quarterback Joe Theisman’s leg during a Monday Night Football game in 1985 - permanently ending the career of one of the NFL’s top athletes. In a 1989 flying plunge on a snow-covered field he slammed Denver Bronco’s running back Bobby Humphries so hard that it was put into the record books as the ‘Hit of the Decade’ and is considered one of the top ten greatest hits in the history of professional football. He ended his professional career playing for one season with the Cincinnati Bengals in 1992.   

In 1994 Reasons began a broadcasting career with ABC Sports as a sideline reporter. He left the network for Fox News Sports where for the last twelve years he has provided commentary and analysis and will be doing so again this year. At www.reasonsgroup.net he runs a Enlyten distributorship. Enlyten Electrolyte SportStrips are a “new take on hydration and electrolyte loading during endurance exercise” - think Listerine Breath Strips on steroids.

He is the former president and coach of the Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz, an arena football franchise owned by Phil Miller, who happens to own the Miller Jackson Building in Bricktown. Miller, also, owns Long Wave Inc and DocSoft, who share the 4th floor of that building with Dry’s operations. Long Wave’s customers include the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Homeland Security.     

Long Wave is a defense contractor specializing in military communications and software development. One of their more recent clients was the Indian Head Division Naval Surface Warfare Center. DocSoft specializes in software development with their main clients being the United States military and large defense contractors like Boeing. Reasons is the Director of Business Development for Long Wave and has the same title for DocSoft. The two companies were operational for several years before Charlie Dry opened up shop.

Reasons was introduced to this reporter by Dry during the course of the undercover investigation looking into Anita Bryant’s new plans to stir up old hate. The meeting with Reasons was short, so his full involvement with Dry is not known. What is known is that he is aware of Dry using tribal governments to front defense companies seeking minority preference contracts with the U.S. Government, as he was included in a part of the conversation between Dry and this reporter that covered the topic. 

Reasons currently resides a few miles to the southwest of the Dry/Bryant Estate in Edmond by the Rose Creek Golf Club. He leases his from Halsne Real Estate. In 2006 he was the subject of a substantial lawsuit by First Resolution Investment Corp. Acting without an attorney, Reasons denied on June 20, 2006 to even knowing of the existence of the company suing him and stated he’d never entered into any deals with the corporation. By the end of the summer, however, Reasons finally acknowledged the debt and Oklahoma County District Judge Carolyn Ricks found he owed the investment firm $21,675.75 for the principal amount sought, interest, court costs and attorney fees. The two-time Super Bowl champ was unable to make full payment at the time and had to enter into a payment agreement with First Resolution in order to avoid garnishment proceedings. In 2008, Reasons was sued for indebtedness by Midland Credit Management in a case that was later dismissed.

Gary’s son, Nick Reasons, recently appeared in the movie ‘The Curious Case of Benjamin Button’ where he had the uncredited role of “party goer”. In 2006 he acted as a SWAT team member in the Denzel Washington movie ‘Déjà vu’. For the upcoming film ‘Welcome to Academia’ Nick has the role of Sweater Boy #4. In the YouTube video below, Nick discusses his father’s great hit at the Mile High Stadium.

There is an old saying about being stuck between a rock and a hard place. Such happened to this gay reporter, when he found himself exposed and in a dicey situation, as from the west advanced the hulking #55 Giant paired with an enraged, wild-eyed Charlie Dry and to the east approached two sinister Men in Black types.

It was “Oh Shit” time.

Follow the full investigative series at Belly of the Beast: Undercover at the Anita Bryant Ministries