Flat screens for fat guys - let football begin

Reflections - I’m overwhelmed and underpaid, undertrained and overfed. My free photos are overpriced. I am a conflicted creature, knocking about amateur sports venues by choice, which says something about my social life and decision-making process. The start of fall sports is the greatest time of the year, from youth leagues like Pop Warner up through professional football and Major League Baseball playoffs. “Flat screens for fat guys” is a Samsung marketing ploy, believe me. Why do you suppose networks pay billions for the rights to broadcast games people are too lazy to show up for in person even if a neighbor gives them free tickets?

Monkey rolls - Stupid linemen tricks in the end zone before games reached ridiculous levels decades before some fat guy in polyester bike shorts started talking about plyometrics and the karaoke crossover and bird-dogging the first step on a trap play. Three big guys in full equipment jumping over each other, then rolling under, always ended in a pile of high-topped spikes and hairy legs. Forget Colin Kaepernick, I refused 50 years ago to monkey roll, risking my Temple scholarship, but I didn’t care. My coaches didn’t force the issue, often saying, “Frederick, you are the smartest dumb person on this team.” But as a Lineman for Life, I’m always looking out for my boys, ask Trip Delcampo and Brad Travis when they played at Cape. I always saw the game through the eyes of the offensive tackle position. 

Playing time - Players mostly deal with the amount of time they get during a game and the position they play. It only gets bad if they have to face an angry and never happy parent after every game. Being the star is the easiest role to play on a team, but I wonder if deep into the future the stars of yesterday are any happier compared to the player with a satisfied mind? (borrowed from a song). Speaking for myself, I relish the magic moments and suppress those I choose not to remember. In that way, sports does mirror life. I also repress some things my “respected” coaches yelled out loud that were so beyond offensive they circled back to funny.

Caper Tigers - Cape May opens the season at Cape Henlopen Saturday afternoon. It’s billed as a much-improved football team, according to Shore News Today. Cape beat Cape May last year 41-8. An afternoon game on turf with temps in the mid-90s will test the depth of both squads. Speaking of a deep water bay crossing, Cape May has a roster up to 40 players. Cape May rose up and beat Cape Henlopen Sept. 18, 2010, 25-3.

Snippets - Temple field hockey is not having a great year at 1-3. They will host Delaware (3-1) Friday, Sept. 9, and Drexel (1-2) Sunday, Sept. 11. Jacki Coveleski is a volunteer assistant for the 10th-ranked Blue Hens, while Maggie Delp comes off the bench. Tess Bernheimer starts in the midfield for the Drexel Dragons. The Cape team will travel to Temple Sunday to support Tess. Mention my name and admission is free - it’s always free. Jack Ashby is starting on the soccer team of the Lynchburg Hornets, a top five Division III program. Cape has four players on the roster at Neumann University - Dan Lewis, Billy Swontek, Steven Matalavage and Jack Norwood. The Knights are 0-3 on the early season. Kani Kane (Sussex Tech) is a 6-foot, 228-pound running back for Lackawanna College. The Eagles play at Valley Forge Saturday, Sept. 10, at 1 p.m. Kani’s little brother, Ricky Kane, is a ninth-grade varsity quarterback/safety at Sussex Tech. If you run slow and are two standard deviations to the right of ideal body mass, you might want to reconsider running 10 miles on a 95-degree day. The Bottle & Cork 10-Miler also offers a 5K and Race Director Wayne Kursh told me he may change the 10-miler to a 10K if conditions are too brutal. Cape volleyball opens the season Friday, Sept. 9, at home versus Delmarva Christian. Go rock the Little Big House. Soccer will host the George School at 7 p.m. in Legends Stadium. We have liftoff. Go on now, git!