Magic Jack, built like an acrobat, hits 5K trail run on 80th birthday

Magic Jack Noel - Jack, an actual magician, finished the Bethel Trail Run 5K in 43:24 on his 80th birthday. Jack joked: “I recently saw my twin brother – a doctor – for the first time in three years and I realized how old I looked.” Jack is built like an acrobat, and he reminds you of a circus high flyer under the big tent. Happy birthday to the magic man from Angola by the Bay. Jack’s song, “I get knocked down, but I get up again, ain’t nothing gonna slow me down.” I remember when he fell and face-planted running last year’s Rehoboth Half Marathon.

Action Shot! I took a photo of cheerleader Lilly Barnett at Friday’s Homecoming game and she asked, “Do you want an action shot?” And I said, “sure,” so she threw her pom-poms up into the air. I caught one and took a picture of the other. Lilly is a Cape character.

Shake it off! The first quarter of the 1965 Temple at Bucknell football game in a battle for the Little Brown Shoe, I raced downfield to make a tackle on a punt return. I missed the ball carrier, who kicked me in the face on his way to a touchdown while some big old hairy lineman plowed the back of my head to make sure I stayed down. The next Temple offensive series, the Owls were missing a right guard. “Where the hell is Fredericks?” coach Jack Jones screamed. “He’s down here next to me singing a medley of the 4 Tops’ greatest hits,” said a boy from Brooklyn who never saw the field. “Fredericks, do you have a concussion?” coach asked me. I responded, “I’d be the last to know, wouldn’t I, Sugar Pie Honey Bunch?” That was the straw that broke the dromedary’s hump. I was sent to the shower where all neurological disorders were solved. And upon introspection, I didn’t know if I was medically injured or psychologically faking, but I had to switch to Temptations songs as my playlist was running thin. Later that Saturday night, I was standing in a long line at Temple University Hospital along with the other creatures of the ghetto night waiting to be evaluated by an intern with a stethoscope, tongue depressor and pin flashlight. A guy behind me in line had a knife in his stomach. “Excuse me,” I yelled. “There’s actual emergency here that needs immediate medical attention. Do you know some cat has a blade in his belly?” “No, I don’t,” said a nearby orderly, “but hum me a few bars and I’ll see if I can fake it for you. Is that a country song?”

Marvin Gaye Gone - Temple football beat unbeaten Cincinnati at the Linc in overtime Oct. 20 in front of an announced crowd of 33,000. Guys like me are too far gone to come back. In the words of Marvin Gaye, “If I wouldn’t be doggone I’d be long gone.” Anyway, I’m still in concussion protocol from 1965.

Snippets - Billy Ott looked like the guy from the Burger King commercial in his Homecoming king crown Oct. 19. And the Vikings mascot was in the court and took his head off for photos. Isn’t that some violation of mascot protocol? I’ll arrange a sit-down with David Raymond, the original Philly Phanatic. Coach Tubby Raymond once introduced himself to me as “The Phanatic’s father.” The University of Miami mascot Sebastian the Ibis once sprayed the flaming spear at midfield at a Florida State game. “Sebastian was tackled by a group of policemen in 1989 for attempting to put out Chief Osceola's flaming spear. At the time, he was wearing a fireman’s helmet and yellow raincoat and holding a fire extinguisher. When a police officer tried to grab the fire extinguisher, he was sprayed in the chest. Sebastian was handcuffed by the other four officers but released when they realized how ridiculous it looked for them to be arresting a bird.” (Wikipedia). My granddaughter Lina Fred is a four-weeks-in field hockey player at Milford. Coach Andrea asked me, “Doesn’t Lina play indoors?” And I said, “No, mostly, she plays outside in the backyard.” I’ll be at Browns Branch County Park on Wednesday, Oct. 24, taking photos for the running of the Central Delaware Middle School Invitational. And then I’ll be stopping at the Milford Middle School field hockey B game on the way home because ZZ Fredpop “I’m Bad, I’m Nationwide.” Go on now, git!