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Don’t mess with Grandpop’s Temple

September 25, 2012

Not your grandpop’s Temple - Announcer Mike Patrick introduced the telecast of Sept. 22's Temple at Penn State football game by saying, “This is not your grandpop's Temple.” I was square in my easy chair,  a framed Temple letter sweater on the wall from 1965, my granddaughter Anna committed to the Temple lacrosse program for 2013, recollections of my dad Tom walking with a cane attending Temple night school - and some chain-smoking announcer throws a hard ball at my head. Out loud I fire back, “It’s not your grandfather's Penn State, either, when Jerry Sandusky played middle linebacker! It’s not your grandpop's announcers, Les Keiter and Chuck Bednarik! And definitely not your grandpop's cheerleaders because - good gracious - I would have remembered, or perhaps not?”

Coulda tooken - Grammar is easily flubbed; it has nothing to do with knowledge or intelligence and is more a function of the language lexicon that was in play on the street in front of your house or at the dinner table. “I coulda tooken the last doughnut then coulda went out but I didn’t.” Right, whatever. Has you ever considered a career commentating on live football subdivision telecasts? I’m not snooty, but dang! You’re on live television and no matter how many times you say “dig route” you just can’t get back from "coulda tooken.”

Spalding unravels - Cape lost to Archbishop Spalding 35-28 at home Sept.15.  On Sept. 22 that same Spalding team unraveled like an $8 Haitian baseball, romped and stomped by Eastern Christian Academy - the artists formerly known as Red Lion Christian - 54-0. That cyber Christian entire operation is seedier than the outdoor garden department at Ace Hardware, the artist formerly known as Tom Best's. Big story that Delaware and Maryland state athletic associations won’t allow member schools to play Eastern Christian Academy, so what happens now?

"Stop Making Sense" - The Talking Heads of college football should just clamp up because all that makes sense is that freaky good and talented athletes who meet moments trump all the ill-conceived systems and schemes drawn up by fat guys wearing headphones pretending to be pilots of planes and blimps that are still in the hanger. Miami goes 19-0 on Georgia Tech, which runs 36 unanswered then loses 42-36 when Miami runs 23 unanswered right back. How about New Hampshire scoring 61 and losing 64-61 to Old Dominion as sophomore Tyler Heicke set an NCAA record with 730 yards  passing, going 55 for 79? Delaware scored a 51-21 victory at winless William and Mary because the Tribe is terrible or "turbo," to quote an announcer. Delaware, 4-0, plays at New Hampshire Sept. 29 and at Old Dominion Oct. 27. Decide what you want on your Tombstone (extra cheese) because those games are going to be shootouts.

Showdown about to go down - Cape field hockey faces the toughest three- game week in memory facing Delmar at 7 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 25; Sussex Tech on the road at 4 p.m., Thursday Sept. 27; then Bloomsburg at 1:30 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 29, at home. Delmar is currently 5-0, having outscored opponents 30-0.  Delmar lost to Cape 2-0 last regular season and 3-2 in the state championship game. The Wildcats return goalie Tressie Windsor and are coached by Jodi Hollaman. Sussex Tech is coming off a 10-5 season and is led by first-year head coach Kathleen Fluharty, who took over for the retired Nancy Tribbitt. Central Pennsylvania has been a hockey hotbed, but soccer has just moved to a fall sport, so the battle for talent that starts in the lower grades has just begun.

Soccer showdown - Undefeated Cape goes to undefeated Indian River for a 7 p.m. game Tuesday, Sept. 25.  Last season Cape defeated the Indians 3-2 on an overtime goal by David Cespedes. This is as good as it gets for downstate soccer.

Snippets - Field hockey news:  Hannah Pepper had the winning goal as University of Delaware beat Appalachian State 2-1. Caroline Judge scored a goal as Northeastern improved to 7-1 with a 3-2 home win over William and Mary. Jenna Steele, playing for 8-0 Mary Washington, had a goal in a 3-0 win over York College and two goals in an 8-1 win over Washington and Lee. Steele has 8 goals and 2 assists for the Eagles. The Cape hockey team will wear a patch of red for the Delmar game as a tribute to late teacher Kevin Lemaire, who passed away suddenly last summer. Kevin’s daughter Karissa is a starter on defense. Contributions can be made at Cape game to the American Heart Association in Kevin’s name. Go on now, git!

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