Share: 
People In Sports

Bad call by replacement officials; just blame Obama

September 28, 2012

Lifting me higher - You just knew that sooner not later Barack Obama would be blamed for the NFL replacement officials because he tweeted about it after the Monday night game. The explanation: “No wonder our country is in such a mess; the president is trying to take a win away from Seattle instead of fixing the economy.” The Legion of Doomsayers doesn’t know that they are replacement players in a spirited society.  As Bob Dylan wrote 50 years ago, “negativity won’t see you through,” that the diversity and vibrancy and positivity of the youth culture will be pushing them aside like a Walkman at Best Buy. I spoke with Victor Rueda of Sussex Tech then Tyra Reid of Caesar Rodney after a cross-country meet and I sensed it, felt the power, knew it was time for Gramps to hit the recliner and tweet “Hey, was that you?”

Kicking the downward dog - I will kick a dog to the ground but won’t stand around with a following pack and continue to kick. Let’s get off the replacement officials; this impasse was all about the arrogance of too much money on the executive side and a correct reading that NFL fans will stay with the brand no matter how much you insult their one-standard-deviation-left-of-the-bell-curve-of-normal intelligence. The officials just tried to protect their association; who do they think they are, the AMA? And a point to remember is this was not a strike but a lockout. I thought the regular officials might all get fired for good, like Reagan did to the air traffic controllers 31 years ago risking an air disaster or two. I guess the end of the Packers versus Seahawks game was its own air disaster. “Hey, Golden Tate, what about the push?” “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Disposable income - The Dewey Beach Sprint Triathlon and the Dogfish Dash five and dime are two local endurance events so popular that a thousand people may register in one day. A certain sect resembling every beer ad you see on television - you know, young and beautiful upwardly mobile professionals - just loves the Dogfish brand, and the fact the brewery is in Milton just adds to the quaintness, but unless you know CJ and DJ, Uncle Jesse, Trevor Reed, Blue Goose and Brown Duck, Reverend Manny and Omar - you don’t know Milton. Seriously, people still have lots of money to spend on fitness and beer; they can’t all be progressives.

Snippets - Bring your can, in fact, bring two, to the Friday night Sussex Tech at Cape football game. The Cape football boosters are collecting nonperishable food items for the Jusst Sooup Ranch to stock the kitchen where no one can sit for fear they may never leave. We are a sad society sometimes. How about give up a can and lend a hand? Get on board the Love Train. Check out www.websites4sports.com for the latest sports scores and schedules and you can contribute photos, even for junior varsity and middle school sports. I took journalistic license and called Cape’s turf field two Champions Stadium in a Delmar field hockey game story. I’m stupid like that, but I think that field belongs to the women of Cape; it’s a place where championship coaches and teams and magnificent players should be celebrated. The boys' teams can play there - weirdly enough, boys' soccer and lacrosse prefer Legends Stadium - but they have to ask permission. Cape is a first-class athletic facility but “we” do a poor job recognizing and celebrating past champions. I coached a state championship cross country team in 1977, and the Lewes Lions bought them cool gold winter jackets and I still won’t shut up about it. Neshaminy High of Langhorne, Pa., has a football Brick Wall of Fame that contains tiles of 200 players' names going back 80 years and two full-sized bronze statues of former coaches. The refurbishment of the 1980s structure cost $130,000 - just pointing that out for comparison purposes only.

Can the Eagles beat the Giants on Sunday night? Yes! Am I expecting it? Not really; Philadelphia’s offensive line is just too porous. If you put Eli Manning next to Andy Reid, they do look a little like the Laurel and Hardy comedy team from the 1930s and '40s . “That’s another fine mess you’ve gotten me into, Eli.” I’m sorry, Andy.”

Go on now, git!

Subscribe to the CapeGazette.com Daily Newsletter