Football win goes from scintillating to infuriating to uninteresting
No win schedule - Delaware football was dominated by Maine 26-3 Oct. 6, which is actually more interesting than if the Hens had won, which would have been only mildly interesting. Delaware has got to move off the mediocre center of the college football universe. The Blue Hens' powder blue wing-T era of Admiral Dave Nelson and Tubby Raymond is ancient history, and no students major in history anymore, but plenty take sports management. Delaware has had some stellar moments under KC “where's-the-sunshine-so why-the-dark-glasses” Keeler, including a national title in 2003, but when New Hampshire and Maine meet you at the intersection of the upgrade versus downgrade highway to Pizza Hut Park, don’t expect fans to pack the stands for all home games unless you liberalize the re-entry policy so the tailgate party never ends.
Wind back on "Hut!" - I knew Miami was staying in trouble when the Notre Dame running back ran to his left then cut back to his right and there was nobody home between him and the house. The play is an intelligently designed misdirection, because defenders chase the ball. The right side of the Notre Dame line blocked down swinging gate style and stuffed every “Candy Cane” like chunks of coal in a Christmas stocking. I guarantee you, there’s a folder on the Notre Dame recruiting coordinator's desktop titled “Polish Parishes in America." You can’t win with only fast, skilled people; more politely postulated: the game is won in the trenches.
Like watching turf grow - The Cape 34-2 win over Milford Oct. 6 at Legends Stadium went from scintillating to infuriating to I don’t care anymore. Frequent flags and conferences about flags confused most cats still trying to be good players; the chain gang just shrugged, “Which way and what down?” Cape surged to a 20-0 first half lead then staggered through a 14-2 second half. There were three touchdown runs of a yard each by Cape, and Milford scored a safety when right guard Thomas Ott picked up a fumbled ball in his own end zone and saw 100 yards of screaming green turf, but before the diesel horns and Thomas could double clutch into high gear, he was tackled in the end zone.
Evil empire - The major league baseball playoffs are always more interesting when the Yankees are still alive. Baltimore is a great story, and the Orioles won’t blink or back down from the Yankees; the teams split the season series. I’m calling the Yankees and Reds in the World Series. I’d be happy to see the Nationals make it through to the fall classic, but when they shut down Strasburg, their chances of winning five then seven game series went way down. The good news is I’m almost always wrong, so maybe double beltway series.
Cape caravan - Delaware and Northeastern played to the largest crowd either of them has seen this season Oct. 5 at Delaware, thanks to the Cape caravan coming to the game to support former Cape players Caroline Judge and Kaci Coveleski for the Huskies and Rebecca and Hannah Pepper and Jacki Coveleski for the Blue Hens. Northeastern won 5-0 as sophomore Caroline Judge enjoyed the first two-goal game of her career.The crowd of 431 was 300 fewer people than watched the Delmar at Cape game won by Cape 3-1 Sept. 25.
Now you went and done it! - Cape won state titles in football, field hockey and cross country in the fall of 1979, leading to cries of “too much emphasis on sports.” There was a subsequent school board meeting at which a band parent asked, ”Why does the school buy shoes for the track team and not the band?” I didn’t even know there were such things as band shoes. They got a free hat to use; the track athletes don’t.
Snippets - Coach Carolyn Ivins will be the honorary game captain for the Tuesday, Oct. 9 home game versus Indian River. The game is at 4 p.m.; the ceremony begins at 3:45. All former Ivins players are encouraged to be there. Ivins was Cape’s first field hockey coach and first to win a state title in 1979. Linda Chi ran a 3:50:57 in the Chicago Marathon, qualifying for Boston and breaking her personal record at that distance by 15 minutes. Her husband, Brandt, ran 2:59:37, not wanting to be “chicked” by his own wife. The Chis live in Rehoboth and are part of the CF Schwartz car dealership family in Dover. Go on now, git!
