The difference: I know I don’t know what I’m talking about
Talent pool - Unlike most men who follow the sport of field hockey, I know I have no clue what I’m talking about. But this I do know. Cape has won 65 regular-season games in a row against Delaware opponents for a lot or reasons, but breaking it down to its simplest explanation, it’s because year in and year out, they have more good players than anyone else. And that’s not to minimize the coaching factor I ascribe to, “You can’t win without talent, but not everyone can win with it.” And a nod to coach Robin Adair at Tower Hill, who has won 10 state titles and lost in four state title games. I’ve seen Robin steal a few championships, and I know this because she told me and I concurred. The down low with Cape is, just because there are no weak players on the field at any position at any time in the game, that doesn’t mean you can’t lose; it just means as a team you are a tough out.
Georgia grandparents - The sports beat that I knock about is all about local and family connections, although half the people I encounter have little interest in the lost art of conversation, even if it's one-sided and all about them. But when I meet new people like grandparents Lee and Sandy Mills, recently retired from Georgia to Lewes, who were at the Caesar Rodney at Sussex Tech cross country meet to cheer on their talented granddaughters Rebekah and Channah Mills, I become happy and want to show off my local power by putting them all into a sports column. Seriously, family members who enthusiastically support their people are just the best.
Kid's worst enemy - This subject comes up every sports season, and that’s athletes with an off-the-wall sports parent who in the interest of looking out for their kid become the kid's own worst enemy. And the first one to realize it is the kid; you can always see it in their eyes. I’ve been crazy at times myself; you know when you have blood in the game, it's hard to be rational. I agree that parents should not have easy access to coaches and never immediately after a game. Heck, even as a sportswriter, if I’m approached at a game by a parent who asks, “Can I talk to you for a minute?” I always say, “No way! That never ends well.”
HIPPO or HIPPA - Health Insurance Portability and Privacy Act means people in the medical and health-related fields with insider information are required to shut up about it. And we all know hippos have no secrets; just don’t stand behind one when that tail starts spinning. Totally unofficial but notable, Cape’s field hockey captain Maggie Delp broke two small bones in her hand and is out for the regular season, perhaps returning for playoffs. Andrew Grau, hurt on the first touchdown drive against Indian River, has an ACL tear and is most likely lost for the season and perhaps basketball as well. And Izzy Delario, who played at Cape last season and is now a freshman starter for the UMASS field hockey team, is lost for the season due to a knee injury. I don’t know a ligament from a tendon or a meniscus, but it's one of them. Injuries that sideline real athletes are beyond frustrating; it strikes to the core of their identity. A proactive fight back to fitness doing all the rehab stuff becomes the new focus, but it is tough being on the sidelines and experiencing separation anxiety.
Snippets - I read that Ruben Amaro Jr. was considered a ladies’ man in Philadelphia sports circles; maybe the Phillies should have hired Antonio Banderas as general manager.
My new business model is to take thousands of sports photos and make them available to people at no charge. There must be a catch, but I haven’t found one. My motto is unprofessional, free and overpriced.
Caesar Rodney at Cape football on Friday night is all about the wing-T offense. Just watch the defensive ends; you’ll see players in more binds than a disco dancer in polyester pants.
Terrell Owens thinks he could play in the NBA, saying, “I’m better than Luke Walton.” Owens, 39, wants back in the NFL; he said he’s better than anyone on the Patriots and he’s right, but Tom Brady has got to be saying, “I’ll walk. Please, no more crazy people.” Go on now, git!
