Cape goes from Cave to Bob from Little-to-Big House
Stuffed Cabbage - I stood in line at Woodbridge Feb. 28 waiting to get into The Cave to watch a high school basketball game but at least I was freezing. Once in the stands, I looked around and saw many young, middle-aged adults who were borderline personality disorder. The last time I felt that old and out of place I was on the deck of the Rudder listening to Little Anthony. But I tell the stories at least for a little while longer and last Friday was a good one, a great win and morality play of sorts that is the social price played by star athletes who get grounded on game day. It all ended well, but Sunday’s win at the Bob Carpenter Center made it all that much sweeter, as the star player showed up and led his team in scoring. Athletes just play; the good ones get lost in the moment and become one with the game. This Cape team has won six straight games – all against quality opponents – and Thursday, March 6, the Vikings play St. Georges, a blue-collar, tough team just like them.
Swimmingly Good - The Cape swim teams competed at the University of Delaware March 1, and trust me, there was no spectator bus, but that doesn’t mean the swimmers aren’t respected and appreciated. It just means it’s not a spectator sport. The sport of swimming in Delaware is just the toughest place to make a living. It used to be a rarity if a Cape kid made it into the pool, grabbing one of eight lanes in the final. And now the girls placed seventh in the team scoring, while the boys placed eighth. This is a great effort from Cape’s swimmers and a tremendous showing for a downstate public school with no pool.
Live Streaming and Stats - I tune into all kinds of games using the computer for live stats and live streaming and even regular radio like WDEL 1150 AM or FM Hot Country 1077. The problem with computer Live Stats is sometimes action just stops; I’m not sure if it’s a technical glitch or if some college kid found a new girlfriend.
Snippets - Cape basketball’s appearance in the semifinal round is the first since a Dwight Tingle-coached squad in 2005 had Shemik Thompson and Brandon Leggins in the back court.
Cape had one spring practice then a Sunday off day followed by a snow day. Teams that somehow power through this crazy weather and get fit and into skill set shape will take the lead when the weather finally breaks.
There is too much analysis on sports broadcasts. The key to being good is to not say too much. That’s hard to do when you love listening to yourself talk. I was watching the Cape basketball team play the last four minutes against Howard and I wrote down “crazy or courageous?”
Players today aren’t good protecting leads and running the clock. That is how the game has changed. It's hard to let the air out of the ball when not everyone can handle it and defenses are so fast they look like they have eight players instead of five.
March begins the road racing season. Check Races2Run and Seashore Striders' web sites. You can find a race or two every weekend, and if your body and bank account hold up, you should become very fit and moderately interesting.
The Philadelphia 76ers have lost 14 straight basketball games. I wouldn’t watch them play if a limo picked me up and took me to the games. Riley Cooper and Jeremy Macklin resigned with the Eagles, fueling speculation that DeSean Jackson will not be staying around.
I'm writing this column on Sunday night just in case weather forecasters are partly correct and power outages may be in my future. I never saw that many schools cancel school on Monday with no snow on Sunday.
The Chicken Man Caravan will be gassing up on unleaded and beef jerky and heading up to the The Bob on Thursday night, March 6, as the Cape boys chase the dream last captured 38 years ago. Go on now, git!
