CHRISTMAS CITY RELAYS - Back in 1977, the weekend before Christmas, I took two track coaches and eight boys and two cars to the Christmas City Relays at William and Mary College in Williamsburg, Va. The next night another coach boarded a bus and took 45 boys to a meet at Widener University. I spent more money that weekend than was the entire budget 10 years later.

Bryan Stevenson, who would move on to graduate from Harvard Law School and become a leading anti-death-penalty lawyer in the country, made that trip to Colonial Williamsburg. So did Glen Smith, who ran his turns too wide in the 600-meter race and when I told him about it he asked me, “How many 600s did you ever run?”

I answered, “None, same as you, because you just ran 620.”

And Chico Beckett and I went on a guided tour of the Governor’s Mansion and, as a woman dressed in authentic colonial dress was explaining the history of the huge bedroom including the four-post canopy bed, Chico raised his hand and he asked, “Any black people ever sleep in that bed?”

She paused and prattled on a bit and Chico said, “In other words, no.”

Then he looked at me. “Coach, you know black people don’t like sleeping in big houses anyway.”

Chico is as solid a citizen as ever walked the planet and is now a grandfather which makes me the guy who coached grandfathers whose grandfathers never slept in big houses.

COMING LOOSE - Columnist Rob Parker from the Detroit News asked Detroit Lions Coach Rod Marinelli last Sunday during the post-game news conference if he wished his daughter married a better defensive coordinator after Sunday’s 42-7 loss to New Orleans. Joe Barry is the coordinating son-in-law.

Marinelli, a Vietnam veteran, is head coach of a 0-15 Lions team that has lost 37 games since he took over in 2006. The coach is respected by everyone who knows him and remained calm and I admire that so much, but it is not me. I’d have given the guy a stern warning – “You have 25 seconds to disappear.” Then I’d be off the stage quicker than Barry Sanders through the A-gap.

ANOTHER HALL OF FAME FRIEND - I honestly do have a recurring dream where I reach the gates of heaven and St. Peter asks me, “Are you in any sports halls of fame?” I tell him I was once, but then it was disbanded. He laughs and tells me to try another gate leading to the heaven for the unfulfilled and rightfully underappreciated.

My high school friend Chic Hess flew into Lebanon, Pa., last week to be inducted into the Lebanon High School Hall of Fame along with his entire 1977-78 team that reached the finals of the PIAA state tournament but lost to Pittburgh-Schenley 51-50. Sam Bowie, a seven-footer, was on Chic’s team that year and was the second player chosen in the 1984 NBA draft behind Hakeem Olajuwon. The third player chosen was Michael Jordan.

ROLLING WITH THE HOMIES - I have a certifiably odd male relative who is socially inept and so not cool that he is actually chilled most of the time. His favorite T-shirt is “Rolling with the Homies,” which transitions me into the Delaware State women’s bowling team that is ranked fourth in the country by the NTCA (National Tenpin Coaches Association) and I am starting to like this story. And remember, anyone can make a layup in basketball, but try picking up the 7-10 split for a spare. Angela Reynolds, a Hornet sophomore with a 198 average, has just made the 2009 United State Junior National Team.

WALK ON FAITH - Mike Reid was an Outland Trophy winner at Penn State in 1969 as the best interior lineman in college football. He was also a heavyweight wrestler at Penn State and first team All-American. He was a first-round draft pick by the Cincinnati Bengals and several times an All-Pro selection.

Eagle fans will remember one hit where he splayed out Ron Jaworski coming in from the blind side. Reid, a concert pianist, went to Nashville after early retirement and has written 20 No. 1 hits including a Grammy Award-winning “There’s a Stranger In My House,” and the Bonnie Rait song “I Can’t Make You Love Me.”

Reid is in the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. His own song, “Walk on Faith,” went to No. 1 and is inspirational to anyone facing a life challenge. The video is available on iTunes.
“Walk on faith, trust in love, just keep putting one foot down in front of the other. When the valley so wide, we stumble in stride. And everything inside wants to give up. Walk on faith; trust in love.”

SNIPPETS - No basketball at Cape’s Little Big House this Christmas which is a crying shame, but not as sad as the 2010 scheduled demolition of the building we so desperately need to keep. Maybe a community syndicate could purchase it, sort of like the citizens of Green Bay did with the Packers. But don’t tear it down and then sell us the bricks! Don’t even do that!