Don’t hijack Ronnie Mac, better to snag the Lewes Dairy cow 

Ronnie Mac - Why don’t you hurry back? Jim Murray (1938-2025) was an American professional football executive who was the co-founder of the Ronald McDonald House and a general manager of the Philadelphia Eagles of the NFL. A native of West Philadelphia, he was also president of Jim Murray Ltd., a sports promotion and marketing firm. A West Catholic and Villanova guy, Murray was real Philly.  That reminds me of a Cape senior prank when some kids stole Ronald McDonald from the Route 1 McDonald’s playground. The perpetrators came to me about how to return it without notoriety, which they did. Steal the Lewes Dairy cow any day, but don't mess with Ronnie Mac.

PUP - An acronym for physically unable to perform players, an NFL designation used for player prospects who come into camp already injured. Sometimes a runner will ask me, “Why aren’t you running?” If I had PUP list inscribed on a T-shirt over an image of me sitting in a chair, it would answer all questions. I also like the designations “upgraded to questionable” and “downgraded to doubtful.” 

Linemen for Life Diet - Retired linemen have to be careful not to balloon up after their playing days are over. Being physically active for a lineman involves for seven-second explosive bursts and collisioning other behemoths. Linemen find consolation in “at least I ain’t as fat as you” observations or being too small to be a nose tackle. The Eagles’ roster for 2025 has 12 players over 300 pounds, so I cover their names with a highlighter because they are fatter than me, and by all metrics, they are considered morbidly obese yet rich like sugared cream doughnuts. I could maybe play defensive end, like Ogbo Okoronkwo, 253 pounds. And is that a great name or what? Ogbo is 30 years old and went to Oklahoma. He is of Nigerian descent. That West African country has produced many NFL players. Remember Christian Okoye of Kansas City Chiefs? He was nicknamed the Nigerian Nightmare. He didn’t play football until age 23, then led the NFL in rushing at age 28 and made two Pro Bowls.

Pop Warner playbook (a 2014 column about a game in 1996) - I remember it like it was yesterday: Cape football, coached by George Glenn, at Sussex Central on Friday night football, and the Golden Knights were having a long season under one-then-gone coach Phil DiSabatino. The game was close; Central was on its own 1-yard line. I said to Glenn, “If your boy Phil doesn’t reach into his Pop Warner bag of tricks soon, this game is going down to the wire.” Right on cue, Central lined up twins to the left and tried the old double pass trick. The inside slot receiver stepped back with the intent to catch a lateral pass, then throw it to the outside guy, who was sprinting down the sideline wide open singing “They Call Me The Streak” by Leonard Skinner. But Cape cornerback Brian Kugelmann sniffed out the play like a Lab on a hambone and stepped in front of the slot receiver for a Cape touchdown. The Kuge was an instinct-type player not prone to overthink twin receivers on the goal line.

Poetry in motion - “She’s got everything she needs. She’s an artist, she don’t look back. She can take the dark out of the nighttime, paint the daytime black.” – Bob Dylan. Black Girls Run, Black is Beautiful,  Ashley Brown from Middletown, 41 years old, ran 28:00 minutes to win her age group at the Outlet Liquors 5K. Photos tell a story, which is why most photographers should remain quiet. “Images strike people differently,” said Captain Obvious. 

Snippets - Roster reveal preseason is a big day in the NFL, while I’m still looking for high school reveals and Division III college rosters for the fall season. Speaking of private high schools in Delaware – any schools that cost money – I can look up the tuition and cost, except no one pays the same price for private or college education. I find it just strange that everyone seems to have cut their own deal. The best thing about living at the shore is being in a position to share it with family. We had our Canadian cousins last week. Amazingly, I hadn't seen my nephew Brett – my late sister's son – in 30 years. Brett, Jennifer and their children Charlotte, 14, and Chelsea, 12, got to see the ocean angry and to meet Fred cousins who will always be here for them. Sesame Street by the Sea, we are so lucky we get to live here. Go on now, git!