Every runner has a goal to meet and a story to tell

Small-town romance - Eric, 23, and Lauren  Westog, 22, are from the same town, Dacula, Ga., and both ran distance for the University of Georgia Bulldogs. Dacula is one R away from Dracula, but he wouldn’t survive one hot night in the South with that black cape and Transylvanian accent. Two weeks ago, Eric and Lauren were married. Eric has a degree in religion and communication and wants to be a minister, while Lauren is certified to be a middle school teacher. Both were overall winners June 30 in the Beach Paper 5K. Eric ran 15:48, while Lauren ran 19:23. Peter Tracey, a 58-year-old veteran runner, ran 23:29. The former sculler for Yale University, who now works as a Washington lawyer, said, “They look like they’re 10 years old.” Oddly enough, I looked like 10 when I was 5. Nice young people – everyone wanted to meet and congratulate them, because in Sussex County we are all about southern hospitality. 

Phillies are in the race - The Phillies just played 10 games against the Nationals and Yankees, and emerged 6-4 and are 45-37, just three games behind first-place Atlanta. The Braves have a series against the Yankees, while the Nationals host the Red Sox. The Phils host Baltimore, the first losing team they have played in the last 42 games. The July trading deadline and selloff of stars who are headed to free agency is bad for baseball, reducing it all to a money ball game.

Screaming A. Smith - I just read a New Yorker magazine piece on Stephen A. Smith, the former Philadelphia sports columnist later fired for inserting his political views into columns. I sat next to Smith twice at home Eagles games. I introduced myself, told him I thought he did nice work, and that was followed by 47 minutes of no chatter between us. But his rap and personality caught on with ESPN, and now he makes like $5 million a year talking about anything he wants, and I think that’s a good thing. But given enough chances, we are all susceptible to the career-ending comment.      

What’s it all about, Alfie? - Is it just for the moment we live? Grammy Award-winning song sung by Dionne Warwick in 1967 and written by Burt Bacharach. I’m a sports columnist and tribal elder with 36 years of writing experience, and before that a coach and a player. Oddly enough, I have a degree in anthropology/sociology, which is nice if you’re throwing out theories inside a classroom, where, chances are, no one is listening to a word you say. But playing the sportswriting sociologist from a position of self-assuredness is trekking into dangerous territory. The World Cup shows us exquisite athletes from countries all over the planet. It reminds me of the Black Eyed Peas song, “One Tribe Yaw.” But any commentary is complicated and controversial in the age of Twitter, where everyone is on mental medication. The local landscape is where I roll, in a constant state of amazement and bewilderment. Since passing 70 like the old truck in the EZ-Pass lane, my operational theory on my own expertise is: “I can tell it, but I can’t sell it.” You know why there are no sportswriters doing consulting work? Because everyone already knows more than we do. Just ask them.

Poetry and symmetry - I watched two World Cup games July 1. The first won by Russia over Spain and the second an improbable Croatia win over Denmark. Old Darby Dog watched them too, his head facing the wrong way as he looked out the front door. Crazy stuff happened and I screamed: “Get up on outta here, Skippy!” In 1936, poet Robert Frost wrote: “The old dog barks backward without getting up, I can remember when he was a pup.”  Darby is a backward barker and knows his name ain’t Skippy. 

Snippets - High school coaches for fall sports are “on the clock.” Weight rooms, open fields and summer camps and leagues are nice, but recruitment is essential. And nothing wrong with recruiting “reluctant talent” in the summer, just so the athlete understands, “Once the season starts, the recruitment period is over, and I expect you at practice every day.” Lots of local athletes and students are taking advantage of all Philadelphia has to offer in higher education. The beach kid in the city is an enriching experience. I did it backward, but I’m still a combination cultural character. Go on now, git!