Long day’s journey filled with heroes and friends
Long day's journey - I played driveway basketball with 2-year-old grandbaby James with a big orange ball for hours Wednesday. He occasionally stole my dribble and said, "We playing basketball.” By 3:45 as I walked down the track at Milford, I saw my buddy Zach Simpler sitting on a bench, but he saw me first. “Hey, Fredman!” “How’s my man Zach? You are looking good.” Zach responded, “You’re looking good, Fredman. You’re looking good.” Zach reminds me of the country song lyric by Randy Travis, "A hero will help you see good in yourself, a friend won’t forsake you for somebody else.” Zach is hero and friend to more people than any people I know. Mike Simpler posted this comment to my photo of Zach on Facebook. "I showed Zach the picture and Zach said 'Fredman is my hero. I would love to do his job. I would be able to talk to everybody, and make them feel happy!!!'"
Habitat for Humanity - Many readers of my stuff and followers of my photos on Facebook think I’m lacrosse guy first who becomes Mr. Field Hockey in the fall. But my natural niches are track and field and football. I coached track and football through lots of hours. I can hang around those events forever without looking at my watch, especially since I don’t own one. Wednesday at the boys' and girls' triangular track meet at Milford, featuring the Bucs, Ravens and Vikings, no one knew what time it was or the core for that matter; it's just a good place to be. I always work the fence as well because any person watching a track meet has a story to tell. I am never disappointed.
Magical Mystery Tour - Good coaching and good players for Cape take the field with high expectations then things happen - a booted ball here and there or a lack of timely and consistent hitting. Cape lost at home to Sussex Central Wednesday 5-1, the only run coming on a King Kong Kwan home run. The Vikings are now 2-4, and two of the next four games are against Salesianum Saturday, April 18 at 1 p.m., and Caravel at home Wednesday, April 22 at 4:15 p.m. Signature wins and beating good teams are what needs to happen. I analyze this as a psychological funk. I have a friend who’s a sports psychologist and charges only $300 an hour. Believe in yourself, only envision yourself being successful, and that advice is free.
Black lives matter - We are all familiar with that saying after an incomprehensible number of police shootings, beatings and chokings involving black men on the streets of America. And it shouldn’t matter if young black men who can bench 350 pounds are great young men, perhaps it shouldn’t be noteworthy, and then again perhaps it should be celebrated. I gathered Cape shot putters and football guys Tavon Scott, Brandon Nixon and Julius Tyler for a photo at the track meet at Milford. These guys are off-the-chart high-character people and Afro-American quiet leaders who get out there and perform while competing. Black lives matter. All lives matter.
Fly zone - I walked to the anchor exchange zone to get photos of the crucial last handoff in the 4-by-100 relay. Some young men along the fence said, “Take our picture, it’s his birthday,” pointing to their friend in blue, Marc Johnson. And so I did with no intention of doing anything with it. They all said, "We are going to be famous!” They of course had no idea who I was, other than a guy with a heavy camera. But the photo made everyone who saw it feel happy. Happy birthday, you can’t beat the party along the fence in the Fly Zone. Note: They did mess me around switching names and birthdays. Going back to calculus class there are 24 permutations of four people. Remember it is Milford Academy. Shown are (l-r) Marc Johnson, Don Pierre (birthday), Khaliell Pitts and Tayone Mathews.
Snippets - Opening Day parade and ceremony for Little League in Lewes and Milton this Saturday. I’ll be in Milton with more dogs and trucks, but Lewes is cool too. The Jeff Burnham family will be on hand in Milton, so if you are a friend of big No. 74, we need you to be there because who else cares where you might be?
Twelve new members will be inducted to the Delaware Afro-American Sports Hall of Fame this Saturday at the Modern Maturity Center in Dover. I can tell you Bruce Harris, former Dover and Villanova runner, is going in and coach Ron Dickerson of Seaford. And I honestly believe I should have been a first ballot Hall of Famer once they opened “that door,” and having made that joke, I now recuse myself for all future considerations. I am in the Hall of Fame of mankind every day I go out the door. Inside, not so much. Go on now, git!
