Positive people lead the way in sports, a culture club if you need a friend

Chattahoochie - Allen Jackson is a good kid. He is a fireman/first responder at Station 85 in Milton. He is strong and fit with solid values, an uncomplicated personality, and he’s loyal like a lab or Welsh corgi – pick your breed. A good kid at 57 years old. He is a former student of mine when I was teaching “The World According to Fredman” at Cape. I saw him in August at the Fire Fightin’ 5K in Rehoboth, where he was running in full gear. On Thursday, I spoke to Allen at the 12th annual Run, White & Blue 5K at Delaware Tech. Prior to the race, there was a moment of silence for the victims of 9/11. Allen, carrying a full-sized American flag on a pole almost as tall as him, ran the 5K in 31 minutes. First responders find motivation and meaning by just going out and helping people. It’s a culture club, by George, and they will come running if you need a friend. Good kids, all of them.  

Air Jordynn - I cover Cape field hockey closely, and I knew a goalie search was in the wind after backup Mayla Smith left the team for personal reasons and recruited-off-the-waiver-wire Rylie Myers lasted a few days before she decided she'd rather be a manager. Younger players recruited Jordynn Bowe, a skilled athlete with hockey and basketball experience, who’s just a sophomore out of Mariner Middle. And by all accounts, she’s just a great kid. Last weekend at the Bi-State Challenge, Jordynn played the first half with the JV team and the second half for the varsity squad in two shutout wins. “Just a natural with raw athleticism,” said coach Debbie Windett. “She is picking it up so quickly.”  

Nine-star scout player - Inside the Fred family, we call them Bodieisms. My great-nephew Bodie Frederick is a redshirted scout team player at the University of Delaware. Last week, leading into the Colorado game, Bodie played a five-star tackle on offense and four-star defensive tackle. He was referring to himself as a nine-star in practice. It’s sort of understated, sideways Fred humor, and it's genetically based. Delaware lost 31-7, which was also genetically based, as the Buffaloes had more bigger and faster people.

Coach Speak - “It’s not about Xs and Os; more about Jimmys and Joes.” I like this one: “You can't win without talent, but not everyone can win with talent.” Football fans know what’s up even if many of them trip out of their ever-loving minds. Cape (2-0) is at Lake Forest Friday, Sept. 12, then hosts Hodgson for Homecoming. The bigger dogs are at the back end of the schedule. UD next hosts Connecticut. The Blue Hens have a 12-2 home record against the Huskies. Delaware should win. Delaware State, following a 37-32 win over Albany, will host Bowie State Saturday, Sept. 13. Bowie opened the season beating Shippensburg 23-7. The Hornets should win that game. Temple is 2-0 under first-year coach K.C. Keeler. The Owls will face Oklahoma and Georgia Tech the next two weekends. Looks like a 2-2 resting place after four games.   

Kessington Karen - We’ve all seen the video of the Harrison Bader home run ball that landed in the middle of the Phillies fan section in Miami. The free-for-all ball was snatched from a seat by a skinny traveling daddy who returned to his seat to place it in the glove of his son as a birthday present. But a woman he beat for the ball like a third baseman stepping in front of a shortstop came after him and his dumb old ball. He assessed the situation and decided it was worth giving up the ball just to get rid of her. The internet dubbed the woman a Karen, which prompted my wife to ask, “What’s a Karen?” I answered as best I could, which was not very good, so I asked AI. “The name Karen is often used online as a pejorative for middle-aged white women with a grandiose level of entitlement who often engage in combative arguments in public.” Back in 1987, Eddie Gaines caught a home ball at Veterans Stadium off the bat of Eric Davis of the Reds. Eddie was seen on television waving his arm proudly displaying the ball. The inside joke was Eddie brought the ball with him just to get on television.   

Snippets - Don Coburn, 72, of Lewes did the Trenny Elliott Memorial Walk, a substrate of the Cannonball Run 5K, in 50:44. “You took a picture of a guy who ran in sandals [Mike Wardian], but I’ve been running in sandals for years and you’ve never taken my picture for your column,” Don said loudly from under his Grumpy hat. Coburn is a straight-up character. Go on now, git!