Social distance running and thundering herd immunity

Thundering herd - Social distance running shrouded by fall foliage, the bigger high school cross country races are the best. I took this photo at the 2019 Joe O’Neill Invitational at Bellevue State Park, a place so hard to find that the British voice on my GPS sighed in exasperation, “Pull over and ask a bloke for directions.” The world is suffering pandemic fatigue. Many can’t reconcile what they are hearing with what they are seeing: Images of a manic president conducting maskless master classes three times a day and iconic football coach Nick Saban of Alabama shouting orders from the sidelines in the Tide’s win over Georgia. It’s big news – they contracted the virus, yet these cats don’t miss a game day. I don’t doubt the science for a second, but I have a personal slogan for my stories, “I can tell it, but I can’t sell it.” I have finally evolved into a real photographer because I know herd immunity requires the dropping of old animals like me to be effective, but you have to risk it to get the biscuit, and I’m getting that one last shot. I want people to sing, “He died with a biscuit in his hand, lord, lord, Fredman died with a biscuit in his hand.” 

Twice bitten, not shy - I’m not an A-lister or a Twister Mister, so I was out of my wheelhouse when I selectively plucked names from a University of Delaware all-time roster focusing on the 49 years spanning the eras of coaches Dave Nelson and Tubby Raymond. Talking to myself: “Here’s a great idea, you moron, make sure to leave off names of people you know whose entire extended families will notice and say, “I still don’t understand who lets that guy out of the house every day.” I decided to list a player only once rather than four times. But Tubby's last year, 2001, I saved some local guys who were freshmen at the time for the 2003 National Championship team, coached by KC Keeler. Anyway, that was a mistake, so here are some players from coach Raymond's final season: Bo Tkach (Google “Bo Tkach Foundation”), John Mulhearn, Mark Moore, Mondoe Davis, Trip Delcampo, Matt Graviet and Rocky Myers. Every player represents his own story to share. Perhaps my biggest boneheaded slight was failing to include my friend Pat Cannon – only known the guy 40 years – but including his brothers Mike and Jeff. Pat was a linebacker in 1976 and 1977. The Hens beat Temple his junior year – that is for me to chew on – and in 1978 Delaware beat unbeaten Colgate, which featured the D1 leader in all-purpose yardage, Henry “Junior” White. I was on the Rehoboth Beach Patrol with many of those Delaware football players. I was a reluctant recruit of coach Frank Coveleski. We specialized in cross-chest and cross-face carries, also headlocks and hair-tow rescues.   

Dynamic stretching - Clinician Ella Rishko, a Cape junior, informed the young lacrosse players they were going to begin their two-hour session Oct. 18 with some dynamic stretching. I had to ask her what it was because I’m sure I’ve never done dynamic stretching. “It’s stretching while in motion, not stationary,” Ella said. Now to me, swatting a mosquito on the back of my leg while walking down the driveway would be dynamic stretching. Cape girls’ lacrosse instructed three age groups of young girls on the two Bermuda fields. Delaware Shore Field Hockey girls filled up Champions Stadium. Late in the afternoon, some Eastern Shore Lacrosse girls were going to practice, then on Sunday night a few teams of Vikings girls’ lacrosse would play in the seven-on-seven league at DE Turf. I know my grandson Mikey was playing in Virginia Beach Sunday at an Under Armour lacrosse tournament called Junior Spotlight. There are kids playing, pursuing their passion for sports, all over the map, and the adults who rim the fields and courts supporting them are doing a good job wearing masks, but not so good attending mass. It turns out combining a mask with social distancing is just plain weird.  

Snippets - A full slate of high school games across the sports of field hockey, boys’ soccer, girls’ volleyball, and boys’ and girls’ cross country will begin for real Tuesday, Oct. 20. Cape hockey hosts a dangerous Lake Forest team on Tuesday. Boys’ cross country has an early-season showdown at Caesar Rodney on Wednesday. Cape volleyball goes to Caesar Rodney on Thursday. And soccer hosts the Riders Thursday night. Cape football travels to Sussex Central on Friday, then Cape hockey hosts Caravel on Saturday, followed by Sallies soccer at Cape Saturday night. Play to pay has been fine, but sports are much more intense with school reputations on the line. Grandparents should get a spectator waiver because without their contributions in the past, everyone would disappear in the present. Anyone who ever watched Star Trek knows that it’s just so logical. Go on now, git!