Bully for you - My exact same age running friend Leo Hannigan, 77, was finishing the Run to the Plunge 5K on the Rehoboth Boardwalk Feb. 3, in 1:01:00, which gave him 299th place out of 305 recorded finish times. I was sitting in the chute capturing photos. There was a bully dog on a leash to Leo’s left, and I said, “That dog looks like your cousin.” If Leo were a dog being led around Westminster by an overweight handler trotting for a biscuit, Leo would be in that breed category. And then the polar vortex vectored Leo into my lap as he tripped over his dog cousin. I caught Leo like he was a medicine ball in a “Rocky” movie. My forearms bruised, but as an RBP veteran, I gave myself one last rescue. 

Run to the Plunge - Three hundred polar plunge runners and another 200 walkers and many breeds of dogs, from bullies to Shar Peis and even a Cane Corso, headed out toward North Shores, where Biden’s rescue dog Commander, a hallway biter from the White House, spends his summers chasing Secret Service agents. Ken Draper, 19, of Hughesville, Pa., was the overall winner in 17:22. Melissa Wiley, 38, of Ocean View was first woman overall  in 21:00.     

Re lax a lot - College lacrosse season started last weekend. Checking scores and focusing on players with Delaware connections, I found Marquette beat Air Force 12-6. Caelan Driggs (Salesianum) scored two goals for the Falcons of the Air Force Academy. Mercer beat Hampton 20-5. Mikey Frederick (Cape) scored twice for Mercer. High Point beat Mercer 14-7. Frederick had a goal for Mercer. Limestone beat St. Leo 24-15. Adem Tekmen (Cape) had a goal and an assist for St. Leo. Flagler beat Lynn 9-8. Luke Burton (Cape) had an assist for Flagler. Rollins beat Florida Tech 18-10. Joe Coveleski (Cape) had two goals in his first college start for Florida Tech.  

Artists and athletes - New York runner and artist Dan Rosenfeld is a friend of mine through the running scene. He gifted me a painting of Tracey Chapman about a year ago because he knew I loved her music. I did not watch the Grammys, so I didn't see Tracey’s duet with Luke Combs singing “Fast Car.” But I read posts from people I know who said they were crying. They should sing the song at the Super Bowl to let America see what real collaboration is all about.    

Biased excitement - I watched the Salesianum at Sussex Central wrestling match Saturday on the Golden Knights’ YouTube channel with Mark Williams and Joe Booth doing commentary. I had four windows open on my iMac, posting photos while checking out real-time athletic results. I am a multitasking grandpa who can be confused on multiple levels simultaneously. A Central broadcast brings hometown enthusiasm but with fair reporting; there is no way they would disrespect the sport of wrestling. That is what’s missing from NFL broadcasts. Too much unbiased emotions under controlled professionalism.    

Snippets - Christin Partlow, 23, ran the Run to the Plunge in 28:24. I not only coached Christin’s grandfather Jeff Partlow when he was a sprinter at Cape in 1983, but I also knew his grandfather's grandmother Miss Mable Dunning, who lived on Park Avenue in Lewes. Brenn Scott, who looks like a teenage Reacher, has committed to West Chester University to play football. West Chester is a good fit for Brenn. I've never known an athlete over the last 50 years who didn't enjoy their four years on campus. Local Ed Brown started for the Golden Rams at quarterback 1988-91. Cape claimed the top three spots in the pole vault at Saturday's state championship meet: Bailey Fletcher (15 feet), Eddie Houck (13-feet-6-inches) and Brody Mauro (12 feet). That is just incredible. The quality performances at the 2024 DIAA State Indoor Track and Field Championships were just amazing. It makes one wonder if state champions in team sports from 30 to 50 years back could hang with today's athletes. Remember when games produced heroes and goats? Being a goat was a bad thing; now, the Greatest of All Time is the GOAT. Go on now, git your goat!