The best is behind you; the better is in front

Simply the best - Remembering people at their best is a credo I follow as a columnist when celebrating the muppets in my social sports matrix. I stay away from 42 years of columns in my rearview mirror. To quote a They Might Be Giants lyric: “She’s actual size but she looks much bigger to me.” I mostly don’t bring past columns forward (the best of Fredman) because I want to be the best writer in the present time. But I stumbled upon the paragraph below from a column I wrote in 2022, and I just wanted to bring it back because it’s an example of extraordinary talent excelling while everyone remains gracious and nice. 

Hello Stanford in the sand (from July 8, 2022) - I caught Aya Daisey's photo as she ran across the sand at Sunday’s Dave Reynolds Biathlon, and my brain started to recall 40 years of Daisey family history. Blaine was a sprinter and jumper on my 1981 track team, and he was the Kevin Kennedy Award winner. Blaine was an academic/athletic nice guy who went to Frostburg. He recently thanked me for helping him get there. Aya and her twin sister Amaya were swimmers and ran track at Cape, graduating in 2021. Aya is now at Stanford where the acceptance rate is 5% and the average SAT score is 1500. Amaya is at UCLA. Mariko Daisey played field hockey for Cape, then worked at Walgreens after practices. She graduated in 2015. Mariko is now a UCLA graduate. BJ Daisey, a 2013 Sussex Tech graduate, went on to swim for and graduate from Hood College in Frederick, Md. The Ravens were undefeated in 2013, beating Cape 88-82 with BJ winning four events. Mom Rosalyn Daisey is a nurse. Blaine is a retired state policeman who worked undercover. I’m sure Blaine knew the game, but he certainly didn’t look like he belonged in that world. The lineage on the Daisey side runs through the Nanticoke Indians. Aya finished ninth overall in the biathlon.     

Name that dog - When I taught psychology, I threw out a schtick (lesson) I called “name that dog.” I’d go around the room and students would describe any family pets and their names and I’d take it from there. You absolutely cannot understand American families unless you comprehend the relationships and accommodations they make for Fido and Felix. I read college sports rosters in my spare time, which is all the time I’m not taking sports photos and writing stories. I was checking out the Mary Washington men’s lacrosse roster because I knew Reece Stone of Indian River was a sophomore middie. Reece’s mom Jodi Stone is a former Indian River field hockey coach, and she was a good one and great person too. Reece is on the UMW Athletic Honor Roll, but what got my attention was listed under Personal, “Has a black lab named Molly.” I’d take it from there: Does Molly go in the ocean and ride wet in the truck? Does she sleep in the bed and lick plates from the dishwasher? You know what the next question is ... does she drink from the toilet bowl?

Side out - I’ll watch selected games on the Delmarva Sports Network – Channel 205 on my Comcast lineup – and I’d say the young crew does a great job enthusiastically covering and reporting on contests that I’m glad to be missing in person. I notice in many girls’ basketball games from Henlopen to Bayside that the bleachers are only pulled out on one side. That is a tradition that goes back to the ‘70s and it must have something to do with postgame cleanup. Watching a high school game sitting on your couch while eating buttered popcorn straight from the bag is the evolution of watching Little League baseball from the tailgate of the truck parked in center field. 

Academics v. Athletics - “People who say academics are more important than athletics are always the people who can’t play anything.” I used to lead off sports banquet gigs with that attention-getting assertion followed by, “It’s not up to others to tell you what’s most important, but my advice is: Take all the talent cards in your hand and play them equally hard. That gives you the best chance of a happy life. And while you’re at it, stay sober.” I’m running into many athletes who are playing the academic game equally hard. And that is just so smart, because regardless of cliches, you’re the same person on and off the field.  

Snippets - Tyrese Maxey is the 23-year-old kid and lead guard for the Philadelphia 76ers. He is the City of Brotherly Love’s most lovable professional athlete. No player in the league smiles more than Maxey. He just signed a shoe deal with New Balance. No word if he will sign with Wrangler cargo shorts. I once accidentally doused myself with water while walking the Boardwalk. I walked into the Rehoboth Toy and Kite Company and said to Rachel and Bee: “I have no money, but if you give me an XXL T-shirt, I won’t even charge you for advertising your store. Just a bouncing Boardwalk barge trudging like a tugboat at 17 minutes a mile.” “Pink all right, Fredman?” And I had my first deal capitalizing on my image and likeness. Go on now, git!