Bottle & Cork race is a 40-year tradition of late-summer running

Forty years and 40 minutes - Sharyn Slick, 77, a name not easily forgotten, with her husband Bob serving as a support guide, completed her 40th straight Bottle & Cork race Sept. 7. I have known Sharyn all that time, but I’ve only spoken to her in snippets – maybe 40 minutes in 40 years – usually when she was running by me. I knew she had suffered a serious stroke in the last year and I knew she was in the race, so I waited to get a photo to celebrate the effort and capture the inspiration. She first said, “I'm blind in one eye,” before giving me a kiss on the cheek. The moment was spiritual because it was her that saw me, and I felt appreciated. Sharon said, “Thanks for always being out here for us.” All humbleness aside, I’m not as tough as any of the athletes I cover, but I try to level up to their niceness.     

Prom queen - Megan Collins was a super stud all-state soccer player for Caesar Rodney who kicked for the football team. I found her an intriguing athlete back then, like she would play outside linebacker if they would let her. I was on the sidelines for a state tournament game versus Saint Mark’s. She kicked off, and some big old country hoss, thick-legged white boy broke contain and was heading up the sidelines rolling toward the end zone. There was only Megan on the track facing a Lionel train. It was at Baynard Stadium which had a train rumble by behind the press box like every five minutes. I said out loud, “Don’t do it, Megan!” She dove at his knees but missed. Later in the spring, CR soccer was playing at Cape on a Friday night. I had written about Megan Collins in my column saying, “She takes off her helmet and the blond hair falls down around her face. It's not what you expect: prom queen good looks and an exquisite athlete that will rip your heart out.” When I got to the game, some Cape soccer moms were gunning for me. “Looking for prom queens, Fredman?” I answered, “Sure, isn't everyone?” On Sept. 7, Megan Collins Spangler, now 40 years old and a member of the Moravian College Sports Hall of Fame where she was an All-American soccer player, won her age group in the Bottle & Cork 10-Miler in 1:22. She ran it to honor her late stepfather John Weiss because that was his favorite race. John was loved on the running scene and was just the greatest guy.

Temple Rhules - Matt Rhule, 49, was the head coach at Temple University 2013-16. He is now at Nebraska as head coach making $9 million a year. Last Saturday night, Nebraska put it on Colorado and Coach Prime 28-10. Deion Sanders signed a five-year deal with Colorado for $29.5 million. Temple lost to Navy last weekend 38-11, and there are renewed cries on campus for them to drop the program. The money side of college sports, in particular Division I football, has gotten into the minds of the fans and families whose sons play the game, and it has become something other than sport. The question: What is it all about? 

Snippets - There is a middle school field hockey play day this Saturday at Champions Stadium. This is a chance to see Cape’s middle school talent in one place with the addition of Fred Thomas Middle School joining Mariner and Beacon on the sports landscape. I liken it to an expansion draft. The dynamic and demographics of sports talent have skewed significantly; let's just say, the Freds will hit the ground running. The Salisbury University football team opened the season with a 48-26 home victory over Washington and Lee in front of 2,000 fans. Senior Jaden Davis (Cape) had four carries for 36 yards. Cape has yet to bolt in place the 2023 state championship field hockey sign and 2024 girls’ lacrosse sign at Champions Stadium. Is that a symptom of too much winning? Remember the state championship banners that used to hang from the rafters of the Little Big House? Where have all the banners gone? There is now a web/blog company that secretly tapes comments made by mainstream media people who don’t know they are being taped. Save your First Amendment arguments – you say it, you own it. Go on now, git!