SLEAZE BALL - Trainer Brian McNamee isn’t the only person going around calling himself doctor armed with a degree from a university with no physical reality. I know lots of them, but don’t get me started. Like a Cape student once told me, “He don’t cut nobody, he ain’t no doctor.”
Personally, I like it when people more rich and famous than I could ever dream of being are also much dumber. I like Roger Clemens, but c’mon Roger Rabbit, what is with the prairie dog defense? There are only so many places you can bury that size eight head while goofy McNamee is going around needling everyone from your wife to your best friend and you with B12 shots as you worked to fight off sudden-onset early menopause. I don’t care if Clemens hammered HGH into his skull with a railroad spike before licking it clean. This is about high school kids and crazy parents seeing controlled steroid use as a hundred-thousand-dollar college scholarship. Remember when Roger “I’m just a trusting person” threw a piece of splintered bat at Mike Piazza? What was that rage all about?
SOUND AND SIGHT - You know that trick where you see lightning then count the seconds before the thunder to calculate the distance of the storm? And that’s because the speed of light is so much faster than the speed of sound.
If you watch as much basketball as I do, you see the laws of physics turned upside down at least twice each game. And that is when a player is driving to the basketball and you hear the foul whistled before you see it actually happen. In other words, the official anticipates the foul and rules out clean block. If the would-be shot blocker follows through with a sweeping arm motion, that is a sure sign of guilt which is why good coaches tell leaping defenders “don’t you be out there swatting at basketballs. Just jump straight up and tip it away with the grace of a ballerina.”
DUMB FOULS - Another evolutionary insanity of modern-day basketball is the players who have no clue as to the score and turn aggressive defense into stupid fouls. What possible reason is there to foul somebody with some reach-in garbage in the backcourt in the final minutes when you are sitting on the lead?
Good defense is not dumb defense, but I see idiotic, crazy defense played at every level. What ever happened to “don’t reach in or across the offensive player’s body?”
YBA is all the way “hack attack” and it often continues up through middle school and junior varsity. I would like to moderate a post-traumatic stress end-of-season panel discussion with coaches and officials and get their input and interactions on the issues of dumb fouls committed and worse fouls called.
PURE SHOOTER - The legendary Hall of Fame Temple basketball coach Harry Litwack watched me alone on the court at South Hall busting jumpers all over the place. I was recruited and on scholarship because I could shoot and, finally, “The Chief” had enough, called me over and said, “Shooting is a cheap skill. Anyone can shoot. Who do you think is going to allow you to get all those uncontested good looks?”
“But Coach, I’m sneaky and can get lost in dead space.”
The game of basketball is reported to have better athletes in this modern era but, ironically, pure shooters went out when the three-point line came in.
Last Tuesday Manu Ginobili of the Spurs scored 46 points against the Cavaliers and busted eight NBA-range three-pointers. Ginobili is left-handed which is synonymous with streaky shooter, but once a lefty gets hot it’s like they are sticking it in the basket rather than shooting it. Write to davefredman@comcast.net and tell me the best left-handed shooters you ever played with or watched on television.
GRAMPS NOT CRAMPS - You know what’s great about getting older? No, me either. The Sussex County Olde Tymers Softball League is looking to add a few dozen players to its expansion league roster. According to President Tom Harvey the qualifications are 55 or older, be in reasonably good physical condition, hopefully have some baseball or softball experience - even 40 years ago - and be male or female. This league is all about good people getting together and having fun. Gone are the dugout kegs of younger days, but all good things must pass. Pick up your reading glasses and go to the website eteamz.active.com/delmarvaots for all the information you need.
SNIPPETS - Don’t forget the Friday night, 6-8 p.m. fundraiser at Five Guys on Route 1 just south of Five Points to benefit the Mariner baseball team.
Unless the school board exercises its veto prerogative, on Thursday, Feb. 14, Robin Erthal was to be named the head coach of the girls soccer team, while Andy Givens was to be named head coach of the girls softball team.
Sussex Central finally broke through, winning the Division I Dual-Meet State Wrestling Championship last Tuesday night. It is the first state championship in wrestling for the Golden Knights. Indian River came within a match of winning the Division II crown before losing 37-30 to Hodgson. Both high schools are in the same district - that is just pretty amazing.
Uno the beagle was Best in Show at the Westminster Dog Show earlier this week as the crowd cheered like they were at an Obama rally. This is the first beagle to break through in 127 years.
And what was up with that toy poodle and I figured why most handlers are fat. By comparison the dog looks better.
Gold’s Gym in Rehoboth isn’t going anywhere and, in fact, according to owner Lisa Lawson, Gold’s has a five-year lease. Dollar General and the Coast Press are pulling out, which led to speculation about Gold’s, but the reality is that Gold’s is the centerpiece and not going anywhere - just like you if you don’t join a gym.
Speaking of fitness, did you ever try to get up from a couch that drops your center of gravity below the midline without using your arms? Keep rocking!
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Sports Editor Emeritus
Email Fredman at fredman@capegazette.com
