I moved in for the interview because I’m all about sports history

I was the photographer in a one-size-doesn’t-fit-me molded plastic chair last Friday night taking pictures of a high school wrestling match while behind me a young father tossed his toddler into teachable moments of great escape techniques. After the match I asked coach Dave Rodgers how his son Kirk was doing and he said, “Fine, that’s him over there wrestling with my grandson Garett.”

I moved in for the interview because I’m all about sports history. Kirk Rodgers graduated from Sussex Central in 1992 after a four-year career during which he amassed a 106-4 dual meet record, including Henlopen Conference titles at 103, 112, 130 and 145 pounds. Kirk was a state champion his senior year at 145.

And then 10 years in the Army as an Airborne Ranger and Special Operations person deployed in hot spots around the globe, but Kirk said, “Don’t mention them,” and not wanting to be ball and chained and cradled into submission, I decided to honor his request. Kirk is currently working as a corrections officer at SCI.

DOG FITNESS - You know what’s worse than the early morning sound of a fat lab drinking from the toilet bowl in a small bathroom? One that can’t turn around when you scream “Get out of there, Porka-choppa!” and the dog slowly backs out of the doorway before going round doughnut nap maneuver on the hallway carpet.

Dogs were everywhere on the Boardwalk last Saturday and Sunday for the Polar 5K Saturday and Polar Plunge on Sunday. I met an actual trim and fit St. Bernard, a clinically depressed, sweater-wearing greyhound, a cocker named Ginger, Tom Peet’s midlife dog Cooper, a golden doodle homing toward Poodle Beach, a yellow lab puppy I offered to buy for $20, a Goth dalmatian in a black scarf, a Jack Russell, a bulldog and a Chesapeake pup named Maisey, who was hugged and loved by runner Susan Dunn and her longtime Laurel boyfriend because of his irresistibility – yes, we’re talking the dog.

SOUNDS OF SILENCE - Once again my idea for a sports book: “Getting Home,” or how to protect the house with the mortgage on the line. The Cardinals were there and blew it because they couldn’t get a glove on clodhopping and barely elusive “Ben Stiller” and three guys forgot to cover Santonio Holmes four times on the game-wining drive. And if the Cardinals had won, it would have set the popularity of cool and selfish tattooed athletes back 40 years because Kurt Warner in his white shirt and yellow tie and grocery store clerk marrying the woman with the handicapped child is the story everyone liked the best. And no one harped or prattled on about coach Mike Tomlin and his Omar Epps-looking self being an Afro-American Super Bowl-winning coach, but focused on the fact that Tomlin is a year younger than Kurt Warner.

I saw Tomlin with his arm around Hines Ward during the playing of the National Anthem and I thought “player’s coach” and how much all the members of that team reflect Tomlin.

PERSONAL SPACE FACE - Cape’s Andrew Merlo is an athlete of measured words and rocks an old school style of basketball game barely showing expression. Last Friday over at Seaford, Andrew got inside the head of Seaford’s Julius Mullen by being all up inside Mullen’s personal space with hands raised in the air even on dead balls. At one point Mullen pushed Merlo and was whistled for a two-shot intentional and two-shot technical foul. Andrew made all four shots and Cape retained possession of the basketball.

I saw a Brandywine defender do the same thing to lacrosse attackman Scott Brozey two years ago during dead balls. I think face guarding during dead balls in any sport should not be allowed because that type of defense leaves the defender defenseless if the person snaps. I’ve seen it happen a few times on playgrounds and real games.

SNIPPETS - Parents should never enter a sports interview - I don’t care how young the athlete. Allow the kid to develop and escape parental programming.

“Johnny, how old are you?”

“He’s seven.”

“How old are you, Mom?”

Last weekend I saw a mother actually take over an interview and the athlete was in high school.

The inexperienced and nice guy journalist was then interviewing Mom about the kid with the kid stranding there. Remember how we couldn’t get away from Mrs. Phelps after the Olympics except, of course, for Mr. Phelps? And is it surprising that the winner of eight gold medals in swimming already has a DUI and now he’s bong hit guy at 23 years old. I love Michael Phelps and the fact that he put on 15 pounds since Beijing - says something about beef and bong hits and this is getting stupid.