Linemen for Life make for good chiropractors

Dr. Devin Miller  - Devin Miller, a lineman for life, played for Cape and Wesley, a gifted 6-foot-5-inch technician and unrelentingly nice person. Devin just completed his education at Palmer Chiropractic in Port Orange, Fla. The endgame for him is to return home to Sesame Street by the Sea and open up a practice. Devin played on the 2014 Cape team coached by Bill Collick that went 8-2; he graduated in June 2015. I first saw Miller when he was 10 years old playing YBA basketball. He was the center on his team. In Sussex County we asked questions like, “Who does he belong to?” Fonnie Miller is his dad and Sharon LeMaire is his mom. And Devin was projected as too nice to ever use what was certain to be great size to throw people around on the basketball court or football field. Devin was a captain his senior year at Wesley, playing at 6-5, 260 pounds. Locally, Dr. Trip DelCampo, former Cape and University of Delaware lineman, is a doctor of chiropractic medicine.

Treadmill Trippy - Trip DelCampo was the starting left tackle on the 2003 Delaware team that won the IAA national championship, beating Colgate in Chattanooga. In the late 1990s, he played for coach Brian Donahue’s loaded Cape football team. I remember telling Coach D one fine  summer's day, “Hey, I saw Trippy at Gold’s Gym yesterday.” Brian responded, “I hope he was working on his bench press. He needs  to commit to getting stronger.” “Actually he was walking on the treadmill like a boardwalk tourist, head on a swivel checking out the clientele.” Brian went into perseveration coach mode. “Treadmill? Treadmill? He doesn’t need to be on the treadmill. He needs to get stronger. What’s he going to do in a game, walk up and down the line of scrimmage?” I shared that interaction with Trip, whom I had as a student. Trip, an offensive lineman with great feet, came to his own defense. “I’m over 300 pounds, I’m the fat guy, the fat guy can’t get a date.” I agreed. “Keep on walking and don’t look back, Trip.” And he didn't. He's now a lean, mean, peanut-butter-and-jelly-eating machine.  
 
Sameness - “Round Peg rolled into the Square Bar.” (Writing prompt.) Thirty-five years as a wire-to-wire classroom teacher, and I always reacted negatively to the model of sameness. Teachers should be individualistic – way different – it makes the day more interesting and  fun for the student. I am the equal and opposite reaction to the way I’m being pushed. On the sportswriter side of myself, I respect my peers – actually like them all – and don’t criticize anyone who does things differently or goes down roads I don’t travel. Like I don’t rank teams or pick the 50 best players in a sport because I honestly have no idea. But like many readers who have found a way to vault over the paywall, I check out the rankings, mostly delawareonline, or wrestling (Benny Mitchell) Delaware Live sports. There is a top 10 for girls’ basketball, which doesn’t include Cape. There is a top five for unified basketball, which doesn’t include Cape, but Indian River is No. 2. And a girls’ swimming top five that doesn’t include Sussex Academy, which hasn’t lost a head-to-head meet in two years. Trust me, if you get it, so do I. It's just not what I do.    
 
Yakety Yak - Sideline reporters in football spouting their little vignettes that tie together like a wrapped package I find annoying and not geared to the fan who just wants to watch a game. “And then he told me… And when I asked him, he said, ‘We’re just all trying to be on the same page and move on to the next play.’ Guys.”  “Thank you, bunny on the runny, try to stay warm and dry.” 
 
Snippets - Snowbound days with no practices are tough on wrestlers who must maintain weight. The toughest discipline is self-denial, and most athletes are action oriented. The NBA basketball schedule is totally insane, which makes what LeBron James is doing totally incomprehensible. The 2024 Major League Baseball Hall of Fame class will be announced at 6 p.m., Tuesday Jan. 23, on the MLB network. Google for reloaded articles but be prepared to jump or tunnel under more paywalls than Steve McQueen in “Papillon.” Phillies reliever Billy Wagner in his ninth year on the ballot (you only get 10) is considered to have a good chance for induction. If I was in my 10th year like Garry Sheffield, I’d take my own name off the ballot before getting trash-canned for eternity by some fat writers who bought their mitts at Pep Boys. Go on now, git!