Someday in my future I’ll be rocking to a beat only I can hear

A Fredman original sports column has appeared each week in the resort region uninterrupted and the last eight years twice a week since 1982. I, for one, am growing a little weary of myself. Someday in my future I will be the rocking to the beat only I can hear - sitting on a boardwalk bench figuring out how everyone in Sussex County is related, but don’t get me started.

DUMB OLD GRASS - Just before the Cape at Milford field hockey game was about to start last Saturday, a parent looked down at the screaming green turf and asked, “Better than some dumb old grass field, don’t you think?” Actually, sports venues have become like satellite radio - just not enough local character, everything approaches sameness, level balls roll true, no home field advantage, no clumps and rolled ankles.

The power posse of field hockey - the state games committee or whatever they call themselves - comes around before the state tournament to approve/disapprove fields and tempers get testy, because if home field really is an advantage and a team is good enough to have earned it who wants to give that up?

THE CHIEF BOWL - Back in the fall of 1986, the Cape football team rocked war paint in honor of lineman Robert ‘The Chief” Pride who injured his knee the previous week at Wicomico County Stadium by slamming his patella into a sprinkler head.

The good news about turf is “no sprinklers,” but where do the sweat and spit go?

Talk about high risk for earth pig flu symptoms.

BOOK AUTHOR - I overheard a book author in the press box when talking about his book to a friend say, “It’s basically about who plays here and who plays there.” I only wish I was kidding.

Just saw a football fan give his buddy a man hug while pouring beer down the back of his jacket. Neither one of the fans had a clue.

LONGEST DAY - I sat in the press box Sunday in Philadelphia watching the Eagles hang 40 on the New York Giants and thought, “How many Philadelphia fans will need to use this game to tranquilize themselves from what seems destined to happen in the World Series against the Yankees?”

No one was talking baseball. It was a forgone conclusion after Cole Hamels went in the tank the previous night that Joe Blanton backed by Brad Lidge and Ryan Howard striking out more times than a tourist in black socks and sandals on the deck of the Rudder would not be able to thwart the Yankees from their 27th World Series title. The clock was turned back Sunday but when the suns sets it is later than you think.

Believe me I know being the guest speaker at the Delaware Senior Olympics banquet at the Modern Maturity Center in Dover I knew to cut my routine short when I saw several people yawning with expressions like, “This guy is pretty darn close to being moderately interesting - I’m just a little tired.”

DELAWARE DOWNS - The University of Delaware losing to James Madison last Saturday 20-8 dropped its record to 5-3 with a home game remaining against Hofstra (4-4) before heading out to play Navy and Villanova. A 6-5 season looks more than less likely assuming Delaware can get a decent Hofstra team that owns a win against James Madison. Doubtful that coach K.C Keeler’s job is in jeopardy, but his climb up the ladder to head a major Division I program seems less likely.

Chip Kelly, the former offensive coordinator at New Hampshire where he managed Rickey Santos to the Walter Payton Award in 2006, is head coach of the Oregon Ducks and has them ranked No. 7 in the country after a weekend blowout win over Southern Cal.

Paul Johnson has taken his triple option attack from Georgia Southern to Navy and now Georgia Tech and has his 8-1 Yellow Jackets ranked No. 10 in the nation.

Mark Whipple is the former head coach at UMASS and is now the assisntant head coach and offensive coordinator at the University of Miami.

Delaware State lost to South Carolina State last Saturday 52-10 being lit up for 513 offensive yards. The Hornets are 2-5 on the season.

SNIPPETS- The Beacon Middle School football team remained undefeated with a 5-0 record after beating Dover Central 6-0 on a touchdown pass from Todd Keen to Luke Benson. Tyrek Burton rushed for 90 yards while Thomas Ott played his usual beastly game at fullback and linebacker. Beacon plays Seaford at Legends Stadium at 6:30 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 5. Come and check out a bright future for Cape football.

Beacon field hockey finished the season undefeated for the fourth year in a row after beating Chipman 4-0.

Beacon and Mariner, also undefeated, played to a 1-1 tie two weeks ago.

Wesley field hockey featuring Cape players Brooke Bennett and Erin Bailey beat St. Mary’s last Saturday 3-2 in overtime to advance to the semifinals of its conference tournament. Abigail Hill of Lake Forest had two goals and the game winner. The Wolverines will play top-seeded Salisbury at 6 p.m., Nov, 4. Salisbury is ranked second in the nation for Division III schools. Lauren Correll, a senior and former Sussex Tech Raven, leads the Gulls in scoring with 18 goals and seven assists.

Bloomsburg field hockey with local players Amanda Deloy and Lindsay Danz on the prime-time playing roster finished the season 20-1 and as Pennsylvania Athletic Conference champions. The NCAA playoffs begin Saturday, Nov. 7, with quarterfinal games.