‘When the going gets weird the weird turn pro’

Sarah Palin dropped the first puck of the season in Philly last Saturday night before the Rangers at Flyers game as the blue-collar crowd booed and protesters outside picketed the politicization of the puck. Ed Snyder, owner of the Flyers, is a McCain supporter, like anybody cares!

Pennsylvania is a battleground state in the upcoming election seen by both parties as necessary to score one in the win column. If you plan on attending any political rally over the next two weeks I’d advise wearing a helmet. In the words of Hunter Thompson, “When the going gets weird the weird turn pro.”

FIGHTING FATBOY - Dodger pitcher Hiroki Kuroda threw a pitch over the head of Phillies’ Shane Victorino last Sunday night in L.A. and now to quote Peyton Manning, “It is on like Donkey Kong.” Kurodo followed Victorino to first after an infield out and tried to stare him down.

The benches did a slow and orderly empty onto the field then fat, out-of-shape Manny Ramirez had to be restrained like he had something for somebody; Did you see those Dodger fans wearing Manny wigs in the stands? It’s amazing the mental breakdown required to end up with Manny Ramirez as your hero.

BATON TWIRLER - That girl can twirl and excuse me but if both ends of the baton are on fire the only thing I’m catching is the first flight out of the area code. St. Mark’s Allison Short is athletic and so cute, and it’s all right to say that because if you show up for baton training and you’re not cute you get sent some place else and “say it ain’t so Joe,” but the world is filled with harsh realities.

But seriously, there is lots of pageantry surrounding all football games and, in fact, without the bands and cheerleaders half the fans wouldn’t show up. Allison gets picture placement in this column because of the relative waiver. Her grandparents, Bob and Brenda Brady, live in Lewes.

DILUTION SOLUTION - Cape’s football fortunes are foundering not floundering in spite of how Jimmy Johnson misuses the word on Fox pregame. Cape has dropped Delmar and St. Marks from the football schedule and replaced them with Archmere and Laurel. I think when you begin to duck Delmar you should consider replacing football with team handball.

WARRIOR MENTALITY - Athletes often talk of love on winning teams and what a bunch of great people who truly like and support one another. But when times get tough it is “man overboard” for many of the half-committed who sometimes show up in other sports hoping to be heroes for winning teams. How about a policy “You quit you sit.”

I did that to a great runner long ago who handed me his uniform during a cross country season and added he would be back out for track in the spring.

“Not as long as I’m coach you won’t,” I told him. He was quick to argue and I told him, “Get a lawyer. Quit on me and it’s a forever thing.”

Why is it that we celebrate heroism in military campaigns that keep fighting, sustaining losses, battling against all odds, but in sports we start laughing and calling them names? I truly do admire young people who can hang tough and I don’t like it when adults come up and smirk and say, “How about that footteam”? I sometimes respond, “How about your dumb self?”

Taking responsibility without apologies is a powerful landing zone if you ever touch down. Look for those kids battling and fighting through adversity and pat them on the back. They are heroes in my book.

REFRIDGERAIDERS - A reunion of old boy high school buddies last weekend ended with a brunch in my kitchen. We are all still crazy after all these years. My friend Bob, former assistant superintendent of schools for the entire state of Hawaii, kept gazing at the framed poster on the wall of penguins attacking a refrigerator. He looked at me and asked, “What does that remind you of?”

I guessed “Not whatever you’re thinking?”

“Do you remember back in high school we came into your kitchen through the side door after playing wiffle ball in the back yard and the door was open and the cat was sitting on the shelf eating from a turkey carcass? And your mom was just sitting there listening to the radio, drinking a cup of coffee like there was nothing unusual, that everyone feeds their cat the same way.”

“What’s your point Bob?” was all I could think of to say.

SNIPPETS -Dalton Pepper, who starred at last year’s Bay Ball Classic basketball tournament, is a senior on a Pennsbury, Pa. team that returns its entire starting lineup. Pepper has verbally committed to West Virginia University where Bob Huggins is the coach. There is no Bay Ball Classic news out there for this December other than premier Delaware teams heading for a Salisbury tournament over Christmas and still scheduling games with each other before conference play begins in January.

What is up with the University of Delaware losing to Maine and dropping to 2-4 on the season? This comes at a bad time as Delaware tries to extract more money from loyal alumni football fans.