“I’m your Venus; I’m your fire at your desire.”
Pirate Pete, with a Ph.D in hand and a Mensa Society card in his wallet and shirt somewhere in his car, fired a cannon in a lightning storm last Saturday morning at 8 a.m. and 300 people thought it was a good idea to come from under cover and begin running a 5K race called Venus on the Half Shell.
Wires were snapping, puddles were bubbling and color hues produced an eerie visual. Only Dewey Beach could produce such a spontaneous “group stupid” happening.
“I did not authorize this and do not approve,” said police Chief Hal Barber riding in the lead cruiser. A host of Dewey lifeguards who would clear the beach in such a storm elected to run in the race. So did parents with their children, along with lawyers, accountants, entrepreneurs, retired people, teachers, medical professionals while a large-target photojournalist like me stood out in the rain with no umbrella snapping out-of-focus pictures.
Many runners were porch-protecting themselves at the North Beach pavilion the old flat roof with no sides protection from lighting next to the bay trick - or hunkered down inside open trucks when they heard the cannon go off. And rather than scream “Waiter, a round of Bloody Marys over here!” they all ran to the starting line like Pavlovian shepherds and chased the race, complaining as they cruised, picking off slow people in the back who didn’t appreciate getting passed by so many striders who only wanted to escape the ghetto neighborhood of plus-30-minute 5K runners.
Fixing blame does not apply here. All who participated are shameless and blameless and in the end it was different and fun and imperfect and ill-advised. Baby, we were born to run. Yes, there were babies in the race, too.
BEJIING MY BUTT - Yeah, I’m jealous that the entire Carrie Lingo nuclear clan is in China doing interviews with Kevin Tresolini of the News Journal. What is Kevin doing there instead of me? But seriously, I don’t think I could handle 18 hours in a fuselage going 600 miles an hour over a 5,000-mile ocean unless of course someone else paid for it. I did discover in my down time, which is all the time, that all United States Olympic hockey games on the women’s side will be covered live. Perhaps the men as well, but who wants to watch a bunch of Pakistani naturalized West Coast citizens play men’s field hockey? You do? USA opens against Argentina Sunday, Aug. 10. You may have to choose between hockey and the trap shooting gold medal final.
The USA plays Japan Aug. 12 followed by Germany on Aug. 14, New Zealand on Aug. 16 and Great Britain Aug. 18. The medal games are Aug. 22. Not wishing to “pop any balloons” at opening ceremonies, but the United States is not expected to medal at the games which is better than high expectations because some people like me are fueled by low expectations.
POPPING MY BALLOON - Teaching is the toughest of professions because in moments of exaltation when some students are lifting you off the ground with heartfelt compliments others are chopping you off at the knees telling you in all sincerity how much they liked you because “you didn’t do nothing.”
When people close to 30 years old delightfully reminisce in stories of my worthlessness, I consider going on the attack, but I have always refused to assert my intelligence at the expense of others which is why I was a great teacher and bad one at the same time. But hey, when high school is over we all need to get over high school.
SNIPPETS - Speaking of running in races or for political office, I came across results for the 1979 Lewes Marathon and there was the name of Jud Bennett, who ran 4:02. And before you say, “No he didn’t,” I must tell you I was there and yes, he did. I also saw him run a 46-minute 10K the same year. So all you scrawny Clydesdales out there who swim inside double-X T-shirts throw some respect to history. The Lewes Marathon had weight classes from the beginning and one year some 6-foot-7 Lurch-looking joker ran a 3:07 and when he went up to get his award everyone booed. “He ain’t no Clydesdale! Give us a fat guy!”
Amanda Jacona is the new head field hockey coach at Milford High School. Mike Eisenhour is her varsity assistant. The junior varsity coaches are former Cape players Jen Warren and Amy Shockley. Milford, by the way, has two new turf stadiums and they are ready for the fall season.
Cape’s Legends Stadium has new bleachers on the former visitor side and there will be a new press box and so commences the game of “who gets to sit there” which is always weird. That’s why I stand with the team on the sidelines where I can smell the sweat and hear the language like one time when coach Bill Geppert yelled at an official, “Holy peanut butter and jelly!” and Gep even went to Villanova, a Catholic college. I liked it when Brian Donahue would unleash a conspiracy theory tirade on an official. “Hey are you only calling that on us? What about them? Don’t they commit any penalties? Is it just us? We can’t be holding on every play? Don’t they hold? Is it just us? If we get a big gain are you going to call it back? Is that how it’s going to be tonight? We are the team that holds and they never hold? That’s it, just call things no one sees on us to keep the game close? C’mon, at least give us a chance! ”
All you can pick up in the press box is a CPD - complimentary press dog - actually at the high school level nothing is complimentary. Holy macaroni and cheese!
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Sports Editor Emeritus
Email Fredman at fredman@capegazette.com
