Pride goeth before the fall

Barstool sports - Friday Night Lights to Saturday first light, a transition from turf and track to tumbling trail. A beautiful life of a muppet sports photographer where every night is Senior Night at Sesame Street by the Sea. After Cape’s Friday night 21-6 football upset win over Smyrna, I was jacked and up early to shoot the Seashore Striders Sea Witch Half Marathon. I photographed the start, then drove to the Herring Point trail junction to capture the lead runners at the six-mile mark. I grabbed a photo of Friends of Cape Henlopen State Park volunteers at a water station. I know they are smart because dumb people don’t get up early to volunteer. I had no idea if the cup crew had a clue who I am. I set the barstool down to take some race photos, then repositioned for a better sun angle. I sat back down, but I missed the stool. It's an inglorious soft landing on pine shats over sand. I’m thankful I didn’t do it in front of the Friday night student section and band. I know “Hey Baby” would have broken out with improvised lyrics. "Will you be my chair?” The ground thudded like a dump truck tailgate. Volunteers were on me like Biden off a bike. The ugly get up is an ignominious assault on my dignity. It is a life lesson: “Pride goeth before the fall.” I watch football on Friday nights through a long lens. If action flows my way, I run away. Teenage ballers crash and collide. They are a combination of hard rubber and steel, like frozen Gumbys. A volunteer brought me a cup of water and it was appreciated. I told Susan the story when I got home. She scanned me up and down looking for scars, scratches or dislocated bones. She worries, so she made me an omelet. The moral of the story is just to keep doing stuff, because eventually you are going down like a circus clown.

You no good, or they no good - Let’s focus on the Friday night football fan who doesn’t go to games but is quick to offer Saturday morning critical commentaries. I’ve covered the Cape program over a bunch of years and I've noticed a pattern. I call it “Excuses are for winners.” The 2023 Cape Vikings jumped out to a 3-0 start because, “They ain’t played nobody.” Then they got housed by Hodgson – “Same old Cape.” They came back with upset wins over Saint Mark’s and a Smyrna team they haven’t beaten in nine tries – “I hear Smyrna ain’t that good this year.” Cape has tough games ahead at Dover, then at St. Georges and a likely tournament game as a top eight team in Group Three. There are still many scenarios to play out.  

Band Appreciation Night - The Smyrna band performed pregame in front of the late-arriving Cape crowd on Senior Night. The Cape band applauded their presentation several times because with band kids, sportsmanship runs through their instruments. The Smyrna band took over the far west side of the visitors’ bleachers and rocked out all four quarters. Some suggested they only played when Cape had the ball, but the Cape sidelines never complained. I saw Jameson Tingle whisper a play into Brenn Scott’s helmet ear hole. The moment was big-time football. Both Jameson and Brenn are as chilled as iceberg lettuce. Football without bands and cheerleaders falls flat; it is a sport best enjoyed between two live bands. 

Snippets - Michael Wardian placed second Oct. 29 at the Marine Corps Marathon 50K in a time of 3:10:19, which is a 6:08 pace over 30-plus miles. The winner, Calum Neff, ran 2:55:57, which translates to a 5:40 mile pace. There were 1,281 runners with recorded finish results. The slowest was 7 hours, 14 minutes, which is a 13:59 mile pace. Luann Goldfarb, who lives off Holland Glade Road, is a 62-year-old ultra runner who is as nice as the day is long, with 15 ultra marathons under her belt. They include the recent No Business 100-Miler in Jamestown, Tenn., where she placed second in her age group and 43rd out of 70 females with a time of 33:05, which is a 19:25 mile pace. A total of 240 runners completed the 102-mile distance that has a 14,000-foot elevation gain. The 16th annual Rehoboth Beach Seashore Marathon and Half Marathon is set for Saturday, Dec. 2. See you runners along the Flag Flyway with music by Surf Gimp Foundation. Go on now, git!