Inspirational stories from the back of the pack

Better angels - Sometimes the best stories and most inspirational efforts in a cross country race are toward the back of the pack. Cross country is a solitary sport where a team score is kept. Perhaps to see someone we must feel their presence. And the irony is that runners from different teams see and appreciate each other. During the Sussex County Championships at Sandhill Fields Oct. 23, freshman Gavin Mariner of Laurel was escorted over the 5K course by guide runner Andrew Wilkinson, a Laurel Middle School teacher. I was there for the photo because I never bail early on a running race. Gavin and Andrew are part of a year-round group called Camp Abilities Delaware, an educational sports camp for children ages 5-17 who have visual impairments. A side note: I saw the bearded and neon-vested Andrew stretching before the boys’ race, and I thought he was a DelDOT worker with a leg cramp. 

Chasing the ball - On Christmas Eve 40 years ago, son Dave and I hopped into the Ford LTD station wagon for the long trip from Lewes to Nassau to check out a box of golden retriever puppies owned by Rick Townsend. I held up a tennis ball as eight pups sat at my feet staring at it while they wagged their tails. I threw the ball across the room and seven chased it while one just kept looking at me. “I’ll take this one,” I told Rick. “I don’t want an insatiable, never-tired ball fiend who keeps bringing it back.” We named him Barkley, not after the Sesame Street dog, but Charles Barkley, the Round Mound of Rebound. I think of that today as I perceive many sports families chasing the same ball and I wonder, “What happens when you catch it?”   

Transgender benders - Two female classmates of mine from high school wrote that they couldn't believe I supported transgender athletes competing in sports. I, of course, don’t have a position on the subject, but almost all concerns center around males who transition to females, then go out and beat the best women the sport has to offer. I have covered women’s sports for a long time, and this situation has never been presented in front of me and no top-shelf sports women have ever shared their concerns about this with me. I’m more an observational guy, not a reactionary fear guy. I do get a little fearful when people who know me make an assumption about my position on a subject that I have never really thought through.

I ain’t doing it - I don’t contribute to the promotional shilling of alcohol at athletic events like the Coors Light 10K or Jose Cuervo Beach Volleyball Tournament. Anyway, titles are too long and cumbersome. I just shorten them; I’m not in the advertising business. Like most of us, I can be pretty inconsistent in my hard-and-fast positions, like I have no problem with Rusty Rudder 5K or Dogfish Dash because they are places of business. Most times when someone says to me, “Make sure you mention we have discounted drinks on Friday happy hour,” I say, “I’m not doing that. Take out an ad. I’m just here for the sport.”  

Never mention the word addiction - We all know a person or few who have blown up the family budget and subsequently the entire family unit because of an addiction to gambling. And to me it is mystifying that professional sports leagues have succumbed to sponsorship of internet sports gambling sites using on-air personalities to promote the product. I draw lines in the sand – with my foot – I would not use my position to promote gambling, you can bet on that. 

The Matrix - The movie “Tron” (1982) is a science fiction film where a computer engineer is sucked into the system as reassembled digital bits and must fight his way out. Computer seeding for DIAA postseason tournaments reminds me of the intersection where “The Matrix” and “Tron” come together. I have always liked the idea of tribal elders seeding the tournaments. Yes, humans are biased, but they are not soulless and clueless. 

Addictions versus compulsion - I cover the sport of running. Many of these athletes race 100 times a year, spending close to $5,000 for the privilege. Are these individuals addicted to running or do they have a compulsive need to run? Some of the older guys – not as old as me – ran four races last weekend, which included three on Sunday. Donald Cowie, 69, of Hollsopple, Pa., ran four 5K races last weekend, averaging about 27 minutes. Donald is a graduate of Penn’s Wharton School of Business, and like most smart people, he pursues his passions and doesn’t worry much if they make any sense. Maybe it's the exhilaration of facing down challenges, maybe they used to be fat or survived cancer, perhaps they are in a second decade of recovery. I know guys who started long bike rides for fitness when they were 25. Now they’re 75 and still pedaling. Are they addictive or compulsive, and do they wear padded biker shorts? Don’t get me started on deadlifts.      

Snippets - Mikayla “Sunrise” Lindsay, Winthrop University, and Anna Lopez, William & Mary, are Division I lacrosse goalies, and former Cape and Beacon teammates. Both are having successful fall ball seasons. It’s possible to like a team in a baseball series without disliking the other one. I see the Yankees as favorites in the World Series, but I’m liking the Dodgers, too. Go on now, git!