SET UP MAN - My nephew Mike Frederick, former NFL player and UVA captain, brought a room of people together last Sunday morning at the Buddy Brunch at the Boardwalk Plaza in Rehoboth and people had tears in their eyes by the end of his speech. Mike is a good and solid guy and it all came through.
“He was just perfect,” said Dennis Diehl, the event organizer. “His speech couldn’t have been better.”
I told Mike afterward he could thank his Uncle Fredman for “setting him up” because they were ready to like someone after I got done with my litany of accomplished athletes who ended life in tragic demise. My point was that four years ago when my grandson Davey was born with Down Syndrome, I was sitting in the Ravens press box and realized Davey would never quarterback the Ravens. But now I’m not so sure, I added, and everyone thought that was more or less approximating funny. My theme was that fame and fortune are not what they seem and we shouldn’t envy others or wish that special needs people were more like us.
“Everybody should just do the best job being who they are,” I said.
“Don’t envy others, and if someone needs our help we should help them.”
Then I started with Max McGee - 75 years old - who caught the first touchdown pass in Super Bowl I, blowing himself off the roof and out of this life with a leaf blower just last weekend. Then there was Mike Webster - four Super Bowl rings with the Steelers - dead at 50 from heart attack due to steroid abuse, and teammate Steve Coursen - there for two Super Bowls - plagued by steroid abuse, who chainsawed a tree in his front yard that fell on top of him when he rushed out to save his dog.
Bo Diaz, who was the Phillies’ catcher on the 1983 World Series team, died at 37 when a roof satellite dish he was adjusting fell on top of him. Diaz is one of only 11 Major Leaguers who hit a sayonara slam, which is a two-out grand slam home run in the bottom of the ninth when trailing by three runs.
Then there was Rodney Milburn, the 1972 gold medalist in the 110-meter hurdlers, who died in 1997 in a rail yard in Baton Rouge, La. when he fell into a railroad car of scalding bleach, and, lastly, Howard Porter, 58, who led Villanova basketball to the NCAA basketball title game in 1971 and was voted the outstanding player in the tournament. Porter, at 6-foot-8, was savagely beaten and later died last May 26. Porter was always a likeable personality, a good guy who hung out with bad people.
Later in the day my wife Susan couldn’t stop laughing.
“There was the Buddy Brunch crowd gathered for fellowship and you start by having a 75-year-old Packer blowing himself off the roof, then trees are falling on steroid Steelers chasing dogs and hurdlers drowning in scalding railroad cars of bleach, satellite dishes crushing catchers and basketball stars beaten to death and I’m thinking, ‘Where is he going with this?’” Anyone who was ever my student knows how my mind categorizes connections and I can’t help who I am. In fact, I rather enjoy it.
ANNOYING ANNOUNCERS - Erin Andrews was the designated sideline babe for last Thursday night’s ESPN South Florida at Rutgers game. Erin first got on my nerves when she responded to a Beatles reference in the booth by saying, “I don’t know anything about the Beatles, that’s your generation.”
It reminded me of so many high school students who would say, “How am I supposed to know about that? I wasn’t even born yet.”
During another sideline rant Erin said, “South Florida coach Jim Leavitt just pulled quarterback Matt Grothe aside and said, “It’s time for you to start thinking with your head.”
Erin, a word of advice from my generation – don’t ever say that to a football player!
SNIPPETS - The Rehoboth Beach Wrestling Club is set to begin its 17th season beginning on Thursday, Nov. 1 at the Rehoboth Elementary School gymnasium. Practice will begin at 6 p.m. Advance signups will be held from 5:30-7 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 25, in Room 416 of the Rehoboth Elementary (little building).
The club has enhanced its coaching staff with the addition of NCAA national qualifier A.J. Brooks who was a state champ at Sussex Tech and a RBWC alumnus. RBWC will also feature clinics during the season from NCAA national champion and four-time Delaware state champion Sheldon Thomas, two-time Pennsylvania state champion and three-time NCAA qualifier Tim Casey, as well as Delaware state champion and former St. Mark’s head coach Steve Bastianelli, who won 10 team state titles for the Spartans. Signups are on a first-come, first-served basis and space in the club will be limited. Club membership is $40 and $20 for each additional sibling. For more information, call Benny Mitchell at 645-7319. Hook
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My money has been on the Red Sox from the beginning and now so is my sentiment because inside Coors Field in Colorado there are people who come from where and do what I have no idea. And Coors Lite is the only beer to drink when you don’t feel like drinking.
