GLOBAL WARMING - The Lewes Polar Bears, established in 1982 when five guys needed something not to look forward to to make the winter go by faster, will jump into the ocean at 1 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 1, at Cape Henlopen State Park.
An air temperature of 50 is expected, and if you’re dumb enough to exclaim, “Where’s the challenge in that?” - then you’ve never jumped into your own bar drink because sub-40 is cold under any conditions.
The Harley Davidson riders of Seaford are usually in the parking lot as well, and to tell you the truth, those people have a healthy lifestyle because drinking and Harley riding doesn’t offer much of a future.
RESOLUTIONS - Fitness and dieting are the two major adjustments most people resolve to improve upon during the next year except for that group who makes no resolutions whatsoever. And don’t write to fitness columnists asking for advice on how to cut back on chocolate chip cookies over the holiday season.
Resolutions and goal-setting are healthy motivational techniques. but you know what’s really hard - shutting up about them - because no one wants to know your goals or revel in your dietary successes. My advice is to get strong and lean then deny it has happened.
“Fredman, have you lost weight?”
“No, I’m just not as fat as you remember me.”
Actually, I’m joking and egg yolking here, but I’ll tell you this: never say a discouraging word to a person seeking self-improvement because the harm you can cause far exceeds the value of your words. Just play nice, be complimentary and encourage people.
TIME OUT - There are too many time outs and too many defensive sliders who stand and take charges in high school basketball games.
I am for one time out per half and making defensive players make a play on the ball when they are in the paint.
I know most coaches don’t agree with me, but the difference between taking a charge and low-bridging is just too close. I mean think about it - establishing position and the much-talked-about principle of verticality. Somebody give me a break and make everyone play defense.
And the fouling to get the ball back in the last two minutes is so annoying the only thing worse is when the team ahead fouls because they don’t know any better.
UNANIMOUS DISINTEREST - My recent column item about girls doing weight training beginning in middle school was met with unanimous disinterest until Becky Reidel, former Cape discus thrower and now a track athlete at Rutgers, told me that she has been weight training with the team and she never knew how weak she was until her strength was tested.
FACEBOOK - It is the latest cyber message board and somewhere out there I am a player, but I don’t know how to get to my own face place or find my face with both hands in the dark. I do suffer from CBS - “Chronic Blogger Syndrome” - and I’ve written 370 stories averaging 500 words each since I retired from teaching two years ago. The good news is I don’t know if anyone reads what I call my off road material. Davefredman.blogspot.com is the site and if you go there and are outraged and appalled, better check and see if your fun meter is stuck in neutral.
SNIPPETS - I asked several Cape sports people if they thought social studies teacher Jeff Evans, who did such a great job coaching the Mariner Middle School team, would be interested in the vacant high school softball job. I couldn’t find Jeff, but everyone who knows him had the same story.
“His daughter plays for Laurel and he is going to spend his time watching her play.”
A father can’t lose if he keeps Dad as his river card.
Brett Morris of Cape is reportedly heading to the Coast Guard Academy. I tried getting in there during the Vietnam War but it was closed.
The entire New England region loves Patriots coach Bill Belechek, not just because he wins, but his attitude reflects that region of the country. The 16-0 story will be in the books by Sunday, but I will go on the record to say, “The Colts are coming! The Colts are coming!”
And there is a wobble in Dallas and Jacksonville may be the team to beat in the NFC. And the Redskins host Dallas with a chance to make the playoffs and a first-round game against Seattle, a team everyone in the Skins camp feels they can beat.
Wayne Gretzky, appearing on the Dennis Miller program, said he considers Tiger Woods to be the best athlete of all time when taking all sports into account. Personally, I wish I had a golf addiction or fishing addiction because it takes up a lot of time and you don’t have to move much and no one is trying to collision you unless you fall into Baltimore Canyon in the middle of a marlin tournament.
Polar Bearing followed by pork, sauerkraut and bowl games. New Year’s is my favorite holiday.
