‘Everybody is a Trophy’ wins the creativity prize

Theme park - The Cape hockey team showed up for Halloween practice at Champions Stadium Oct. 30 and groupie gramps was there because I’m an insider – sort of a mascot – and coach Debbie Windett asked me to take pictures. All that youthful exuberance and spontaneity. I’m a free radical in an ionized pool of creative costumes tasked with herding and organizing and composing photos in a thematic arrangement. It’s a lot of pressure – like a wedding photographer – because if you blow it, you will be inducted into the chump hall of fame without a vote. Players dressing as gold trophies was an ingenious idea. Shown are (l-r) Sierra Manifold (No. 1 Baller), Sam Connors (tennis pro), Lily Ashby (soccer striker), Maren Buckaloo (lax MVP), Reagan Ciabattoni (track star), Molly Mendez (super swimmer), Noelle Sabbagh (prima ballerina), Sommer Dorman (No. 1 cut-up) and Casey Schnupp (sweet singer). I asked Ella Rishko, Haley Craig and Kelly Bragg, “Who are you guys supposed to be?” Obviously, the Three Stooges – yuk yuk. I should have been poked in my eyes and had my hair pulled out. And the Space Cowboys (the movie, not the song) include in back (l-r) Maggie Dawson, Riley Keen, Riley Klopp and Jhayden Hollomon; and in front, Julie Heffernan and Emily Monigle. And the coaches seriously getting ready for the next game up, the Delmar Wildcats, include in back (l-r) Shannon Timmons, Kate Austin, Debbie Windett, Katie Collick and Jenna Burkhart. In front is coach Tracey Griesbaum. And finally, the requisite group shot photo before the scavenger hunt, and my Halloween game day was in the wind.

Deputy Dogs - Polite awkwardness can go south quicker than a Mid-Atlantic pelican. I would never request that a person put on a mask, and if an officious, self-deputized muppet with a lust for power gets in my face, I’m coming right back at them. COVID is real, make no mistake about that, and sports venues are controlled by the host. Either play along like most people or go talk noise in an empty parking lot. Just don’t deputize yourself; that almost always turns out badly. 

Staggering stat - I read on injuryfacts.org that in 2018, 32,522 adults 65 and over died from preventable falls. That raises the question in my mind, “What is an unpreventable fall?” “Gramps came down the wooden stairs wearing white socks and took off like an olympic luge champion. He just had to fall; it was unpreventable.” I’ve taken six preventable/unpreventable falls over the last five years and turned each into a comedy riff. Adrenaline and athleticism kicked in, real time turned slow motion. I was able to save myself, for exactly what is open for discussion. I started with this theme because I wanted to see how many people “ate their lunch” while playing a sport under a weather advisory high-wind warning. Only about 570, which doesn’t seem right – you can play a game in a hurricane, just don’t fall down when walking with a cane. Swoosh! Swoosh! 

Beau Gooch - Update from Hailee Gooch: “Dad still remains determined to walk and is continuing to work toward the goal. He had a discharge date set for 11/12/2020 from Magee Rehabilitation and will begin home healthcare working toward outpatient therapy. He’s really excited that [he] was able to walk on a treadmill with assistance from his therapist and special machinery. He thanks everyone for their thoughts, prayers and generosity.” Magee in Center City Philadelphia is affiliated with Jefferson Hospital; it is a place where magic happens. 

Snippets - The Steelers’ 28-24 win over the Ravens was old-school football. The Steelers improved to 7-0 and kept the surviving members of the 1972 Miami Dolphins (17-0) on the edge of their power chairs. The Eagles beat the Cowboys 23-9 on the nationally televised only show on cable Nov. 1. And yes, it was turn-down-the-sound awful, but the Eagles (3-4-1) lead the NFC East over the next-best contender, the Washington Football Team (2-5). I’m a professional watcher of linemen hiding, those big guys handing out chicken wings (elbow blocks) rather than colliding with anyone. I see it from Friday night through Monday night. Good linemen don’t just play; they dominate the problem with an optimist like Carson Wentz at quarterback. He doesn't appreciate how bad those guys are in front of him. Get rid of the ball! Go on now, git!