Broad Street boomer stopping in Belltown celebrating Black history

Robber Barons - Take Black history away from this old Broad Street boomer and you are stealing part of my history. Forty-three years writing this column and I rarely look back; I follow the advice of baseball legend Satchel Paige, “Don’t look back; something might be gaining on you.” But this remembrance of Garland Ayers written April 2, 2024, sums up how many of us muppets here at Sesame Street by the Sea feel about each other. 

Garland Ayers - “Garland died last week, and we are selfishly sad because someone who openly loved all his friends is gone from our lives; he is universally missed. A big smile fronted Garland wherever he went, and he knew all about Cape sports without being an athlete. He knew we were all a little crazy, and he could focus on that and celebrate it. He worked for the City of Lewes for years. I remember seeing him driving a big loader on the beach parking lot, clearing sand after a storm. We both laughed that he was trusted with heavy machinery. He once wrote, “If you're white and break down in Belltown, just tell people you know Fredman and we'll take care of you.” It was a joke but also a serious compliment to me that I had earned respect and credibility in the Black community. He did that for his friends who were athletes. He knew of all their highlights and that made him happy. I told Susan of Garland's passing and she became instantly sad. ‘I can see him sitting in my class. Such a smile, and a warm and gentle personality.’ Muppets like Garland move among us; they are community impact people without ever realizing it. Many of us don't realize it either until they are gone. Somebody loves you just because you are you, then they are gone to where the good people go. Thank you, Garland, from all of us.”

What’s going on - I watched an ESPN 30 for 30 on the one-and-done rule in college basketball featuring John Calipari and the University of Kentucky. Two days later. I watched Arkansas – with Calipari as coach – go into Kentucky’s Rupp Arena and beat the heavily favored Cats 89-79. The talent and athleticism on both teams was outrageous, and I wondered, “Where do they find these people?” I checked the Kentucky roster, where I saw one-and-done turned upside down on its head. The Cats had seven graduate students and two fifth-year seniors on the team. Imagine mature college graduates working on a master’s degree on the Kentucky campus. I noticed Calipari's coaching style: The man doesn’t flinch and doesn't get wigged out over small stuff. But back to the talent pool: I am amazed how many great players the major programs are able to find.      

Snippets - University of Delaware women’s lacrosse team will open the season Friday, Feb. 7, hosting the Temple Owls of coach Bonnie Rosen. Cape sisters Ella and Lulu Rishko are now playing for the Blue Hens and head coach Amy Altig. The Rishko sisters' first cousins, Anna and Lizzie Frederick, played for Temple. Delaware assistant coach Kara Nakrasius played at Temple and is a close friend of Lizzie. Connections through sports are what happens to athletes like a dot-matrix printer always writing new stories. Jaden Davis (Cape) was named Co-Offensive Player of the Year for the Salisbury University Seagulls. Jaden, a running back chased by defenders, will be pursuing a master’s degree in the fall. The DIAA Indoor Track and Field Championships will be contested Saturday, Feb. 22, at the Ott Center on the University of Pennsylvania campus. The Cape boys have a legit shot to capture the state title, which is only one division. Competition will come from the Usual Suspects (1995 film), and if you asked, “Who’s Keyser Soze?” then perhaps we’ve watched the same movies. “Keyser Soze Syndrome" describes someone who is an extremely secretive and elusive person. Cape boys’ track won the indoor state title in 1984-85 (coach Dave Frederick) and 1993 (coach Tim Bamforth). Cape basketball went undefeated 25-0 in 1975 (coach Ralph Baird) on the way to the state championship with a starting five of Purnell Ayers, John Bishop, Jimmy Allen, Carlton “Snoop” Allen and Ronson Burton. That was 50 years ago. At the Feb. 1 celebration of life service for Joey Peet, students from 2005 asked me to assess Cape basketball in 2025 compared to 20 years ago. I offered a 50-years-ago comparison, but admitted I'm not sure about basketball in 2025. Like a point guard who can’t dribble, it's hard to get a handle on it. Go on now, git!