Dogfish to Darby Dash is like Great Dane to a teacup poodle

Dogfish to Darby Dash - About 1,500 runners and walkers circled the town of Milton Sept. 29, raising $100,000 for the Sussex County Land Trust. The Dogfish event is a happening, with lots of runners in costumes, many with 12-pack pale ale cardboard hats on their heads. The fourth annual Darby Dash is named in honor of the late Freddog Darby, who rejected the rainbow bridge and took the long way around, and is now bowling for Bichons in doggie heaven. The Darby Dash attracted 59 runners and half as many dogs, with donuts and bagels at the finish line. Darby was the doggie in the window outside Wawa, not a Westminster people-pleaser for a short biscuit, but rather white-icing donuts with sprinkles. Transfer station broken, yogurt-covered biscuits were the best. I could have eaten those bad boys myself. 

Trolley Dodgers - The nickname goes back to 1896 when Brooklyn had lots of streetcars or trolleys on the streets, and people walking learned to dodge or avoid them, so the nickname for people in Brooklyn became Trolley Dodgers. I was talking with Neil “Big Train” Trugman, Amtrak chief police officer who grew up in Brooklyn, and we agreed there are two iconic baseball caps: the Dodgers and the Yankees. The Dodgers have been in Los Angeles since 1958. The Dodgers have won seven World Series championships, while the Yankees have won 27 World Series titles. 

Red Zone channel - NFL football fans react emotionally to color analysts on broadcasts, which is why I watch the commercial-free Red Zone channel. That way I can avoid listening to Tony Romo and Tom Brady on the same afternoon. Brady signed a $375 million, 10-year contract with Fox Sports, and I only wish I didn't know that. Tony Romo makes $17 million per season with CBS. Cris Collinsworth, who is 65 years old, is NBC’s top analyst, making $12.5 million per season. A few years back in the Eagles’ press cafeteria, my empty barrel-chested self snagged an empty chair at a table that included Harry Kalas and Bob Trumpy. They each had golden voices and graciously said, “Hello, please join us,” which was code for, “Sit down and eat your pretzel, then get going.” Even my unspoken words sounded dorky next to those guys. 

Doing shots and shooters - I’m not talking about Friday night happy hours that charge $10 for a glass of club soda just to keep the Dougie Downers away from the bar. No, I’m more thinking of the at-home streamers who screenshot referee mistakes then shoot them out to friends. An adult wearing a striped shirt with a flag in one pocket and a bean bag in the other will make several forced-choice decisions during a game, knowing the streamers at home are freeze-framing them. Generally, college coaches think instant replay is ruining the game. In the SEC since 2005, only 37.5% of the plays were overturned. I don’t know about only, but 37.5% is a pretty high number for incorrect calls. 

They call me Mr. Gooch - I have been taking Senior Day photos for field hockey and girls’ lacrosse at least over the last 15 years, totaling 25 state championships. I always argue it’s not a dynasty – that term belongs to history – while we are living all this, because it is still happening. The senior athletes always thank Mr. Gooch for his photos. Eric is Fred Harvey minus the bus. He is an artist who makes collages and frames things and often says to me, “Our girls are just tough.” His daughter Lexi was a hockey player; his wife Terri also played for Cape, as did her mom. The same girls also thank Mr. Cook, who is the senior gift guy. No athletic teams over the last 15 years had a deeper photo record than field hockey and girls’ lacrosse. And it’s not because they work so hard and deserve the recognition, it’s the Kermit rainbow connection, a song about finding yourself and following your dreams. 

Snippets - Kiké Hernandez dropped a huge F-bomb on national television. After asking Ken Rosenthal, “Are we live?” He responded to the question, “How does this Dodgers team compare with those in the  past?” with “The fact that we don’t give a F.” Put a few super-sensitive hot mics on the sidelines of sporting events and you may get a sense of what really goes on inside the arena of competition. Three college football players were ejected Saturday for spitting on an opponent. According to an AP story, Steve Shaw, the NCAA supervisor of officials, said, “Spitting doesn’t seem to be a big new trend, but it could merit discussion with conference supervisors.”