Sussex Tech is there for students and athletes

Real Sussex County people never knock on a front door when visiting a friend. It’s always around the back or through the garage. I have been tepidly following with a healthy degree of disinterest the current discussion of Sussex Tech versus other Sussex County schools involving “level playing field.” My close friend Bruce Hefke, the mill and cabinet guy at Sussex Tech, and I discussed this issue while watching the Ravens/Steelers game last Sunday. We both agreed that Sussex Tech is a school that works well, that technical education is not vocational rehabilitation, and the days of half-day vo-tech dumping kids into ornamental horticulture and barbering are long gone.

I know sports and I have always said that the Sussex Tech staff does the best job supporting its kids, better than any other school I cover.

On the coaching side there are great people in place like Nancy Tribbett, Johnny Marvel, Carlos Villa, Lou Nicoletti, Tom Pegelow, Bernie Nowakoski, Marty Cross, Kathleen Fluharty, Michele Thomas, Dave Crimmins and others.

A former athlete of mine, Phil Wilson, is an actual interactive on-site computer technician. Carolyn Maull, a national class trainer, teaches training and health and all that good stuff.

I am a Cape guy specifically and a kid guy generally. And Cape is all the way cool. I have three children who work there and five grandchildren in the system.

I found that people who downtown kids virtually never go where they are, so I invite everyone to lunch at Cape on any day; get a pass at the office from Kate Lingo and tell her “Fredman sent me.” She’s Italian, so stand back.

Texting Granddaddy - I am a first-generation text messaging - I’m all thumbs - and Facebooking granddaddy and I’m good at it.

Last spring I sent a text to my freshman lacrosse granddaughter Anna saying, “I don’t want to be the tracking and texting grandfather from hell,” and she responded, “Don’t worry, you’re not,” except I kind of am.

I’m also the guy who compares scores using online data, and I was recently trying to predict the Jan. 27 outcomes when the Sussex Tech’s undefeated boys’ and girls’ swim teams are scheduled to battle Cape for Henlopen Conference supremacy. I recently showed my little potato bug cell phone to coach Mark D’Ambrogi at the Verizon Wireless store and asked, “Hey, Coach, do I need a 4G Droid or iPhone 4?” Mark quickly assessed my New Balance and Under Armour rumpled granddaddy self and said, “No.”

Title nein - I am all for equality for women in sports in any organization receiving federal dollars. But compliance by subtraction to achieve equalization is just plain stupid.

The University of Delaware announced the dropping of men’s cross country and track effective the end of this season.

This quote by Athletic Director Bernard Muir says it all: “We found ourselves facing two options: Either we had to continue the periodic expansion of programming for women in order to be responsive to their interest and ability, or adjust the current offerings to provide equitable and substantially proportionate participation opportunities for our men and women.” Say what?

The 1972 school record mile relay team that ran 3:14.2, which converts to 3:13 for 4-by-400 meter, is still the fastest time ever run by four Delaware homegrown athletes, all of whom were nonscholarship walk-ons at Delaware.

The record-setting race saw Lloyd Mears run 48.6, Peter Sukalo 48.4, John Flickinger 47.9 and Ed Mongan 47.6. Mears - nicknamed Pink Lloyd - a longtime basketball official, is pictured at the 2008 Delaware Track and Field Hall of Fame induction with his son Justin.

Looks like that school record is safe forever.

Snippets - If I needed a sports gambling addiction and thought casinos in Sussex County were a good idea, I would bet on Pittsburgh and Green Bay to advance to the Super Bowl, then go looking for my free beer if I still drank.

But for my friends Mike DeStasio, who loves to yell and spell, “J.E.T.S. Jets” and trainer Johnny Morris, “Da Bears!” lifelong fan, I wish all the best. And why does Jay Cutler always look hung over?

Seven times no one could catch cyclist Lance Armstrong, but a federal grand jury is reeling him in like a peloton on a breakaway rider.

Sports Illustrated will break the story this week. EPO black market sales are sure to soar. Like Grandma Rose said, “If a person looks abnormally fit, well then, duh!”