The "Another Custom Framing Job From Grebinger Gallery" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Working at Grebinger Gallery and Framing in nearby Neffsville, Pennsylvania.  I have written a few times about working part-time for a former student of mine, Keith Grebinger, after I retired from teaching in 1999.  Today, Keith gave me the job of trying to mat and frame a job much like one he did when he first opened his shop in the 1990s.  

Keith's sample he made as an example of what could be done.

As a sample of what he could do for his customers, he designed, cut and framed a series of 1970s Gatorade NFL helmet bottle caps.  Neat job which has hung in his framing gallery since I began working for him after retiring.  A recent customer saw the job Keith had done and loved it.  He found his own set of 1970s Gatorade NFL helmet bottle caps on eBay and purchased them.  

Set of Gatorade NFL bottle caps.

Talked with Keith about what the customer wanted his display to look like and Keith passed it on to me.  I first make a sketch of what the final result should look like and placed measurements on the sketch which were similar to the job Keith had done.  Placed those measurement into a computer program on our mat cutter and in no time had cut the top and bottom mats for the job.  Knowing the size by now, I cut a frame and glued it and after dry, placed metal corner clips in place on the framing machine.  From this point on, I will give you a visual story to make it easier for you to understand what is necessary in  matting and framing something as detailed as what you have seen in the above photograph.

Along with the bottle caps, the customer gave us artwork he wanted included ini his design.

List showing the placement he wanted for his design.

My sketch with measurements to be used to place the idea on the computerized mat cutter.

The computer screen showing the job laid out to match my measurements.

Cutting of the top and bottom mats.  The top was blue suede while the bottom was a red textured mat.

Two mats are fastened together with the logos supplied positioned under the mat.

To give depth to the mat to allow space for the 1/4" high bottle caps, I had to create what you see here.
This is made using foam board that is 1/4" thick. You are looking at the underside of the mat.

The bottom mat is also blue suede.  The bottle caps will be fastened to this layer.

Each bottle cap is fitted with a double layer of black matting foam.  The foam is
glued together, place inside the cap and twisted so it holds under the bottle clips
that hold the cap on the bottle.  At no time do we glue anything onto the bottle
cap which would damage the customers product they brought to us.  

The top and bottom mat boards are placed together with tape and the bottle caps are
placed in the order given to us by the customer.  They are then glued in position.

To help with the positioning, I cut a sample pattern on the mat cutter.
The pattern made sure each row is positioned the same distance apart.
Glue was place on the black units placed inside the caps and glued to the bottom mat board.

The frame is cut on a cut-off saw, glued in clamps and attached together with clips
which are pushed into the frame on this machine.

I didn't take photographs of the cutting of the Museum glass and placing it in the frame.
When placed together, fastened in place with clips, a backing paper added and corner hangers added,
the result should certainly please the customer.  Even I thought it looked great and I"m hard to please. 

The "The Story Of The 'We Are...Penn State' Motto: Part I" Story

 It was an ordinary day.  Listening to my son-in-law Dave tell about his experience while walking through the Baltimore & Washington Airport.  He said someone yelled out, "We Are" and almost instantly others yelled back "Penn State."  I have also heard the same response, but as I was walking along one of the streets in downtown State College, Pennsylvania where Penn State University is located.  Seems that those four words are synonymous with the Penn State University football program.  And...when were those words first uttered?  Story goes way back to 1947 when a young Negro man named Wally Triplett played for the Penn State Nittany Lions football team ( I have used the word Negro rather than African American or black, since that is what Wally preferred).  Wallace Triplett was born April 18, 1926 in La Mott, Pennsylvania.  La Mott is a small community in Cheltenham Township which is north of Philadelphia.  Wally was a natural athlete who played mostly baseball as a youngster. He grew into football when he played it when it was too cold to play baseball.  As an athlete at Cheltenham High School he played football, basketball and baseball and finally caught the eye of college coaches.  At the time he was a 5-foot-ten, 170-pounder who was quicker than he was fast.  The University of Miami recruited him for football, but when they found out he was a Negro, they rescinded the offer, as the school and city were segregated at the time. Didn't matter anyway, since Triplett earned a state-funded senatorial scholarship for academics to Penn State, where he became the first Negro player ever to start for the Nittany Lions football team.  He is in the record books a few times for his football prowess.  But, he is probably best remembered for the "We Are Penn State" phrase which is often attributed to All-American Steve Suhey who was the captain on the unbeaten 1947 team.  Well, when Miami was to play Penn State in 1947, they refused to since Penn State had two Negroes in Triplett and Dennis Hoggard.  The Penn State team stood strong and didn't play the game.  At the end of the season  Penn State was to play in the Cotton Bowl.  The team was asked to consider the possibility of leaving Triplett and Hoggard at home because Dallas, were the Cotton Bowl was played, was segregated at the time.  The Penn State team united and said, "We are Penn State, there will be no meetings," in reference to the meeting they had when playing Miami.  Wally Triplett was eventually inducted into the Cotton Bowl Hall of Fame.  In 1949 he was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the 19th round.  That year he set a team record for the longest run from scrimmage with an 80-yard touchdown at Green Bay.  Then on October 29 of the following year he had 294 yards on four kickoff returns, including a 97-yard touchdown.  That total was an NFL record that stood until 1994.  The Cotton Bowl which was held this past December 28 had Penn State pitted against Memphis and the Penn State team had a special white decal on their helmets with blue lettering with the letters WT in the middle and "We Are" on the top and "1948" on the bottom in memory of Wally Triplett.

The logo on the Penn State helmets as seen this year.

 So, I guess it is safe to assume that the "We Are...Penn State" all began in the 1940s.  But, not so say others.  But, that's a story for tomorrow.  Follow along...  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.  PS - Wally Triplett died Thursday, November 8, 2018...too late to see his initials on the helmets of the winning Penn State team during this year's Cotton Bowl.  
   

The "A Grandfather To Top All Grandfather's" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Reading the sports section in the local newspaper when I noticed a story relating to the school where I attended over 50 years ago as well as taught at for almost 35 years.  

Ben Mann and his grandfather Chuck Mercein

Story featured a photograph that showed a fellow in a Manheim Township High School football jersey with what happened to be his grandfather standing next to him.  The student's name is Ben Mann and his grandfather's name is Chuck Mercein.  May not mean anything to most of you, but to those who follow professional football, Chuck Mercein played football for the Green Bay Packers.  In 1967 he was involved in one of he most memorable games in National Football League history.  

Chuck Mercein finds a hole vs. the Cowboys.

If was New Year's Eve, 1967 and the NFL Champion- ship game.  Packer's coach was Vince Lombardi.  The Packers were playing the Dallas Cowboys with the winner heading to Super Bowl II against the Oakland Raiders.  The temperature at Lambeau Field was minus 15 degrees at kickoff with a minus 48 wind-chill factor.  Then, the turf-warming mechanism in he field went haywire and the grass began to freeze.  

#30 Chuck Mercein

The Packers trailed 17-14 with time running out when Hall-of-Fame quarterback Bart Starr plunged into the end zone for the go-ahead touchdown.  But, it was Packer's fullback Chuck Mercein, a Yale graduate, who rushed for 34 of Green Bay's 68 yards on that final drive.  The game became known as the Ice Bowl!  The Packers went on to win Super Bowl II!  He told the Lancaster newspaper reporter the "It's the game that will never die.  It was humbling to be able to experience that and to play a big role in that game.  I'll never, ever forget it.  And, I'm humbled that people still know who I am."  Mr. Mercein played college football at Yale and now lives in New York, but his daughter, Kay, who is Ben Mann's mom, lives in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  

Mercein heads over the Rams.

Kay played lacrosse for Yale and Ben's dad, Art Mann, Jr. played basketball and rowed for the crew team at Yale after graduating from JP McCaskey High School in Lancaster.  Ben's older sister Kasey swam for Yale and his Uncle Tommy played football for the Bulldogs.  And, as you may have guessed,   Ben will also attend Yale and play football.  Ben's grandfather has been a big influence on him.  Hey, his granddad played for Vince Lombardi and how cool is that.  Ben says he always remembers his granddad wearing his Super Bowl ring and taking photos of him with it on.  His granddad has provided plenty of motivation for him.  Ben is one of the best multi-purpose players in the Lancaster-Lebanon League.  He's a big target at tight end and one of the top tacklers on the team from he defensive end spot.  He is also the team's long-snapper.  How would you like to have an NFL legend as a grandfather?  Pretty neat, isn't it?  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.  

The "Congratulations Are In Order" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Shaking hands with my son-in-law Dave to congratulate him for being one of the 24 members of the 2019 Inaugural Class of the Quince Orchard Athletic Hall of Fame.  

Coach Dave Mencarini

Quince Orchard High School is located in Gaithersburg, Montgomery County, Maryland.   He taught at the high school for many years and was the head football coach for quite a few of those years.  During the years he was head coach he experienced many memorable moments.  In 2004 he became head coach and had 8 wins and 2 losses that year.  After that year, it all got better, if that's possible.  Since that time his teams played for the State Championship three times, winning the 2007 4A State Title, going undefeated at 14-0.  Another year he lost in overtime during the State Championship.  Then, during his 10th year at the helm he won his 100th game with a win in his third game of the season  Many of his players have gone on to play at Division I colleges.  

Decorations adorn his home garage after his 100th win.

In 2011 The Washington Post named him the "Coach of the Year" in the state of Maryland.  Dave and his staff built "QO", as they are known, into one of the state of Maryland's elite programs.  For the many years he spent at QO before moving to Urbana High School in 2014 and eventually to the University of Maryland, he was rewarded by being named to the first ever Quince Orchard Athletic Hall of Fame.  

Dave getting drenched after winning the State Title.

Dave, along with 23 other outstanding coaches and athletes, made up the school's first ever class.  The school only opened in 1988, thus not having an athletic hall of fame until this year.  My daughter Brynn, Dave's wife and mother of their two young girls, posted a message on the school's website where she wrote:  "Proud of you Dave.  I loved being part of the QO family and community.  Excited to see Lisa, Bañi, Travis and Dake on here too."  Bañi Gbadyu went on to play middle-linebacker for Penn State and then help coach Mannheim Township High School where I taught at one time.  The members of the inaugural class will be honored on Friday, October 4th before the home football game that night.  My wife Carol and I wish to congratulate him for this remarkable accomplishment.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Did A Pretzel Kill The President?" Story

Advertisement for the British Docudrama

It was an ordinary day.  Reading about the 2006 British docudrama political thriller film about the fictional assassination of President George W. Bush on October 19, 2007 in Chicago, Illinois.  Wow!  I had never heard of this film before, but I did hear the real-life story about President George W. Bush almost dying after choking on a pretzel from Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  Company that made the pretzel was on the west side of the city, about two miles from my home.  Just how did President Bush choke on a pretzel from Lancaster, PA?  Seems that in 1992 Lancaster city resident John Moeller was hired as White House sous chef toward the end of the George H.W. Bush presidency.  John had security clearance to buy food for the White House on his own, so when he returned to Lancaster from time to time to visit with family, he would head to Lancaster's famous Central Market for produce.  

Hammond Pretzels in Lancaster County, PA.  Makers of
hand-made hard pretzels as seen in the background.

When Clinton became President, John continued working in the White House kitchen and making trips to Lancaster for home-grown food.  One trip he visited the Hammond Pretzel Bakery on South West End Ave. and purchased their hand-rolled pretzels to take back to the White House.  He would grab a bag of the pretzels and take it up to the second floor of the White House.  The Clinton's daughter, Chelsea, loved them.  Hillary Clinton asked him where he got the snacks and ended up writing a thank-you letter to the company's owners.  When President George W. Bush took over residency in the White House, John continued in his job as sous chef.  

President George W. Bush shows the effects
of eating a Hammond  pretzel.

On Sunday, January 13, 2002, President Bush was watching a football game on television when he grabbed a handmade Hammond pretzel which happened to get stuck in his windpipe.  Bush passed out briefly and fell to the floor from a couch, bruising his lip and scuffing his cheek.  He recovered consciousness on his own within a few seconds and was checked by the White House doctors.  They pronounced him fit.  Lucky for Moeller, since he feared for his job for a few minutes.  At the time no one mentioned Hammonds as the brand of pretzel that got caught in the President's windpipe.  

Pretzel's coming off the pretzel line.

Then First Lady Laura Bush went on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno and told of the experience and soon Ken Duberstein, Ronald Reagan's chief of staff, who is a Franklin & Marshall College alumnus which is in Lancaster, and a big Hammond's fan, confirmed it was a pretzel from Hammonds.  In 2005 John Moeller became acting White House chef for a few months.  He was in the running for the job permanently, but was passed over in favor of Chritela Comerford, the first female White House chef.  Was it the Hammond pretzel that did him in?  Shortly after, John left the White House, but Hammond's was asked to continue to send pretzels to the White House.  The orders slowly ended until in 2011 when Lancaster City's Mayor Rick Gray, a friend of mine, traveled to the White House with his wife for a Super Bowl party and took some Hammond's pretzels with them.  Not sure if they are still the favorite snack in the White House.  As far as John, he moved back to Lancaster and now runs his city-based catering business, State of Affairs Catering.  He also has a book for sale titled "Dining at the White House" which has to have the pretzel story in it.  At least, it should!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.  

The "They're Growing Them Bigger All The Time!" Story

Caden pitching this past season.

It was an ordinary day.  Standing in front of my grandson, Caden, congratu- lating him for the triple he hit today with the bases loaded that helped win the ballgame.  Caden turned 13 this past April.  His family doctor recently told his parents that he will probably grow to be 6'6" and perhaps well over 200 pounds.  Well, let me tell you...as I stood in front of him he has to be close to 6 feet tall already.  I was looking him directly in the eye and I am slightly over 6 feet tall.  He also looks to be maybe 160 pounds with a big chest, shoulders and arms.  He attends conditioning workouts a few times a month and it shows.  Next Spring will be his second year in baseball in what is known as 14U, which is 14 years old and under.  On the baseball field the basepaths for  14U are 75 feet with the pitching mound near 50 feet.  What seemed like an average distance this past summer will seem like a much shorter distance next summer since he will have put on a few inches in height and perhaps 25 to 30 pounds in weight.  

Nolan Rucci, high school sophomore and 6'8", 266 lbs. in size

Caden seems to be growing at an astounding rate, but after reading a story in the sports section of the local newspaper, it seems like he is small in stature.  One young man,  high school sophomore Nolan Rucci, who plays football for a high school team in nearby Lititz, Pennsylvania, and is probably 15 years old, is 6 foot 8 inches and weighs 266 pounds.  

Hayden Rucci, high school senior and 6'5", 225 lbs. in size

Yes, you read that correctly.  His brother, Hayden, who is a senior, is 6 foot 5 inches and weighs 225 pounds.  What are these kids eating these days and what is in the water they're drinking?  How would you like to have two sons that size and have to feed them.  Now, I guess I should have expected boys this height and weight since their father, Todd Rucci, played for the New England Patriots and was 6 foot 5 inches and weighed 296 pounds when he played.  

Todd Rucci, 6'5" and 296 lbs. in size

He and his family were members at St. James Episcopal Church and I can remember sitting behind him in church and struggling to see past him when we stood.  Todd's wife, Stacy, was an All-American field hockey player at Penn State University while Todd played football for Penn State.  I had Stacy as a student at Manheim Township High School in Neffsville, PA.  I also was a friend of Stacy's dad Tom Gilburg who was also a big man.  Tom was 6 foot 5 inches and weighed 245 pounds.  He played college football for Syracuse University and offensive tackle as well as punter for the Baltimore Colts during the same era when Johnny Unitas played.  He then moved to Lancaster to coach the Franklin & Marshall college team to a record of 160-112-2.  Loved visiting him to see all the sports memorabilia he has accumulated.  

Tom Gilburg, 6'5" and 245 lbs. in size 

Well, with parents and grandparents who demand respect due to their size, its no wonder both boys have great size genes.  Senior Haden, who is a tight end, has already committed to Wisconsin University to play football and Nolan has now received full athletic scholarships to his parent's alma mater, Penn State, as well as Virginia Tech, Syracuse, Michigan State, West Virginia, Pitt and Virginia.  Not bad for a 15 year old kid that is an offensive lineman.  The future looks bright for them, but they must prove they can also be successful in the classroom.  The world is waiting...but can they make the grade...or should I say grades?  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. 

Tom preparing to punt the ball for the Baltimore Colts

  

The "Collegiate Football Signing Day At The University Of Maryland" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Sitting in my daughter's home in Urbana, Maryland dunking a piece of cake in my glass of milk when my eye caught an article in a newspaper that was published in the December 21, 2017 Washington Post.  It featured my son-in-law Dave sitting at a conference table in the "war room" with the Maryland University head football coach, DJ Durkin looking over his shoulder while Dave was working with a program called Teamworks.  

Dave has been a high school football coach for many years and joined Maryland's staff about a year ago.  The Teamworks  program has been a revelation in recruiting of high school football athletes.  No longer is a fax machine needed to sign prospective players to a national letter-of-intent.  The program can be used to email a document that the prospect can sign on their mobile device, share with their parents or guardians and forward back to the University of Maryland; all in a matter of minutes.  Signing day was Wednesday, December 20 this year and about two hours after signing was allowed, Maryland had used the program to sign 20 of the 22 players they would end up signing that day.  Close to 100 major college programs now use Teamworks to sign their recruits.  Dave is involved in the process since he is the Head of Player Personnel and I can't imagine how excited he must have been that day.  After he received the signed papers he had to forward them to the director of recruiting operations who had to make sure they were all filled out properly and signed.  The program has revolutionized the signing process on signing day.  During Coach Durkin's first two years at Maryland his assistants would have to send signing documents to recruits by a PDF email attachment or by way of a FedEx paper form.  They would then have to be signed and dated and returned to Maryland.  I know it may sound fairly easy, but it wasn't.  Their top recruit this year, a Maryland High School offensive lineman, received his offer at 7:01 am, had it signed and delivered back to Maryland in five minutes.  In years past that would have been impossible, but this year by 7:18 it was official.  By 8:11 am Maryland had signed 20 players and by 8:25 am all 22 had signed and it was time to depart the "war room".  A list of the players which signed with the University of Maryland was published in the Washington Post and as I looked over it I was impressed with the physical size of the players that were recruited.  A defensive tackle is 6'3" and weighs 315 pounds, a tight end is 6'5" and weighs 245, a center is 6'2" and weighs 290, another defensive tackle is 6'5" and weighs 335, and the list goes on and on.  And, these are high school players that are being signed.  Maryland was ranked among the top 20 national classes in the recruit signings with five of the top 300 rated players in the nation.  Football is big money for our nation's collegiate programs and you need a winning program in order to attract the top players.  Maryland's class this year should help gain prominence in the rankings and having their signing day go so easy because of the new Teamworks program has taken the stress out of signing day.  Now those new signees need to step up and make the Maryland Terrapins one of the top teams in the country.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.  

The "An Individual Can Make A Difference, But A Team Makes A Miracle-Coach Doug Pederson" Story

It was an ordinary day.  The hoopla is just about over, but the memories of the Eagles winning the LII Super Bowl will be with me forever.  My Philadelphia Eagles have finally won the big one. Watched the parade and celebration yesterday and realize I'm not the only one who loves the Eagles.  Tried to spot my nephew in the crowd, but couldn't find him amongst the two million other people. Its been 58 years since the Philadelphia Eagles last won a football championship.  Back in 1960, before there was a Super Bowl, the Eagles were champions of the National Football League when they beat the Green Bay Packers 17-13.  I was a young boy in 10th grade whose only dream was to turn 16, get his driver's license and have a neat car.  But, early that year my favorite professional football team, the Philadelphia Eagles, won the National Football League.  I was so excited...until I saw the next neat car and my mind changed from football to cars.  The Philadelphia franchise was established in 1933 as a replacement for the Frankford Yellow Jackets which went bankrupt.  

The Eagles early logo.

The early edition of the Eagles won champion- ships in 1948 when the beat the Chicago Cardinals 7-0, again the following year when they beat the Los Angeles Rams 14-0 and then a 17-13 win over the Packers in 1960.  So its been almost 60 years since they are champions once again.  Since that time there have been a number of Eagles who have been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame; Chuck Bednarik, Bob Brown, Brian Dawkins, Reggie White, Steve Van Buren, Tommy McDonald, "Greasy" Neale, Pete Pihos, Sonny Jurgensen and Norm Van Brocklin.  Philadelphia has always been a very passionate football hotbed and consistently ranks in the top in attendance.  They have sold out their stadium every game since 1999 and rank as having some of the most intimidating fans in the NFL.  The team first played at Baker Bowl until moving to Philadelphia Municipal Stadium, now called John F. Kennedy Stadium, and then moved to Shibe Park which was later named Connie Mack Stadium.  

Lincoln Financial Field logo.

In 1957 the team moved to Franklin Field at the University of Pennsyl- vania which held 60,000 fans rather than the 39,000 at Connie Mack.  In 1969 Franklin Field became the first NFL stadium to install AstroTurf.  Finally, the team moved to Lincoln Financial Field and played their first game there on September 8, 2003.  The "Linc" can holds 68,532 screaming Philadelphia Eagles fans!  The current owner of the team is Jeffrey Laurie who bought the team from Norman Braman on May 6, 1994 for $184 million.  Today the Eagles are valued at $1.314 billion, the 17th most valuable sports team and according to me, the most spirited and obnoxious at times team.  I have watched the Eagles play under coaches Earle "Greasy" Neale, Buck Shaw, Joe Kuharich and  Jerry Williams.  Then Dick Vermeil took over and led them to the 1981 Super Bowl against the Oakland Raiders which they lost.  Buddy Ryan added a fiery attitude to the mix of coaches and was followed by Rich Kotite.  

The latest Eagle's logo.

One of my favorites was Andy Reid who became head coach in 1999 and took the Eagles to the playoffs the following year.  He eventually took them to the Super Bowl in 2008 where they lost to the Patriots as Carol and I watched while sitting in a sports bar on the island of St. Martin.  Andy became the 5th coach in NFL history to win 100 or more games with a single team in a single decade.  But, he couldn't win the big one.  Chip Kelly took over and he too couldn't win.  Then in 2016 a guy by the name of Doug Pederson was hired.  Not too long ago he was a high school coach.  He became Reid's offensive coordinator at Kansas City.  Took him two years to do what no other coach in Eagles history could do...win the Super Bowl.  The Philadephia Eagles have a storied history with many great players and a few good coaches, but this year's team will stand out in everyone's mind as perhaps the best ever since they won it all!  What's next?  A repeat!  We will see.  One thing for sure, the fans will fill the stands just as they have for years and years.  As for me, I'm thinking Super Bowl again!!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of a ordinary guy.   

The "We Are The World Champs!!!!"Story

It was an ordinary day,  Watching the beginning of the Super Bowl between the New England Patriots and my beloved Philadelphia Eagles.  Eagles lost the toss of the coin and received the opening kickoff.  As Carol and I listened to the announcers I said, "What are they saying?"  She replied, "I don't know, sounds like it's in Spanish!"  I replied, "What?  Did you hit the wrong button on the remote?"  Well, she ran into the living room to turn on the other TV to see if that TV was in Spanish.  English!  "Call one of the kids," I yelled to her.  "I don't want to watch the game on that TV.  It's all blurry," I told her.   Wasn't long before she had our oldest son on the line and he was asking her if we both forgot to take our medicine today!  "Try Brynn," I yelled to her.  Wasn't long before we had her on the line, but she was hard to hear since she was at a neighborhood party that must of had a house full.  "Dad, someone here asked if you have a row of buttons that say A,B,C,D."  Just then I heard shouting on the phone and when I looked at the TV I saw the Eagles had just kicked a field goal.  "Darn, I have no idea what they are saying," I said to her. "Dad, do you have a row of buttons that say A,B,C,D?" she yelled.  "If you do, hit the 'D' button."  

LDub dunking his Wacky cake and wearing
his Philadelphia Eagles Hat

Found it and Voila!  I could understand what they were saying.  Well, if you haven't heard the final score, it was Philadelphia 41, New England 33.  My favorite play, and perhaps the one that won the game was the razzle-dazzle one where the Eagles quarterback, Nick Foles, caught a pass in the endzone.  If you didn't see the play, all I'll tell you is...it was unbelievable.  I know of at least two new records that will go into the Super Bowl record book; first time a quarterback caught a pass in the endzone and the longest field goal by a rookie in the game.  

Gonna have to get one of these for my collection.

As I sit in my lounge chair typing this story, I am watching the presenta- tion of the Vince Lombardi trophy.  As it makes it way to the podium, all of the Eagles players are touching and kissing it.  Roger Goodell, the Commissioner of the league presented the trophy to Jeff Laurie, owner of the Philadelphia Eagles.  The MVP of the game was the back-up quarterback, Nick Foles.  He had to take the reigns of the team after starting quarterback Carson Wentz torn his ACL a few weeks ago.  Nick led the team to the Super Bowl and his coolness in the face of adversity made him the MVP.  But, my favorite part of this story is that of the 99-year old guy who has been an Eagles fan all his life and was sitting in the front row of the stadium and got a chance to see his team finally win a Super Bowl.  What a thrill it must have been for him.  I can hardly wait until next season!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Let The Battle Begin" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Just finished framing a Philadelphia Eagles jersey for a customer as well as matting and framing two 8"x10" Eagles collages.  If you are not a resident of the United States you may not be aware that today is Super Bowl Sunday when the two best professional football teams in the USA pair off to see who is the best.  

The matted Eagles jersey waiting the frame.

This year is the 52nd Super Bowl and matches the New England Patriots against the Philadelphia Eagles.  Since Lancaster, Pennsylvania, my hometown, is only about 75 miles from Philadelphia, I naturally am a supporter of the Eagles.  Both teams sport the same record of 15 wins and 3 losses during the season, but the Patriots have been picked as the favorite since the Eagles lost their starting quarterback and perhaps the MVP of the league a few weeks ago.  The Eagles were constantly picked as the underdog during their playoff run which saw them win all their games to qualify for the Super Bowl.  They cherish their underdog status with many players as well as fans donning dog masks and costumes.  The local TV station as well as stations from the greater Philadelphia area are filled with Eagles stories.  Our local newspaper has been publishing many human interest stories which features interest in the Eagles such as:  (1) "Quietly Influential" story telling about the team owner and his influence on the players, (2) "Fans Gear Up" story telling about the huge amount of Philadelphia Eagles shirts, hats, mugs, etc. that are flying off the shelves in stores around Lancaster County, (3) "Eagles fans in Florida flock to 'Philly bar'" story telling about a former Lancaster resident who moved to Boynton Beach, Florida where he opened a bar with his son and his son's college classmate and has the walls covered with Philadelphia  sports teams paraphernalia.  

Stories as they appear in my newspaper.

They expect a full house for the Super Bowl game, all supporting the Eagles, (4) "Love of the Eagles" story about a 12-year-old boy and his family who bonded with the football team during the young boys recovery from emergency brain surgery, (5) "Game raises stakes for compulsive bettors" story telling that the lure of the Super Bowl heightens pressures for people with gambling addictions, and (6) "Roommates discover football bond" story sharing Millersville University roommates story of discovering they had more in common then they first realized.  Girls names were Libby McCaskey and Madi Stoutland.  Madi's dad is the present offensive line coach for the Eagles while Libby's great-aunt is Virginia Halas McCaskey, principal owner of the Chicago Bears.  Their love of football had been a factor in their friendship and they are both pulling for the Eagles to win the game.  As for me, well I posted a story a few days ago about the game that Carol and I got to watch on the island of St. Martin where the Eagles lost.  Today I will watch it once again with my wife, but the temperature is about 60 degrees colder that the last Super Bowl we watched which also featured the Eagles and Patriots.  Can the underdog win just one more time?  You can bet that I'll be watching it.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.    

The "It's More Than Advertisements This Year" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Carol and I have just watched the Philadelphia Eagles completely dominate the Minnesota Vikings who were picked to beat the Eagles.  The Eagles beat the Vikings by outscoring them by 31 points which was the third most points ever in a National Conference Championship.  That goes back over 50 years.  I have been an Eagles fan for most of my life, with the exception of a few years when I liked the Baltimore Colts and Johnny Unitas.  As soon as the game ended Sunday evening Carol said, "Think we can get airline tickets and watch the game in St. Martin like we did in 2005?"  It was back in 2005 that the Eagles played the same team they will once again play, the New England Patriots.  We had arrived for vacation the day before the game in St. Martin and had gone to Le Chappel Restaurant for supper that evening.  When we got there we realized it was a sports bar and asked if they were going to broadcast the Super Bowl the next evening.  Response was "Yes", but in French.  Hey, as long as their jerseys didn't have French numbers on them I was fine.  We arrived the following evening at game time and were ushered to the front of the room where they had reserved tables for those that wanted to watch the game on the big screen TV.  

Carol and I watching the Super Bowl in St. Martin in 2005.

The restaurant also managed to get a USA cable connection so the game would be in English.  Carol and I were the only Eagles fans, but we still had a fantastic time with a good meal and football favors.  That was until the Eagles lost 24-21.  The 20 or so Patriots fans naturally had to rub it in.  Made for a very memorable vacation nonetheless.  As for repeating the same thing this year...that's not going to happen.  By that I mean we won't be heading back to St. Martin for the game and the Eagles aren't going to be on the losing end of the score.   I do wish that the Eagles quarterback, Carson Wentz, had not been injured, but I was a big fan of Nick Foles when he played for the Eagles a few years ago.  He was surrounded by great players and coaches, but they just didn't believe in themselves as this year's team does.  There were many years that Carol and I watched the Super Bowl just to see the advertisements, but this year we'll have to plan on having food on our snack trays when the game begins so we don't miss a moment of TV that evening.  The Super Bowl is the National Football League's championship game.  At first it was between the National Football League and the American Football League, but when they merged it became the championship between the two conferences.  This year is the 52nd time the Super Bowl has been held.  I pulled up a site to check on the price for tickets and the first one I found included airfare, hotel, game ticket, pregame party, unlimited open bar and premium tailgate fare; priced at $5,935.00 per person.  

The 52 Super Bowl: New England vs. Philadelphia

Geez, we might as well go to St. Martin to watch the game since it would be less that that!  The very first Super Bowl game in 1967 had tickets for $12.00.  Each participant on the winning team gets a ring valued at $5,000 with adjustments if you want more gold in the ring or bigger diamonds.  Losing team members also get rings, but they may not cost more than one-half the winner's rings.  The winning team receives the Lombardi Trophy which is worth $25,000 and made of sterling silver.  Vince Lombardi, coach of the Green Bay Packers, won the very first Super Bowl.  Most times the Super Bowl is the most watched broadcast of the year on American TV.  For years the most watched TV show in history had been the last episode of M*A*S*H, but the record was broken in 2010 by the Super Bowl.  Today 9 of the top 10 spots for most watched show on TV is the Super Bowl.  And, for your information, 72 footballs are used for the Super Bowl (all checked for proper inflation I hope).   I hope the Eagles can continue to be the underdog in their search for their 1st Super Bowl win.  They've been the underdog throughout the playoffs this year, so one more underdog roll may make them winners.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. 

The "The Ride Is Finally Over!" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Walked out for the Sunday morning newspaper and opened it to the sports section to read about the Manheim Township football team.  This year's Manheim Township High School football team in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania went as far into the State Playoffs as any team in the history of the school.  And that, my readers, goes way, way back.  The school district was founded in 1729 in the years when Pennsylvania was still a British colony.  Three of the five men appointed by the Second Continental Congress to draft a Declaration of Independence in 1776 hadn't even been born when the township was created.  So, history really has been set this past football season.  Now, I must admit that Manheim Township High School only opened in September of 1929, but the township existed long before the school was built.  As far as football is concerned, Lancaster Catholic High School, also located in Manheim Township, began football long before the public high school did.  Catholic started high school football in 1930, the year after Manheim Township opened their high school.  It wasn't until 1944 that the board of directors of the township approved the varsity sport of football.  Then in 1945 they played, and won, their very first football game.  So, reaching the semi-finals in the State 6A (largest size school in the state) Playoffs this year has been 72 years in the making.

My friend Jere, seated, and myself
played football together in 1958.

I graduated from Manheim Township High School in 1962 and as a 6 foot, 150 pound freshman, played football.  All my friends were playing football so I naturally had to play also.  One of my childhood friends, neighbors and now traveling companions, Jere played also.  We played on the freshman team, Jere being the center and me being the quarterback.  Actually got to play one play with the Varsity when the coach had me play defense one play in a blow-out win the final game of the year.  Guy came running through a hole, knocked me on my butt and kept on going.  Following Monday I turned in my equipment and that was it for me and football.  When I graduated from college I returned to Manheim Township to teach and the first year was asked to help coach football.  

The 1958 Freshman team at Manheim Township High School.
Jere is #72 in the right front and I am #68 in the center of the photo.

Luckily the head coach at the time, Eugene Kruis, never read my high school stats from years before.  Once again, after the season I turned in my locker room key and that was the end of my football coaching.  Over the years Manheim Township had some of the best football teams in the county.  

Eugene Kruis was the head coach when Manheim Township
went undefeated in 1962 when I was a senior.  Gene ended
his career as one of the best high school coaches in
Lancaster County as well as the state of Pennsylvania.

When I was a senior our team was undefeated, but that was as far as your team could go at the time.  When my brother played, his team also won the league title, but once again, that was as far as you could go.  It wasn't until 1987 that state playoffs in high school football in Pennsylvania began.  Then in 2012 Manheim Township hired a hulk of a man by the name of Mark Evans who in no time had the "Blue Steaks" playing in the District Tournament.  

The 2017 Manheim Township High School football team who were the 6A (big school) District III Champions. 

This year they went undefeated in league play, losing only 1 non-league game.  They won their first round District game and finally won the school's first District Championship the week after to a team that had been picked to win by a large margin.  In the state semi-finals the following week they faced an opponent whose quarterback will go to Notre Dame next year.  Their opponent, Pine-Richland, had a record of 15-0 coming into the game and Manheim Township ended up playing defense too much and ended their season losing 28-7.  It was a great ride this year for the "Blue Streaks" who have set the bar a notch higher for the football program.  So what's next.  A taste of play-off winning can only help the Township program.  Time will tell.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.    

The "So Why Did You Watch The Superbowl Game? Story

It was an ordinary day.  Superbowl Sunday!  For most I realize it isn't an ordinary day, but since my Eagles aren't playing in the game, it is just an ordinary day.  For those who don't follow football or have that sport in your country, the Super Bowl is the annual championship game of the National Football League, the highest level of professional football in the world. The type of football that isn't played with a round ball and players tackle one another.   

The Superbowl officially began in 1970 and was meant to be the champion- ship between the National Football League and the American Football League.  The winner was to be declared the World Champion.  Even though the game isn't listed as a national holiday, many believe it should be.  I must say I'm not one of them.  Super Bowl Sunday is the 2nd largest day in the year for food consumption in the USA; Thanksgiving being the largest.  The game itself is said to be the most-watched American television broadcast in history with an average annual audience of about 114 million viewers.  The show that held the record before the Superbowl gained the top spot in 2010 was the final episode of M*A*S*H which was an American television series developed in the late 1960s to the early 1970s and was based on the 1968 novel MASH: A Novel About Three Army Doctors.  Since most everyone in the world seems to be tuned to the Superbowl, commercial time is extremely expensive, costing in the millions for a 30-second commercial.

I find I enjoy the commer- cials some years more than I enjoy the football game.  I wrote a story a few years ago about my favorites which include the Budweiser Beer commercial that features the Clydesdale horses being my favorites. Back in 2010 a survey was conducted and it was found that more people tune in to see the commercials than to watch the game.  Perhaps one of the best commercials was the 1984 Macintosh computer commercial.  It was said it changed the way that Super Bowl commercials were made.  That one-minute movie commercial promised that  the new Apple Macintosh would put an end to conformity and spark innovation and individuality.  The epic commercial was based on George Orwell's 1949 book "1984".  I guess you have to decide for yourself how iconic that ad was.  Another iconic Super Bowl commercial was the 1984 Wendy's "Where's The Beef?" commercial where three older woman examine a rather large hamburger bun and find a small beef pattie and one cries out, "Where's The Beef?"  Still funny after all these years.  Then there was the 1993 McDonald's ad which featured basketball stars Larry Bird and Michael Jordan who tired to outshoot each other in a game of HORSE for a Big Mac.  I think the earliest Super Bowl commercial was the 1976 ad which featured a monk using a Xerox 9200 copier to make 500 copies of an old manuscript.  This ad set the standard for all Super Bowl ads that followed.  Well, there you have it.  Any idea who might be playing in the game this year?  All I know it isn't the Philadelphia Eagles, my favorite.  One thing I can tell you though, there's bound to be a Budwiser commercial which features the Clydesdale horses.  If not, I'll have to watch reruns of House Hunters International next year ... unless the Eagles are in the game.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.  

PS - Well the game is over and my team lost.  And ... the advertisements were boring.  I really don't remember any of them they were that bad. Oh yeah, I did see the Clydesdales ... for maybe 3 seconds in one commercial.  If I had blinked, I would have missed them.  You know, maybe I just imagined I saw them.  

PSS - check out some of the older commercials ... commercials that you will certainly remember.

The "The Evolution Of Football Wear" Story

Lancaster football players wearing team wear from the 1910/1920s.
Soft leather helmets, known as harnesses, were primarily to protect
the ears.  The player, second from the right, is wearing a full harness
that the entire head.  The jerseys were probably made from wool and
the pants were made of thick canvas with some padding sewn into them.
Click on photo to enlarge it.

It was an ordinary day.  Watching my Phila- delphia Eagles beat up on the Pittsburgh Steelers.  Carol and I were watching hit after hit and it was hard to believe that someone wasn't having permanent brain trauma due to the beating everyone was taking.  Got me to thinking what it was like when football began years ago. I did some reading and found that college football rules voted to allow tackling below the waist in 1888.

This is the first illuminated football game in Pennsylvania that
was played on October 26, 1929 at nearby Stevens, PA.  Game
was between ParkHill, Lancaster and Exeter, Reading.

Pads were deemed necessary after the rule change, but wearing a helmet wasn't made mandatory until 1939.  Helmets weren't mandatory in professional football until 1943. Before the advent of football helmets, players would often grow their hair long to help protect their head, or so they thought.  Guy given credit for the helmet was George Barclay who, in 1896, designed a headgear that became known as a head harness.

This game is being played at Franklin & Marshall College practice
field in 1944.  The team pictured here is the West End team which
won the game 76-14 and ended an 8-0 season.  Only about half
of the players sport any type of head protection.

It had three thick leather straps forming a close fit around his head that was made by a harness maker.  U.S. Naval Academy Midshipman Joseph Reeves also was given some credit for the helmet when he fashioned a helmet out of mole skin to help protect his head after he was told by a Navy doctor that he must give up football or risk death.

The evolution of the football helmet.

Eventually Reeves went to a shoemaker/blacksmith and had a crude leather helmet made to protect his head.  As the helmet evolved, they began to look like aviator's helmets.  Then, by 1915, when more padding and ear flaps were added, they began to look like the helmets that are worn today.   Painted helmets began to help team members recognize players on their team.  It wasn't until 1948 that team logos were added to helmets.  In 1917 the helmets were made to "cradle" the skull from the outside covering of the helmet.  Straps of fabric formed a pattern inside the helmet.  These helmets were known as "ZH" helmets named after the Illinois coach who came up with the design.

This photo was taken from my high school yearbook.
It shows the helmets in use in 1961.  They look to be
plastic with a single bar face masks.

Companies such as Rawlings and Spalding began to manufacture helmets soon after.  In the mid-1930s rubber-covered wire facemasks were added to the helmet.  In 1940 the plastic helmet was invented by John T. Riddell and his son.  The single molded shell was stronger, lighter and laster longer that the leather ones.  But, the plastic helmet was brittle when struck head-on by another player.  In 1956 a helmet with a single wave radio was made so the coach could communicate with the player.  Then in 1971 energy-absorbing helmets were designed.  A pump was used to add air to  the helmet to mold it to the head.  In 1976 the four-point chin strap was designed to better hold the helmet in place. In 2002 Riddell Company released the "Revolution" which is widely used today in the National Football League. At first they claimed that the helmet reduced the likelihood of concussion by 31%, but government testing proved that not to be true.  I had a student in high school who played football and after suffering a few concussions during his high school career, had a specially designed helmet made by the school to help him.

The latest look in helmets by Riddell Company.

Huge thing that had to weigh a ton with extra layers on it, but it seemed to work.  I imagine it never became popular due to its size.  Today's helmets have the capability of adding a polyurethane pad to the outside of the helmet to help prevent concussions.  The latest design, as far as I can find, is the Riddell SpeedFlex which is backed by extensive reasearch which includes 2+ million data points of on-field impacts.  It sells for $324 which, unfortunately, is  too much for many high school football programs to afford.  At least the majority of the helmets worn today are a far cry from the leather helmets that were worn when they were first invented.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.