Butler Wins!!

I am thrilled to report that my Welterweight Client Ardrick Butler scored a victory last evening at the Arena is South Philly. He prevailed in a unanimous decision over William Williams of North Carolina. Ardrick knocked Williams down hard in the 3rd round and it looked like a KO was imminent. However, Williams has a hard jaw and got up to continue. 5 of 6 rounds went to Butler on the score cards and he looked good throughout the match. his record now improves to 7-4 with 3 KO's and we are on to the next bout...

Vintage Lehigh Athletics

One of the admirable things about Patriot League teams: Lehigh, Colgate, Bucknell et al...and to some extent Ivy League teams...and West Point and Annapolis for sure and certainly many others....is the play of "scholar athletes." These teams are made up of kids who actually go to class and have real majors. Not like some Florida Football factory where the running back majors in Wallet Making or Plant Watering and gets cash and cars on the down low from loaded Alums who show up in 200 K RV's on Wed. for Saturday's game.
"Scholar Athletes" at schools like the service acadamies have serious course loads and very rigorous academic standards to maintain....not to mention the Naval/Military sciences they study. If these kids flunk they have to pay back the Government.
I admire these athletes tremendously for their dedication and discipline.

Last Lacrosse Post of the Season

This weekend my son played on the Philly Fever Tournament team at the Patriot Game Tournament in Pipersville, PA. This Tournament is huge and features teams from as far away as Colorado and Connecticut. Our kids finished 5th overall in the Tournament winning 3 out of 5 games. My son scored a "highlight reel" goal in the secind game yesterday for the first goal of the game. He was playing attack in the 1st Quarter and received a well placed pass during a fast break....he buried a blistering shot high to the upper right corner of the cage...over the Goalie's right shoulder. He was the recipient of the requisite chest bumps by his team mates and some praise fromn his otherwise laconic coach. I was practically delirious with pride and received some great comments from other team parents! I was really most happy for the sense of accomplishment this gave my boy as he was trepidatious about this team and in a moment of self deprecation confided to me that he thought all the other kids were better players than him. On the car ride home, I inquired if he still felt that way...he smiled and said he did not. I told him I was very proud of how he played in all 5 games and that the goal (and 2 assists) he had should convince him he is good enough to play at this level and indeed better than a few other attackmen on the squad. I also reinforced that regardless of how I felt...he should be proud of himself and be confident about his skills.Indeed, one of his assists was on a tie breaking goal that ended up winning the game for the team!
It was a blistering hot weekend here in Pennsylvania so we all made sure the kids "hydrated" before,during and after the games and the Coach made frequent substitutions to keep the boys from fatigue. It was sweltering for the spectators as well as the players and the fields were rock hard and dry. The Tournament organizers also shortened the games fro 2 24 minute halves to 2 18 minute halves due to the conditions. It was a well run and organized event and the kids jad a blast. This signals the end of organized lacrosse for the Summer until Fall Leagues and Tuournaments commence in October.

P.S. For those following along on the scorecard, my son is seated on the first row. far right....good looking kid if I do say so myself....takes after his Mom of course!

Aquatic Sportsman

The Archer fish....found in brackish estuaries in Australia and Polynesia....these cool little hunters shoot water from their mouths and zap land based insects. When the prey is hit by the stream and falls into the water, the Archerfish has a meal.
An archerfish shoots water by squeezing its gill covers. That pushes water forward along the roof of its mouth.The roof of the mouth has a small channel or groove to concentrate the hydo-force. The stream of water can fly more than 3 feet (90 centimeters) in the air.
This fish fascinates me as an example of Darwinian adaptation. On a more remedial level, how cool is it that this fish hunts by spitting!

Helter Swelter

It is hot in the Quaker City today....indeed all over the nation we are getting a simulated Equatorial ass whooping. As Eugene says in "Biloxi Blues"..."like Africa hot..."
I walked across the street to the bank for the morning deposit and the heat pressed up from the sidewalk like a blow torch. Yesterday walking fromn the garage to the office I sweated thru another suit. It really sucks. In an effort to change my perspective I fondly perused pictures from our Family trip last year to Steamboat Springs, Colorado. One of the things we really enjoy as a Family is skiing. I guess I spoiled my kids on the the Slopes of Utah when I took them to the 2002 Winter Olympics. They scoff the icy hard slopes of Vermont and New York where I skiied my entire youth. I cannot really blame them because Utah or Colorado just eclipses the East Coast for downhill pursuits.
It cools me off just to look at these pictures and remember the cold and biting dry Rocky Mountain air and the great Winter atmosphere of Steamboat. So when I am melting on the way back to get my car this evening, I can mentally travel back to a time when I needed Gortex and hollofil to be comfortable. Like my Grandfather used to say: "When it's cold you can always put something else on...but when it's too hot ...once your bare ass there is nowhere to go."

Friday Belt

I am shamelessly stealing a Post Title from The Trad. Well, borrowing actually...and it certainly is not the type of belt Tin-Tin would describe. Here we see the USBA Championship belt carried by the Title holder/Champ last evening at Bally's in Atlantic City.
After a long week toiling in the trenches of the Law, the Sportsman decided it was time for a Sportsman's day. So, I bugged out of the office early yesterday and picked up my faithful buddy and fellow Sportsman, Linc. We headed to Germantown Cricket Club for lunch and an afternoon of tennis and some gym time. Then we lazed by the pool until 5 p.m. and hopped in Linc's limo at 6:30 for a rolling Happy Hour on the way to A.C. The comestibles featured Mount Gay Extra Old on the rocks with a squeeze of Lime, Corona's and a huge bag of cashews. The fights were presented by my good friend and famous Hall of Fame boxing promoter,Russell Peltz of Peltz Boxing. It was a good card and each fight was more exciting than the last. I was lucky enough to get a picture with garret "the ultimate warrier" Wilson the Cruiserweight Champ who was carrying his USBA belt in a special custom suitcase.
We then hit the Craps tables for a few rolls of the bones and headed back to the Main Line with White House Hoagies on board.

Sportsmen's Ethics

The following was written by Joe Hackett and published in The Adirondack Daily Enterprise. I believe this is a quality piece and offers rules and lessons for those of us who take to the outdoors to hunt,fish,camp and explore.It is a bit long for the attention span of most of us Bloggers, but this Sportsman believes it to be worth the time.

ADIRONDACK DAILY ENTERPRISE COLUMN by Joe Hackett on May 28,2011:

There is always room for improvement in our personal outdoor behavior. Ethics are principles we apply to such behavior, even when we know nobody is watching. It is doing the right thing, simply because we know it is the right thing.

The effort may be as simple as picking up someone else's trash, releasing a foul hooked fish, or respecting a fellow hunter's territory. There's no award or pat on the back, just a personal sense of satisfaction.

We should conduct ourselves in a manner comparable to what we expect from others and extend a similar respect for fish, wildlife and the environment.

Many outdoor travelers like to believe they are the first to discover a special waterfall or visit a unique location, even when they know otherwise.

It may be an ancient compulsion retained in our genetic stew, a relic deeply recessed in our psyche that provides a dusty reminder of a time spent as hunter-gatherers.

This urge reveals an unwavering human curiosity to discover what lies beyond the far horizon. It is this inexplicable force that continues to draw climbers to Mount Everest, divers to the deep seas and astronauts into space.

Quite simply, it is our need for adventure and the unique sense of freedom that results from such experiences. However, we must realize that our sense of freedom and the adventures that accompany this travel are often limited by our own actions and the actions of others.

Royal Robbins, a well known climber and kayaker explained it when he wrote, "A simple equation exists between freedom and numbers: the more people, the less freedom."

Regardless of the remoteness or the wild character of the lands we travel, our personal sense of adventure can easily be diminished and even ruined due to the actions of others. If a cigarette butt is found discarded along a lonely trail, a worm container left floating on a remote pond or a banana peel left atop a soaring mountain, it is evidence of the hand of man and an intrusion on the natural landscape.

Whether on a trail, in the woods or on the water, all outdoor travelers should attempt to understand the needs and desires of fellow enthusiasts to encourage a spirit of goodwill and cooperation in the sharing and protection of our precious natural resources.

Passing on the tradition

The first book published on the principles of fishing with rod and reel was entitled "The Compleat Angler." Authored by Izaak Walton in 1653, it addressed the topic of sharing our outdoor experiences.

Walton understood the mentoring process, writing "As no man is born an artist, so no man is born an angler."

As far back as the 1650s, Walton knew the most effective method of instilling goodwill and cooperation among fellow outdoor travelers is best accomplished by example. This remains true in 2011.

Most outdoorsmen and women didn't just pop out of bed one morning to declare, "I'm going to become an outdoor enthusiast today."

It simply doesn't happen that way. We learn our outdoors skills somehow, somewhere, from someone largely by hands-on experience.

Surveys indicate the vast majority of outdoor travelers acquire original sporting knowledge from experiences with a mentor. Typically a father or a friendly uncle is the cited provider. Angling is the usual introductory activity.

As part of the process, most sportsmen report receiving instruction on the basics of outdoor travel and learning how to bait a hook, cast a line and catch a fish. Rarely is there mention of the ethical aspects of outdoor endeavors.

More often, we develop our personal outdoor and sporting ethics through observation. We are taught to respect our elders and we learn by mimicking their behavior.

Although outdoor travelers comprise a very diverse fraternity of men and women, it is quite surprising to consider our commonality. Most outdoor travelers we meet, whether afield or afloat, share similar interests and/or backgrounds.

We may not be mirror images, but the resemblance is often undeniable. The complete angler of today is an ethical angler, sporting a wide grin.

Etiquette matters

We do not go to the green woods and crystal waters to rough it, we go to smooth it. We get it rough enough at home, in towns and cities. -Nessmuk, 1863

I believe the most successful outdoor traveler is the one having the most fun, and the second most successful traveler is the person sharing that experience. Yet sharing often causes problems.

Unfortunately, the majority of outdoor travelers rarely distribute evenly throughout our wild lands. The most concentrated use is typically found within a few specific locations contained in a few specific wilderness areas, where the vast majority of people journey to seek solitude.

In fact, over half of all travelers utilize less than 10 percent of the total designated wilderness in the Adirondacks. Additionally, most backcountry travel occurs on less than 10 percent of the total trail miles.

Research indicates visitation patterns are unevenly distributed and certain seasons tend to be more popular. Weekend and holiday use is always high, with weekends attracting five times the traffic as weekdays. Travelers are likely to find the highest degree of solitude during midweek or off-season.

The ability to get along with fellow outdoor travelers is really a matter of treating others as you would expect to be treated. However, there are a few rules beyond simply extending common courtesy.

Respect privacy and peace of mind by maintaining a sensible distance at all times on the trail or the water and when making camp. Be as quiet as possible and speak in low tones, especially in the evening and near the water.

Travel light, travel right

There are a variety of concepts used to explain the idea of responsible recreation. However, the popular framework established by the Leave No Trace (LNT) program offers some of the finest and most widely accepted principles for enjoying the outdoors with minimal impact.

Originally, the LNT program was established for backpackers in order to provide a simple set of environmentally sensitive methods that, when properly applied, would insure a satisfying and sustainable outdoor experience for everyone involved.

The LNT ethic employs a common sense approach to outdoor travel and incorporates seven basic tenets:

Plan ahead and prepare

Travel and camp on durable surfaces

Dispose of waste properly

Leave what you find

Minimize campfire impacts

Respect wildlife

Be considerate of other visitors

All outdoor travelers, regardless of recreational pursuit, should make an effort to enjoy the outdoors without the risk of spoiling anyone else's experience, or the environment in the process.

Most outdoor enthusiasts understand this concept and they are willing to invest the time to restore, enhance and conserve the backcountry for the benefit of all.

Sighting In-Careful

My fellow hunter and Club member Sandy sent me these photos. Sandy is a retired State Police Sniper and a Marine who saw significant active duty in Viet Nam. He was a door gunner on a chopper after recovering from taking bullets in the leg during a firefight on the ground. he spent many years with the N.J. State Police. The guy can drive nails with a .22 from 200 yards.
Sandy is a wizard with guns and ballistics and related topics...he is also a damn fine guy with whom to spend time in a duck blind or smoking a cigar with after dinner. These pictures show what happens if one is not methodical and careful. All of us hunters spend considerable time sighting in a deer rifle. This takes time, a good 100 yard firing range, a spotting scope and a steady hand. We also pattern our shotguns and practice as much as possible.
The poor schmuck who sat at the bench to sight in this rifle forgot to remove the bore sighting mechanism from the muzzle...and the result is quite horrible.

Sporting Cigarette Silks

Long before Don Draper was shagging every wench he saw and pimping Lucky Strikes to the masses, Tobacco Companies were employing tricks and premiums to encourage purchase of their smokes over those of the competition. Around the turn of the century...the last one....Cigarette companies offered "silks" featuring various themes. Each theme was usually a series...such as the college athletes from Cornell, Navy and Lehigh noted above. You can see the print add now: "Buy Acme Brand cigarettes and complete your athletic series before your friends!"
These items are becoming more and more rare and are quite sought after by collectors. I have found a few when scavenging around flea markets and antique shows. I was particularly excited to find the Lehigh Cricketeer...though I never saw any cricket going on up in Bethlehem when I was there mid 80's or even heard that it was played back when my Great Uncle was there early '30's.
These silks make a nice conversation piece when framed and displayed...essentially turn of the century baseball cards for grownups and University sports.

Rehab...

No I am not at some clinic drying out....although after this Holiday weekend it may be a reasonable idea. The subject of Rehab for current discussion is duck decoys.
Our Duck Hunting Club has a fairly extensive set of duck decoys for use by the members. We have Mallard Drakes and Hens, Woodies, Teal, Black Ducks etc.
Some of our better decoys are vintage Herters. Herters makes a fine sturdy decoy that is very realistic and seem to attract the birds. Sadly, many of our Club's Herters are pretty beat up, banging around in a boat, getting hit by ice flows in the marsh, floating in brackish water, exposed to mud and temperature. Herters are top quality cork decoys so it is worth salvaging and maintaining the inventory. Pictured above are 2 decoys that have been rehabbed by one of my friends who is very talented at both fixing and building decoys. I hope that with these examples I can convince the Club Members to agree to spending the money for rehab of all the corks.
As of Friday it is 60 days until Dove Season so our thoughts begin to turn once again to shooting pursuits.