The Game!
January 25th, 2009As Super Bowl Sunday approaches and most Americans get ready to celebrate this “unofficial” holiday… me and a group of close friends will dig out the well-worn jerseys & sweat pants and dust off the old football cleats, to convene at a little field on the grounds of an elementary school in Farmingdale, NY. The “Daler Bowl” as it’s come to be known… at least now it has… (I just thought of the name 2 minutes ago… really!) will be played for the 27th time (give or take a year or two) in as many years, on that patch of dirt and grass that connects the outfields, of two Little League diamonds, in the summer. The game started, quite by accident in the early 80’s, because we had a couple of guys, unseasonably warm weather and a football. We also had a few hours to kill before the “big game” started. I always carried my football around back then and it wasn’t unusual for a 2 on 2 game of touch football to break out. The players, in “Daler Bowl” I, were me, Vinny, Patrick and Tony. We never thought that it would become an annual event or that it would take on the significance that it has… but what did we know? Tony moved to Florida later that year and hasn’t played since. The rest of us have played in every game, with the exception of one each. Pat missed his first Daler Bowl last year! Most people have their annual touch-football games on Thanksgiving (or Thanksgiving weekend) when family and friends return home for the holidays. Not us… we do it when the weather is as unpredictable as the ending of a CSI episode. We’ve played in sun, snow, ice, mud, extreme cold, windy conditions… everything but rain… at least, so far. We’ve had several players come in and out of the game over the years. Some have stuck around… others played once or twice and never came back. Although it’s “touch” football… we’ve had players suffer broken bones, sprained ankles and cracked ribs. When it’s over and we’re telling stories over chicken wings and Heinekens (usually at Mer’s Pub)… everyone’s laughing and everbody’s friends again. The “game” has been witness to… engagements and disengagement; marriages and divorces; births of children and the deaths of parents and friends;very good times and very bad times. The “game” played in ‘02, only a few months after 9/11 was a special one, since we have a couple of FDNY members (Vinny & Chris K.) that play every year. Vinny lost his friend and partner, Rob, when the towers came down. Not to get too deep… but the”game” has really become a microcosm of life.We were teenagers when this thing started and now some of us have teen-aged sons playing too! Pat’s son Chris and my son John (both 17) have been playing for a few years now. Last year, Vinny’s sons Sean (13) and Tyler (9) along with my youngest son Ryan (also 9) played for the first time. Passing the torch is a good thing… especially since it takes me at least a week to recover. Lately, I’ve noticed that the pass routes are getting shorter, the speed of the game is slowing down among the “old” guys… and the time spent “telling stories over chicken wings and Heinekens” has become increasingly longer, while the game itself seems to end a little earlier each year. It’s only natural, I guess… but I’d still like to be playing the “game” when I’m in my 50’s and 60’s! Maybe even when I’m in my 70’s! I want to be out there with my son’s sons (or daughters)… even if it’s just for one set of downs. Then I’ll head over to Mer’s Pub with the other “old guys” and we’ll save them a good spot at the bar. I’ll be the one with the Heineken and the big smile on my face.
Last Saturday night I had the pleasure and privilege to introduce the New Riders of the Purple Sage to the Boulton Theater stage in Bay Shore. Although I wasn’t a huge fan of NRPS growing up… I do remember the hits like “Glendale Train” and “Panama Red.” On stage, I related the personal story of taking the bus, from North Massapequa to Jones Beach with my friends when we were 14 or 15, and listening to the New Riders on the boom box! I left out the part about getting off the bus near our homes and seeing several Nassau County police cars at the Photomat booth. It turned out that there had just been a robbery there and we walked home singing “…somebody robbed the Photomat (instead of Glendale Train) this morning at half past nine… .” Yeah, yeah… I know. Of course I know the history of the band, with their ties to the Bay area music scene and their link to Jerry Garcia and other Grateful Dead members (that were former NRPS members)… but I didn’t realize the scope of their music or the excellence in their musicianship… until the other night. The band, with original member, David Nelson on lead guitar, Buddy Cage on the pedal-steel, my good friend and guitarist Michael Falzarano (formerly of Hot Tuna), bass player Ronnie Penque and drummer Johnny Markowski (both formerly of Stir Fried)… brought their “A game” to Bay Shore! The “Riders” kicked it off with a fantastic version of “Take a Letter Maria”, played the hits and old favorites, mixed in a few new tunes (that really sounded good) and ripped through a great version of “Friend of the Devil!” The crowd was genuinely excited and they were on their feet at the end of the band’s 90 minute set! While there may have been monsoon conditions outside… inside the Boulton Theater… it was magical! And there may have even been a Full Moon at Midnight!