Thank you!
Your support is sustaining the future of local news in our communities.

Going downhill fast

I’ve always been a fan of Sisyphus; I mean who couldn’t be? The dude gets condemned to a death time of useless labor, and he sticks with it.  Kinda like playing for the Orioles for all eternity but still batting .300 for the career. Heroic, even.

Were I Sisyphus though, the thing that would worry me would not be the part about pushing the rock up the hill; I mean that’s just good exercise. No, what would worry me would be what the rock was going to do going down the hill. Think about it; we’re not just talking a pebble here. This is a boulder suddenly showing that it has a mind of its own and that its mind is made up to do us as much evil as it can muster. Not the recipe for a rockin’ good time (sorry!).

That thought was on my mind as I was watching the opening edition of Monday Night Football, featuring the Baltimore Ravens against the newly minted, far from ocean blue Las Vegas Raiders. They may not be raiding any local shipping, but they had it in their minds to roll down on the Ravens endangered quarterback, Lamar Jackson.

Now one of things all football coaches try to teach is what is called “downhill tackling.” In other words, we want our D-line and backs to not just hit the ball carrier, but roll through him like Sisyphus’s rock looking to turn him into leftover jelly.  I know, not overly delicate, but you have to admit, it gets your attention.

Anyway, nobody on the Ravens’ staff seemed to think that Jackson’s health was worth giving him an O-line that could keep the Raiders’ downhill boulders off the QB long enough to ensure that he wasn’t going to be run over and jellified. 

They also didn’t tell him to stay in the pocket and pay attention to keeping his body parts intact. He ran, and the Raiders tackled downhill. Ouch!

The lesson here is that there are old quarterbacks (think Tom Brady) and there are running quarterbacks; but there are no old, running quarterbacks. Keep those fellas at the bottom of the hill and don’t give those NFL boulders a running start.

 

Millerton resident Theodore Kneeland is a former teacher and coach — and athlete.

Theodore Kneeland

Latest News

The Millerton News - November 5, 2026

The Millerton News - November 5, 2026

Download directly

Eric Alexander wins County Legislature reelection campaign

Eric Alexander wins County Legislature reelection campaign

County Legislator Eric Alexander leads a meeting of the Dutchess County Legislature's Public Safety Committee on Wednesday, March 4, 2026. Alexander represents the towns of Amenia, Washington, the Village of Millbrook and a portion of the Town of Pleasant Valley

Photo by Aly Morrissey

Democratic candidates made gains and held ground across Northern Dutchess County in elections on Tuesday, Nov. 3.

County Legislator Eric Alexander has retained his seat after winning against Republican challenger Stefanie Hubert. As of 10:15 p.m., Alexander had secured 56.8% of the vote.

Keep ReadingShow less
elections

A Halloween scream with David Arquette

A Halloween scream with David Arquette

David Arquette, left, talks with moderator Victor Dandridge during “Behind the Scream” at the Warner Theatre in Torrington on Oct. 31.

D.H. Callahan

This December marks the 30th anniversary of Wes Craven’s “Scream,” one of the most influential movies in horror history. On Saturday, Oct. 31, David Arquette, one of the film’s stars, came to the Warner Theatre in Torrington for a Halloween screening and conversation billed as “Behind the Scream.”

“Scream” was met with critical praise when it premiered in 1996, with many noting its satirical, self-aware look at the horror genre without the usual trappings of camp or kitsch. Featuring a cast of mid-1990s A-listers including Drew Barrymoore, Matthew Lillard, Rose McGowan, Liev Schreiber, Neve Campbell and “Friends” star Courteney Cox, the movie was destined to be part of the cinematic zeitgeist.

Keep ReadingShow less
film
google preferred source

Want more of our stories on Google? Click here to make us a Preferred Source.

After 30 years, Dave Jones is shifting into lower gear

After 30 years, Dave Jones is shifting into lower gear


Now, 30 years later and in his late 60s, Jones is at the point in his life where he’s ‘figuring out how to land the plane.’

My husband and I first met Dave Jones in 2019, after we’d just moved into our house in Lakeville, a former auto repair garage with 14-foot-high ceilings that had been renovated into a residence. One day, when we woke up to a dead car battery, we called Lakeville Automotive, the nearest repair shop. Jones answered the phone a bit gruffly but then surprised us by showing up in half an hour to jump-start our car. We invited him inside for coffee, and looking around, he said with a grin that for 10 years, back in the day, he’d stored his Mazda Miata right in our living room.

Keep ReadingShow less
our community

A different kind of neighborhood bar

A different kind of neighborhood bar

Ryan Andrade brings his passion for inventive cocktails and neighborhood hospitality to Le Bar in Sharon.

D.H. Callahan

When Ryan Andrade moved back to the Tri-Corner region during the pandemic, he wasn’t looking to create a new kind of neighborhood bar. But by the time he connected with Robert Arbor of Le Gamin in Sharon, his vision was clear. In May, they brought that vision to life at a revitalized Le Bar.

Andrade grew up around Millerton, attending the Webutuck High School before heading to Western New England University, where he studied psychology. He’d been slinging coffee since high school but didn’t catch the cocktail bug until managing a cafe at the SoHo Grand Hotel, which, thanks to an international clientele accustomed to different time zones, had a morning bar service. It was there that Andrade discovered the seemingly infinite possibilities of the cocktail world. While there was only so much one could do with coffee, learning about the potential for cocktails, with their shelves and cabinets of curious ingredients, had Andrade feeling like a kid in a candy shop. It wasn’t long before he was seeking out mentors to teach him the industry secrets required of an innovative mixologist.

Keep ReadingShow less
business

Gretchen M. Studio opens in Salisbury

Gretchen M. Studio opens in Salisbury

Grethen Mol at her new studio in Salisbury.

Natalia Zukerman

The keys are hanging from the lock when Gretchen Mol comes to greet me at her new studio on Academy Street in Salisbury. The door is open, and so, it turns out, is she. Mol has the easy familiarity of someone you’ve known for years. And in a sense, you have.

The actress, known for her roles in “Boardwalk Empire,” “The Notorious Bettie Page” and, most recently, “Tulsa King,” is opening Gretchen M. Studio, a creative space and showroom for her small-batch clothing line, with an open house Friday, Nov. 6, and Saturday, Nov. 7.

Keep ReadingShow less
business
google preferred source

Want more of our stories on Google? Click here to make us a Preferred Source.