Year/Review: The “Lost” Topics
Each year, when we do our “SportsTalk: Year-in-Review” program, there are inevitably a few topics that, because of time limitations, we don’t get an opportunity to present on our show.
While Keith Groller and I had some great ‘back-and-forth’ for the topics we did get to debate during the show, there were once again a few topics that we didn’t get to address.
Today, we’d like to present some of these sports conversational pieces that didn’t make it on-air…
- Hardest working group in sports?
KEITH — It has to be the RCN4 Cable crew. People have no idea how hard everybody works to set things up before a game and then has to tear it all down in a matter of minutes after a game ends
ME – Local Girls basketball teams (on and off the court); there were a number of very hard working teams in the RCN viewing are that went deep into the state playoffs, and some great stories of local teams participating in charity events, for Cops ’ n ’ Kids, local food and homeless shelters and more.
- Biggest Myth of 2017?
KEITH — That because we had one great basketball night at PPL that the District 11 basketball was going to automatically return there. The PPL Center has not made it affordable and have not afforded good dates for the district. You would have thought the PPL Center would welcome high school sporting events back with open arms. It hasn’t happened.
ME – That the media is “out to get” the Catholic schools by looking for stories to make them look bad and/or avoid covering them in favor of public schools.
- 2017 Will Be Remembered As the Year…
KEITH — That athletes and politics collided and depending on your viewpoints, you either treated the athletes as heroes for their stands or started to turn away from them.
ME – A decided change in sports journalism and the ways sports are covered–in virtually every aspect.
- Most Disappointing Administrative Decision in 2017?
KEITH — The PIAA and District 12 allowing a kid who played football all season in New Jersey come over and play for Conwell-Egan in a state quarterfinal against Palisades which created an uproar and put a spotlight on how unfair the system is when it comes to certain private and public schools.
ME — Missing out on “teachable” moments…several examples around sports teams this year in where schools could do the right thing/create a very rich real life learning experience – but instead took the “safe” way out and washed their hands of an issue.
- Toughest Coaching Challenge Heading into 2018?
KEITH— Locally, it’s whoever gets the Catty, CCHS and Northampton football jobs. All three programs were down in 2017 and Central in particular may face a difficult climb being back in the EPC South. On a more national level, whoever gets the job coaching the New York Giants who turned into a complete mess under Ben McAdoo and now have to deal with a building juggernaut in Philadelphia.
ME – Any one that plays Bethlehem Catholic girls basketball team – so well balanced, so well-coached and a very smart group of athletes… they are relentless defensively and very deep…it will be almost impossible for any Lehigh Valley team to beat them this season.
- Local Sports Change You’d Like to See in 2018?
KEITH –I would like to see a local boys basketball state champion in Hershey. It happens all the time in wrestling and the girls have had their share, but it has been since 1986 with Central Catholic that we’ve had a local team get the gold in Hershey.
ME — When one team is up by a large margin, play the bench players earlier than the last few seconds of a game. These kids work hard too and deserve a chance to play a little when an opportunity arises—especially when the team is on TV.
For more “year-in-review” comments and topics, make sure you watch the show on RCN On-Demand and our podcast, found here on the RCN-TV website!
