The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of RCN or any other agency, organization, employer or company.
I picked up the paper this morning and read that Sage Karam, former Nazareth wrestler and son of Liberty wrestling coach, Jody Karam, qualified for his sixth Indianapolis 500 race next Sunday. That is quite an achievement.
Just last week, I was having lunch and in walked Larry Holmes. Larry Holmes lived and grew up in Easton and became the heavyweight champion of the world. He never left the area, invested money here, and has always been a good example of what hard work and perseverance can accomplish.
Current conversation about great local athletes now centers on Saquon Barkley, not only as a football player for the New York Giants, but also as an ambassador for the best qualities in a person. Just this past week, he returned home to the Whitehall area, made a number of appearances and was patient enough to give admirers his time and focus.
Holmes, Karam, and Barkley made me realize that the Lehigh Valley has produced a number of outstanding athletes who prospered at the top of their game. There are certainly too many to talk about in one blog, but here are a few that came to mind, in no particular order:
Mario, Michael, and Marco Andretti: For racing fans, this is THE family in the Lehigh Valley. Mario and Marco still live in Nazareth. Michael now is an owner and will again have a team in the Indy 500 this coming weekend.
Matt Millen: The former Whitehall and Penn State graduate won four Super Bowls, became an outstanding analyst for NFL broadcasts and is now the top analyst for BIG 10 football. He recently had a heart transplant and will return to the broadcasting booth in the fall.
The Nasty Boys: Brian Yandrisovitz (“Knobbs”) and Jerry Saganovich (“Sags”) were THE top WWF wrestling tag team in the ‘90’s. Both are Whitehall High School grads.
Michelle Marciniak: The Central High School grad is a former college basketball All-American. At Tennessee, she competed for two national championships and won one in 1996 and was named MVP. She went on to play five years in the WNBA.
Ed McCaffrey: A phenomenal basketball and football player at Central Catholic, Ed had a great college and pro football career at Stanford and the NFL. He won three Super Bowls as a 49er and a Denver Bronco.
Marty Nothstein: The Emmaus graduate was an Olympic gold and silver medalist in cycling.
Dan Koppen: Another Whitehall grad who centered the ball to Tom Brady for eight NFL seasons and to Peyton Manning for one year. Koppen won two Super Bowls with the New England Patriots.
Andre Reed: This Dieruff grad is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame after an outstanding career with the Buffalo Bills and the Washington Redskins. Andre always returns back to Allentown and has done so much for the community.
I could go on and on – Chuck Bednarik, Tom Brennan, Pete Carril, Billy Packer, Curt Simmons, etc. The list goes go on and on. And I know you could add to the list and you would certainly be right.
Is it any wonder that I have enjoyed so many years following local high school and college sports right here in the Lehigh Valley? And the numbers will continue to grow.
ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS)
- Before going to Mississippi State as the head football coach, Joe Moorhead was the offensive coordinator at Penn State. He was very familiar with the Lions’ back-up quarterback, Tommy Stevens. Now Stevens will have an opportunity to play for Moorhead again after transferring to the Bulldogs. It will be interesting to follow his success after getting beaten out of the starting role this spring at Penn State.
- The Astros, Dodgers, Yankees, and the Cubs are all hot and all starting to occupy places that were expected in the standings. The Phillies are still the best in the NL East with the Braves chasing them.
- I picked the Bucks and the Warriors to make it to the NBA final. It appears that prediction will be correct by the end of the week.
- Congratulations to the Northampton baseball team and coaching staff for winning the EPC baseball championship. To do it, they had to beat undefeated Liberty in the final 3-1. Liberty was the third #1 seed to go down to defeat in the championship game. It was Northampton’s first title since 1998.
- District championship baseball will be LIVE from Coca-Cola Park this coming week on RCN-TV. The games are scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday, May 28 and 29. But it always seems to rain!
