I know this will show my age, but when I was a little kid, I was a Baltimore Colts fan.  Does anyone remember the Baltimore Colts (not the Ravens, not Indianapolis – Baltimore).  I was seven years old in 1953 when the Colts took the field at Memorial Stadium.  I don’t remember if I became a fan then, but I do remember when Johnny Unitas took over the quarterback position in 1956.  His crewcut and high top shoes and, more importantly, his great right arm and the ability to make the Colts winners made him an instant hero in my eyes.  Penn State’s Lenny Moore, Alan Ameche, and Raymond Berry were also stars of that team.  They won back-to-back NFL titles in 1958 and ’59 defeating the Giants both of those years.  They won another in 1968 when I graduated from college.

But after 30 years of rooting for the Colts, Bob Irsay took the team in the middle of the night to Indianapolis.  Baltimore lost the Colts and I lost my team.  From that point on, I watched NFL football, but never felt a real attachment to any team.

And then the Eagles signed Carson Wentz of North Dakota State.  In 2011, I flew with the Lafayette football team to North Dakota State to do a football game.  The fan base out there was so passionate about their team.  They closed down the town at 4:00pm on game day so everyone could go to the game.  Realistically, there wasn’t much else to do in Fargo anyway.

So with that small professional reference, I decided to jump on board and root for the Philadelphia Eagles and “Wentzylvania”.  And I am not sorry.  I have watched every Eagles game from start to finish, thanks to TIVO and, in all honesty, they have all been entertaining.  Even though they are 3-5, they were competitive in every game.  I think I will enjoy watching this team and their young quarterback develop under first-year head coach Doug Pederson.  But like any fan, there are some things that are already starting to bother me:

1. Nelson Agholor cannot catch the football. He is a “wide dropper”.  Wide receivers are supposed to catch the football.  He seems to have more “drops” than catches and Sunday against the Seahawks Agholor had no catches and a touchdown was called back because he did not line up properly.  Give me a break.
2. Jason Peters is a penalty machine. Does anyone in the league hold more often than he does?  And he is really good when he is not costing the team yards in crucial situations.  Then he is really bad.
3. Do the announcers have to put all of the Eagles’ woes on their young quarterback? They make it seem that he is responsible for every drive that stalls.  Between penalties and dropped balls by his wide receivers, he seems to always be in 3^rd and long.  I, for one, think he has actually played quite well for his first year.
4. The Eagles seem to turn the ball over at the very worst times. Two more wins would have been there for the taking if not for costly fumbles.
5. Doug Pederson has sadly managed games, at times, like his mentor Andy Reid. Is poor clock management contagious?  If so, Andy passed on the virus.

The fact that I even now care about these things tells me that I am starting to become a fan of the Eagles.  I hope, like the Baltimore Colts of old, they take me to the promised land.  E-A-G-L-E-S!  Go, Birds!

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS) 

1. The 152^nd addition of Lafayette-Lehigh was not competitive. Lehigh dominated in every aspect of the game.  Most disappointing was the lack of a sellout crowd.  Blame that on the Lafayette season.  Due to their record, it did not look like a good match-up and it wasn’t.  But I still look forward to 153.
2. What was good about the broadcast, however, was the use of a drone for aerial shots. The drone really added to the very professional look of the game and gave us some beautiful shots during the game.
3. Even more ironic, however, concerning the drone is that one flew over J Birney Crum Stadium on Friday night during the Parkland – Freedom game. The officials stopped the game and ordered both teams to their respective locker rooms which are about a quarter of a mile away.  Luckily before the long walk was completed, the drone left the area and the players came back.  So, one drone enhanced a game and another stopped the game – go figure.
4. They are still playing golf. Jordan Spieth won the Australian Open on Sunday in a playoff with two Aussies.  It was the second time he won the title.  Up until this week, it was still nice enough to squeeze in a round here.
5. PIAA playoffs this week are on RCN-TV. Whitehall will play Archbishop Wood on Friday at 7:00pm.  Parkland takes on St. Joe’s Prep on Saturday at 1:00pm.  Both games will be LIVE.  Good luck to Bethlehem Catholic and Notre Dame as their football teams take on Johnstown and Delaware Valley Charter.  Both games are on Saturday.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!!!

Gary’s Guesses: NFL Picks – (Last week – 10-3; Overall – 96-65-2 – 60%)

Week Twelve
DETROIT
DALLAS
INDIANAPOLIS
TENNESSEE
HOUSTON
BUFFALO
BALTOMORE
ATLANTA
MIAMI
NEW ORLEANS
GIANTS
SEATTLE
OAKLAND
DENVER
NEW ENGLAND
PHILADELPHIA

If you were a Seinfeld fan, like I was, you probably remember the episode when George shouted, “The worlds are colliding, Jerry, the worlds are colliding!”  He simply meant that Jerry’s girlfriend and his girlfriend were friends and, therefore, sharing secrets about the two of them.  It was not good.

This week, my worlds are colliding for a whole other reason.  It is the time when sports seasons begin to overlap.  The collision takes place when basketball begins as football is continuing.  The other two “worlds” are high school athletics and Lafayette athletics with a sprinkle of other internet work on the Lafayette campus.   Trust me, I do not want your sympathy, but as a response to the many people who ask, “Do you just do games?”- Here is my schedule for this week:

Monday

• Choose the Patriot League offensive, defensive, special teams and rookies of the week and submit my ballot.
• Notify the Parkland and Liberty head football coaches that I will be doing their championship game on Friday night so I ask them to send me their starting lineups and season stats as soon as possible.
• Get the season stats off the internet for Lafayette and Lehigh. Do my stat sheets for the Lafayette and Lehigh game charts.  This entails putting all the offensive and defensive stats on my game charts.  I alshave to update the starters, the individual and team sheets to be used during the game.  I put together a pre-game sheet for the opening and come up with Keys to the Game.
• Now it’s on to writing this blog which I will submit Tuesday morning after all the NFL games are played.
• Make a recording for ESPN Radio discussing Lafayette’s outlook for the game. This will be played prior to their broadcast of Lafayette-Lehigh on Saturday.
• Prepare my notes for a one-hour interview with Lafayette President Alison Byerly, discussing the state of the college.
• Arrive at Lafayette at 5:30PM to rehearse. Interview the President LIVE on Monday night for the internet from 7:00-8:00 PM.

Tuesday

• Make the NFL picks for next week and submit this blog.
• Begin to put together the information for the high school game on Friday night. Hopefully, the coaches and stat people will have gotten me the information requested (often not the case by Tuesday).  This also requires doing all the offensive and defensive stats for these two teams.
• Begin the preparation for the Lafayette-Robert Morris women’s basketball game on Wednesday. This means filling in my game sheets with all the stats and researching pertinent information.
• Attend the Lafayette press luncheon for the Lehigh game; do an internet preview of the game; talk to the coach and a few players, and gather up the game notes (@50 pages combined for both schools).
• Spend the afternoon digesting the game notes and taking my own notes.
• Eat dinner at home for the only time this week.

Wednesday

• Complete as much of the high school prep as possible. This means profiling each team, keys to the game, starting lineups, stat charts, getting game officials and coming up with a trivia question.
• Finish all preparation for that night’s Lafayette-Robert Morris women’s basketball game and create another trivia question.
• If time permits, begin preparation for the Lafayette-NJIT men’s Thursday night basketball game.
• 5:00 – arrive at the Kirby Sports Center. Prepare the broadcast table.
• 7:00 – Tip-off for the women’s game.

Thursday

• Go over the weekly checklist to make sure all is done for the two football games.
• Complete preparation for the Lafayette-NJIT basketball game that night (another trivia question).
• Start to prepare for Sunday’s Lafayette-Cornell men’s basketball game.
• 5:00 – arrive at the Kirby Sports Center. Prepare the broadcast table.
• 7:00 – Tip off for the men’s game.

Friday

• Read all the articles in the local paper about tonight’s high school game.
• Check out all the possible individual records and numbers of significance that might be important as the game progresses that night.
• 5:00 – Arrive at the stadium and prepare the broadcast booth.
• 7:00 – Freedom vs. Parkland for the District XI AAAAAA championship in Allentown.

Saturday

• Read all the articles concerning Lafayette-Lehigh football in the local papers.
• 10:00 AM – arrive at Fisher Stadium for the game and set up the booth for the game day broadcast which is going around the world on the internet and on a number of broadcast networks.
• 12:37 – Kickoff for the 152^nd game of college football’s most played rivalry.

Sunday

• Finish the preparation for the Lafayette – Cornell men’s basketball game by completing and reviewing the game notes.
• 12:00 Noon – Arrive at the Kirby Sports Center and, once again, prepare the table for the broadcast.
• 2:00 – Tip off for the men’s game.
• I should arrive home around 5:00 on Sunday afternoon from just doing the games, realizing how right George Costanza was when he complained that “The worlds are colliding, Jerry, the worlds are colliding!” Indeed, they are!

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS)
No musings this week.  Did you read the blog?

Gary’s Guesses: NFL Picks – (Last week – 8-7; Overall – 86-62-2 – 58%)
Week Eleven

NEW ORLEANS
PITTSBURGH
DALLAS
DETROIT
TENNESSEE
KANSAS CITY
ARIZONA
MIAMI
NEW ENGLAND
SEATTLE
WASHINGTON
OAKLAND   

October is a month when people enjoy the transitional weather, the changing colors of the foliage, and the changing of clothing.  The month has some holidays – Columbus Day, Yom Kippur, and Halloween.  However, it is pretty much a “yawner” as far as celebrations are concerned.  Yet, for the sports fan, it may very well be the best month of the year.

In October, baseball comes to a close with the World Series; college football becomes real serious as the rankings begin to take shape; the NFL games are in full swing; the National Hockey League and the National Basketball Association start their season.  This may be why there are so few holidays for a sports fan.  There is just too much going on to take the time to celebrate much of anything, except the wins by your team.

What could possibly be better than Game 7 of the World Series if you are a baseball fan?  That was especially true this year when you had two teams who had not gotten to the promise land for a combined 176 years.  What fan was not on the edge of their seat when the game went into extra innings before deciding the outcome?  And, honestly, could anyone really be that upset when the Cubs won for the first time in 108 years?

There is no question that college football generates a tremendous amount of excitement, especially if you are a Penn State fan.  As I write this, the Nittany Lions are currently ranked #12 in the nation and climbing.  They have a local Whitehall star in Saquon Barkley, who is under consideration for the Heisman Trophy, signifying college football’s best.  And I’m sure if you have a favorite team, you live and die every weekend following the results.

The NFL is in full swing so every Thursday, Sunday, and Monday, fans, fantasy football aficionados, and pool players are in front of their TV sets or checking their phones for scores.

Every NBA and NHL fan wants their team to get off to a great start in October so even these early games take on importance.

Sprinkle in the high school football runs to league and conference championships and you pretty much fill up the entire month.

So I offer praise for the person who foresaw that there was simply no time for many holidays in October.  The true sports fan celebrates almost every day of the month.

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS) 

1. In the blog, I mentioned that Whitehall’s Saquon Barkley is now in the Heisman Trophy conversation. His 20-carry, 167-yard effort Saturday against Iowa included a 57-yard touchdown scamper, and he caught a 44-yard TD pass as well.  He has 675 yards over the last four games, including a pair of 200-yarders, as well as 1,055 this season (his second straight over 1,000) and 2,131 in his career, 15th on the school’s all-time list.
2. Josh Huff, the Eagles’ wide receiver who was arrested last week for DUI , marijuana possession, and carrying a hand-gun without a permit, was signed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to their practice squad. It’s really hard NOT to find work once you are in the NFL, no matter how hard some players try.
3. In case you did not see the Steelers’ attempt at an onside kick on Sunday – take a look:

4. Remember the, “Now that you’ve won the fill in the blank, what are you going to do now” question? And the answer was “We’re going to Disney World”.  The Cubs along with family, friends, and fans all went to Disney World.
5. By the way, Cubs’ manager and former Lafayette student, Joe Maddon, will be attending the Lafayette-Lehigh game on November 19. We will be doing our half-time interview with him.  Cool!!

Gary’s Guesses: NFL Picks – (Last week – 7-6; Overall – 78-56-2 – 58%)
Week Ten
            BALTIMORE
            HOUSTON
            CAROLINA
            DENVER
            JETS
            PHILADELPHIA
            WASHINGTON
            GREEN BAY
            CHICAGO
            SAN DIEGO
            ARIZONA
            PITTSBURGH
            NEW ENGLAND
            GIANTS

I know Donald Trump constantly complains about our inability to compete with China imports.  No one says much about American exports, but this past month one such export finally was brought to fruition.  After four years in the planning stages, China imported American arena football.  And their league’s version of the Super Bowl is being played on November 6.

The first China Bowl will be played in Shanghai.  The league kicked off its inaugural season this past month with six teams playing 8-on-8 arena football.  Four Chinese players and four “foreign” players are on the field at a time for each team.

Even though this league is not affiliated with the Arena Football League in the US, the ownership is very familiar to Philadelphia Soul fans.  The whole concept is the brainchild of successful businessman, Marty Judge, who happens to own the Philadelphia Soul of the AFL.  One of his partners is former Eagles quarterback, Ron Jaworski, and the League Executive is former Eagles head coach, Dick Vermeil.  And, does the name Lou Tilley sound familiar?  He used to be the sports guy for the local Philadelphia TV channel.  He is the Vice President of Creative and Broadcast Operations for the new league.

Local Forks Township resident, Mick Moninghoff, is also spending time in China.  He is part of Lou Tilley’s enterprise and does both marketing and broadcasting work for the new league.  The games are broadcast both in Mandarin and in English and Mick is part of the broadcast team.

The league held its first draft on June 10.  500 players registered for the draft. 120 players were selected.  60 of the players were American; 43 of them had AFL experience and some had NFL experience.  60 Chinese players were from China or of Chinese descent.  Germany, Spain, and Italy were, also represented on the rosters.  The season was called the “Super Series” leading up to the championship finale – The China Bowl.

The six teams are the Beijing Lions, Dalian Dragon Kings, Guangzhou Power, Qingdao Clipper, Shanghai Skywalkers, and Shenzhen Naja.  If you want to know how to pronounce the team names and see some of the action, watch here:

Qingdao will take on undefeated Beijing for the title.  I do not know if China also imported American sports gambling so I cannot give you the spread on the game.  However, for Judge and company, this venture has to be the ultimate in “fantasy football”.

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS) 

1. Did you see that the average ticket price to see the Cubs in Chicago this past week was $2,603 for Game 3 and $2,327 for Game 4? This was the highest average price ever sold for a World Series and topped every Super Bowl except the last two.  Game 6 looked like a bargain when the average price on the secondary market was @$650.
2. If you were in charge of your team’s draft picks and knowing what you now know, would you take Dak Prescott of the Cowboys or Carson Wentz of the Eagles? I still like the Eagles’ choice.
3. Since I made you a GM in the last musing, now I ask you as the Dallas Cowboys head coach, would you start Tony Romo once he is healthy or stick with Prescott?
4. Alabama, Clemson, Washington, and Michigan are ranked #1-4 and all of them are undefeated. Western Michigan is, also, undefeated and ranked #8.  Can the top four hold their spots to vie for the national championship?  Ohio State is looming at #5 and they want in.
5. On Friday, November 4, the District football playoffs begin. Ironically, there are not many attractive match-ups with quite a few mismatches on tap.  We tried to pick the best.  The RCN-TV crew will have the 6A Nazareth – Parkland LIVE at 7:00 PM.   That game will be followed by 4A Bethlehem Catholic at Central Catholic.  They played each other just one week ago and Central prevailed.  That game is on at 9:30 PM.  Lehighton will play Notre Dame on Saturday in 3A at 2:00 and we will have it LIVE.

Gary’s Guesses: NFL Picks – (Last week – 7-5-1; Overall – 71-50-2 – 59%)
Week Nine
             ATLANTA
            PITTSBURGH
            PHILADELPHIA
            MIAMI
            DALLAS
            KANSAS CITY
            DETROIT
            CAROLINA
            NEW ORLEANS
            TENNESSEE
            GREEN BAY
            DENVER
            BUFFALO

The Chicago Cubs have me watching baseball again.  And I would suspect a larger number of people will tune in to see if the Cubs can win their first World Series since 1908, 108 years ago. Teddy Roosevelt was the president.  They last played in the World Series in 1945.

The Cleveland Indians have not set the baseball world on fire either.  Their last World Series victory was in 1948 during the Harry S. Truman administration.  They did play in the 1997 Series and blew a ninth inning lead and lost in the eleventh to the Florida Marlins.

It will be very interesting to see if this storyline catches on with ALL fans.  World Series ratings have declined steadily, with three of the last four years owning the lowest ratings in history.  I, for one, became interested enough to watch the Cubs in their playoff games.  I enjoyed the games and was also frustrated by the sport.  There are things wrong with baseball.  With that in mind, I, along with many others, have come to some conclusions:

1. There are too many playoff spots. Ten teams make the playoffs: five American League teams and five National League teams.  There are a possible 42 games that could be played to decide the overall champion.  42 games!  With the current set-up of three divisions, changing the format would be difficult.  Eliminating one wild card berth only reduces the playoffs by two games.  We are stuck with this system.
2. The games take too long. This is the biggest drawback to truly enjoying baseball.  Pitchers take too long to pitch.  Batters take too long to get ready to hit.  Managers have too many options available that only slow down the game.  So, what is there to do?  Here are a few suggestions:

• Hitters must stay in the batter’s box.
• Pitchers must throw a pitch in 20 seconds.
• 2:00 breaks between innings.
• Three mound visits per game, not counting pitching changes.
• Limit the number of pitching changes per inning.

3. Start games earlier. I know this is an East Coast problem, but would it be bad to actually finish games BEFORE midnight?  Regular season games take around three hours.  The playoff games usually take around 3.5 hours.  Throw the first pitch at 8:00pm and the problem is solved.  Wait to 8:30pm and lose a big part of your audience.
4. Young people are not watching. Because of reasons #2 and #3, young people have just not been turned on to the sport as far as viewership is concerned.  Sure the seats at the ballparks are filled for the most part and television revenue is up, but overall viewership is way down and the long-term outlook as far as interest has to be in trouble.
5. The All-Star game winner gets home field advantage for the World Series. The team with the best record during the regular season should get home-field advantage.  The powers-that-be should not use a game that is so unlike a real game.  Enough said.

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME WORLD SERIES MUSINGS) 

1. The Cubs actually won back-to-back World Series in 1907 and 1908.
2. The Indians lost three World Series match-ups in 1954, 1995, and 1997.
3. Indians’ manager Terry Francona led the Boston Red Sox to a championship in 2004, following an 84-year drought. Ironically, he was hired by the Red Sox over Joe Maddon.  More irony in that Cubs’ General Manager Theo Epstein hired Francona over Maddon in Boston and hired Maddon in Chicago.  He seems to know what he is doing.
4. Joe Maddon grew up in Hazleton, Pennsylvania. He attended Lafayette College and played baseball and football.  He received an Honorary Doctorate of Letters from Lafayette in 2010.  As a player, he was never able to go higher than Class A in his baseball career.
5. On Friday, October 28, the RCN-TV crew will have the Parkland – Emmaus game LIVE at 7:00 PM. Emmaus can win the EPC South championship with a win.  That game will be followed by Easton-Nazareth.  That game is on at 10:00 PM.  The crew will have Georgetown at Lafayette on Saturday LIVE at 12:30PM.  Freedom-Liberty will be on at 7:00PM.  By the way, you can catch both of these award-winning bands on November 10 (8:00 PM), 11 (6:00 PM), and 12 (8:00 AM).

And that will end the regular season with District playoffs up next!

Gary’s Guesses: NFL Picks – (Last week – 9-4-1; Overall – 64-41-1 – 61%)

Week Eight

TENNESSEE
SEATTLE
NEW ENGLAND
OAKLAND
CINCINNATI
DENVER
KANSAS CITY
DETROIT
ARIZONA
GREEN BAY
JETS
DALLAS
MINNESOTA

Every week, while doing a game, someone wins and someone loses.  Announcers, and I am one of them, praise the winners and talk about how difficult it might be to rebound from a loss, and coming back the following week.  It’s just the verbiage of sports.

This past week, the RCN studio family suffered a loss that dealt a blow to our very core. It was the loss of one of our own – cameraman and producer Bob Gery.  Bob was always “behind the scenes” and he would not have wanted it any other way.  Unless you are a rare viewer who actually reads the credits at the end of a program or sporting event, you would not have seen the name.  The sad part is that those very people (directors, engineers, cameramen, audio and graphics people, grips, etc.) are greatly responsible for your enjoyment of a game or a program.  They are in the background to you, but not for those of us in front of the cameras.  We know and appreciate their value.

Bob produced Community Spotlight, kept our vehicles safe and running, and worked our weekend sporting events, doing audio or manning a camera.  He did all of these jobs extremely efficiently and was so conscientious about his performance.  He was a man of character and would take time to make sure everything was in order.

Personally, Bob was a very simple man.  He never wanted the material things in life.  Early on, he took care of his parents until they passed.  He was a dedicated and loving son.    He was quietly interested in life.  He loved history; he loved politics; and he loved reading.  He was quite intellectual and enjoyed debating the current issues of the world.  One of his pastimes was to visit the graves of past presidents and the Presidential libraries.  He was a huge Beatles fan and was planning a trip to England this coming summer.

I looked forward to his frequent visits to my office.  He always wanted to talk about high school and Lafayette College sports.  He was adamant about this current election and I cannot believe he will not vote.  He ALWAYS voted and cast a thoughtful and well-informed ballot.  He felt it was his duty.

Recently, he had been discussing with me the pros and cons of retirement.  His financial advisor told him he could make that decision because he had been frugal all his life.  His finances were in order. He was ready to leave the daily grind of television and reap the rewards of his labor.  No one deserved to do that more than Bob.  Fate took that away from him.

And there was no warning.  Bob worked camera for a weekend football game on October 7, as he has done for 17 years.  We all had a rare Saturday off since Lafayette was not being televised.  Bob thoroughly enjoyed the Lafayette games, but he looked forward to the break and even took the following Monday as a vacation day.

None of us at the studio ever spoke with Bob again.

The RCN studio just does not feel the same right now.  There is an empty cubicle in the office and an empty spot in our hearts.  We will continue on; ask someone to take on Bob’s responsibilities; and cope; and manage our loss.  No one knew better than Bob that in our world the show must go on.

But, make no mistake; it will not be the same.

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS) 

1. If you want to pick the Super Bowl winner right now, the best bet would be the New England Patriots. Tom Brady’s numbers in his two games back from suspension are ridiculous – 782 yards and six touchdowns.  And the defense gives up just 15.2 points per game.
2. The Steelers’ loss to Miami this week not only killed one of my “just for fun” pools, but Las Vegas reported that there were seven times more straight bets placed on Pittsburgh than on Miami. And there were 15 times more bets on Pittsburgh as a package with other games.  The bad guys won again.
3. Watching Clayton Kershaw pitch against the Cubs on Sunday night and win 1-0 made me assume that he was greatly responsible for their success this season. But the Dodgers won 74 games without him.  Manager Dave Roberts has done a masterful job changing lineups and utilizing the entire pitching staff.  Going up against Cubs’ manager Joe Maddon makes this a particularly interesting series for the student of the game.
4. If you need to blame someone for the Eagles’ loss to the Redskins on Sunday, blame Lane Johnson and he did not even play. And that is the problem.  Johnson is suspended for 10 games for using performance-enhancing drugs.  His replacement was awful and allowed Redskins linebacker Ryan Kerrigan to dominate the line of scrimmage.
5. On Friday, October 21, the RCN-TV crew will have the Saucon Valley – Notre Dame game LIVE at 7:00 PM followed by Emmaus- Easton. That game is on at 10:00 PM.  The crew will have Lafayette at Bucknell on Saturday LIVE at 1:00 PM.

 Gary’s Guesses: NFL Picks – (Last week – 10-5; Overall – 55-37 – 60%)
Week Seven
 
GREEN BAY
GIANTS
MINNESOTA
KANSAS CITY
DETROIT
CINCINNATI
BUFFALO
JACKSONVILLE
INDIANAPOLIS
BALTIMORE
ATLANTA
TAMPA BAY
NEW ENGLAND
SEATTLE
DENVER

Obviously, I spent much of Sunday watching NFL football.  Between the Eagles, the Steelers, and the Red Zone, the day was filled up from 1:00 – 7:30.  And, once you get into that frame of mind, it is hard to adjust to other programming.  It is an afternoon of adrenaline.

Other programming on Sunday consisted of “60 Minutes” and the second Presidential Debate.  “60 Minutes” did not calm me down because it was all about artificial intelligence, which seems to be closing in on replacing all of us no matter what we do.

Since I was still wired from football, and certainly not calmed by a report that robots could replace us all, I found myself watching the debate in a football frame of mind.  I looked at both candidates as if I were an NFL official.  And it didn’t take long to throw the penalty flag.  For example:

FALSE START:  Neither candidate shook the opponent’s hand to begin the debate.  That should be a 5-yard penalty.

DELAY OF GAME:  Both had trouble sticking to the two-minute time limit for their answers.  They obviously need to work on their “two-minute drill”.

ENCROACHMENT:  This 5-yard penalty could have been tossed on numerous occasions as Donald Trump stalked Hillary Clinton as she was answering questions.  Instead of taking a seat, he paced and hovered throughout the debate.

NEUTRAL ZONE INFRACTION:  Hillary often stepped over onto Trump’s side of the field to get closer to the crowd.  There’s another 5-yard penalty.

ILLEGAL SUBSTITUTION:  When asked about e-mails and Benghazi, Clinton substituted Russia and Syria; when Trump was asked about his biases, he substituted ISIS.  These penalties were offsetting.

PASS INTERFERENCE:  Since “making passes” seemed to be a favorite pastime for Bill Clinton and Donald Trump, the media exposure is an excellent example of “pass” interference.  Due to contact by both sides, those penalties were “offsetting”.

TAUNTING:  No explanation necessary and that is a 15-yarder against both candidates.

UNSPORTSMANLIKE CONDUCT:  Both Clinton and Trump were quite eager to bring up the indiscretions alluded to by the Trump  tapes that were released a few days earlier, and Trump not only brought up Bill Clinton’s past problems with women, but he had four of the women in the audience.  Both should have been given 15-yard penalties.

TOO MANY MEN ON THE FIELD – For the life of me, after all the rhetoric of the last year, how can anyone say they are still an “undecided”?  The audience on Sunday was made up of just those people and there were too many of them.  Throw the flag on all of them and tell them to pay better attention.
And like any player that spent the day engaged in battle, I went and took a shower!

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS) 

1. Locally, there has been so much talk about Carson Wentz, the rookie quarterback of the Eagles, that many around here have not noticed what Dallas rookie QB Dak Prescott has done. The Cowboys are 4-1.  On Sunday, he took apart the Bengals and passed Tom Brady’s record for most pass attempts to start a career without an interception.  The Eagles play at Dallas on Sunday night, October 30.  Tony Romo should be healthy by then.  Should Romo or Prescott start?
2. Speaking of Carson Wentz, he lost his first game this past week against the Lions and most post-game headlines talked about his interception at the end. He certainly could have run his first real two-minute drill better, but the game should not have come down to Wentz at all.  Without the Ryan Matthews fumble, the Eagles probably win the game.
3. I’m watching the MLB playoffs and wondering how anybody hits these top pitchers. They are scary good!  If you can, catch the Real Sports show on HBO where they discuss the use of the ball-strike box to actually call the pitches.  It’s a fascinating report.  More robots!
4. Which team or teams will win the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference South division title? Bethlehem Catholic and Emmaus have one loss and Parkland, Nazareth, and Liberty have two.  Beca finishes with Whitehall, Freedom, and Central Catholic (this game doesn’t count for the division).  Emmaus has Liberty, Easton, and Parkland.  There could be multiple champions.
5. On Friday, October 14, the RCN-TV crew will have the Emmaus – Liberty game LIVE at 7:00 PM followed by Palmerton facing Catasauqua. That game is on at 10:00 PM.  The crew will have Nazareth at Freedom on Saturday LIVE at 7:00 PM.  Lafayette travels to  West Point to play Army.  You can watch that game on CBSSN at noon.

 Gary’s Guesses: NFL Picks – (Last week – 9-5; Overall – 45-32 – 58%)
 Week Six
 

DENVER
PITTSBURGH
NEW ENGLAND
BUFFALO
GIANTS
PHILADELPHIA
NEW ORLEANS
DETROIT
JACKSONVILLE
TENNESSEE
GREEN BAY
ATLANTA
KANSAS CITY
HOUSTON
ARIZONA

The American League
The Rangers had the best record (95-67) in the American League.  Amazingly, they won 36 one-run games.  And, more amazingly, their bullpen has not been all that good, ranked 14^th in the league.  That does not bode well for them in the playoffs.

The Indians pitching staff WAS strong, but no longer.  Their three top starters are probably out of the postseason, so they will need plenty of players to step up.  If their starters can get the job done until the Indians get to the bullpen, they have a chance.

The Red Sox could make some noise if, and it’s a big IF, David Price looks like the David Price of last year and not this year.  Their ace is Rick Porcello and he should get his job done, which is win when he pitches.  If he wins and Price is the old Price, the Red Sox will be formidable in the playoffs.

The Blue Jays did not play well at all down the stretch going 26-26 since early August.  Their hitters didn’t hit and their bullpen was dismal.  Based on recent performances, they should not make it to the World Series.

No team hits the ball as far as the Orioles (253 home runs –the best in the majors).  Six players hit 20 or more and Mark Trumbo hit 47.  However, the playoffs are almost always about pitching, but maybe the Orioles can change that perception.

As you can see, choosing a pennant winner in the AL is difficult   I am picking the Red Sox and the onus for that prediction lies on David Price.

The National League
The Cubs last won the World Series in 1908 and, in case you don’t want to tax your math skills, that’s 108 years ago. They last played in the World Series in 1945.  They then went 39 years without getting into the playoffs.  The Cubs were one victory away from the World Series in 1984 and again in 2003.  Last year, they made it to the National League Championship Series.  The Cubs have the best record in baseball, but it’s the playoffs – will that matter?  Let’s look at their biggest competition.

The Nationals won 94 games and won the NL East easily.  But they have problems going into the postseason.  Their catcher is out, Daniel Murphy hasn’t played for two weeks, Bryce Harper has a sore thumb, and Stephen Strasburg hasn’t pitched since the first week of September.  These players are the heart of this team.

The Dodgers really struggle against left-handed pitching and do not seem strong enough to make the NLCS.  The Mets are just too banged up with six players out due to injuries. And did you know that only the Phillies posted a worse second half record than the Giants?

The Cubs should be in the National League pennant.

The Cubs will beat the Red Sox in six games and the 108-year drought will come to a close!!

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS) 

1. Ryan Howard played his last game as a Phillie on Sunday and the Philadelphia crowd showed their appreciation. He made his Philadelphia debut on September 1, 2004, at the age of 24, and played 13 years with the Phils.  He hit 382 home runs; his last, a two-run shot on Saturday.  His MVP year, Howard hit 58 home runs and batted .313, with 149 RBIs.  Many think he will become an AL designated hitter.
2. The #3 Louisville at #5 Clemson game came down to the wire with an interesting 4^th and 12 play. If you want to watch an analysis of that play, check this out:

http://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2016/10/2/13136970/louisville-clemson-football-james-quick-first-down

3. Speaking of officials’ calls, we had an interesting one on Friday at the Emmaus-Freedom game. Emmaus “pooched” a kickoff near the end of a tight game and their own player caught the ball in mid-air.  The officials seemed very confused with what to call.  The rule says the ball must touch the ground or a receiving player before the kicking team can touch the ball.  Interference was finally the call and was correct, but it seemed that it was not enforced properly.  Emmaus should have been penalized 15 yards and Freedom taking the ball after the penalty.  Instead, there was a penalty and “rekick”.
4. The Ryder Cup is the best of television golf. Instead of your attention being on a few leaders, every match and every player is significant.  Sunday’s crowd and the drama of watching some great matches made it scintillating television.  For that given Sunday, I chose the golf over the NFL.
5. On Friday, October 7, the RCN-TV crew will have the Parkland – Bethlehem Catholic game LIVE at 7:00 PM followed by a Freedom facing Whitehall. That game is on at 10:00 PM.  The crew will have a Saturday to themselves with Lafayette traveling to the Bronx to take on Fordham.  You can watch on campusinsiders.com at 1:00 PM.

Gary’s Guesses: NFL Picks – (Last week – 7-8; Overall – 36-27 – 57%)

Week Five

ARIZONA
MINNESOTA
MIAMI
NEW ENGLAND
PITTSBURGH
BALTIMORE
PHILADELPHIA
CHICAGO
ATLANTA
BUFFALO
OAKLAND
DALLAS
GREEN BAY
CAROLINA

I am sure you have heard the phrase, “The greatest thing since sliced bread”.  Sliced bread was invented in 1928 – there has to be something by now considered greater!  And I have found it – it’s my TiVo box powered by RCN.

With my technical knowledge, my TiVo box powered by RCN is just a thing that records shows.  If you need a better definition, “It’s an electronic device that records video in a digital format to a disk drive” (or it’s a thing that records shows).  The prototype of today’s product first appeared in 1999.

This past Sunday, I was absolutely convinced there is no better invention since… well, you know.  Imagine my dilemma – the Miami Dolphins are playing the Cleveland Browns and I need Miami to win the game because I need Miami to win the game (this is my way of taking the fifth).  And right around the same time, the Philadelphia Eagles are ready to kick off against the Pittsburgh Steelers (the NFL state championship!)  And at the same time professional golfers are trying to decide which player will win $10 million.  And the Red Zone is showing all the other NFL games that are finishing up and the ones just starting.

I’ll start with the Browns-Dolphins.  Every NFL fan knows how inept the Browns are.  But, on this day, when I NEED them to lose, they are locked in a 24-24 tie with seconds to go and looking at, by NFL standards, a short field goal for the win.  Browns’ kicker Cody Parker pulled the kick to the left, missing his third, that’s right, his THIRD, field goal of the day (Lafayette’s Jake Bissell would have made them all).  In overtime, Miami wins.  Did I mention I NEEDED them to win!

I put the TiVo on pause for the Eagles and the golf to watch that finish.  Now I pick up the Eagles and they are playing much better than anyone thought they would.  Carson Wentz is having quite a start as is the defense.  The Eagles are scoring and not allowing the Steelers to do anything on offense.  I need a commercial to get to the golf.

Thankfully, there is no shortage of commercials during NFL games.  Off to the Tour Championship in Atlanta.  I pick up where I paused that match just to see Rory McIlroy hit an iron 137 yards into the 16^th hole for a eagle two on a par 4.  He goes on to tie Ryan Moore and Kevin Chappell for first place and a playoff is necessary.  If McIlroy wins the playoff, he wins the Championship AND the FedEx Cup and will pocket $11.5 million.  But, thankfully, golf takes time between shots.

Back to the Eagles, I look in on the Red Zone; keep tabs on the golf; explain to my wife why I cannot eat dinner NOW!!  I’m exhausted… back to golf (McIlroy wins it all!)…back to the Eagles (they crush the Steelers)…back to Red Zone (I watch EVERY touchdown from EVERY game)… it’s never-ending.  But, I see it all!!  TiVo!  TiVo!

What’s for supper?  Ham and cheese between SLICED BREAD!  Sliced bread…Still, a great invention.

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS) 

1. Eagles’ rookie quarterback Carson Wentz is the first player in NFL history with 100-plus attempts, 60-plus completions, 5-plus touchdowns, and zero interceptions in his first three career games. Now that’s special.
2. And how about Eagles’ head coach Doug Pederson? The Eagles dominated the Steelers on Sunday every way possible.  No matter how you look at it, that involves great coaching.
3. Most of the time, teams in the NFL look forward to a bye week. The way the Eagles have started the season, they probably would just like to keep on playing.  The Lions and the Redskins are up next and both games are on the road.
4. Rest in peace, Arnie. We will certainly miss you.  One of my favorite interviews back in 2000.
5. On Friday, September 30, the RCN-TV sports teams get a chance to see the undefeated Emmaus Green Hornets as they take on Freedom LIVE at 7:00 PM followed by a solid Bethlehem Catholic team facing an Easton team that needs a win after two straight losses. That game is on at 10:00 PM.  On Saturday at 3:30 PM, Lafayette opens the Patriot League season hosting Holy Cross.  Watch it all on RCN channel 4/1004 HD.

Gary’s Guesses: NFL Picks – (Last week – 8-8; Overall – 29-19 – 60%)

Week Four
Cincinnati
Indianapolis
Houston
Washington
Jets
New England
Carolina
Baltimore
Detroit
Denver
Arizona
San Diego
Dallas
Pittsburgh
Minnesota

Since there were so many upsets the first two weeks in the NFL, I got to wondering how the Las Vegas odds makers were faring.  Las Vegas is one place with a legal US sports book for gamblers.  There are, also, legal online sites…OR you could choose a local guy, but you should understand that doing that is illegal.

I am certainly aware that no one throws an “illegal procedure” flag on the millions of people who play fantasy football, NFL “tickets” or get into “survivor” pools.  There is no question that being involved in these weekly competitions makes watching the NFL that much more fun and interesting.

But what if we lived in Las Vegas where gambling on the NFL is legal?  Just out of curiosity, I wondered how the gamblers and  the Las Vegas bookies fared in the first two weeks of the NFL season.  According to my research, in week one, the Sunday night game between the Patriots and the Cardinals was the “make or break” match-up for each side.  80% of all the money wagered on that game was on the Cardinals.  After all, Tom Brady was out, Rob Gronkowski was out, and other key players would not play.  Four times as much money was bet on the Cardinals to win and the Cardinals were, also, seven times more likely to be on wagers that included more than one team.

As you know, New England won the game 23-21 on a field goal and many a bettor’s ticket was torn up and thrown away.  As a matter of fact, six underdogs won on the first Sunday, including the Miami Dolphins who were 10.5 point underdogs.  It was a good day for the casinos.

Week two proved even more profitable for Las Vegas.  With the unlikely wins by the Falcons over the Raiders and the Rams beating the Seahawks, Sunday afternoon created a windfall for the sports books.  That scenario got even better when gamblers in Vegas took the Packers over the Vikings in the Sunday night game six times more often than vice versa.  The Vikings won and Sunday became a spectacular day for the “bad guys”.

There was, however, one “feel-good” story for the guy who tries to beat the “house” (and, rarely, if ever does).  One Nevada gambler won $179,940 betting on college football when he placed three separate bets in three different locations.  Believe it or not, he picked twelve out of twelve – TWELVE – college games correctly against the point spread.  Although his name was not divulged, he did say he had made a similar bet every week during college football season for years and this is the first time he has ever won.  I hope that, with his win, he has at least broken even now.  Why do I doubt it?

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS) 

1. It probably isn’t news to you if I tell you that you can buy a University of Florida Tim Tebow jersey. It is news if I tell you that you can also buy a Tim Tebow Mets jersey.  He has signed a $100,000 bonus contract with the Mets and was sent to their instructional league at Port St. Lucie, Florida.
2. What is the story with the Seattle Seahawks offense – 15 points in two weeks and to Miami and the Rams? They do not have a healthy running back and QB Russell Wilson can’t run on a bad ankle.
3. If Bill Belichick’s Patriots beat Houston this week with their #3 quarterback, then you must admit, even though you may hate him, that he is the best coach in the NFL.
4. Five years ago, Lafayette traveled to North Dakota State (where Carson Wentz played) to play the Bison. That team has won the national FCS championship every year since 2011.  This past Saturday, they beat #13 Iowa 23-21 of the FBS (those are the big boys).  You can use permanent ink when you pick them to win the FCS title again this year.
5. On Friday, September 23, RCN-TV offers up undefeated Saucon Valley at Southern Lehigh (7:00pm) followed by Celtic Classic highlights. Lafayette will host nationally ranked Villanova on Saturday.  The live broadcast begins at 6:00pm.

Gary’s Guesses: NFL Picks – (Last week – 11-5; Overall – 21-11 – 66% )
Week Three

Houston
Cincinnati
Oakland
Arizona
Baltimore
Miami
Giants
Green Bay
Carolina
Seattle
Tampa Bay
Pittsburgh
Kansas City
San Diego
Dallas
Atlanta