I have never been one to think about a “bucket list” – you know, things you would like to do before you actually “kick the bucket”.  I’m more into letting things come to me or making things happen when I truly want to do something.  And I really have not been disappointed – I have been to an NCAA college national football championship, a PGA major golf tournament, a World Series game, a Stanley Cup hockey game.  I have played some of the best golf courses – Oakmont, two TPC courses, the three Saucon Valley courses and courses in Bermuda and the Bahamas.  I have interviewed well-known personalities, – Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Lee Trevino, Woody Hayes, John Legend, Tony Orlando, Liza Minelli, and others not so well-known – the world’s ugliest man, the world’s fattest woman, the youngest snake charmer, etc.  Reflecting back on these moments, I remember that there was an interesting story concerning them all.  But I would not say these things were then crossed off my bucket list because I never really had a list.

I have often thought that one thing I would like to do, however, would be to go to the Super Bowl.  After watching the NFC and AFC championship games this past weekend, I was curious what it would cost to go see Denver vs. Carolina on February 7, at Levi Stadium in Santa Clara, California.  I decided to investigate the cost.

I went to the NFL Ticket Exchange and found that there were tickets available in the very upper deck of the stadium at costs ranging from $4095-$4594.  I could sit in the upper deck on the 50-yard line for $4952.  I was a bit discouraged knowing I would still have to fly to California.

But then I got an e-mail from the Damien Scribner Hospitality Group.  It read:

Gary,

14 days to Super Bowl 50!  Make sure you are there to watch Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos and Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers battle for the Lombardi Trophy at Levi Stadium!

Super Bowl 50 Game Day Program
February 7th, 2016
Levis Stadium, Santa Clara, CA
*6 Upper Level End-Corner Tickets
*6 VIP NFL Players Pregame Party Tickets which include Hand Passed Appetizers, Multiple Gourmet Food Stations prepared by Legendary Chef Guy Fieri, Multiple Top Shelf Open Bars staged throughout the event, over 20 current NFL Players in attendance and introduced by our event MC, Erin Andrews- Sports Reporter for Fox for Sunday Chalk Talk with our guests as well as a special appearance by Frank Caliendo!
*All Inclusive Price:  $27,950

Super Bowl 50 Game Premier Program
February 7th, 2016

Levis Stadium, Santa Clara, CA
*3 Deluxe Double Occupancy Accommodations at the Luxurious Palace Hotel 

*6 Upper Level End-Corner Tickets
*6 VIP NFL Players Pregame Party Tickets which include Hand Passed Appetizers, Multiple Gourmet Food Stations prepared by Legendary Chef Guy Fieri, Multiple Top Shelf Open Bars staged throughout the event, over 20 current NFL Players in attendance and introduced by our event MC, Erin Andrews- Sports Reporter for Fox for Sunday Chalk Talk with our guests as well as a special appearance by Frank Caliendo!

*All Inclusive Price:  $39,500

We only have a limited amount of rooms at the Palace Hotel so please contact us right away to secure your spots to Super Bowl 50.

Thanks and I look forward to working with you on this exciting event!
Damian

That’s $4,658.33 or $6,583.33 apiece. But considering that it includes Guy Fieri, upper level, Frank Caliendo, and Erin Andrews – What more could I ask for?  I should go.

Well, to tell you the truth, the only way I could go and seize the opportunity to cross this one off my “bucket list” would be to literally pass the bucket, pass a hat, use GoFundMe or stand at the door of my favorite supermarket and plead.

Instead, once again, I will sit in my most comfortable chair, eat some snacks, and have a beverage.  You’re welcome to join me for, oh, I don’t know – $1,000?

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS)

1. Last Wednesday night, January 20, the Penn Palestra and Big Five basketball celebrated their 60^th Temple played LaSalle in game one and Penn took on Saint Joseph’s in game two.  I grew up watching Big Five basketball on TV, listening to Les Keiter (“Tickle the twine”, “In again, out again, Finnegan”) call the games.  I also went to about a half dozen games over the years.  There was nothing like it and they had a great night of basketball this past Wednesday.  Happy Anniversary!
2. Speaking of exciting games, they don’t get much better than this past Friday night when Liberty played Allen. The game featured nine ties and 11 lead changes and ended tied in regulation at 59.  With Allen leading 65-63 and seconds left in overtime, Cameron Hoffman raced down the floor and hit a three-point shot for the Liberty win!  It was appropriate that Hoffman would be the hero, having scored a career high 29 points in the game.
3. As you know by now, Chip Kelly is the new 49ers coach picking up $24 million dollars for four years. (I assume he was able to get by the two weeks he was unemployed).  And the Eagles must pay $6.5 million on the final two years of his contract.
4. I was a bit surprised that New England could not handle the Broncos defense on Sunday. The defense won the game for Denver, but all TV did was focus on Peyton Manning.  Carolina looks like a team of destiny this season.
5. The Lafayette-Lehigh men’s basketball game scheduled for this past Saturday will now be played on February 8, at 7:00pm. It will be LIVE on RCN-TV.

NFL PICKS LAST WEEK – 10-6; OVERALL 160-96 (63%)
NFL PICKS (WILD CARD) – 3-1
NFL DIVISIONAL PLAYOFFS – 3-1; PLAYOFFS (6-2)
NFL CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS – 1-1; PLAYOFFS (7-3)
 
SUPER BOWL PICK NEXT WEEK

As I write this on January 18, 2016, I am reminded that exactly one year ago today the New England Patriots defeated the Indianapolis Colts by a 45-7 score in the AFC Championship.  Prior to the start of the game and during the game, the Colts accused the Patriots of underinflating the footballs.  Tom Brady was at one point suspended for four games to start this season, only to have the punishment upheld twice on appeal and then have it eventually rescinded because a judge found that there was an absence of “fairness and due process”.

“Deflategate” became the center of fans’ attention and media controversy for months on end.  Nothing similar has caused a stir this year, but that doesn’t mean the NFL has been without its share of on and off-field problems.  It’s just that the microscope has not been as focused on team and player conduct.  The Cincinnati-Pittsburgh debacle during the Wild Card weekend may have changed that as rule violation after rule violation occurred.  Lest you think this has been a very quiet year for the NFL as far as conduct is concerned, let me give you some interesting facts:

There have been 16 players suspended this year for a total of 49 games.  The common infractions were labeled as “violation of league’s personal conduct policy”, but they also included punching and breaking the jaw of a teammate, domestic violence, vehicular assault, poking an eye, helmet-to-helmet contact, and repeated violations of safety-related playing rules.  Vontaze Burfict of the Cincinnati Bengals was recently accused of the latter and was suspended for three games next season.  He was certainly no angel in the Pittsburgh game.

Violations of the NFL drug policy are considered separate from the previous infractions.  That is a separate category.  Substance infractions fall under two headings – 1) those that improve performance; 2) those that are for recreational use.

Fifty-three players were suspended for these infractions this year accounting for 189 games. Not included in that number are the four players who were suspended for the entire season and two who are listed as “indefinite suspensions”.

And, by the way, two coaches were suspended for 1) punching a teenager and 2) an undisclosed violation.  In addition, the league suspended a general manager for texting his personnel during a game, two equipment handlers, and an official for his failure to catch an 18-second mistake on the clock.

That is a total of 108 individuals associated with the NFL who required severe discipline by the league.  It is a shame we do not hear more about the exemplary players who do a great deal for their community and various charities.  Those players do not seek out the headlines, nor do their stories garner much attention.  But then there are those who proclaim that they “are not role models”. I hope young people take those athletes at their word.  Because, obviously, too many of them are not.

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS)

1. I’m sure that Eagles fans saw “déjà vu all over again” as Yogi used to say, when they watched the horrible clock management by Andy Reid on Saturday night when the Chiefs lost to the Patriots. If you watched the end of each half, I’m sure you were appalled at the total ineptness to control the clock in obvious scoring situations.  That is, unless you remember how the Eagles used to do it.
2. I invite you to read Greg Joyce’s highly entertaining piece in the Express-Times on former Liberty player Greg Noack, whose basketball season at Monmouth was curtailed due to concussions. He and some teammates, known as the Monmouth Bench Mob, have become nationally known for their sideline antics.  It’s a great story.  Click here to read it.

3. The Eagles hired Doug Pederson on Monday to be their new head coach. He was a career backup quarterback (3-14 in 17 games).  As the offensive coordinator in Kansas City, he did not call the plays.  His head coaching experience was in high school with the Calvary Baptist Academy.  Keep your fingers crossed!
4. All the home teams won in the NFL this past weekend. I hope you got to see the end of the Packers and Cardinals overtime game.  Just amazing!!
5. It’s the first match-up of the season Saturday when the Lafayette men play Lehigh in Patriot League basketball. If you are snowed in (which might be the case), give the game a look.  It’s LIVE on RCN at 2:00pm.

NFL PICKS LAST WEEK – 10-6; OVERALL 160-96 (63%)
NFL PICKS (WILD CARD) – 3-1
NFL DIVISIONAL PLAYOFFS – 3-1; PLAYOFFS (6-2)
 

CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP PICKS
NEW ENGLAND
CAROLINA

The NFL got real serious this past weekend with the start of the playoffs.  It’s called Wild Card Weekend.  I picked three of the four games correctly, but should have had three out of four wrong!  Two teams lost that should have never lost.  Here are my thoughts on the four games:

Kansas City at Houston
The Kansas City Chiefs had not won a playoff game in 22 years.  Their last win was against the Houston Oilers in 1994.  They were led by Joe Montana and Marcus Allen.  Even though they had to travel to Houston, since they were the Wild Card entry, they were favored to win this game and they did not disappoint.  It took 11 seconds for Knile Davis to go 106 yards with the opening kickoff and that turned out to be enough points to win the game.  The Chiefs won 30-0.  The hometown crowd was booing their own team by the second quarter and Houston’s ineptness never changed throughout the game.  Texan QB Brian Hoyer was just awful throwing four interceptions and losing a fumble.  The Chiefs have now won 11 games in a row and are the hottest team in the NFL.

Is there a bit more Philadelphia anguish attached to this win because the Chiefs are led by former Eagles’ coach Andy Reid?  And the Chiefs could beat the New England Patriots – they are on a roll (the Patriots lost their last two games); they are 7-3 on the road; and they, obviously, are strong on defense.

Pittsburgh at Cincinnati
I must admit I had trouble watching this game – there were so many cheap shots, so much trash talking, and so little control by the coaches and the officials of their players and staff that all of my enjoyment was lost.  And the final straw was the hit by the Bengals’ Vontaze Burfict on the Steelers’ Antonio Brown which, to me, was an obvious attempt to seriously maim the wide receiver.  It was an ugly moment.  And then the Bengals during the same sequence pick up another 15-yard penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct.  So with 0:18 seconds on the clock, the Steelers were awarded 30 yards in penalties after gaining 44 yards on their own and left with a “chip shot” field goal to win the game 18-16.  I picked Pittsburgh.  They should have lost.

This game was an embarrassment to the NFL and each play should be reviewed to fairly assess all of the warranted fines and suspensions.  And there must be a message sent here by the league.  In particular, Vontaze Burflict must be punished severely 

Seattle at Minnesota
It was -6 degrees when this game started and the weather kept both offenses in the deep freeze.  The Vikings led all the way until a Viking fumble led to a go-ahead field goal with 1:42 to go in the game.  Seattle was up 10-9.  The Vikings were aided by a pass interference call and drove deep into Seattle territory.  The game-winning field goal would be a 27-yarder, pretty much automatic by high school, college, and NFL standards.  The kick by Blair Walsh was wide left and the Seahawks won.  Someone noted Walsh’s new Vikings’ jersey:

Or do you agree more with this post about the Vikings:

I picked the Seahawks and should have, also, had this one wrong.

Green Bay at Washington
I should have known better.  For some reason, I really felt like the Redskins would be able to beat the Packers.  I could not believe I felt this way, but the Packers had been so inconsistent, particularly their running game and they had lost their last two games and looked bad doing it.  And the Redskins were playing their first playoff game under head coach Jay Gruden and with a revived Kirk Cousins.  When DeSean Jackson did not score when he should have and I was reminded of the problems he caused the Eagles, I should have been forewarned about the outcome.  11-0 should have been 15-0.  All of a sudden, Aaron Rodgers played like Aaron Rodgers and the rest of the game was dominated by the Pack.

I picked the Redskins.  I hope I learn from my mistakes.

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS)

1. After watching football all day on Sunday, I watched the golf tournament from Hawaii. That was almost as hard to watch as the Pittsburgh – Cincinnati game.  The setting was so beautiful, the golf course was magnificent, and Jordan Spieth ran away with the tournament.  I was jealous.  But it was nice to see athletes compete and be cordial to one another.  No trash talking.
2. I mentioned last week that the decision to play the NCAA national college football semifinals on New Year’s Eve was just awful. The ratings dropped around 38% for the two games.  Well, guess what?  The NCAA decided to do it again next year, January 1 the following year, and New Year’s Eve the following two years.  Who is running the asylum, I mean, the Association?
3. Just in case you are not keeping up with the other Philadelphia teams – the ‘76ers are now 4-36. They are four games ahead of the Lakers in the loss column.  The Lakers are 8-31.  Six teams have fewer wins than the Flyers; 24 have better records.  When is spring training?
4. So the Eagles are interviewing Tom Coughlin this week for the head coaching job. Rebuilding with a 70-year-old coach??  No way, but picking Coughlin’s brain in a subtle way about the Giants, the NFC East, and Coughlin’s assistants may be a good idea.  Dumb or smart like a fox?  Wait and see.
5. No high school basketball team in the area is better than Parkland, but it sure is hard to figure out the rest of the competition. Emmaus, Allen, Whitehall, Central, Freedom, Beca, Liberty, Northampton, Pocono Mountain West, and Nazareth would really battle for the Conference title if not for Parkland.

NFL PICKS LAST WEEK – 10-6; OVERALL 160-96 (63%)
NFL PICKS (WILD CARD) – 3-1

KANSAS CITY

DENVER

CAROLINA

ARIZONA

Each New Year we are made to feel guilty because we adopt resolutions for ourselves that we rarely keep.  Supposedly, this tradition was started by the Babylonians when they promised to pay off their debts.  Well, now there is a tradition we have maintained – Always being in debt.

In medieval times, the New Year caused knights to vow to be chivalrous.  The last time I checked there are very few knights around these days and chivalry does not seem to be all that abundant either.  The overall concept, it appears, was for each of us to aspire to self-improvement.  I guess we could all do a little introspection, so I did.

Since I rarely ever even think about New Year’s resolutions, I sought some guidance to come up with some.  I found a list of the top ten so I analyzed them for myself:

1. Spend More Time With Family and Friends  I like the concept, but I think my family and friends see just about enough of me.  I have no way of gauging this, but no one seems to be clamoring to spend more time with me.  I’m hoping it’s already just enough.
2. Fit in Fitness  This sounds clever and healthy.  I know exercise is good for you, but who has the time.  Between working and “spending more time with family and friends”, fitness takes a backseat.
3. Tame the Bulge  I know 66% of Americans are considered overweight or, even worse, obese.  I am not obese and I am usually in the majority (overweight).  No need to be “taming” anything yet.
4. Quit Smoking  Never started, so I’ll make this resolution.  Accomplished!
5. Enjoy Life More  Now here is a resolution I can wrap my head around.  I will do my very absolute best to fulfill this resolution, so if it looks like I am trying to finish this blog quickly, see #5.
6. Quit Drinking  I do not drink very much as it is, but what about those people who are telling me to drink wine in moderation?  Do I just snub them and run the risk of spending less time with friends?  See #1 – I am confused.
7. Get Out of Debt  This is a leftover from the Babylonians.  If we couldn’t fulfill this resolution thousands of years ago, what makes you think it will work now?
8. Learn Something New  Learn a new language, a new hobby, more do-it-yourself stuff, to become more tech savvy?  Nah – See #5.
9. Help Others  I like this one.  I will do my best.  Do you need me to do anything for you?
10. Get Organized  At work, I am very organized; at home, not so much, but I married a great organizer.

I think I have figured out this resolution thing.  If you have a good job, a nice family, good friends, and a wonderful wife, there is only one resolution that really matters –Don’t change anything!

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS)

1. This past Sunday was not the best time for the Eagles to play well, since the only thing that was accomplished was playing Seattle at Seattle next year and not playing Kansas City in London. Am I yawning?  I apologize.
2. Am I the only one who thinks the decision by Penn State quarterback Christian Hackenberg to go into the NFL draft was a good one – FOR PENN STATE! In the games I have watched, dare I say, I was less than impressed.  I will be very interested in what the NFL thinks.
3. Who are the geniuses who thought it would be a good idea to put the FBS college football semifinals on New Year’s Eve? Is this really what ESPN wanted for their huge investment – a ratings drop of 38.5% for game one?  The late game between Alabama and Michigan State dropped 36.8%.  Besides agreeing to have a ridiculous number of bowl games (mostly bad), this decision is even worse when you are trying to showcase the best of college football when most people just want to party.  I watched one and taped the other which kept me up until 2:30 AM.  I’m still cranky.
4. I know you can’t wait for my NFL picks each week. I had 63% correct for the year.  And I picked 63% of the division winners, also, getting Denver, Cincinnati, New England, Carolina, and Minnesota correct.  I did not pick Houston, Seattle, or Washington to win their divisions.
5. If you watch the FCS championship (that is the Lafayette and Lehigh group) on Saturday from Frisco, Texas on ESPN2, look for the familiar face of the field judge. He is our local football, basketball, and baseball official, Frank DAngelo.  He is very good in every sport.  Congratulations to him.

NFL PICKS LAST WEEK – 10-6; OVERALL 160-96 (63%)

NFL PICKS (WILD CARD)
KANSAS CITY
PITTSBURGH
SEATTLE
WASHINGTON
           

from the RCN-TV Staff

NFL PICKS LAST WEEK – 9-7; OVERALL 150-90 (63%)
NFL PICKS (WEEK SEVENTEEN)

JETS
CAROLINA
NEW ENGLAND
CINCINNATI
ATLANTA
HOUSTON
PITTSBURGH
KANSAS CITY
INDIANAPOLIS
WASHINGTON
DETROIT
GIANTS
MINNESOTA
DENVER
ST LOUIS
ARIZONA

Happy Holidays

from the RCN-TV Staff

NFL PICKS LAST WEEK – 10-7; OVERALL 141-83 (63%)

NFL PICKS (WEEK SIXTEEN)
OAKLAND
PHILADELPHIA
DETROIT
PITTSBURGH
BUFFALO
CHICAGO
CAROLINA
INDIANAPOLIS
NEW ENGLAND
HOUSTON
KANSAS CITY
JACKSONVILLE
ARIZONA
SEATTLE
VIKINGS
CINCINNATI

I have broadcast well over 4,000 games in my 40+ years at this job, about one-third of them football games.  For the RCN-TV team, this past Saturday’s win by Parkland over Upper Dublin in the PIAA state football semifinal was our final football game for this season.  Parkland will now play for the AAAA state title this Saturday in Hershey.  The game will be on PCN starting at 6:00pm.

As exciting as this season was with the success of our teams, I am never real sad to put away the football clichés for another year (both the coaches’ and mine).  As I was packing away my notes this morning, I looked at some of the things coaches told me and some of the things I wrote down as keys to victory.  Take a look:

“We have to take it one game at a time.” – I know the thought here is that a team may look past another team or the coach does not want to offend the team that they are playing at the time, but really?  You can only play ONE game at a time.  Talk about THAT game and leave the cliché in the closet.

“The other team wanted it more.” – Over all my years of competing and broadcasting, I can’t remember a team NOT WANTING to win.  You cannot practice WANTING TO WIN, but you can face a team that is better than you are on a given night or, even worse, perhaps they were prepared better and that might actually reflect on the coach who was asked, “Coach, what was the difference in the game?”

“He’s deceptively quick.” – Does that mean he looks slow, but isn’t?  Or he’s not as slow as he is …. What?  Am I deceptively handsome and, if so, is that a good thing?  I don’t know either.

“They are better than their record indicates.” – Ouch!!  I use this one often when the teams look like a complete mismatch.  I am just trying to keep you from changing the channel.  That makes me deceptively sneaky, doesn’t it?

“He gave 110%.” – No, he didn’t.  No, he couldn’t.  Need I explain?  And why is it almost always 10% more than you can actually give?  Why not make it 125%?

“He’s a downhill runner.” – What if the field is level (which it is)?  Are there runners who run uphill on a level field?  Who makes this stuff up?  And why do I continue to use it?

There are certainly many others (“The defense bends, but doesn’t break”; “The quarterback had all day to throw”, etc.), but you have heard them time and time again and I have probably said them time and time again.  But what can I say, “I write this column one blog at a time and try to give 110% and I think it is better than what others might indicate.”

Get the picture?

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS)

1. Saucon Valley was one of the top four teams in the state in the AAA football bracket and they were beaten on Friday night by a 72-27 score by Imhotep Charter. Imhotep is a private school and gets players from all of Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey.  I know the PIAA does not want to consider separating private and public schools for their championships, but something seems wrong when these two teams compete on equal footing.
2. Parkland is everyone’s favorite to win the EPC, but without their football players, they have started 2-3; 2-1 in the conference. They have Pleasant Valley and Northampton this week and should win both.  Next Tuesday, however, they will play Central Catholic and the football players, at best, will have one day of practice.  We will broadcast the Central game.
3. How about Moravian Academy? They did not win a game last year.  They are already 3-1 overall and 3-0 in the Colonial League East.  I would be shocked if they compete for the title, but there has certainly been some marked improvement.
4. I’m sure you are all wondering, “How is Gary doing with his NFL season predictions made before the season started? In the AFC, after 14 weeks, I picked every current first place team – New England, Cincinnati, Indianapolis, and Denver correctly.  In the NFC, I picked the Packers, Seattle, Carolina, and the Eagles to win their divisions.  Only the Eagles are tied for first.  The others are in first place by themselves.  A perfect 8 for 8.  Now you know why I brought this up.
5. The Eagles are tied with Washington and the Giants at the moment and have the Cardinals (uh, oh), the ‘Skins and the Giants left. The ‘Skins have the Bills, the Eagles, and the Cowboys left.  And the Giants have Carolina, the Vikings, and the Eagles left.  Very, very interesting!

NFL PICKS LAST WEEK – 10-6; OVERALL 129-79 (62%)
NFL PICKS (WEEK FIFTEEN)

ST LOUIS
JETS
MINNESOTA
JACKSONVILLE
HOUSTON
KANSAS CITY
BUFFALO
NEW ENGLAND
ARIZONA
CAROLINA
SEATTLE
GREEN BAY
MIAMI
PITTSBURGH
CINCINNATI
NEW ORLEANS

As the year comes to a close, it’s time for my annual thoughts on the Yahoo Year in Review.  This is their annual look back at the top athletes.  There are many other Top Ten lists if you wish to search Yahoo for those.   For instance, the top-searched question for 2015 was, “How do you tie a tie?”  I can understand that question, but I am somewhat amused that the #9 most-asked question is, “How many weeks in a year?”  That either means that we are just not very smart or more elementary school children are on the internet.  I personally do not like either conclusion.

The Top Ten Athletes searched on Yahoo are:

1. Ronda Rousey
2. Lindsay Vonn
3. Maria Sharapova
4. Danica Patrick
5. Caroline Wozniacki
6. Tiger Woods
7. Floyd Mayweather
8. Manny Pacquiao
9. Ana Ivanovic
10. Hope Solo

It appears that for an athlete to be searched more than others they have to have attributes, both good and bad, that go beyond them playing sports.  Although each of the females on the list are outstanding athletes and at the top of their various sports, I think it is safe to assume that much of their popularity comes from their sex appeal.

Ronda Rousey, who recently lost her UFC bout with Holly Holm, is the star of her sport, but she has also become a favorite through her modeling photos.  The same can certainly be said for Vonn, Sharapova, Patrick, Wozniacki, and Ivanovic.  Rousey, Patrick, Wozniacki, and Sharapova are back for the second straight year.

Hope Solo was the goalkeeper for this year’s USA World Cup championship team, which certainly captured the attention of Americans.  Solo allowed only three goals throughout the tournament.  She also has had her share of controversy angering teammates at times and facing a domestic violence charge.

Tiger Woods was #1 last year in most-searched athletes.  Much like his golf game, he drops all the way to #6, but he was the most-searched male athlete of the year.  At a time when it looks like he may not be able to play competitive golf again, he still garners more attention than any other golfer.  It will be interesting to see if he even appears on the list again next year.  Last year’s list included Tony Stewart, Tito Ortiz, Ray Rice, and Michael Vick.  None of them are on the list this year.

Mayweather and Pacquiao are no surprises to make the list together since they were part of the self-promoted “Fight of the Century”.  The fight made $410 million in revenue and one could certainly argue that these two are the only ones to truly make the list based on their athletic abilities in the past year.

So what does the list tell us about where our real interests are in the world of sports?  I will let you come to your own conclusions.

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS)

1. Who were those guys in the Eagles’ uniforms on Sunday? As horrible as they looked the two previous weeks, that’s how good they were on Sunday when they played the New England Patriots.  The offense still looked spotty, but the defense and particularly the special teams looked great.  But they ARE tied for first place in the NFC East and it appears that the last game when the Eagles face the Giants will decide the champion.  Go figure.
2. The Flyers are also playing better – the ’76-ers, not so much. Do you think the ‘76ers’ strategy of tanking season after season will work in the long run?
3. Parkland should be the team to beat in high school basketball, but they have to start the season without the football players who are enjoying amazing success. This past week, their football team became the first District XI AAAA team to beat a Philadelphia Catholic League team in the PIAA playoffs.  They went overtime to do it, but they did it!
4. I like Bangor and Salisbury to battle for the Colonial League championship, but there should be plenty of good talent and exciting games in the 2015-16 season.
5. The PIAA state semifinals are this coming weekend and we have our two local teams LIVE on RCN-TV. Saucon Valley will be at Bethlehem School District Stadium to take on Imhotep on Friday night at 7:00pm and Parkland will tackle undefeated Upper Dublin in Souderton at 1:00pm on Saturday.  If you can’t be there, we’ll take you there.

NFL PICKS LAST WEEK – 12-4; OVERALL 119-73 (62%)
NFL PICKS (WEEK FOURTEEN)

ARIZONA
CINCINNATI
PHILADELPHIA
CAROLINA
SAN FRANCISCO
CHICAGO
DETROIT
KANSAS CITY
TAMPA BAY
JACKSONVILLE
JETS
NEW ENGLAND
DENVER
GREEN BAY
SEATTLE
GIANTS
 

High school is winding down and college football has come to a close.  College basketball has begun and high school basketball is right around the corner.

That can only mean that it is once again time for one of my favorite nights of the year and it has nothing to do with athletics. It is the night that I co-host the Dream Come True Telethon. Believe it or not (and I am a “not”), we will be doing the Telethon for the 30^th year.  I did not host in the early years, but I have been around for most.

The Dream Come True organization, in case you did not know, was founded in 1984 by Kostas Kalogeropoulos, a local businessman.  The goal of the organization is simple – fulfill the dreams of children who are seriously, chronically, and terminally ill and reside in the greater Lehigh Valley area.  Children are referred by family, friends, clergy, doctors, social workers, etc., and the dreams usually fall into three categories – trips, contact with celebrities, and special gifts (computers, shopping sprees, for example).

Scott Barr will be co-hosting again this year. We have spent this night together for many, many years and I would not want to work with anyone else. He handles the auction area and, boy, is he terrific!  If you watch Home Shopping Network or any of the other television all-day shopping channels, just watch Scott do his thing during the four-hour night.  He is as good as, if not better, than the professionals.  Here are the specifics:

The TELETHON will take place live on Monday, December 7, from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. RCN customers in the Lehigh Valley (Channel 4, 1004 in HD), Delaware County (Channel 8, 608 in HD), and Washington, DC (Channel 8) areas can watch live on RCN TV.  A popular component of the telethon each year is the auction.  This year, we will again utilize the on-line auction.  The bidding began on Sunday, November 8, and ends Monday, December 7 at 8:00PM, so check it out!

CLICK HERE to bid on incredible auction items donated by your favorite networks!

Great auction items include:

• Apple Watch from TV One Network
• Autographed Mitchell Guitar signed by The Band Perry from Scripps Networks
• Autographed Copy of Outlander Series Book, “Written in My Own Heart’s Blood”, by author Diana Gabaldon from Starz
• Honora Black Pearl Necklace from QVC
• Grill and Chill Tailgating Kit from HBO
• And much more!

You can find all of the items by clicking on the following link:

http://www.biddingowl.com/Auction/home.cfm?auctionID=2691

You will find a variety of unique items donated by local businesses as well as our friends from the cable networks.  If you want something really unique and not found in any store, tune us in and bid on the items.  You will make Scott’s night and, more importantly, some child’s dream.

Ann Savkova, our excellent parade announcer, and Chris Michaels of “Sportstalk” fame will do many of the interviews with the children who have had their dreams fulfilled.  They are a welcome addition to the team.

The important facts again are:

The Date:        Monday, December 7
The Time:        6:00 – 9:00 PM
The Purpose:   To fulfill as many hopes, dreams and fantasies for seriously, chronically,
and terminally ill children as possible
The Phone Number to Make a Donation:       1-800-749-8099

All proceeds from the online and on-air auctions go directly to Dream Come True.

Thank you, in advance, for your consideration and support!  Your donation will help make a child’s dream come true!

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS)

1. As if things were not bad enough with Philadelphia sports, Donovan McNabb who eventually became an admirable role model for the city’s youth and fans, reported for jail on November 30 to serve an 18-day sentence. He was arrested for DUI for the second time in Arizona.  His first sentence was one day; this one longer.
2. How about Whitehall’s Saquon Barkley? On Saturday, he broke the 32-year-old record for most rushing yards by a freshman in Penn State history when he carried for 103 yards against Michigan State.  He broke the record of D J Dozier who was a first-round NFL draft pick.
3. For the “love them or hate them”, the Thanksgiving weekend offered its share of polarizing games. The Eagles were blown away by Detroit; Dallas lost to Carolina; Penn State was blown out by Michigan State; and Notre Dame lost its chance to be in the BCS championship series by losing to Stanford.  For you, is the cup half full or half empty?
4. The second quarter of the Parkland vs. Wyoming Valley West game on Friday night had just about everything. First, Sean Judge of WVW intercepted a Parkland pass in the end zone and returned it 100 yards to tie the game at 14-14.  That just made Parkland angry as they went on to score five more touchdowns in the quarter – a 15-yard run by QB Devante Cross; a 77-yard run by Cross; a 30-yard interception touchdown by defensive tackle Noel Brouse; a Cross to Kenny Yeboah 23-yard touchdown pass; and a Cross to Yeboah lateral to Zach Bross on the last play of the first half for 46 yards.  At the half, the 14-14 game had turned into a 49-14 “mercy rule” game.
5. The PIAA state quarterfinals are this coming weekend and we have our two local teams on RCN-TV. Saucon Valley will take on Selinsgrove on Friday night at 9:30pm and Parkland hits another District 12 nemesis in LaSalle College in Philadelphia at 1:00pm Saturday.  If you can’t be there, we’ll take you there.

NFL PICKS LAST WEEK – 11-5; OVERALL 107-69 (61%)

NFL PICKS (WEEK THIRTEEN)

GREEN BAY
CHICAGO
CINCINNATI
TENNESSEE
HOUSTON
MIAMI
CAROLINA
SEATTLE
ARIZONA
TAMPA BAY
JETS
DENVER
KANSAS CITY
NEW ENGLAND
PITTSBURGH
WASHINGTON

I figured that I would start by wishing everyone a Happy Thanksgiving!

And then I got to thinking…

On Saturday, I spent my day broadcasting the Lafayette-Lehigh football game.  It is college football’s most-played rivalry and I feel very fortunate that I have done the play-by-play for this game for fifteen years.  My wife and I then had dinner with my daughter and her husband, and hurried off to the Zoellner Arts Center to see Darlene Love in concert.  Except for the Lafayette defeat (and only because I am a fan), it was a really nice day.  I did a job I truly love, spent quality time with the family, and enjoyed what life has to offer in terms of entertainment.  I went to bed that night feeling good about most everything.

But, on Sunday, I started, as I often do, thinking about this weekly blog.  My mind tries to come up with a topic that I hope readers will find interesting, and it usually revolves around the world of sports.  Only this time I kept thinking about the awful tragedy in Paris. I could not read a newspaper or turn on the TV without facing reports of the Parisians’ circumstances and the horrible aftermath.  And that brought me back to Saturday.

I realized that I spent that day much like the Parisians who, prior to suffering through the terrible assaults by ISIS, were just living life on a regular Friday one week ago.  The attacks had come at a soccer game, at a restaurant, and at a concert by a fanatical group that believes violence is the path to paradise.

Eight days later, while I, too, attended the very same types of venues, I took all of the events and locales for granted.  I would be amongst the 16,000 people at Goodman Stadium watching, not soccer, but football; enjoying family at a local restaurant as many were doing at Petit Cambodge restaurant; and, like those at Le Bataclan, I just wanted to enjoy some live music in concert.

The Paris victims just wanted to do the same.

I have much to be thankful for – a wonderful wife (52 years and counting), two successful daughters who are happily married, three grandchildren who are all pursuing their vocational dreams, a great job, good health, and, despite all that goes on in the world, a positive outlook on life.

But I am quite sure that many of the 129 who were killed in Paris and the many, who were wounded, could have said the same thing about their lives and their families.  Until Friday the thirteenth, 2015.

I will join my family around the dinner table on Thanksgiving and think about my good fortune.  But, I will also take pause and reflect on the horrors that exist in the world and, in addition to asking for my family to continue to be blessed, I will also pray that the world finds a way to be a better place. You, too, may want to do the same.  It cannot hurt.

Again, Happy Thanksgiving!

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS)

1. Lafayette suffered through just an awful 1-10 football season culminating with their arch-rival Lehigh beating them soundly. With Army, Delaware, Villanova, and Princeton on the schedule next year, they could get much, much better and it might not show in their record.
2. As I write this, Philadelphia pro teams have won one home game in November! The Flyers have won three of their last 10, and are 7-9-5 with the fewest wins in the NHL. The 76’ers are 0-14, and the Eagles looked just awful on Sunday losing to Tampa Bay and are now 4-6.  To make matters worse, the Eagles play the Lions in Detroit on Thanksgiving Day.  If you are an Eagles fan, you might want to eat your turkey BEFORE the game.  If you are lucky, then the tryptophan might kick in just in time to sleep through the game.
3. As the cold begins to creep into the Valley, the RCN crew is ready to move indoors. The wind and cold temperatures on Friday night at Parkland convinced everyone on camera outside that they really like basketball better.
4. Speaking of basketball, we have a rare college doubleheader for you this Sunday when the Lafayette men take on Penn and the Lafayette women play St. Peter’s. The action begins at 2:00pm with the men.
5. There are PIAA state football match-ups in store this weekend on RCN-TV. Wyoming Valley West – Parkland will be LIVE on Friday night at 7:00 followed by a taped replay of the Notre Dame – Dunmore game.  There are no games Saturday.

NFL PICKS LAST WEEK – 11-3; OVERALL 96-64 (60%)

NFL PICKS (WEEK TEN)

DETROIT
CAROLINA
GREEN BAY
OAKLAND
KANSAS CITY
INDIANAPOLIS
GIANTS
HOUSTON
ATLANTA
CINCINNATI
JACKSONVILLE
JETS
ARIZONA
SEATTLE
NEW ENGLAND
BALTIMORE