About two weeks ago (6/15/15) in The Express-Times, Jessica Wohl of the Chicago Tribune wrote an article about unhealthy restaurant meals.  On the list were meals from many restaurants including Red Lobster, IHOP, Outback Steakhouse and Dickey’s BBQ.  Trust me, the article was depressing.

And even worse, it got me thinking about my daily lunch.  Based on where the RCN studio is located and the desire to eat in about one-half hour, the lunch choices are somewhat limited.  So I looked at my own lunch habits and decided to investigate whether I eat a healthy or unhealthy lunch.  My usual haunts are Wawa, Burger King, Five Guys, Moe’s, and, you guessed it, Dickey’s.

Wawa – My normal order here is a Classic BLT with mayo and a TastyPie.  Combining the two equals about 920 calories.  Based on my nutritional knowledge (virtually non-existent), I concluded this is not too bad.  Take that, Jessica Wohl!

Burger King – Obviously, there is a wide variety of choices here so I picked a common order for me – a double Whopper with cheese, French fries, and a chocolate fudge sundae.  As I type this order, I am getting nauseous.  It sounds bad.  Upon investigation I find my conclusion is correct.  This meal contains 1,428 calories, give or take an extra layer of stomach fat.

Five Guys – After my Burger King experience, I dread looking at this one.  My order: a cheeseburger and more fries than any single person can possibly eat (although I give it my best shot).  The calorie total comes to 2,154!!  2,500 calories, according to Wohl’s article, is equivalent to three Big Macs and five vanilla cones at McDonald’s.  The Five Guys total does not even include the peanuts I devour waiting for my meal.  You have to eat them – they’re free!

Moe’s Southwest Grill – I still do not know the difference between all the Mexican things that the food is placed in, so I just order the Homewrecker with steak.  The name itself scares me, but so far, after devouring quite a few of these since Moe’s opened, I am still happily married.  This meal with my ingredients, accompanied by the chips and salsa, is “only” 1228 calories. I’m thinking the Mexicans are on to something here.

Dickey’s BBQ – I finish my tour where it all began – Dickey’s.  I usually order the pulled-pork sandwich with sauce, pickle and onion.  It is imperative to get a “side” and their waffle-fries are the very best.  Dickey’s is also “nice” enough to offer free (there is that word again) soft ice cream. The calorie total is estimated at 1757 calories.

I have discovered that the average male my age should consume 2,500 calories per day in order to maintain my current weight (which, by the way, I would like to reduce).  Since it is now obvious that I pretty much eat enough at lunch to maintain my present weight, what is the end result when I go to Texas Roadhouse for dinner and consume a rib-eye steak, chili, and a salad to pack on another 1,500 calories?  Or head to Ruby Tuesday’s for their ribs, mashed potatoes, salad, and a drink – another 2,000 calories?

I guess the Diet Coke that I usually order is not really helping that much.  And the latest research is beginning to show that diet drinks are not really good for you, either.

I am even more depressed!  I need a snack!

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS)

Newspapers aren’t what they used to be – fewer pages, less news, hardly up-to-date, etc.  But my Saturday paper had a banner day for local sports.  For example: 

1. Ryne Sandberg quit as the Phillies manager. He never had a chance with the team he was given. This experience probably soured him on ever managing again.
2. The US beat China 1-0 in the World Cup quarterfinals. Soccer is exciting when you have a team to root for!
3. Local Liberty High School player Darrun Hilliard was drafted by the Detroit Pistons as the 38^th pick in the NBA draft. The pick certainly will pique my NBA interest if the former Villanova star makes the roster. Best wishes and congratulations to Darrun.
4. Parkland softball pitcher Aubree Fritzinger was named the PIAA state player of the year. Congratulations to her, too!!
5. The Philadelphia 76’ers are being investigated by the NBPA (the players’ union) for losing on purpose (tanking games) the past couple of years. Their plan is to build through high draft choices governed by their season record. It’s obvious tanking is their mindset and it actually could work, but is it fair to the rest of the league, their own players, and, more importantly, the fans? It is not, but don’t expect the union to get anywhere bringing this to light. The League has allowed it to happen.

As a high school English teacher for almost thirty years, I used to get frustrated by the misconception about young people.  Based on newspaper reports and TV news, the only stories readers and viewers often saw about the young were reports of teenagers getting into trouble.  As a teacher, I saw so many really terrific young students, who far outnumbered the troubled ones, that I thought it unfair when people spoke of the “youth of today”.

This week offered up two very good examples of what I am talking about.  On Thursday night, the 45^th annual McDonald’s All-Star Football Classic was held.  This event is held every year to raise money for the many McDonald charities including the Ronald McDonald houses that offer a residence for the families of their hospitalized children.  The game has been responsible for raising close to a million dollars.

This year, 90 senior football players, cheerleaders, and their volunteer coaches suffered through two weeks of practice in extremely hot, humid, and wet weather in order to prepare for the game.  Their only “compensation” was a plaque signifying their participation and the RCN banquet on the eve of the game to thank them.

Their assignment is three-fold – have fun, play competitively, and fill the stands.  They met all their goals.

On Thursday afternoon, I was introduced to George Pektor.  He had just finished his sophomore year at Blair Academy.  George, also, attended Moravian Academy prior to this past year.  George Pektor is a special person.

He understands that he is a person of “privilege”.  He attends elite schools and has had many opportunities not afforded to many and, most importantly and most impressively, he knows it.  He, also, loves the game of basketball.  That love has taken him to a number of expensive AAU and travel basketball programs.  And, despite his young age, he came to realize that there are potentially many good inner city athletes who have not been offered the opportunities he has had.  He felt a duty to do something about that.

During the next two weeks, at the Jewish Community Center in Allentown, the very first GO PRO SKILLS CAMP will take place.  120 boys, ages 13-17, who would not be able to afford or participate in such a program, will learn basketball skills.  In addition, the program will offer both motivational and inspirational messages from both pro athletes and renowned coaches.  Athletic development, as well as personal development, for these young people, were George’s primary goals for the program.

This camp, like all the ones George attended, is expensive.  There were transportation costs, equipment costs, and unforeseen meal costs (the Jewish Community Center required more expensive kosher lunches be served).  Suffice it to say, George needed sponsors.  No problem.  He found seventeen of them!

The years in teaching and in athletics have taught me there are plenty of really good young people out there.

I met 91 of them this week alone!

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS) 

1. The US Open was professional golf at its most dramatic. The course was controversial, prime time TV, the play exhausting to watch at times, the finish spectacular.  ABC coined the phrase – “The thrill of victory, the agony of defeat”.  For this tournament it was the opposite – “The agony of defeat (Dustin Johnson’s missed putts) and the thrill of victory (Jordan Spieth wins it in the clubhouse).
2. I suppose that the ending of the US Open should have been bizarre considering that the golf course looked nothing like a golf course, but more like 30,000 people landed on Mars to watch greens become “browns”, water become “sand traps” (the color was the same), and golfers become lightheaded (Jason Day’ vertigo). Add the new and unfamiliar voices of FOX Sports, the inability, at times, for the cameras to follow the ball, and the overuse of the shot “tracker” and the entire event was most bizarre, indeed.
3. Dustin Johnson’s awful three-putt finish at the US Open did not come close to his final 11-over round in 2011 which included a triple-bogey and double-bogey on consecutive holes.
4. No one was more frustrated with Chambers Bay than Bill Horschel. Watch:

5. The “deflategate” suspension appeal by Tom Brady is this week. Roger Goodell will hear the case.

RCN-TV does a large number of broadcasts.  The viewers at home get a glimpse of the announcers and they, hopefully, enjoy listening to them.  Fans often come up to those same announcers to tell them how much they enjoyed the broadcast, offer some trivia, and converse about the event.  That’s all well and good, but don’t forget the people who do the really hard, physical work behind the scenes – THE CREW!

This past week sure proved that.  As many of you know by now, RCN-TV is the production team for PCN (Pennsylvania’s Cable Network) when they broadcast the PIAA state baseball championships held in State College at the Penn State athletic complex.  That was true again this past week.

The crew arrived on Thursday to set up the wiring, the cameras, the announcing booth, the video connections, and the audio lines.  They left our studio in Bath at 7:00 AM and registered at the hotel after their work was done at @ 6:00 PM.  It was a ridiculously hot and humid day and they worked those hours in the heat and humidity.

On Friday, the day that the four games would be played, we all awoke to such humidity that when the crew arrived at the ball field at 7:00 AM, the air was so thick and heavy, that you could not see the scoreboard.  The saving grace for them, early on, was that the sun was not shining and there was a slight breeze.  That would change over the course of the day.

Despite three well-played games that fit the time frame quite nicely, the sun did come out and was searing for most of the day.  The temperatures reached the nineties; there were two rain-delays (one for ninety minutes that was accompanied by very dangerous lightning), extreme humidity, and one game that just seemed to last forever.  Suffice it to say that the conditions for the entire day were just awful.

I mentioned the crew arrived at 7:00 AM.  The last gold medal was awarded and we signed off the air at 10:15 PM – 15 hours and 15 minutes later!  My day was done.  The crew’s day was not.  Now they had to retrieve all the equipment they worked so hard to put in place the previous day – add another hour and a half – almost 17 full hours.

Four baseball champions were crowned on Friday at Medlar Park at Labrano Field. Unlike the baseball teams that played one game, the crew “played” every game.  The players and coaches all received gold medals and a championship trophy.  There should have been twenty more gold medals passed out that day.  Each member of the RCN-TV crew deserved one.

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS) 

1. Congratulations to the Bethlehem Catholic and Parkland girls for winning the PIAA Class AAA and AAAA softball championships. To be the best in Pennsylvania is an amazing achievement.
2. Any weekend golfer knows that when you are just having a bad hole, you pick up and take double par as your score. Andrey Pavlov is a professional golfer and he did not have the “pick-up” option. On the first hole, a par five, in the Austrian Open, he scored a 17!  He hit the ball in the water hazard six times!  He shot a 90, by the way, 19 strokes worse than the he shot the day before.
3. As I write this, the Phillies have more losses and fewer wins than any other major league baseball team. Does that make them the absolute worst team in baseball?
4. As you know, I have never been a big fan of the NBA, but this current championship series has me hooked. I like the coaching, the effort, the defense, and the talent.  I will watch until the end.
5. Blue Mountain League baseball coverage begins this week on Tuesday night at 9:30. The McDonald’s All-Star football banquet and game are also this week on Wednesday and Thursday. Baseball, eating, and football – sounds like a good week.

Tiger Woods played at the Memorial this past weekend.  He just made the cut on the very last hole.  This was a man who did not miss a cut for seven years!  On Saturday, he shot the worst score of his competitive career, an 85!  He hit seven fairways, nine greens in regulation, hit four balls into the water, and missed three putts inside of five feet.  Zac Blair (who?) played with Tiger on Saturday and beat him by 15 shots!

And, perhaps, that was not the most embarrassing part of the weekend for Tiger.  Because there were an odd number of players who made the cut, Tiger played the final round as the first one out for the day and he had to play by himself!!  He shot a 74 and finished in last place.  I know there are “Tiger-haters” out there and they are probably happy to see him fail.  I, for one, thought that this was a sad moment for one of the greatest ever in his profession.

This got me to thinking about some of the great “falls” in professional sports.

Pete Rose
I just loved watching the way he played the game of baseball.  He just exuded energy and enthusiasm for the game, became the career hits leader, and was destined for the Hall of Fame.  And then, there was the betting scandal, tax evasion, and imprisonment.  And still no Hall of Fame.

Lenny Dykstra
All his problems began after his baseball career – there was bankruptcy, concealing baseball gloves and other souvenirs that were supposed to be part of the bankruptcy, imprisonment, grand theft auto, and filing a false financial statement.  He was never able to “hustle” his way to success after baseball.

Lance Armstrong
He won the Tour de France seven times.  He beat cancer.  He was an American icon.  Turns out, he was a cheater who finally admitted to doping.

Marion Jones
She won five medals in the 2000 Olympics in Sydney and an NCAA basketball championship at North Carolina, but she used performance-enhancing drugs.  She spent six months in jail for lying to a grand jury.

Michael Vick
Football was not enough competition for him.  He decided to finance a dog fighting group.  That turned out to be a serious crime and a public relations nightmare.  He, too, went to prison.

These are just a few of the great falls from grace.  There are plenty of others – baseball’s Ryan Braun, Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds, remember Tonya Harding, Oscar Pistorius, etc.

After thinking about these infamous athletes, I come away thinking Tiger’s problems with the “sticks” are not so bad.  Let’s hope that he thrills us a few more times in his career.

When I have a bad round of golf, I always use the excuse that “I’m working on things.”  At least, Tiger can continue to “work on things”.  You can’t say that for the others.

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS) 

1. As everyone knows, American Pharoah broke the 37-year Triple Crown jinx by winning the Belmont Stakes. The race took two minutes and 26 seconds.  The broadcast took two hours and 45 minutes!  NBC did an outstanding job with all the back stories, the atmosphere, and the actual race.  Jockey Victor Espinoza became extremely likable as the story unfolded and I’m sure was forgiven for his expletive right after winning.  Great story!
2. Since this blog talks about the demise of some of the greatest athletes, how about the amazing success of Serena Williams. She won the French Open even though she was not physically at full strength.  This was her 20^th Grand Slam singles victory of her career.  She, arguably, is the best women’s player ever.
3. For the first time in NBA history, the first two games in the finals went overtime. Two great teams with great players.  I actually watched both and was thoroughly entertained and awed by the talent.  And both teams played defense!
4. On Saturday night, the NHL playoffs continued and Tampa beat Chicago 4-3 to even that series at 1-1. There was an allowed goal that should not have been, a goaltender who left the game twice, a rookie goaltender who had five saves on five shots, and hockey at its best.
5. The RCN-TV crew will be heading to Penn State and Labrano Park for the PIAA state baseball championships to be played on Friday. The broadcasts will be LIVE on PCN beginning at 10:00 AM.

Everybody has an opinion.  We hear it all the time. That’s especially true when the conversation turns to sports – the more passionate the subject, the more vehement the position.  I suppose I am no different.  But there is one new area in college athletics that has me on the proverbial “fence”.  I just do not know where I stand.

There is a new eligibility rule that will go into effect in 2016 for high school athletes looking to compete in college athletics as a freshman.  The rule, adopted in 2012, requires that a high school athlete has a grade point average of 2.3 (up from 2.0) in 16 (up from 13) core courses, 10 of which must be completed by the junior year.  The NCAA adopted the change to insure young athletes are more academically prepared for the rigors of college academics.  This standard must be achieved in order for a student-athlete to play as a college freshman.

The new standards will most impact college basketball and football. The NCAA reported in a poll taken in 2010 that, under the new standard, 43% of college basketball players and 35% of football players would not have been eligible to play as freshmen (15% for all athletes).

The NCAA likens this to an academic redshirt year.  Students can still receive scholarships and practice with the team and be considered a freshman the following year in terms of eligibility.  The hope is that students are as academically prepared for the demands of college as much as being athletically prepared.  It sounds good.

On one hand, requiring greater standards for college students cannot be a bad thing especially in light of the grading scandals that have occurred recently at some of the more revered college programs.  Some would certainly argue that a student who cannot meet this minimum requirement does not belong in college anyway.

Many coaches, however, disagree.  They point to the fact that a student’s senior year in high school has little or no value if minimum standards have already not been met by their junior year.  The NCAA found that 37% of New York students and 44% of Philadelphia students would not be certified to play under the new rule.  Historically, that number had been about 10%.  Some coaches feel that the new rule unfairly targets young minority athletes from both low-income homes and less than stellar school districts.  Add to that, those who go to prep school can only use one course to apply for certification.  The critics of the rule cite many examples of student-athletes who used the opportunity to attain a college degree to create a better life.

I would be happy to tell you where I stand on this issue, but I just don’t know.  But I will be quite interested to follow the ramifications of the new rule.  Will students adapt and raise their personal standards and achieve more or will fewer students ever get the opportunity to attend college as a reward for their athletic abilities?  Stay tuned.

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS) 

1. The Stanley Cup final should be great – Tampa Bay is the #1 offensive team and the Chicago Blackhawks are the #1 defensive team. Both teams are exceptionally quick and loaded with talent.  Well worth watching.
2. Steven Bowditch (ever hear of him?) won the AT&T Byron Nelson Golf Championship on Sunday. It was his second win in two years.  So what? Read his story, however, and you will be quite amazed that he is ever got to play: http://ftw.usatoday.com/2015/05/steven-bowditch-suicide-clinical-depression-to-win-on-the-pga-tour
3. What happens to World Cup soccer if the best teams in Europe do not show up? That seems to be a plan being considered in order to force reform from FIFA after 14 officials were charged this past week by the FBI for numerous offenses.  The plan – no viable teams = no sponsors = drastic changes within FIFA.
4. I just finished the District XI baseball playoffs, but I never saw anything like the AAA championship finish in Washington this past week. Watch what happened:

http://ftw.usatoday.com/2015/05/high-school-baseball-teams-walk-off-win-called-back-after-players-celebrate-too-early

5. Remember when the Phillies had a six-game winning streak? I bet you thought – “There’s a chance!”  As of Monday they have lost six straight, eight of 10, are 10 games out of first place and the Reds and Giants are coming to town.  The only question now is: Who gets fired first?

(Author’s note:  Due to the Memorial Day holiday and upcoming District XI baseball championships, I am repeating an earlier blog from November, 2012)

As the RCN sports crew travels around from venue to venue, we, happily, hear from so many viewers.  The compliments far outweigh the criticism and, most of the time, the criticism centers around not doing a particular team or a particular game.  To me, that is really a backhanded compliment because it just means those fans want to see us televise their team.  Every so often, an over-exuberant fan will come up and say, “You guys are just like ESPN!”  Well, I am here to tell you we are not even close!!

In an article (“More Show Than Game” – Sept. 27) written for “Rolling Stone” magazine by David Amsden, he talks about observing an ESPN Monday Night Football broadcast of a New England-Philadelphia pre-season football game.  The insights offered were astounding to me and, I anticipate will be for you, too.  This preseason game had:

• 11 trucks transport the gear
• A crew of 200 (graphics, producers, assistants, statisticians, a sideline reporter, sound editors, mixers; the list goes on and on)
• 50 microphones
• 20 cameramen (31 cameras are used during the regular season)
• 216 monitors

That’s the staff – how about the cost:

• $15.2 billion for the rights through 2021
• That’s $111 million in rights fees per game
• Broken down even further, it costs $600,000 per minute
• Constantly introducing new and very expensive technology (ex: digital yard markers, Skycam)

In addition, staff (announcers, directors, the tech crew, etc) arrives Saturday.  They spend one day with one team and one day with the other.  Highlight packages are produced (about 20% used).  Various storylines are discussed.  Production meetings abound.  On Saturday night, there is a production team-bonding activity.  This particular week, all attended a Bruce Springsteen concert.

In comparison, when the RCN TV team does a Saturday afternoon college game, we have:

• 2 trucks
• A crew of 18
• 15 microphones
• 5 cameramen
• 30 monitors

The cost:

• Around $3000 per game, not counting equipment costs (but ESPN didn’t count that either)
• Rights fees in the hundreds of dollars
• Broken down even further, it costs @ $22 per minute

In addition, the announcers attend a press luncheon during the week to talk to one coach on the phone for around 10 minutes and talk to the other coach for about 15 minutes.  The crew arrives the morning of the game to set up for the telecast.  There is not much time (maybe lunch) for a team-bonding activity.

What do I conclude from this information?

• ESPN spends an astronomical amount of money to do the NFL games (no wonder the NFL will make $9.5 billion in profits this year).
• NBC, CBS and FOX all have similar NFL expenses and the competition to be the best produces terrific broadcasts.
• Despite this “apples to oranges “comparison, the RCN TV sports crew also aims every game to be the best they can be. From the director to holding the Big Ears and everything in between, we always strive for a quality broadcast – to be the best.  From the many comments we receive, I do not think we disappoint.  There is no question our mindset is “just like ESPN’s.”

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS)

• The Nazareth curse hit Indianapolis again over the weekend. Sage Karam of Nazareth, who was in the spotlight all week prior to the race, did not even complete a lap.  Takuma Sato took him out before the race began.  And Marco Andretti, also of Nazareth, finished sixth, but never looked like he had a chance to win the race.  I watch every year hoping a “local” will win the race.  Mario Andretti won the race in 1969.  No “local” since.
• Speaking of Sage Karam, he tweeted after the crash, “@TakumaSatoRacer thinking he can win the indy 500 in the first turn. Thanks man. I have some of your front wing when should I return it?”
• My football color analyst, Mike Joseph, told me on Friday that he read the entire 243-page Ted Wells report on “Deflategate”. He said there is no doubt in his mind that Brady is guilty.  Perhaps Bill Belichick feels the same way.  He has yet to come out in support of his quarterback.
• American Pharoah, the horse who won both the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness, was sold for breeding rights to Ahmed Zayat this past week. There is speculation that the Belmont Stakes, the third leg of the Triple Crown, will be the career finale for the horse.
• Did you see LeBron James’ numbers for Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals: 37 points, 18 rebounds, 13 assists? It was his sixth 30-point, 10-rebound, 10-assist game in playoff history.

I will be getting much more sleep after this week.  David Letterman is retiring.  Wednesday, May 20, will be his last show.  I’m not embarrassed to say that I pretty much go to bed with Dave Monday through Friday and I have been doing so for the 33 years he has been on the air. He fit perfectly into my late night viewing following my favorites, Steve Allen and Johnny Carson.  I first caught Dave when he began his morning show at NBC.  My wife and I actually attended the taping of that show twice.  We, also, were in the audience a few times for the Late Show on CBS.

Letterman says he is retiring to spend more time with his son, Harry.  He feels he has been away so much during Harry’s early years that he owes it to him to be more of a father and less a public personality.  He did 5,914 shows (4,014 on CBS and 1,810 on NBC) and no one on late night did more.  He surpassed Johnny Carson, his idol, in February of 2012.

I have tried to give other hosts my late night attention: Leno, Rivers, Conan, Kimmel (who I do like), Ferguson, Fallen, etc.    Although good, none captured the absurd, zany, quirky, self-deprecating humor that was Dave’s.

As evidence, let me offer a Top Ten of a few of his strangest TV innovations:

1. Larry “Bud” Melman – who would put that guy on TV, but it was really funny.
2. Is this anything? Paul Shaffer and Dave would look at an activity and guess whether it was “anything” – What?  But it worked.
3. Rupert G. – The owner of the deli located near the theater, who seemed so uncomfortable on the air, yet Dave made Rupert a favorite of the show.
4. The “new” feature – He offers this up almost every night as if it will be a continuing part of the show. The new feature never sees the light of day again.
5. Throwing footballs at a pizza on a Christmas tree – need I say more?
6. Stupid Pet Tricks and Stupid Human Tricks – they are stupid, yet stupidly funny.
7. Throwing pencils and the breaking glass sound effect (often the sound effect is late and thus, funnier) – I’m easily amused.
8. The suits – Velcro, Rice Krispies, sponge, etc.
9. Visits from Jack Hanna – much like Carson before him, Dave was his funniest with the zoo animals.
10. Dave’s Mom – Dorothy was the perfect foil with “David”.

There were so many strange interviews, so many weird questions, so many uncomfortable interactions.  But that was Dave.  Starting Thursday, May 21, there will be a void in my day.  I suppose there will be reruns, but even Letterman always told the viewing audience not to watch those.

The good news, I suppose, is I will now get some much needed sleep and maybe my laugh lines will slowly disappear.  Because I can guarantee you with Dave gone, I will sleep more and laugh less.

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS) 

1. Floyd Mayweather bet a total of $350,000 on four sporting events last week – three NBA games and a boxing match. He won all the bets and collected $827,272.  I’m not sure he needed the money.
2. Robert Kraft insisted this week that A) the Patriots and B) Tom Brady are innocent of any wrong-doing when it comes to “deflate-gate”, but C) the team suspended the “deflator” and the equipment manager. If A and B are correct, why C?
3. American Pharoah won both the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness and now has a shot at the Triple Crown. No horse has won the Triple Crown since Affirmed won in 1978.  Jockey Victor Espinoza will attempt to win the Triple Crown for the third time and second year in a row.  He did not get it done with War Emblem or California Chrome.  The third time could be “the charm”.
4. After winning the Wells Fargo Championship, 26 year-old Rory McIlroy fell into third-place all time behind Tiger Woods (34), and Jack Nicklaus (20) for the most wins before age 27. McIlroy won his 11^th
5. Stroudsburg High School pitcher Mike Nikorak will most probably be a multi-millionaire in a few weeks. He was on RCNTV this past week versus Parkland and is being touted as the #1 right-handed pitcher in the nation and an MLB top ten draft pick.  He is 6-5, 220 pounds and throws the ball 95 mph and up.  He already looks like a major league pitcher.  However, Parkland beat him 4-2 to win the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference championship.  The two teams should meet again in the District AAAA championship.  Mike Nikorak – remember his name.

When I was in high school, teachers would normally sit us in rows of chairs alphabetically.  That is why in chemistry and physics class, Laubach (me) was seated next to Miles (not me).  I bring this up because I never really comprehended the personal value of chemistry or physics.  I did not anticipate mixing strange ingredients nor did I concern myself with laws of physics (those things are going to happen anyway).  I just wanted to keep my grades up.  So, since my blog this week is going to be about cheating because it was so prevalent in the world of sports the past seven days, I felt I would be hypocritical if I did not initially confess my own sins.

My classmate, Miles, is now Dr. Miles, MD (in other words, very smart) and you know what I am.  It would be an understatement to say he got me through chemistry and physics.  He sat next to me and, during tests, I may have glanced at an answer or two or three or ten (whatever).  So I guess you could say I cheated.  I feel comfortable saying this now because my Physics teacher has passed away and I’m fairly certain my Chemistry teacher is not reading this stuff.

And I, also, must confess that I often get inspiration for my blogs from the headlines and articles written about the news of the week.  Even though I was going to write about this topic since the “deflategate” report came out, AP writer Paul Newberry beat me to it.  I would like to say he copied my thoughts, but he wrote his article first.  So, suffice it to say, I am not copying here, but adding my thoughts.  Just saying…

And Paul Newberry did not even write about this event.  Two Saturdays ago, Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao earned over $300 million for fighting in what was billed as the “Fight of the Century”.  It turns out that Pacquiao basically fought with just one arm as an undeclared shoulder injury kept him from waging a very competitive fight.  So the fans who put down untold dollars to see the fight LIVE or $89.99 for pay-per-view and, particularly, those fans who legally wagered on the fight were cheated.  Either Pacquiao reveals his injury and gets the fight delayed or he makes everyone aware of his injury and they then decide where their money goes.  He did neither.  But he did get paid!  By cheating us of the information, he, ironically, may have been the only one NOT cheated.

The “deflategate” report  was issued this week, all 243 pages.  The conclusion of the report is that the balls were definitely deflated by an employee of the Patriots prior to the AFC championship game.  And, it appears that Tom Brady had knowledge that this was being done.  The balls were easier to throw and probably easier to catch.  Based on the rules of the NFL, this was cheating.  Brady needs to be suspended and, due to guilt by association, the Patriots need to be fined.  Tom Brady is one of the greatest NFL quarterbacks to play the game, but the image is now tarnished and rightfully so.

This leads me to A-Rod, Alex Rodriquez.  This week, he hit his 661^st home run, passing my childhood hero, Willie Mays, and moving A-Rod into third place all-time in home run totals.  But, he cheated to accomplish that feat.  A-Rod used performance-enhancing drugs for at least four or five years and during that time hit over 200 home runs.  Barry Bonds is ahead of him in home run numbers.  He, also, cheated.  Let those two have a “cheaters” list of their own and keep the records of players like Mays, Babe Ruth, and Hank Aaron separated.

Isn’t it time that all pro athletes act like pro golfers?  Professional golfers call mistakes upon themselves and are immediately penalized for those mistakes.  Often (ex: a ball moved while addressing it), the infraction is not their fault.  But rules are rules and they abide by them.  There are lessons here for Lance Armstrong, Marion Jones, Roger Clemens, etc.

If athletes confessed their cheating immediately upon being caught, we might even forgive them.  C’mon, Tom, be honest with us.  Manny, tell us you should not have gotten into the ring.  A-Rod, don’t accept the accolades that come from passing Willie Mays. Look at me. I am glad I confessed my high school cheating right up front.  Besides, the Statute of Limitations has passed (I hope).

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS) 

1. Have you noticed that former Lafayette student and current Chicago Cubs manager, Joe Maddon, has the Cubs in second place in the National League Central division and they have the fourth-best winning percentage in the National League? Good for Joe.
2. I have found an NBA story that makes me want to watch the playoffs. The LA Clippers are playing the Houston Rockets and, so far, the star of the series is Austin Rivers.  His father, Doc Rivers, is the head coach.  This combination has never happened before in the NBA.  It is neat to see the two interact.
3. Big baseball stories normally center around no-hitters, grand slams, or fights. The defense rarely gets its due.  This past Saturday, the Pittsburgh Pirates pulled off a triple play that had never before happened – second to third to second, or as the scorebook showed 4-5-4.  Take a look here.
4. If outside reports are to be believed, the Eagles did try to make a last-minute trade with Tampa Bay to get the NFL’s #1 draft pick so they could take QB Marcus Mariota. The Bucs would have no part of it and seem very happy they got QB Jameis Winston.
5. High school baseball is on tap this week. On Wednesday, watch the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference semifinals on RCN TV LIVE at 4:00 and the championship on Thursday at 7:00.  Congratulations to all the Colonial League and EPC teams that made the playoffs.  Even with a loss in the league playoffs, District XI baseball is right around the corner for all of them.

I have been on vacation for the past three weeks and I want to thank John Leone, Randy Kane, Jim Best, and Scott Barr for so ably taking over my blog space in my absence.  During my time away, I was on a cruise ship and, unless I went out of my way to research events, I was completely away from American sports during that whole time.  The only sport readily accessible to me was European soccer and I am certainly not enamored with that.  And, the purpose of the vacation, according to my wife, was to get away from sports for awhile.  I did manage to sneak back to my room to see the completion of Jordan Spieth’s victory at The Masters right before we sailed.  From that point on – no baseball, no hockey, no NBA, no NFL draft talk, no nothing!

Imagine my dismay and delight upon my return when Saturday, May 2, rolled around.  It was time to catch up.  However, after perusing the TV guide on the sports page, I was shocked to find that there were 55 sporting events listed from 10 AM through 10 PM.  Plus, at around midnight, Floyd Mayweather, Jr. and Manny Pacquiao would be throwing their first punches in the self-proclaimed “fight of the century”.  Obviously, I needed to prioritize.

I quickly eliminated the three soccer matches, 11 college lacrosse games, two pro tennis matches, four auto racing events, one arena football game, four college softball games, five college baseball games, and IIHF Hockey (what is that, anyway?).  And the college rugby Varsity Cup Championship between BYU and Cal did not stand a chance of capturing my eyeballs.

I was still left with a full day – the NFL Draft (Lafayette’s Ross Scheurman and Freedom’s Mike Coccia were still on the board), NHL hockey which is fun to watch no matter what teams are playing, MLB – the Yankees were playing the Red Sox and the Phillies were at the Marlins, PGA golf – the Cadillac Match Play event, the Kentucky Derby (yes, THE Kentucky Derby), game seven of the NBA playoffs between the Spurs and the Clippers, and the prefight banter on ESPN.

Some of the programs were uneventful – Ross and Mike were not drafted; the Phillies lost again.

But some, like the Derby – American Pharoah winning down the stretch; the NBA game seven won at the buzzer by an amazing shot from Chris Paul; the golf featuring Rory McElroy and Paul Casey playing into the dark in San Francisco and still tied when play was halted after their 21^st hole (I now had to catch the 9:45 tee-off time the next morning for the completion of that match).

It sounds like I made a good decision not to buy the fight.  Pacquiao’s shoulder was injured so reports say it was not as exciting as it could have been.  Plus, it did not start until after midnight and, by then, I realized that I was out of “sports viewing” shape.  Going from no sports for three weeks to a gluttony of viewing right after my return was a challenge. Even the recliner was beginning to feel like a bed of hot coals.  Suffice it to say that the 14+ hours of watching sport after sport left me completely drained.

I NEED ANOTHER VACATION!

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS)

1. It appears the Phillies are as bad as everyone predicted. As I write this, they are already eight games under .500 and have the third worst winning percentage in the major leagues.  At least the Mets are in a slump after their 11-game winning streak, losing seven games in their last 10.  But, do not get your hopes up about the Phils – they appear to be hopeless!
2. So the Eagles took only one offensive player in the NFL draft and five defensive players. Wide receiver Nelson Agholor of USC seems to have been the best available at the time and fills a need at that position.  He will shore up both the wide receiver corps and can return punts and kickoffs.  And the Eagles certainly need defensive help if they want to win championships.
3. All in all, the NFL draft had very few surprises and no wily moves by anyone. The pre-draft analysis sort of spoils the actual picks when that happens.
4. It was nice to see locals Kevin White of Emmaus (Bears), Mike Coccia of Freedom (Eagles), and Ross Scheurman of Lafayette (Steelers) picked up in the draft and free agency. I love watching players in the pros who were on RCNTV.
5. The inaugural Eastern Pennsylvania Baseball semifinals and championship will be on May 13 and 14 on RCNTV. Time to get back to work!

Remember last week how everyone was bemoaning the fact that they were doing so poorly in their office pool?  After this past weekend, I would think there would be less gnashing of teeth and more people still having a little bit of skin in the game.  After all the early upsets, three #1 seeds are still alive and a coach they call the “Master of March”, Tom Izzo of Michigan State, has his team playing in Indianapolis.  Michigan State last won a national championship in 2000 and Tom Izzo was the coach.

I have three teams still alive in our “for entertainment purposes only” office pool: Kentucky, Wisconsin, and Duke.  I picked #2 Virginia to be the other participant, but Michigan State beat them, too, along with the #3 and #4 seeds.  Here is the way I see the match-ups for Saturday in Indianapolis.

#7 Michigan State vs #1 Duke  –  6:09pm on CBS
Both Duke and Michigan State were in the 2010 Final Four. Ironically, the semifinals that year were also the held in Indianapolis.  Michigan State lost to Butler in the semis and Duke went on to win the national title 61-59.  These two teams played earlier in the season in November and Duke won the game by 10.  There is no question that Michigan State is the surprise team in the Final Four.  Even Coach Izzo said earlier he did not believe his team had the size and talent to compete for a national championship.  In Michigan State’s last final appearance in 2009 they lost to North Carolina.  Izzo has his team one game away again.  Despite his basketball acumen, he goes up against Mike Krzyzewski who has taken Duke to nine championship finals and has won four national championships.  I like Duke to win this game, but it will not be easy and it will not be by 10.
DUKE   66   MICHIGAN STATE  61

#1 Kentucky vs #1 Wisconsin
Believe it or not, there have only been three Final Four rematches in history and this is one of them.  Kentucky hit a three with six seconds on the clock last year that kept Wisconsin from their second national championship game.  This is a revenge game for sure.  Wisconsin’s stars, Frank Kaminsky and Sam Dekker, made it known that they did not go to the NBA just so they could get back to this position again.  Is this one of those “be careful what you wish for” moments?

Everyone knows that Kentucky is 38-0, two wins away from being the first undefeated team since Indiana’s run in 1976.  Kentucky’s John Calipari has a bit of a revenge factor of his own losing in last year’s final to Connecticut 60-54.  After winning it all in 2013, Calipari certainly wants Kentucky fans to put him in the same conversation as the great Kentucky coach Adolph Rupp who won four national championships.  I am awed by the size and the talent that Kentucky puts on the floor.  However, Notre Dame may have shown that they can be beaten losing by just two in the Midwest final.  The last two teams since 1976 to enter the Final Four undefeated were Indiana State (Larry Bird and company) and UNLV (Jerry Tarkanian) in 1991.  Both lost.  I firmly believe that Wisconsin has the talent and the motivation to win this game, but they won’t.

KENTUCKY  72   WISCONSIN  69

National Championship Game
KENTUCKY 73  DUKE 71

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS)
An NCAA Championship Quiz

1. Ten consecutive titles were won by two teams that were known by initials that started with the letter U. Name the two teams.
2. Since 2000, who is the only coach to win back-to-back championships?
3. What former Lafayette head basketball coach won a national championship?
4. Prior to John Calipari, who was the last Kentucky coach to win a national championship?
5. Since 2000, what team has won the most national championships?

ANSWERS:

1. UCLA AND UTEP (1964-1973)
2. Billy Donovan (Florida-2006 + 2007)
3. Gary Williams (Maryland – 2002)
4. Tubby Smith (1998)
5. Connecticut (3)