The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of RCN or any other agency, organization, employer or company.

You know the brand name Snapple, right?  Did you know that when the product was introduced, it just tanked.  Quaker Oats paid millions for the product and, due to its lack of success, sold it for $300,000 to Triarc Companies in 1997.  That is where 1970 Lafayette graduate, Mike Weinstein, came into the picture as the CEO of Snapple and within three years orchestrated the sale to Cadbury Schweppes for $1.45 billion!

That story is now the first case taught at the Harvard Business School.  I interviewed Mike Weinstein this past week on Primetime PARDS.  He has a good story to tell starting at the 4:10 mark in this YouTube video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Al2Y8kzw64A&feature=youtu.be

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS)

1. It is a rare sight when the average golfer can watch the PGA pros hack around a golf course, much like we do. The US Open challenge at Winged Foot this week looked eerily similar to shots hit in my golf league every week.  It is almost a pleasure to see the pros struggle one time a year and then, much like us, complain vociferously about the unfairness of the course conditions.  It’s music to my ears.

2. As a kid, I used to try to emulate the swing and basket catch of Willie Mays, the passing and dribbling skills of Bob Cousy, and the passing style of Norm Van Brocklin. I am not sure any kid can emulate the golf swings of Bryson DeChambeau and Matthew Wolff.  Their swings are so unique; it will be interesting to see if anyone attempts to seriously mimic them.

3. I wrote this last week: “Speaking of irony, New England QB Cam Newton looked terrific while former New England QB Tom Brady looked average for Tampa Bay (2 interceptions; 1 touchdown).” I would write just the opposite this week – Brady was exceptional in Tampa Bay’s win over Carolina and Newton could not lead New England to a win over Seattle.

4. The Eagles now appear to be weak on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball. Their offense improved a bit and their defense deteriorated this past week against the Rams.  The good news is the NFL East does not look very strong so there is still hope.

5. Check out “Gary’s Guesses” from the past week! That’s right, a record-setting week, only missing the Monday Night game: 15 correct out of 16 games!

Gary’s Guesses: NFL Picks – (LAST WEEK – 15-1; OVERALL- 26-6 – 81%)                 

Jacksonville               

Pittsburgh

Minnesota

Atlanta

New England

San Francisco

Philadelphia

Cleveland

Buffalo

Indianapolis

LA Chargers

Arizona

Seattle

Tampa Bay

New Orleans

Kansas City

The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of RCN or any other agency, organization, employer or company.

Despite not having any preseason games, all 32 NFL teams kicked off their official season this week.  Obviously, it remains to be seen if they can get through the season without having to shut down.  NHL hockey, NBA basketball, and MLB baseball have done a pretty good job so far, but nothing compares to the lack of social distancing in the game of football.

You should be aware that I am writing this Sunday morning before the games (I know the Chiefs won on Thursday, but I would have picked them to win anyway).  So before the first weekend and Monday night games are played, here is how I see the divisions unfolding:

AFC

East

• Buffalo – They finished second to New England last year with Brady.  This is their year to shine.  QB Josh Allen is the key.

• New England – It could be a big mistake to pick against Belichick.  There’s no Brady, but there is Cam Newton.  I’m guessing he will not stay healthy for the entire season.  If he does, you will continue to despise the Patriots.

• Miami – This team is a work in progress and progress should happen this year.  Is Tua Tagovailoa (I hope I don’t have to type this again) their next Dan Marino?  He could be and the Dolphins might surprise.

• Jets – They may as well plan a “Celebration” of their tenth anniversary of not making the playoffs.

North

1. Baltimore – LaMar Jackson is the real deal.  He was the NFL MVP and the Ravens are very strong on defense.  The ingredients here could win them a Super Bowl. 
2. Pittsburgh – They are always dangerous, but a bit old and injury prone.  Everyone says Ben Roethlisberger is healthy, but, at 38, can he remain healthy in this league?

3. Cleveland – No team causes me more grief for Gary’s Guesses than the Browns.  It got to the point where I just picked them to lose every week.  That should not be the case this year.  Baker Mayfield makes them better and they might be better than the Steelers (am I really writing this?)

4. Cincinnati – 2-14 last year says a great deal about this team.  They took LSU QB Joe Burrow as their top pick, but it should be a tough learning process for the rookie with this team.

South

• Indianapolis – Philip Rivers is no longer in San Diego and is reunited with head coach Frank Reich and two of the Colts’ assistants.  The sooner he gets comfortable with his teammates, the better this team can become.

• Tennessee – I’ll be honest – I was going to pick the Texans here, but their Thursday night showing was not impressive at all.  The Titans have an excellent ground game.  They were 9-7 last year and found a steady QB in Ryan Tannehill.

• Houston – The Texans are better than what they showed on Thursday night.  Deshaun Watson at QB makes them a contender, but the offense did not look good against the Chiefs, especially in protecting their QB.  That has to improve.

• Jacksonville – This team was just not good offensively last year.  QB Gardner Minishew made them better after replacing Nick Foles.  Jay Gruden (OC) and Ben McAdoo (QB coach) have the experience to make them better.

West

• Kansas City – Based on Thursday night’s performance, the Chiefs look better than last year if that’s possible.  Patrick Mahomes now can rely on a running game and the defensive line looks awesome.  Andy Reid will be smiling again this year on his way to a second Super Bowl.

• Denver – Take your pick from here on in this division.  Denver’s defense is not strong.  They could finish second or last.

• San Diego – QB Philip Rivers is gone and Tyrod Taylor is inserted.  The receivers he has available to him are very talented.  Combine that with a strong defense and they could certainly jump over Denver.

• Las Vegas – If you are a betting person, what better team to put some money on?  Jon Gruden moves his team to a new home and brings former Dallas great TE Jason Witten with him.  This team looks like a last place finisher to me.

NFC

East

• Dallas – I know – it hurts me to write it, but I have felt the Cowboys only needed a coach that really motivates his guys and they have it in Mike McCarthy, formerly of the Packers.  He will make them better defensively and that will make them good enough to win the division.  I hope I’m wrong.

• Philadelphia – They won the East last year, but their offensive line is certainly suspect due to injuries.  Carson Wentz needs time to pick out his receivers; if he has it, the Eagles might repeat as East champs.  Also, the linebacker corps looks somewhat suspect.  E-A-G-L-E-S! (Just practicing).

• Giants – They have a new coach – Joe Judge.  He is tough and coached with Bill Belichick and Nick Saban.  I really want the Giants to do well because I want Saquon Barkley to have a great year.  For that to happen, QB Daniel Jones must be better this year.

• Washington – Ron Rivera will make the team with no nickname better, but it takes time.  They could improve this year and the record might not illustrate that.  Rivera is now also fighting a cancer diagnosis and may not be at full strength during the season.

North

• Minnesota – The Vikings were not better than the Packers last year.  I think they are better this year.  QB Kirk Cousins is a veteran (9 years) with some outstanding receivers and the Vikings have a very strong defense. They will win the North.

• Green Bay – 13-3 last year is certainly a great NFL regular season and much of the credit always goes to Aaron Rodgers.  He’s back and, if he stays healthy, he is as good as any QB in the league.  The Packers win close games.  If that trend continues, they will win the division again.

• Chicago – I like the Bears; they should have been in the NFC Championship game last year (remember the Cody Parker missed field goal?).  Their defense should be better than last year and they were very good last year.  Yet they don’t seem to win the big games.

• Detroit – 3-12-1 is bad.  The Lions were bad last year.  QB Matt Stafford’s injury caused him to miss half a season and the Lions defense is just not good.  The team needs to rally around HC Matt Patricia or he will be gone.

South

• New Orleans – Are the Saints ever bad?  They were 13-3 last year and in the last three years, they have won more regular season NFL games than any other team.  Former Eagle Malcolm Jenkins is now a Saint and one of the best safeties in the league on the field and in the locker room.  He will motivate a team that is always ready to play.

• Tampa Bay – They now have Tom Brady, right?  Enough said.

• Atlanta – This team is just not good defensively and that means losses in the NFL.  They were 7-9 last year and I do not see improvement in their record.

• Carolina – Talk about a one-man team – As Christian McCaffrey goes so goes the Panthers offense.  He can do it all, but can he do enough to win games for this team which really struggles on the defensive side of the ball?  No.

West

• San Francisco – They won the NFC title last year (13-3) and had a 10-point lead on the Chiefs in the Super Bowl.  Coach Kyle Shanahan proved he was up to the job and QB Jimmy Garoppolo followed in the footsteps of successful QBs under Shanahan.  Garoppolo should be better in year two.  And that makes the 49ers better.

• Seattle – Pete Carroll has eight  consecutive winning seasons.  Almost their entire team is back from an 11-5 season. Their defensive secondary is much improved and they still have QB Russell Wilson, a proven winner.  Coach Carroll gets his ninth consecutive winning season.

• LA Rams – The Rams will play in a brand new stadium and, despite the absence of a big crowd, should have some extra incentive this season.  Sean McVay appears to be a very good young coach.  Their offensive line was decimated with injuries last year and they still finished 9-7.  Give QB Jared Goff some blocking and the Rams could surprise.

• Arizona – At 5-10-1 last year, the Cardinals struggled.  They appear, however, to come into this season with a very potent offense with two excellent running backs, a stable of receivers, and Kyler Murray at QB.  This team will cause defenses many problems; they hope their defense does the same.

 ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS)

1. Isn’t it ironic (a nicer word than a Philadelphia fan would use) that neither the Phillies nor the Eagles can hold a lead?

1. What was worse on Sunday watching an inept Eagles offensive line or the downhill performance of Carson Wentz?  Might the two be related?

1. Speaking of irony, New England QB Cam Newton looked terrific while former New England QB Tom Brady looked average for Tampa Bay (two interceptions; one touchdown).

1. Dustin Johnson won $15 million by winning the FedEx Cup last weekend.  That money used to be deferred into a retirement fund, but now the winner gets $14 million with $1 million deferred.  Rory McElroy and Tiger Woods are the only ones to win the Cup twice.  When they won, the prize was $10 million.  $9 million of Tiger’s winnings were deferred each time.  Just from that event, he has an $18 million retirement fund! 

1. Congrats to the Notre Dame HS and Northwestern HS football teams.  They both won the first two football games of the 2020 season. 

Gary’s Guesses: NFL Picks – (LAST WEEK – 11-5; OVERALL- 11-5 – 69%)

Cleveland

Tennessee

Buffalo

Pittsburgh

Dallas

Indianapolis

Green Bay

San Francisco

Chicago

LA Rams

Tampa Bay

Arizona

Kansas City

Baltimore

Seattle

New Orleans

The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of RCN or any other agency, organization, employer or company.

Here it is the start of September and my wife and I have yet to take a vacation.  For us, that is unheard of and we would love to remedy the situation.  I am going to take next week off, but, in all honesty, we have nowhere to go.  Those words are very difficult to write.

If you have read some of my blogs, you probably know we love cruising and we love the islands.  The cruise industry has been devastated by the COVID virus and we are fearful about getting on a plane and flying in this environment.

So, all I can do is reflect back on one of my very favorite vacation stories – our introduction to Antigua.

I ran into one of my graduate school fellow students at a Lafayette basketball game years ago.  As we chatted, he mentioned that his family had a home in Antigua.  I asked if he rented it out and he said they would be happy to rent it to me.  I discussed it with my wife and friends whom we travel with and, after some research, we decided to go.  It turned out to be quite the experience.

Upon arrival in Antigua, we were met by a driver who had been recommended to us.  Our desire was to rent a car for the week so he told us it would take a while for me to get a license.  He recommended dropping us off at the vehicle office for the car and the license.  He would then take the wives to the home and unload the luggage.  They could settle in before we arrived.  That sounded like a good idea.  It was not.

The car rental and licensing process took about 90 minutes.  The driver came back so we could follow him to the house.  We walked up the driveway, entered the front door, only to be met by two women who appeared frozen in time.  The suitcases had not been touched and both our wives had barely stepped inside the house.  Something was, obviously, wrong!

We were told that when they entered the house, hundreds of lizards ran up the curtains and the walls.  They were petrified.  Being men, we thought we could handle this dilemma.  We, too, were wrong.  Our friends were going to stay in the guest house, so we decided to check out their accommodations.  As soon as we opened the door, hundreds of lizards scurried up the walls and the curtains.  The ladies shrieked and we may have silently shrieked, too.

I suggested that we go look for a place to eat and discuss the situation.  That caused even more consternation.  In Antigua, you drive on the left side of the road.  No problem.  I could certainly handle that.  What I had trouble handling was avoiding the chickens, horses, and cows that were in the middle of the road.  Adding to my displeasure was the backseat screams warning me to watch out for the chickens, horses, and cows.  I pulled over and suggested that I was not going to spend all week being yelled at while driving.

We found a place to eat and checked out the menu.  The prices appeared to be outrageous.  Almost every meal had a price in the 70’s or higher.  After each price, were the letters EC.  We did not know at that time that American dollars were about one-third EC dollars.  A $90 EC meal would cost about $30 in our money.  Our initial thought was that we could never afford to eat here for a week.  I know – we should have done some research.  We did not eat there.

In no uncertain terms, our wives told us they would not stay at the house.  They insisted we find a resort.  Luckily down the road from the house was the Rex Halcyon Resort.  We walked onto the grounds just as they were having a welcoming party for the guests.  Since we looked like guests, and they thought we were guests, we, of course, ate like guests (starving guests).  Our plates of hors d’oeuvres were certainly larger than anyone who was actually staying there.

We went to the front office, asked to see a room, and decided to stay there for the week.  We easily transferred the luggage, found a driver for the week, and returned our rental car.  As the week progressed, we met a woman who wanted to sell her limited timeshare (12 years, not perpetuity) on the same property for $800 total.  It had two bedrooms, two baths, two balconies, a living room, and a kitchen.  Since we were having a wonderful week and despite my despising timeshares, we and our friends decided to buy 12 years of vacations for $400 apiece.  It was a no-brainer.

We used the timeshare every year after the purchase, bought another week two years later for $500 and spent the next ten years vacationing for two weeks in Antigua for only a $900 investment and yearly maintenance fees which we also split.  We had the most wonderful yearly vacations!

After we returned home that first year, I informed my classmate why we did not stay at his place.  He informed me that had we opened the patio doors, moved around a little, all of the lizards would have left the place and we would have had a week of peace and serenity.

But for the next 11 years, our friends, my wife, and I were very happy we did not know that.

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS)

1. Speaking of vacations, I noticed that the Tour de France started this week. My wife and I were invited to dine with the captain on a cruise ship one year.  I wondered why he chose us.  He discovered I was a sports broadcaster and he wanted to discuss the bike race and, more specifically, America’s top cyclist, Greg Lemond.  I had virtually no knowledge of either, but I faked it and thoroughly enjoyed the escargots and lobster tail.  I think I fooled the captain.

2. Isn’t it perplexing when the Phillies and the Flyers games overlap one another? I want to watch both.  Many of us do.

3. Can someone explain to me why some support only the police and some others support only Black Lives Matter? I support both – good police officers who do their job every day the right way and peaceful BLM participants who recognize we desperately need changes made.  They are not mutually exclusive.

4. As of now, high school football will return to RCN TV Sports on October 2. It will be quite different.  I have been informed that I will have to call the game from our studio, not at the stadium.  I am very apprehensive about being able to do that.  If you watch, be kind.

5. No blog next week – Have a safe, happy, and healthy Labor Day!!

The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of RCN or any other agency, organization, employer or company.

Every golfer knows the cry – “fore!”  The announcement means that a golf ball is heading your way and you should be on the lookout.  Those of us in the Lehigh Valley now know that many, many golf balls and professional golfers are headed our way.  The 2022 USGA U. S. Senior Open will be at the Saucon Valley Country Club the week of June 21-26.

At a time when there is not much, if any, LIVE sporting events to attend, knowing there is one on the horizon, no matter how far away, is certainly good news.  It is especially good news if you were one of the thousands who attended Saucon’s three previous USGA events: the 1992 and 2009 Senior Opens and the LPGA’s 2009 US Women’s Open.

I attended all three with memories of having interviewed Arnold Palmer, Lee Trevino, Jack Nicklaus, and others in the beautiful setting that is the Country Club.  I remember what it was like to watch the best women players, not only play exceptional golf, but make themselves accessible to the fans.  And I remember the crowds that brought tens of millions of dollars to the area, a boom that certainly will be welcome again especially now.

Only 13 clubs in the country have hosted more USGA events than Saucon Valley.  This will mark the eighth.  The complex covers 850 acres and has 60 magnificent golf holes – three 18-hole courses (the Old Course, Grace Course, and Weyhill) and a pristine 6-hole course for junior golfers to prove their skills before taking their talent to the 18-hole courses.  Just to be able to walk these grounds is a feast for any nature lover.

2020 is the actual 100-year anniversary of the club, but 2022 is the 100-year anniversary of the club’s completion.  This event will mark those two occasions.

The other exciting news is which golfers will turn 50 between now and then, making them eligible for the Seniors’ tour.  Those expected to be at Saucon for the Open are Phil Mickleson, Jim Furyk (who is a native Pennsylvanian), Ernie Els, Darren Clarke, Thomas Bjorn and those currently on the tour like Fred Couples.

I know it feels as if 2022 is a long way off, especially when the days right now seem longer than usual as we scratch our heads trying to come up with safe things to do.  Mark your calendar, knowing good times have to return at some point.

Golfers have described the game as “a good walk spoiled”, but for those attending the 2022 US Senior Open, I can pretty much guarantee it will simply be a good walk.

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS)

1. Do any of you collect baseball cards? Did you see where the Mike Trout rookie card became the highest selling sports card of all time?  The 2009 Bowman Chrome Draft Prospects Superfractor signed rookie card sold for $3.12 million.  The card had been purchased from a Taiwan seller in 2018 for $400,000.  Someone made a very nice profit.

2. Last week, I was feeling pretty good about the Phillies, but warned that they needed to get better performances out of their bullpen. This week the bullpen failed them again.  They lost five straight before winning Sunday and are in last place in the NL East.  The Phils have added three new names to the relief corps, but so far, that has not helped.

3. The Flyers take on the Islanders in Round two of the NHL playoffs. They finished off Montreal this past week and now play a team that beat them in their only three meetings this year.  On paper, this series looks about as even as they come.  This one will be very defensive and the team that solves the other offensively will win.

4. It had been 63 years since the Celtics completed a playoff sweep of a Philadelphia NBA franchise. The Celtics did it on Sunday and beat a Philadelphia team for the fifteenth time in the playoffs. Expect some shakeups in the 76ers organization.

5. Nazareth’s Marco Andretti sat on the pole position for the Indianapolis 500, scheduled in May, but postponed to this past Sunday. I never watch racing, but, since Marco looked like a potential winner, I watched – for four hours and 45 minutes!  Marco was never in the race and the last four laps were under the yellow with the cars going about 65 miles an hour.  It was like driving on Route 22!  I wasted a Sunday afternoon.

The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of RCN or any other agency, organization, employer or company.

Role models are not always easy to find, nor are they always comfortable in that role.  For example, suppose you are a young girl with aspirations to become a television sports announcer.  Furthermore, you are not content to be a sideline reporter or an in-studio host.  No, you want to reach for the top – you want to be a play-by-play announcer and you want to do it in an environment that has been dominated by men.  In addition, you want to do play-by-play for the most popular sports in America.

Who do you look to as a role model?  Well, I have the answer – Beth Mowins of ABC, ESPN, and CBS.  She is a 1989 graduate of Lafayette College.  Beth was a college basketball star and sits in the top ten in eight of Lafayette’s statistical categories.  She handed out an amazing 715 assists in her career, which is 300 more than anyone else who ever played at Lafayette.

I had the chance to interview Beth on August 6 for Primetime Pards.  I think everyone will find her both informative and interesting.  The interview starts at the 3:30 mark on You Tube. Check it out.  Better yet, have your daughter watch: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxqQ1ApUUZM&feature=youtu.be

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS)

1. What could be more entertaining than watching the Sixers take on the Celtics in the first round of the NBA championships? The Celtics are seeded #3 and the Sixers are #6.  Philadelphia will play without Ben Simmons.  It should be a very entertaining series.

2. Speaking of an NBA series that will be fun to watch, the #1 seed Lakers with LeBron will meet the Portland Trailblazers. They have Patriot League MVP and former Lehigh standout, CJ McCollum, as one of their stars.  McCollum scored 29 points (14 in the fourth quarter) in a “must-win-to-get-into-the-playoffs” game on Saturday.  I’ll root for McCollum!

3. It appears the “bubble” concept for the NBA and the NHL is working quite well. Only three locations are being used and problems have been miniscule. Could the MLB and NFL have done something similar?  The NFL runs the greatest risk of problems with their travel schedule.

4. As I write this, the Phillies have won three in a row and five of the last 10. Now they go on the road for the first time this year.  They are not bad, but their bullpen is just awful.  If they find a way to shore up that major weakness, who knows what they might be able to accomplish?

5. After begging for someone to make a decision on fall sports in last week’s blog, guess what? There is still no decision.  The PIAA meets this week.  Will we get a final decision, then?

The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of RCN or any other agency, organization, employer or company.

There is a Chinese proverb that says, “A wise man makes his own decisions. An ignorant man follows public opinion.”

The past two weeks, Pennsylvania athletes, parents, fans, and coaches were hoping they would get some direction towards how the state was going to proceed with high school athletics. They received direction for sure, but it appeared no one was going to the same place.

Let’s start with the PIAA, the governing body of Pennsylvania high school sports. They “decided” to leave the decision of when and how to play up to the individual schools. In other words, they decided to let others decide.
So the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference met and they “decided” to wait four weeks to make their decision.

Next up was the Colonial League. They made a decision. Fall sports would go on as scheduled. There would be no postponement – no delay. They might revamp the schedule a bit, but sports would be played on time. Wow! A decision was made.

The very next day, Governor Wolf made a recommendation that all fall sports be canceled. This came not as a planned directive, but at the very end of a press conference with no elaboration as to the evidence that went into this “recommendation”. It was not a decision.  That implied the actual decision made by the Colonial League would now need to be reconsidered.

The very next day after the Governor’s comment, the PIAA met again and decided to push their “decision” back two weeks before they make another recommendation.  Therefore, the Colonial League was forced to push their “decision” back two weeks. In other words, the only real decision that was made now became indecisive.  Are you getting the picture here? No one wants to make a decision, primarily because of the consequences they will face from public opinion.

It is time for someone, perhaps the Governor to say yea or nay to the high school fall season. The decision will most certainly be met with anger – play and health experts and some parents may crucify you; don’t allow play and the backlash by fans, parents, coaches, and certainly players will be loud and clear.

“A wise man makes his own decisions.” We are desperately in search of a wise man!

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS)

1. Have you noticed the irony that exists in the MLB standings? The team that caused the most consternation in week one because so many of the players contracted Covid-19, the Miami Marlins, got off to the best start in baseball.  That’s right; despite losing a large portion of their roster they started 7-1.  They did then lose their next two games. But 7-3 with a much depleted lineup is a good start.

2. The Flyers did it. They won the NHL round robin tournament and now have the #1 seed in the AHL East and are playing like a true Stanley Cup contender.

3. I told you TV watching for a sports fan was going to be tough. Over the weekend you could watch the Sixers, Flyers, Phillies, PGA golf, and many other sports that you like, but it really became hard to watch them all.

4. Speaking of watching sports, do you like prime time golf? With the PGA being playing in San Francisco, golf was on from 4:00-10:00pm Thursday through Saturday and Noon-9:00pm on Sunday. I hope there have not been too many fights over the TV.

5. Local high school baseball seniors and their teammates got one final chance to exhibit their talents this past week. A local non-affiliated tournament took place from August 3-11 with 32 teams participating. Congratulations to the Parkland Trojans and the Emmaus Green Hornets who made it to the tournament championship game. It was a nice send-off to all 32 teams and especially the high school seniors. Forty-five-year baseball coach (36 as a head coach at Bethlehem Catholic) Mike Grasso was honored on the championship day as he retired from coaching. He will be missed in uniform, but I truly expect to see him at football games, basketball games, and baseball games. Just look for his smile!

The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of RCN or any other agency, organization, employer or company.

This was not a good week for sports. Suffice it to say, we have not experienced a good week in quite awhile.

Just when there seemed to be very dim light at the end of a very long tunnel with the beginning of MLB and NBA games and professional hockey and what appears to be a somewhat successful start to professional golf, the outlook quickly looks dismal again.

The MLB season is already in jeopardy after just one week of play. Six teams were forced to postpone games this week and one wonders if the trend can be stopped. It appears, if the stories are true, that some players for the Miami Marlins partied in Atlanta before coming to Philadelphia. They did so without much regard to safety protocols and are paying the price with infections now in the twenties and no current plan to continue their scheduled games. The St. Louis Cardinals had games postponed due to staff and player positive tests. On Sunday, it appears the Reds may also have a player with the virus.

If you have watched any of the games, you have seen that players continue to high-five, sit too close together in the dugout, and continue to spit. These are all protocol violations. If the season is to continue, the players must act smarter. That may be too much to wish for.

The NBA and NHL are each playing in a bubble and may have the best chance to succeed. The players and games are confined to three cities and no fans are allowed. This may become the blueprint for all sports.

The NFL expects to play throughout the country. Do you see any chance of that working? I do not.

More and more college conferences continue to tweak their sports schedules as more and more colleges are leaning to full-time virtual learning. Each tweak eliminates some games and, rest assured, many are not done being tweaked.

Closer to home, what about fall high school sports? Just this week in the Lehigh Valley, non-contact sports – girls’ tennis, golf and cross-country were given the go-ahead, while football, field hockey, and volleyball were delayed a month.

Each day, school districts come out with a plan to either have attendance as usual; a hybrid plan which consists of days in school, days out of school with virtual learning at almost every level. If a district is not comfortable bringing their students into the building, how will they be comfortable having their students practice sports where social distancing is not even possible?

Each day brings some more bad news about the virus and about the sports world. Right now, I’m afraid the dominoes are falling. At what point can the tiles be picked up and the game begins again? Right now, that answer is conjecture only.

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS)

1. As of August 1, 31 NFL players have opted out of the 2020-21 season due to virus concerns. If a player is considered high-risk for COVID-19, he will earn $350,000 and get credit for the season. Players without risk will receive $150,000 for the year.

2. Fourteen MLB players have opted out of the season, many because of family concerns with many having babies and/or small children at home. Some have pre-existing health concerns, like diabetes.

3. The Flyers got off to a great start in the round robin tournament. They beat the Boston Bruins 4-1 in game one of the Round Robin tournament for seeding purposes. The Bruins were the only team to acquire 100 points and were the best regular-season team. The Flyers are in the next round no matter what and with a win over Washington and Tampa Bay could jump to the #1 seed in the playoffs.

4. The Sixers could be a real sleeper in the NBA playoffs. If (and it’s a big if) Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons can remain healthy and play together and new starting point guard Shake Milton can literally “shake” things up, could this be a championship year? Milton has great 3-point accuracy (45%) and can play more than solid defense. The pieces might just be there.

5. Local high school baseball seniors and their teammates will get one final chance to exhibit their talents. A local non-affiliated tournament will take place from August 3-10 with 32 teams participating. Nine sites will be utilized as the teams were broken down into eight, four-team divisions. The top two teams in each division advance to the 16-team single elimination round. Forty-five-year baseball coach (36 as a head coach at Bethlehem Catholic) Mike Grasso will be honored on championship day as he retired this past season without being able to coach a game due to COVID-19.

The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of RCN or any other agency, organization, employer or company.

Imagine if you are the one responsible for starting ESPN’s basketball championship week AND their Bowl week for football.  Imagine that many call you “The Father of March Madness”.  Then imagine that you are named as one of the four most influential people in all of college basketball by Sporting News.  Continue to imagine that you are named as the Most Influential Person in college sports by College Sports Magazine.  And, finally, imagine that almost no one can pronounce your name, let alone spell it correctly.  In fact, imagine getting ready to sit down at an affair and your name plate says Christian Odjanski or you are being honored by the Alaska Television Network and presented with a Caribou Antler as a gift and your name is spelled incorrectly again.

This all happened to Tom Odjakjian (O-jack-shee-an), a Lafayette graduate of the class of 1976.  This past week, Lafayette started a new series called Primetime Pards and I had the pleasure to host it and interview Tom Odjakjian, currently the Senior Associate Commissioner of broadcasting and digital content for the American Athletic Conference.  He spent 13 years at ESPN.  He has plenty of stories to tell.

I have attached the interview – my talk with Tom starts at the 4:25 spot on the site.  When he is done, a question and answer segment starts at the 49:45 mark.  More good stories are a part of Tom’s answers.  Enjoy:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/17223-UDRJsQxVPPoG90aoVWyrRKNCHp4/view?ts=5f18495e

My next Primetime Pards interview will occur in August with ESPN sports broadcaster and sports journalist Beth Mowins, Lafayette class of 1989.

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS)

1. As MLB teams began play this week in front of cardboard cutouts, PA announcements, and crowd noise piped in, South Korea allowed spectators to return to professional sports. They allowed 10% of the stadium capacity; fans had to wear masks and remain socially distant.  They could not eat food or drink any alcoholic beverage.  Doesn’t being a fan mean eating and drinking at the ballpark?  Small steps.

2. ESPN had their announcers in a studio to call the MLB baseball game between the Yankees and the Nationals. It will be interesting to see what the NFL does.  It is much, much harder to announce a football game if you are not at the game.

3. Who is Phil Gosselin? The little-known Phillie started his first full season with the Phillies by going 3-3 with two home runs, three RBIs and two runs scored in the 7-1 win over Miami on Saturday. If he keeps that up, he will be known by everyone!

4. Soon, sports fans will have some tough decisions to make: what to watch? The NHL, NBA, MLB, and later the NFL will all be playing at the same time.  Throw in some college football and you may very well overtax both your head and your TIVO!

5. The only place more fanatical than Pennsylvania about their high school football is Texas high school football. They made “Friday Night Lights” famous.  Their high school season has been pushed back four weeks.  What is next for PA?

The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of RCN or any other agency, organization, employer or company.

“Due to the Coronavirus” (how many times have I heard, read, or written these words in the past four months?), The Great Allentown Fair will not be held this year.  That is the announcement that came just this past week.  So the Fair became just another of the many casualties that has been canceled this summer.

But the announcement did jog my memory about past Fairs.  A couple of weeks ago, I reminisced about some of my trials and tribulations in broadcasting my very first soccer match (Reflection #1 – 7/6/20).  I promised I might do a bit more career reflections since the sports news these days is quite sparse.  So I now turn my attention to The Great Allentown Fair.

I used to do reports from the Fair every year.  I would do a five-minute interview with celebrities, midway acts, and visitors every half hour in a three-hour span.  In between, we would present a taping of some of the Fair attractions – I remember doing the Demolition Derby, for example.  The LIVE interviews did not always go as planned.

I interviewed Tony Orlando and Dawn at the peak of their careers (“Tie a Yellow Ribbon ‘Round the Old Oak Tree”) on the midway.  I don’t remember the interview as much as the crowd simply crushing me and them once people realized they had actually come out to the midway to talk to me.  It was both frightening and exciting.  They just took it in stride.  They were used to fame – I didn’t know what fame was.

I interviewed Liza Minnelli, but she set some very strict boundaries, one of which was that she would not be interviewed in the midway.  I talked to her on the track of the stage area.  She seemed a bit standoffish, seemed a bit bored, but I filled the five minutes, probably with some inane questions.

The midway acts always provided the most interesting five minutes.  I’ll start with what I call the “-est” interviews.  I spoke with the World’s Ugliest Man.  He was a rather portly fellow and actually not that ugly.  I mentioned that to him as if he was erroneously promoting himself.  At that point, he took his bottom lip and completely covered his nose with it.  That, indeed, created ugliness.

I interviewed the World’s Youngest Snake Charmer. She was a cute four-year-old.   I had to kneel to talk to her.  She gave plenty of cute answers and then a young man came and handed her a blanket.  Once the blanket was removed, there was a six-foot python in her hands.  Since it is hard to run when kneeling, I asked her if the snake might hurt her as it was beginning to slither towards my microphone hand.  She responded in her very cute voice, “No, it won’t hurt me (pause), but it might hurt you!”  Suffice it to say, I don’t believe I filled the full five minutes.

Next was the World’s Fattest Woman and she was, hoping not to sound insensitive, very fat.  She weighed about 600 pounds and had recently gotten out of a hospital in Pittsburgh for an appendix operation.  I asked her about that and she said the hospital had to get a lift just to put her in a bed, cut into her very thick layer of fat, remove her appendix, and sew well over 100 stitches to close the incision.  I found it to be a very sad story, but she was happy to be back to work.

The Fair is an agricultural as well as entertainment venue.  One of my more interesting moments was when I talked to kids who were 4H Club winners for raising goats.  There were three or four young people with an equal number of goats.  As I was talking to the Club members, the goats began to chew on my sport coat.  They were attempting to devour the material.  I was trying to carry on a conversation.  Then, one goat decided that the microphone cord looked rather appetizing.  He began to chew on the cord.  I would hold the mike out to get an answer and the goat would grab it in his teeth and yank it as hard as he could.  It sounds funny now, but having your clothes being destroyed and risking electrocuting a goat was not my idea of fun.

I will leave you with, perhaps, the best answer I ever received to one of my questions.  Years ago, the Fair, like many fairs around the country, also, offered some more adult entertainment.  The producer had lined up an interview with one of the exotic dancers who was performing on the midway.  She was scantily clad as we began our conversation and I immediately recognized that this was going to be a difficult five minutes.  The young lady only gave me one word or very short answers to my questions.  Do you know how many questions you have to ask in five minutes if the responses are so short?  My mind was racing as I tried to come up with a question that needed a longer response.  I finally asked, “I’m sure the viewers at home would like to know what a typical day is like for you at the Fair.”  She looked at me as if she did not quite understand the question so I repeated it.  “What is a typical day like for you at the Fair?”

She answered, “Monday”.

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS)

1. MLB teams are filling their seats with cutouts of their fans. The Brewers sold out their first 500 and are selling another 500.  The price seems to be @ $150-$300 and the “fans” will be positioned so the cutouts show up during the broadcasts.  Crowd noise will also be piped in.

2. The Canadian federal government will not allow the Toronto Blue Jays to play in Toronto this baseball season. They reason that because the team will have to cross the border into the US on a number of occasions and opposing teams would have to come into Canada (some with very high infection rates), they would risk bringing the virus back to Canada.  They need to find an American venue.

3. MLB baseball starts this week and the Phillies find themselves in the toughest division for sure. Despite their talent, where will they finish with the Nationals, Braves, Mets, and Marlins battling against them?  Add to that challenge they must play the Yankees, Rays, Red Sox, Blue Jays, and the Orioles in the inter-league match-ups. It should make for great competition.

4. It is beginning to look more likely that there will not be a college football season this fall. The Ivy League, Patriot League, PSAC have all canceled their fall sports.  The major colleges have shortened seasons as of now, but might curtail them altogether in the next few weeks.

5. The PIAA this week said that fall sports, including football, will go on as scheduled. They will meet again in early August.  Might they change their mind?

The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of RCN or any other agency, organization, employer or company.

The dominoes are slowly falling on playing college football this fall.  In March, if you recall, once college basketball was canceled and March Madness would not be held, the entire sports world – professional, college, and high school – all called it quits for the rest of the professional and academic year.  It was rightfully determined that it was just not safe to play.

Have things really changed since then?  Sure there were signs that we just might be starting to win the battle as New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania were beginning to emerge from the horrible numbers they were experiencing in the first few months.  We all believed everything could get better.

But have things really gotten better?  In states like Florida, Texas, Arizona, California, and Georgia we have seen examples of what can happen when we try so very hard to get back to a semblance of normalcy.  It does not work.  And what about the warnings that a second wave is imminent?  The current circumstances are still part of Wave One!

Playing sports, particularly football, this fall just does not seem to be right.  Everyone agrees that a reduced schedule, a late start, and a plethora of restrictions need to be in place in order to have a chance for competition to occur.

But, this is football.  This is 22 players on the field with or without masks, without social distancing, barking out signals, sweating profusely, and creating contact on every play.

In other words, this is everything we are currently being told NOT to do!

Already, there have been setbacks.  The Ivy League will play football in the spring.  The Big Ten will drop all of their independent games and may very well move their schedule to the spring.  The Centennial Conference, which includes local colleges, Moravian and Muhlenberg, has already determined it will not play football or any other sport in the fall.  I am sure that those conferences that are holding out hope that there will be a season realize deep down that is probably not going to happen.

So what will high school sports do?  The PIAA is rather adamant that they want to play.  I am just as adamant that I want them to play.  But at the risk of what – the health and well-being of the young people they oversee.  High school administrators do not have the luxury of postponing the fall season to the spring.  Many, many high school athletes play a variety of sports in a given year, not just football.  If there are no games this fall, there will be no games this year.  High schools followed colleges when it came to canceling their spring sports.  I suspect they will follow colleges again this fall.

No one wants to see the return of athletic competition more than I do.  Not only is it responsible for my vocation; it is also because of the love I have for sports.  I hate the fact that a senior would not get the opportunity to play a final season.  I hate the fact that parents would not revel in the trials and successes of their children.  I also hate the fact that the victims of this awful virus had nothing to do with the cause.

Sports did not cause the virus, but we do know what spreads the virus.  Sadly, athletic competition could easily do that.  If we do not believe that, then we are kidding ourselves.

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS)

1. The Washington Redskins are in the midst of a marketing nightmare. Anytime a company wants to change their logo or nickname, it usually takes a couple of years to get that accomplished.  New graphics, new clothing, new signage, etc. are all part of creating a new identity.  Time is one thing, I suspect, the Washington franchise does not have.  To keep their sponsors, they are almost forced to get rid of their nickname ASAP.  That is not an easy task.

2. No team was more distraught this past week than the Philadelphia Eagles. DeSean Jackson’s anti-Semitic remarks created a “shot heard ‘round the world”.  His words were appalling and the response was immediate.  I did find it somewhat comforting that some were willing to educate Jackson about his comments.  If, indeed, they were said out of ignorance, then educating him is essential.  He was punished by the team.  Will the public forgive him?

3. The Patriot League this week announced that there will be no fall sports. As you know, Lafayette and Lehigh have the distinction of being college football’s most-played rivalry. This year would be the 156th time they would meet. Will it happen at all?

4. Due to quarantine regulations in Canada, Toronto Blue Jays players must not leave their hotel during their home games for the rest of the summer. If they do, they would face substantial fines and up to six months in jail.  I expect many players will balk at this.

5. The Phillies will officially open their season on July 24 against the Marlins. Next up will be the Yankees at home for two games and then on to play at Yankee Stadium on July 29.  The first pitch cannot come soon enough!