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.

It’s not riveting TV – No, I am not talking about my last ZOOM appearance on RCN TV’s Sportstalk (although truer words could not be spoken).  I am talking about the ABC, ESPN, and NFL Network broadcasts of the NFL Draft which drew an amazing 8.4 million viewers.  I was one of them.

I have never been an avid watcher of the program, for the very reason I have suggested – it’s boring.  And it’s boring not for one night, not for two days, but for three days.  However, this year when we are into rerun season of the shows we normally watch and HGTV is giving my wife just TOO MANY ideas about our house, I needed a change.  I was tired of trying to decide if we should flip or flop; list it or sell it; stay in our forever house; or what?  The Property Brothers have become nightly visitors and, all they do is make me look totally inept at doing virtually any household chore.

So – I suggested that I should watch the NFL Draft since my job does revolve around sports.  As I have said, but don’t tell my wife, I find this show boring.  In normal times, I would not watch.  There is almost no action except for the highlights of the players who are drafted.  There is the “very exciting” exchange of a handshake and team logoed baseball cap with Roger Goodell, the NFL commissioner.

You might say there is the drama of not knowing what name will be called, but draft analysis has been going on for almost two months (there was nothing else to talk about in the sports world) so surprises are few and far between.  But this year would be different.  There would be no huge crowd in Las Vegas booing the commissioner, booing a selection, and getting an immediate response from the next instant multi-millionaire right after that player is selected.  This year would be different.

Everyone stayed home.  This meant I could see Roger Goodell’s basement.  Honestly, it could have used some HGTV renovation.  And this was not his element at all.  He seemed so uncomfortable trying to rev up the 50 or so fans who were shown on the screen behind him.  Often, he saw a cue a bit late (another awkward moment) and was not aware he was on camera.  It’s a nice TV job for one night, however.  Have someone hand you a card and read the name.  I think I could do that.

I did find it entertaining and technically impressive that early on the draft choices could be shown in their homes surrounded by family (not necessarily keeping any distance).  And catching the reactions of the family after the name of their son, brother, relative, or boyfriend was enjoyable.

I still found the program to be tedious.  What I did realize is that I am desperate to find something to create interest after over 40 days and nights of self quarantining.  Truth be told, I did not watch days two and three.

But, at least on this one night, I did not hear the question, “Could we do this in our house?”  Property Brothers be damned!

Stay safe.

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS) 

1. The Eagles did not have much going for them on the excitement meter for the draft. Everyone knew they would take a wide receiver on the 21^st They did.  Their selection was Jalen Reagor of TCU.  Many thought they would take Justin Jefferson, but they went with a little more speed and a better positional fit.  In the end, the Eagles drafted three wide receivers, three linebackers, two offensive linemen, a safety, and a quarterback.  If the selections are good ones, many holes have been filled.

2. With Tom Brady paired up again with Rob Gronkowski, Tampa Bay took an offensive lineman as their first pick to protect their new quarterback. This team is going to be good, perhaps, very good.

3. I hope you are watching The Last Dance on ESPN, Sunday nights at 9:00. It is the story of the 1997-98 Chicago Bulls with Michael Jordan as the focus. It is riveting TV and an amazing achievement for the documentarians.  If you are a sports fan or not, I think you will be mesmerized by the show.

5. With all the innovative ways of trying to stream relatable programming to their fans, Lafayette is going to hold a virtual tailgate party this Saturday (5/2) at 11:00AM. I will host along with Mike Joseph and we will have head coach John Garrett and the 2020 football captains on to answer questions from the fans.  It will be on ZOOM.  You can be a part of the stream.  Click here for info.
6. The teams of Tiger Woods and Peyton Manning against Phil Mickelson and Tom Brady will meet in a charity golf match next month. The event will air LIVE on TNT, without the fiasco created last time by Pay-Per-View.  Brady is already getting his jabs in.  (See below)

Photo courtesy of Tom Brady

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.

BEHIND THE MIC:

I do not need to tell anyone that life is far from normal.  We work from home, we stay at home, we cook every meal at home, and we try to take a walk every day not far from home – home, home, and home.

This past week, we tried to expand that environment technologically.  Our first goal was a family one – we wanted to try and celebrate Easter dinner “together”.  The logistics seemed to be a challenge: my oldest daughter and her husband were in Salisbury Township; our second daughter and family were in Northampton; our grandson was in Bethlehem Township; and our one granddaughter was in upstate New York. We were in Palmer Township.

And I, of course, was the technical novice (nicer word than idiot).  We were going to use something called “Hangouts” which was promoted by my son-in-law and grandson.  Easter Saturday became the day for “remote learning”, a term very familiar to the students who are no longer in school.  My son-in-law needed to call and text.  Let the learning begin.  It only took an hour and a half to set it up to the point where I felt comfortable using the app.

My wife and I thought that having Easter dinner together actually meant having Easter dinner together.  Well, when 6:00pm rolled around and we all got on our computers, the only ones who had not already eaten were my wife and I.  So, we ate and they talked and talked.  It certainly was not the same as gathering around our dining room table, but we saw everyone, knew that all were safe, and coping pretty well.  However, I’m sure everyone missed my wife’s Ukrainian Easter traditional dishes.  Easter was a special time for my in-laws and that tradition has carried over to my family as well.  But, the bottom line was that we did communicate with one another.

On Tuesday, it was decided that we would try to do a SportsTalk show from our homes, via, you guessed it, teleconferencing.  Only this time the format would be ZOOM.  A new learning lesson was required.  I tested my system on Tuesday and found ZOOM to be very simple.  I was either getting smarter or the process was easier.  I expect you all are assuming the latter.

Luckily, before the SportsTalk taping, I was also asked to attend an RCN staff meeting using ZOOM technology.  I was finally able to see some of my fellow workers for the first time in over a month.  There were about 15 of us.  It immediately became apparent that the camera angle was important – for many, looking up their nose was somewhat unpleasant.  I also became very aware of good posture (and its absence).  Some chose electronic artificial backgrounds.  One looked like the person was in a casino, probably not a good message during a staff meeting.  Nor, I would guess, was one where someone appeared to be on a Caribbean beach.  The good news is that we had a rather normal meeting in a very abnormal setting.

It was on to SportsTalk, which you can watch on Video on Demand if you wish.  Chris Michael and Keith Groller had invited John Leone and me to participate.  I think it was John Leone, but his full beard threw me a bit.  Here was a man losing hair on top, but growing plenty of hair below.  Chris was in the studio and the three of us were in our homes.

I began to feel like Sanjay Gupta, who is in my home more than you can possibly imagine.  Much like his reports from home, we were doing something similar and equally “important” (I’ll wait for the disdain to pass).  The show went well.  Each of the three of us had our own little box and, much like in the studio, we were able to have a somewhat lucid conversation.

It all worked.  And, amazingly, it worked for me (the technological idiot).  So, bring on Hangouts, ZOOM, Facetime, and anything else you want to throw my way.  I am ready!

Now what’s my ZOOM password?  I’m sure I wrote it down somewhere.

Stay safe.

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS)

1. You can expect LSU quarterback Joe Burrow and Ohio State’s defensive end Chase Young to go 1-2 in the draft this week. The Cincinnati Bengals will pick #1 (probably Burrow) and the Washington Redskins #2 (that means Young).  It begins Thursday.

2. If you are a college football fan, you know the name (but probably can’t pronounce it) Tua Tagovailoa. He is the quarterback from Alabama who will be a high draft choice this year, projected to be taken by Miami.  He is left-handed.  I bring this up because out of the 73 QBs who actually played in an NFL game last year, not one was left-handed.  Two played in five games in 2017 and the last left-handed QB to start and win a playoff game in the NFL was Tim Tebow.  Tua is fighting plenty of history.

3. I am beginning to believe we might have some MLB baseball in some form. I am also beginning to believe you will only be able to see it on TV.

4. The high school football season is approaching. I think we can practice social distancing in the stands, but what about the young men playing on the field?  There are some very tough decisions to be made in the next month or so.

5. Isn’t golf an “essential” pastime? The guys I play with are usually hundreds of yards apart after they hit their drives.  We can call it “social distancing” if you want instead of, “That was a terrible drive”.

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.

Last week, I promised you a sports story – no Covid-19 stuff. I have kept my promise.

This past Monday, April 6, many sports and non-sports fans would have been glued to their TVs watching the 2020 NCAA Collegiate Basketball Championship. This, of course, would have been the culmination of 12 days and nights watching the entire tournament unfold.

Everyone would have been caught up in their various “pools” with even those with little interest in athletics, at all, keeping track of their sheets and throwing all the barbs that go with being wrong or right. Trust me; I speak from experience, having been the recipient of many of those jabs over the years, particularly from fellow office workers (mostly female). Obviously, that did not happen.

But after completing John Feinstein’s The Back Roads to March, I discovered some interesting March Madness facts that I thought, in the absence of real games, you might find interesting:

The first Final Four and Championship games were on NBC and began in 1968. The championship game was moved to Monday night in 1973.

Dick Enberg, Al McGuire, and Billy Packer made up the first announcing team.

“March Madness” and “Selection Sunday” are all trademarked by the NCAA. I could not legally title this blog “March Madness” because that would be a trademark infringement. I would need permission or have to pay.

CBS outbid NBC for the contract in 1982. They paid $16 million per year. NBC had been paying $6.3 million per year. In 1999, CBS paid $546 million a year for the next eleven years.

The field was expanded from 64 teams to 65 teams in 2000, with one play-in game played in Dayton. Three more teams were added in 2011 for a total of 68. Each team (or conference) received $280,367 per win in the tournament in 2018. If you lost in the play-in round in Dayton, you received nothing. This round became known as the “First Four” (also trademarked by the NCAA).

CBS got a new contract that year (along with TNT) for another fourteen years for $10.8 billion. Their current contract was extended and gives CBS the rights until 2032. It cost a mere $8.8 billion more. So, if you do the math, the NCAA is making over $1 billion a year on March Madness. The NCAA claims it keeps “only” $100 million for itself. The rest goes to the member institutions.

So all we can do is look forward to November when the college basketball season begins again. All we want is for today’s “madness” to be replaced by a more acceptable and enjoyable “Madness”. I hope I can legally say that.

Stay safe.

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS)

1. A recent poll came out claiming that 72% of Americans said they would not attend sporting events in person unless a vaccine was discovered for the coronavirus. 12% would go if social distancing would be maintained somehow. 76% said they would watch games without fans.

2. The NFL draft will take place this month – April 23-25. The Bengals have the first pick. The Giants have the 255th and last pick. The Eagles, by the way, will have their first pick at #21. You can watch on ABC, ESPN, NFL Network and on the ESPN app.

3. Did having all major league teams begin the season by playing all the games in Arizona ever seem feasible to you? It does not to me. Players would need to be kept in the Arizona area throughout the schedule, staying in hotels and away from their families. And projections say it could last up to four months. Unless something drastically happens on the medical front, it won’t happen.

4. Now if you want me to move to Arizona so that I can safely play golf… “Hmm”, let me give that some thought.

5. There will be no high school or college sports for the rest of this academic year. Yes, I know, I am depressed, too.

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

I would love to be sitting here writing about some good sports story that has happened this past week.  But sports just do not seem all that important to me right now and you probably feel the same way.

Each night we all hear the numbers.  They are hard to avoid.  Every news report whether local or national leads with the same information about COVID-19 – number of cases in the world; number of cases in the US; number of deaths for both.  And it just becomes a number.  We accept the report, knowing it will increase the next day.

We sit and see “hot spots” parking refrigerator trucks in the hospital parking lots to serve as morgues for the rising number (that word again) of deaths.  There is just nowhere to put the bodies.  And these patients have passed unable to see or, very often, speak to their loved ones.  Ventilators keep that from happening.  Doctors, nurses, and first responders are among the tally. No final words; no final good-bye.

Due to “social distancing”, funerals are held for just a few.  Any eulogy that one might receive at some point at a memorial service would certainly include these words, “They died before their time.”  And that is the tragedy.

My sister, Judy, “died before her time” at the age of 43.  She had breast cancer; waited too long to seek treatment; never recovered.  She was building a house, had two boys in college, and needed to work.  She could not afford to stop working; in the end, she could not afford not to.  It cost her her life.

But at least there was closure.  We were gathered around at the end.  She knew we were there.  We had a chance to say goodbye.  We had a funeral for all who wished to grieve with the family and we had a moment to express our memories.  It is what the living want when a loved one has passed.

Now each day we offer up numbers.  We do not attach names for the most part and we do not consider the parents, spouses, children, family and friends left behind.  Our president tells us “We need to get back to work”, but each day the categories of numbers grow larger and larger and “getting back to work” seems to be in the distant future.

My message when my sister passed was that I knew why she lived – it was apparent throughout her life and certainly apparent at the funeral.  What was not apparent to me or anyone was why she died,

It was well “before her time”.

Thousands and thousands are asking the same question. And the answer is more than just looking at the numbers.  Each number is another tragic story.

I hope by next week, I have a good sports story to tell – I doubt it.

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS)

1. Remember the name Tom Dempsey, the former Eagle, who was born without toes on his right kicking foot. He was famous for the 63-yards field goal he kicked in 1970 for the New Orleans Saints.  He died at the age of 73 from (you guessed it) complications from the coronavirus.

2. The NFL draft will take place this month – April 23-25. It will be done virtually from the homes of the various team executives and players have been invited to participate on line.

3. Lafayette senior Myles Cherry was named on the second team of Australia’s best college players. Cherry lives in Newcastle, Australia.  The psychology major hopes to continue playing abroad.

4. Two Massachusetts golfers were arrested after playing a round of golf in Rhode Island. Non-residents must quarantine themselves for 14 days if they enter the state.  They face a $500 fine and up to 90 days in jail.  I hope they had a good round.

5. Now that we are isolated, a little humor – not mine, but funny: During my quarantine, I watched birds fight over a worm from my living room window. The Cardinals led the Blue Jays 3-1.

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.

April 1 is coming this week – that’s right, April Fool’s Day.  When I was a kid and even, at times, as an adult, I was one of those who loved playing a joke on an unsuspecting audience. I often would make my mother the target because she was easily shocked.  I remember using catsup, a handkerchief, and my acting skills when I walked up to her revealing a very “serious cut” to my forehead and screaming the need for immediate medical help.  I laughed – she did not.

I remember placing one of those black realistic rubber bugs on my sister’s shoulder and screaming “Look!”  She screamed with fright; I screamed with laughter right up to the moment she got a roller skate and hit me over the head with it.

When I was teaching school and the class was studying George Orwell’s 1984, I saw a great opportunity to use April 1 as a lesson.  1984 is the novel about a totalitarian society where truth is what you believe to be true, not what, in actuality, is true.  This was a difficult concept for students to comprehend – I mean isn’t truth – truth?

As an experiment, the class and I decided to invent a student to see if we could convince the rest of the school of his existence.  I said we would give it one week of life.  It was easy.  I “enrolled” him.  By mid-week, I was able to get him on the absentee list for a day; made him a member of the basketball team (one of my actual players came to me to quit the team because he heard I said he would start for this player – I gave him the old “everyone has to earn their spot” speech to convince him to stay on the team); and had girls waiting outside my classroom just to see him (they had heard he was good-looking).

We had to stop before the week was up because someone had convinced someone else that he would go on a blind date that Friday with a girl.  I thought that was a bit cruel so we gave up the farce on Thursday.  It actually took a while to get the word out that he did not exist.  But, it certainly worked – truth became what the school believed to be true.

Many of you know, I used to do a radio gig with Bearman and Keith on WZZO every Monday morning.  We had a good time every week.  One show fell on April Fool’s and I decided, as I was driving to the studio, to come up with a news report that the Phillies had traded their most popular player, Mike Schmidt.  It was an absolute falsehood, but I went with it as I gave my sports report on the show.  The phones lit up.  People were shocked, angry, unreasonable, and very opinionated.  When I revealed it was just an April Fool’s joke, people were shocked, angry, unreasonable, and very opinionated.  However, Bearman, Keith, and I had a good laugh.

I would like to think all of those pranks were harmless and fun (except for the roller skate across the head).

I would like to think when April Fool’s roles around this Wednesday, someone in power will say simply “Coronavirus – April Fool’s!”  But, I fear that, too, would be a joke.

Stay safe and healthy.

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS) 

1. In this time of isolation, RCN and companies like them provide, perhaps, the most important services – cable TV, phone, and internet. They keep us informed, involved with our friends and family, and occupied during these difficult times.  What would we do without these services?

2. I really miss March Madness, both the games of course, but also the competitive fun we had at work with the office pool. Being a sports director, everyone thought I had all the inside scoop and should do well with my bracket.  I did not and it seemed my fellow workers took great pleasure in not only beating me, but constantly reminding me of my ineptness.  Invariably, the greatest challenge came from one of the women in accounting and, thus, the greatest embarrassment.  Even the embarrassment, I miss.

3. Things are so bad that I agreed to play the longest possible version of Scrabble with my wife on Saturday afternoon. It took almost three hours – it’s the Deluxe expanded edition.  Even that, I lost!

4. One thing I have been able to do is email coaches, ADs, and statisticians to thank them for all their help this season and in the past. Having time helps you do the right thing.

5. I would guess Major League baseball is, at least, a couple of months away from starting. Can we hold out hope that the first pitch might occur on June 1?

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

I have always considered myself to be an optimistic guy.  My glass is almost always half full.  The grass is rarely greener on the other side.  Life is like a box of chocolates, most of the time.

I am no longer optimistic.

I would love to say that life will return to normal soon.  It won’t.

I would love to say that kids will return to school soon.  They won’t.

I would love to say we will see the return of professional winter sports (NBA, NHL) and the  start of spring sports at all levels (high school, college, MLB, PGA), but,  I fear, we won’t.

The PIAA’s two-week moratorium on finishing out the winter season has come and gone.  Their current silence on the matter means they are just not sure what to say.  And I understand their dilemma.

Despite the message the IOC is putting forth, does anyone really believe the Olympics will take place this year?

I would love to be looking forward to the 12-night cruise my wife and I had planned for early May.  It was unique – fly to Florida, cruise to the Southern Caribbean and return to Bayonne, New Jersey.  Despite hoping this will happen, I’m pretty certain it won’t.

I and my seven fellow golfers would love to be getting ready for the 16^th consecutive year for our golf trip to the New Jersey shore – we call it the War at the Shore.  Five days of golf, camaraderie and incessant busting on one another cannot happen if there are no golf courses to play.  As a proper precaution, they are closed for business.

I would love to have a sense that we are getting a handle on this thing, but I fear we are not.  I feel for the businesses, the medical staffs, the unemployed and, most importantly, the sick who, I am quite sure, have also all lost their optimism.

My glass still has liquid in it – not quite half – and my grass is looking greener, so I am sure some day we will return to a sense of normalcy.  I fear it will not be soon and the effects will certainly not be easy to overcome.

To think otherwise would just be kidding ourselves.  Please stay safe and healthy.

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS) 

1. The only sports stories to report about right now are NFL free agency and the NFL draft. It just doesn’t seem right, however, to make this feel important.

2. I worry about my daughters who are on the front line working with Lehigh Valley Hospital. One does ultrasounds on about 20 patients every day and the other helped to organize the various testing centers for the virus around the Lehigh Valley.  I am proud, but worried.

3. Our granddaughter is in New York, which the news is now saying is the “epicenter” of the virus. I trust she is making mature decisions!

4. I just started John Feinstein’s new book, Back Roads to March. It is about the smaller colleges that get a chance to participate in March Madness.  Lafayette College is featured at times.  Ironically, I am not a fan of sports books, but I am a fan of good writing and John Feinstein is a very good writer and is always able to weave a good story.  It’s something to do while at home that feels like research for my work.

5. I watched the replay of the Lafayette-Lehigh football game on Sunday morning. After doing the game, I never took the time to watch it.  The RCN-TV crew did a great job.  Lafayette won again.

On Thursday, March 5, the PIAA suspended all athletic events for a two-week period.  Since then, every major and minor sporting event has been cancelled and placed in limbo for an indefinite amount of time.  Not only does it appear that there will not be any more basketball this year, it is becoming very likely that no spring sports will be played either.

I am certainly not complaining about the decisions made – they were and continue to be necessary until we get a handle on this grave situation.  Sports are part of the fabric of our lives proven by the void created by their complete absence right now.  But, it pales in comparison to achieving our ultimate goal – overcoming Covid-19 (coronavirus).

Since it appears that only a miracle would finish the state basketball playoffs, some mention of our three teams that were still alive is necessary.  Bethlehem Catholic, Nazareth, and Freedom were still advancing.  All three teams had moved to the quarterfinals.  Only seven teams stood between them and a state championship.  It was quite possible that Nazareth and Freedom could have met one another in the state championship on March 20.  Therefore, all three teams need a bit more ink.

Freedom was 24-5 this year losing three times to Bethlehem Catholic and in double overtime to Nazareth in the District XI championship.  They were one shy of the most girls’ basketball wins in school history.  They won both state games by double-digit margins.  Their seniors had a combined record of 82-29 and won a District Championship in 2018.  They had already advanced farther than any team in their history.  They will never know how this season would have ended.

Nazareth was continuing a great season (26-4).  Twenty-six wins is the most in a single season and they, too, had never advanced to the state quarterfinals. They managed to win the District championship after losing the EPC title to Bethlehem Catholic.  Their two state wins were by margins of 28 and 11 points.  They overcame being placed in the bottom half of the bracket and having to travel great distances for their games.  That did not matter – they won anyway.  Their team has no seniors, so, at least, they will all return next year.

Beca is in a category all their own.  Their season ended with a 29-0 record.  In the last four years, they have amassed a 112-8 record, last losing on January 31, 2019, to Freedom.  They have won 42 straight games and two of the last three state titles.  What made the end so disappointing this year was that their next opponent was Scranton Prep.  Their record was 27-0.  So without the shutdown, these two teams would have faced one another with a combined 56-0 record.  Scranton Prep had already gone farther than any team in their history.

So the only defeats in state playoffs to these teams came from Covid-19.  I would be shocked if another game is played this year.  So, disappointment will always exist, “what-ifs” will always be asked, and outcomes will never be answered.

One thing we do know with certainty – Freedom, Nazareth, Bethlehem Catholic (and Scranton Prep) all had great seasons and, for that, they should be extremely proud.

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS)

1. There was certainly more bad news this past week concerning high school basketball in the Lehigh Valley. First, was the announcement by Doug Snyder that he was resigning as the head basketball coach at Allen High School.  This was his 23^rd year at the helm and he had an incredible record of 364 wins and 263 losses.  They finished this season 23-6 and won the EPC.  Allen is not an easy place to coach with all the inner city problems, but Doug was the right person for the job.  He never wavered on the values that he taught and never let winning get in the way of doing the right thing.  He will be sorely missed.
2. Within the same week, Liberty head coach Chad Landis decided it was time to spend more time with his wife and four daughters (certainly another huge challenge for him). Chad coached Liberty for 12 years and won 198 games.  His team was 20-6 this past year.  Much like Snyder, Landis made his players better people amid similar challenges.  Two outstanding teachers of life and the game of basketball will now have to be replaced.  No easy task, for sure.
3. At least with NFL free agency occurring right now, there will be some sports news to report. What will Tom Brady, Dak Prescott, Drew Brees do?  There are over 100 free agents so there should be something to talk about in the next month.
4. Thank you to all the stat people, the athletic directors, the coaches, the administrative assistants, and to the fans for another great, yet somewhat unsatisfying year.
5. Much like the rest of the month – TBD

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.

Natalie Kucowski is on the Lafayette women’s basketball team.  She hails from Philadelphia.  She is one of only three Lafayette basketball players (men and women) to have scored over 1000 points and pulled down over 1000 rebounds.  She is the only woman to accomplish this feat.  To put that in perspective, Lafayette has been playing women’s basketball since 1972.  More shocking – she is only a junior!

But Natalie is more than just a basketball player.  With permission from both Lafayette and author Mandy Housenick, I will allow Mandy to tell the rest of the story:

Fully Commmitted:  Natalie Kucowski
By Mandy Housenick | GoLeopards.com Featured Columnist

Dr. James Schaffer likes to get to his work area inside Lafayette College’s Acopian Engineering Center early.

The chemical and biomolecular engineering professor often has company on those weekday mornings: junior Natalie Kucowski.

“She will have had a game the night before and she’ll already be in the lab at 7:15,” Schaffer said.

Kucowski is fully committed in all aspects of her life. The chemical engineering major excels in the classroom and is approaching legendary status as a member of the Lafayette women’s basketball team.

The forward is close to becoming the first in program history to score 1,000 points and grab 1,000 rebounds in a career.

“I have been here 30 years,” Dr. Schaffer said, “and I remember a lot of the students, particularly those who have something special about them. It might have been raw intellect and how they combine their academic passion with something else.”

“I have never seen a student who works harder and cares more about her teammates than Natalie.”

Kucowski’s athletic accomplishments are impressive. The Philadelphia native owns the school’s single-season rebounding record (343 last season; she’s about to break that mark this year) as well as the career mark. She is the only Leopard to win Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year.

On Jan. 11, 2020, the 21-year-old became the 19th Lafayette women’s player to reach 1,000 career points. She is on pace to finish among the league’s career top 10 in that category. Barring injury, the 6-foot-3 junior will break the PL record of 1,152 career rebounds set by Holy Cross‘ Lauren Manis this season.

In addition to being a solid student, Kucowski is a peer mentor because she felt it was important to give back to a program that helped her a freshman.

“(Current senior track & field team member Kate Mozzochi) was extremely helpful,” Kucowski said, “and the experience I had with her was the reason I decided I wanted to become a peer mentor. She was awesome. She was just a resource I had in helping me adjust to being in college.”

Kucowski’s basketball statistics are ridiculously impressive, but it is her work ethic in the classroom, on the court and on campus that make her special, according to those who know her best.

For every double-double she produces, there are countless ways in which she brings out the best in her teammates.

She is as supportive as she is talented.

“She puts her teammates first,” senior guard-forward Tasha Vipond said. “If the coaches want her to focus on making free throws, they’ll threaten to make the rest of the team run if she misses (in practice). She doesn’t want to let the team down, so she’ll make them.

“And off the court, she’s there for everyone.”

Vipond knows first-hand how generous Kucowski is. The Iowa native does not go home during many holiday breaks. Kucowski made sure Vipond was not alone on campus. She invited Vipond to her northeast Philadelphia home to spend Thanksgiving and Easter with her family.

“She’s a great friend,” Vipond said. “She genuinely cares for me. She’s looked out for me as a friend. She’s the type of person that if you tell her you’ve got a big exam coming up, she’ll always check in and ask you about it.”

Kucowski came to College Hill after a stellar career at Saint Basil Academy. She was a four-year varsity letter winner, helped the team to three consecutive District 1 titles and served as team captain during her senior season.

The daughter of Kenneth and Kathleen Kucowski built a well-rounded resume before Lafayette. She graduated with high honors, was a member of the National Honor Society and served as class president as a junior and senior.

But she arrived at Lafayette like many others. She needed to adjust to life as a college student and athlete. That required a lot of work.

It never scared Kucowski. It motivated her.

Kucowski worked hard in the weight room to strengthen her chances to survive the battles with more seasoned, bigger, stronger post players. She studied the finer points of a college defensive system so she could be a steady contributor even when her offense came and went.

“When you look at most players’ stat lines from high school,” Lafayette coach Kia Damon-Olson said, “there is a transition regardless of what they accomplished. Their college stats don’t mirror them exactly.

“Particularly with post players, the transition is a little slower because of the physicality. I will say that Natalie has had one of the more seamless transitions to college in my coaching career.”

Kucowski has proven that rebounding is an art born out of effort and desire as much as talent and size. She recognized that it is one of the many ways a player can contribute aside from scoring.

The three-year starter also recognized that preparation is a necessity no matter what you’re doing on the court in college.

“The biggest and hardest transition for me was the mental engagement side,” she admitted. “In high school, you can get away with maybe not being in position or not being 100 percent dialed in on the defensive plan.

“But in college all of that changes. Communication on defense and knowing different coverages is a big adjustment that just takes time and experience to be able to understand and to be able to execute.”

Kucowski averaged 10.9 points and 10.3 rebounds per game as a freshman at Lafayette. She had 15 double-doubles last year as a sophomore and already has 17 this season.

But there’s more to her game. She’s never met an open teammate she didn’t want to pass to. That is her helpful nature coming out again.

“Anything you ask Natalie to do,” Damon-Olson said, “if it’s about the team she’s all for it. If it’s about the team winning, she’s for it.”

Kucowski is a major reason why Lafayette has its most Patriot League victories in a season since the 1993-94 campaign. Her current season rebounding average (12.9 per game) would be the fourth highest in league history and is currently second in the nation.

“It’s just as rewarding being a rebounder,” she said.

The junior is considering a career in the renewable energy sector. She’s enjoying one of her current classes in which the students are using algae to make biofuels.

Schaffer has seen Kucowski’s enthusiasm, dedication and selflessness come out in the classroom and lab settings.

He said she’ll go above and beyond in group projects and is willing to put in extra time to get the desired grades.

“I just see that drive in her to want others to do well and be willing to carry more than her fair share of the load,” Schaffer said. “I see that when I watch her play. She takes as much pride in assists as she does points.

“She is going to be so successful when she leaves here no matter what she decides to do.”

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS) 

1. The Philadelphia Flyers‘ young goalie, Carter Hart. is 20-2-2 and has led the Flyers to nine straight wins. They last lost on February 15.  They have a tough week starting with the Bruins at home on Tuesday and they are at Tampa Bay on Thursday.

2. 76ers head coach Brett Brown was on the West Coast this weekend when his son, Sam, came to the Allen Phys. Ed. Center to play for Lower Merion in their state playoff game against Northampton. Sam plays for Lower Merion High School, the former high school of Kobe Bryant.  He is a freshman starter and scored 14 points.  He will be one to watch as his career continues.  Lower Merion won the game.

3. Lafayette’s men’s basketball season came to an end Sunday. They were never in the game with regular season champion Colgate.  Colgate now takes on Boston University for the Patriot League championship.  My money is on Colgate to win back-to-back titles.

4. For the Phillies to succeed this year, they will need better starting pitching than they had last season. They have added a new pitching coach, Bryan Price, and a new starter in Zack Wheeler.  If Nola, Arrieta, and Eflin stay strong, the pitching staff may not be a weakness.

5. Congrats to Central and Freedom boys and the Nazareth, Freedom, Bethlehem Catholic, and Central girls for advancing into the second round of the PIAA basketball playoffs. Keep it going!!

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 phrase “the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat” was first spoken by Jim McKay on ABC’s The Wide World of Sports in 1961. Those words have become synonymous
with big athletic events throughout the ages. You know, somebody wins and somebody suffers a crushing defeat. This past weekend, those words took on even more significance. There was the “thrill”, but it was most certainly accompanied by the “agony”.

On Saturday evening, the District XI 6A Boys basketball championship was played. This is considered to be the top championship basketball game in the Lehigh Valley. Two teams, Northampton and Freedom, had upset higher-ranked teams and would battle for the championship. The fact that both were in the final was surprise enough, but the overriding interest was created by the fact that neither had won a District title for a combined 92 years.

Northampton last won in 1972 and Freedom did it in 1976. Both were coached by individuals who taught the game the right way, had paid their dues (one for 20 years and the other for eight years), and were true gentlemen of the game. It was easy to root for both; hard to accept that one would lose.

The contest was well-played. It was a two-point game with two minutes to go in the third. Freedom ended up winning 58-48. Coach Joe Stellato won his first District title in 20 years as the Freedom head coach. The “thrill of victory” was written all over the faces of the coaching staff and the players. Even Northampton knew they had played hard – somebody wins; somebody loses.

But that is not the “agony” I alluded to at the beginning. Upon arriving at the same gym on Friday night, I was told that the mother of 23-year Allen head coach, Doug Snyder, had passed away on Wednesday before they played in a semifinal game against Freedom. Doug’s father insisted he coach that night. He was told that is what his mother would have wanted. Doug did not tell the team until after the game; his team lost. All of us were both shocked and saddened by our friend’s loss.

Imagine the shock that upon arriving to do the 6A game, I was informed that Doug’s father, Dr. Richard Snyder, died the previous morning. Doug called his father Friday morning. Some said he was going to see if his dad wanted to go to Allen’s Saturday consolation game. No one answered the phone. Doug drove to the home and discovered his father had passed. Doug lost both parents in 48 hours.

Doug’s father and mother led valuable lives and left a legacy of public service. They also raised a son who is the epitome of a coach teaching all the right values to a team of inner city kids. The challenges are great, but Doug has always put character way ahead of wins and losses – yet he is one of the most successful coaches the Lehigh Valley has seen.

It is hard to get a sense of the “agony” Doug must be feeling now. My sympathy goes out to him and to his family. But this “agony” has absolutely nothing to do with “defeat”.

A really good son lost really, really good parents.

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS)

1. The Philadelphia Flyers are in second place! They have won six games in a row and are in a good position in the playoff race.

2. The NBA is into the 20th week and the 76ers are listed as #10 in the rankings.  They have a good record at 37-23, but struggle on the road and struggle to maintain a healthy lineup.

3. The Baylor Bears are the #1 college team right now as March Madness quickly approaches. If you are ready to fill them in as the National Champions, remember that they have never won a national championship.

4. Some bad news out of the Phillies spring training camp – Andrew McCutcheon will not be ready for opening day. He is still recovering from a torn ACL. He is important to their lineup. The expectations are he will be ready sometime in April.

5. Here are the TV games for this week:

Friday, March 6 @ 6:00pm
4A Boys – Bethlehem Catholic vs Archbishop Carroll
Central Catholic vs South Philadelphia
6A Girls –Nazareth vs Parkland
5A Boys – Southern Lehigh vs William Penn

Saturday, March 7 @ 1:00pm
4AG – Bethlehem Catholic vs Prep Charter;
2:30 PM 6AB – Northampton vs Lower Merion
4:00 PM  – Freedom vs Downingtown East

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

I am pretty sure that every kid who plays sports dreams at one time or another of becoming a professional athlete.  I know I certainly did.  As you get older and compete against better and better athletes, reality, at some point, sets in and you realize there are much better players than you.  But it takes a while to sink in.

I do remember having those aspirations when growing up.  I played three sports – football, basketball, and baseball.  As a quarterback it was apparent from the very beginning that I was just average at best.  I enjoyed being part of the team.  I particularly liked being the center of the action.  The play only started when I said so.  It also was a very good place to watch the game.  Hand the ball off, throw a pass, or keep the ball and run meant I always had a good seat to observe.  Johnny Unitas of the Baltimore Colts was my football hero, but I was never going to have his moxie and his ability and it was apparent early on that I had absolutely no future in football.

It became even clearer in the game of basketball.  You just cannot make yourself grow!  At 5’11”, I could play in the backcourt in high school and in college, but my basketball future would be playing in summer leagues on the playgrounds for as long as I wanted.  I went to many college and pro basketball games, but never thought that I could compete against those guys. They were too big, too strong, and too good.

Baseball was a bit different.  When my father and grandfather took me to see the Phillies or the Yankees, I always came away thinking there was a chance.  All I wanted to do when we came home from those games was grab my glove and go play catch with my dad.  I even felt that way when we returned home at midnight.  If I could talk my dad into it, I would have played pitch and catch right away.

As I got older, I had my most success, athletically, as a pitcher.  I did not lose a high school game in my last two years.  I was MAC pitcher of the year in college and pitcher of the year in the Blue Mountain League.  I played against good (probably not great) competition and, for the most part, I was better.  I even got a one-day look from the Pirates.  It was one day and led to nothing, but it certainly was nice to feel like “maybe there was a chance”.  It was not to be.  I accepted my limits and continued to play any sport for fun.

Imagine, though, the feeling of David Ayres this past Saturday.  He is the Zamboni driver at the Toronto Maple Leafs’ arena.  He is, also, the practice goalie for the Leafs.  And he was, on Saturday, the stand-by goalie for both teams in case a team had both goalies injured.  It happened.  The Carolina Hurricanes lost their starter in the first period.  Ayres got the call to get dressed.  Their backup got injured in the second period.  The 42-year-old became the next man up.  The first two shots went right past him.  The next eight, however, he stopped.  The Hurricanes won 6-3 and he became the oldest to win a regular season game.

Ayres had a kidney transplant 15 years ago and thought he would never play hockey again.  He not only played; he made history.  By the way, he got paid $500, got to keep his jersey, and, within hours, his replica jersey was being sold to fans.

Knowing that, I just might go try to find my baseball glove.

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS) 

1. Do you believe the Phillie Phanatic is 42 years old? So, it stands to reason, he needed a little “plastic surgery”.  Much like many of us, his posterior got bigger, his tail turned blue, he got scales under his arms, and his nose got a little shorter.  Oh, the pains of growing old.

2. Tom Brady, Philip Rivers, Dak Prescott, Jameis Winston and 11 other quarterbacks are all free agents. There is a feeding frenzy, I’m sure, right now in various NFL board rooms.

3. It is hard to believe, but last year’s NCAA Basketball champion, the Virginia Cavaliers, are not a lock to get into this year’s tournament. Three ACC teams will certainly get in – Duke, Florida State, Louisville.  Virginia is playing better now, but needs to continue their success.  You cannot defend your title if you don’t get in.

4. How can the 76ers have the best home record in the league and a 9-20 record on the road? Same players, same game – different results.  Mind-boggling!

5. Here are the TV games for this week:

• Tuesday, Feb. 25: 6:00pm – Bethlehem Catholic vs Tamaqua; Central Catholic vs Wilson; Girls – Freedom vs Pocono Mountain West; Nazareth vs Parkland
• Wednesday, Feb. 26: 6:00pm – Easton vs Northampton; Allen vs Freedom on Channel 4

7:00pm – American vs Lafayette women

• Friday, Feb. 28: TBD
  • Saturday, Feb. 22: TBD