Behind the Mic: Memorial Day

This coming Monday is Memorial Day.  It is a day to remember those in the armed forces who died serving our country.  Memorial Day began in 1868.  RCN salutes all who served to defend our country and especially those who sacrificed their lives and their families.

On Memorial Day, RCN will offer special programming.  We will present some of the best college and high school games of the past year.  Here is a quick synopsis of the schedule:

9:00 AM – MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL – LAFAYETTE VS COLGATE
WE WILL START WITH COLLEGE BASKETBALL GOING BACK TO FEBRUARY 27, 2016. THE LAFAYETTE LEOPARDS WERE PLAYING THEIR LAST HOME GAME AND THEY WERE IN THE MIDST OF A 12-GAME LOSING STREAK.  NICK LINDNER, THEIR POINT GUARD, AND ZACH RUFER, THEIR #1 PLAYER OFF THE BENCH, WOULD NOT BE AVAILABLE DUE TO INJURY AND THE LEOPARDS COULD MOVE NO HIGHER THAN #10 IN THE PATRIOT LEAGUE TOURNAMENT.  NONE OF THAT MATTERED AS LAFAYETTE TOOK ON COLGATE ON THE LAFAYETTE SPORTS NETWORK.

11:15 AM – WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL – LAFAYETTE VS ST. PETER’S
NEXT UP IS A WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL GAME PLAYED ON NOVEMBER 29, 2015.  HALL OF FAME COACH THERESA GRENTZ TOOK OVER THE LAFAYETTE PROGRAM IN THE SPRING AND WAS LOOKING FOR HER FIRST WIN AS THE LAFAYETTE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL COACH.  A WIN WOULD BE HER 672^ND AS AN NCAA COLLEGE COACH.  THE OPPONENT WAS ST. PETER’S OF NEW JERSEY.

1:30 PM – HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL – SAUCON VALLEY VS BETHLEHEM CATHOLIC
THE PANTHERS OF SAUCON VALLEY HAD A MAGICAL YEAR, GOING UNDEFEATED THROUGH THE COLONIAL LEAGUE AND WINNING THE LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP.  BUT ON NOVEMBER 14, 2015, SAUCON VALLEY WAS POISED TO PLAY THE GOLDEN HAWKS OF BETHLEHEM CATHOLIC, AN OPPONENT OUT OF THE EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA CONFERENCE.  THIS MATCHUP TURNED OUT TO BE ONE OF THE YEAR’S BEST FOOTBALL GAMES. 

3:30 PM – HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL – PARKLAND VS RIDLEY
WE NOW TURN TO PIAA BOYS’ BASKETBALL.  THE PARKLAND TROJANS HAD ALREADY GOTTEN BY THEIR FIRST 4A OPPONENT WHEN THEY KNOCKED OFF CONESTOGA HIGH SCHOOL.  THAT WAS THEIR 24^TH STRAIGHT WIN OF THE SEASON.  THE SECOND ROUND WOULD PROVE TO BE MORE DIFFICULT FOR ANDY STEPHENS’ BALLCLUB IN A GAME PLAYED MARCH 9, 2016.

7:00 PM – HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL – PARKLAND VS ALLEN

IT WOULD BE HARD TO DISPUTE THAT THE BEST BASKETBALL GAME OF THE YEAR TOOK PLACE ON FEBRUARY 12, 2016, WHEN ALLEN TOOK ON PARKLAND FOR THE EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP.  THE FEELING IN THE BUILDING WAS ELECTRIC THAT NIGHT AND THE PLAY OF BOTH TEAMS WAS EVEN BETTER.  THIS GAME WILL FOREVER BE AN RCN SPORTS CLASSIC.  IT’S ALLEN VS PARKLAND AT LIBERTY MEMORIAL GYMNASIUM.

8:45 PM – HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL – LIBERTY VS ALLEN
WE WILL WRAP UP OUR MEMORIAL DAY SPORTS HIGHLIGHTS BY BRINGING YOU THE LIBERTY AT ALLEN GAME PLAYED ON DONMOYER COURT ON JANUARY 22, 2016.  THIS GAME TOOK MORE THAN FOUR QUARTERS TO DETERMINE THE VICTOR AND FEATURED SOME GREAT INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCES AS LIBERTY’S CAMERON HOFFMAN AND ALLEN’S TALEK WILLIAMS WOULD PUT ON QUITE A SHOW.

WE HOPE YOU ENJOY OUR LOOK BACK AT SOME OF OUR MOST EXCITING CONTESTS.  WE CERTAINLY EXPECT THE 2016-2017 SEASON TO BE JUST AS EXCITING.  AND ENJOY YOUR MEMORIAL DAY.

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS) 

1. As I write this, Ryan Howard is hitting .226, near the very bottom of all major league ballplayers. In 122 at-bats he has struck out 44 times or 36% of his at- bats.  The only good news is he is tied for the Phillies lead in home runs and is second on the team in RBIs.  If you were the GM and aware that Howard is not attractive trade bait, what would you do – continue to play him and hope he breaks out of the slump or just play the youngsters and pay Howard to sit?
2. With locals Mario and Michael Andretti on the scene and Marco Andretti and Sage Karam driving in the Indy 500 this weekend, I’ll be watching the only auto race I watch all year.
3. The EPC baseball championships featured outstanding play this past week – terrific pitching, fielding, and clutch-hitting. The Conference should be proud of their representatives.  Congratulations to Freedom for winning their first title since 1999.
4. The NFL Giants’ fans should be happy to hear that DL Jason Pierre-Paul has been fitted with a new custom-made glove for his mangled hand. He lost his index finger and part of his middle finger to a fireworks accident last July 4.  No one was sure he would play again, but it was reported this past week that he intercepted an Eli Manning pass with the new glove.  The bad news here is that Manning threw the interception.
5. I attended the Gala in the Garden this past Saturday and hosted a “Red Carpet” event interviewing a number of VIPs. This night, which helps the Pediatric Unit at Good Shepherd Rehabilitation, raised over $302,000.  RCN was very proud to be a major sponsor.