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 Super Bowl champion Eagles will start the NFL season in Philadelphia on Thursday, September 6, against the Atlanta Falcons.  Around here, there is no better way to open the new football year.  NBC will have the match-up.  Do I think the Eagles can overcome the hangover from winning the 2018 Super Bowl?  You will have to wait until next week for my NFC predictions.  For this week, the focus is on the AFC.

AFC West

1. Kansas City Chiefs – There’s a new quarterback here – Pat Mahomes (Alex Smith went to the Redskins), but Andy Reid remains with a new defense.  This team is a regular in the playoffs and this division is not strong.
2. Los Angeles Chargers – They finished a surprising second last year. Their defense is improved.  They play Kansas City in Week 15 in a game that could seal the fate of their conference standing.
3. Oakland Raiders– Jon Gruden leaves the safety of the broadcasting booth and returns to the NFL sidelines. He is certainly not an analytics guy (he specifically said that) and it may take him a while to get comfortable as a head coach again.  This team has a young defense.  The good news is their schedule is pretty weak to start the season.
4. Denver Broncos – The defense was solid last year, but the offense was not. This team could not win on the road at all.  The offense has to be better.  Don’t bet on it.

AFC South 

1. Jacksonville Jaguars– If defense wins championships, give this team a chance. Their linebacker/secondary group is outstanding.  QB Blake Bortles’s numbers should impress due to an improved offensive line.  With veteran Tom Coughlin around again this year in the front office, the Jaguars are solid.
2. Houston Texans – The last three offensive seasons have been run by three different quarterbacks. This year, it’s Deshaun Watson’s turn.  Bill O’Brien’s team had the worst scoring defense in the league last year, but they can only go up in those stats.  Dare I say, they may actually contend for a division title?
3. Tennessee Titans – I really enjoy watching Marcus Mariota at quarterback. He is always exciting, but he threw 15 interceptions last year.  They look strong enough in all aspects and this could be my worst prediction, but I have more confidence in the two teams above them.
4. Indianapolis Colts – Andrew Luck? Andrew Luck?  What can he do coming off shoulder surgery?  He was shut down last season.  They open with the Bengals and with any Luck (see what I did there?) they might win and get rolling.  Without any Luck (I know – knock it off), their season looks dismal.

AFC North (PS – this is the same order I picked last year)

1. Pittsburgh Steelers – Ben, Bell, and Brown make the offense superior. There’s a new defensive coordinator (Randy Fichter) and some defensive additions make them better on the other side, too.  This should be a lock.
2. Baltimore Ravens – The Ravens continue to be desperate for a playoff berth – it’s been three straight years that they have not played in the post season. Joe Flacco will be aided by the additions of three new receivers.  They shored up their defense last year. Ravens fans are desperate for a winner – so is Coach John Harbaugh.  They’re better and desperate – could be a winning combination.
3. Cincinnati Bengals – Here we go again – I never know what to do with the Bengals. This team should be good – maybe even very good.  They often do not play to their capability, but, also, seem better than their record.  I picked them third last year and see no reason to change this year– so be it.
4. Cleveland Browns – Three years – four wins: I always know where to pick the Browns. Dead last.  But they have another new starting quarterback – the #1 pick in the draft, Baker Mayfield, but it might take him awhile to become the starter.  The offensive line remains from last season, the receiving crew is adequate and their young defense is back and should be better.  They have not won a road game since 2015.  They will remain dead last.

AFC East

1. New England Patriots – This is a lock! They have won 15 East titles in the last 16 years.  Ten straight!  Even though they lost a number of players since last year, the division remains weak; but there is a Brady and a Gronkowski.  Oh, and there’s Bill Belichick.  They may have lost a bit of their luster, but not enough to lose this division.
2. New York Jets – #3 draft pick QB Sam Darnold is in the fold and I have moved the Jets from a last place pick last year to second. The schedule doesn’t help any of the teams below the Patriots because they crossover with the AFC South and the NFC North.  Because of that, the Jets will improve, but they will not make the playoffs.
3. Miami Dolphins – Is Ryan Tannehill healthy after knee surgery? If so, can he last a season?  They added Danny Amendola from New England to aid the offense, but lost some key defensive players.  They will not contend for the playoffs either.
4. Buffalo Bills – There are no positives to report on here. Josh Allen was spotty at QB last season and with a porous offensive line, there will not be much improvement. They will not make the playoffs for the eighth straight year. 

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS) 

1. What would you pay for a signed baseball with the names Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, Cy Young, and Walter Johnson on it? This was the first group inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.  It was sold this past week for a record $623,369.  The previous high was $388,000 for a Babe Ruth ball.

2. The Red Sox (85-35) have the same number of wins as the Orioles (35-84) have losses. They are 50 games over .500.  Their season has been phenomenal.

3. Years ago, we broadcast the PIAA state baseball championships from Williamsport’s Bowman Field. It was adjacent to the Little League complex where the Little League World Series is played.  The Phillies will play the Mets there Sunday, August 19, in what is being called the Little League Classic.  Phillies infielder Scott Kingery played in the World Series in 2006.

4. Lafayette football media day is this week. The Leopards open their season at Sacred Heart, September 1, at 6:00pm.  Sacred Heart beat Lafayette 38-24 last year, racking up 504 yards of total offense.  RCN-TV’s first Lafayette game will be at Delaware with a 3:35pm start on September 8.

5. We will start the high school season on Friday, August 24, when Southern Lehigh hosts the Saucon Valley Panthers. These two teams should be in the hunt for a Colonial League title.

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.

College football teams have already begun their workouts for the upcoming season. High school teams are next. As if, in this day and age, teams ever REALLY take a break from the preparation. Workouts for all sports are pretty much all-year round any more. But, I am talking “official” workouts now!

What does football hold in store for all of us in the Lehigh Valley who pay close attention to the professional, college, and high school seasons?

1. Will Lafayette football continue their drive to “play meaningful games in November”? We’ll get a sense of their Patriot League competition early on when the Leopards travel to Colgate for their League opener on September 22. Colgate is the pre-season favorite to win the League. Sacred Heart, Delaware, and Monmouth are first on the schedule as independent contests.
2. Lehigh may have the most exciting player in the Valley in Dom Bragalone. He is already on the Walter Payton watch list and is a consensus All-American. He was named the PL Preseason Offensive Player of the Year. Mark November 17 on your calendar for the 154th meeting of Lafayette-Lehigh.
3. Northampton will be traveling up north for most of their football games this season as they leave the EPC South for a couple of years. Wins were non-existent for the Kids in the South the past four years so, despite the travel, this should be a better situation for them.
4. Kyle Haas, who did a marvelous job at Beca as the interim head coach in 2016, will take over the Northampton program. Kyle has a very creative football mind and, I believe, he will lead Northampton to a District XI berth this year. The competition is much less challenging up North and that is a major understatement.
5. It’s very difficult to pick a favorite in the EPC South. Usually one starts with Parkland and goes from there, but Parkland, despite winning the last seven District titles, may have that streak stopped. They lost a number of outstanding players and other teams have gotten stronger. Emmaus was strong before Whitehall quarterback Ethan Parvel moved into Emmaus. Now they are the frontrunner with two outstanding backs to share the offensive workload.
6. Easton, Freedom, Nazareth, Liberty, Bethlehem Catholic, and Central Catholic make up the rest of the South. Every one of those teams played in Districts last season so this promises to be an outstanding and competitive year.
7. Whitehall has a new head coach in Justin Kondikoff. Former coach Brian Gilbert left the post to become AD at Palisades. Having lost his starting quarterback makes things that much more difficult for Justin. However, Whitehall does have tough kids who seem to deal with adversity better than most.
8. The Colonial League promises to be wide open, also. Palisades dominated last year, but Saucon Valley, Southern Lehigh, and Notre Dame should challenge.
9. Much like watching Penn State was even more entertaining with Whitehall’s Saquan Barkley in the backfield, so too will watching the development of Nazareth standout wide receiver, Jahan Dotson for the Nittany Lions. Will he play this year or will this be a redshirt year? We’ll know soon.
10. I, for one, can‘t wait to see Saquon Barkley in the NFL. I know he is with the rival New York Giants, but he will capture my attention every week.

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS)

1. The Red Sox swept the Yankees this past weekend winning four in a row and are now 8 ½ games ahead of their greatest rival. Between the Patriots of the NFL and now the Red Sox, it must be hard to walk around New England right now without a hop in your step, a grin on your face, and a hat that doesn’t quite fit your head.
2. On paper, it looks like the Atlanta Braves gotten stronger than the Phillies did before the trade deadline. However, I was happy to see that the Phils did not give up any of their young prospects. The acquisitions of Asdrybal Cabrera and Wilson Ramos will help the Phils. I think they are now good enough to win their division.
3. If you need a reason to watch Penn State this year, then pay attention to Trace McSorley at Penn State. He is on schedule to be the best statistical quarterback in Penn State history. The Lions will certainly be in the Big Ten championship hunt and in the national title picture.
4. Every new inductee into the Pro Football Hall of Fame gave a very inspirational speech – Brian Dawkins and his fight with depression; Ray Lewis and his call to doing things bigger than football; Brian Urlacher’s work ethic carrying over from his childhood; Randy Moss’s faith in God; Jerry Kramer’s Vince Lombardi stories; and so on. If you missed the speeches Google them for some inspiration.
5. Non-New England NFL fans should take note that Tom Brady celebrated his 41st birthday this past week. His career has to be coming to an end, doesn’t it? And how old is Bill Belichick?

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 don’t think it would come as a surprise to anyone who reads my blog that I watch golf. I particularly like to watch the British Open. You might ask – “Why?”

For one thing, it starts early in the morning and ends early in the afternoon. There is still time left in the day. I don’t have to tell my wife that “it will be over soon” around the dinner hour, which is when professional golf tournaments here in America usually finish.

And… I have TiVo! This means that even though the British Open comes on at 1:30 AM on Thursday and Friday and 7:00AM on the weekend, I do not have to get up at an ungodly hour, keep the volume down, and find a quiet spot to enjoy it.

Instead, I just set my TiVo to record the action and watch it when I am good and ready. I know I will eventually catch up because I can fast-forward through the commercials – I mean how many times can I sit through a Ricky Fowler Rocket Mortgage commercial? Another huge TiVo advantage!

And then… along comes this break in the action called “Playing Through”. Some marketing genius, and I do applaud their creativity, (PS: Marketing people read this before it goes out to you so a little sucking up here can’t hurt), decided that in order to keep the viewers watching the action (my wife thinks, for golf, this is a term that never should be used), the screen would be split so that the commercial is on, but, so too, is the golf tournament. In other words, golf is still on WHILE the commercials are on. You know what that means? No fast-forward!!

The British Open is a five-hour event! By bypassing the commercials, I can get it done in about 3 ½ hours. Not now! I have to stay with the commercial. Tiger is hitting and Jordan is putting so I have to put up with that inane Rocket Mortgage commercial again! It’s just not right.

Advertisers did it with the Indianapolis 500 (another 4-hour marathon). That’s the only auto race I watch and I certainly can’t fast-forward through a split screen during an auto race. There might be an accident.

Those same marketing people (I’m done with the niceties) are also going to do it with NFL football. Football doesn’t have continuous action during the commercials, but something interesting might happen while I sit through another beer commercial? I don’t know, so I will stay with it, I guess. So, instead of watching an NFL game that I recorded in two hours (I also skip halftime), it may now take me 3 ½. By the way, my wife doesn’t care for football either.

If this is going to be the norm now, especially with sporting events which take a lengthy period of time, then may I suggest to the “creative” marketing people that they start selling ads to not only the brewers, but also marriage counselors and, dare I say, divorce lawyers. Drinking more beer, learning how to appease your wife, or even worse, talking divorce, may necessitate someone in the house looking for a new one. If so, I would call Rocket Mortgage, I guess. Now where’s that commercial when we need it?

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS)

1. Saquon Barkley is signed. This weekend he put his name on a four-year deal for $31.2 million and it is guaranteed. He received $15 million up front. He reportedly wants to live off of his endorsement deals and invest all of his NFL money for the future. Smart!

2. The Atlanta Braves and the Phillies are both looking for bullpen help. The Orioles, it is reported, are looking to trade reliever Zach Britton. The Cubs, Yankees, Red Sox, Giants, and Astros are also interested. The Phils missed out on Manny Machado. Might they be more aggressive this time around?

3. This week, Chase Utley will play in Philadelphia for the final time since he is retiring at the end of the year. I’m sure he will retire as a Phillie and be inducted into their Hall of Fame. Although, there is an outside chance the Dodgers and the Phillies may meet again in the playoffs.

4. Penn State students bought 21,000 season tickets in less than 50 minutes. After a Big Ten title in 2016 and two consecutive 11-win seasons, excitement continues to rise in State College.

5. Thanks to the Blue Mountain League for their cooperation in bringing you the Game of the Week. Good luck to all the playoff teams. Get out to watch some games; it’s really good baseball. It’s almost time for the shoulder pads.

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. 

Let me say it up front – I like to gamble in moderation, my wife likes the slot machines and my daughter genetically, also, has the “bug”.  So last week, when my daughter called to see if we wanted to go to Atlantic City for the weekend with her and her husband, the answer was an easy “Yes”.

We both had free rooms for two nights, some complimentary food vouchers, and free tickets to a show. After the heat wave of the previous week, it seemed like the perfect time to get away for some R & R.  And… sports for the RCN-TV team takes a slight respite in July.

The plan was a good one – we would arrive on Friday night, have dinner, and do a little bit of gambling. Saturday would be taken up with a hearty breakfast, time at the pool in the afternoon (or the beach), a good dinner at an expensive restaurant (it was complimentary), and a hypnotist/comedy show at night.  This left a modicum of time for gambling and that is usually a very good thing.  Well, the best laid plans…

Due to heavy traffic, the 2 ½ hour ride took four hours, but we arrived without incident. After checking in to Resorts International (the rooms were very nice by the way), we decided to explore the hotel, get our show tickets, and seek out a spot for dinner.

Our first stop was to check out the pool. It was an indoor-outdoor setup so that sounded nice and the pool was heated which sounded even better.  When the four of us saw the pool, I knew there would be trouble.  It was packed with kids of all ages.  Some were in diapers and some probably should have been.  I noticed that my wife and daughter were not thrilled with the idea of swimming in what they perceived would be polluted water.

That left the beach and the ocean as our back-up the next day. We had a nice dinner, did a little gambling (everyone won, but me), and headed to bed.

The next morning we met and decided to eat breakfast and explore the two brand new casinos that had just been open for one week – The Hard Rock and Ocean. Breakfast was first, however.

We chose the Hard Rock Café. We possibly had the worst service ever!  We ordered, eventually got our beverages, and waited.  And waited.  And waited.  No coffee refills, no tea refills, no juice refills, and NO FOOD!  After one half hour, we asked to see the manager (something I never do).  He apologized and said he would put our order right in.  I thought our order would have ALREADY been in!

Forty-five minutes later, breakfast arrived, with the manager saying it was on the house. It was beginning to look like no one wanted our money, except the casinos.

We then opted to look at the new casinos and walk the boardwalk before going to the beach. Remember the extremely hot weather from the week before.  It was gone.  The temperature was in the low 70’s and the water temperature, we were told, was 61 degrees.  The girls had the same look on their face that they had when we saw the pool.  It was a beautiful day, but not a day to lie on the beach or go in the ocean.

So all the activities designed to keep us out of the casino were eliminated. That led to an afternoon of gambling (we all lost).  Thank goodness, the evening was full.  When I returned to the room – my key would not work.  I had to go back down to the lobby to get a new key.

Everything took an upswing at dinner. It was wonderful.  It took a couple of hours and led right into the show.  We had been told by others not to miss it.  Some people we asked saw the show the night before and said it was hilarious.

The concept was a combination hypnotist/comedy act. The theater was small and, it turned out, the audience was even smaller. In fact, and this is the truth, they had to count the people to make sure there were enough for a show.  The minimum I was told was 34 – there were 39!  Suffice it to say, the entertainer had very little to work with and it showed.  Getting laughs was difficult and hypnotizing anyone became even more difficult.

How bad was it? It was so bad that, according to the performer, for the first time in his 20-year career, he stopped the show, said no one was a good subject, and he apologetically would not go on.  He offered everyone their money back (we did not pay anyway) and called it a night.  Our ninety-minute respite from gambling was reduced to one half-hour.  I went to the room only to find my new key, also, would not work.  It was back to the lobby for a new key and back to (where else) the casino.

My daughter lost some more: my wife lost some more. Luckily I won a little back, but I was still a loser for the weekend.

We came home Sunday morning with a little less money, no beach time, three keys that didn’t work, and plenty of laughs about the “rest and relaxation” weekend.

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS) 

1. Did you realize there are 121 NFL officials? And of that group, seven will be rookies this year, including the sons of current NFL officials, Ed Hochuli and Stan Kemp. That’s a lot of people to scream at.
2. I guess if you have a bad knee and you are asked to pinch hit, the best thing to do is hit a home run. That’s what Japanese sensation Shohei Ohtani did on Sunday against the Dodgers. He hit a foul ball off his knee the night before and received treatment right before Sunday’s game. He hit the game-winning home run to center field in the seventh inning. He said, “I was glad I was able to hit a home run so I didn’t have to run much.”
3. On April 2, the Phillies and the Mets were snowed out. At that time, the Phils looked awful (1-4) and the Mets looked great (11-1 to start). Things are different for this second go-round being played this week. The Phils are in first place and the Mets are playing some of the worst baseball in their history.
4. Would you watch Tiger Woods and Phil Mickleson play each other with a winner-take-all $10 million? Do you remember in the 1960’s “Shell’s Wonderful World of Golf”? I do. That show paired two well-known players against one another – Palmer against Nicklaus, Hogan vs Snead, Player vs Trevino. It was good TV then and it would be good TV today. It will happen when the entities come up with the money!

Our next Blue Mountain League Game of the Week will be on July 17 when the Northampton Giants host the Limeport Dodgers. Northampton has been hovering around first place all year. You are invited.

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 know it’s not big-time baseball. I know it’s not even minor league baseball.  Heck, it’s actually just a bunch of guys who get together two, three, sometimes four times a week to play the game of baseball.

The Blue Mountain League has been around now for 73 years (finally, something older than I am). And it has lasted this long because of the love of the game.  No one has loved it more than O. R. Pacchioli as a player, a president of the league and the primary sponsor of the Martins Creek franchise.  He has been part of the league since its beginning.

The rosters are made up of teenagers and forty-year olds. Most players normally put in a full days’ work either before or after the game.  Some work to 5:00 and then rush to the various fields to play a 6:00 game.  Some run home and shower and then work the third shift.  Most have families and children and they are able somehow to balance their vocational life, their love for the family and the love of baseball.

When I was playing Legion baseball and then college baseball, I wondered where I should go to improve my pitching in the summer. My college coaches never hesitated when they suggested the Blue Mountain League.  They said you will face players who are on their way up in the game and players who are on their way down from professional baseball.  They were right.  There was no better training ground.

Sure enough, many of the batters I faced had been to the major leagues and because of a veteran catcher, I was taught how to pitch to them. You didn’t just throw the ball, you learned how to work the plate, work the count, and mix your pitches. It was like a post-grad class on pitching.

I will never forget facing pitcher Craig Anderson, who had just been released from the Mets. I was undefeated; he was undefeated and I was somehow able to outduel him for the win in a 2-1 matchup.  This Moravian College pitcher had just gotten a win against a former New York Met.  As far as sports competition was concerned, it couldn’t get much better than that.

The league was a little over 20 years old when I played. Not much had changed from its inception back then and not much has changed since.  The rosters still consist of the top high school prospects and plenty of wily veterans.  You not only play against the best in the area; you learn by playing with the best.  I found out early that veterans have no qualms about telling you HOW to play the game.  And when they say it, you know it has history, knowledge, and tradition behind it.  So, you listened and you learned.

My connection with the League is now on the TV side. RCN TV has now been doing Blue Mountain League baseball for over 10 years. The games are highly competitive; the managers and players are extremely cooperative.  There are 11 teams and over 200 players, coaches, and managers involved this season.  They will play 30 games and crown their 73^rd champion in August.

Check out their outstanding website :

http://www.hometeamsonline.com/teams/default.asp?u=Thebluemountainleague&s=baseball&t=c

Better yet, check out the Blue Mountain League Game of the Week on RCN TV Tuesday nights at 9:30.

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS) 

1. Are the Phillies for real? It appears they might be, sitting in second place behind the Atlanta Braves and fresh off a 3-1 series against the Nationals. However, the ESPN pundits don’t think so. They rank the Phils as the 14^th best team in the majors right now. They do not have much respect for the NL East either. The Braves are ranked #10 and the Nationals are #12.
2. Analytics has taken over baseball. Technology now determines line-ups, pitching changes, defensive alignments, etc. As an old-school former player, I do find it interesting how some of the baseball truisms are now changing dramatically. I find the game a little more interesting now by comparison. You just don’t know what a manager will do these days.
3. Will you watch the new edition of the XFL?. The WWE’s Vince McMahon is going to bet $500 million that you will. The XFL is scheduled to return in 2020.
4. Saquon Barkley bought a home for his family in Whitehall. He used his endorsement money from Nike, Pepsi, and Panini America. It has been reported that he wants to set aside his football earnings for his future and live off his endorsements. Smart!!

Enjoy a safe and happy 4^th! Our next Blue Mountain League Game of the Week will be on July 10 when the Orioles host the Bulls. Both teams are hovering around first place with the Giants.

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.

By now you know I am a sports person.  Give me a sport with a ball (basketball, football, baseball, golf, volleyball, bocce [okay, maybe not bocce] and I can enjoy the competition.  And then there is soccer.  I just do not like soccer.

Maybe it’s because I have had bad luck when it came to doing soccer broadcasts.  I have had to do a LIVE 75-minute pregame because an all-star game was delayed by a preliminary game.   I have had to do a 15-overtime match for a state title only to have the event called for darkness with two champions being named state titlists.  It “only” took six hours to NOT determine a winner.   I have suffered through a District XI championship where someone thought putting gold numbers on a green and white striped shirt was a good idea. (It was not – I could not read the numbers at all from the press box).   I have broadcast professional soccer in the Lehigh Valley where expectations for financial success were very high and almost no one showed up to watch.   I have prepared to cover soccer by memorizing positions and responsibilities before realizing, upon arrival, that the positional names in professional soccer had changed.  Talk about tap-dancing through a broadcast.  Wouldn’t one think that a game that has continuous action, unlike football and baseball, would be a more exciting game?  One would think that, but one would be wrong.  Dare I say it – to me, soccer is boring.

It is boring (to me), because there is so little scoring and there is so much insignificant action. I watch the World Cup only while going around the dial and I see crazed fans from other countries revved up for the entire ninety minutes of “action” or, for me, inaction.  Most World Cup games end with one goal scored or no score at all after regulation time has expired.  Nil-nil is just NOT enjoyable.  How can anyone possibly maintain a sense of rabid devotion for that long when almost nothing of significance is happening?

I have two easy solutions that no one will take seriously, but I am used to that.

1. Make the field smaller.  All of that insignificant action occurs because the field is so big.  Reduce the size and every player is now closer to his objective – putting a ball in the net.
2. Eliminate off-sides.  One of the most exciting plays in any sport is a great pass and a one-on-one opportunity (a fast break in basketball; a wide receiver versus a defensive back in football).  What is wrong with a great pass to a streaking teammate who has gotten behind the defense?  It is now one-on-one with the goalie.  This would create the most exciting play in soccer and, I bet, nil-nil would not be the result.

I know Europeans think they have the perfect game of sport in soccer.  And a true soccer fan would suggest I don’t like the sport because America struggles with being successful in the world matches.  But, to me, instead of capturing my interest, I lose all interest when I can watch all the scores in a soccer match in less than one minute on ESPN SportsCenter.

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS)

1. Around here, where most of the baseball interest falls to the Phillies, Yankees, or Red Sox, the Houston Astros are probably the best incognito team in baseball.  They are winning 66% of their games, the same as the Yankees, and look ready to repeat as World Series Champions.
2. Did you pay attention to the five-game home run streak by Odubel Herrera of the Phillies?  Not only did he hit five home runs, but he batted .591, had eight RBI’s, and two doubles.  Frank Howard and Barry Bonds both did it twice in their careers.  The Major League record is eight consecutive games shared by Don Mattingly and Dale Long
3. Emmaus, Central, Beca, and Freedom all had a good showing at the Bash at the Beach summer tournament in Allentown.  Berks Catholic won the championship for the second year in a row, but the EPC, once again, had a strong showing.  The winter season could be very exciting.
4. Carson Landis of Emmaus will try out this summer with hopes of becoming the Penn State place-kicker.  Local high school graduate, Emmaus coach, and former Penn State quarterback Matt Senneca, contacted Penn State and, after watching film and live kicking, they offered Carson preferred walk-on status. On Sunday, Bethlehem Catholic senior place-kicker Anthony DaSilva also committed to Penn State as a preferred walk-on the following year.  It’s always great to have local players on the Penn State roster.
5. The Blue Mountain League takes a brief respite during the 4th of July week.  We will, too.  Our next Game of the Week will be on July 10 when the Orioles host the Bulls.  Have a safe and happy 4th!

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 received an e-mail on Saturday morning offering me a ticket to the final round of the US Open. And I do love golf.  But I weighed my options:

1. Take one of the worst drives I have ever experienced and go to Long Island (I covered a sports story on Long Island at Hofstra University a few years back and thought I would never see my family again) or take a pleasant drive to the Poconos in the morning with no traffic.
2. Walk the course in what was forecast as sweltering heat and seeing very little of the actual competition or sit at home in air conditioning seeing every minute of the tournament.
3. Spend the day being pushed around in crowds of people I do not know or see my whole family at my daughter’s house and celebrate Fathers’ Day (I even got in nine holes of golf in the morning with my grandson, daughter, and son-in-law).

As you might have guessed, I chose the latter of all of those choices – I played golf, ate a great meal, opened some Father’s Day gifts, and watched the US Open on a large screen TV.

And I had plenty of time to think about the Open itself:

It is no fun watching the best players in the world at the mercy of an unfair golf course. In this day and age when computers are able tell us everything, the USGA was not able to anticipate what the wind would do to Shinnecock Hills during play on Saturday.  I felt, even on Thursday, that the rough was pretty much unplayable and the greens because of the pin placements took away the pleasure of watching the best perform at the highest level.  A four-foot putt, if missed, became a twelve-foot putt.  Saturday was the epitome of bad decision-making by the USGA when only three players shot under par and none in the afternoon.

Saturday became SOOO painful that one could almost understand when Phil Mickelson “cracked” and did something only your friendly playing partners do at the height of frustration with their game – break a rule! Mickelson shot an 81 that day and has thrown himself into a rule interpretation fiasco among all golfers as a result.

Jordan Speith, Rory McIlroy, Jason Day, and Tiger Woods never made it to Saturday, so many of the stars of the game were gone. I am one of those viewers who, when Speith or Woods are in a tournament, devote more time to TV.  Tiger tripled bogeyed his very first hole and, just when it looked like Spieth would make the cut, he bogeyed the last two holes.  Even local golfer Cole Miller of Northwestern High School and Penn State kept my interest on Thursday and Friday, but, he, too, was not around the weekend.

The FOX coverage was much better than the previous two years, but it just does not seem the same without the familiar voices we are used to hearing, particularly Nick Faldo and Johnny Miller, and especially David Feherty (imagine the fun he would have had with the conditions).

But instead, I watched from the comfort of my home for three days and in a mountain setting on the final day. I did not for one millisecond regret saying “No, thanks” to the offer of a free ticket to Sunday’s round.

Maybe one day they will play the US Open at Northampton County Country Club in Bethlehem Township and I will walk the three blocks from my house and watch.

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS) 

1. Speaking of Father’s Day, Tom Housenick of The Morning Call wrote a really nice article on Saturday, June 17, about current Iron Pig, former Liberty High School and Lehigh standout, Matt McBride and his father, George. Both seem to have the perfect father-son relationship. Give it a read:
   http://www.mcall.com/sports/baseball/ironpigs/mc-spt-fathers-day-matt-mcbride-0616-story.html
2. Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr said the most interesting congratulatory text he received after sweeping Cleveland for the NBA championship came from Tiger Woods. Like Woods did, Kerr now suffers from excruciating back pain and the two formed a bond over it. Woods congratulated Kerr with a text. Kerr did not send a text to Woods after Tiger shot an opening round 78 at the US Open.
3. Pre-season college football poll has Big Ten schools Ohio State ranked #3, Wisconsin #7, Michigan State #9, Michigan #10, and Penn State #13. Penn State hosts Ohio State on September 29. This is the start of the Big Ten conference games. The winner of this game has won the conference title the past two years.
4. It was a beautiful night for football this past Thursday when the McDonald’s Lehigh Valley All-Star Football Classic was played. Despite the lopsided score, plenty of fans turned out so plenty of money was raised for the McDonald’s charities. RCN was proud, once again, to sponsor the All-Star banquet the night before. It was the 20^th year of RCN’s sponsorship.

• RCN-TV will travel to Curt Simmons Park in Egypt next Tuesday to bring you the BML match-up with the Steel taking on the Orioles. Watch at 9:30pm.

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 think it is always fun to dream a bit, especially if you are a sports fan. Every sports fan loves to second guess, loves to complain about decisions made during a game, and loves to be a “Monday morning quarterback”.

It seems like it’s innate in a sports fan to think they know more than the coach or the general manager when it comes to making decisions about trades, the roster, play-calling, substitutions, and strategy. It’s just who we are.

So, if you are so inclined, I invite you to have some fun. Imagine if you are the general manager of the newly formed RCN Roundballers of the NBA and money is no object.  You have the opportunity to take any two of the following NBA players:

1. LeBron James – Cleveland Cavaliers
2. Kevin Durant – Golden State Warriors
3. Steph Curry – Golden State Warriors
4. James Harden – Houston Rockets
5. Giannis Antetokounmpo – Milwaukee Bucks

Whom would you select? Let’s go in reverse order.

Antetokounmpo might be the least known to you, but the 23 year-old might just be your best investment. He is 6’11” and averaged 26.9 points during the regular season and 25.7 in the playoffs.  He averages 10 rebounds per game.  He has a huge learning curve and is pretty much a guarantee to be a dominant force for many years to come.

James Harden certainly could have led the Rockets to the NBA championship final if he had some help in games 6 and 7 in the semis against the Warriors. Chris Paul was out with a hamstring injury so he had to carry the team, unlike the support that Curry and Durant get every night.  He averaged 28.6 points in the playoffs.

Is there any fan (unless your team is playing the Warriors) who is not impressed with the play of Stephen Curry? He is the engine that runs the Warriors and his 3-point shooting borders on phenomenal (nine in game two of the Finals was a record), not to mention his ability to take it to the basket against much taller players.  And, if you are looking for someone to run your offense and who is a proven winner (three championships and two MVPs), Curry might be your man.

Kevin Durant WAS the MVP of the 2018 NBA championship. He shot 65%, led his team in scoring (28.8), rebounds, blocks, and was second in assists.  If you watched the playoffs, he made big shot after big shot throughout.  The Warriors were not better when he was on the bench (-26 points), but they were much better when he was on the floor (+86 points).  But remember with the likes of Curry, Draymond Green, and Klay Thompson, no player had more support.

And then there is LeBron. Individually, in the NBA today, there is no better player.  His team lost, but his supporting cast did not come close to those the Warriors had.  He averaged 32.3 points (51 in one game) after suffering an injured hand after game one.  I’m not sure anyone would argue that he is the most dominant player in the NBA.  Bear in mind, however, that he is 33 years old.

So there you have it – dream a bit. Start your team with two picks.  You will need a large payroll, for sure.  Do it among others so you can defend and argue for your choices.  Who will it be?  And remember – no matter whom you choose, someone will second guess you, anyway.  Welcome to the front office.

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS) 

1. Oh, no! Ohtani is on the disabled list for the Angels. Shohei Ohtani, the pitching and batting phenom for the LA Angels, has a grade two sprain of his UCL. He was trying to do what Babe Ruth was able to do – pitch and bat in the majors. He was 4-1 on the mound and was batting .289 with 6 HR and 20 RBI’s.
2. It was nice to see the Washington Capitals win their first ever NHL Stanley Cup this past week. Alex Ovechkin was the MVP and the franchise won for the first time in 43 years. The Redskins won the last DC title when they won the NFL championship in 1992. The Bullets last won an NBA title in 1978 – 40 years ago. Are the MLB Nationals next?
3. There is plenty of speculation about where LeBron James will play next year. Some notes on the situation: he can become an unrestricted free agent if he opts out of his contract by June 29. By July 1, other teams can bid for his services. He has played for Cleveland, Miami, and Cleveland again. Watch for a feeding frenzy on July 1, if no decision is made by James until then.
4. The Golden State Warriors will not be invited to the White House following their NBA championship. Unlike the Eagles who were disinvited, President Trump said he will not invite the Warriors.
5.  RCN-TV will travel to Dimmick Park next Tuesday to bring you the BML match-up with the Yankees taking on the Royals. Watch at 9:30pm.

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 was somewhat amused when I read that Green Bay Packers linebacker Clay Matthews, while playing in a charity softball game, took a line drive off his face and suffered a broken nose. He will require surgery.

Now, don’t think I took great pleasure in this event; it’s just because of all the ways NFL’er Clay Matthews might be injured in athletics, I would not have thought it would be playing softball in a charity game.

But I can certainly relate. Allow me to first offer a little background.  I grew up playing football, basketball, and baseball.  From the time I started Little League baseball, there was really no down time as one season merged right in with the next and after finishing up a high school baseball season, summer baseball and summer basketball followed.  It was sports all-year round.

I then went on to play college basketball for two years and college baseball for four years. I bring this up only to make the point that I was never injured.  Sure, I had sore muscles and some aches and pains along the way.  I injured my elbow once while pitching, but never missed a game.

After college, I continued to play summer basketball and Blue Mountain League baseball. Again, I never got injured.

Greater responsibilities (two daughters) finally caught up to me and my playing days, for the most part, were over – except, of course, for the one team sport that awaits all over-the-hill athletes – slow-pitch softball. I dug out the glove, joined my friends, and signed up for two nights a week.

The camaraderie was great; the juices flowed; and the love of competition came back. But so did physical vulnerability.  During my tenure as a shortstop, I pulled a groin muscle running to first base.  I suffered heat stroke during a softball tournament and was rushed to the hospital after suffering excruciating cramps.  An intravenous potassium drip helped me recuperate, but it took hours.

The last straw came when I was chasing a pop fly into the outfield during a fall tournament. Our left fielder weighed about 250 pounds and was coming in to catch the ball as I was going out to do the same.  He made the catch, but also wiped me out.  I knew I was hurt. The naked eye revealed a broken collar bone.  Off to the hospital again!

The bone was popped back into place and I was forced to wear a harness and sleep in a recliner for about two weeks. I missed five days of school as a teacher (the only sick days of my career, mind you) and was in quite a bit of pain.  I was also unable to perform my duties as a PA announcer for the one and only time.

So, to recap – I played around fifty football games, 200+ basketball and 200+ baseball games in my career and was never seriously injured. Slow-pitch softball led to three major injuries: a broken bone and two hospital visits.

So the moral to this story (if indeed there is one) is for all the “jocks” who want to continue the glory days, think more seriously about how to do it.

Because, when it comes to softball, let me offer up the same advice given by the police captain every week on the TV show Hill Street Blues before the officers were sent out into the streets – “Let’s be careful out there.”

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS) 

1. In my last blog, I made mention that the Phillies were in first place. I believe the day I wrote that was the last time they were in first place. Now they are three games out of first and have lost seven of their last 10 games. And, some disgruntlement is setting in among some of the players. This could be a critical time for the season as they finish up their road trip.
2. The NBA playoffs are showcasing unbelievable basketball talent. LeBron, KD and Steph are just beyond description. I don’t think they need to be compared to anyone in the past (LeBron and Jordan, for instance). Just sit back and marvel at what they can do in today’s age.
3. Congratulations to the Freedom Patriots baseball team who won only their second district baseball championship and their first in 20 years when they beat Parkland 2-1 last week. Both teams are in the state playoffs and we wish them great success.
4. RCN was once again proud to be a Silver Sponsor for the Gala in the Garden benefitting Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Hospital Emily Howatt Pliskatt Pediatric Unit. Over $315,000 was raised in a record-setting year. It is gratifying to be around people who perform miracles every day.
5. RCN-TV is happy to bring you Blue Mountain League baseball again this summer. It all starts on Tuesday, June 12, at 9:30pm when we bring you the Easton at Berlinsville game. Watch men who play because they love the game.

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.

After a week of preparing for a Tuesday doubleheader of baseball, postponed to re-preparing for a Wednesday doubleheader, postponed again to re-re-preparing (probably not a word) for a Thursday tripleheader, only to have all the preparation in the end mean nothing.

On Friday the baseball games were moved to the University of Scranton because they had a baseball field with an artificial surface, a necessary requirement after a week of downpours. Other commitments did not allow us to go north to bring the EPC baseball semifinals and finals. The crew had to go fetch all the wire they had laid and the scaffolding that they had constructed and I could tear up all the research done during the week.

And, the weekend continued the bad weather pattern so outdoor activities were non-existent. So what’s a person to do?  Well, luckily, my wife was attending a “sprinkle” (I guess that’s a “shower” for a second child) for our niece, so my TV viewing was unencumbered.  I could watch what I wanted without guilt.

Obviously, that meant watching sports. There was plenty to choose from – baseball, golf, NHL hockey, and NBA basketball.  I had no true rooting interest in any, so I decided, thanks to my 6-tuner TIVO, to simply hop around from sport to sport.  This led me to analyzing the announcing challenges of doing various sporting events at the professional level.

Baseball is a game with plenty of non-action. After a week of preparation for games that were never played, I appreciated the necessity of baseball announcers to fill in the long gaps between pitches, pitching changes, visits to the mound, etc.,  with somewhat interesting stuff.  Plus, there is no clock in baseball, so, at times; a game can seem like an eternity.  The challenge here is to have things to talk about.

Golf is full of completely new challenges – who will talk, what’s the distance to the hole, what club is being used, what analysis needs to be made, what human interest story can be recalled during a lull, how to make plenty of inaction interesting – the list is endless. The salvation is that you have plenty of announcers you can rely on during play.  The key here seems to be organizing what the viewer will see and choreographing the crew of people who want to describe the scene to you.

I noticed with NHL hockey, the challenges are so different from the previous two sports. Here the action is constant.  The puck is always moving at a very rapid speed and the ability to memorize every player on the ice is essential.  There is no hesitation in calling passes, defensive plays, penalties, rule violations, etc.  Everything happens instantaneously and the announcer must be completely focused and well-versed on rosters and tactics.  The color analyst gets in and out when he can, hoping to add a piece of interesting information.

My final sport on Saturday was watching the NBA playoff game between the Celtics and the Cavaliers. This turned out to be a rout.  The Cavs won by 30!  The game was over early with the Cavs leading by 15 after one period and 20 at the half.  So what do the announcers talk about?  There’s nothing worse than a game where the outcome is pretty much a foregone conclusion early on. The announcers talked about anything and everything, including a rather lengthy discussion of the royal wedding that morning. Their knowledge of the British monarchy was sketchy at best, but you need to talk about something. When the game doesn’t warrant much analysis and the scoreboard is your enemy, you better find a way to earn your money and that means keeping the viewer somewhat interested.

So, in a week, where my announcing duties were taken away by Mother Nature, I spent one afternoon and evening analyzing the craft. I learned what I already knew; every sport presents different challenges to the crew and to the announcers.  The one constant is preparation.  I have some unused baseball sheets for you if you are interested in unused preparation.

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS) 

1. Believe it or not, there is a move afoot in western Pennsylvania to look into separating boundary (public) and non-boundary (private) schools for state athletic competitions. The New Castle superintendent is polling schools across the state to see if there is interest in changing the current playoff system that pits public and private schools together into a single competition. Early reports indicate that something needs to change and public schools want change. The PIAA says legislatures need to change the system; legislators hint that it is strictly a PIAA decision. Interesting.
2. I usually watch one auto race a year – the Indy 500. I especially enjoy the race when I have a rooting interest and, once again, Marco Andretti and Sage Karam – both of the Lehigh Valley – will be racing. I’ll be watching.
3. Another week, another school shooting. Ten people, nine students and a teacher, were killed this week at Santa Fe High School. Houston Texans’ defensive end J. J. Watt said he will pay for the funerals of those killed. He is the same J. J. Watt who has raised more than $37 million for those affected by Hurricane Harvey.
4. As I write this, the Phillies are in first place. In case you missed it, the Phillies are in first place.
5. Lafayette had their yearly Pardees (a takeoff of the ESPYs) this week, thanking and honoring their senior athletes for four years of classroom and athletic dedication. Their achievements are quite impressive. It has become a really fun night for parents, coaches, and student-athletes. Congrats to all involved.