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 ended last week’s blog with a “Go, Phillies!” sign-off. Well, they are indeed playing well. As teams approach the completion of the first quarter of the season, they are, unexpectedly, rising in both the standings and in admiration.

But, I digress. The team that was really expected to do very well was the Yankees and they have not disappointed. They are tied with the Red Sox for the best record in baseball. They have won 19 of their last 22 games; average six runs per game and are carrying a team ERA of 2.88 which happens to be the third best in baseball. With those stats, they win most games by three runs!

Everyone expected them to have one of the best, if not the best, offenses in baseball, but I do not think fans expected their pitching staff to be this good. If the pitching and the bats continue as they have, they can certainly claim to be one of the best teams in baseball history.

The Phillies, on the other hand, were not expected to be one game out of first place and winning 60% of their games at this point or at any point in the season. They still trail the Braves by a game, but have been winning 73% of their home games and have won seven of the last 10.

Odubel Herrera is batting .360 and leading the National League in hitting. And that is a shock! The last Phillie to lead the NL in hitting was Richie Ashburn 60 years ago! Manager Gabe Kapler seems to be pushing the right buttons (the three-run homer by pinch-hitter Nick Williams in the sixth inning on Sunday to beat the Mets is a good example).

Last year, they were 6-22 in May and ended up losing 96 games. With the additions of Rhys Hoskins for a full season, Scott Kingery from the minors, Carlos Santana, and Jake Arrieta via the trade route, they are greatly improved. Aaron Nola’s ERA is 1.99. It is a team with good starting pitching and an adequate offense. Their bullpen remains suspect with two saves blown last week.

Talent-wise, the Nationals and the Braves could stand in the way of the Phillies making the playoffs. The Nationals look like the best team in the division and are making their climb to the top. The Braves are obviously in first place as I write this. But the Phillies ARE sandwiched between the two.

The Yankees, on the other hand, appear to be, as expected, the best team in baseball. However, it is always exciting to look forward to the unexpected – Go, Phillies!

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS)

1. New York Giants QB Eli Manning will be in court this week defending himself against a lawsuit that says he sold fake helmets to collectors. The plaintiff wanted “game-used” helmets and claims the ones he received were “bogus” and Manning knew they were. Interesting case. Stay tuned.
2. This might make Ripley’s Believe It or Not, but some sportswriters are claiming that the NFL Cleveland Browns may have improved the most through the draft. Of course, if the Browns win three games, the writers can claim that they were right. The bar is not set very high here.
3. It was obvious the Yankees were probably going to have the best offensive team in baseball. They have not disappointed. For the first time in their exulted history, they had four players hit 10 or more home runs by the 40^th game. They had never had that distinction in 50 games before! By the way, the Texas Rangers did it in 2003.
4. The Celtics crushed the Cavs by 25 points in the first game of the NBA Eastern Finals and held LeBron James to just 15 points. Despite not receiving one Coach of the Year vote from his peers, Brad Stevens has shown in the playoffs that he is already one of the top coaches in the league. It was his formula that stopped Ben Simmons and the Sixers in the Eastern semifinals.
5. Speaking of the NBA, I unexpectedly have really enjoyed the playoffs. There is plenty of defense, intensity, and some spectacular offense. I have become a fan!

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.

My hope is that by next Monday you look back on this blog and happily point out what a pessimist I was. My hope is that everything you read here about the 76’ers is all wrong.  My hope is that by the time you read this, the Sixers have come back from a 3-0 deficit against the Celtics and have moved into the Eastern finals.  My hope is that the ecstasy every Philadelphia fan felt when the Eagles won the Super Bowl would reemerge as the Sixers fought for an NBA title.  My hope is that the amazing run by Villanova in winning the NCAA basketball championship would just continue to carry over.

But, alas (I like using this word), I believe the Philadelphia Karma may have quickly come to an end. I only have to look at the Philadelphia Flyers who took some of the luster off the city when they lost four of six to the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first round of the playoffs.  To be honest, they just looked awful.

The Flyers gave up six goals per game in the four losses and an average of 4.7 goals in all of the games. The defense was bad and the goal tending just as bad.  During the regular season, the Flyers gave up just 2.9 goals per game.  They could not come close to matching the speed and offensive skills of the Penguins.  I am sure the fans thought this could be a charmed playoff for their beloved hockey team, but it was not to be.

But, all was not lost. The Sixers were coming off a terrific regular season. They did away with the Miami Heat in a very physical series and looked very strong doing it. The Celtics were coming in to the second round with a number of injuries to key personnel. Everything looked good for the home team.  But, after a long layoff after the first round, they looked like they were in a funk in game one and were beaten soundly.

Game Two was a winnable game, but Philly cannot win if Ben Simmons scores one point. Simmons was the goat in Game Three, also, when he made mistake after mistake down the stretch which cost the Sixers the game.  Poor passes and poor decision making (shooting when he should have pulled the ball out late in the game), along with missing an uncontested dunk have exposed weaknesses which were not apparent during the regular season.  All year, he played like a veteran, but, in the playoffs, he looks very much like a rookie.

I am convinced that the 76’ers are better than the Celtics. But, I am also convinced the Celtics’ coach Brad Stevens has figured out how to beat them.  A major part of their strategy is to let Ben Simmons shoot, but not let him pass.  Simmons is reluctant to do that and his passes have been defended.

I hope I am completely wrong and the next four games (if there are four) belong to the team from Philadelphia. Otherwise, go Phillies!!

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS) 

1. It’s good to be a quarterback in the NFL. Matt Ryan of the Falcons reportedly signed a contract that guarantees him $100 million and gets him $30 million a year. He joins Kirk Cousins ($28 million), Jimmy Garoppolo ($27.5 million) and Matthew Stafford ($27 million) as the highest paid NFL quarterbacks.
2. Speaking of making a good living, Saquon Barkley signed with the Giants for @ $31 million, the second best ever by an NFL running back (Adrian Peterson got $36 million). Barkley’s agent, by the way, was Roc Nation which was founded by Jay-Z.  Saquon will make the Giants offensive line much better and offer Eli Manning a great receiving option out of the backfield.
3. The Yankees are as hot as everyone thought they would be. Their lineup is just awesome and they have won 15 of their last 16 games. But the Red Sox look like the second best team in baseball. The two teams play each other this week. The Phillies are 18-15 and faltering a bit. But, they are in a weak division unless the Nationals start putting it all together.
4. No Celtic has caused more problems for the Sixers than Terry Rozier. When Kyrie Irving went down with a knee injury that necessitated surgery, Rozier not only stepped into the vacated position, but he also stepped into Irving’s shoes (and not just figuratively). Irving gave him eight pairs of sneakers and Rozier is wearing them in the playoffs. Rozier is filling Irving’s shoes literally.
5. I want to thank Scott Barr and John Leone for “blogging away” while I was on vacation. 

 BEHIND THE MIKE: (With John Leone)

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 old Syracuse “Parochial League” of the late ‘60s and ‘70s has long since faded into nostalgic veneration. But once upon a time, ten vibrant high schools representing neighborhood enclaves separated by various Catholic parishes and sometimes ethnicity dotted the city. These schools – too small to field football teams – spawned basketball rivalries that became year-long affairs, extending well throughout the summer on the city’s playgrounds and across the demilitarized boundaries that separated them during the school year. Personal rivalries often became friendships, the former combatants ultimately bound by the shared experience of that unique time and the emotional investment they made in such a consequential part of their youth.

With all apologies to Robert Fulghum, I think everything I ever really needed to know I learned as a teenager growing up on those summer courts. Those fortunate enough to have grown up in a similar time and place know what I mean.  The summer months spent on the playground were as important as the long winter season itself. Every park had its regulars – a core group of maybe 15 guys who seemed to live there. Our parents would certainly agree, but never seemed to mind. From one night to the next, we found a way to construct teams among ourselves in a fashion that, as I recall, would make today’s professional GMs proud. “Next” needed no further clarification as the universal term for the random group of five waiting to take on the winners of the game in progress. The increasingly large group surrounding the court who watched the games also waited. There were nights when “next” went two and three games deep.

There were no coaches to choreograph plays and patterns or to distribute playing time. Being on time was mandatory if you wanted that first game, and even then it wasn’t guaranteed. The six o’clock church bells would tell you if you were late. And you were late if you weren’t there early – especially if you were unsure of your skill level. If 11 guys showed up and you were the one left off of one of the two teams “choosing up” sides, you had two choices: work on your game or work on your personality. Your peers delivered the message in a way that seemed to be perfectly natural – so matter-of-fact and without malice or judgment. And it was understood and accepted by all. Besides, as the 11^th man sitting out, you’d have the pick of the best of the new arrivals to join you for “next.”

There was a beautiful balance to that basketball community. The occasional “outsiders” were tested but given their chance. And if they happened to improve the quality of play, all the better – it could only help the reputation and regard for the “home” park. “Did you hear, so-and-so was at Sunnycrest last night. Let’s go there and play.” Some rules were universal, but like different languages, there was always nuance and you adapted to the rules of the home park for good order.

But for the most part, a typical evening brought back the regulars. Team compositions would change from night to night, and one night’s fiercest competitor would be the next night’s closest teammate. Not only were sport-specific skills developed, but more importantly, athletic instincts were honed. On a successful night, a team would learn to play to its strengths and compensate for its weaknesses. On the tougher nights, a loss could mean a wasted opportunity and an early walk home. It was almost too painful to stay and watch, knowing that your night was over.

I don’t remember – ever – asking about anyone’s politics or religion at the park. If a guy could shoot it, there had to be a spot for him; if he could rebound, all the better. We came to know who was selfish, who was smart, and who was steady. Some guys made their mark as dependable role players, though we never referred to them that way. Such terms were far too sophisticated and complex. We seemed to know things instinctively, even if we couldn’t define them – at least those of us who had a sense of what we were after.

And what we were after was pretty simple at the time – a win and a chance to hold the court and play on. But as I’ve grown older, I’ve gained perspective. Perhaps what we were really after was something altogether more important, more valuable, and more substantive, though we couldn’t have known it at the time.

As I look back now, I realize what an education that park provided. Leaders emerged. Rules were developed – sometimes on the fly – to create some level of equity, not in outcome, but in opportunity. The only prize from evening to evening was the honor of being part of a team that would hold the court after a win. But eventually, you lost. And those of us lucky enough to realize it began to discover something about ourselves in the way we reacted to losing. The very first vestiges of self-awareness may well have emerged on those courts. After all, the pain and frustration of having to wait three games – or worse – a whole day for another chance had to be dealt with, and how we did so was like holding a mirror to our faces. But tomorrow, we’d be there again. And the next night, and the next. The park gave you the test first and the lesson later.

I think that by and large, the evolution and growth of competitive youth sports has been a good thing. Today, there are better facilities, better equipment, and indoor spaces. Bleachers are full of parents, families, and friends – some, albeit, with less-than-healthy rooting interests. But the structure and organization afforded to kids today comes at a price beyond just the hit to mom and dad’s pocketbook. On some level, we seemed to have stripped the game of its ability to impart lessons that are best discovered and not necessarily taught. Tell a kid something, and he or she may forget it. Show them, and they may remember it. Get them involved, and they will learn it. But have them discover it, and they will own it. The park games were organic. They had an equilibrium that could only be understood and managed by us – the players.  And though we didn’t know it at the time, we were forging and shaping much more than our basketball skills.

Summer programs now are engineered to ensure structure and visibility. Referees are always present to adjudicate disputed calls, removing the need for the spontaneous and bristly negotiations we’d conduct on our own. There is no need to listen for church bells. Schedules and game clocks determine start times, and no one has to keep score; there are scoreboards to do that. Very little is missing or left to chance. Everything, that is, except for the experience of having young people create something of consequence completely on their own and outside of the constraints of teachers, parents, and coaches. On those summer courts of Syracuse, it was ours, and we owned it.

To this day, my 95-year-old mom recalls those days when I’d come home from the park. She knew immediately what kind of night it had been from my demeanor. “It’s only a game,” she would say. Now, in her later years and after all this time, we look back and laugh. And having raised three sons who attended “summer school” on those city courts, I think she’s finally coming around. Still, whenever I hear someone say “it’s only a game,” I think of those parks, those courts, and those kids who created and represented something so much more.

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 just returned from vacation. I was on a cruise.  My wife and I love to cruise.  There’s plenty of great food whenever you want to eat, high-level entertainment, comedians, bumping cars, rock-climbing, surfing, simulated sky-diving, and beautiful weather.  You wake up when you want; a room steward cleans up your room and bathroom three times a day; and there is even a spot on the ship away from all children to relax by the pools and hot tubs.  So what’s NOT to like?

I’ll tell you what’s not to like – Cruise ship television!

There are @ 20 channels to watch – five or six are for children, 10 are basically cruise ship commercials selling jewelry, tours, and future cruises. One channel simply reminds you to constantly wash your hands by playing a consistently annoying song and one channel is a live shot of the front of the ship (I’m not sure why).  That leaves MSNBC and FOX as a way to get any news and ESPN for “sports”.  The problem is all sports are SOCCER!!  That’s right, soccer.  My room steward thought it was a nice gesture to leave soccer on our TV every time he finished up his work in our room.

But I do not like soccer (apologies to all the soccer fans). I have just had too many bad experiences over the years with the game.  As an example, allow me to relate to you my very first soccer broadcast:

In the summer of 1975, I received a phone call from the station manager of Twin-County TV asking me if I knew the game of soccer. I surmised, since this was the middle of summer, he was asking because we were going to do some local youth soccer.  Who else played in the summer?  So I said, “Yes”.  Truth be told, I had never actually watched a game of soccer – oh, I knew that the object of the game was to put the ball into the net and I knew that did not happen very often, but that was the extent of my “Futbol” knowledge.  I was told the game was the next day and it was at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia.

It turns out the station acquired the rights to do the Philadelphia Atoms games. The Atoms were part of the North American Soccer League, the highest professional level of soccer in America and I was going to do the play-by-play of a game I had never watched.  To add to that pressure, the opponent was the New York Cosmos and that night after the game they were going to sign Pele, the greatest soccer player of all time, to a contract.  He was there and interest in this game could not have been any greater.

Being a teacher, I decided to take the advice I gave to my students – before taking on a task, do your research. I went to our high school library and took out all the books they had on soccer (there were no computers yet).  There were three.  I was also teaching speed reading at the time so it was not hard for me to devour the three books, take notes, memorize position responsibilities, and do my best to understand the rules.  After a day and a half of study, I left for the Stadium confident I could get through this.

When I got to the Stadium, I was led to the press area where a nice full-course meal was served. I talked to some of the reporters about the strengths and weaknesses of both teams.  Twenty minutes before the LIVE broadcast I ventured up to the booth on the 50-yard line.  Leather reclining chairs were there for my comfort.

However, discomfort set in as soon as I was handed the starting lineups. When I left my house, I knew positions and their roles.  When I got the starting lineup, the names of the positions I had learned had changed.  Except for the goalie, every position had a different name.  Defenders became fullbacks, wing-backs and sweepers.  Forwards were now midfielders and forwards.  There were wingers and strikers.  What there actually was – was confusion.  I was lost.

I did the game; did the best I could. When I finished, the owner of Twin-County came on the headset and in his heavy Chinese accent said, “You do god job!  You do good job!”  I figured he didn’t know anything about soccer either.

I could tell you more career soccer horrors (15 overtimes that took 6 ½ hours to play and still ended in a tie; a 1 ½ hour pre-game due to a youth preliminary match that would not end; a high school game with green numbers on a green shirt that were impossible to distinguish, etc., etc.)

So no one was happier to return to the RCN TV lineup than I was on Saturday. Cruising IS wonderful; cruise TV is not!

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS) 

1. Finally, after all the hype, predictions, and recommendations, the NFL draft is this week starting on April 26 at 8:00pm on FOX. We will finally find out where Saquan Barkley will play. The Eagles have the 32^nd and last pick of the first round and not again until the 30^th and 32^nd pick of the fourth round.
2. I will continue to remind you to keep your eyes on Shohei Ohtani, the Japanese sensation, who is now part of the LA Angels roster as both a pitcher and hitter. He is currently hitting .342 with three home runs and 11 RBIs and is 2-1 with a 3.60 ERA. He’ll be fun to watch all season.
3. With all the talk of speeding up baseball, someone needs to talk to San Francisco Giant first baseman Brandon Belt. He had a 21-pitch at bat on Sunday, fouling off 16 two-strike pitches. The time at the plate – 12 minutes and 45 seconds. It is believed to be a record. By the way, he lined out to right. He later homered in the game.
4. The NBA playoffs are mean, nasty, and ugly. I thought hockey was vicious, but the NBA may be getting worse. The saying now should be, “I went to a mugging, and an NBA game broke out.”
5. Next week’s blog will be guest-written by our basketball nut, John Leone. His blog will relate to anyone who grew up playing basketball on the summer playgrounds. It’s terrific reading.

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 Scott Barr, guest blogger

High school wrestling, especially in District XI, isn’t “dying” or “broken”. And while it doesn’t have to be “saved” or “fixed”, that doesn’t mean we can’t tweak it a bit.   Frustrating to fans and competitors alike is that some of these are no-brainer changes that would yield huge improvements.  One or two may fall into my list of pet peeves, but since Laubach gave me his blog for the week, I might as well use the forum.

In no particular order:

Realign the EPC:  Last time I wrote this blog, I put my ideas out there.  Find it here:  https://rcn.com/atvn/behind-mic-scotts-super-scheduler/  I have had only a handful of conversations about it, but absolutely everyone sees the need to make a change.  Maybe my plan, maybe somebody else’s, but can common sense please prevail?

Change the out of bounds rule:  Gee whiz already.  Nearly every school has a “big” mat now.  One supporting point inbounds for either wrestler, we keep going.  It’s the college rule, and it’s ridiculously simple.  Of course, if we change this rule, it means we must . . .

. . .Wrestle on “big” mats for districts: This is a tough one.  We wrestle districts, for the most part, on small mats that absolutely change the game at the most important time of the year.  Of course, our current venues don’t have room for six big mats, and arenas that do have the floor room are expensive.  Around we go.

Reduce the number of weight classes: 115, 125, 133, 141, 149, 157, 165, 174, 184, 197, 265.  Eleven weight classes—NCAA plus one at 115.  Too many benefits to discuss them all here, but consider more competitive dual meets, less “bumping” to avoid matchups, fewer forfeits, better JV development, shorter duration of dual meets, and more.  The only argument presented, ever, is that 14 weight classes gives more opportunity for participation.  And then, of course, we hold dual meets with a bunch of forfeits anyway.

Multiple entrants, per school, in post season: If a wrestler has a season full of varsity experience, it’s heartbreaking when they are eliminated in their own wrestling room when another wrestler—usually a close friend—bumps them out of the lineup for districts.  Track, swimming, tennis, gymnastics, golf and others allow more than one participant.  This is a good change.

And final…..

Enough of the “national” stuff: I am philosophically opposed to “National High School” anything.  In many cases, we are pressuring 16, 15, or 14 year olds to a point that is unnecessary.  No more national rankings, “who’s number 1”, “Flo Nationals” and all the rest.  This year, I actually saw national youth rankings.  It’s officially gone too far.

Maybe I’ve crossed the line into “curmudgeon” as Gary and I have often joked happens to old sports guys.   That said, curmudgeons have good ideas once in a while.

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.

Dilly dogs, kale, sunflower seeds, and Rocky Mountain oysters (cattle testicles) are some of the newest additions to ballpark menus this season. If you think that is strange, how about the new stat – MV?  That stands for “mound visits”.  A team is allowed six this year.  Every one after that necessitates a pitching change.  In the minors, extra innings will start with a runner on second base.  So with all the shenanigans going on, there is still baseball and, therefore, the need (after all, I have to fill my blog) with prognostications.  Here is how I see the teams finishing in their divisions:

American League

 West

1. Houston – They run the risk of not coming back from their World Series victory, but they have the same great lineup and play in the same weak division. They will be back.
2. LA Angels – The most interesting new player is Japan’s Shohel Ohtani. He pitches AND he bats when he isn’t pitching. Mike Trout stays in this lineup. At the very least, this team will be fun to watch and could surprise.
3. Oakland – Matt Olson had a terrific rookie season and their pitching rotation should improve as the year goes on.
4. Seattle – Team’s everyday lineup is aging so productivity is suspect as is the starting pitching.
5. Texas Rangers – Best pitcher (Darvish) gone and a weak lineup that strikes out too much puts them in the cellar in the West.

Central

1. Cleveland – Won 102 games last year and in this division they should come close to that again. Plus, they are very, very talented in all aspects of the game.
2. Minnesota – They won 85 games and were a Wild Card last season, but are they better than last year? I don’t think so.
3. Kansas City – They lost two key players in Cain and Hosmer, but the nucleus of this team is pretty good. They certainly will compete.
4. Chicago White Sox – This team has potential and could surprise. I’m not willing to move them higher. We’ll see.
5. Detroit – This team is not good and getting too old.

East

1. New York Yankees – Stanton AND Judge? Are you kidding? Some of you remember Maris AND Mantle. Only a rookie manager could screw this team up, but Aaron Boone should be just fine.
2. Boston – They won the division last year and their manager still got fired. This is a talented team led by an energetic manager and they would love nothing more than to upset the Evil Empire (that’s the Yankees, by the way). This rivalry will still be fun to watch, especially with the expectations surrounding the Yankees.
3. Toronto – There is a good pitching rotation here, but there’s a strange chemistry between players and staff. Could be better; could be worse (how’s that for going out on a limb?)
4. Tampa Bay – They’re rebuilding again (No Longoria, etc.). They have little money to change their future.
5. Baltimore – After relying the prior years on just hitting home runs to win, they did not score nearly enough last year. Their payroll does not match the teams that win, so they don’t.

   The Yankees will win the American League pennant.

National League

West

1. LA Dodgers – They had a great regular season in ’17 and took the Astros to the seventh game of the World Series, only to lose. With Clayton Kershaw for at least one more season, they are certainly in great shape to repeat that success again.
2. Colorado – They garnered a Wild Card berth last year and bring back a strong lineup and a very strong bullpen. If it wasn’t for the Dodgers in their Division, they would be the favorite.
3. Arizona – They had a good year in ’17 winning 93 games, but they did little to improve their chances to move up in the Division. Losing J. D. Martinez to the Red Sox has to hurt them.
4. San Francisco – They were not good last year (98 losses), but they picked up Evan Longoria and Andrew McCutchen. Pitching staff needs to stay healthy to compete. The Giants will be better, but how much better?
5. San Diego – They lost 91 games last year and did not get any better. No one comes to see them. They define the word “hapless”.

Central

1. Chicago Cubs – Joe Madden! Joe Madden! Yu Darvish! Yu Darvish! And they were good before the trade. Everyone, and I mean everyone, is picking the Cubs – why should I be different?
2. St. Louis – This is a very solid baseball team with no major weaknesses. It’s time for them to get back into the playoffs and I think they will.
3. Milwaukee – Started off very well in ’17 and scared the Cubs much of the season, but pitcher Jimmy Nelson is out for the first few months, so that will hurt their chances of a similar start to this year. This team, however, has a bright future.
4. Cincinnati – It still looks very bleak for this franchise. Joey Votta cannot make this team a winner without a great deal of help and it’s just not there.
5. Pittsburgh – There is no way to go but down after their offseason trades. The major rebuilding starts this season.

East

1. Washington – New manager Dave Martinez is a Joe Madden protégé and takes over one of the best teams in baseball. Winning the Division should be easy; getting past the first-round of playoffs has been the problem. This team has everything and should be in the World Series hunt.
2. NY Mets – I don’t know – Don’t the Mets have high expectations every year, only to falter? I see that possibly happening again, but this year might be different – I don’t know (am I repeating myself?).
3. Philadelphia – Early indications are that new manager Gabe Kapler is in over his head with this young talented team. This team NEEDS a wise leader at the helm to improve as the year progresses. Let’s hope that improvement includes the manager and happens quicker than later. Analytics will be tested; so might the Phillies’ fans.
4. Atlanta – This team is in turmoil and expectations are exceptionally low. The only bright spot for them is that the Marlins are worse.
5. Miami – Derek Jeter has cleaned out the garage and will start “The Process” (isn’t that the new catchphrase for “expect a lot of losses”?) to make the Marlins better. They haven’t been in the playoffs since 2003, so this will be their 15^th straight year of being idle in the postseason.

   The Cubs will win the N L pennant.  Yankees win it all (Although I hope the Cubs win).

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS)

1. Allentown Central Catholic’s Muhammad Ali Abdur-Rahkman finished his career at Michigan last Monday night in the National Championship game. He finished with 23 points leading the Wolverines in scoring. He scored 1313 career points, played in 144 games and started 116 of them. He had a great career and my guess is he will continue to play more basketball at the professional level somewhere. Ironically, his high school career ended when he scored 30 points, but lost to another Philadelphia team.
2. Let’s see, the Eagles win the Super Bowl; Villanova wins the NCAA National Championship and now the Flyers and the ‘76ers are in the NHL and NBA playoffs. Could the Karma continue? And the Phillies? Who knows?
3. My wife cannot understand how I can spend five hours in front of the TV watching golf, but even she got caught up in the final round of the Masters. The suspense lasted right up to the very last shot of the tournament when Patrick Reed dropped a putt to win it all by one stroke. There was great drama for all five hours. Ask my wife.
4. In my MLB preview, I mentioned Shohei Ohtani, the Japanese sensation, who is now part of the LA Angels roster as both a pitcher and hitter. On Sunday, he retired the first 19 batters he faced, struck out 12, and gave up just one hit in seven innings. He won his second game in two starts. Oh, and, by the way, in the four games he has played in the batting lineup, he is hitting .389 (best on the team), has three home runs, and seven RBIs. To say he is “as advertised” is a huge understatement so far.
5. Next week’s blog will be guest-written by our wrestling guru, Scott Barr. I guarantee he will have some very interesting things to say about the state of high school wrestling. I will be on a well-deserved (according to me) vacation.

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.

With the state championship titles decided in mid-week because of the weather, and with the VIA All-Star basketball games being played this past weekend, the high school basketball season of 2017-18 officially came to an end.  Outstanding seniors donned their school’s uniforms for the last time and Lehigh Valley basketball was officially over.  There is no better time to reminisce…  Here are my top ten memories (in no particular order, like my mind) of this past season:

1. The RCN TV team – I have spent almost 50 years with this group and they never cease to amaze me with their work ethic, their dedication and their skills. Imagine over 100 winter productions laying wire, setting up cameras at the top of arenas, preparing the announcers’ booth, working the game and reversing the whole process when the game ends. Now imagine doing that over and over and over again from the last week of August, when football season starts, to the third week of March.  Great job everyone!
2. Congratulations to Justin Paz (Beca), Greg Eck (ES South), Alex Serrano (Liberty), Aiden Ellwood (Northampton), Kion Andrews (Allen), Hope Brown (Beca), Hailey Silfies (Freedom), and Victoria Keenan (Northampton) for going over the 1000-point mark this past season. Paz and Keenan are juniors and will continue to add to their impressive offensive numbers.
3. More kudos – this time to coaches who set some milestones of their own – Jose Medina (Beca Girls), Dave Lutz (Easton Girls), and Dennis Csensits (Central Catholic Boys) all won their 100^th game this season. Joe Stellato (Freedom) deserves special mention for winning his 200^th game.  The four have combined for 520 wins!
4. Lafayette hired a new women’s basketball coach – Kia Damon. She led the Leopards to 11 wins, the most since 2015. Lafayette was led in scoring and rebounding by Natalie Kucowski, who is just a freshman.  Three seniors will graduate, but the future looks much brighter.  Go Leopards!
5. The Lafayette men struggled through a 10-21 year and they do lose their leading scorer, Matt Klinewski, to graduation. BUT they showcased four outstanding freshmen – Alex Petrie, Justin Jaworski, E J Stephens, and Dylan Hastings. With a 6’-9” recruit coming on board, along with two point guards, Fran O’Hanlon seems to be building for a return to the glory days.  They last won the Patriot League championship in 2015.
6. Tom and John (and Mike and Beet) – Don’t tell anybody, but the job is really fun, especially with this group. All the respect and praise I feel for the RCN staff carries over to my color analysts for high school and college basketball, Tom Stoudt and John Leone.  They have such a passion for the game.  And then there are Mike Joseph and John Bowman (Beet).  What a crew – more laughs than you can imagine.  Obviously, the five of us spend a great deal of time together and it is full of conversation, joking, ribbing, and good times.  The winter goes very quickly when you are around these guys!
7. My complete ignorance in not covering more Northampton games this year. Coy Stampone’s team won 18 games and many in dramatic fashion. His match defense baffled opponents, including almost upsetting  Philadelphia powerhouse, St. Joe’s Prep, in the first round of the PIAA playoffs.  Aiden Ellwood is a special player and Cory Weisenberger had a great season.  I regret that you and I didn’t get to see them more often on RCN.
8. Even though the Bethlehem Catholic girls could not repeat their state championship run this year, Jose Medina and his team won 25 games and the  EPC and District XI championships.  They were beaten after two questionable calls by Bonner-Prendergast at the buzzer 40-38 to end their season.  The following Sunday, Jose was portraying Jesus reenacting the Lord’s walk on Palm Sunday.  From being the Becahi coach to portraying Jesus – sounds like a nice promotion for a great role model.
9. The Bethlehem Catholic vs Imhotep Charter game in Reading stands out as the best of the year. Imhotep was the defending state champion, ranked #7 in the nation by USA Today, and considered to be the best team in Pennsylvania.  They won their state games by a 28.7 point average.  But Beca, with their star player, Ryan Young, saddled with foul trouble throughout the game, still took the game down to the final two possessions before losing 65-60.  Imhotep won their state championship game 71-35.
10. Finally, there are plenty of people I want to thank. Basketball preparation is a numbers game – stats are critical. I rely heavily on EPC stat guru, Bob Whirl, for almost every game.  There are no better sources for Liberty and Freedom information than Greg DeStasio and Karl Gilbert.  They not only supply stats but plenty of historical information as well.  Ara Hoderewski (Emmaus), Jeremy Coxe (Nazareth), and Matt Fritz (Parkland) are others that I can always count on.  Brian Ludrof and Steve Kline supplied me with all the game notes for Lafayette basketball.  Thanks to them, too.  And to anyone I may have missed.  I do want to send out a big “thumbs down” to the Dallas head coach, who sent only his roster and supplied nothing else for the Central Catholic game played in Hazleton.  He was the only coach who did not cooperate. We had to find everything on our own and it made me appreciate all the ADs, coaches, and stat people who went out of the way to help during the season.

THANKS TO EVERYONE FOR ANOTHER GREAT SEASON!

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS) 

1. I know the NCAA basketball bigwigs and the CBS sports people want high ratings for their National Championship basketball game, so that means the West Coast viewers are very important, but a 9:20pm tip-off in the East sure wrecks a good night’s sleep. A post-midnight finish just seems wrong.
2. In case you missed the amazing finishes to the Notre Dame women’s last two games that won them a National Championship, take a look:http://www.espn.com/video/clip?id=22996063 (over Mississippi State)  Amazing finishes!!
3. http://www.espn.com/video/clip?id=22972765 (over Connecticut)
4. To say that Phillies manager Gabe Kapler is off to a rough start would be a HUGE understatement. He used 13 different pitchers in the 3-game series opener against the Braves; he made 18 pitching changes in the same three games; he used outfielder Pedro Floriman to pitch an inning; and he used a record-setting 21 pitchers in the 3-game series. Add to that he removed Aaron Nola from the season opener in the sixth inning leading 5-0. The Phils ended up losing that game 8-5. Thank goodness the Phils won game two 5-4 in 11 innings (Kapler used 8 pitchers in that one). Up is the only direction the rookie manager can go (Phils fans hope).
5. About a year ago, 60 Minutes did a feature on Shohel Ohtani, the Japanese baseball sensation who was being compared to Babe Ruth because of both his pitching and hitting skills. Fast forward to Oakland where Ohtani is hitting and pitching for the Los Angeles Angels. He was 1-5 on Thursday as the DH and won his first pitching outing on Sunday 7-4. In doing so, he became the first player since 1920 to start a game as a hitter and a pitcher in the first 10 games of the season. Manager Mike Sciosa is not sure how he will use Ohtani as a batter as the year progresses, but he will be in the pitching rotation.
6. Herschel Walker spoke at the VIA All-Star Basketball Banquet this past Wednesday night. In case you don’t know who he is, he set the NCAA freshmen rushing record at Georgia, was a 3-year All-American, and won the Heisman trophy in his junior year. He skipped his senior year to enter professional football and led the NFL in rushing for the Dallas Cowboys. He told great stories throughout the speech, never wavered in his presentation, and was very, very entertaining. And… he only played football in high school to avoid doing the dishes at home; only played college football when a toss of the coin told him NOT to go into the military, which was his dream; and was voted the second greatest college football player behind the legendary Red Grange.

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.

Before I take a look at the Final Four, there were a couple of stories that captured my interest long before we got to March Madness:

Remember the Ball brothers, Lonzo, LiAngelo and LaMelo. Lonzo was drafted by the Lakers and the other two brothers went to Lithuania to play after LiAngelo was suspended by UCLA for shoplifting in China.  Their controversial father, LaVar, pulled LaMelo out of high school and took him and LiAngelo to Lithuania to play.  They are expected to put in the minimum time in order to be eligible for the NBA draft.  LiAngelo is doing well overseas, but LaMelo has been hampered by injuries.  Over the weekend, their high school, Chino Hills, won their second state title in three years.  I guess they didn’t need LaMelo.

One of the more interesting occurrences early in the season came when the Alabama bench was ejected for an altercation against Minnesota. That left Alabama with just five players for the final nine minutes or so.  Then one of the players fouled out and another was injured.  With only three players, Alabama outscored Minnesota 20-16, but lost 89-84.

Now some thoughts about the championship weekend:

1. Can Sister Jean, the 98-year-old fan of Loyola-Chicago, bring divine guidance to the Ramblers and garner a national Championship? She leads them in a pre-game prayer and it seems to be working. They were a #11 seed, but now they are in the Final Four. A #11 seed has never won the championship, but this team can shoot and, without any superstars, they are a true team. Cinderella is in.
2. Did you know that Michigan lost to Louisville in the championship game in 2013? But they also won! The NCAA forced Louisville to vacate that title due to a scandal. Michigan said they would not accept that championship. Michigan has a great defense and an inconsistent offense (99 points one game; 58 the next). Can this defense win a championship? I know they would accept this one!
3. Kansas plays very smart basketball because they have very smart guards, but their terrific big man, Udoka Azubuike, tends to spend a great deal of time on the bench because of foul trouble. He fouled out against Duke on Sunday. Kansas will need him against Villanova to get to the Championship.
4. Villanova has the best balance – their offense is, perhaps, the best in college basketball and, to me, their defense is highly underrated. Jalen Brunson is the ultimate team leader and makes the best use of his supporting cast. They are a three-point machine when they are making their shots.NO WAVERING FOR ME – VILLANOVA WINS THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP!!

ABOVE THE EARS 

1. Just like the teams earn their way through the brackets in the NCAA Tournament, so do the officials. John Higgins is considered one of the best officials in college basketball. He is so well-respected that he worked the last three Final Fours and seven in total. He will not work this year. He was part of a crew that put the wrong player on the foul line in the Auburn-College of Charleston first round game. He was the alternate for that one and was not on the floor. But in the waning moments, the officials put the wrong player, a much better foul shooter, on the line, who then sealed a very close game.
2. By now you know that I picked Villanova to win the National Championship, so I am still alive, since they are, too. Their win over West Virginia was a war, but they persevered. Go, Wildcats…
3. Although I will certainly be torn if Michigan beats Loyola-Chicago (a team I love to watch, by the way), because that would mean Muhammad Ali Abdul-Rahkman, the Central Catholic grad, would be in the championship final, also. And, if it is Villanova vs Michigan, I think I would just sit back then and enjoy the game, no matter the outcome.
4. The Bethlehem Catholic girls’ basketball coach was very active on Palm Sunday. Jose Medina played the role of Jesus for his church and reenacted Jesus’s entry into Jerusalem by leading a procession down Main Street in Bethlehem.
5. It has certainly been hard to think of playing golf with the weather we have been having. It is NOT hard to watch golf, however, and I am really looking forward to the Masters in two weeks. The field is loaded with talent and Tiger Woods is back in the picture. He seems to be playing well enough to make a run at the championship. Now if the snow would just melt around here and the temperatures would rise… Where are my sticks?

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.

For the past bunch of years, I have entered, for entertainment purposes only (excuse me while I clear my throat), an NCAA Tournament pool. I did not go in this year, primarily because of time, but mostly because it is so difficult to win.  This year there are 346 entries.  I was NOT one of them.

As of Monday, out of the 346 entries, only 5 could win! 5!

Those five individuals have picked West Virginia, Clemson, Gonzaga (2), and Michigan to win it all. Now the reason I bring this up is because, in the only pool I entered, I picked Villanova.  Villanova, in case you stopped watching, is still alive and now is the highest seed in the tournament.  I would have been the 6^th person with a chance to win out of (did I mention) 347 entries.

This NCAA Tournament has been nothing but a mess. Two #1 seeds did not get out of the first weekend, with the biggest upset coming when #16 UMBC beat the overall #1 Virginia.  That has never been done before.  I’m sure a big smile came over the faces of Allen’s Ray Barbosa and Whitehall’s Jay Greene.  Both were on the UMBC team the last time they were even in the tournament in 2008.  They lost to Georgetown that year.

In the South region, none of the top four seeds are still playing. That’s never happened before.  Nevada was down in their game against Cincinnati by 22 points and staged the second largest comeback in tournament history for their win.

In the West, #1 Xavier and #2 North Carolina (the defending champ, by the way) both lost. North Carolina was never in their game with Texas A&M.

In the Midwest, Syracuse had to come out of the play-in round in Dayton and then won their next two weekend games. That NEVER happens.  Next up for them is Duke.  Imagine if Syracuse…

The East had some semblance of sanity – 4 of the top 5 seeds advanced to play in Boston. #1 Villanova, #2 Purdue, #3 Texas Tech, and  #5 West Virginia.

So anybody can win the 2018 national championship – anybody, that is but YOU! Unless you were a miracle prognosticator, your pool is probably now scrap paper and, instead of being glued to your TV for the next week, you might actually go shopping with your significant other.

Charles Dickens in A Tale of Two Cities said,

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair.”

Just insert “The 2018 NCAA Tournament” for every “it”. I think you get my drift.

What a mess.

ABOVE THE EARS 

1. Last week, I picked North Carolina (out), Virginia (out), Kansas (in) and Villanova (in) as my final four. I still feel Villanova (my pick) will win the National Championship.
2. I hope you went to or watched the Bethlehem Catholic–Imhotep Charter PIAA semi-final game on Monday night. It was a classic. Beca battled the #7 team in the nation right down to the wire losing 65-60. It was a great high school game. Beca won the EPC and District XI championships and came, oh so close, to going for a state title. Congratulations!
3. There have been plenty of miraculous endings this past weekend in the NCAA Tournament, but the craziest may have happened at Liberty High School on Monday where Abington Heights was playing Bonner-Prendergast in the PIAA 5A semi-final. AH was leading 48-45 when B-P missed a 3 and two players battled for a rebound as the buzzer sounded to end the game. AH fans showered the court with Hershey Kisses signifying their team was headed to the state championship played in Hershey. BUT, the officials had called a foul on AH and, then, a technical foul on the fans for throwing Kisses. B-P would be awarded four foul shots, just enough to win the game! The player made the first three, but missed the fourth. AH won in overtime.
4. Remember the name Donta Scott a 6-7 junior. He played for Imhotep-Charter. He was the best player I saw in the tournament. Right now, he has scholarship offers from St. Joe’s, LaSalle, Temple, and Penn State. I guarantee you that list will grow.
5. Our basketball season has concluded and I just want to thank the RCN crew for another great job of bringing you high school basketball and wrestling during the winter months. Imagine all the places and times that they have to run camera connections, carry that heavy equipment, do a game, tear it all down, and get ready to do it again, often four or five times a week. I’m sure I speak for Chris Michael, John Leone, Tom Stoudt, Scott Barr, and Ryan Nunamaker in thanking those hard workers for making the announcers’ jobs so much more rewarding!

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 is NEVER good when the acronyms NCAA and FBI are used in the same sentence. But as everybody gears up for the start of March Madness  this week, the bigger concern for the NCAA is the FBI investigation into the black market of college basketball.

Big-time schools with big-time programs like Miami, Louisville, Auburn, Oklahoma State,  Southern California, and Arizona are all being investigated for either funneling money to families of star recruits or steering current college players, who are soon-to-be NBA players, to potential agents for money. This involves offering bribes (as high as $100,000) to players’ families, assistant coaches, and head coaches. The NCAA, obviously, prohibits this kind of activity.

In other words, someone was getting “pay-to-play” money. “Pay-to-play” is the same phrase those of us who live in the Lehigh Valley have heard over and over again in the past few months in connection with the mayor of Allentown.  As you must know, he was found guilty and faces many years in prison.  In the same vein, the FBI investigation could send coaches and shoe company executives to prison.

Some question the ethics of a university making millions and millions off the skills of their athletes, offering the athletes little in return. Duke reported they made $33.7 million for the 2014-15 season when they won the national championship.  And the coaches of these money-making programs take in millions of dollars themselves.

It is estimated basketball shoe companies take in @ $950 million annually.

In the ideal world of the NCAA, a basketball player receives nothing other than a college scholarship (the elite players almost never finish college) and some meal money. Is it any wonder they and their parents want a piece of the immense pie that they help to create?  Many wonder who really is a victim here – certainly not the institutions that get these players; certainly not the shoe companies that get the university endorsements; certainly not the coaches; and certainly not the players.

So, yes, fill out your office pool, enjoy the next few weeks of college basketball, and try to forget that this is all going on around the game. But, rest assured, the scandal is not going to go away.

This March Madness will certainly lead to April Madness, May Madness, etc.

ABOVE THE EARS

Gary’s Guesses (March Madness) By Region

 West

With Xavier, North Carolina, Michigan, and Gonzaga in this region, this is a VERY, VERY tough one to pick. My heart is with Michigan because of Muhammad Ali Abdur-Rahkman of Allentown Central Catholic High School.  Providence is hot right now after forcing overtime against Villanova in the Big East tournament championship.

My pick – North Carolina

Midwest

Everyone ALWAYS likes Duke and they are #2 in this region, with Kansas getting the top spot. Michigan State is #3, but with the Big Ten tournament played a week earlier than the others, they have had a long layover (could actually be good for them).  But not quite good enough.

My pick – Kansas

South

This is where the #1 team in the nation, Virginia, resides and they are the best. Defense wins championships and they are a great defensive team.  Maybe Kentucky or Cincinnati can forge an upset, but I do not think so.

My pick- Virginia

East

As good as Virginia’s defense is, that’s how good the #1 seed Villanova’s offense is. They just won the Big East tournament, were ranked #1 longer than any other team before giving it up to Virginia, and seem to have the easiest region.

My pick – Villanova