Philadelphia was certainly in the limelight this past week with the Democratic National Convention taking center stage.  All of the media had a presence there.  However, there was no national sports media.

I bring this up because Ken Griffey, Jr. and Mike Piazza were inducted into the baseball Hall of Fame on Sunday, July 24.

I watched the great Griffey, Jr. play with the Mariners and the Reds.  His numbers were awesome – 630 home runs, 13 All-Star appearances, 10 Gold Glove Awards, and the statistical list goes on and on.  He received 99.32% of the votes, the highest ever in Hall of Fame history.

Mike Piazza’s story was even more amazing.  As a favor to Dodgers manager, Tommy LaSorda, he was drafted in the 62nd round.  He went on to hit the most home runs by a catcher, bat .308 lifetime, and spent 16 years in the majors.  He was an All-Star 10 consecutive seasons.  He certainly repaid the favor – but mostly as a New York Met.

So what does this have to do with Philadelphia?  The ceremony in Cooperstown made me wonder who the last Philadelphia Phillie was to be inducted into the Hall.  I discovered it has been a while – 21 years to be exact.  On July 30, 1995, Mike Schmidt and Richie Ashburn entered that day.  And Philadelphia celebrated with an estimated 25,000+ fans showing up for the induction ceremony.

Twenty-one years is a long time.  And it will only get longer, it appears.  As you look at the list of “potential” Phillies to get a consideration, you come up empty.  Jimmy Rollins, Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, and Bobby Abreu will all probably come up short.  Jim Thome, Scott Rolen, Roy Halladay, Cole Hamels, and Curt Schilling could possibly get in.  Just not as Phillies.

And it’s not just the Phillies casting a pall over the Philadelphia sports scene.  The Eagles’ last Hall-of-Famer was Reggie White – 24 years ago.  The 76ers’ last was Charles Barkley in 2006.  And neither of these teams appears to be going to get someone in their respective Halls very soon.  Flyers’ fans certainly remember their Hall of Famers Bill Barber (1990), Bobby Clarke (1987), and Bernie Parent (1984), but their inductions were a long time ago.  Mark Howe was the last Philadelphia professional inducted in 2011 in The National Hockey League Hall of Fame.

So as much as we admire the Piazzas and the Griffey, Jr.s of the sporting world, Philadelphia fans would much prefer seeing one of their professional athletes in the limelight.  National politicians?  Not so much.

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS) 

1. The Phillies are batting .218 in their home games this year and are scoring 2.92 runs per game at Citizens Bank Park. That’s the lowest run production in any home park in the major leagues.  Buy your ticket and see no offense at all.
2. Because July 31 was a Sunday, the Major League Baseball trade deadline was extended to 4:00pm on Monday, August 1. As I write this, phone lines around the MLB offices must be buzzing with activity.  Someone might want to trade for the LA Dodgers’ ball girl.  On Sunday, she caught a foul ball traveling at 108.7 miles per hour.
3. If you need a Lehigh Valley reason to watch the Olympics, then let Joe Kovacs be that reason. Joe, a Bethlehem Catholic graduate, is a medal favorite in the shotput in Rio.  He won the world championships last year.  The final for shot put is August 18 @ 8:00pm.
4. Sunday produced another great “Major” finish in golf. The PGA Championship came down to the final putt of the final match.  Jimmy Walker (no, not of “Dyn-o-mite” fame) won his first major.  Every major golf tournament this year was won by a first-timer.
5. The Patriot League Football Media Day was this week, so the pads will be thumping between now and opening day or night. RCNTV has Central Catholic at Freedom on opening night, August 26.

Last week, I discussed the use of performance enhancing drugs (PEDs) by Russian athletes during the 2014 Sochi Olympics.  An investigation showed excessive manipulation by Russia’s sports ministry in the drug testing back to the 2011 and 2015 Olympic Games as well as the 2014 games in Sochi.  Twenty-eight sports were implicated in the Russian investigation.

A ruling came down on Sunday of this week from the International Olympic Committee that will allow the individual sports federations to decide which Russian athletes would compete in Rio.  The ruling also said that Russian athletes who have previously served bans due to doping will not be allowed to take part in the Games.

Obviously, there was a great outcry from anti-doping organizations that the IOC simply “passed the buck” and did not have the guts to sanction all Russian athletes from the games in Rio.  The IOC defended their position by saying that an athlete who was not implicated in the drug scandal should be free to compete and need not be punished for the actions of others.

One decision had already been made.  The Russian track and field athletes would not be able to compete.  One female Russian, long jumper Darya Klishina, would be an exception because she was tested outside of Russia.  Others say the federations may not have the knowledge or the time to adequately determine who should or should not compete.

I will let you decide if the IOC was only being fair to the Russian athletes who may be clean or very unfair to the world athletes who are definitely clean.

To me, the most interesting decision was the one to ban former Russian runner Yulia Stepanova from the Rio games.  Yulia had been suspended for two years after being found guilty of doping back in 2013.  During her suspension, she and her husband, Vitaliy, broke the story of how the Russian sports system used large-scale doping with their athletes.

So the very person who brought the scandal out into the open would not be allowed to compete even though her two-year punishment had been served.  She wanted to compete as an individual athlete, not for any country.  She and her husband are currently living in the United States.

So what is the lesson learned?  Will others come forward to expose illegal tactics if they, too, will be punished more severely than the athletes who remained silent?  The Olympic Games will go on starting August 5 and will include Russian athletes.  It does appear that there will be a cloud of distrust that winners won medals without the help of artificial assistance.  I can only hope that great performances will be proven to be just that – great performances!  I have my doubts.

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS)

1. The Russians can’t seem to stay out of the news. They are suspected of having released the Democratic e-mails to Wikileaks that showed the DNC treated the Sanders campaign unfairly to help get the Hillary Clinton nomination.  Trump vs. Clinton may be the best/worst competition of the year.
2. NASCAR driver Jeff Gordon did not stay retired very long. He filled in for Dale Earnhardt, Jr. at the Brickyard 400.  Earnhardt, Jr. has been experiencing concussion symptoms.  Gordon finished thirteenth.
3. I am not a NASCAR fan, but it appears many more aren’t either. At Indianapolis on Sunday only 50,000 fans filled the 250,000 seats, continuing the steady decline of NASCAR attendance.
4. As NFL football camps open this week, Ray Rice does not have a contract. In case you forgot, Rice was suspended by the Ravens in 2014 for domestic violence.  He has been out of football ever since.  He wants to play again and says he would donate his entire salary to combat domestic violence.  The minimum he would be paid would be $885,000.  Would you sign him?
5. The Blue Mountain League regular season ends this week and congratulations to the defending league champions, Limeport Bulls. They won the regular season and, along with the Yankees, will get a bye to the semifinals.  The playoffs should be as competitive as the regular season.  Get out and watch a game.

The Olympic Games begin in Rio on August 5 and will run through August 21.  During the Olympics, inevitably there will be conversation about performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs).  The focus on enhancing performance through the use of drugs was magnified in 1976 when the East German female swimmers won 10 gold medals out of 12, six silvers, and one bronze.  The previous Olympics, the East German female swimmers had won only four silvers and one bronze.  After the Berlin Wall fell, documents were found that showed that the swimmers without their parents’ knowledge had been given a drug regimen since the age of 11 to dramatically improve their performances.

The controversy still remains and may be at an all-time high.  Forty-two athletes were stripped of their medals or disqualified from competing in 2012 due to finding banned substances in their systems.  This year, 10 nations and 20 athlete groups have requested that the entire Russian delegation be barred from the Summer Olympics because of state- sponsored doping programs.  Even Russia’s anti-doping lab director said that the government ordered him to cover up the widespread use of PEDs during the 2014 Sochi Olympics.

On Monday, a report commissioned by the World Anti-Doping Agency was issued and determined that state-sponsored doping of Russian athletes occurred in preparation for the Sochi Olympics.  The US and Canada have asked that “no athlete can represent Russia at the Rio Olympic Games.”  The Commission is leaving that decision up to the International Olympic Committee.

The United States is not free of guilt here either.  It has also had its share of athletes stripped of their medals.  Lance Armstrong and Marion Jones are the most famous.  Since 1968, 11 US medals have been revoked, second only to Russia.  The event that has been disciplined the most with athletes of all countries is Men’s Weightlifting.

So with all the attention that is now focused on PEDs, can we expect the stories coming out of Rio in a few weeks to be about the super-human performances or will they be about how these performances were achieved?

I would like to think when I sit down to watch the competitors that technology has advanced to the point where if you cheat, you will be caught.  And those who win gold medals have done so fairly or, if not, those medals will immediately be revoked.  If that is the case, it will be the first time since 1968, when the first Olympic doping cheat was found, that medals have gone to all who deserve them.

So when I am cheering “USA!  USA!” on the outside, I am hoping “No PEDs! No PEDs” on the inside.  Let the Games begin!

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS)

1. The Liberty boys and the Nazareth girls won the basketball Sportsfest titles this past weekend. The winter season looks like it will be very, very competitive with so many strong teams in both boys and girls.  Emmaus, Whitehall, Allen, Pocono Mountain West, Parkland, and Bangor look very strong on the boys’ side and an equal number of strong challengers for the girls.
2. The British Open final round was one for the ages. Henrik Stensen outdueled Phil Mickelson in a match-play-like finale and shot an amazing 63 with 10 birdies.  He had the lowest score ever over 72 holes in a major (264).  Mickelson shot 65 and did not bogey a hole.  His total of 267 was the fourth best score in major history and he did not win.  Colin Montgomery had the same score and did not win in 1995.  Stensen won $1.5 million.
3. The folk hero of the British Open was Andrew Johnston – “Beef”. The somewhat overweight, heavily-bearded Brit finished eighth and won $224,196.  Ranked 104^th in the world, it was his look, his demeanor and, more importantly, his play that captured the crowd’s support.  His father died when he was 17, and he welled up coming up 18 thinking of him.  Let’s hope he continues to play well.  He seems to represent the average Joe.  By the way, his wedge has nine different types of beef engraved on it – rib-eye, brisket, sirloin, t-bone, tri-tip, flank, filet mignon, porterhouse, and skirt.
4. I never did this playing a round of golf, but if I wouldn’t have to pay for a new club, I probably would have:

http://ftw.usatoday.com/2016/07/furious-golfer-snaps-golf-club-throws-it-in-a-bush-at-british-open

I did play once with a golfer who after a bad shot on hole #18, took each club out of his bag, one by one, and threw them into the nearby woods.  Then, he had second thoughts and painstakingly retrieved them.

5. When you are a real fan, and a baseball game takes six hours and 18 innings to be completed, your emotions run the gamut. Watch:

http://ftw.usatoday.com/2016/07/young-pirates-fan-18-inning-game-emotions-nationals-mlb

It’s the mythical half-way point in the major league baseball season.  It’s hard to believe that the first games were played back on April 3.  I made my predictions for the season the very next day so just as it is time for each team to get their mid-term grades, I suppose I should see how I am doing with my season predictions.  I have listed the teams in the order I felt they would finish.  The number in parentheses indicates where each team currently stands in the division.

American League
West

1. Houston (2) – Got off to a terrible start, but playing better now. Can they catch the Rangers?  Not with another slump in the second half.
2. Texas Rangers (1) – I didn’t see them being one of the best teams in baseball – I was wrong – again!
3. Seattle (3) – Offense has looked good; their pitching has not. They are right where they should be.
4. LA Angels (5) – Veterans have not been good; playoffs seem out of the realm of possibility and most feel they have the worst farm system in baseball. Dare I say bleak future?
5. Oakland (4) – Better than expected? Or are the Angels just worse?  Nothing they have done has worked out so far.

Central

1. Kansas City (4) – My worst pick of the entire list of teams. Their starting pitching is just awful, as was my pick for them to win the pennant.
2. Cleveland (1) They look like the best in the Central – good pitching and an improved offense. Cleveland wins the NBA and now, maybe the World Series?
3. Chicago (3) – Really started the season well and then they fell apart going 15-19 in last 34 games. They will not contend.
4. Detroit (2) – Most thought they would be better than I did. They were right, but this is a wide-open division.  I might end up being right.
5. Minnesota (5) – A complete disaster.

East

1. Toronto (3) – Still in the playoff hunt and they have the potential to be very good at the end of the season.
2. Boston (2) – They score more runs than any other team and have the highest team batting average; starting pitching has been good. Could be in first by season’s end.
3. New York Yankees (4) – Where have the real Yankees gone? They really were not expected to contend, but they are the Yankees (or are they?)
4. Tampa Bay (5) – One of the worst records in baseball – they need the Joe Madden magic.
5. Baltimore (1) – Obviously, I botched this pick. They hit the ball.  Starting pitching might falter, however, so I could still recover from this pick.

My pre-season prediction: Kansas City will win the American League pennant.
My Grade – F

National League
West

1. San Francisco (1) – The Giants win in even-numbered years (what? – I read it somewhere); will battle the Cubs for supremacy.
2. LA Dodgers (2) – They should make the playoffs, but I do not see them catching the Giants.
3. Arizona (5) – They were expected to contend, but starting pitching is woeful.
4. San Diego (4) – Will not contend; rebuilding after trying their best with deals last year.
5. Colorado (3) – The Rockies are competitive, but not strong enough to challenge for West title.

Central

1. Chicago (1) – Great start – 11-11 since, but they could break the championship drought. The All-Star break will probably help them.
2. St Louis (2) – They will be in the playoffs, despite not winning much at home in the first half of the season. They will hope that Chicago swoons again.
3. Pittsburgh (3) – The lack of pitching has hurt the Pirates this year. They are potentially still a very good team.
4. Milwaukee (4) – This team is better, but they are in the toughest division and exceeding expectations.
5. Cincinnati (5) – The Reds have done what they were expected to do – lose.

East

1. NY Mets (2) – They struggle to score and Washington just is better. Should still make the playoffs.
2. Washington (1) – Great starting pitching with enough offense makes the Nationals the East champion. No collapse this year.
3. Miami (3) – The Marlins have really improved as demonstrated by their record. They probably will not make the post-season, but currently have a very successful year.
4. Philadelphia (4) – Rebuilding and winning more. Neither is a bad thing.  Even though they are in fourth place, the future looks brighter every week.
5. Atlanta (5) – They have lived up to their very low expectations. They will lose 100+ games.

My pre-season prediction: Chicago will beat the Mets for the N L pennant.
My Grade – A-
Overall Grade – C-

Cubs win it all!!  Only time will tell.

 
ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS)

1. Did you see where NFL.com listed Eagles’ coach Doug Pederson at the very bottom of their power rankings for coaches? That’s right – he was ranked #32 out of #32.  Nowhere to go but up!
2. By the way, Bill Belichick ranked #1 and former Eagles’ coaches Andy Reed and Chip Kelly were #6 and #20, respectively.
3. Golf rules played another major role this past weekend in the US Women’s Open championship. In a three-hole playoff, Anna Nordqvist brushed the sand on her backswing on the second hole and incurred a two-stroke penalty.  She was not told until the third hole.  Television replays clearly showed that she committed the violation.  To make matters worse, the USGA President repeatedly congratulated “Bethany Lang” for her win.  The winner was Brittany
4. Since my last blog, notable sports icon Pat Summitt passed away. She may have been the best-ever as a women’s basketball coach.  Buddy Ryan also passed away.  There were very few similarities in their coaching style.
5. The RCN Blue Mountain League crew had a nice reunion with the volunteer workers at Balliet Stadium in Coplay last week. They have done a wonderful job on the field and continue to work to improve the entire summer baseball experience.

I wrote my blog last week before the USGA embarrassed themselves by not immediately enforcing a rule that penalizes a player if he causes his ball to move.  The USGA hinted that they were going to penalize eventual winner Dustin Johnson, but only after the round ended and Johnson had a chance to explain himself.  Thus, no one knew for sure whether Johnson would lose a stroke or not. At the time, Johnson only led by one stroke.  He was penalized after the round, but the penalty did not cost him the Open championship.

Worse than that, he probably had very little to do, if anything, with the ball moving.  And even worse than that, golf is a game where the integrity of the players is essential.  In fact, the day prior to Sunday’s round, Shane Lowry, who ironically was one stroke behind Johnson when he heard about the potential one stroke penalty on Sunday, called a penalty on himself.  Dustin Johnson flat-out said he did not cause the ball to move.  Shouldn’t the player’s word be enough?  And there was no gained advantage to the ball moving ever so slightly so why the rule in the first place?

This led me to investigate (okay, Google) some other downright strange rules in the world of sports.  Here are just ten:

1. If a baseball player attempts to catch a ball with his hat or a catcher with his mask, the hitter is granted a ground rule triple.
2. Soccer goalies must wear long-sleeves and cannot roll them up at any time during the match. Referees need to know it’s the goalie who touches the ball with his hands.
3. In water polo, grabbing, kicking, or hitting the groin is prohibited (so is splashing water in an opponent’s face).
4. In the NFL, if the third string quarterback enters the game, the first and second string quarterbacks may not play in that game again.
5. In major league baseball, if a player is announced on the PA system, he must enter the game or be declared ineligible for the rest of the game.
6. In the NFL, if a punt returner calls for a fair catch, his team can opt to go for an uncontested field goal.
7. In MLB, if a ball becomes lodged in an umpire’s mask, all runners will advance a base.
8. A professional hockey goalie cannot cross the red line that marks the center ice.
9. If a batter in baseball, bats out of order, he is out immediately and the teammate he batted for is charged with the time at bat. The batter who made the error must then bat again in his proper spot.
10. If a MLB pitcher licks his hand, wipes his brow, or touches his waistline he must first wipe his hand on his shirt before touching the baseball.

There are plenty of others in every sport. Now the USGA says they are going to try to simplify the Rules of Golf and make them more understandable to the average player and viewer.  All other sports’ bodies should take heed and do the same.

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS)

1. If you are a Phillies fan, you may be wondering how Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley, and Cole Hamels are doing this year. Jimmy Rollins signed with the White Sox after a bad year statistically with the Dodgers.  He was assigned to the minor leagues and was hitting .221 before they chose to reassign him again.  Chase Utley is still a Dodger and is having a pretty good year – .261 average, 10 doubles, 2 triples, 5 home runs, and 25 RBI’s.  Cole Hamels is 8-1 with a 2.79 ERA.  He, also, has stayed healthy and is taking his rotation spot on a regular basis.
2. It is obvious that Ryan Howard will not be a Phillie next season. The penalty – he will get $10 million NOT to play with them next season.  I wonder how much I could get NOT to announce (place your wise comment here).
3. Remember the name Charlie Woods – the 7-year-old son of Tiger recently tied for second place in 9-hole junior event. He shot a 55, 19 over par.  The winner shot a 50.  There’s already a nickname – the Little Cat.
4. With the selection of Ben Simmons as their #1 draft choice, the 76’ers may (dare I say it) compete next season. If Joel Embiid can play (and he hasn’t since March 1, 2014), the combination could be a real force in the league.  And the 76’ers still have Nerlens Noel and Jahlil Okafor on the roster.  Someone will have to go.  Bottom line – the team might start winning – Oh, my!!
5. A Jamaican sprinter on the 4X 100m relay team announced this week that he has the Zika Virus.  A sign of things to come?

Due to a Monday commitment, which is the day I usually write my blog, I am sitting at my computer Sunday morning contemplating what to write about.  I have already been reminded that it is Father’s Day by my two daughters who have sent their well-wishes and will visit later in the day.  They have both made my wife and I very proud as both successful citizens, employees (one in hospital management and the other as an ultrasound technician), and, most importantly, excellent parents.  And they, for me, are what makes my Father’s Day enjoyable and special. They are the “end products” of what my wife did as a mother and, in some fashion, what I did as a father.

When we sit around the kitchen table, which we do quite often, conversation often turns to those moments when I did not do such a good job.  I vividly remember keeping Natalie from going to her first school dance because she could not find her music book when her instructor came to the house for weekly music lessons.  His trip was a wasted one, and it became obvious that Natalie had not practiced all week.  It also was the night of her first dance.  I laid down an ultimatum- if she didn’t find the book; she couldn’t go to the dance that night.  After hours of tears and frustration, the book was not found and she did not go to the dance.  I felt terrible, but I hoped that she learned a lesson.  The next morning the music teacher called to tell me that he had Natalie’s book in his briefcase – he had accidently taken it home with him the week before.

When Christine was working in banking, she was to go to a seminar in the Poconos.  She wanted to do what other employees were going to do, take her boyfriend with her because there was going to be time for socialization.  My wife and I were not comfortable letting our unmarried daughter go away for the weekend with this young man (my, how times have changed).  It created an uncomfortable moment for us with our daughter, the young man, and his parents.  And, of course, they stayed together and are now married.

These are just two examples of many where I screwed up as a father.  I am quite proud, however, that we made the girls work throughout high school, got them involved in extracurricular activities, and taught them to do the right thing.  They never let us down.

My own father died in his early sixties, but he worked hard to financially support his family, cheered his four children on in all that we did, and made us responsible for our actions.  He was certainly my role model.

So, as I sit here on Father’s Day morning, knowing that gifts are forthcoming and a nice card and a little more precious time to reminisce once again about fatherhood, I really believe that this day should be more about a father’s children.  They, more than anything, are the true measure of what Father’s Day is all about.

And, because that is my mindset, I will thoroughly enjoy this day.

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS)

1. The RCN-TV crew spent Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday at Penn State this past week in order to do the statewide broadcast of the PIAA baseball championships for PCN. Due to the weather, two of the games scheduled for Thursday were postponed until Friday.  We normally would do all four games in one day.  This was one of the few times that the crew was glad to see rain.  Two games one day and two games the next is a much more enjoyable experience for all of us.  Four games in one day is not an enjoyable experience.
2. Since we were at State College, we were not all that far away from Oakmont, where the US Open was being played in Pittsburgh. The USGA was faced with the same weather problems on Thursday, but somehow they logistically figured it all out to get everyone back on track by Sunday afternoon. Now that is a scheduling nightmare, but it got accomplished.
3. If you do not like golf or golf broadcasts, you should, at least, respect the honesty of the players. Shane Lowry who was leading the US Open as I write this, called a one-stroke penalty on himself on Saturday because as he addressed his ball to putt on the 16^th green, the ball moved ever so slightly.  He did not touch it, but it did move.  He stopped play, called over an official, explained the rule violation and took the one-stroke penalty.  If he doesn’t win, let’s hope he does not lose by a stroke.
4. Steph Curry of the Golden State Warriors has threatened to cut off the WiFi in his house to keep his wife Ayesha from tweeting. She tweeted that the NBA was rigged for money after Game Six, when her husband fouled out. I’m sure the NBA frowned on that.
5. Watch Blue Mountain League baseball every Tuesday for the next six weeks on RCN-TV. It’s good baseball played by guys who play for fun and love the game.

NBC Today show anchor Savannah Guthrie, who is expecting her second child, has decided not to attend the Olympics.  A handful of other NBC employees have also opted not to travel to Rio.  NBCUniversal is not requiring any employee to go if they choose not to.  Close to 3,000 employees will be part of the Olympic coverage.

Some US athletes have expressed concern, particularly female athletes, but, so far, not many have pulled out. There are approximately 600 cases of Zika in the US right now and those were contracted by citizens who traveled to other countries.  So how concerned should the athletes and spectators be?

In January, the World Health Organization declared Zika a global health emergency for pregnant women.  As of May, nearly 300 women tested positive for Zika in the US.  Just two weeks ago, 200 scientists signed a letter to the World Health Organization strongly suggesting the Games should be moved from Brazil.  Other health officials, including those at WHO, say there is not a big enough threat to move the games.

National Public Radio (NPR) charted the odds of an American contracting Zika in Rio compared to other everyday threats.  According to their data:

• One in 11 million Americans have a chance of dying in a plane crash
• One in 9.6 million Americans have a chance of being killed by lightning
• One in 5.2 million Americans have a chance of dying from a bee sting
• One in 3.7 million Americans have a chance of being killed by a shark
• One in 32,250 have a chance of contracting Zika in the three weeks spent in Rio during the Olympics
• One in 9,100 Americans have a chance of being killed in a car accident

The NPR article goes on to say that Mikkel Quam, an epidemiologist, has been trying to determine the mosquito activity in Rio in August.  August is winter in Brazil, cooler and drier, and he said, “There’s very little mosquito activity during the Olympics.”

His thesis calculates that there will be approximately 16 cases of Zika at the Olympics.  Other scientists have indicated that the athletes and spectators should be more concerned about the water or food poisoning.

Bioethicist Arthur Caplan disagrees completely.  He says this is an epidemic we do not understand and, because of that, we should err on the side of caution and move the Games.

I am pretty certain that, at this late stage, the Olympic Games will be held in Rio.  Hopefully, that is the proper decision.  It remains to be seen.

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS) 

1. Tiger Woods will not be playing in the US Open this week at Oakmont, but he is co-writing a book on his 1997 Master’s victory.
2. Speaking of Oakmont, I played there a few years back as a guest of Joe Brake of Coca-Cola. It remains the hardest course I have ever played.  It is, also, a bit intimidating when you pull up in your car and a member of the staff cordially greets you and hands you all the rules you must follow both inside and outside the clubhouse.  Trust me; the hardest working member of the staff that day was my caddie.
3. One more US Open note – high school junior Won Jun Lee missed qualifying for the Open because he fixed a pitch mark off the green. For that, he received a two-stroke penalty.  No good deed goes unpunished.
4. Last week, I mentioned that the US Women’s soccer team was thinking of going on strike for wages on par with the men’s team. Maybe they should just take up tennis.  Of the top ten female athletes, eight of them are tennis players.  Only non-tennis players Ronda Rousey ($14 million) and Danica Patrick ($13.9 million) made the top ten.  #1 was Serena Williams ($28.9 million) and #2 was Maria Sharapova ($21.9 million).
5. We are off to Penn State this week to produce the PIAA State Baseball Championships for PCN at Penn State on June 16. The games will be streamed LIVE on the 16^th and shown on PCN on the 17^th.

As you are well-aware, Muhammad Ali died from Parkinson’s syndrome on Friday, June 3.  He was 74.

He won his first championship title in 1964, the year I graduated from high school.  He was Cassius Clay then.  His last fight was against Trevor Berbick in 1981, after being pummeled into submission by Easton’s Larry Holmes in Las Vegas in 1980.  I don’t think I missed an Ali fight, even though many of them I had to listen to on the radio if I wanted to hear them LIVE.

Looking at the dates, I realize that most young people have probably never seen him throw a punch, except in highlights; never seen him brag, which was always entertaining; never seen him revered wherever he went.  He was the self-proclaimed “Greatest of all time.”  And, in my opinion, he was.  But sadly, the sport has changed so much that most young people today probably have no idea who the current heavyweight champion of the world is, how important that title once was, and have no idea how big boxing was back in the day (as they say).

Trust me, Ali was special when he was fighting and just as special after he left the ring.  Whether you were able to see him fight or too young to watch, you should certainly contemplate some of his words other than “Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee.”  He was an inspiration and he said many inspirational things:

1. “If they can make penicillin out of moldy bread, they can surely make something out of you.”
2. “Hating people because of their color is wrong. And it doesn’t matter who does the hating.  It’s just plain wrong.”
3. “Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth.”
4. “Don’t count the days; make the days count.”
5. “It isn’t the mountains ahead that wear you out; it’s the pebble in your shoe.”
6. “A man who has no imagination has no wings.”
7. “A man who views the world the same at 50 as he did at 20 has wasted 30 years of his life.”
8. “Impossible is not a fact. It’s an opinion.  Impossible is not a declaration.  It’s a dare.  Impossible is potential.  Impossible is temporary.  Impossible is nothing.”
9. “If my mind can conceive it, and my heart can believe it-then I can achieve it.”
10. “Live every day as if it were your last because someday you’re going to be right.”

I have purposely left out the famous quotes where he bragged, rightfully so, about his talent like, “I’m so mean, I make medicine sick.”  Or, “I should be a postage stamp.  That’s the only way I’ll ever get licked.”

Ali was always great theater; he was always the center of attention; he always made you take notice.  Despite some losses in his boxing career, he always put forth the greatest of efforts.  He did the same against Parkinson’s disease.  Once taken off life support this past Friday, the family said his heart beat another thirty minutes.  I am not surprised.  His heart still wanted to answer the bell!

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS) 

1. Billy Crystal, former President Bill Clinton, and Bryant Gumbel will all give eulogies at Muhammad Ali’s funeral.
2. Congratulations to the Easton Red Rover baseball team for their District Championship. It was their first District title since 1993.  Also, congrats to the Parkland and Bangor girls’ softball teams.  They, too, won a District title.  On to the PIAA championship tournament for all three.
3. The Golden State Warriors have managed to really garner my interest in the NBA playoffs. I love watching them play as a team and it seems as if Coach Steve Kerr makes all the right moves.  The “Splash Brothers” club is absolutely fun to watch.
4. The U.S. women’s soccer team cannot strike before the Olympic Games, according to a federal judge. The female judge ruled that the no-strike clause in earlier agreements takes precedence.  The women were looking for improved conditions and wages on par with the men’s team.  The women have won three straight Olympic gold medals.
5. The RCN Television team will once again be producing the PIAA State Baseball Championships for PCN at Penn State on June 16.

Let me be up front with you.  I watch one auto race a year – the Indianapolis 500.  When I was a kid, I listened to one race a year – the Indianapolis 500.  There was always something intriguing for me about this race and there was almost always a local driver starting with Mario Andretti of Nazareth who would allow me a rooting interest in the outcome.  This year, Sage Karam (his father is the wrestling coach at Liberty High School and Sage is from Nazareth) and Marco Andretti (Mario’s grandson and Michael’s son) were both in the race.  I had twice the rooting interest.

Neither of the local drivers fared very well.  Sage crashed and finished 32^nd and Marco had tire pressure problems and finished 14^th.

The race continued to hold my interest throughout, however.  A rookie, Alexander Rossi, won the race right before he ran out of fuel.  Rossi said he was so bewildered by the victory that he had no idea what he was supposed to do during the victory celebration.  He had to be told how to put on the wreath and what he should do with the bottle of milk.  He had never been at an Indy 500 race before!  His first memory was watching Marco Andretti race in 2006 and nearly winning.  This was only the second time that he had raced on an oval track.  And, he ran out of gas almost immediately after crossing the finish line.  A very strange win, but a great win none the less.

My friend, sports psychologist Dr. Jarrod Spencer worked with Sage Karam during this past year and traveled to the race.  He came away from the race with the following thoughts:

10 Life Lessons I Learned at the Indy 500

1.  Life is fast. You either keep up or get left behind.
2.  Life is not fair. You get unlucky. It’s how you deal with it.
3.  350,000 fans couldn’t be more different. Diversity is good.
4.  Yet, all fans shared a love for the USA. Be proud to live here.
5.  A rookie can win anything with some luck. Be in it to win it.
6.  Fuel consumption matters in life and racing. Pace yourself.
7.  Camaraderie among competitors matters. There is more to life.
8.  Crashing is a part of personal growth. Take self-responsibility.
9.  Winning matters. But a person’s character matters more.
10. Dreams and ability are ageless. If you want something, go get it.

After seeing Jarrod’s post, I am reminded that athletic competition mimics life all the time.  Lessons are learned from both participating and watching.  This was probably my 60^th Indianapolis 500 as a listener and viewer and, once again, lessons were learned.  I will watch next year on Memorial Day weekend and learn more about life again!

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS)

1. The Bangor Slater baseball team lost to Parkland on Memorial Day by a 2-1 score. This loss came during the District XI AAAA semifinals.  What made this game stand out is that prior to the loss, the Slaters had won 23 straight games and a Colonial League Championship.  Their season abruptly came to a close on Monday, but it certainly will be remembered.
2. The Phillies lost their 8^th game in the last 11 on Memorial Day. We have now experienced the successful, yet unexpected winning Phillies and, currently, the offense-starved losing Phillies.  Which one will dominate the rest of the season?
3. Ryan Howard hit a double on Memorial Day. It was his first extra-base hit since May 14 and he is now seven for his last 70 at bats (.100).
4. I watched the Golden State Warriors win three straight to beat the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA Western Conference Finals. They were only the 10^th NBA team to rally from a 3-1 deficit.  Stephen Curry is just a joy to watch and so talented.  Curry and LeBron James go at it next.  I will watch.
5. Jordan Spieth won a golf tournament in Texas, his home state, for the first time and showed off a little bit with a 32-foot putt, a 20-foot putt, and a chip-in after hitting a spectator and dropping a 34-foot putt on the last hole. At 22, he has now won eight tournaments.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS) 

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