Happy Holidays

from the RCN-TV Staff

NFL PICKS LAST WEEK – 10-7; OVERALL 141-83 (63%)

NFL PICKS (WEEK SIXTEEN)
OAKLAND
PHILADELPHIA
DETROIT
PITTSBURGH
BUFFALO
CHICAGO
CAROLINA
INDIANAPOLIS
NEW ENGLAND
HOUSTON
KANSAS CITY
JACKSONVILLE
ARIZONA
SEATTLE
VIKINGS
CINCINNATI

I have broadcast well over 4,000 games in my 40+ years at this job, about one-third of them football games.  For the RCN-TV team, this past Saturday’s win by Parkland over Upper Dublin in the PIAA state football semifinal was our final football game for this season.  Parkland will now play for the AAAA state title this Saturday in Hershey.  The game will be on PCN starting at 6:00pm.

As exciting as this season was with the success of our teams, I am never real sad to put away the football clichés for another year (both the coaches’ and mine).  As I was packing away my notes this morning, I looked at some of the things coaches told me and some of the things I wrote down as keys to victory.  Take a look:

“We have to take it one game at a time.” – I know the thought here is that a team may look past another team or the coach does not want to offend the team that they are playing at the time, but really?  You can only play ONE game at a time.  Talk about THAT game and leave the cliché in the closet.

“The other team wanted it more.” – Over all my years of competing and broadcasting, I can’t remember a team NOT WANTING to win.  You cannot practice WANTING TO WIN, but you can face a team that is better than you are on a given night or, even worse, perhaps they were prepared better and that might actually reflect on the coach who was asked, “Coach, what was the difference in the game?”

“He’s deceptively quick.” – Does that mean he looks slow, but isn’t?  Or he’s not as slow as he is …. What?  Am I deceptively handsome and, if so, is that a good thing?  I don’t know either.

“They are better than their record indicates.” – Ouch!!  I use this one often when the teams look like a complete mismatch.  I am just trying to keep you from changing the channel.  That makes me deceptively sneaky, doesn’t it?

“He gave 110%.” – No, he didn’t.  No, he couldn’t.  Need I explain?  And why is it almost always 10% more than you can actually give?  Why not make it 125%?

“He’s a downhill runner.” – What if the field is level (which it is)?  Are there runners who run uphill on a level field?  Who makes this stuff up?  And why do I continue to use it?

There are certainly many others (“The defense bends, but doesn’t break”; “The quarterback had all day to throw”, etc.), but you have heard them time and time again and I have probably said them time and time again.  But what can I say, “I write this column one blog at a time and try to give 110% and I think it is better than what others might indicate.”

Get the picture?

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS)

1. Saucon Valley was one of the top four teams in the state in the AAA football bracket and they were beaten on Friday night by a 72-27 score by Imhotep Charter. Imhotep is a private school and gets players from all of Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey.  I know the PIAA does not want to consider separating private and public schools for their championships, but something seems wrong when these two teams compete on equal footing.
2. Parkland is everyone’s favorite to win the EPC, but without their football players, they have started 2-3; 2-1 in the conference. They have Pleasant Valley and Northampton this week and should win both.  Next Tuesday, however, they will play Central Catholic and the football players, at best, will have one day of practice.  We will broadcast the Central game.
3. How about Moravian Academy? They did not win a game last year.  They are already 3-1 overall and 3-0 in the Colonial League East.  I would be shocked if they compete for the title, but there has certainly been some marked improvement.
4. I’m sure you are all wondering, “How is Gary doing with his NFL season predictions made before the season started? In the AFC, after 14 weeks, I picked every current first place team – New England, Cincinnati, Indianapolis, and Denver correctly.  In the NFC, I picked the Packers, Seattle, Carolina, and the Eagles to win their divisions.  Only the Eagles are tied for first.  The others are in first place by themselves.  A perfect 8 for 8.  Now you know why I brought this up.
5. The Eagles are tied with Washington and the Giants at the moment and have the Cardinals (uh, oh), the ‘Skins and the Giants left. The ‘Skins have the Bills, the Eagles, and the Cowboys left.  And the Giants have Carolina, the Vikings, and the Eagles left.  Very, very interesting!

NFL PICKS LAST WEEK – 10-6; OVERALL 129-79 (62%)
NFL PICKS (WEEK FIFTEEN)

ST LOUIS
JETS
MINNESOTA
JACKSONVILLE
HOUSTON
KANSAS CITY
BUFFALO
NEW ENGLAND
ARIZONA
CAROLINA
SEATTLE
GREEN BAY
MIAMI
PITTSBURGH
CINCINNATI
NEW ORLEANS

As the year comes to a close, it’s time for my annual thoughts on the Yahoo Year in Review.  This is their annual look back at the top athletes.  There are many other Top Ten lists if you wish to search Yahoo for those.   For instance, the top-searched question for 2015 was, “How do you tie a tie?”  I can understand that question, but I am somewhat amused that the #9 most-asked question is, “How many weeks in a year?”  That either means that we are just not very smart or more elementary school children are on the internet.  I personally do not like either conclusion.

The Top Ten Athletes searched on Yahoo are:

1. Ronda Rousey
2. Lindsay Vonn
3. Maria Sharapova
4. Danica Patrick
5. Caroline Wozniacki
6. Tiger Woods
7. Floyd Mayweather
8. Manny Pacquiao
9. Ana Ivanovic
10. Hope Solo

It appears that for an athlete to be searched more than others they have to have attributes, both good and bad, that go beyond them playing sports.  Although each of the females on the list are outstanding athletes and at the top of their various sports, I think it is safe to assume that much of their popularity comes from their sex appeal.

Ronda Rousey, who recently lost her UFC bout with Holly Holm, is the star of her sport, but she has also become a favorite through her modeling photos.  The same can certainly be said for Vonn, Sharapova, Patrick, Wozniacki, and Ivanovic.  Rousey, Patrick, Wozniacki, and Sharapova are back for the second straight year.

Hope Solo was the goalkeeper for this year’s USA World Cup championship team, which certainly captured the attention of Americans.  Solo allowed only three goals throughout the tournament.  She also has had her share of controversy angering teammates at times and facing a domestic violence charge.

Tiger Woods was #1 last year in most-searched athletes.  Much like his golf game, he drops all the way to #6, but he was the most-searched male athlete of the year.  At a time when it looks like he may not be able to play competitive golf again, he still garners more attention than any other golfer.  It will be interesting to see if he even appears on the list again next year.  Last year’s list included Tony Stewart, Tito Ortiz, Ray Rice, and Michael Vick.  None of them are on the list this year.

Mayweather and Pacquiao are no surprises to make the list together since they were part of the self-promoted “Fight of the Century”.  The fight made $410 million in revenue and one could certainly argue that these two are the only ones to truly make the list based on their athletic abilities in the past year.

So what does the list tell us about where our real interests are in the world of sports?  I will let you come to your own conclusions.

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS)

1. Who were those guys in the Eagles’ uniforms on Sunday? As horrible as they looked the two previous weeks, that’s how good they were on Sunday when they played the New England Patriots.  The offense still looked spotty, but the defense and particularly the special teams looked great.  But they ARE tied for first place in the NFC East and it appears that the last game when the Eagles face the Giants will decide the champion.  Go figure.
2. The Flyers are also playing better – the ’76-ers, not so much. Do you think the ‘76ers’ strategy of tanking season after season will work in the long run?
3. Parkland should be the team to beat in high school basketball, but they have to start the season without the football players who are enjoying amazing success. This past week, their football team became the first District XI AAAA team to beat a Philadelphia Catholic League team in the PIAA playoffs.  They went overtime to do it, but they did it!
4. I like Bangor and Salisbury to battle for the Colonial League championship, but there should be plenty of good talent and exciting games in the 2015-16 season.
5. The PIAA state semifinals are this coming weekend and we have our two local teams LIVE on RCN-TV. Saucon Valley will be at Bethlehem School District Stadium to take on Imhotep on Friday night at 7:00pm and Parkland will tackle undefeated Upper Dublin in Souderton at 1:00pm on Saturday.  If you can’t be there, we’ll take you there.

NFL PICKS LAST WEEK – 12-4; OVERALL 119-73 (62%)
NFL PICKS (WEEK FOURTEEN)

ARIZONA
CINCINNATI
PHILADELPHIA
CAROLINA
SAN FRANCISCO
CHICAGO
DETROIT
KANSAS CITY
TAMPA BAY
JACKSONVILLE
JETS
NEW ENGLAND
DENVER
GREEN BAY
SEATTLE
GIANTS
 

High school is winding down and college football has come to a close.  College basketball has begun and high school basketball is right around the corner.

That can only mean that it is once again time for one of my favorite nights of the year and it has nothing to do with athletics. It is the night that I co-host the Dream Come True Telethon. Believe it or not (and I am a “not”), we will be doing the Telethon for the 30^th year.  I did not host in the early years, but I have been around for most.

The Dream Come True organization, in case you did not know, was founded in 1984 by Kostas Kalogeropoulos, a local businessman.  The goal of the organization is simple – fulfill the dreams of children who are seriously, chronically, and terminally ill and reside in the greater Lehigh Valley area.  Children are referred by family, friends, clergy, doctors, social workers, etc., and the dreams usually fall into three categories – trips, contact with celebrities, and special gifts (computers, shopping sprees, for example).

Scott Barr will be co-hosting again this year. We have spent this night together for many, many years and I would not want to work with anyone else. He handles the auction area and, boy, is he terrific!  If you watch Home Shopping Network or any of the other television all-day shopping channels, just watch Scott do his thing during the four-hour night.  He is as good as, if not better, than the professionals.  Here are the specifics:

The TELETHON will take place live on Monday, December 7, from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. RCN customers in the Lehigh Valley (Channel 4, 1004 in HD), Delaware County (Channel 8, 608 in HD), and Washington, DC (Channel 8) areas can watch live on RCN TV.  A popular component of the telethon each year is the auction.  This year, we will again utilize the on-line auction.  The bidding began on Sunday, November 8, and ends Monday, December 7 at 8:00PM, so check it out!

CLICK HERE to bid on incredible auction items donated by your favorite networks!

Great auction items include:

• Apple Watch from TV One Network
• Autographed Mitchell Guitar signed by The Band Perry from Scripps Networks
• Autographed Copy of Outlander Series Book, “Written in My Own Heart’s Blood”, by author Diana Gabaldon from Starz
• Honora Black Pearl Necklace from QVC
• Grill and Chill Tailgating Kit from HBO
• And much more!

You can find all of the items by clicking on the following link:

http://www.biddingowl.com/Auction/home.cfm?auctionID=2691

You will find a variety of unique items donated by local businesses as well as our friends from the cable networks.  If you want something really unique and not found in any store, tune us in and bid on the items.  You will make Scott’s night and, more importantly, some child’s dream.

Ann Savkova, our excellent parade announcer, and Chris Michaels of “Sportstalk” fame will do many of the interviews with the children who have had their dreams fulfilled.  They are a welcome addition to the team.

The important facts again are:

The Date:        Monday, December 7
The Time:        6:00 – 9:00 PM
The Purpose:   To fulfill as many hopes, dreams and fantasies for seriously, chronically,
and terminally ill children as possible
The Phone Number to Make a Donation:       1-800-749-8099

All proceeds from the online and on-air auctions go directly to Dream Come True.

Thank you, in advance, for your consideration and support!  Your donation will help make a child’s dream come true!

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS)

1. As if things were not bad enough with Philadelphia sports, Donovan McNabb who eventually became an admirable role model for the city’s youth and fans, reported for jail on November 30 to serve an 18-day sentence. He was arrested for DUI for the second time in Arizona.  His first sentence was one day; this one longer.
2. How about Whitehall’s Saquon Barkley? On Saturday, he broke the 32-year-old record for most rushing yards by a freshman in Penn State history when he carried for 103 yards against Michigan State.  He broke the record of D J Dozier who was a first-round NFL draft pick.
3. For the “love them or hate them”, the Thanksgiving weekend offered its share of polarizing games. The Eagles were blown away by Detroit; Dallas lost to Carolina; Penn State was blown out by Michigan State; and Notre Dame lost its chance to be in the BCS championship series by losing to Stanford.  For you, is the cup half full or half empty?
4. The second quarter of the Parkland vs. Wyoming Valley West game on Friday night had just about everything. First, Sean Judge of WVW intercepted a Parkland pass in the end zone and returned it 100 yards to tie the game at 14-14.  That just made Parkland angry as they went on to score five more touchdowns in the quarter – a 15-yard run by QB Devante Cross; a 77-yard run by Cross; a 30-yard interception touchdown by defensive tackle Noel Brouse; a Cross to Kenny Yeboah 23-yard touchdown pass; and a Cross to Yeboah lateral to Zach Bross on the last play of the first half for 46 yards.  At the half, the 14-14 game had turned into a 49-14 “mercy rule” game.
5. The PIAA state quarterfinals are this coming weekend and we have our two local teams on RCN-TV. Saucon Valley will take on Selinsgrove on Friday night at 9:30pm and Parkland hits another District 12 nemesis in LaSalle College in Philadelphia at 1:00pm Saturday.  If you can’t be there, we’ll take you there.

NFL PICKS LAST WEEK – 11-5; OVERALL 107-69 (61%)

NFL PICKS (WEEK THIRTEEN)

GREEN BAY
CHICAGO
CINCINNATI
TENNESSEE
HOUSTON
MIAMI
CAROLINA
SEATTLE
ARIZONA
TAMPA BAY
JETS
DENVER
KANSAS CITY
NEW ENGLAND
PITTSBURGH
WASHINGTON

I figured that I would start by wishing everyone a Happy Thanksgiving!

And then I got to thinking…

On Saturday, I spent my day broadcasting the Lafayette-Lehigh football game.  It is college football’s most-played rivalry and I feel very fortunate that I have done the play-by-play for this game for fifteen years.  My wife and I then had dinner with my daughter and her husband, and hurried off to the Zoellner Arts Center to see Darlene Love in concert.  Except for the Lafayette defeat (and only because I am a fan), it was a really nice day.  I did a job I truly love, spent quality time with the family, and enjoyed what life has to offer in terms of entertainment.  I went to bed that night feeling good about most everything.

But, on Sunday, I started, as I often do, thinking about this weekly blog.  My mind tries to come up with a topic that I hope readers will find interesting, and it usually revolves around the world of sports.  Only this time I kept thinking about the awful tragedy in Paris. I could not read a newspaper or turn on the TV without facing reports of the Parisians’ circumstances and the horrible aftermath.  And that brought me back to Saturday.

I realized that I spent that day much like the Parisians who, prior to suffering through the terrible assaults by ISIS, were just living life on a regular Friday one week ago.  The attacks had come at a soccer game, at a restaurant, and at a concert by a fanatical group that believes violence is the path to paradise.

Eight days later, while I, too, attended the very same types of venues, I took all of the events and locales for granted.  I would be amongst the 16,000 people at Goodman Stadium watching, not soccer, but football; enjoying family at a local restaurant as many were doing at Petit Cambodge restaurant; and, like those at Le Bataclan, I just wanted to enjoy some live music in concert.

The Paris victims just wanted to do the same.

I have much to be thankful for – a wonderful wife (52 years and counting), two successful daughters who are happily married, three grandchildren who are all pursuing their vocational dreams, a great job, good health, and, despite all that goes on in the world, a positive outlook on life.

But I am quite sure that many of the 129 who were killed in Paris and the many, who were wounded, could have said the same thing about their lives and their families.  Until Friday the thirteenth, 2015.

I will join my family around the dinner table on Thanksgiving and think about my good fortune.  But, I will also take pause and reflect on the horrors that exist in the world and, in addition to asking for my family to continue to be blessed, I will also pray that the world finds a way to be a better place. You, too, may want to do the same.  It cannot hurt.

Again, Happy Thanksgiving!

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS)

1. Lafayette suffered through just an awful 1-10 football season culminating with their arch-rival Lehigh beating them soundly. With Army, Delaware, Villanova, and Princeton on the schedule next year, they could get much, much better and it might not show in their record.
2. As I write this, Philadelphia pro teams have won one home game in November! The Flyers have won three of their last 10, and are 7-9-5 with the fewest wins in the NHL. The 76’ers are 0-14, and the Eagles looked just awful on Sunday losing to Tampa Bay and are now 4-6.  To make matters worse, the Eagles play the Lions in Detroit on Thanksgiving Day.  If you are an Eagles fan, you might want to eat your turkey BEFORE the game.  If you are lucky, then the tryptophan might kick in just in time to sleep through the game.
3. As the cold begins to creep into the Valley, the RCN crew is ready to move indoors. The wind and cold temperatures on Friday night at Parkland convinced everyone on camera outside that they really like basketball better.
4. Speaking of basketball, we have a rare college doubleheader for you this Sunday when the Lafayette men take on Penn and the Lafayette women play St. Peter’s. The action begins at 2:00pm with the men.
5. There are PIAA state football match-ups in store this weekend on RCN-TV. Wyoming Valley West – Parkland will be LIVE on Friday night at 7:00 followed by a taped replay of the Notre Dame – Dunmore game.  There are no games Saturday.

NFL PICKS LAST WEEK – 11-3; OVERALL 96-64 (60%)

NFL PICKS (WEEK TEN)

DETROIT
CAROLINA
GREEN BAY
OAKLAND
KANSAS CITY
INDIANAPOLIS
GIANTS
HOUSTON
ATLANTA
CINCINNATI
JACKSONVILLE
JETS
ARIZONA
SEATTLE
NEW ENGLAND
BALTIMORE

“The Lehigh–Lafayette game is an integral part of a college education. The game provides thrills and excitement and instills an attitude that is essential to succeed in all walks of life. Traditions, pregame hype and celebrations are all as important as the game itself. No other football rivalry is quite like Lehigh-Lafayette. The traditions are pure and the festivities are genuine. Sportswriters are afraid to predict the winner, oddsmakers shy from a point spread and coaches don’t have to worry about getting their players up for the game. Previous records, scores and games against common opponents are meaningless. It’s one game—all or nothing.”

Preface Legends of Lehigh-Lafayette  by Todd Davidson and Bob Donchez D&D Publishing Company, 1995

As college football’s most-played rivalry is set to be played this Saturday at Lehigh’s Goodman Stadium, the quote continues to ring true.  It was probably just as true on October 25, 1884 when the two teams took the field for the very first time.  Who would have guessed back then that 150 more games would take place prior to this Saturday?

Here are some facts about the rivalry:

First Meeting: Oct. 25, 1884; Easton—Lafayette 56, Lehigh 0

Last Meeting: Nov. 22, 2014; Yankee Stadium—Lafayette 27, Lehigh 7

Series Record: Lafayette leads, 78-67-5 (.537) (150 games)

In Easton: Lafayette leads, 41-29-5

In Bethlehem: Lehigh leads, 37-36

Neutral Site: Series tied, 1-1

Lafayette won 27-7 in Bronx, N.Y. (Yankee Stadium) on Nov. 22, 2014 Lehigh won 16-2 in Wilkes-Barre, Pa. on Nov. 25, 1891

Largest Margin of Victory (Lafayette): Nov. 18, 1944; Easton—Lafayette 64, Lehigh 0

Largest Margin of Victory (Lehigh):Nov. 24, 1917; Bethlehem —Lehigh 78, Lafayette 0

Last Shutout: Nov. 22, 1980; Easton—Lehigh 32, Lafayette 0

Last Tie: Nov. 21, 1964; Easton, Lafayette 6, Lehigh 6 (100th meeting)

Points Scored in Series: Lafayette 2,670; Lehigh 2,202

Longest Lafayette Win Streak: 10 wins, 1919-28

Longest Lehigh Win Streak: 7 wins; 1995-2001

Miscellaneous Facts: The schools played each other twice per season from 1884-1901. They met three times in 1891 and did not meet in 1896, due to a player eligibility dispute between the two schools.

Neither team is playing for a championship this year.  In fact, Lehigh has a 5-5 record while Lafayette is a dismal 1-9.  But, it does not matter to the players, the alumni, or the Lehigh Valley fans.  This is Lafayette-Lehigh and that is all that is important.  16,000 fans will attend and half will leave ecstatic and half will leave dissatisfied.

If you do not have a ticket, tune in at 12:30 Saturday afternoon to RCNTV channels 4 or 1004; WBPH Channel 60, or GoLeopards.com on the internet.

Because…it is the ultimate rivalry!

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS)

1. It all started with the Jets losing to Buffalo on Thursday night. The NFL has become totally unpredictable.  On Sunday, Bears killed the Rams, the Redskins beat the Saints, the Dolphins beat the Eagles, the Bucs beat the Cowboys, the Jaguars beat the Ravens, and, (wait for it) the Lions beat the Packers.  What!!!  I bet (pun) they are dancing in Las Vegas!
2. As I write this, the Flyers have won two of their last 10 and are 6-8-3, and the 76’ers are 0-11, and the Eagles now have a losing record of 4-5. It continues to be tough to be a Philadelphia fan.
3. We covered our first college basketball game this past Sunday and it is hard to imagine seeing a better game the rest of the year. Lafayette took on St. Peter’s and went up by 17 in the first half, only to have the Peacocks come back to tie the game in regulation.  In overtime, St. Peter’s went up by 11 and, as people were filing out, Lafayette kept forcing turnover after turnover and came back to win 87-86.  Check it out:

4. The high school football games did not disappoint this past weekend. Easton avenged a loss to Freedom by winning their first round Subregional AAAA game over Freedom.  Saucon Valley (11-0) pulled off the biggest surprise by beating Bethlehem Catholic, a team that “mercy-ruled” them last year.  Parkland beat District Two’s Delaware Valley and Liberty beat Stroudsburg.  Notre Dame and Northwestern both won at the AA level.
5. More great football match-ups are in store this weekend. In addition to Lafayette-Lehigh this Saturday at 12:30, you can watch the Easton – Parkland game on Friday night at 7:00 and the Saucon Valley – Lehighton game at 9:30 on Saturday.

NFL PICKS LAST WEEK – 4-10; OVERALL 85-61 (58%)
NFL PICKS (WEEK NINE)

JACKSONVILLE
CAROLINA
DETROIT
DALLAS
ATLANTA
BALTIMORE
JETS
GREEN BAY
PHILADELPHIA
DENVER
ARIZONA
SEATTLE
KANSAS CITY
NEW ENGLAND

Nysir Minney-Gratz of Easton High School is a running back.   He wears #7 and is listed at 5’ 7” and weighs 155 pounds.   On Friday night, he rushed for 469 yards against the Nazareth Blue Eagles.  He also scored six touchdowns.  469 yards!!  That is a new Easton High school rushing record at a school where rushing the football is equivalent to Saturday following Friday.  It happens every single week of every single game during the football season.  The forward pass is an afterthought.

So, suffice it to say that Easton has had, year in and year out, exceptional running backs.  But no one has ever rushed for more than 400 yards in one game for the Rovers.  The previous record was set by Juan Gaddy in 1991 when he ran for, what now seems like a paltry 314 yards.  Minney-Gratz ran for more than that in the second half alone – 20 carries for 325 yards.  By the way, he caught one pass for 23 yards.

If you like football numbers, you know that one of the personal goals of any running back is to attain 1,000 yards rushing in a season.  Minney-Gratz ran for 875 yards the last three weeks alone – 1715 yards for the season. And to think that in the two years prior to this season, he ran for a total of 289 yards.  But, as I mentioned, there have been many, many great running backs at Easton and Minney-Gratz sat behind another Easton legend, Shane Simpson, for the past two years.

There have been seven running backs this year who have rushed for over 300 yards in a game, five who have set school records.  Emmaus’ Kyle Boney will rush for over 2000 yards before he puts away his jersey.  His high this year is 377 yards in one game.  Liberty’s Gunner Anglovitch rushed for 391 yards just two Saturdays ago.  Saucon Valley’s Evan Culver needs just 52 yards to go over 2,000 yards for this season.

This certainly begs the question – Are these athletes so outstanding or are defenses non-existent?  I made a quick count of EPC and Colonial games and there were 24 games where a team scored 50+ points in a game and 11 more where a team scored 49 points.  In one game, a team scored 54 points and lost by 21. 75-54!!  Where are the defenses?

Many coaches attribute the high scores to outstanding offensive talent, but also to poor defensive skills.  They say there is much less time spent on contact drills in practice due to the fear of injury and this has limited the repetition necessary for an individual to become a good run stuffer and a good tackler.  Everywhere I go now I hear the phrase, “Nobody can tackle any more”.

In case you are wondering, the Pennsylvania single-game record is 722 yards set this year in a 107-90 game.  107-90?

Maybe, by comparison, our defense isn’t so bad in the Lehigh Valley!

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS)

1. The Eagles’ victory on Sunday night in overtime was refreshing for a couple of reasons – Sam Bradford threw a perfect pass to win the game and it was caught, not dropped. And, it took some of the spotlight off of Greg Hardy, who should not be playing for the Cowboys at all, except he settled a financial civil suit with his girlfriend so she would not testify in his jury trial.  No matter how you spin it, he should not be playing football – another reason for fans to hate the Cowboys.
2. As I write this, the Flyers are 5-9, losing six of their last seven, and the 76ers are 0-6, so the Eagles are the last vestige of hope for the Philadelphia fans through the winter.
3. In the Football Bowl Subdivision, there are only six undefeated teams – Clemson, Baylor, Ohio State, Oklahoma State, Iowa, and Houston. Baylor and Oklahoma State play of November 21 and Ohio State will probably play Iowa for the Big Ten Championship.  That will leave four and that’s what the NCAA likes for their playoff system.  Houston may end up playing Temple for the American Athletic Conference title.
4. The Allentown public schools can be proud of the weekend dedication of the Andre Reed Field and the spirited play of their two football teams. Both Allen and Dieruff did themselves proud and I’m sure Andre was happy to see the Huskies come away victorious.
5. You can find all of the brackets for the District XI football games which begin this weekend at the following site:  http://www.districtxi.com/fall/football

NFL PICKS LAST WEEK – 5-8; OVERALL 81-51 (61%)
NFL PICKS (WEEK NINE)

JETS
GREEN BAY
DALLAS
CAROLINA
ST LOUIS
NEW ORLEANS
PHILADELPHIA
PITTSBURGH
BALTIMORE
MINNESOTA
DENVER
NEW ENGLAND
SEATTLE
CINCINNATI

When I sit down to schedule high school football games, you just never know what you are going to get.  That was not the case this past weekend.  Every game had the potential to be a classic or, as often happens when there is so much hype, disappointing the spectators and the viewers at home.  Well, guess what – every game became a future classic.

The night began with Easton traveling to Bethlehem to take on Freedom.  Freedom was coming off their first loss of the season and Easton was trying to stay alive in the Conference championship race.  Based on past meetings, Easton was probably a heavy favorite to win and quickly jumped out to a 13-0 lead after three possessions and maintained that lead at the half.  And Easton would receive the second-half kickoff.

Easton did not get a first down and Freedom scored on the following possession: 13-7.  Freedom’s defense caused four turnovers on Easton’s next four offensive sets and finally scored with 2:07 to go in the game: 13-13 with the extra point to follow for the win.  It was blocked!  13-13 at the end of regulation.

Easton fumbled in overtime and on a fourth and one, Freedom won the game 19-13.  One could make the argument that this was the biggest win in Freedom football history.

Game two matched undefeated Notre Dame (9-0) against undefeated Saucon Valley (9-0).  The winner would most likely win the Colonial League championship.  Saucon Valley last won the title in 2004 and Notre Dame had never won one.

Notre Dame scored three touchdowns in the fourth quarter to tie the game at 35-35.  With 45-seconds to play in regulation, Saucon Valley scored and captured a thrilling 42-35 victory.  Notre Dame’s quarterback threw for 224 yards and ran for 111.  Saucon’s Evan Culver ran for 208 yards and two TD’s.  Saucon’s QB Zach Thatcher ran for 172 yards and three TD’s and threw for 86 yards, 75 on the last drive.

And, believe it or not, the craziest game was saved for Saturday afternoon with Liberty taking on Central Catholic.  For starters, the score was 75-54!!  129 points!  Nineteen touchdowns were scored!  Liberty won.

Liberty rushed for 594 yards; Central ran and threw for 561.  The game featured 1,206 total yards when all the passing numbers were added.  Liberty’s Gunner Anglovich scored seven TD’s and rushed for 361 yards.  Central’s Alvin Pacheco scored four rushing TD’s.  Central QB Ethan Persa threw for 343 yards.  Oh, there were three punts in the game.  That might be the most unbelievable stat.  There were possessions when a team did NOT score!

So, we hit the tri-fecta this past weekend and it will be pretty much impossible to duplicate these three games on one weekend.  But… Freedom plays Liberty on Saturday and Central plays Bethlehem Catholic (another offensive machine) on Saturday night.

Who knows… just maybe…

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS)

1. One of the more common phrases used in sports is that “defense wins championships”. The World Series proved the opposite – “Lack of defense loses championships”.  The Mets had six errors in five games, none bigger than the throwing error by Lucas Duda that kept them from winning Game Five.
2. The Royals won their second title with the previous one coming in 1985. Remember they lost Game Seven last year to the San Francisco Giants.  Ironically, the Mets led after eight innings in three games they lost.
3. The NCAA will probably now switch to a centralized replay review system like that used by the NFL, NBA, NHL, and the MLB after the fiasco at the end of the Duke-Miami game. There were eight laterals, and four missed calls that would have resulted in a Duke win.  The officiating crew was suspended for two games, but the ruling on the field was not changed.  Miami won!

In case you missed the play:

http://www.si.com/college-football/2015/11/01/miami-duke-ending-ncaa-replay-reform-refs

4. With the Eagles having a bye week, all the football attention in Philadelphia was on the Notre Dame – Temple game. Both teams came in ranked in the NCAA.  Notre Dame had one loss and Temple was undefeated.  The atmosphere was electric and Temple played a superb game losing late on an interception by a 24-20 score.  It’s good to see a Philly school play big-time college football again.
5. The District XI football brackets will be out by noon on Sunday. There will be four classifications for the last time as the District adds two more starting next season.  The first round in AAAA and semifinals in AAA, AA, and A all start on the weekend of the 13^th.

And finally, a very, very sad note.  Last week’s blog focused on former Easton football player “Chevy” Graham and his determination to play college football at Kansas.  He achieved that goal.  Tragically, this past Monday, his 14-year-old sister, Lelieth, died in her sleep. She was an honor student and involved in many in-school and out-of-school activities.  She suffered from an irregular heartbeat.  So tragic. http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/easton/index.ssf/2015/11/chelsie_graham_recalled_as_act.html

NFL PICKS LAST WEEK – 8-6; OVERALL 76-43 (64%)
NFL PICKS (WEEK NINE)

CINCINNATI
GREEN BAY
PATRIOTS
NEW ORLEANS
MIAMI
ST LOUIS
JETS
OAKLAND
GIANTS
ATLANTA
DENVER
PHILADELPHIA
SAN DIEGO

After spending around ten hours on the road this past weekend driving to Worcester, Massachusetts, and watching Lafayette get beaten badly by Holy Cross 42-0, I was not in a very good mood as I sat down to write this week’s blog.  After all, the Leopards, who have been completely decimated by injuries this season have been outscored by 122-7 the past three weeks and have not scored a point in the last ten quarters.  I spend quite a bit of time with the players and the coaches each week and feel their pain and sense of frustration.  It certainly weighs on all of them and I, too, by virtue of my relationships with them, feel equally “down”.

Suffice it to say, I sat at the keyboard on Monday morning and I needed a lift – a feel-good story.  But, I did not find one – I found THREE!  I don’t know whether you need to read these stories as much as I needed to write them.

Let me start with a former Easton High defensive football player named Chevy Graham.  You may not remember the name.  He was part of Easton’s two District Championship teams in 2009 and 2010 and started in the secondary the next two years and played in the McDonald’s All-Star Football Classic.  He was not offered any Division I scholarships and only one Division II offer (East Stroudsburg University) came his way.  But, he always felt he could play at a higher level.  When his father moved to Wichita, Kansas, Chevy decided to apply to Kansas University and play football.  He decided that; Kansas University still needed to be convinced.

So, his first semester, he sat in the stands for every game.  The following January, he went to a tryout for the KU team.  And just like he had predicted, he made the team!  The first year, he played on special teams.  This season, he is now a starter in the secondary as a cornerback and living his dream to play Division I football.

And lest you think Chevron (his real name) is just going to school for football, he is a chemical engineering student who is a member of the Academic Big 12 team, and is an Honor Roll student.  Just like his major, he was able to formulate a plan to enjoy a game he loves and play it at the highest level.  Read more about Chevy in Jesse Newell’s post:

http://cjonline.com/sports/hawkzone/2015-10-15/stands-starter-kus-chevy-graham-rewarded-leap-faith

The next two “feel-good” stories center around two of our Lehigh Valley teams – the Allen Canaries and the Dieruff Huskies.  This past weekend both of them won!  If you do not think that’s a big deal, the last time the two Allentown schools won on the same weekend was November 8, 2002, 13 years ago!

Dieruff beat Pocono Mountain West 33-20.  Now Dieruff has won other games this year (over ES North and Pocono Mountain East) and they did win four games last year, so their plight has not been quite as desperate as the Allen Canaries.

Allen had not won a football game since 2009 – they had lost 28 in a row.  Last year, they were outscored 403-71 and ended the season by being shut out by Dieruff 35-0.  This season, prior to their 28-27 win over East Stroudsburg South, they had been outscored 296-57.

As a former player and coach, I have the utmost respect for kids and coaches who continue week after week to go out and compete knowing the outcome will not be favorable.  These same kids still hit the weight room, still practice five days a week, still take the field on Friday night, still attend classes, still remain academically eligible, and still hope.  It is so easy to just walk away from this commitment especially when it is rare to reap the rewards with victories.

High praise belongs to the head coaches – Kyle Beller of Dieruff and George Clay of Allen, who, also, persevere and, every now and then, they get rewarded for their efforts, maybe not in wins, but in the gratification of working with his players.  This weekend, however, both were rewarded with wins!

That’s what happened this weekend, so congratulations to Chevy, to Dieruff, and to Allen.  And now, I “feel-good”.

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS)

1. Mets or Royals? Royals really have good hitters up and down the lineup.  I like the Mets’ pitching.  The Mets are destined to win the World Series.
2. Watching the Eagles on Sunday, who do you blame for the losses? The receivers drop too many passes; Sam Bradford throws too many interceptions; they cannot run the ball; and the hurry-up has little or no effect on the opponent.  And they still could win the NFC East.
3. If you are looking for the perfect college football atmosphere this coming Saturday, watch undefeated #21 Temple take on #9 Notre Dame at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. This could be the best Temple team ever and the campus and Philadelphia area are ready to explode.  Notre Dame, with a national rabid following, will be out in full force.  The atmosphere will be electric!
4. It’s a typical year in the EPC South – Liberty beats Parkland; Parkland beats Easton; Easton beats Liberty; with Central also beating Easton and Nazareth also beating Liberty, Parkland is looking like the champion. Freedom still has an outside shot.
5. Freedom (7-1; 5-1) tries to rebound from their first loss of the season when they host Easton (7-1; 4-2). You can watch the game LIVE on RCN-TV.  At 10:00, the Colonial League championship should be decided when undefeated Notre Dame takes on undefeated Saucon Valley.  Saturday, Lafayette takes on Bucknell and Liberty plays Central.

NFL PICKS LAST WEEK – 7-7; OVERALL 68-37 (65%)
NFL PICKS (WEEK EIGHT)
 

NEW ENGLAND
KANSAS CITY
ATLANTA
ARIZONA
GIANTS
MINNESOTA
SAN DIEGO
CINCINNATI
TENNESSEE
JETS
SEATTLE
GREEN BAY
CAROLINA
ST LOUIS

October 17th was a rare Saturday for me.  Campus Insiders, an internet sports streaming group affiliated with the Patriot League, was granted the rights to the Lafayette-Harvard game.  There were slim pickings among the high school match-ups, so we all took the day off, a circumstance usually unheard of at this time of the year.  So what did I decide to do – WATCH football, of course. Specifically, I wanted to watch Penn State freshman “phenom”, Saquon Barkley of Whitehall High School, go up against the #1 team in the nation – Ohio State.  This, as many know, is the same Saquon Barkley who thrilled us on RCN-TV last year.  The 18-year-old is a true freshman and playing Big Ten football.  Watching him on Saturday night and putting it mildly, he did not disappoint.

Saquon had sat out the previous two games due to an ankle injury and his availability for Saturday’s game was not known prior to game time.  Trust me, he was available. Saquon rushed for 194 yards on 26 carries, an average of 7.5 yards per carry.  And he had a 44-yard touchdown run called back in the first quarter.  He did have a season-long 56-yard run in the fourth quarter.  He had four runs of over 14 yards.  He has now rushed for over 100 yards in three games and combined with the 195 yards rushing against Rutgers, he now ranks third and fourth in all-time rushing games at Penn State by a freshman.

His runs were dazzling and included another leap over a potential tackler, his second of the season.  He is spectacular at “putting his foot into the ground” and making cuts that leave defenders grasping at air or just watching him run by them.  To me, he has instincts that match some of the greatest to ever play the game.

Barkley is shredding college defenses much like he did at Whitehall.  In his senior year, he rushed for 1851 yards, 8.6 yards per carry and scored 24 rushing touchdowns.  He added another three receiving and a punt and kickoff return for touchdowns.  Take a look at his high school highlight tape:

When his Penn State highlight tape is put together at the end of the season, it should look almost as impressive.

Add to that, he is a great young man who distinguished himself both as a student and an athlete at Whitehall.  He played basketball, even though he was not a great basketball player and could have easily walked away from the team his senior year after acquiring the full scholarship at Penn State.  He played hard in every game and used all the basketball ability he had.  Then, he went on to be a track star and gave away one of his gold medals to a young lady whom he felt deserved one after a bad break cost her a victory.

For me, it is always special to follow the players who were part of the RCN broadcasts in high school.  I relish their success.  Liberty High School product and Villanova’s Darrun Hilliard comes to mind as he gets ready to launch an NBA career.  I want the same kind of success for Saquon.

Here’s hoping Saquon stays injury-free and continues to create exceptional highlight reels.  He has moved well beyond local television in the Lehigh Valley to national exposure on the major networks. For the next 3 ½ seasons, I will be yelling, like all the Nittany Lions fans,

“We are – Penn State!!”

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS)

1. Cleveland QB Johnny Manziel got into trouble again this past week when he was stopped and questioned by police following an argument with his girlfriend. He was stopped in his car and admitted to drinking prior to the incident.  He was not arrested and did not play in the Cleveland-Denver game.
2. In case you did not believe Yogi Berra when he said, “It ain’t over ‘til it’s over”, take a look at the Michigan State-Michigan game this past Saturday:

http://ftw.usatoday.com/2015/10/michigan-state-stuns-michigan-by-returning-punters-fumble-for-td-on-final-play

3. If you watched the Colts self-destruct against the Patriots on Sunday night, this might be what they really wanted to do:

http://ftw.usatoday.com/2015/10/university-of-maine-ran-a-similar-play-to-colts-trick-play-but-it-actually-worked#cx_ab_test_id=17&cx_ab_test_variant=cx_blend&cx_art_pos=4&cx_navSource=arttop&cx_tag=trend&cx_ctrl_comp_grp=true&cxrecs_s

4. If you are an Eagles’ fan, you must constantly be bewildered. How can they make so many mistakes on offense and still win?  If “defense wins championships”, the Eagles can still have a good season.
5. The EPC South picture could become clearer on Friday night when Freedom (5-0; 7-0) visits Parkland (4-1; 6-1). You can watch the game LIVE on RCN-TV.  Saturday’s games are Lafayette at Holy Cross LIVE at 1:00 and Wilson at Pen Argyl at 7:00.

NFL PICKS LAST WEEK – 9-5; OVERALL 61-30 (67%)

NFL PICKS (WEEK SEVEN)
SEATTLE
BUFFALO
WASHINGTON
ATLANTA
INDIANAPOLIS
DETROIT
PITTSBURGH
BROWNS
HOUSTON
NEW ENGLAND
SAN DIEGO
GIANTS
CAROLINA
ARIZONA