Agatha Christie, the mystery writer par excellence, once penned a terrific “whodunit”, which was considered her masterpiece – And Then There Were None.  In that book ten characters (all of whom were part of someone else’s death) are brought to an island and one by one they are killed.  Over 100 million copies of this book were sold and it still remains the world’s best selling mystery.

No one was killed, injured, nor in any way harmed when the PIAA Board of Directors was brought to the “island” in Mechanicsburg on Wednesday, October 7, to ostensibly vote to increase the number of classifications for high school football from four to six.  But that is where this mystery begins.

There was supposed to be some serious opposition to this proposal despite the fact that the rest of the country has been classifying their schools this way for many years.  However, that opposition did not happen.  The final vote was 26-4.  Not surprisingly, the three voting members from District 7 (WPIAL) and the District 8 chairman voted against the proposal – that’s it, just those four.  Primarily, their fear was the loss of their one-day football championships played at Heinz Field, the home of the Pittsburgh Steelers and the opposition by 66% of the district’s 123 schools. Obviously, they could not garner any support from the rest of the state.  Even Philadelphia, which as late as September said they would oppose the proposal, voted unanimously in favor.

Now, the plot thickens.  The Board proposed a second vote to the surprise of all who expected this topic to occur later in the year which would have followed the PIAA protocol.  Girls and boys basketball, baseball, and softball would also move to six classifications and girls volleyball, boys soccer, and girls soccer went to four classes, field hockey to three, and boys and girls lacrosse to two.  This whole process took fifteen minutes and was passed by a 23-7 vote.

So, football will lose a week (from 16 to 15) at the end of the season, but will probably make up for that week by scheduling one less scrimmage at the beginning and starting their season one week earlier. The leagues will make that decision. More high school athletes will have more opportunities to play in state playoff games and more communities and schools will be able to rally around their respective teams throughout the playoffs.

Where schools actually fall will be known by November 15, one month after the enrollment figures are due.  Forty-six schools are a part of the District XI.  It appears the 6A would have 12 and 3A 12 with smaller numbers for the other classes.  So the final chapter is yet to be written.

Agatha Christie’s mystery was 272 pages.  The document penned by the Strategic Planning and Football Steering Committee was around 230 pages.  One diminished the participants one by one until they were all gone – the other dramatically increased the number of participants.  That’s a happy ending to be sure.

Re-title it And Then There were Six.  It, obviously, can be sold!

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS)

1. I watched the entire last round of the President’s Cup from South Korea. It ended at 2:45 AM on Sunday and came down to the last putt.  I lost a great deal of sleep, but no one bothered me.
2. Chase Utley’s slide which broke Ruben Tejada’s leg in the Mets-Dodgers series was a dirty slide. The best revenge by the Mets would be to win the series.
3. With all the technology used in the NFL these days, it was ludicrous that in the Monday night game, 18 seconds ran off the clock after a touchback in the fourth quarter with the Chargers leading 20-17. 2:56 was on the clock after the Chargers took the lead over Pittsburgh.  When the Steelers snapped the ball after the touchback, there was 2:38 on the clock.  The Steelers won the game with no time left.  Otherwise, another official’s costly mistake could have changed the outcome.
4. The Eagles looked good in the second half again after a dismal first half performance. Imagine if they would play good football for four quarters!  Maybe it will happen soon.
5. Important doubleheader high school football action this Friday night on RCN-TV. Easton hosts Parkland and Whitehall visits Freedom.  There are really great match-ups the rest of the season.  Should be fum!

NFL PICKS LAST WEEK – 12-2; OVERALL  52-25 (68%)

NFL PICKS (WEEK SIX)
NEW ORLEANS
DENVER
CINCINNATI
MINNESOTA
JACKSONVILLE
DETROIT
JETS
ARIZONA
TENNESSEE
SEATTLE
GREEN BAY
BALTIMORE
NEW ENGLAND
PHILADELPHIA

The word “Philadelphia” is derived from two Greek words – philos (loving) and adelphos (brother).  Thus, Philadelphia is known as the city of “brotherly love”.

There are twelve U.S. cities with four major professional sports – Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Miami, Minneapolis, New York, Phoenix, San Francisco, Washington, and, dare I say, Philadelphia.  With the Eagles losing again this past Sunday and falling to 1-3, it could be argued that the four Philadelphia teams have carried their moniker, “The City of Brotherly Love”,  just a bit too far.

I will start with the hapless Philadelphia 76ers.  During the 2014-15 season, they lost a franchise record and tied an NBA record by losing 26 games in a row!  They finished the season with a 19-63 record.  The following year, the 76ers started the season 0-17 and were within one game of the worst start in NBA history.  It appears that this upcoming season which is right around the corner will be much like the last two.  You would think that their NBA opponents just “love” coming to Philadelphia, because they are pretty much guaranteed a win.

Did you know that the Flyers are second only to the Montreal Canadiens in all-time points percentage, have the most appearances in the conference finals of all the expansion teams, and are second all-time in playoff appearances by expansion teams.  Sounds great, right?  They have now missed the playoffs in two of the last three years, despite winning 98 games, losing 80.  By Philadelphia standards, however, not making the playoffs is unacceptable for this franchise and certainly unacceptable for the Broad Street fan base.  Only a Stanley Cup would satisfy the rabid Philadelphia hockey fan.  But in early 2015 forecasts, the Flyers are picked in the bottom half of the Metropolitan Division.  That would mean they miss the playoffs again.

Then, there is the Philadelphia Phillies.  They just wrapped up a 63-99 season.  In 2013 and 2014, they lost 178 games (89 in each season).  The Phillies have not been over .500 now since 2011.  This year, they resembled a minor league team for almost the entire season.  Baseball is a long season and the Phillies died a slow, painful death this year and there is little hope that they will be much better in 2016.

That leaves the Philadelphia Eagles.  They are 1-3, 0-2 in the NFC East, and 0-3 in the NFC.  Only the Detroit Lions have a worst record.  And if you watched the first half on Sunday against Washington, you had to wonder whether this team even belongs in the NFL.  Then, they play a good second half only to lose at the end.  There were more injuries again (three defensive starters, two offensive tackles), an offense that was so bad that they had seven possessions under 1:30, a defense so tired they could not stop the Washington Redskins from scoring a touchdown at the end, and sideline clock management that made Andy Reid look like a Swiss watchmaker.  Their only saving grace, at the moment, is they play in the NFC East where everyone (but the Eagles) is 2-2.

I do not think when the founding fathers nicknamed the city they were thinking of the future professional sports teams that would occupy the boundaries.  But right now, those four teams show a great deal of “love” but it is primarily towards their opponents.  In fact, the other nickname for Philadelphia is “The City That Loves You Back”.  And their professional sports teams have been doing a bit too much of that for much too long.

Ironically, it seems they love everyone but their own fan base.

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS)

1. NFL football started their televised games at 9:30am in the morning and finished up at 11:45pm – 14 hours and 15 minutes of actual on-air games. Add the “pre-game-athons” and it is all-football, all the time!  Just the way the NFL Goliath likes it.
2. There are almost as many Steelers fans in the Lehigh Valley as there are Eagles fans. They had to be sick on Thursday when they outplayed their arch-rival Baltimore Ravens in almost every category and lost!  This may be a game they look back on later in the season as a crushing defeat.
3. After Pittsburgh’s Josh Scobee missed two field goals on Thursday night (and was subsequently fired), 11 field goals were missed during the afternoon games on Sunday and many were potential game-winners. Could it be that moving the extra-point distance back has put a little more pressure on these kicks and the kickers are not relaxed on any kick?  Extra-points used to be good practice for field goals.  Now they take just as much concentration (especially when the kicker could be fired on Monday).
4. Who do you like right now to win the Super Bowl – New England or Green Bay?
5. Good tripleheader high school football action this weekend on RCN-TV. Friday, Liberty hosts Parkland and Easton visits Whitehall.  Saturday afternoon, Nazareth will travel to Central Catholic.  Every game has post season ramifications.

NFL PICKS LAST WEEK – 10-5; OVERALL  40-23 (63%)

NFL PICKS (WEEK FIVE)

INDIANAPOLIS
KANSAS CITY
TAMPA BAY
BUFFALO
BALTIMORE
ATLANTA
PHILADELPHIA
GREEN BAY
CINCINNATI
ARIZONA
NEW ENGLAND
DENVER
GIANTS
PITTSBURGH

Yogi Berra, the Yankee legend and Hall of Fame catcher, passed away on Tuesday, September 22, at the age of 90.  He appeared in 14 World Series with the Yankees.  The Yankees won ten of them.

I had some ties to Yogi and his death brought those memories back. When I was doing play-by-play for the Allentown Ambassadors independent professional baseball team, I did an Ambassador – New Jersey Jackals game from (you guessed it) Yogi Berra Stadium on the campus of Montclair State University in Little Falls, NJ.  The stadium was dedicated to Yogi because he lived in Little Falls during his playing and managerial days with the Yankees.

While I was there to do the game, I also visited the Yogi Berra Museum and Learning Center, which featured a reconstruction of the original scoreboard from Yankee Stadium and was loaded with Yogi memorabilia.  There was also a sky box overlooking the Stadium which Yogi often used and, in fact, at the end of this past season, where he signed autographs just prior to his death.

I also played a round of golf with Dale Berra, his son, a few years back and spent four plus hours being amused by his stories about his father and Dale’s own major league career with the Pirates and the Yankees.

So I thought it would be fitting to remember Yogi the way almost everybody remembered Yogi after his playing days were over – his famous quotes.  Some of these you have heard many, many times, but some you may never have heard.  It doesn’t matter – they still make you pause to contemplate the meaning, if, indeed, there is one.  Enjoy:

1. When you come to a fork in the road, take it.
2. You can observe a lot by just watching.
3. It ain’t over till it’s over.
4. It’s like déjà vu all over again.
5. No one goes there nowadays, it’s too crowded.
6. Baseball is 90% mental and the other half is physical.
7. A nickel ain’t worth a dime anymore.
8. Always go to other people’s funerals, otherwise they won’t come to yours.
9. We made too many wrong mistakes.
10. Congratulations. I knew the record would stand until it was broken.
11. You better cut the pizza in four pieces because I’m not hungry enough to eat six.
12. You wouldn’t have won if we’d beaten you.
13. I usually take a two-hour nap from one to four.
14. Never answer an anonymous letter.
15. Slump? I ain’t in no slump… I just ain’t hitting.
16. How can you think and hit at the same time?
17. The future ain’t what it used to be.
18. I tell the kids, somebody’s gotta win, somebody’s gotta lose. Just don’t fight about it. Just try to get better.
19. It gets late early out here.
20. If the people don’t want to come out to the ballpark, nobody’s going to stop them.
21. We have deep depth.
22. Pair up in threes.
23. Why buy good luggage, you only use it when you travel.
24. You’ve got to be very careful if you don’t know where you are going, because you might not get there.
25. All pitchers are liars or crybabies.
26. Even Napoleon had his Watergate.
27. Bill Dickey is learning me his experience.
28. He hits from both sides of the plate. He’s amphibious.
29. It was impossible to get a conversation going, everybody was talking too much.
30. I can see how he (Sandy Koufax) won twenty-five games. What I don’t understand is how he lost five.
31. I don’t know (if they were men or women fans running naked across the field). They had bags over their heads.
32. I’m a lucky guy and I’m happy to be with the Yankees. And I want to thank everyone for making this night necessary.
33. I’m not going to buy my kids an encyclopedia. Let them walk to school like I did.
34. In baseball, you don’t know nothing.
35. I never blame myself when I’m not hitting. I just blame the bat and if it keeps up, I change bats. After all, if I know it isn’t my fault that I’m not hitting, how can I get mad at myself?
36. I never said most of the things I said.
37. It ain’t the heat, it’s the humility.
38. If you ask me anything I don’t know, I’m not going to answer.
39. I wish everybody had the drive he (Joe DiMaggio) had. He never did anything wrong on the field. I’d never seen him dive for a ball, everything was a chest-high catch, and he never walked off the field.
40. So I’m ugly. I never saw anyone hit with his face.
41. Take it with a grin of salt.
42. (On the 1973 Mets) We were overwhelming underdogs.
43. The towels were so thick there I could hardly close my suitcase.
44. Little League baseball is a very good thing because it keeps the parents off the streets.
45. Mickey Mantle was a very good golfer, but we weren’t allowed to play golf during the season; only at spring training.
46. You don’t have to swing hard to hit a home run. If you got the timing, it’ll go.
47. I’m lucky. Usually you’re dead to get your own museum, but I’m still alive to see mine.
48. If I didn’t make it in baseball, I won’t have made it workin’. I didn’t like to work.
49. If the world were perfect, it wouldn’t be.
50. A lot of guys go, ‘Hey, Yog, say a Yogi-ism.’ I tell ’em, ‘I don’t know any.’ They want me to make one up. I don’t make ’em up. I don’t even know when I say it. They’re the truth. And it is the truth. I don’t know.

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS)

1. Lafayette got a very nice win over Wagner on Saturday night. They got it done with a number of scholarship freshmen and sophomores who have been pressed into action due to a glut of injuries.  These young players are getting valuable experience and the future is looking brighter and brighter for Leopard fans.  The Patriot League season opens this Saturday night at 6:00m when the #16 team in the nation, the Fordham Rams, take the field.  It’s LIVE on RCN-TV.
2. The Eagles beat the Jets this past Sunday, but they did not look particularly good on offense – the defense and special teams carried them to this win. Only Dallas is 2-1 in the NFC East and lost QB Tony Romo.  It should be easy to stay in the race in this division.
3. The Cubs and the Pirates have clinched the National League wild card berth. The Yankees will represent the American League wild card, but their opponent is yet to be determined – Texas, Houston, Angels, Twins, or Indians.  The wild card game is one game – winner take all.
4. With Central Catholic beating Easton on Saturday night, the once-beaten Central Catholic at undefeated Freedom game looks like a good one. It will be LIVE on RCNTV this Friday followed by the Northampton at Nazareth match-up.
5. Whew! Just when I was about to throw in the towel on trying to pick the NFL this year (7-9 the second week), I have a complete turnaround and go 14-2 this week.  So I’ll keep trying.

NFL PICKS LAST WEEK – 14-2; OVERALL  30-18 (63%)
NFL PICKS (WEEK THREE)

BALTIMORE
JETS
INDIANAPOLIS
BUFFALO
CAROLINA
PHILADELPHIA
OAKLAND
ATLANTA
CINCINNATI
SAN DIEGO
GREEN BAY
ARIZONA
DENVER
DALLAS
SEATTLE

I have now wasted approximately seven hours watching the Philadelphia Eagles.  Which is nothing compared to how much time the Eagles wasted so far preparing for this season.  Imagine all the hours Chip Kelly invested in putting this team together and all the hours this team has spent trying to learn to play together.  And for what?  To be embarrassed two weeks in a row; to be described as the “worst performance I have ever seen” by both Troy Aikman and Jimmy Johnson and, I am sure, scores of others.

Just consider these ten thoughts after Sunday’s game:

1. Against the Cowboys, the Eagles rushed for a total of seven yards. It was actually worse because they only got to positive yardage late in the game.
   1. S. – Cowboys backup QB Brandon Weeden rushed for 11 yards!
   2. P.S. – Brandon Weeden’s rushing total matches DeMarco Murray’s total for the year!!
2. DeMarco Murray is on pace to rush for 88 yards for the season. He has now carried the ball 21 times for 11 yards.  He carried 13 times for two yards on Sunday against his former team.  This is the worst rushing start to a season in the history of the NFL.  Last year, he ran for a league-leading 1,845 yards and had 285 yards rushing in his first two games last year with Dallas.
3. The Cowboys were on the field more than twice as much time as the Eagles – 40:30 vs. 19:30. The hurry-up offense is nice when it works, but it destroys the defense when it doesn’t.
4. The Eagles had one, that’s right – one, first down in the first half and that was via a penalty.
5. Sam Bradford looks so uncertain in the pocket, when there is one. There is no deep threat and he looks very unsure of himself as he goes through his progressions, often missing an open target.  Add to that the double negatives that there is no run game and no deep threat.  It is easy to understand his uncertainty.  I thought this was a great trade when it was made, but without some blocking up front, it does not matter who stands in the pocket.
6. The whole offense lacks any creativity. The first-round draft pick was supposed to be a deep-threat receiver, but there has not been a deep threat yet.
7. Jordan Matthews MUST catch the ball.
8. Eagles’ special teams allowed a punt block which resulted in a score.
9. The defense lost two starting inside linebackers in the game and yet, overall played pretty well considering…..
10. There are so many people to blame – the offensive line, the quarterback, the receivers, the defensive secondary, the special teams, the coaching staff, etc. The NFL season is a long one, but is it long enough for all of these problems to get solved?

The fans were booing by the second quarter this past Sunday.  After watching the Sixers, Flyers, and the Phillies, they could be a very angry mob by mid-season.

Perhaps the Pope could stop in the locker room and offer up a prayer.  Trust me – it cannot hurt.

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS)

1. I suffered through the Eagles loss on Sunday after suffering through Princeton’s domination of Lafayette on Saturday night. The Leopards have so many players injured it is unbelievable.  Their top running back was injured on Friday when the team was doing their walk-through.  Wagner is up next on Saturday at 6:00pm on RCNTV.
2. I am really anxious for the baseball post-season to begin. Joe Maddon, former Lafayette baseball player, is managing the Cubs and they should get in.  My announcing buddy, John Leone, is a life-long, die-hard Pirates fan and they should get in.  The Yankees and Mets will be there.  Toronto looks terrific.  There are so many storylines.
3. Is it any wonder that legal betting venues like Las Vegas love the NFL? Before Monday night’s game, seven underdogs won out of the 15 games played.  The biggest upset occurred in New Orleans where the 10-point favorite Saints lost by seven to Tampa Bay.  I bet (should I use that word?) that quite a few “survivor” pools were destroyed by that loss.
4. Having seen both Parkland and Easton play the past two weeks, I cannot wait for that matchup on October 16. It should be a great high school game. If you cannot make it to Cottingham Stadium, watch it LIVE on RCN4 or RCN 1004 in HD.
5. I have been doing NFL picks for many, many years and I cannot remember ever being under .500, but my early results (16-16) are much like the Eagles – embarrassing.

NFL PICKS LAST WEEK – 7-9; OVERALL  16-16 (50%)

GIANTS
CAROLINA
PITTSBURGH
MINNESOTA
HOUSTON
JETS
NEW ENGLAND
CINCINNATI
CLEVELAND
INDIANAPOLIS
ATLANTA
ARIZONA
SEATTLE
BUFFALO
DENVER
GREEN BAY

I spent 35+ years working alongside Dick Tracy announcing football, basketball, and baseball.  I knew Dick as a coach, a teacher, a professional colleague, and, most importantly, as a friend ever since I began my broadcasting career.  He passed away on Friday, September 4.

Six years ago, while I was on vacation and out of the country, the news broke about Dick Tracy’s retirement after 40 years of announcing basketball, football, and baseball here at RCN.  Dick and I chatted about his decision right before I left and he specifically asked that there be no publicity.  And, at the very end of his life, he still did not want any publicity.  His instructions to the funeral director included this line:

“Others will write and talk about all of the accomplishments, so why should I pay to talk about myself.”

He was right.  I will happily write about him for free!

His coaching career speaks for itself with his phenomenal record (205-51) and a state basketball title in 1982.  I can still vividly recall following the ’82 team to their state semifinal win only to be told that we could not broadcast the state championship game from Hershey.  Bob Gehris and I could not have been more disappointed.  We had followed this wonderful team made up of wonderful young men, coached by a defensive basketball genius. We wanted to call their last game.  I watched Dick’s team put the defensive clamps on that night to win the state title.  The telecast was on Channel 6 out of Philadelphia and all night long they showed the school librarian who was on the Whitehall bench and referred to him as Coach Tracy.  I think that is where the cliché “I could have thrown my shoe at the set” came from.  The announcers and the production team did not even know the state championship coach.  They did not talk to Dick or, and this is probably closer to the truth, Dick would not talk to them.  “Pleasant”, “congenial”, “sympathetic”, “sociable”, “complaisant” are all words I would NOT use to describe Dick Tracy.  “Cranky”, “obstinate”, “hard-nosed”, “stubborn” and “ornery” seem to come to mind much more easily.  But, with that said, the game announcers did not do their homework.

They did not do their homework.  It seemed so ironic because these are words that could never be uttered ABOUT Dick Tracy.  He ALWAYS did his homework.  Nobody was more prepared for an opponent; nobody was more prepared for class; nobody was more prepared for a broadcast.  Nobody was more prepared!

Dick’s preparation, however, never got easier because he was a technological misfit.  All his notes were done by hand.  He had to write out lineups, background information, records, stats, etc. each and every time we did a game.  There was no computer file- there was no computer.  Why would there be?  Dick could never use one – a TV remote pretty much stretched his technological wherewithal.  But for Dick it all worked.  He was passionate about everything he did and everything he enjoyed.  He didn’t just root for the Yankees – he lived and died after every game.  He didn’t just love Notre Dame – he worshiped the Fighting Irish.  He didn’t just go to a game – he tirelessly understood the game before we got there.

What I most remember, however, about the man I spent so much time with the past 35 plus years is the iconic persona thrust upon him by so many people.  Dick was a former Marine and certainly knew the meaning of “semper fi”- “always faithful.”  His former students, his former players, his former assistant coaches absolutely adored the man and I always had the sense they would do anything for him and that they knew him so well he did not have to solicit their help.  They anticipated what he needed and they were “always faithful” as he was to them.

If respect and friendship are the true measure of a man, Dick Tracy was immeasurable.  Today they refer to these people as “peeps” or the “posse”.  Dick only heard the words “Coach” or “Mr. Tracy”.  These three words represented who this man was to so many people and represented the love and respect they thrust upon him.

Dick gave his time, his effort, his insights, and his friendship to his students, to his players, and to all of us at RCN for so many years.  He was a pioneer behind the microphone and he did the job with grace and humility.  His spirit, for me and my colleagues, continues to be a part of every broadcast.

Finally, on a personal note, I will miss my color analyst and my friend.  We had a great run together!  I have no greater wish than for him to meet up with his beloved Mary.  Much like the nights when I returned Dick home only to see her waiting at the door, I am quite certain she waited for him at the Gates!  They will be together again and, despite my sadness, that puts a smile on my face.

Frances Richard “Dick” “Coach” Tracy – May you rest in peace!

However, with both Dick and Mary in heaven together again, I am a bit concerned about God’s peace!

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS)

Not in “Musing” mood this week.

NFL PICKS LAST WEEK – 9-7 (56%)

DENVER
CAROLINA
NEW ORLEANS
PITTSBURGH
DETROIT
NEW ENGLAND
ARIZONA
TENNESSEE
CINCINNATI
ST LOUIS
GIANTS
BALTIMORE
MIAMI
PHILADELPHIA
SEATTLE
JETS

Did you ever wonder why our favorite sport is called “football”?  After all, it is a game that is played primarily with your hands.  Soccer, on the other hand, deserves the name “futbol” because it is played with, well, you can guess.  So why do we call it “football”?  According to Wikipedia:

There are conflicting explanations of the origin of the word “football”. It is widely assumed that the word “football” (or “foot ball”) references the action of the foot kicking a ball. There is an alternative explanation, which is that football originally referred to a variety of games in Medieval Europe, which were played on foot. There is no conclusive evidence for either explanation.

In other words, no one seems to know.

There is one high school coach, however, who knows the name should definitely not be “foot-ball”.  He could appropriately call it “No-foot-ball”.  Kevin Kelley is the coach of Pulaski Academy in Arkansas.  He has been the coach since 2003.  He took over a struggling program and in the past 11 years his team has won three state titles.  His record is 124-22.  AND, except in very special situations, he never punts.  That’s right.  He never punts!!

Why?  Because he has statistically proven that there is no advantage to giving the other team the ball.  Even if you have the ball on your own 5-yard line, Kelley says you should not punt.  If you make the first down, there is no problem.  If you do not, the opponent’s chance of scoring is 92%.  If you punt the ball, statistics show the other team will get the ball around your 40-yard line.  Again, statistics show the opponent still has a 77% chance of scoring.  That’s only a 15% difference.  More numbers – Pulaski gets the first down 50% of the time.  California University professor David Romer agrees.  He said high school punters are very unreliable and therefore high school teams should never punt.  And your chances of making ten yards in four downs as opposed to three are dramatically increased.  The only time Kelley does punt is near the end of a half or at the end of a game when he feels time does not permit the other team to score.

When Kelley’s teams score, he adds another ripple to his unconventional style.  He ALWAYS onside kicks.  His team is successful 20% of the time in recovering the kick.  That is not a very high percentage, but once again, statistics prove his point.  The average drive after a kickoff starts on the 33-yard line.  The average field position after an onsides kick is the 47-yard line, a difference of just 14 yards.  Pulaski will cause a turnover one in five kickoffs – well worth the 14-yard risk.

How do you think Lehigh Valley fans would react to this decision-making?  We all know that fans’ patience with high school coaches’ decisions is far from tolerant.  Going for and failing to make a first down inside your own five-yard line on fourth down would definitely create, to put it mildly, disgruntlement. One of Kevin Kelley’s fellow coaches succinctly explained why he is not a disciple of the Pulaski philosophy, “I like my job, and I would like to keep it.”

This would, however, bring the “foot” back to football, I suppose, because the coach would get “booted” from his job!

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS)

1. I returned from vacation Saturday morning to the devastating news that my friend and fellow announcing buddy for so, so many years, Dick Tracy, had passed away on Friday. My last visit with him suggested it was time.  More on Dick next week.
2. I was off the ship Saturday morning, got home, and back in the broadcasting booth on Saturday night for the opening game of the 2015 football season – William and Mary at Lafayette and now in high definition. It was great to start another season, but my make-up budget just increased dramatically!
3. Friday night football went as expected with the Lehigh Valley teams destroying the teams from up north in the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference OUTSCORING THEM 359-132 (47 by Stroudsburg in a loss). I wonder if I will see the day when the Pocono teams become formidable opponents.
4. Congratulations to Liberty for their win on Saturday night. Bethlehem Catholic took a bit too long to get over opening night jitters; Liberty, not so much.  Despite the outcome of game one, Beca will have a terrific season.
5. I hope you didn’t spend Labor Day “laboring” at the computer like I did.

NEW ENGLAND
GREEN BAY
HOUSTON
CLEVELAND
INDIANAPOLIS
MIAMI
CAROLINA
SEATTLE
ARIZONA
SAN DIEGO
TAMPA BAY
CINCINNATI
DENVER
DALLAS
PHILADELPHIA
MINNESOTA

Green Bay kicks off to Chicago at 1:00 on Sunday, September 13, and the NFC is underway for the 2015 season.  The Eagles do not play until Monday night at Atlanta, so Philadelphia fans need to be a bit more patient (if that’s possible).  To test your patience even further, here are my projections for the NFC.

NFC WEST 

1. Seahawks – This is the strongest defensive division and Seattle is the best of the best. There is no reason to pick against the Seahawks getting to the division championship again and then on to the conference championship.
2. Rams – Nick Foles opens against the Seahawks in St. Louis. A win here could catapult both him and his team to a very successful season.
3. Cardinals – They are always a difficult team to figure out. Defensive coach Todd Bowles went to the Jets.  So if defense is better or worse because of that could spell the difference between success and failure for this team.
4. 49ers – Old players gone; tough schedule; rebuilding. None of these aspects are a formula for success.

 NFC SOUTH 

1. Panthers – They will play against only four playoff teams from last year and QB Cam Newton looked angry and focused in camp. Defense is certainly strong enough to win the division.
2. Falcons – This is just a wild guess, picking them over the Saints, but my prediction is all about new coach Dan Quinn who came over from Seattle. The Falcons will certainly improve defensively.
3. Saints – TE Jimmy Graham is gone; they lost five straight at the end of last year. Their schedule should help them achieve at least a .500 record.
4. Bucs – Bucs’ QB Jameis Winston vs. Titans’ QB Marcus Mariota in game one. Great scheduling; great matchup, EXCEPT neither team is very good.

NFC NORTH 

1. Packers – With a healthy quarterback, they may have been the best team last year. The loss of Jordy Nelson could really hurt their success, but I think they will adjust.  Home field advantage means more to them than any other team in the league.  They play Chicago away and Seattle at home to start the season.  That is an early barometer.
2. Vikings– Yes, the Vikings. Adrian Peterson is back and Teddy Bridgewater is good, potentially very good.  Defense is young and solid.  This is a different Vikings team.
3. Lions – DL Ndamukong Suh (I do not want to type his first name again) was traded to the Dolphins and so, too, is the strength of their defense and a motivational leader.  They should have found a way to keep him.
4. Bears – Their defense will have a new look, but the offense not so much. If QB Jay Cutler plays well, they could move up past the Lions.

 NFC EAST 

1. Eagles – Offensive line aside, this is a much better Eagles team. They are loaded with offensive talent and they have surrounded Sam Bradford with outstanding rushers and receivers.  Is the defense good enough?
2. Cowboys – No offensive line problems here. They may be the best in the NFL.  OR was last season more about DeMarco Murray’s ability?  Time will tell.  Early starts against the Giants, Eagles, Falcons and Saints will offer answers about their defense.
3. Giants – Defense weaker if DE Jason Pierre-Paul is not effective. Can they run?  Can they protect Eli Manning?  Can they stop the run?  Too many unanswered questions.
4. Redskins – I loved RG III when he came into the league. If his offensive line can protect him, he might return to his earlier form.  The defense needs to help him stay in games.

 NFC Championship Game

                         Seahawks defeat the Packers

The 2015 NFL football season is just a little over two weeks away.  The NFL kicks off with the Pittsburgh Steelers taking on the New England Patriots.  That is one of the premiere AFC matchups this season, despite all the controversy and absence of star players.  So, there is no better time to make my AFC predictions for 2015.

AFC WEST 

1. Broncos – Peyton Manning has outstanding receivers, and RB CJ Anderson, a so-so offensive line, but that offense is supported by a very good defense. They should repeat as division champs.
2. Chiefs – Jamaal Charles is, perhaps, the best running back in the league. Jeremy Maclin was brought over from the Eagles because no Chiefs’ wide receiver caught a TD pass last year.  Justin Houston leads an outstanding defense.  Could win division; definitely a wild-card.
3. Chargers – Their schedule is a bit unfavorable – three early starts in the East.
4. Raiders – Oakland is gradually becoming very good with draft choices. Not quite ready to make the playoffs, but the future is bright.

AFC SOUTH 

1. Colts – The Colts record has improved every year since Andrew Luck started at quarterback – wild card in 2012; division playoffs in 2013; AFC title game in 2014. Hmm – what does the mean for 2015?
2. Texans – If they have good quarterback leadership (either Brian Hoyer or Ryan Mallett), this team looks very good. RB Arian Foster’s injury could really hurt them, but their defense, led by JJ Watt, can win games.
3. Jaguars – Despite being young and talented, they are not ready for prime time.
4. Titans – They have an awful schedule that will keep them in last place, but I want to watch Marcus Mariota succeed.

AFC NORTH 

1. Steelers – They are in the toughest division; have a very difficult schedule; a reworked defense. BUT, they could have the best offense in the conference when RB Le’Veon Bell comes back in the third game.
2. Ravens – They are ALWAYS good and this year will be no exception. Five of first seven on the road does not help, but they will make the playoffs.
3. Bengals – The Bengals have not won a playoff game in 24 years. Make it 25.
4. Browns – Are they ever picked anywhere else? Don’t be fooled by easy early schedule.

AFC EAST 

1. Patriots – No Brady early, but they started 2-2 last year. As much as non-New England fans want them to fail, Bill Belichick is still the best coach in the division until someone proves otherwise.
2. Bills – What Eagles’ fan will not be watching LeSean McCoy’s numbers? He will really help the Bills on offense and they always have a good offense.  They have not made the playoffs in 15 years.  Can Rex Ryan get them there this year?
3. Dolphins – I am uneasy about this pick. This team could surprise everyone.  Their schedule, early on, is very easy.  Ndamukong Suh is a great addition to the defense and QB Ryan Tannehill just keeps getting better.
4. Jets – Excellent defense. QB Geno Smith out for awhile. They’re the Jets, however.  Enough said.

AFC Championship Game
                         Colts defeat the Patriots

I was going around the dial this past week and, as is often the case, I stopped at ESPN as they were broadcasting a regional semifinal leading up to the Little League World Series played in Williamsport, PA.  I really enjoyed watching the game. However, I remembered that last year there was a controversial end to the championship when the team from Chicago, Jackie Robinson West, was stripped of their title because they were accused of violating boundary rules.  The Chicago organization is suing to have their title reinstated.  No matter the outcome, the kids are victims here of adult decisions.

With that said, I still intend to tune into the championship series when it begins on August 20 through August 30.

The Chicago incident reminded me of a blog I wrote a while back about Mike Matheny, the very successful St. Louis Cardinals manager. He once was a Little League coach and wrote a letter to parents when he coached his kids in youth baseball.  What he has to say about youth baseball is a message that can and should be read by all parents of all athletes and coaches so that incidents like the one last year would not happen.

To paraphrase some of the points:

1. Coach orphans – the biggest problem in youth sports are the parents.
2. Youth sports should be all about the youths.
3. He had three main goals – teach the players how to play; have a positive impact on them; do everything with class.
4. There will be bad umpiring.  The boys will not be allowed at any time to show any emotion against the umpire.  Parents should do the same. Get them there on time and enjoy the game.
5. A parent should be a silent source of encouragement.
6. If you hand over your child to me to coach them, let me do the job.
7. Spend time with them to help them improve – pitch, hit, field with them.
8. I will demand the proper attitude, concentration, and effort.  These are things they can control.
9. Make your child responsible for his/her own drinks; don’t ask them if they are thirsty or hungry during the game.
10. The kids can miss a game or practice, but out of respect for the other kids there may be some repercussions – running, altered playing time, or batting order position.
11. The coach is always right – even when he is wrong.
12. The boys should come ready to play every time they step on the field – shirts tucked in, hats on straight, and pants not drooping to their knees.  They should always hustle.

There is much more to the letter.  Every parent should read it.  In fact, every athlete should read it.  You’ll find it below.
www.mac-n-seitz.com/teams/mike-matheny-letter.html

In case you did not notice, Mike Matheny, as of this writing, is the manager of the team with the best record in major league baseball.  It has often been said of professional sports that it is men playing a boys’ game.  It seems this manager certainly knows how to coach boys (of all ages).

ABOVE THE EARS

1. Do you realize that Terrell Owens is eligible to be on the Hall of Fame ballot this coming year? His numbers for TDs (153), yards receiving (15,934), and receptions (1078) warrant his admittance, but does his deserved reputation of ruining teams in the locker room also warrant voting “no”?
2. Tuesday, August 11, was the first time in modern Major League baseball history that the home team won every game on the same day. Hard to believe.
3. By the way, college football officials hold on to the game-day footballs right up to kickoff. The NFL allows the home team to prepare and deliver the footballs before the game.  I am assuming that might change.
4. If you needed another reason to watch the Eagles this year, Sam Bradford to Jordan Matthews should be enough. They have the makings of being a spectacular combination.
5. My AFC and NFC predictions are coming the next two weeks and the weekly predictions begin on September 7.

For a sports fan, this past week was rather uneventful.  Unless you are a huge major league baseball fan, there is not much happening in the way of major sports stories.  No important football yet (the Vikings beat the Steelers 14-3 in the Hall of Fame game – ho hum!); NBA and college basketball is done; the ice is gone in the hockey arenas; the PGA is next week and so on.  So, to me, the best competition this week took place in Cleveland when ten Republican candidates took the stage for the first presidential debate of the 2016 presidential campaign.

As far as the game of politics is concerned, this was the opening day in baseball; the start of the NFL season; the dropping of the puck – okay, enough of the analogies.  By now, I guess you can surmise that this week’s blog will not be about sports but about an equally entertaining competition – the race for the presidency.

Based on various polls around the country, Fox News selected the starting lineup – supposedly, the ten most electable candidates.  High ratings were pretty much guaranteed when the poll leader was Donald Trump.  24 million viewers tuned in.  Trump claimed Monday that number would have been no more than two million had he not been on the stage.  I know he is the reason I watched.

Donald did not disappoint.  Although I did feel the moderators treated him rather unfairly with the opening question, he still managed to say things that only he seems to be able to say and, instead of paying a political price for his answers, only gains in popularity every time he says something outrageous and/or ridiculous.  His lead in the polls increased over the weekend to double digits.

If any real good came out of Thursday night for the Republicans, it was the emergence of some of the other starters.  Marco Rubio, although being the youngest candidate, seemed to take the right tone with his answers and came across as both likable and intelligent.  Ohio Governor John Kasich seemed to have the most common sense when dealing with those communities of people that Republicans can’t embrace.  He maintained the Republican principles personally, but showed tolerance for those who did not agree with his opinion.

The losers in my mind were the bickering duo of Rand Paul and Chris Christie as well as the underwhelming performance of Jeb Bush who many believe will eventually get the nomination.  He has to raise his game in the next debate.

Scott Walker, Ben Carson, Mike Huckabee, and Ted Cruz did not stand out in my mind.

Nor did the moderators.  There were very few policy questions, solution questions, and, for that matter, governing questions.

I also am somewhat bewildered that this process has been embraced by the political parties.  No coach would ever want the opposition to know their foibles and weaknesses.  Here, the opponent is given plenty of fodder to use when the REAL campaign begins.  Unlike sports, in politics no scouting report is necessary, no “spygate” needs to be contemplated, and no insider information culled.  The opposition will simply point out the real shortcomings of their own teammates.  Strange.

After this political game film is analyzed, who will learn from their mistakes, who will be benched, and who will be promoted for the next “game”?

Rest assured, there will be changes in the starting lineup!

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME NO-HIT MUSINGS)

1. I guess I should not have been surprised when listening to the tributes given for Frank Gifford following his passing on Sunday, that so many of the observations came from those who were too young to have ever seen Gifford play. I grew up watching Frank Gifford run and catch the ball for both Southern Cal and the Giants; I saw the Chuck Bednarik hit when it happened; and I listened to Frank on Monday Night Football.  He was a special talent for sure.  And I’m old, I guess.
2. 43,000 fans came to Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday to watch the Eagles practice!! It was Military Day and, following the practice, the players gave the members of the Armed Forces who attended their special military version jerseys.
3. Eating crow is not my favorite meal, but if the Phillies continue to play the way they have since the All-Star break, crow will be on my plate. I am actually watching them again and, when I can’t, I am checking scores.  Maybe it was Ryne Sandberg.
4. It is always special to get your first hit in the major leagues. Richie Shaffer of the Tampa Bay Rays got his first hit last Tuesday and it was a home run.  His teammates jokingly gave him the “silent treatment”.  Watch:

5. High school and college football are a month away! I can’t wait!