Chip Kelly became the Eagles’ head football coach in January of 2013.  And, boy, has he shaken things up.

DeSean Jackson is gone; LeSean McCoy is gone; Nick Foles is gone; Michael Vick is gone; and most of the secondary is gone.  Add Trent Cole, Jeremy Maclin, Todd Herremans, Evan Mathis to the “gone” list, and, just this past weekend, Brandon Boykin was let go.

The Eagles were 10-6 in Kelly’s first two years.  They made the playoffs in year one; just missed them in year two.  Not bad, right?  Obviously, it was not good enough for Chip Kelly.  Eleven of last year’s twenty-two starters are gone!  Nine of the eleven were part of the 2013 playoff team.

So, will they be better?

OFFENSE
They will be better at quarterback if Sam Bradford’s knee holds up.  They should be better with both DeMarco Murray and Ryan Matthews sharing running back duties with a sprinkling of Sproles.  They may be equal to last season with this receiving corps and just as good at tight end. The offensive line cannot possibly be better.

DEFENSE
The defensive line is solid.  The exits of Trent Cole and Casey Matthews seem to make the Eagles weaker at linebacker and that is never a good thing.  The Eagles really needed help at cornerback and appear to have acquired that help when they got Byron Maxwell from the Seahawks.  They retained Nolan Carroll and signed four rookies.  Success rests on the improvement of this area over last year.  Malcolm Jenkins returns at free safety, but the strong safety spot does not look particularly strong.

Will they make the NFL playoffs?

For some reason, I have faith in Chip Kelly.  I certainly enjoy his style of football; I respect his confidence in the changes he has made; I like his philosophy of keeping players who love to play football as part of a team.

Eagles’ fans, as we all know, are an impatient bunch (perhaps, much like Kelly himself).  All of Philadelphia is ready for a winning season from at least one of its major pro teams and the city painfully waits for the next championship team.  It will be awhile (make that a LONG while) for the Sixers, Flyers, and the Phillies.  And certainly the expectations rest more heavily upon the Eagles and Chip Kelly to get it done much sooner.  Make no mistake, Kelly knows that and I, for one, think he will excite the Philadelphia masses this year.  I don’t envision a Super Bowl quite yet, but, if at all possible, try to be PATIENT!

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME NO-HIT MUSINGS) 

1. Remember this past Wednesday when Twitter put it out there that the Mets’ Wilmer Flores was traded to the Brewers. Flores got word while he was playing for the Mets and cried in the infield.  He had been in the Mets’ organization since he was 16-years old.  It turns out the internet was wrong.  He remained a Met. Flores capped off the week with a walk-off home run against the Nationals on Friday night.  Watch:

2. Triple Crown winner American Pharoah won the Haskell Invitational in Oceanport, NJ on Sunday. A record crowd of 60,983 people cheered him on.  Betting on him, however, did not make anyone much money – $2.20 on a $2.00 bet.  It is anticipated that the $5 million Breeder’s Cup Classic will be his final race in October.  Then, it’s on to the breeding life.
3. For Eagles’ fans who love to read anything bad about the Cowboys comes the story out of training camp that WR Dez Bryant got into a fist fight with CB Tyler Patmon on Sunday. Each one swung at the other and both missed!
4. Unlike Dez Bryant, UFC Bantamweight champion Rhonda Rousey did not miss her foe on Saturday night. She knocked out the previously undefeated Brazilian Bethe Correia in 34 seconds in Rio de Janeiro.  Her last three fights have lasted a total of 64 seconds!

5. As I write this, the Mets are tied for first place in the National League East and the Phillies are the hottest team in baseball in the last ten games going 8-2. It must be a very cold day in Hades!

This past Saturday, Cole Hamels, purportedly about to be traded this week, pitched a no-hitter for the Phillies against the Cubs.  The final out was quite eventful:

The first players to greet Hamels were Ryan Howard and Carlos Ruiz. Ironically, all three have been rumored to be on the trading block.  This was the 13^th no-hitter in Phillies history.  It was the third no-hitter in baseball this year.  It was the first by the Phillies since Hamels, Jake Diekman, Jonathan Papelbon, and Ken Giles combined for one last year against Atlanta.  Watching this one brought back memories of the night I watched one LIVE.

On September 28, 2012, I was in Pittsburgh to broadcast the Lafayette-Robert Morris football game.  Since it was the night before the game we decided to leave our hotel in Moon Township and travel in to Pittsburgh for dinner.  As we approached the city, we saw the lights on at PNC Park.  The Pirates were playing the Cincinnati Reds.  We decided to forgo dinner at a restaurant and head over to the ballpark.

As the five of us were nearing the stadium, a ticket hawker approached us and offered us five “terrific” tickets for $50.  We were a bit apprehensive, but since the investment was minimal, we took our chances.

Upon entering the ballpark, we discovered it was Fan Appreciation Night and we were all handed a Pirate T-shirt.  The $10 ticket fee was looking better.  It really improved when our seats were located about 15 rows off of third base.  We settled in for some ballpark food and a night of baseball.

It was the bottom of the second inning.  The Reds had scored in the top of the first and had three hits already.  Homer Bailey was pitching for the Reds.  He easily retired the Pirates in order for the second time.  The Pittsburgh leadoff batter in the third reached first on an error by Scott Rolen.  Bailey retired the next three batters.  He followed that by facing the minimum nine batters in innings four, five and six.  Bailey had retired 12 straight and, through six innings, the Bucs had zero runs and zero hits with the only runner getting on via an error.

Bailey issued a walk in the seventh (erased trying to steal).  He got the other two batters.  Now, the entire crowd was beginning to stir.  Homer Bailey was six outs away from a no-hitter.  Even the Pittsburgh fans were beginning to cheer his effort.  The eighth was uneventful – three up, three down.  It was still 1-0 heading into the ninth.

The Reds went down in order.  Now it was Homer Bailey’s turn.  There was tension and anticipation with every pitch.  The atmosphere was electric.  The first Pirate batter struck out; the second flied out.  Only Alex Presley was left.  He popped out to second.  Homer Bailey’s first career no-hitter was complete.  The crowd went wild and everyone knew they had experienced some baseball history.

There were twelve no-hitters that year.  Homer Bailey’s was the last.  Since there were three hits and one run scored before we arrived at the Park, for $10, we saw only four hits (all singles) and no runs scored.  But the night (as MasterCard promotes in their commercials) – PRICELESS!

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME NO-HIT MUSINGS) 

1. The next no-hitter after Homer Bailey’s in 2012 was by none other than Homer Bailey in 2013 against the San Francisco Giants.
2. On June 8, 2012, the Seattle Mariners beat the Dodgers 1-0 and used six pitchers to accomplish the feat.
3. Cincinnati’s John Vandermeer threw consecutive no-hitters four days apart back in 1938 beating Boston and Brooklyn.
4. There have been 22 perfect games (27 batters retired in a row) in Major League history. The last one was in 2012 by Felix Hernandez of Seattle.
5. Bob Feller of the Cleveland Indians threw the only opening day no-hitter on April 16, 1940 against the White Sox and won 1-0.

“Courage” is defined as “the quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face difficulty, danger, pain, etc., without fear; bravery.”  This past Wednesday night the ESPYs aired on ABC and the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage was presented for the 23^rd time.  Previous winners have, for the most part, come from the world of sports like Jim Valvano, Muhammad Ali, announcer Robin Roberts, etc.  There have been other winners, such as Nelson Mandela, who are not sports-related figures.  The winner, according to the award, should always “transcend sports”.

The honor is named for Arthur Ashe because he was a great tennis player (winning three Grand Slam events, including being the first African-American to win at Wimbledon) as well as the first black player selected to the Davis Cup team.  Arthur Ashe contracted HIV from a blood transfusion during his heart bypass surgery and spent the rest of his life educating others about the illness and fighting to defeat AIDS. He died from AIDS-related pneumonia in 1993.  Truly, his was a life that symbolized “courage”.

This year’s winner was Caitlyn Jenner, who you know, unless you have absolutely NO access to anything considered current events and, therefore, probably cannot access this blog anyway, transitioned from being a man to a woman.  Bruce Jenner was a world-class Olympic athlete and, as Caitlyn Jenner, has become the spokesperson for those who feel they are trapped in their bodies.  It certainly took courage for Jenner to not only accept herself for who she is, but also to get “out front” with that decision.  Hopefully, Jenner’s greater acceptance by the general public will help those who are currently battling with gender identification.   I just have a little trouble with the millions of dollars she will make because of it.  She purportedly will receive $5 million for her reality series, “I Am Cait”. She also continues the tradition of the Kardashians’ exploitation of their lifestyle for the mighty dollar.

My vote, if I had one, would have gone to Lauren Hill.  She played basketball at Mount St. Joseph University in Ohio.  Lauren suffered from terminal brain cancer and died April 10, 2015.  She did not choose to make her battle public, but it became news when the NCAA allowed Mount St. Joseph to move up the starting date of their season by two weeks so Hill would get a chance to play prior to her death.  The away game was moved to a home game so she would not have to travel and then moved to a 10,000-seat arena to accommodate the crowd.  She played in four games, made five layups, and served as an assistant coach.  She also helped to raise over $1.5 million for pediatric cancer research.

The only limelight she sought was to help others and that light now shines on the “Layup 4 Lauren” foundation.  She did posthumously receive the “Best Moment” award on the ESPYs Wednesday night.  Her parents accepted for her.  When her parents were asked if she would have thought she should have won the Ashe Award, they responded that that thought would have never entered her mind so she would not have commented at all.

Simply put, Lauren Hill should have won the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage on Wednesday night.  She and Arthur had much in common.

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS) 

1. Golf’s majors are beginning to look like the “Survivor” reality show. After the desert-like conditions of Chambers Bay in Washington State for the US Open, the golfers this past weekend have been battered by the hurricane-like conditions at the British Open.  Charles Darwin and his “survival of the fittest” mentality would have made him a perfect analyst for ESPN.
2. It’s tough on the bicycling front these days, too. Tour de France leader Chris Froome complained that this past Saturday a spectator threw a cup of urine at him and shouted “doper”.  It should be noted that Froome has never failed a drug test.
3. The “deflategate” ball that was caught by LeGarrette Blount for a touchdown in the AFC Championship was sold at auction for $43,740. Does every rule infraction have to be eventually rewarded?
4. Local product and Nazareth High school graduate Sage Karam finished third this past Saturday at the Iowa Corn 300 Indy Car series. He did anger sixth-place finisher Ed Carpenter, however, who said Karam has no respect for the other drivers and “has no clue”.  Karam responded he is “going for the win”.  The former Nazareth wrestler always went for the win.
5. Who is Sarah Thomas? She will be the NFL’s first and only female official this season.  Fans may want to tone down the bad-call expletives.

We all knew the Phillies were going to be “bad” this year.  Every baseball analyst at the beginning of the season predicted that the Phillies would be the worst team in baseball.  It appears, now that we are at the All-Star break, that “worst” may not be a strong enough word.

“Worst” is the superlative for “bad” – you remember how your English teacher talked about degrees of “not good” especially when it came to your English.  In this case, the superlatives for “bad” are “worse” and “worst”, not “badder” or “ baddest”.  I suggest that for the 2015 Philadelphia Phillies, we need to consult a thesaurus to find the appropriate adjective to describe them.  None of the above seem strong enough.

The 1997 Phillies lost 61 games by the mid-season break.  At the All-Star break, this year’s Phillies are 29-62.  Let’s put THAT into perspective.  It is the worst All-Star record for ANY Phillies team in history.    And that is saying something.  Since 1900, of the 20 worst season records in baseball history, the Philadelphia Phillies (6) and the Philadelphia Athletics (3) own nine of them – that’s right – almost half.  By the end of this season, I will probably be able to eliminate the word “almost” from the previous sentence.

The 2015 Phillies have 29 wins, nine fewer than the second worst (I need to find another word) team in baseball right now – the Milwaukee Brewers.  The Brewers are 18.5 games out of first place in the National League Central division, but they are trailing the very best team, the St. Louis Cardinals.  The Phillies are 21 games back!

The Phillies will lose 100+ games.  They have lost their manager (even he couldn’t stand watching this team and he was getting paid for it); Ruben Amaro, Jr. has been just awful as the general manager; and the press only talks about who will be gone on the team roster by July 31.

Their three most recognizable players, Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, and Carlos Ruiz, are batting .226, .179, and .234 respectively.  Statistically, they are among the worst (getting the picture here?) at their position.  And the pitching has been so bad that in one game the bullpen took the phone off the hook!

The Philadelphia Phillies have been around for 133 seasons.  From 2010 through 2012, they ranked first in National League attendance each season, averaging 45,000 fans per game.  This season, they are averaging 24,400.  Everything, it seems, from talent to fan support, is diminishing at an alarming rate.

So how would you describe the 2015 edition of the Philadelphia Phillies – abhorrent, atrocious, hellish, horrible, horrid, nauseating…?  Consult a thesaurus because both you and I know it is “worse” than “worst”!

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS) 

1. There was really good news out of State College this week that freshman Saquan Barkley of Whitehall has impressed the Penn State staff with his athletic ability and his community involvement in the Lift for Life charity. One player was quoted as saying he is a “freak athlete” and that’s a good thing.
2. Good for Lancaster, Pa.! The town more widely known around here for their horse and buggy Amish citizenry put on a great U. S. Women’s Open golf tournament this past weekend.  134,016 fans attended the four-day event and that set a new Open record for attendance.
3. Jordan Spieth won the John Deere Classic, his fourth golf tournament victory of the year on Sunday. He became the first to win four in a year before the British Open since Tiger Woods in 2000.  His golf earnings this year are $8,709,836.  He is 21 years old!
4. Tiger Woods, according to Golf Digest, had a net worth at the end of 2014 of $1.37 billion which includes golf, endorsements, corporate outings, etc.
5. It appears the EPC basketball boys’ and girls’ favorites will be attending school at Parkland. The Stellar tournament is always a good indicator of winter success and the Parkland girls won the championship and the Parkland boys lost in the finals to Archbishop Carroll.  The Parkland football team is heavily favored to win the EPC football championship in the fall.

As I write this, Serena and Venus Williams are next scheduled to play one another in the fourth round at Wimbledon.  It will be the twenty-sixth time that the two sisters have met with Serena leading 14-11.  Venus is 34 and Serena is 33 years old.  It must be especially difficult for Serena to play against her older sister these days knowing that physically, Venus’ career is winding down with fewer Grand Slam title opportunities.

I racked my brain to think of other sibling rivalries or, to be honest, I just Googled “sibling rivalries in professional sports”.  There were some on the list that stretched the concept of “rivalry” because they did not really compete against one another. In the interest of competition, I have chosen the sibling winners, if there is one:

Ozzie and Jose Canseco (baseball) – Ozzie only played 24 games in the major leagues. Jose used steroids and squealed on his fellow players.  But Ozzie was so bad, Jose still wins.

Jason and Jeremy Giambi (baseball) – Jeremy’s career was one of obscurity and Jason’s was tainted by steroids.  No winner here, but Jose Canseco wins the steroid battle over Jason Giambi.

Tiki and Ronde Barber (NFL) – Tiki has records and Ronde has a Super Bowl win and records.  Ronde wins in a squeaker.

Rob and Rex Ryan (NFL) – I don’t like either one.  I refuse to call a winner here.

Leon and Michael Spinks (boxing) – They never fought each other; Michael lost only one fight, but Leon beat Muhammad Ali!  I call this one a draw and demand a rematch.

Eli and Peyton Manning (NFL) – Both have a Super Bowl win.  They seem to really like each other and root for one another all the time.  No real rivalry so no winner!

Lest you think I do not have the credentials to judge here, I will tell you that sibling rivalry was rampant in my house. I grew up with an older brother (six years older) and two younger sisters (one year younger and six years younger).  I don’t think my older brother cared for me that much.  He used to throw darts at my leg and was the happiest when he drew blood.  We settled disputes by putting on boxing gloves and fighting and do I have to remind you that he was six years older (how’s that for parenting?).  I never won.

Since I was always losing to my older brother, I, obviously by default, tormented my sisters.  I used to do whatever I could to upset the oldest one – you know, fake bugs in her hair, or squealing on her so she would be grounded (she spent more time confined to our yard than most of our trees).  I finally stopped when she hit me in the head with a roller skate.

My brother and I told my youngest sister she was adopted and promoted that lie for about seven years.  I’m sure we ruined her self-esteem for years to come.

You see, sibling rivalries are not supposed to be fun; they are not supposed to include wishing your brother or sister well; they are supposed to be highly competitive in all aspects of life.

UNTIL you grow up!

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS) 

1. In case you missed it, you can sleep better now knowing that P. Diddy ( aka “Puffy”, “Diddy”, “Sean Combs”) had his felony charges dropped this past week after his altercation with his son’s strength coach at UCLA. His son was chastised for missing a workout to attend the NBA All-Star game.  “Puff” was just being today’s parent.
2. ESPN says Pete Rose bet on Cincinnati Reds games as a player, not just as a manager. This information was allegedly found in a notebook that has been sealed for the past 26 years.  This may also seal Rose’s fate and keep him out of the Hall of Fame.
3. Sports Illustrated has chosen its Top 50 Fittest athletes in the world – 5. Dez Bryant; 4. Floyd Mayweather; 3. Usain Bolt; 2. Cristiano Ronaldo; 1. LeBron James.

If you want to see all fifty, go to: http://www.si.com/edge/photos/2014/08/05/sports-illustrated-fittest-50-athletes-sports/50

4. The Atlantic League, minor league baseball, adopted some rule changes this past week to speed up the game – Pitchers must deliver a pitch within 12 seconds with no one on base and batters must keep one foot in batter’s box; 2. Defensive teams get three 45-second timeouts per nine innings; 3. Relief pitchers get six warm-up pitches and must complete them in one minute; 4. Intentional walks require no pitches be thrown; 5. The rulebook strike zone will be enforced.  It’s already working – now, on to the Major Leagues!
5. I attended George Pektor’s basketball camp this week to talk to the players right before their lunch break. George is the 16-year-old I wrote about a few weeks ago who put together a camp for inner city kids who could not afford to attend on their own.  I was supposed to give an inspirational talk.  The tables were reversed; George, the coaches, and the kids inspired me!  Congratulations to all.

About two weeks ago (6/15/15) in The Express-Times, Jessica Wohl of the Chicago Tribune wrote an article about unhealthy restaurant meals.  On the list were meals from many restaurants including Red Lobster, IHOP, Outback Steakhouse and Dickey’s BBQ.  Trust me, the article was depressing.

And even worse, it got me thinking about my daily lunch.  Based on where the RCN studio is located and the desire to eat in about one-half hour, the lunch choices are somewhat limited.  So I looked at my own lunch habits and decided to investigate whether I eat a healthy or unhealthy lunch.  My usual haunts are Wawa, Burger King, Five Guys, Moe’s, and, you guessed it, Dickey’s.

Wawa – My normal order here is a Classic BLT with mayo and a TastyPie.  Combining the two equals about 920 calories.  Based on my nutritional knowledge (virtually non-existent), I concluded this is not too bad.  Take that, Jessica Wohl!

Burger King – Obviously, there is a wide variety of choices here so I picked a common order for me – a double Whopper with cheese, French fries, and a chocolate fudge sundae.  As I type this order, I am getting nauseous.  It sounds bad.  Upon investigation I find my conclusion is correct.  This meal contains 1,428 calories, give or take an extra layer of stomach fat.

Five Guys – After my Burger King experience, I dread looking at this one.  My order: a cheeseburger and more fries than any single person can possibly eat (although I give it my best shot).  The calorie total comes to 2,154!!  2,500 calories, according to Wohl’s article, is equivalent to three Big Macs and five vanilla cones at McDonald’s.  The Five Guys total does not even include the peanuts I devour waiting for my meal.  You have to eat them – they’re free!

Moe’s Southwest Grill – I still do not know the difference between all the Mexican things that the food is placed in, so I just order the Homewrecker with steak.  The name itself scares me, but so far, after devouring quite a few of these since Moe’s opened, I am still happily married.  This meal with my ingredients, accompanied by the chips and salsa, is “only” 1228 calories. I’m thinking the Mexicans are on to something here.

Dickey’s BBQ – I finish my tour where it all began – Dickey’s.  I usually order the pulled-pork sandwich with sauce, pickle and onion.  It is imperative to get a “side” and their waffle-fries are the very best.  Dickey’s is also “nice” enough to offer free (there is that word again) soft ice cream. The calorie total is estimated at 1757 calories.

I have discovered that the average male my age should consume 2,500 calories per day in order to maintain my current weight (which, by the way, I would like to reduce).  Since it is now obvious that I pretty much eat enough at lunch to maintain my present weight, what is the end result when I go to Texas Roadhouse for dinner and consume a rib-eye steak, chili, and a salad to pack on another 1,500 calories?  Or head to Ruby Tuesday’s for their ribs, mashed potatoes, salad, and a drink – another 2,000 calories?

I guess the Diet Coke that I usually order is not really helping that much.  And the latest research is beginning to show that diet drinks are not really good for you, either.

I am even more depressed!  I need a snack!

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS)

Newspapers aren’t what they used to be – fewer pages, less news, hardly up-to-date, etc.  But my Saturday paper had a banner day for local sports.  For example: 

1. Ryne Sandberg quit as the Phillies manager. He never had a chance with the team he was given. This experience probably soured him on ever managing again.
2. The US beat China 1-0 in the World Cup quarterfinals. Soccer is exciting when you have a team to root for!
3. Local Liberty High School player Darrun Hilliard was drafted by the Detroit Pistons as the 38^th pick in the NBA draft. The pick certainly will pique my NBA interest if the former Villanova star makes the roster. Best wishes and congratulations to Darrun.
4. Parkland softball pitcher Aubree Fritzinger was named the PIAA state player of the year. Congratulations to her, too!!
5. The Philadelphia 76’ers are being investigated by the NBPA (the players’ union) for losing on purpose (tanking games) the past couple of years. Their plan is to build through high draft choices governed by their season record. It’s obvious tanking is their mindset and it actually could work, but is it fair to the rest of the league, their own players, and, more importantly, the fans? It is not, but don’t expect the union to get anywhere bringing this to light. The League has allowed it to happen.

As a high school English teacher for almost thirty years, I used to get frustrated by the misconception about young people.  Based on newspaper reports and TV news, the only stories readers and viewers often saw about the young were reports of teenagers getting into trouble.  As a teacher, I saw so many really terrific young students, who far outnumbered the troubled ones, that I thought it unfair when people spoke of the “youth of today”.

This week offered up two very good examples of what I am talking about.  On Thursday night, the 45^th annual McDonald’s All-Star Football Classic was held.  This event is held every year to raise money for the many McDonald charities including the Ronald McDonald houses that offer a residence for the families of their hospitalized children.  The game has been responsible for raising close to a million dollars.

This year, 90 senior football players, cheerleaders, and their volunteer coaches suffered through two weeks of practice in extremely hot, humid, and wet weather in order to prepare for the game.  Their only “compensation” was a plaque signifying their participation and the RCN banquet on the eve of the game to thank them.

Their assignment is three-fold – have fun, play competitively, and fill the stands.  They met all their goals.

On Thursday afternoon, I was introduced to George Pektor.  He had just finished his sophomore year at Blair Academy.  George, also, attended Moravian Academy prior to this past year.  George Pektor is a special person.

He understands that he is a person of “privilege”.  He attends elite schools and has had many opportunities not afforded to many and, most importantly and most impressively, he knows it.  He, also, loves the game of basketball.  That love has taken him to a number of expensive AAU and travel basketball programs.  And, despite his young age, he came to realize that there are potentially many good inner city athletes who have not been offered the opportunities he has had.  He felt a duty to do something about that.

During the next two weeks, at the Jewish Community Center in Allentown, the very first GO PRO SKILLS CAMP will take place.  120 boys, ages 13-17, who would not be able to afford or participate in such a program, will learn basketball skills.  In addition, the program will offer both motivational and inspirational messages from both pro athletes and renowned coaches.  Athletic development, as well as personal development, for these young people, were George’s primary goals for the program.

This camp, like all the ones George attended, is expensive.  There were transportation costs, equipment costs, and unforeseen meal costs (the Jewish Community Center required more expensive kosher lunches be served).  Suffice it to say, George needed sponsors.  No problem.  He found seventeen of them!

The years in teaching and in athletics have taught me there are plenty of really good young people out there.

I met 91 of them this week alone!

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS) 

1. The US Open was professional golf at its most dramatic. The course was controversial, prime time TV, the play exhausting to watch at times, the finish spectacular.  ABC coined the phrase – “The thrill of victory, the agony of defeat”.  For this tournament it was the opposite – “The agony of defeat (Dustin Johnson’s missed putts) and the thrill of victory (Jordan Spieth wins it in the clubhouse).
2. I suppose that the ending of the US Open should have been bizarre considering that the golf course looked nothing like a golf course, but more like 30,000 people landed on Mars to watch greens become “browns”, water become “sand traps” (the color was the same), and golfers become lightheaded (Jason Day’ vertigo). Add the new and unfamiliar voices of FOX Sports, the inability, at times, for the cameras to follow the ball, and the overuse of the shot “tracker” and the entire event was most bizarre, indeed.
3. Dustin Johnson’s awful three-putt finish at the US Open did not come close to his final 11-over round in 2011 which included a triple-bogey and double-bogey on consecutive holes.
4. No one was more frustrated with Chambers Bay than Bill Horschel. Watch:

5. The “deflategate” suspension appeal by Tom Brady is this week. Roger Goodell will hear the case.

RCN-TV does a large number of broadcasts.  The viewers at home get a glimpse of the announcers and they, hopefully, enjoy listening to them.  Fans often come up to those same announcers to tell them how much they enjoyed the broadcast, offer some trivia, and converse about the event.  That’s all well and good, but don’t forget the people who do the really hard, physical work behind the scenes – THE CREW!

This past week sure proved that.  As many of you know by now, RCN-TV is the production team for PCN (Pennsylvania’s Cable Network) when they broadcast the PIAA state baseball championships held in State College at the Penn State athletic complex.  That was true again this past week.

The crew arrived on Thursday to set up the wiring, the cameras, the announcing booth, the video connections, and the audio lines.  They left our studio in Bath at 7:00 AM and registered at the hotel after their work was done at @ 6:00 PM.  It was a ridiculously hot and humid day and they worked those hours in the heat and humidity.

On Friday, the day that the four games would be played, we all awoke to such humidity that when the crew arrived at the ball field at 7:00 AM, the air was so thick and heavy, that you could not see the scoreboard.  The saving grace for them, early on, was that the sun was not shining and there was a slight breeze.  That would change over the course of the day.

Despite three well-played games that fit the time frame quite nicely, the sun did come out and was searing for most of the day.  The temperatures reached the nineties; there were two rain-delays (one for ninety minutes that was accompanied by very dangerous lightning), extreme humidity, and one game that just seemed to last forever.  Suffice it to say that the conditions for the entire day were just awful.

I mentioned the crew arrived at 7:00 AM.  The last gold medal was awarded and we signed off the air at 10:15 PM – 15 hours and 15 minutes later!  My day was done.  The crew’s day was not.  Now they had to retrieve all the equipment they worked so hard to put in place the previous day – add another hour and a half – almost 17 full hours.

Four baseball champions were crowned on Friday at Medlar Park at Labrano Field. Unlike the baseball teams that played one game, the crew “played” every game.  The players and coaches all received gold medals and a championship trophy.  There should have been twenty more gold medals passed out that day.  Each member of the RCN-TV crew deserved one.

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS) 

1. Congratulations to the Bethlehem Catholic and Parkland girls for winning the PIAA Class AAA and AAAA softball championships. To be the best in Pennsylvania is an amazing achievement.
2. Any weekend golfer knows that when you are just having a bad hole, you pick up and take double par as your score. Andrey Pavlov is a professional golfer and he did not have the “pick-up” option. On the first hole, a par five, in the Austrian Open, he scored a 17!  He hit the ball in the water hazard six times!  He shot a 90, by the way, 19 strokes worse than the he shot the day before.
3. As I write this, the Phillies have more losses and fewer wins than any other major league baseball team. Does that make them the absolute worst team in baseball?
4. As you know, I have never been a big fan of the NBA, but this current championship series has me hooked. I like the coaching, the effort, the defense, and the talent.  I will watch until the end.
5. Blue Mountain League baseball coverage begins this week on Tuesday night at 9:30. The McDonald’s All-Star football banquet and game are also this week on Wednesday and Thursday. Baseball, eating, and football – sounds like a good week.

Tiger Woods played at the Memorial this past weekend.  He just made the cut on the very last hole.  This was a man who did not miss a cut for seven years!  On Saturday, he shot the worst score of his competitive career, an 85!  He hit seven fairways, nine greens in regulation, hit four balls into the water, and missed three putts inside of five feet.  Zac Blair (who?) played with Tiger on Saturday and beat him by 15 shots!

And, perhaps, that was not the most embarrassing part of the weekend for Tiger.  Because there were an odd number of players who made the cut, Tiger played the final round as the first one out for the day and he had to play by himself!!  He shot a 74 and finished in last place.  I know there are “Tiger-haters” out there and they are probably happy to see him fail.  I, for one, thought that this was a sad moment for one of the greatest ever in his profession.

This got me to thinking about some of the great “falls” in professional sports.

Pete Rose
I just loved watching the way he played the game of baseball.  He just exuded energy and enthusiasm for the game, became the career hits leader, and was destined for the Hall of Fame.  And then, there was the betting scandal, tax evasion, and imprisonment.  And still no Hall of Fame.

Lenny Dykstra
All his problems began after his baseball career – there was bankruptcy, concealing baseball gloves and other souvenirs that were supposed to be part of the bankruptcy, imprisonment, grand theft auto, and filing a false financial statement.  He was never able to “hustle” his way to success after baseball.

Lance Armstrong
He won the Tour de France seven times.  He beat cancer.  He was an American icon.  Turns out, he was a cheater who finally admitted to doping.

Marion Jones
She won five medals in the 2000 Olympics in Sydney and an NCAA basketball championship at North Carolina, but she used performance-enhancing drugs.  She spent six months in jail for lying to a grand jury.

Michael Vick
Football was not enough competition for him.  He decided to finance a dog fighting group.  That turned out to be a serious crime and a public relations nightmare.  He, too, went to prison.

These are just a few of the great falls from grace.  There are plenty of others – baseball’s Ryan Braun, Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds, remember Tonya Harding, Oscar Pistorius, etc.

After thinking about these infamous athletes, I come away thinking Tiger’s problems with the “sticks” are not so bad.  Let’s hope that he thrills us a few more times in his career.

When I have a bad round of golf, I always use the excuse that “I’m working on things.”  At least, Tiger can continue to “work on things”.  You can’t say that for the others.

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS) 

1. As everyone knows, American Pharoah broke the 37-year Triple Crown jinx by winning the Belmont Stakes. The race took two minutes and 26 seconds.  The broadcast took two hours and 45 minutes!  NBC did an outstanding job with all the back stories, the atmosphere, and the actual race.  Jockey Victor Espinoza became extremely likable as the story unfolded and I’m sure was forgiven for his expletive right after winning.  Great story!
2. Since this blog talks about the demise of some of the greatest athletes, how about the amazing success of Serena Williams. She won the French Open even though she was not physically at full strength.  This was her 20^th Grand Slam singles victory of her career.  She, arguably, is the best women’s player ever.
3. For the first time in NBA history, the first two games in the finals went overtime. Two great teams with great players.  I actually watched both and was thoroughly entertained and awed by the talent.  And both teams played defense!
4. On Saturday night, the NHL playoffs continued and Tampa beat Chicago 4-3 to even that series at 1-1. There was an allowed goal that should not have been, a goaltender who left the game twice, a rookie goaltender who had five saves on five shots, and hockey at its best.
5. The RCN-TV crew will be heading to Penn State and Labrano Park for the PIAA state baseball championships to be played on Friday. The broadcasts will be LIVE on PCN beginning at 10:00 AM.

Everybody has an opinion.  We hear it all the time. That’s especially true when the conversation turns to sports – the more passionate the subject, the more vehement the position.  I suppose I am no different.  But there is one new area in college athletics that has me on the proverbial “fence”.  I just do not know where I stand.

There is a new eligibility rule that will go into effect in 2016 for high school athletes looking to compete in college athletics as a freshman.  The rule, adopted in 2012, requires that a high school athlete has a grade point average of 2.3 (up from 2.0) in 16 (up from 13) core courses, 10 of which must be completed by the junior year.  The NCAA adopted the change to insure young athletes are more academically prepared for the rigors of college academics.  This standard must be achieved in order for a student-athlete to play as a college freshman.

The new standards will most impact college basketball and football. The NCAA reported in a poll taken in 2010 that, under the new standard, 43% of college basketball players and 35% of football players would not have been eligible to play as freshmen (15% for all athletes).

The NCAA likens this to an academic redshirt year.  Students can still receive scholarships and practice with the team and be considered a freshman the following year in terms of eligibility.  The hope is that students are as academically prepared for the demands of college as much as being athletically prepared.  It sounds good.

On one hand, requiring greater standards for college students cannot be a bad thing especially in light of the grading scandals that have occurred recently at some of the more revered college programs.  Some would certainly argue that a student who cannot meet this minimum requirement does not belong in college anyway.

Many coaches, however, disagree.  They point to the fact that a student’s senior year in high school has little or no value if minimum standards have already not been met by their junior year.  The NCAA found that 37% of New York students and 44% of Philadelphia students would not be certified to play under the new rule.  Historically, that number had been about 10%.  Some coaches feel that the new rule unfairly targets young minority athletes from both low-income homes and less than stellar school districts.  Add to that, those who go to prep school can only use one course to apply for certification.  The critics of the rule cite many examples of student-athletes who used the opportunity to attain a college degree to create a better life.

I would be happy to tell you where I stand on this issue, but I just don’t know.  But I will be quite interested to follow the ramifications of the new rule.  Will students adapt and raise their personal standards and achieve more or will fewer students ever get the opportunity to attend college as a reward for their athletic abilities?  Stay tuned.

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS) 

1. The Stanley Cup final should be great – Tampa Bay is the #1 offensive team and the Chicago Blackhawks are the #1 defensive team. Both teams are exceptionally quick and loaded with talent.  Well worth watching.
2. Steven Bowditch (ever hear of him?) won the AT&T Byron Nelson Golf Championship on Sunday. It was his second win in two years.  So what? Read his story, however, and you will be quite amazed that he is ever got to play: http://ftw.usatoday.com/2015/05/steven-bowditch-suicide-clinical-depression-to-win-on-the-pga-tour
3. What happens to World Cup soccer if the best teams in Europe do not show up? That seems to be a plan being considered in order to force reform from FIFA after 14 officials were charged this past week by the FBI for numerous offenses.  The plan – no viable teams = no sponsors = drastic changes within FIFA.
4. I just finished the District XI baseball playoffs, but I never saw anything like the AAA championship finish in Washington this past week. Watch what happened:

http://ftw.usatoday.com/2015/05/high-school-baseball-teams-walk-off-win-called-back-after-players-celebrate-too-early

5. Remember when the Phillies had a six-game winning streak? I bet you thought – “There’s a chance!”  As of Monday they have lost six straight, eight of 10, are 10 games out of first place and the Reds and Giants are coming to town.  The only question now is: Who gets fired first?