The teams are set for Super Bowl XLVIII – Denver vs. Seattle.

I would not think there is a tremendous number of people here on the East Coast who are passionate fans of either of these two teams. However, I would think there are a number of fans who put attending a Super Bowl on their “bucket list”. And with the game being played on the “right” coast this year at MetLife Stadium, wouldn’t this be the perfect opportunity to check this one off your agenda?

Before you jump at the chance, there is one very important item you need to consider: THE COST! The cheapest seat (and probably the worst) costs $500. About 39% of the 77,500 tickets will be priced under $1,000 at face value (try to find those). By comparison, the first Super Bowl ticket cost $6; in 2001 the ticket cost $325. And, to be honest, you will probably not be able to get any of these tickets anyway. The NFL controls 25% of the tickets. These end up in the hands of their corporate sponsors. 35% of the tickets go to each of the participating teams.

And making the remaining 5% of tickets available to fans may be a myth. Josh Finkelman of New Jersey believes the NFL only makes @1% of the tickets available for purchase at face value. He feels so strongly that the NFL is gouging the average fan that he has sued them in court. He complains that about 99% of the tickets must be purchased through a middleman. He is seeking hundreds of millions of dollars in damages.

Even if you get a ticket, you also must consider the price of parking. That should be a little less than staying in a New York hotel. The absence of tailgating (forbidden this year) means you should be prepared to pay a week’s wages just to eat and drink inside the venue.

So, if you are still interested and really want a ticket, you can get a $2,600 ducat for the club level and this, too, will give you access to the indoor restaurants. There are $1,500 tickets that do not give you the restaurant access (so see above for additional food costs).

If this all sounds like a hassle and you are reconsidering your “bucket list”, you might want to just literally “go for broke” and consider a VIP Package. Allow me to entice you:

• (4) Upper Level Corner End Zone Super Bowl Tickets
• (4) VIP Pregame NFL Players Party Tickets which includes Hand- Passed Appetizers; Five Gourmet Food Stations prepared by a Legendary Super Chef; Multiple Top-Shelf Open Bars staged throughout the Event; Over 20 Current NFL Players introduced by our Event MC, ESPN Sports Center Anchor Lindsay Czarniak, for Sunday Chalk Talk with our Guests; and VIP Round trip Transportation to Metlife Stadium on Game day!
All-Inclusive Price for Four Guests: $14,500

If you’re like me, you have decided to invite a few friends over for some good food, good drink, and good conversation. Sit back, turn on the TV, enjoy the commercials, the game, go to bed at a decent hour, and sleep knowing you might need to revise your “bucket list” in the morning.

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS)
1. I do not think the high price of a seat has anything to do with it, but Commissioner Roger Goodall will not be sitting in a luxury box for the Super Bowl. His seat will be outside in the stands. By the way, the coldest Super Bowl in history was 39 degrees for Super Bowl VI at Tulane Stadium in New Orleans. That record will be broken this year.

2. With one NFL game left to pick (you’ll have to wait until next week), I finished the season guessing 66% of the games correctly. The last four weeks, I have gone 23-3 and have picked the winner the last six games. It was a good year.

3. “Omaha! Omaha!” Am I the only fan who finds Peyton Manning’s skills to be so good that they are boring? He rarely gets sacked, rarely runs, rarely throws an incomplete pass, rarely looks like he is confused by a defense, rarely throws for less than 350 yards, rarely has fewer than three TD passes, and rarely loses. He’s so consistent; it takes all the fun out of the game.

4. In contrast, I thoroughly enjoy watching Colin Kaepernick play quarterback for the 49’ers. He runs like a running back, avoids sacks like a magician, and sometimes loses. If I was a general manager, I’d rather have Peyton.

5. Ironically, the NFL Network is looking to give up its own Thursday night game broadcasts. They say their viewing audience wasn’t large enough. So ESPN, NBC, CBS, FOX, ABC and Turner Sports are expected to bid @ $800 million for the eight games.

NFL PICKS FOR THIS WEEK
(Last week – 2-0) (174-91-1 66%)

SUPER BOWL PICK COMING NEXT WEEK!

No, this is not a “typo” and yes, I do know how to spell. I can read, too. I was also a college athlete. And from what I have read of a recent analysis of college football and college basketball by CNN’s Sara Ganin, there are too many athletes with very limited ability to read and/or write representing academic institutions:

http://www.cnn.com/2014/01/07/us/ncaa-athletes-reading-scores/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

A career learning specialist, Mary Willingham, researched the reading levels of 183 University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill athletes who played football and basketball from 2004 to 2012. 60% read between 4th and 8th grade levels. Between 8% and 10% read below a third grade level!!

How can these athletes possibly earn a college diploma? Well, that answer lies in cheating on tests, having papers written for them, getting passing grades for classes they never attend, and so on. And why do colleges turn a blind eye to many of these practices – MONEY!!

According to Ganin, the Louisville Cardinals basketball program made a profit of $26.9 million and the University of North Carolina made $16.9 million last year on their men’s basketball programs alone. This is the justification for admitting students with abysmal SAT scores and reading levels below fourth grade (estimated to be @10%). Student-athletes were admitted with SAT scores between 200 and 300 and the lowest possible score on this test is 200 (the highest is 800).

And, perhaps, the first question we should ask is, “How did they ever get a high school diploma?” The system of “rewarding” outstanding athletic talent by not requiring academic success begins here and is perpetuated at the next level.

My collegiate broadcasting experience is with the Patriot League and Lafayette College. Their goals are summed up in their Mission Statement (the underlines are mine):

Mission
The Patriot League promotes opportunities for students to compete in Division I intercollegiate athletics programs within a context that holds paramount the high academic standards and integrity of member institutions, and the academic and personal growth of student-athletes.

Vision
The Patriot League will be the exemplary intercollegiate athletics conference in the country for student-athletes who demonstrate success both in academic achievement and athletic competition.

• Offering broad-based and diverse athletic programs, the League schools are dedicated to shared values of integrity, character and the personal development of all students.
• Student-athletes are provided the opportunity to achieve their athletic potential and compete successfully at the NCAA Division I level.
• The Patriot League will be recognized nationally for the effective integration of Division I athletics into the educational mission of the institution.
• Student-athletes are prepared to become leaders and to make meaningful contributions to society.

If colleges would begin to raise the academic standards required to be admitted and public education would stress those standards at the elementary and high school levels, wouldn’t everyone benefit? If the most motivating goal for some high school athletes is to play at the next level, wouldn’t they raise their bar if the institutions raised the requirement bar? The question remains, however, who is willing to take the first step? My guess is – No One!

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS)
1. Chris Wheeler and Gary “the Sarge” Matthews were dismissed from the Phillies broadcast booth this past week by Comcast SportsNet. Comcast SportsNet signed a 25-year, $2.5-billion contract with the Phillies and, thus, now have control over the TV broadcasting team. What’s done is done. I personally enjoy the radio team of Scott Frantzke, Larry Anderson, and Jim Jackson. Frantzke has said he is not interested in doing television.

2. In other Phillies news, the games that used to be on Channel 17 will now be on Channel 10 which is owned and operated by Comcast.

3. DeSean Jackson’s home was robbed this weekend and the burglars made off with $125,000 in jewelry and $250,000 in cash. He also lost two semi-automatic handguns. I’m having a little difficulty relating to his loss!

4. Speaking of outrageous money, did you see where A-Rod paid $12,000 a month for Performance Enhancing Drugs? His ultimate goal was to hit 800 home runs. He has 654 and will miss all of next season. He will still make $3 million for the year. And, at least, he’ll save $144,000 in “medical” expenses.

5. Did you see that in the last three weeks, I was 21-3 on my picks? 4-0 this past weekend. The NFL matchups this coming weekend could not be much better. So, please don’t bother me on Sunday.

NFL PICKS FOR THIS WEEK
(Last week – 4-0) (172-91-1 65%)

SEATTLE
DENVER

Behind the Mic:  No More BCS

Well, hopefully, we have seen the last of the BCS College Football Championship. It will be replaced with the CFP (College Football Playoff) in order to determine a national champion for the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (why does it have to sound so complex?).

Under the new system, four teams will play in two semifinal games (#1 vs. #4, #2 vs. #3), with the winners advancing to the championship. There is a rotation system in place to keep the major bowls viable. On consecutive days around New Year’s Day, the Rose and Sugar Bowls will host the semifinals; in 2015, the Orange and Cotton, and in 2016, the Fiesta and Chick-Fil-A. During the off-years, these bowls will have the remainder of the games featuring the other top eight teams not in the top four. Computers will not be used to select the teams, as they are now. Instead, a committee of 13 people, made up of ADs, former ADs, coaches, media members, etc. will select and seed the teams. Throughout the season, this committee will meet and release rankings. They will weigh strength of schedule, records, conference champions and head-to-head results.

Next year’s championship will be played on January 12, 2015 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. ESPN has the rights to the playoff games through 2025 at a cost estimated to be $7.3 billion ($608 million per year for the seven games). If you do not want to do the math, that’s $86 million a game!

The system differs from the FCS (Football Championship Subdivision) where Lafayette and Lehigh reside. Their playoff system consists of 24 teams with the top eight getting a bye week. It takes five weekends to name a national FCS champion. That is still the fairest system.

In a year where I felt Auburn should have played Alabama again for the national championship (before I watched the Oklahoma-Alabama game), the new system will certainly be an improvement. I would have liked to have seen an 8-team playoff system, where a champion could be determined in three weeks, but this is certainly a better system. But there will still be plenty to debate between #4 and #5. Who gets the shot and who doesn’t? With that said, I still really look forward to the last two weeks of college football in 2016 for sure.

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS)
1. How about those NFL wild card games this past weekend? Could there have been more exciting and, for some fans, more excruciating games? Three of the four came down to the very end and three of the four played in the worst possible weather. The Indianapolis game in the dome turned out to be a pleasant relief from the “freezer” games.

2. The Eagles game, in particular, had so many “what-ifs”. What if they make an early field goal and put three points on the board (they lost by two)? What if Riley Cooper catches a wide-open pass which most assuredly would have led to a score of some kind? What if the Eagles score the go-ahead touchdown and do not leave so much time on the clock for the Saints and Drew Brees? What if a horse-collar tackle is not made and the runback goes for a touchdown on the kickoff and the Eagles have time to score themselves at the end? What if?

3. Is there a rule in the NFL that offensive and defensive linemen cannot wear long shirts? I know these guys are tough, but in subzero weather!! Is “tough” defined as “stupid”?

4. I still vividly remember the trip to North Dakota State back in 2011 when Lafayette opened their football season. It is a unique place for sure – meat raffles, dogs on bar stools, a town that closes down on football day, etc. Lafayette lost 42-6 that night. Well, that same North Dakota State team just won their third straight FCS national football championship this past weekend by a 35-7 score over Towson. Head coach Craig Bohl is now headed to Wyoming to coach the Cowboys. I would not think Wyoming is a booming metropolis either.

5. I sure hope we get to broadcast some high school sporting events this week. Three high school basketball games are on tap and a huge wrestling match (Nazareth at Bethlehem Catholic). Now we just need some cooperation from the weather.

NFL PICKS FOR THIS WEEK
(Last week – 2-2) (168-91-1 65%)
SEATTLE
NEW ENGLAND
SAN FRANCISCO
DENVER

Gary is on vacation this week so he asked Jim Best, RCN high school wrestling color commentator, for his thoughts on local high school wrestling: 

The winter sports season is in full swing, and with it comes extensive coverage of local high school wrestling action. This will be my ninth “RCN” season, working alongside Scott Barr, commentating on some of the best high school wrestling action in the nation. With every new season, Scott and I find ourselves in conversations about District XI wrestlers that graduated and went off to college to 1) further their education, and 2) extend their respective wrestling careers. This season has been no different, and we are fortunate to have plenty of wrestlers to discuss. District XI has long been considered a “hot bed” of high school wrestling by college wrestling coaches, so it is no surprise that the most recent Division 1 college wrestling rankings have eight former District XI wrestlers ranked among the top 20 wrestlers in their respective weight classes. Although I have never been a huge fan of “rankings” in any sport (I much prefer the pecking order to be determined via head to head competition), the rankings that I trust the most come from the writers of the Amateur Wrestling News publication.  This publication is the Sports Illustrated for passionate wrestling fans like myself – we rejoice on the day that the monthly publication arrives in the mailbox!

Corey Keener (freshman, Central Michigan) from Blue Mountain High School is ranked seventh in the 125 pound weight class. Zach Horan (sophomore, Central Michigan) from Nazareth High School is ranked eleventh in the 141 pound weight class. Josh Kindig (junior, Oklahoma State) from Blue Mountain High School is ranked sixth in the 149 pound weight class. Mike Ottinger (junior, Central Michigan) from Parkland High School and Elliot Riddick (freshman, Lehigh) from Bethlehem Catholic High School are ranked ninth and fifteenth respectively in the 174 pound weight class. Jimmy Sheptock (senior, Maryland) from Northampton High School is ranked third in the 184 pound weight class. Brandon Palik (senior, Drexel) from Saucon Valley High School is ranked thirteenth in the 197 pound weight class, and Justin Grant (senior, Bloomsburg) from Easton High School is ranked nineteenth in the 285 pound weight class (also referred to as “heavyweight”).

In addition, there are several other former District XI wrestlers that are making noise in the college wrestling world. Mitch Minotti (Easton/Lehigh), Mike Racciato (Penn Argyl/University of Pittsburgh), Cole Sheptock (Northampton/University of Pittsburgh) and Darian Cruz (Bethlehem Catholic/Lehigh) are all “knocking on the door” to enter the top 20 rankings. At the Division 2 level, Ziad Haddad (junior, Kutztown University) from Bethlehem Catholic High School is ranked first in the 285 pound weight class, Evan Yenolevich (senior, Kutztown University) from Northwestern High School is ranked ninth at the 133 pound weight class, Bradan Turner (senior, East Stroudsburg University) from Northampton High School is ranked eleventh at the 165 pound weight class, and at the Division 3 level, Mark Hartenstine (senior, Wilkes University) from Easton High School is ranked fifth at the 149 pound weight class.

Now, these are just the guys that I currently keep track of. There are plenty more former District XI wrestlers who are “out there” and competing at the collegiate level, and I apologize for not recognizing them in this blog. Some of these wrestlers continue to compete because they receive the rare wrestling scholarship money as a reward for their wrestling abilities, but all of them continue to compete because they love the sport of wrestling. My guess is that none of them are competing to get mentioned in this blog!

Like every athlete that competes at the collegiate level, these wrestlers need to delicately balance the demands of training and competing with the demands of excelling in the classroom. As an observer from afar, and as a former college wrestler, I have the utmost respect for how these young men conduct themselves and keep their priorities in perspective. Over the years, numerous District XI wrestlers, that competed at the collegiate level, returned to the area after graduation and have since contributed to the local high school wrestling scene in a coaching role.

As a District XI wrestling community, we should be proud of these athletes and continue to fully support them, in whatever ways that we can, no matter where they are now.

NFL PICKS FOR THIS WEEK
 Last week – 15-1; (Overall:  166-89-1 – 65%)
Kansas City
Cincinnati
San Francisco
Philadelphia

BEHIND THE MIC:

Since this is my final blog for 2013 (Scott Barr and Jim Best will fill in for the next two weeks), I thought this would be a good time to look at New Year’s resolutions. Early research indicates that 52% of people want to lose weight; 43% want to improve their general health; 18% want to start a fitness program; and 15% want to curb stress and anxiety.

That all sounds like a great start to a healthy 2014, doesn’t it? However, only 11% of people polled thought they would actually stick to their resolution; 68% would abandon them in January; and 11% said they did not think they could even get through the first six days of the New Year.

Let me offer up 10 possibilities that you may WANT and actually BE ABLE to achieve:
1. Travel
2. Socialize more; Facebook a little less
3. Buy less expensive coffee on your way to work
4. Talk more than text
5. Watch less reality TV
6. Read a good book
7. Save more money
8. Leave work on time more often
9. Learn to use Twitter; it can be fun
10. Walk more

Trying to do the things on this list should improve both your physical and mental health (weight loss is optional). Plus, they all seem very doable. So by this time next year, you might actually get a little self-gratification, too. And that’s not a bad thing.

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS)
1. Can anyone figure out the NFL? San Diego beats Denver; Miami beats New England; Minnesota beats Philadelphia; St. Louis destroys New Orleans; Pittsburgh over Cincinnati. If you need a reason NOT to bet on NFL games, this weekend should prove that to you.

2. We know that CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy) has been found in football and hockey. Now they have found it in baseball. One year after the suicide death of Cincinnati player, Ryan Freel, the Boston University School of Medicine has diagnosed Freel with Stage 2 CTE. Stage 2 CTE caused by concussions is associated with erratic behavior and memory loss. This year alone, 18 baseball players were placed on the disabled list after concussions – 10 of them were catchers.

3. Did you notice that the Eagles played Green Bay when the Packers did not have Aaron Rodgers (a win!); they played Detroit without Reggie Bush (a win!); they played Minnesota without Adrian Peterson and the Vikings only won three games with him (48-30 loss! What??).

4. Remember Liberty’s Darrun Hilliard? The junior scored 21 points this past Sunday to lead #9 Villanova to their 10th consecutive win this year without a defeat. I saw two of our best local high school players last Friday night – Central Catholic’s Muhammad Ali Abdur Rahkman and Dieruff’s Tyler Kohl. They scored 57 points – Rahkman: 32; Kohl: 25. They should both be playing major college basketball this time next year. Get out and see them play!

5. Finally, I want to thank all of you for the kind comments throughout the 2013 sports season and I want to wish you and your family a wonderful holiday and a very Happy and Healthy New Year!! See you in 2014!

NFL PICKS FOR THIS WEEK
(Last week – 9-7) (140-83-1 overall – 63%)
MIAMI
CAROLINA
CINCINNATI
DENVER
TENNESSEE
KANSAS CITY
JETS
ST. LOUIS
DALLAS
DETROIT
SEATTLE
GREEN BAY
SAN DIEGO
NEW ENGLAND
PHILADELPHIA
SAN FRANCISCO

BEHIND THE MIC:  Top Searches of the Year

Within the past week, Yahoo released its lists for 2013: Top-Searched Teams; Top-Searched Athletes; Top-Searched Girlfriends. Let’s take a look (not at the girlfriends – I’ll leave that up to you).

Top-Searched Sports Teams on Yahoo in 2013:
1. Dallas Cowboys
2. Boston Red Sox
3. Green Bay Packers
4. Los Angeles Lakers
5. Detroit Tigers
6. Pittsburgh Steelers
7. Los Angeles Dodgers
8. New York Yankees
9. Denver Broncos
10. Milwaukee Bucks

What’s wrong with these people? The Steelers appear to be the most popular team in Pennsylvania. Where are the Eagles, the Phillies, and the Flyers? In fact, where is any hockey team? And why Dallas – are they still really “America’s team” despite their recent failings? The Yankees at #8 is a surprise to me. Aren’t they loved AND hated enough to be higher? And to be beaten out by three spots to the Detroit Tigers and four spots by the Dodgers! Is the temperature dropping in Hades? The Milwaukee Bucks over the Miami Heat – what’s up with that?

Maybe I can make more sense out of the Athletes searched this past year:

Top-Searched Athletes on Yahoo 2013:
1. Tim Tebow
2. Tiger Woods
3. Danica Patrick
4. Lindsey Vonn
5. Ronda Rousey
6. Lamar Odom
7. Tito Ortiz
8. Serena Williams
9. Maria Sharapova
10. Gina Carano

What? Obviously, I cannot make more sense out of this list, either. Tim Tebow has an offer to play football in Italy, but he can’t make a team in America. He’s #1?? Wouldn’t it have been nice to put Lindsey Vonn and Tiger Woods next to each other? They are a couple, you know, and I don’t like seeing Danica Patrick come between them. Lamar Odom – seriously – his personal life and Kardashian connection create interest – his 2013 athletic achievements – not so much? Serena and Maria: I would not have guessed that women’s professional tennis would create such interest. Perhaps, it’s not the tennis.

I had to look up Ronda Rousey, Tito Ortiz, and Gina Carano. Who are they? It turns out that they are all associated with the MMA (Mixed Martial Arts). And by looking them up, I have added to their popularity. Go figure.

And to satisfy your curiosity, the top-searched athletes’ girlfriends on the list are:

Top-Searched Girlfriends on Yahoo in 2013:
1. Tim Tebow’s girlfriend
2. Tiger Woods’ girlfriend
3. A J Mccarron’s girlfriend
4. Colin Kaepernick’s girlfriend
5. Johnny Manziel’s girlfriend

It appears that the road to finding that special someone is to be a quarterback or the world’s best golfer. Glad I could help!

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS)
1. The Sunday snow sure made for some interesting NFL watching. The Eagles game was just plain fun to watch. It could foreshadow the possible weather conditions for this year’s Super Bowl. Is that a good thing?

2. Did you take notice that of the eight teams that will vie for the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association state football championships in four classes, six are private schools and just two are public schools. Eventually, there will be an outcry from the public school sector.

3. It looks like Auburn vs. Florida State for the NCAA BCS National Football Championship. It should be a high-scoring, entertaining game.

4. The scene: Golf’s World Challenge: Par 4 – Final Hole – $1,000,000 prize – tied for the lead with Tiger Woods. That’s what faced Zach Johnson on the 18th hole on Sunday. He hit his second shot in the water. Tournament over? Not so fast – put the ball in the drop area – one stroke penalty – and hit the fourth shot 58 yards in the hole – easy par! Tie Tiger. Beat Tiger in the playoff. Have a nice day.

5. Nelson Mandela was rarely mentioned in a sports story. In his autobiography there is no mention of sports, but no event in South Africa symbolized what he spent his life fighting for than the rugby World Cup in 1995. South Africa won and, as president of the country, he embraced the blond captain of the traditionally white team, and symbolized his desire to unite the country and put an end to apartheid. It’s all there in the movie Invictus.

NFL PICKS FOR THIS WEEK
(Last week – 11-5) (131-76-1 overall – 63%)

DENVER
JACKSONVILLE
INDIANAPOLIS
PHILADELPHIA
SAN FRANCISCO
CAROLINA
GREEN BAY
TENNESSEE
CHICAGO
PATRIOTS
SEATTLE
ATLANTA
KANSAS CITY
NEW ORLEANS
CINCINNATI

Dream Come True Telethon

I love my job. Make no mistake about it. In the past few weeks, I have been able to watch our local high school football teams compete for a conference championship, a District title, and make a run for a state championship. In addition, I was able to broadcast the 149th edition of the Lafayette-Lehigh football game and begin the college basketball season with the Lafayette men’s team. Right around the corner is another season of high school and college basketball which will quickly take me through the winter and into March Madness. It’s the best.

There is one night a year, however, that is even better. It is the night that I co-host the Dream Come True Telethon. On Monday, December 9, we will do the Telethon for the 28th year. I have not hosted all of them, but in the early years, I made sure I was a guest on the show. The Dream Come True organization, in case you did not know, was founded in 1984 by Kostas Kalogeropoulous, 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 and I have been hosting together for many, many years. He handles the auction area and, boy, is he terrific! If you watch Home Shopping Network or any of the other all-day shopping TV channels, just watch Scott do his thing during the four-hour night. He is as good as, if not better, than the professionals.

There is always a variety of unique items donated by local businesses as well as our friends from the cable TV networks. If you want something really unique and not found in any store, tune us in and bid on the items. You’ll make Scott’s night.

Ann Savkova, our excellent parade announcer, will do many of the interviews with the children who have had their dreams fulfilled. She is a pleasure to have as part of the team.

We will, once again, be at The Outlets at the Sands. They were wonderful hosts last year as we broadcasted for the very first time from this venue. It is an exciting location and we enjoyed the new “digs”. You certainly are invited to stop by, say hello, and, hopefully, make a donation. It is a great place to shop and giving to Dream Come True will certainly get you into the holiday spirit.

The important facts are:
The Date: Monday, December 9
The Time: 6:00 – 10:00 PM
The Location: The Outlets at the Sands
The Television Dial: RCNTV channels 4 and 1004 (HD)
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

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS)
1. I know that this past Friday is known as Black Friday, but since I would never shop that day, it means very little to me. However, I did suffer through Black Saturday when all of our local football teams went down to defeat – Lafayette lost 45-7 to New Hampshire; Parkland lost 21-10 to St. Joe’s Prep and Catty lost 49-0 to Imhotep Charter. It was a “black” day indeed.

2. There were some amazing college football games on TV this past weekend. Penn State was a 24-point underdog to #15 Wisconsin and beat them 31-24. I watched as #17 LSU needed to go 99 yards in the final minute to beat Arkansas 31-27. Arkansas did not win an SEC game all year. And the best of all was watching Auburn’s Chris Davis return a missed field goal 107 yards with no time left to give #1 Alabama their first loss in 16 games. Can we actually have a BCS championship game without an SEC representative? We can and probably will, but I still think Alabama and Auburn are the two best teams in college football. Again, no true championship decided on the field.

3. Dare I forget that Ohio State beat Michigan 42-41? Michigan coach, Brady Hoke, decided to go for two points in the last few seconds. It failed. Speaking of that rivalry, Sunday Night’s 60 Minutes did a feature on a young boy who is an avid Ohio State fan. He has brain cancer but hates the word “cancer”. He calls his tumor “Michigan”.

4. Speaking, again, of good football, 10 NFL games were decided by seven points or less this past weekend – two went overtime and NOTHING changed in the standings or the Wild Card scenarios.

5. The Lafayette women’s basketball team is off to a very impressive 5-2 start with wins over Rider, Brown, Columbia, Pit, and Loyola of Chicago. RCN-TV will broadcast the first women’s game of the year on Sunday, December 8, LIVE at 2:00pm. Join us.

NFL PICKS FOR THIS WEEK
(Last week – 11-5) (120-71-1 overall – 63%)
HOUSTON
BALTIMORE
CINCINNATI
NEW ENGLAND
JETS
PHILADELPHIA
PITTSBURGH
BUFFALO
KANSAS CITY
ATLANTA
DENVER
ARIZONA
SAN DIEGO
SEATTLE
NEW ORLEANS
CHICAGO

An Algorithm: Founder + CEO = Girls’ Basketball Coach?

I spend part of my Sundays watching two programs – Sunday Morning and 60 Minutes. I watch because I always learn something and find both programs very interesting. This past Sunday (11/24/13), 60 Minutes featured a story about Malcolm Gladwell, the author of a current New York Times bestseller titled, David and Goliath. The book examines the struggles of underdogs versus favorites. Part of Gladwell’s research took him to Vivek Ranadive.

Ranadive, a native of India, arrived in America with $100 in his pocket and one semester paid at MIT. He obtained his Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in four years and then an MBA from Harvard University. He went on to become the founder and CEO of TIBCO, a multi-billion dollar computing company.

The 60 Minutes piece, however, has nothing to do with the business acumen that Ranadive obviously possesses, but instead deals with his approach to coaching basketball for his daughter’s middle school team. Ranadive NEVER played the game of basketball, he never dribbled a basketball, he never scored a basket, and, obviously never was asked to coach a basketball team. As a matter of fact, he never TOUCHED a basketball. Add to the self-admitted lack of basketball knowledge, he, also, had a team that had very little talent and virtually no ability to put the ball in the basket. So he approached the job like he approached the business world – create an algorithm (a step-by-step procedure for calculations), study all aspects, analyze what works and what doesn’t, examine your staff (team) and figure out a path to success.

He observed that the only way his team could score was by shooting lay-ups. The only way they could shoot lay-ups was to steal the ball from the other team. His girls could run – they couldn’t shoot. He decided not to even practice shooting. It was fruitless. Instead, he taught them to press, double-team and triple-team all over the court. With a steal and a quick pass, his girls could shoot lay-ups, the only shots at which they were adept. They frustrated their opponents to the point where one opposing coach threatened to beat him up after a game. His team played so well that the girls competed in the state championship. It was coaching genius, or perhaps more accurately, just genius.

He literally fell in love with basketball. So he took, for him anyway, the next natural step, a new algorithm: Love of Game + Plenty of Money = Buy a Team. And he did.

First, he became co-owner of the NBA’s Golden State Warriors, the first person of Indian descent to do so. He had to sell his share of that team in order to become the leader of the ownership group that bought the NBA’s Sacramento Kings.

Perhaps we should all spend a little more time studying algorithms.

You can watch the 60 Minutes piece at:
http://cowbellkingdom.com/2013/11/25/watch-vivek-ranadive-interviewed-for-malcolm-gladwell-piece-on-60-minutes/

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS)
1. On Friday night, Kareem Williams of Parkland rushed for 309 yards and four touchdowns. In the past two weeks, he has run for 536 yards and six TDs and has 1,830 yards for the season. BUT it is not even the best rushing performance in his family. Brother Andre, a Parkland grad, rushed for 602 yards the past two weeks for Boston College against North Carolina State and Maryland. He became only the 16th player in NCAA history to surpass 2,000 yards in a season (Barry Sanders, Marcus Allen, LaDainian Tomlinson, Ricky Williams, to name a few). He leads the nation in rushing and is being considered for the Heisman Trophy. Boston College has one more regular season game against Syracuse.

2. Speaking of rushing performances, Nick Savant of Saucon Valley is the leading rusher this season in the District with 2,135 yards.

3. We will continue the state championship run by our local teams on RCNTV -4/1004 HD this Saturday with LIVE coverage of St. Joe’s Prep vs. Parkland in a PIAA AAAA game at 1:00pm and Imhoptep vs. Catasauqua in a AA tape-delayed game at 7:00pm.

4. Drew Reed, the Lafayette freshman QB “phenom”, was named both the Offensive Player of the Week and the Rookie of the Week in the Patriot League after his MVP performance in Lafayette’s 50-28 win over Lehigh. He was also named as a finalist for the Jerry Rice Award given to the top FCS freshman in the country. Lafayette next moves to the FCS playoffs against New Hampshire. Twenty-four teams will battle it out for the National Championship. You can watch the game Saturday at noon on ESPN3.

5. During this Thanksgiving week, the RCN sports staff thanks all of our viewers for spending time with us during the football season. Enjoy the family, the football and the turkey!

NFL PICKS FOR THIS WEEK (7-6-1: Last week; 109-66-1 overall 62%)
DETROIT
DALLAS
PITTSBURGH
MIAMI
CLEVELAND
CHICAGO
DENVER
INDIANAPOLIS
CAROLINA
PHILADELPHIA
BUFFALO
SAN FRANCISCO
NEW ENGLAND
SAN DIEGO
GIANTS
SEATTLE

Incognito – I think Not

You often hear people talk about “living up to your name”. That usually implies you come from a famous, over-achieving family and your life will be scrutinized to determine if you are carrying on the successes. I suppose that if your name is Incognito, you live up to that moniker by simply not doing anything of notoriety.

Richie Incognito is certainly NOT living up to his name. Even before the incident that got him suspended from the Miami Dolphins, he was ejected from games in college, charged with assault after a fight at a party, voted the dirtiest player in the NFL in 2009, let go by the Rams because of a disagreement with the coach, and heavily fined for altercations on the field. He has done just about everything but remain incognito in his football career. But even those incidents pale in comparison to the latest firestorm he has created in the NFL.

If you are reading this and you are not a sports fan (first of all, thank you), Incognito has been publicly accused of ruthlessly bullying a Dolphins teammate, fellow offensive lineman Jonathan Martin. The bullying came in the form of racist remarks, threats (real or in “fun”), and other hazing practices. Incognito, Dolphin players and, in some ways, even Martin blame the culture that envelops pro football as the true culprit. In the near future, more and more information about the relationship of these two men will certainly surface, but if you want to have a lively and, hopefully, educational conversation with others ask, some of these questions:

1) Is this situation more about an individual or more about a culture?
2) Should Jonathan Martin have simply stood up to the bully, like many of us were taught as kids, or simply walk away like HE was probably taught as a kid?
3) Are the Dolphin teammates who came out in support of Incognito as much responsible for the culture that created this problem?
4) Isn’t there one person in an NFL locker room who believes “rookie hazing” has gotten out of hand (read about Cam Cleeland’s 1998 initiation with the New Orleans Saints where he had to run a gauntlet with a sheet over his head, was hit by a sock filled with coins, and shattered his eye socket)?
5) If we love football because of the violence and the aggression, should we really be shocked that the players are violent and aggressive?
6) Are you leaning towards putting more of the blame on Incognito, Martin, or the NFL?
7) How would you rule in this case if you are the NFL commissioner?

Answer the questions as a group or for yourself now and then compare them to the answers that should be coming soon from the NFL.

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS)
1. We often hear that this or that competitive contest is a “game of inches”. Lafayette had a third and one, followed by a fourth and one and gained only inches. They did not gain 36 inches, however, and any chance to beat Colgate and guarantee themselves a share of the Patriot League title was lost…by mere inches!

2. Did you ever wonder about those people who enter eating contests (hot dogs, wings, etc.)? Bill “El Wingador” Simmons is one of those guys. He is a five-time champion of the 94 WIP (Philadelphia radio) Wing Bowl. In his last attempt to win again, he devoured 250 wings, well short of the 337 wings eaten by the champion. “El Wingador” did not get the $20,000 first prize. He needed the money. On June 12, 2012, he was arrested for selling cocaine and in October 2013 was sentenced to seven years in prison. He will miss Wing Bowl 21 in more ways than one.

3. Word is that the Phillies actually would like to sign both Roy Halladay and Carlos Ruiz for next year. Because Halladay is coming off shoulder surgery, the chances are much greater that he could remain a Phillie than they are for Ruiz. Carlos is testing the free agent market and quite a few major league teams are in need of a good, everyday catcher. It probably is good-bye to Chooch.

4. District football action continues this weekend and the AAA and AA champions will be crowned, with the winners moving into the state playoffs. RCN-TV has Parkland at Whitehall LIVE on Friday night at 7:00pm followed by Palisades at Catasauqua for the AA championship at 9:30pm. The AAA title will be decided Saturday night when Southern Lehigh hosts Bethlehem Catholic LIVE at 7:00pm on RCN-TV.

5. Lafayette takes on undefeated (10-0) Fordham (#6/7 in the FCS polls) Saturday at 3:30pm. Catch that game LIVE also.

NFL PICKS FOR THIS WEEK (6-8: Last week; 92-55 overall 63%)
INDIANAPOLIS
JETS
CHICAGO
CINCINNATI
HOUSTON
ARIZONA
PHILADELPHIA
DETROIT
TAMPA BAY
SAN DIEGO
NEW ORLEANS
SEATTLE
GIANTS
DENVER
CAROLINA

Drew Reed and “Opportunity”

Good writers often refer to clichés as “unoriginal thoughts”.

Allow me to illustrate. The scenario: The starting quarterback suffers a concussion and cannot return to action. The backup quarterback performs adequately, but not up to the standards set by the head coach. The head coach makes a change. His next choice and third choice is a freshman who has played one down of college football (he was sacked, by the way, on that play).

So the “door of opportunity” or “a golden opportunity which comes by once in a lifetime” was accepted by Lafayette freshman quarterback, Drew Reed. He did not let “yet another golden opportunity slip away”. And, by now, I have used up my litany of “unoriginal thoughts”. So, just let me tell you about Drew Reed.

He played high school football for Arlington High School in Lakeland, Tennessee. He threw for over 6,000 yards and 70 touchdowns. In his senior year alone, he threw for 1,470 yards, completed 63% of his passes, and threw 15 touchdowns by the sixth game! Then he broke his collarbone. This ended his season and, in essence, ended some of his attractiveness to big-time college football programs.

It took a phone call from an assistant coach at Georgia Tech to Lafayette’s offensive coordinator to put Drew on the Leopard radar screen. The coach said that Drew would be a perfect fit for the Patriot League and for Lafayette – excellent academics, model teenager, and outstanding potential. All he needed was the “opportunity”.

The “door of opportunity” came at the start of the second half against Harvard. Lafayette had scored just three points in the first half. On Drew’s first play he threw an interception. His career statistics at this point were: one run for -9 yards; 0-1 passing with an interception. Was “a golden opportunity slipping away”? Far from it. Drew went on to complete 17 of his next 21 passes for 235 yards and two touchdowns. That performance earned him a starting nod for the next game against Holy Cross.

His passing numbers for the Holy Cross game were even more astounding – 21 completions in 22 attempts with 20 completions in a row (tying a Patriot League record) to end the game for 283 yards and five touchdowns! He was named the National FCS Player of the Week and the Patriot League Offensive Player of the Week and the Rookie of the Week, an achievement that had never been done before. At this point, he had more touchdown passes (7) than incompletions (6)! This past week against Georgetown, he was 18 for 24 for 275 yards and four more touchdowns! To date, he has completed 82% of his passes (unheard of) for 11 touchdowns in just 10 quarters of college football. More importantly, he has helped to put Lafayette in sole possession of first place in the Patriot League.

“Opportunity knocked”, Drew Reed answered, and he has certainly “made the best of the situation”. Enough! I am clichéd out!!

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS)
1. The Eagles destroyed the Oakland Raiders this past Sunday. Ironically, the Raiders’ quarterback, Terrell Pryor, was recruited heavily out of high school by Eagles’ coach, Chip Kelly. Kelly believed Pryor would be the perfect player to run his Oregon offense. There are rumors that Chip Kelly would love to draft Oregon’s Marcus Mariota for next season. After Nick Foles’ record-setting seven touchdowns pass performance this past week, perhaps Kelly has found his “perfect” quarterback.

2. The New York Jets have alternated wins and losses through the first nine games this season going 5-4. I’m sure they will count this week’s bye week as a loss. The last team to alternate wins and losses through nine games was the New England Patriots. They finished 10-6 and made the playoffs.

3. Lafayette can guarantee themselves a share of the Patriot League Championship on Saturday at 3:30pm with a win over Colgate. You can watch the game LIVE on RCN-TV. Should Lafayette win and Lehigh lose to Holy Cross, Lafayette would be the Patriot League Champions. It would be their first outright championship since 1994. They shared the title is 2004, 2005, and 2006.

4. District football action begins this weekend. RCN-TV has Stroudsburg at Parkland LIVE on Friday night at 7:00pm followed by Pleasant Valley at Whitehall at 9:30pm. Bethlehem Catholic will host Lehighton on Saturday night LIVE at 7:00pm on RCN-TV.

5. Believe it or not, college basketball begins LIVE on RCN-TV on Tuesday, November 9, when Lafayette hosts Robert Morris at 7:00pm. Robert Morris had 24 wins last year, including an NIT first round victory over Kentucky – yes, that Kentucky. The Kirby Sports Center, by the way, is completely renovated.

NFL PICKS FOR THIS WEEK (8-5: Last week; 86-47 overall 65%)
WASHINGTON
TENNESSEE
GREEN BAY
BUFFALO
GIANTS
INDIANAPOLIS
SEATTLE
CINCINNATI
DETROIT
SAN FRANCISCO
ARIZONA
DENVER
NEW ORLEANS
MIAMI