On behalf of the staff at RCN-TV, we wish all of you a Happy Holiday season!

Gary’s Guesses: NFL Picks – (Last week – 10-6; Overall – 150-89-2 – 63%)
Week Seventeen

TENNESSEE
BUFFALO
BALTIMORE
WASHINGTON
GREEN BAY
INDIANAPOLIS
PHILADELPHIA
MINNESOTA
TAMPA BAY
PITTSBURGH
ATLANTA
NEW ENGLAND
ARIZONA
KANSAS CITY
SEATTLE
DENVER

Happy Holidays to you!

I hope everybody is enjoying this special time of year. This week we have the second of three installments in looking back at some of the top players, teams, moments and events that made the 2016 sports calendar year so fun to cover for us here at RCN.

Here are some of the sports categories that come to mind when reflecting back on the last 12 months—along with a few of my thoughts on each (we go into more detail on our special TV program—see below for details)

Best Defensive Football Player in Eastern PA this fall
Jahan Worth. For the record, I touted his defensive on our football season preview show in August. I hope you heard that show; you can check out that show’s podcast here on the RCN-TV website if you’d like proof

Most Intriguing HS Teams
Dieruff boys volleyball / CCHS girls volleyball

Best & Worst Sports Decision Made in 2016 (any level)
Best – Emmaus hiring Harold Fairclough as their head football coach Worst – Just about every programming decision ESPN made this year

Best & Worst “Professional” Sports Story in Philly or DC
Best – Nationals making the playoffs and advancing to Game 5 in NLDS Worst – Caps losing in the 2^nd round of the playoffs for 2^nd straight year

Most Underrated Story (any level)
Successes of the Bangor baseball a and softball programs

A “Shout-out” to one sports personality this year
Catty’s Hanna Edwards (named one of the top 9 softball players in the entire country)

Sports Personality You Would Have Liked to Have Seen More Of
Liberty’s Carlo Perugini (overcame three ACL injuries to play in his first—and last–varsity football game this past fall). Carlo graduates in the spring.

Most Disappointing News of the Year (Any level)
Kyle Haas won’t be coming back to Becahi

Something Witnessed That You Hope To See Again In 2017
Great support for Colonial League title games…jammed packed McIntyre Gym for the Colonial League Basketball championship and a “more than half full” BASD Stadium for Notre Dame/Pen Argyl football championship

Something You Hope Doesn’t Repeat Next Year
Anti-private school comments directed towards kids during games/matches

Best Performance By An Underclassman
Beca’s Alec Huertas and Notre Dame’s Mikey DeGaetano

Don’t forget to check back for our next look-back installment of the top 2016 sports moments in the RCN viewing area, coming up in the next week here at the “SportsTalk Shop.” We are also presenting a special “Year-in-Review” show that is airing throughout this holiday season, in which we touch on even more of these great moments and special people in the Lehigh Valley, Delaware Valley and Washington DC/DMV region from 2016. Check your RCN on-screen guide for details on when this program airs.

You can also hear the podcast of this “Year-in-Review” show at: rcn.com/atvn/sports-talk

And, once again, a very happy holiday season and prosperous New Year’s to all of you faithfully following us here on the blog in 2016!

Do any of you remember Christmas clubs?  I’m not sure if banks still have them, but I don’t know why they wouldn’t offer another way to keep your money and pay you very little for that privilege.  Christmas clubs began during the Great Depression so that bank customers would set aside a given amount of money each week so they would have some to spend at Christmas time.

My first Christmas club was a whopping $12.50.  I would put aside $0.25 every week (I could afford it because I had my own business – a newspaper route) and receive a check from the bank the first week of December for $12.50.  My younger sister also had a similar account except that she was subsidized by my parents (which didn’t really seem fair since I worked for my December windfall).  I’m not sure what my youngest sister or older brother did for Christmas money, but I sure do not remember any significant gifts coming my way from those two sources.

After receiving our checks, my sister and I would get on the local bus and head downtown to buy gifts for the five members of the family (three siblings and mom and dad).  Do the math – that’s $2.50 for each one.  I assume this is where the phrase “It’s the thought that counts” was originated.  The bigger problem, however, was that my sister always found something SHE liked while we were shopping.  She would always make her first purchase a gift for, you guessed it, HERSELF.

It was at that point that her shopping dilemma would rise up – she had about $2.50 left to buy five gifts.  She knew I had money – heck, I was an entrepreneur.  How could I refuse her?  She would always come home with a gift for everyone and the best gift for herself.  I didn’t like it, but I did it.

This is a long introduction to the main topic – what kind of a Christmas “club” might a top athlete have at their gift-giving disposal?  I decided to look at the highest-paid sports figures of the year and imagined what they might spend on each person on their list.  I’ll use 25 people to buy for as the cost basis and one day’s pay as the available amount of money (in essence, their Christmas club).  And I will use the 25 highest-paid athletes as the gift givers.

The athletes fell into the following categories: one boxer, three tennis players, three race car drivers, three NBA players, four golfers, five soccer players, and six NFL players.  Their annual incomes ranged from $35.9 million to $88 million.  The average yearly earnings for those 25 athletes were $50 million a year.  If you divide that number by 365 days, they make $136,986.30 per day or $45,662 per hour.  I’m thinking for their list of 25 people, some nice gifts are on the way.  On average, their Christmas club would allow them to spend almost $5500 per gift.

Now, I figure I have spent a great deal of my life working with and getting along with athletes.  I’m wondering if I could just convince one of them to let me take them “downtown” to do some Christmas shopping.  I think I remember my sister’s ploy.  Plead poverty.  Get them to financially help me make some wonderful purchases.  It worked on me for years.  Perhaps, it would work on them.

Heck, I would even buy my sister a nice gift.  After all, that’s the Christmas spirit.

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS) 

1. Who is the best team in the NFL at the moment – New England or Dallas? Might it be Oakland or the Giants?  Or are Seattle or Pittsburgh sleepers?  No pro sport does the post season any better.  The playoff scenarios are mind-boggling and maintain interest to the very end of the season.
2. Eagles’ fans can moan all they want about their coach, their quarterback, and the defensive secondary, but no one deserves more criticism than Nelson Agholor. He is a wide receiver who does not receive.  In this past Sunday’s game against the Ravens, he caught one pass, dropped a few, never fielded a punt as a punt receiver, and never got the one-yard necessary for a very important first down because of a poor decision.  He did receive $14.5 million as part of a four-year deal with the Eagles.  I’m sure he RECEIVES that money.
3. The Roundball JAMboree held at Allen High School on Sunday was a huge success. The event was scheduled to raise money for the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research and honor Mike Schneider for his service to Lehigh Valley athletics.  Mike is afflicted with Parkinson’s.  Our local teams split the four games with Parkland and Allen winning while Liberty and Whitehall were defeated.
4. RCN-TV finishes up the year with Emmaus at Parkland and Nazareth at Whitehall on Tuesday night beginning at 7:00pm and Whitehall at Parkland on Thursday at 7:00pm. It was another great year for Lehigh valley sports.
5. This is my last blog until after the New Year so I want to wish all of you a very happy holiday and thank you for spending time with the RCN-TV team this past year.

Gary’s Guesses: NFL Picks – (Last week – 12-4; Overall – 140-83-2 – 63%)
Week Sixteen

GIANTS
WASHINGTON
BUFFALO
TAMPA BAY
ATLANTA
GREEN BAY
NEW ENGLAND
TENNESSEE
SAN DIEGO
OAKLAND
SAN FRANCISCO
SEATTLE
HOUSTON
PITTSBURGH
KANSAS CITY
DALLAS
 

As often as I try to do this—but probably still don’t do it enough … a HUGE THANK YOU to the wonderful women and men we’ve been so fortunate to have on “SportsTalk” as our guests this past year.  Here’s a quick look at only some of the very memorable people on our program during 2016 (in no particular order):

• NFL/MLB Associated Press Writer Rob Maaddi
• Hall of Fame/Philadelphia Eagles Radio Play-by-Play Voice Merrill Reese
• Redskins Radio Announcer/Host Scott Jackson
• ABC7 (DC) Sports Director Alex Parker
• Detroit Pistons’ Guard Darrun Hilliard (former Liberty HS great)
• Dallas Cowboys’ Wide Receiver KJ Williams (former Liberty HS great)
• MLB.com Sr. Sports Writer Jim Callis
• Nationals’ Beat Writer Bill Ladson
• Nationals’ Play-by-Play Announcer Charlie Slowes
• Olympians Marty Nothstein & Joetta Clark-Diggs
• DCIAA Women’s Official/Fmr. Pro Football Player (and one of only three Varsity Head Football Coaches ever) Natalie Randolph
• Joseph Basketball Standout / Fmr. DMV Star Isaiah Miles
• George Washington Men’s Basketball Head Coaches Mike Lonergan
• George Washington Women’s Basketball Head Coach Jen Rizzotti
• Longtime Georgetown Men’s Basketball Play-by-Play Voice Rich Chvotkin & other Hoyas athletes
• Lafayette College Head Basketball Coach Fran O’Hanlon
• American University Head Basketball Coach Mike Brennan
• Washington Times Redskins Beat Writer/CBS Radio’s Rick Snider
• Washington Post Beat Writer’s Eric Goldstein
• Philadelphia Daily News’ Jeff Moeller
• Play-by-Play Announcers for Phillies & Nationals Minor League Affiliates: Mike Ventola, Matt Provence & Terry Byron
• Head Coaches from HD Woodson, DeMatha, Sidwell Friends, Gonzaga High Schools
• Championship teams including Parkland boys basketball team, Nazareth girls basketball team, Notre Dame football team, Emmaus field hockey team, Parkland volleyball team and others
• NY Giants Beat Writer James Kratch
• Washington Times Redskins/Nationals Beat Writer Todd Dybas
• ESPN Radio (DC) Morning Show Host Kevin Sheehan
• ESPN Radio (Philly) Morning Show Anchor/Host Eytan Shander
• Redskins “Breaking Burgundy” Creator/Fmr. Comcast SportsNet “Insider” Ben Standig
• “FootballStories” Magazine Editor/Show Hosts Al Thompson & Rock Hoffman
• ESPN Draft Analyst/Fangraph’s Eric Longenhagen
• Members of this year’s PA Football Hall of Fame Inductees
• Writers from The Morning Call, Express-Times & LehighValley.com
• All the RCN Sports Announcers & Commentators
• Interviews with current Phillies & Nationals players & top prospects

Also, a reminder to watch our special “SportsTalk: 2016-in-Review” show that will be airing at different times on RCN-TV around the holiday season as Senior Morning Call Sports Writer Keith Groller and myself will take a look back at the top players, coaches, teams, special memories and more.  Our subject matter will be focused primarily on teams in the RCN-TV coverage area in the Lehigh Valley, Delaware Valley and Washington, DC regions, but we will mix in a few national topics of conversation as well.

You will also be able to hear the podcast of this show at rcn.com/atvn/sports-talk as it will be made available over the next few days.

Now for “part one” of my year-in-review thoughts/reflections for just a few of the most requested topics of conversation over the last 12 months.

• Pennsylvania’s New Classifications & Playoff System for HS Sports

No Lehigh Valley sports story came close to the interest (and complaining) of the revamped classification for PIAA sports and the outline of the playoff system.

• The Rise & Fall of the Philadelphia Eagles

After having covered the Philadelphia Eagles for several years, I know that there’s no fan base that goes to greater extremes than the faithful followers of Philly’s NFL franchise.  Once the Eagles defeated (destroyed?) the Steelers Week 3, there was no containing the (insane?) amount of the enthusiasm for this team and its first-year head coach, first year quarterback, suspect wide receiving core, weak secondary, et al.  It was practically assumed a deep trek into the NFL inevitably and anyone (like, perhaps, me?) suggesting that the team was still a year away was dismissed as being an “overly negative media opinion.”

Then, reality sent in, sending the Eagles’ into a tailspin in which they have yet to recover, with everyone from Doug Pederson to Carson Wentz to Fletcher Cox falling under heavy scrutiny.

• The Nationals Finally Getting to the Playoffs

The “SportsTalk” camera crew and I had the good fortune of seeing the Nationals’ top prospect Trea Turner play for Triple-A Syracuse (boy, did he put on a display!) and talked with him after an April game just shortly before he received his call-up to the Nationals.  Turner did not disappoint once he got to the Major Leagues—even with a position change from shortstop to center field while at the game’s highest level–and showed the same amazing abilities in helping Washington advance to the NLDS.

Don’t forget to check back for “part two” for more commentary on sports highlights from the 2016 calendar year in the next installment of the “SportsTalk Shop.”

And, of course, a very happy holiday season and prosperous New Year’s for all of you faithfully following us here on the blog in 2016!

The holiday season is in full swing (along with high school basketball season, the wrestling season,  crunch time for the NFL, the Hot Stove League, the NBA, NHL…but I digress).

One of our annual traditions is to reflect back on some of the most interesting programs and events from the past year.  RCN-TV is once again doing a marathon of some of your favorite programs and will be showcasing them for your enjoyment around the holidays.

Likewise, we will be continuing our look back at our viewers’ favorite sports moments from this past year.  Senior Morning Call Sports Writer and new “SportsTalk” co-host Keith Groller and I are asking for your votes and suggestions for your favorite topics, standout players, the teams and memorable sports moments involving participants in the RCN viewing area—dealing primarily with the scholastic, collegiate and professional levels.

Right now, the ball is in your court to nominate and vote!  Email us at rcnsportstalk@rcn.com with your suggestion for favorite 2016 sports moments that you would like us to mention and/or video clips and features that you might like to see again.  Keith and I will huddle next week and review the top nominations to determine what you, our viewers, would prefer to see one more time before we turn the calendar year.

Then, check back to the “SportsTalk Shop” for the final weeks of blog entries for the year, along with our “RCN SportsTalk: Year-in-Review Special” podcast and TV program that airs at various times during the holiday season (check the broadcast schedule here on the RCN-TV website or your RCN on-screen guides for the specific dates and times of this show’s airings).

In a previous blog entry, we posted some of the categories of which we are looking for your feedback.  But we also appreciate your feedback on any other subjects you’d like us to address on this year’s special program.

To help “stir the pot,” here are a few of my memorable moments from 2016, in no particular order:

• Joel Embiid finally plays in a regular season NBA game for the 76ers
• Nationals finally make the playoffs (and lasted until the final game of the NLDS)
• Eagles trades paving the way for Carson Wentz and his subsequent rise to becoming the team’s #1 quarterback and instant popularity with the fan base
• After a spectacular 3-0 start, playoff expectations rise and praise abounds for new Eagles head Coach Doug Peterson … the team then sharply reverses course, loses eight of their next 10 and fans call for Peterson dismissal following the November 29^th loss to the Bengals
• DeMatha HS football’s preseason “Top 5” national ranking in USA Today (and other publications)—and then staying there the entire season
• The new classifications and expanded PIAA HS playoff system for all sports
• The Capitals’ early exit (again) from the NHL playoffs
• Nazareth girls basketball’s second District XI championship in three years (followed-up by a summer league title with very stiff competition). With many high-level players returning for both the Eagles, Easton, Northampton, Parkland and other top teams, it’s going to be an exciting girls hoops season in the Lehigh Valley this winter!
• The Flyers quicker-than-expected resurrection and (near) playoff appearance this spring
• HD Woodson basketball’s undefeated, championship season (check out last week’s “SportsTalk” podcast or RCN On-Demand for an interview with head basketball coach Lawrence “Trey” Mines)
• The Phillies “turn the page” and take several positive steps forward with trades, crafty (but not flashy) free agent signings and the development their younger players
• The many examples of high school student-athlete participating in food drives, dance-a-thons, homeless shelter visits and other wonderful, charitable acts from various schools across our viewing area this past year. Fortunately, just the stories alone that I’ve been told are too numerous to mention in a single blog post, and it would be too difficult to identify a single team/action for this.

Also, here are a few highlight videos from recent games of RCN’s coverage of the Pennsylvania state football playoffs.

And…don’t hesitate to look back through the last eleven months-worth of our blog postings here on the RCN-TV website if you want to refresh your memory on some of the musings from Gary Laubach and myself and select one of your favorite discussion points or videos from the past year.

Again, the decision is yours for our annual program and blog postings…but don’t wait!  Feel free to vote on any of these above topics or suggest your own by emailing rcnsportstalk@rcn.com before voting ends this Sunday night (December 20^th).  Have fun!

This time of the year football fans’ cries and debates always center around “Who’s #1”?  Very rarely does anyone ask or care which team is the worst.  It is hard to determine in college football because there are just so many teams, so we are content to argue the merits of the Top 25.  But the NFL is much easier.  There are only 32 teams and by week 13, I think one could certainly stir things up by looking at which teams are the absolutely worst ones in the NFL.

The Cleveland Browns are the obvious choice as the worst team in professional football.  With this week’s loss to Cincinnati, they have now lost 16 straight games (includes the final three from last year).  The Browns have been playing in the NFL since 1950 and they have never lost this many games without a win.  They are 1-23 in the past 24 games.  Just to pile on a bit, counting last year and this season, they are 3-26.  They have games at Buffalo, home against San Diego, and at Pittsburgh.  To be realistic, none of those games seem winnable.

Going back to 1960, there have only been four other teams to go winless and two of those teams played to a tie.  Only the 1976 Tampa Bay Buccaneers went 0-14 in their debut season and the 2008 Detroit Lions were the only team in history to go 0-16 and the first non-expansion team to lose every game.  So, as you can see, the Browns are among some pretty elite company.

But is there an argument to be made that there are teams just as bad?  Well, the 49ers are 1-12.  The Jacksonville Jaguars are 2-11.  It’s hard to believe I am leaving the New York Jets out of the discussion, but they did just beat the 49ers this past Sunday in overtime so I will give them a pass.

Just to emphasize how bad these teams are: the 49ers two weeks ago had a TOTAL of six net passing yards and, this past week, they threw for 17 yards in the second half against the Jets.  As far as the Jaguars, let me throw this stat at you – QB Blake Bortles has thrown more interceptions for touchdowns than he has wins as a Jacksonville starter.

It does make one ponder whether these teams could beat Alabama, considered by most to be the best team in college football.  It would be men against boys for sure, but a terrific well-coached team against, well, the Browns.

San Francisco has the Giants and you could make the case they also have the Raiders, Athletics, Warriors and Sharks.  In Cleveland, thank goodness for the Indians and the Cavaliers.  Jacksonville only has the Jaguars.  Right now, none of them have a competitive NFL team.

So what’s your answer to “Who’s #32?”  Could it possibly be, “Who cares?”

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS) 

1. Lamar Jackson won the Heisman Trophy, signifying the best player in college football. It was the first Heisman ever for Louisville.  He is only 19 years old and a sophomore, the youngest ever to win the award.  For those of you who go way back, the great Johnny Unitas played at Louisville in the 1950s and went on to a Hall of Fame career in the NFL.  Lamar has some big high-topped black shoes to fill (an analogy for just those who remember Unitas).
2. This past weekend, Army defeated Navy for the first time in 14 years. It wasn’t easy.  After leading 14-0, Army lost the lead and trailed 17-14.  They fought back to win the game 21-17.  Emmaus’ Andy Davidson scored the first two Army touchdowns.  Both teams will play in a bowl game.
3. CBS sports announcer Verne Lundquist did his final college football game as the play-by-play man for the Army-Navy game. He announced college football for 42 years.  Watch his goodbye:

http://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2016/12/10/13909272/verne-lundquist-army-navy-goodbye

4. Villanova, the defending national champion of college basketball, is off to a 10-0 start. They are #1 in the nation for the second straight week and may have the player of the year in Josh Hart.  Years ago, head coach Jay Wright sat in my office for about an hour and we talked basketball and coaching young men.  He was here to appear on an RCN interview show.  I have rooted for him ever since.
5. More high school basketball next week with Emmaus-Parkland and Nazareth-Whitehall on Tuesday, December 20. We will have Whitehall-Parkland on December 22.

Gary’s Guesses: NFL Picks – (Last week – 9-7; Overall – 128-79-2 – 62%)
Week Fifteen

SEATTLE
MIAMI
DALLAS
GIANTS
GREEN BAY
BALTIMORE
MINNESOTA
BUFFALO
KANSAS CITY
HOUSTON
ARIZONA
ATLANTA
NEW ENGLAND
OAKLAND
PITTSBURGH
WASHINGTON

With all of the Lehigh Valley teams now out of the running for a PIAA state football title, it’s now time to fully devote our attention to the rapidly approaching high school basketball season.

We are extremely fortunate to have some incredibly insightful people giving their opinions on the 2016-17 scholastic season.  In addition to local media members (Morning Call’s Keith Groller, RCN Sports Director Gary Laubach, RCN announcers Tom Stoudt and Dennis Laub, and LehighValleyBasketballRankings.com’s Toomey Anderson), we have three distinguished head basketball coaches giving their takes on five important questions for the upcoming season.  We won’t reveal the names of the head coaches to avoid any “bulletin board” material, but, just like in fall with our football poll, we are blessed to have some long-tenured and well-established basketball names with us this year!

So…let’s get started with each of our pollsters giving their opinions on:

1) 3 KEY PLAYERS TO WATCH THIS WINTER
Toomey Anderson: We all know about the top players in the district.  Here are some others to expect good seasons from:
Lehigh Valley –  Jay Vaughan (ACC).  Charles Hudson (Whitehall),  Arnell Lewis (Easton);  Colonial League-  Dylan Benton (Bangor), Jack Reichenbach (Salisbury), Isaiah Graves (Catty);   “Mountain teams”- Jalen Vaughns (PM West), Shon Wilson (Stroudsburg), Darin Bellinger (ES North)

Keith Groller:  Talek Williams, Sam Iorio, David Kachelries
Dennis Laub:  Talek Williams, Sam Iorio, Dave Kachelries…although I personally like Logan McGinley from Whitehall
Tom Stoudt: Talek Williams, David Kachelries, Tyrese Martin
Mystery Coach 1:  Talek Williams and Tyrese Martin both of Allen; Sam Iorio of Parkland and the Kachelries twins of Emmaus. I know that is 5, but they are all special players.
Mystery Coach 2:  Tyrese Martin (Allen); Isaiah Wiggins ((PM West); Mickey Esquilin (Whitehall)
Mystery Coach 3:  Talek Williams (Allen), Sam Iorio (Parkland), Lance Singh (Poc. Mt. West)

2) “CAN’T MISS” GAME OF THE YEAR
TA: Salisbury vs. Bangor (Colonial) & Parkland vs. Allen (EPC)
KG: Parkland at Allen, Feb. 6
DL:  Allen vs. Pocono Mountain West (at least 150 points scored…if not 180)
TS:  Parkland vs. Allen (Oh, wait, they don’t play each other), Parkland vs. PMW (Oh, they don’t play each other, either), Parkland vs Allen on 2/6/16
MC 1:  Bangor vs. any of the EPC teams they play. A good way to see how Bangor, the biggest school in the Colonial League, “hangs” with the big boys of the EPC. Also, Pocono Mt. West vs. Allen should be a heck of a game.
MC 2: Allen vs PM West; Bangor vs Easton
MC 3: Pocono Mt. West vs. Whitehall

3) “NEWCOMER” THIS SEASON
TA: Mohammed Dunbaya (Easton). New to Easton last year but didn’t play much—he will be a force defensively this year.
KG: Chico Whyte, Dieruff
DL:  Aidan Ellwood returning to Northampton, where he’ll thrive again.
TS:  Zach Sabol, 6’7 Sophomore at Emmaus
MC 1:  Aiden Elwood and his return to Northampton. Also, the big kid Sabol from Emmaus.
MC 3:  Justin Paz (Bethlehem Catholic)

4) “TEAMS TO BEAT”
TA: Bangor & Parkland
KG: Allen and Bangor
DL:  Allen & Pocono Mountain West
TS:  Allen & Pocono Mountain West
MC 1: Allen in the EPC-South, Bangor in the Colonial League and Pocono Mt. West (in the EPC-North). They all have a lot of talent.
MC 2:  Allen; PM West
MC 3: Allen and Liberty

5) “SLEEPER TEAM”
 TA: Bethlehem Catholic
KG: Bethlehem Catholic in the EPC; Southern Lehigh in the Colonial
DL:  Emmaus (they have a huge advantage in their home gym)
TS:  Bethlehem Catholic
MC 1: Whitehall. They finished 2^nd in the Stellar and Sportsfest tournaments and won the Allentown Summer League. Also, watch out for Northampton with the return of Ellwood from CCHS.
MC 3:  Parkland – people think they are down but they still have one of the best players in the league. I never thought I would say that Parkland is a sleeper, but this year they just might be

Don’t forget to catch RCN’s first broadcast high school basketball game this Tuesday, December 12, with Gary Laubach and Tom Stoudt and be sure to check out our winter sports schedule here on the RCN-TV website for all the top games!

If any college football fan doubts the wisdom of a four-team College Football Playoff system, this past weekend should eliminate those doubts.  The Selection Committee has no choice under the current system.  They can choose four and ONLY four.  The idea in the beginning was that conference champions would fill the four slots.  The only problem there is that there are five power conferences, but I’m sure the founders felt they could surely eliminate one of the champions.  But this year, the committee eliminated two – the Big 12 champions and the Big 10 champion.  The ACC will send Clemson; the Pac 12 will send Washington; and the SEC will send Alabama.  It is hard to argue with any of those choices.

Now we come to Ohio State.  Should they go or should the committee have chosen Penn State – the Big 10 champion?  I have no argument with Ohio State’s pedigree.  They lost only one game; they beat Michigan; they were ranked in the top three all year; and they beat Michigan.  That’s good enough for me.  EXCEPT….

Penn State won the Big 10 championship, while Ohio State did not play at all last week.  Penn State gave Ohio State their only loss of the year 24-21.  Penn State’s losses were to Pitt, which, by the way, beat Clemson and they lost to Michigan.  Both of those losses were on the road.  And if “playing well at the end of the year” means anything, Penn State has not lost since September.  They have won nine games in a row.  Ohio State lost to Penn State in October and Michigan lost two of their last three.

Winning a conference title is supposed to give the winning team a 13^th data point.  Penn State earned that point; Ohio State did not.  Conference championships should matter.  For two teams, it did not.

As I said earlier, Ohio State, with only one loss should be in the mix for a national championship.  My fault with the system is four teams.  If you make it eight you add only one more week to the schedule and that should be palatable.  I know if you add eight, then nine and ten will feel shunned.  But eight gives you the five conference champions,   (the Big 12 will start playing one next year) and three “wild cards”.  A similar system works quite well for the NFL and six of those teams have gone on to win the Super Bowl.

So Penn State will play in the Rose Bowl against USC and that certainly is a justified reward for their season, but should they have been playing for a national championship?  What if you were on the committee – how would you have voted?

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS) 

1. I really started to watch Penn State because of Saquon Barkley, the former Whitehall Zephyr. Now I watch them because they are one of the most exciting and dramatic teams in college football.  Their win over Wisconsin, after being down by 21 points and being totally dominated early in the game, was nothing short of miraculous!
2. The Bethlehem Catholic Golden Hawks played almost as well on Friday night against undefeated Imhotep Charter out of Philadelphia. Imhotep is the defending state champion and has won 28 games in a row.  No team stayed within 30 points of them this season.  Until they met the Hawks!  The Hawks lost 24-13 when Imhotep scored a TD late in the game. Beca was in it right up until the very end of the game and actually led at one point.  It was a great year for Coach Kyle Haas and the Beca football team.
3. Notre Dame High School did not win a game two years ago. On Friday night, they played in the PIAA state semifinal game against undefeated Middletown.  The Crusaders lost that game, but their resurgence in the past two years has been amazing.
4. The Eagles looked like a team that cannot make the playoffs this past Sunday. The Bengals just crushed them.  Maybe it’s not a good thing for the coach to say they are looking towards the future before the present is completed.  The Eagles took major steps in the wrong direction this past Sunday.
5. High school basketball begins next week with Freedom-Allen and Liberty-Easton on Tuesday, December 13. We will have Liberty-Central and Saucon Valley-Wilson on Friday, December 16.  The wrestling season begins on Wednesday, December 14, with Liberty taking on Nazareth.

Gary’s Guesses: NFL Picks – (Last week – 12-3; Overall – 119-72-2 – 62%)
Week Fourteen

OAKLAND
PHILADELPHIA
MINNESOTA
DETROIT
CINCINNATI
ARIZONA
INDIANAPOLIS
DENVER
CAROLINA
PITTSBURGH
JETS
TAMPA BAY
ATLANTA
SEATTLE
DALLAS
NEW ENGLAND

It’s almost time for our annual “year-in-review” special on RCN-TV and this year, we want to incorporate your opinions on the top team, players, games and more!

Senior Morning Call Sports Writer Keith Groller and I will be giving our picks for our favorite sports moments of 2016—and your votes will help shape who we will be featuring in the coming weeks as part of a special program.

Email us at rcnsportstalk@rcn.com with your suggestions for favorite 2016 sports moments, video clips and/or features that you would like us to mention or you might like to see again.  Also, we’re taking your votes on the following topics:

1).Best Defensive Football Player in Eastern PA this fall
2) Most Intriguing HS Team
3) Best & Worst Sports Decision Made in 2016 (any level)
4) Best “Professional” Sports Story in Philly or DC
5) Most Underrated Story (any level)
6) Favorite Sports Moment of 2016
7) Sports Personality You Would Have Liked to See More Of
8) Most Disappointing News of the Year (Any level)
9) Something Witnessed That You Hope To See Again In 2017
10) Something You Hope Doesn’t Repeat Next Year
11) Best Performance By An Underclassmen
12) Most Overplayed Story of 2016 (any level)
13) Biggest Turnaround in 2016 (any level)
14) Most Lasting Image of 2016 (Local / National)
15) Best Coaching Job of 2016
16) Most Outstanding Individual Performance of 2016
17) Most Impressive Team Performance of 2016

And, predictions for 2017…
18)  One Team & Player to Watch in 2017
19) Something “New” You’d Like to See in 2017
20) One Piece of Advice for an Athlete/Coach in 2017

And…a “Stone-Cold” Lock To Happen in 2017.

Keith and I will be coming up with our own lists but welcome your input—you may just sway us with your votes/comments!

Then, check back to the “SportsTalk Shop” in a few weeks, along with our “RCN SportsTalk Presented by The Morning Call: Year-in-Review Special” that will air multiple times during the holiday season (check the broadcast schedule here on the RCN-TV website for the specific dates and times of this show’s airings).

Again, the decision is yours for our annual program and blog postings.  Feel free to vote on any of these above topics or suggest your own by emailing rcnsportstalk@rcn.com.

We also have some video highlights of recent District XI and PIAA state playoff games broadcast on RCN recently:

We also have a “Best of RCN-TV” contest here on the website for you to check out and vote on your favorite overall game/programs. The top choices will be shown again on RCN TV ON New Year’s Day.

Last, but certainly not least, make sure you mark your calendars, set your RCN TiVo boxes and make sure you tune in to the “Dream Come True Telethon” on RCN-TV, on Monday, December 5, from 6:00-9:00 pm to help one of the Lehigh Valley’s most worthwhile charities.  The auction is already active online! Click here to view and bid on lots of items, including one-of-a-kind donations from your favorite cable TV networks! It’s an excellent way to take care of your Christmas shopping list in addition to supporting a tremendous cause. Or just make a donation – no bidding necessary! And then tune in to the telethon next Monday night; it’s very entertaining with special guests from around the region.  Be sure to watch and thank you in advance for your donation!

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

That can only mean that it is once again time for one of my favorite nights of the year and it has nothing to do with athletics.  It is the night that I co-host the Dream Come True Telethon. Believe it or not (and I am a “not”), we will be doing the Telethon for the 31^st year.  I did not host in the early years, but I have been around for most.

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

The TELETHON will take place live next Monday, December 5, from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. RCN customers in the Lehigh Valley (Channel 4, 1004 in HD), Delaware County (Channel 8, 608 in HD), and Washington, DC metro (Channel 8) areas can watch live on RCN TV.  A popular component of the telethon each year is the auction.  This year, we will again utilize the on-line auction.  The bidding began on Sunday, November 6, and ends Monday, December 5 at 8:00PM. You can get to the auction here:

Great auction items include:

• A Kindle Fire HDX 8.9
• 2 Ski passes and 2 Snow Tube passes to Blue Mountain Resort
• Autographed Eagles football helmet signed by All-Pro tackle Jason Peters.
• One year subscription to the Morning Call
• Sony PlayStation 3 Slim Harry Potter 3D Experience
• Relaxing Spa treatments at Bear Creek Mountain Resort
• And much, much more!

Again, you can find all of the items by clicking here:

You will find 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 will make Scott’s night and, more importantly, some child’s dream.

The interviews with the children who have had their dreams fulfilled will demonstrate to you just how valuable your donations are.

The important facts again are:
The Date:         Monday, December 5
The Time:         6:00 – 9:00 PM
The Purpose:    To fulfill as many hopes, dreams and fantasies for seriously, chronically, and terminally ill children as possible
The Phone Number to Make a Donation:          1-800-749-8099

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

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

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS) 

1. As Penn State fans are well aware, the Ohio State win over Michigan on Saturday put Penn State in the Big Ten championship game against Wisconsin. Now, if Penn State wins that game, what does the FBS committee do to create a final four – put in Penn State or will they stay with Ohio State even though Penn State beat them?  Up until now, every final four has had only conference champions.
2. And with all the turmoil as to which teams belong in the top four for college football’s championship game, is it time to go to eight teams? Or does this past Saturday prove that the final games leading up to the FBS final four ARE playoff games?  You judge.
3. Notre Dame University is 4-8! Will they fire Brian Kelly?  Kelly says no, but Notre Dame does not go 4-8 without some coaching change.
4. Congratulations to the Whitehall and Parkland football teams for making it to the PIAA state quarterfinals, but, once again, both ran into Philadelphia private school powerhouses and were eliminated. There is no shame in losing to those teams.  They put an outstanding product on the field.
5. Two teams remain in the PIAA playoffs from our area – Bethlehem Catholic and Notre Dame. Beca will face one of those Philly powerhouses when they take on Imhotep Charter.  We will have that game on RCN-TV LIVE on Friday night at 7:00pm.  The Notre Dame-Middletown game will be on at 11:00 pm from Hersheypark Stadium.  No matter the outcomes, this weekend will end our football season.  The state championship games will be on PCN next weekend.  Thank you for spending Fridays and Saturdays with us.  Basketball is up next!

Gary’s Guesses: NFL Picks – (Last week – 11-4; Overall – 107-69-2 – 61%)
Week Thirteen
DALLAS
ATLANTA
BALTIMORE
CHICAGO
PHILADELPHIA
GREEN BAY
DENVER
NEW ENGLAND
DETROIT
OAKLAND
ARIZONA
PITTSBURGH
TAMPA BAY
SEATTLE
JETS