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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS)

Not in “Musing” mood this week.

NFL PICKS LAST WEEK – 9-7 (56%)

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

High school football season is now in full swing.

Following a bunch of interesting contests within the RCN viewing area this past weekend, it’s time to examine our “week two” edition of the District XI/RCN HS Football Bi-Weekly Poll.

First, a quick recap of our poll structure.  Our pollsters consist of numerous people from throughout the entire Lehigh Valley region.  Our voting panel consists of local media members from various  outlets, along with local coaches and athletic directors from across the entire district.  The voters are not identified so they can give their honest impressions without any worry of outside pressures or “bulletin board” material, and we rotate different pollsters from different schools each year, including guests from our biggest to our smallest schools.

As in previous years, we take the 400-male enrollment number as the cutoff for schools within the District XI/RCN footprint.  All schools above that number qualify as “big schools” in our poll. These schools consist of Parkland, Liberty, Allen, Easton, Emmaus, Liberty, Dieruff, Freedom, Stroudsburg, Pleasant Valley, Northampton, Nazareth, E. Stroudsburg-South, Whitehall, Southern Lehigh and Bangor.  “Small schools” (below 400-male enrollment) consist of Saucon Valley, Central Catholic, Bethlehem Catholic, Northwestern, Wilson, Palisades, Palmerton, Salisbury, Notre Dame, Pen Argyl, Nolehi and Catasauqua.  Each pollster will identify their top five teams in each group; the top school gets five points, the second team gets four points and so on, with an average score determining the order of teams in the poll.

With the particulars out of the way, here’s a look at how this week’s poll shakes out…

BIG SCHOOL FB Poll (11 pollsters)
1)     Parkland – 55 total votes (11 -1st place votes)
2)     Freedom — 36
3)     Easton — 34
4)     Liberty — 19
5)    Whitehall – 12
Other schools receiving more than one vote:  Emmaus

SMALL SCHOOLS FB Poll (10 pollsters)
1)      Saucon Valley – 45 total votes (6 – 1st place votes)
2)      Bethlehem Catholic – 38 (3 – 1st place vote)
3)      Central Catholic– 28 (1 – 1st place vote)
4)      Northern Lehigh — 21
5)      Notre Dame — 13
Other schools receiving more than one vote: Northwestern

The big shake-up in this week’s poll occurs with the smaller schools.  Saucon Valley’s impressive showing versus up-and-coming Salisbury, coupled with Becahi’s loss to Liberty, pushes the Panthers into the number-one spot.  Central Catholic also looked solid last weekend, which moves the Vikings up one spot (we’ll see Central Catholic play Whitehall this Saturday, tape-delayed on RCN-TV).  Notre Dame’s win over Northwestern allows the Crusaders to flip-flop positions with the Tigers and move into the fifth spot.

All of the “big schools” in our poll remained undefeated last weekend, so the top five (six, if you include Emmaus) all stayed exactly where they were in our previous poll.  The Hornets will get an opportunity to move up in our poll if they could pull off a win over Easton this Friday (see the game live on RCN-TV).
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We also had an opportunity over the last two weeks to talk with some of the local high school football coaches about their own teams, and their opinions on the other teams in the region.  Here are a few of those interviews (more can be seen by watching our “SportsTalk” show through RCN On-Demand or by checking out our podcast at rcn.com/atvn/sports-talk).

Feel free to send us your opinions on our poll to RCNSportsTalk@rcn.com and join us this Thursday, live at 7pm on RCN-TV.  We might read your emails live on the air during this program.   This week’s guest list will include Dave Mika from EasternPAfootball.com to talk about high school football teams, players and current issues across Pennsylvania.  Additionally on this Thursday’s show, we’ll be speaking with Redskins radio announcer Craig Hoffman to discuss the upcoming NFL season, as well as gaining insights into Washington’s season opening contest against Miami.

Don’t forget to check back to the “SportsTalk Shop” throughout the fall for the latest results of our bi-weekly high school football poll.

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

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

In other words, no one seems to know.

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

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

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

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

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

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS)

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

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

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

NFC WEST 

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

 NFC SOUTH 

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

NFC NORTH 

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

 NFC EAST 

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

 NFC Championship Game

                         Seahawks defeat the Packers

While the jury will be out for some time on this year’s Phillies trades, one aspect of these moves is clearly developing.  In addition to getting highly regarded minor league players and prospects, the players they’re acquiring seem to be versatile—in terms of ability, skill set and potential roles they could have in this club.

This is even more important on a rebuilding team as it’s not locked in stone which players will be playing which positions as the team continues to evolve…and hopefully improve.

Can you imagine Ryan Howard playing another position?  Remember the failed attempts to move Chase Utley to third base?  How about the lack of quality catchers behind Carlos Ruiz the last several years?  The Phillies had to move Jim Thome and Placido Polanco to part ways with some valuable veterans in order to open up spots for the next generation of Phillies players.  The current crop of prospects in the Phillies farm system will find it to easier to reach the Major Leagues, not just because of the present holes on the roster, but also because a good number of up-and-coming players have the ability to play different positions.

Maikel Franco, Odubel Herrera and Cesar Hernandez have had good seasons and look to have starting positions waiting for them in 2016.  Freddy Galvis—at least for the moment—has played well enough to hold down the shortstop spot until J. P. Crawford arrives.  But most positions going forward are very much up for grabs.

The advantage of the young players now in the Phillies’ fold is not just that they have Major League potential, but they have the ability to move around and play different roles, should the need arise.  Franco can also play first base.  Hernandez has played shortstop, third base and outfield, even though he looks more comfortable at second.  Newly acquired Darnell Sweeney projects as a utility guy, but has some pop and speed and played regularly at second, short, third and center field.  Galvis, too, has looked like an above-average defender, regardless of where he’s placed on the diamond.

Fans already can see the benefits of having different players’ ability to play multiple positions.  Interim Manager Pete Mackanin has frequently double-switched in games, allowing more flexibility with his batting order late in games, while not sacrificing anything defensively.

Here’s a look at the younger players in the upper-level of the Phillies farm system.  Top prospects are listed in BOLD, and players, at least at the beginning of the season, projected as “super utility” (or not quite everyday) players are in italics.

Nick Williams (acq. in the Cole Hamels trade) – projects to be a left fielder per Baseball America, but has played all three outfield positions and has a blend of speed, power and the ability to hit for average.

Roman Quinn (drafted by Phila, 2^nd round) – Despite an injury, Quinn had a great season at Double-A after making the transition from shortstop to the outfield.  MLB.com suggests he can be an above-average defender in center field with more experience.

Cornelius Randolph (draft by Phila., 1^st round) – An MLB “Top #100 Prospect” who has bat speed, strength and patience (according to MLBPipeline.com), coming on a solid season in the Gulf Coast League.  Randolph has played the middle infield positions with some believing he could play 3d base, but with Franco occupying that position, he saw time in left field this past summer.

Jorge Alfaro (acq. in the Cole Hamels trade) – The key piece in the Hamels’ trade, boasting perhaps the greatest potential of anyone acquired in the deal, was hurt for much of the year.  With raw power, he’s currently listed as the #2 catching prospect in all of minor league baseball.  However, he can also play first base and some feel he could also be an everyday right fielder, or even play first base.  This is important with the development of Phillies’ farmhand Andrew Knapp, who had a strong second half in Double-A and might be closer to the Major Leagues than Alfaro is at present.

Odubel Herrera (Rule 5 selection) – Per his Rule 5 status, Herrera had to stay on the Big League roster all season or be offered back, but the Phillies had no problems finding a spot for him, and even felt comfortable moving Ben Revere for him at the trade deadline.  He’s a quality MLB bat and seems to be improving as the year has gone along, both offensively and defensively.  However, if Quinn has another big season in 2016 and makes the jump to the Big Leagues, Herrera can also play left field and is a natural infielder.  The Phillies should be able to find a way to get plenty of “ABs” for him going forward.

Aaron Altherr (draft by Phila., 9^th round) – While not everyone in the Phillies organization viewed him as a blue chip prospect, I was impressed from what I saw in Altherr’s play in Triple-A this season.  More importantly, some of the guys who saw Aaron play on an everyday basis said they felt he could be an everyday MLB outfielder—at least on the current Phillies team.  He has nice range and a strong arm, which lends him to playing all three outfield positions.  Offensively, he was one of the top hitters at Lehigh Valley.  Supposedly, the Phillies wanted him to continuing playing every day and was not promoted once Revere was traded.  I am glad he received a “pre-September” call-up and hope that he gets even more of a chance to showcase his skills (and hope he doesn’t turn into another Darin Ruf, who really never did seem to get an extended look).  If he continues to play as well as he has at the Major League level, he may force the team to have him in the lineup every day.

Cody Asche didn’t exactly shock and awe anyone with his offensive outputs.  But if Asche and Ruf remain on the team beyond their arbitration years, both can play a couple different spots defensively and could see themselves as platoon or bench options as the other young players develop.

Trying to predict an everyday lineup is nearly impossible at this point, which is a good thing.  The future Phillies manager (whether it’s Mackanin or not) will have many different options where to bat and position players in the field.  This will also help the front office in trying to improve the team.  If/when they assume the team is ready to challenge for a playoff spot, it will keep options open in trying to acquire additional players through trades and free agency.

Even the most skeptical Phillies fan has to be impressed with the moves being made by the Phillies front office over the last several months.  While it might still be a stretch to be in playoff contention next summer, outgoing CEO Pat Gillick’s ominous warning that the team may not be a contender until 2017 or 2018 may not be correct after all.

To be perfectly honest, I take great pride in an important and popular aspect of our fall football season here at RCN.

For quite some time, I was given the responsibility of putting together the District XI/RCN HS Football Poll, and I have enjoyed building this into what I believe is the most comprehensive scholastic football poll in the region.

Unlike polls that consist of a couple representatives within the same organization, our poll is much more varied with input from many different people over a wider scope.  Our voting panel consists of local media members from different outlets, along with local coaches and athletic directors from across the entire district.  The voters are not identified so they can give their honest impressions without any worry of outside pressures or “bulletin board” material, and we rotate different pollsters from different schools each year, including guests from our biggest to our smallest schools.

As in previous years, we take the 400-male enrollment number as the cutoff for schools within the District XI/RCN footprint.  All schools above that number qualify as “big schools” in our poll. The “Big Schools” consist of Parkland, Liberty, Allen, Easton, Emmaus, Liberty, Dieruff, Freedom, Stroudsburg, Pleasant Valley, Northampton, Nazareth, E. Stroudsburg-South, Whitehall, Southern Lehigh and Bangor.  The “Small Schools” (below 400-male enrollment) consist of Saucon Valley, Central Catholic, Bethlehem Catholic, Northwestern, Wilson, Palisades, Palmerton, Salisbury, Notre Dame, Pen Argyl, Northern Lehigh and Catasauqua.  Each pollster will identify their top five teams in each group—the top school gets five points, the second team gets four points and so on, with an average score determining the order of teams in the poll.

With the particulars out of the way, here’s a look at how our preseason poll shakes out…

BIG SCHOOL FB Poll (10 pollsters)
1) Parkland – 50 total votes ( 10 -1^st place votes)
2—tied) Easton — 28
2—tied) Freedom — 28
4)  Liberty — 16
5)  Whitehall – 11

Other schools receiving more than one vote:  Emmaus, Stroudsburg

SMALL SCHOOLS FB Poll (9 pollsters)
1)  Bethlehem Catholic – 43 total votes (8  -1^st place votes)
2)  Saucon Valley – 36 (1 – 1^st place vote)
3)  Northern Lehigh — 20
4)  Central Catholic — 11
5)  Northwestern – 10

Other schools receiving more than one vote: Notre Dame, Pen Argyl, Salisbury

I have a few initial thoughts on this poll, which we’ll be addressing in much more detail on this week’s “RCN SportsTalk.”  One thought is that Emmaus looks to be flying under the radar so far this preseason.  They did not have a great 2014 season and graduated a number of skilled position players, including one of the top all-around football stars (Andrew Davidson) in the area.  However, they have added a new quarterback (who has shown great ability in the preseason workouts), they have their entire offensive line returning, and their JV team from a year ago had a TON of speed that should be showcased at the varsity level this fall.  Don’t be surprised if the Hornets move up into one of the “top five” positions at some point this season.

Some may be surprised to see Central Catholic ranked lower than they usually are in previous years.  Without asking any of the pollsters, I believe a major reason for this is the Vikings schedule.  For the second year in a row, they really get hammered out of the gate, playing several of the top five teams (all large school programs) in the first half of the season.  Central Catholic has its work cut out for them to stay even this year, and will probably have to pull off an upset or two in order to make a run at the playoffs this season.  That being said, the Vikings have some nice pieces returning from last year and still could have a better record this fall than they did a year ago.

Another team to watch out for is Salisbury.  After several years of finishing at or near the bottom of the Colonial League standings, they very quietly put together a nice 2014 campaign and bring back many talented players this fall.  They were one of the schools we interviewed over the last week and the Falcons coaches and players seem determined to continue improving, both on the field in and in our poll.

Feel free to send us your opinions on our poll to RCNSportsTalk@rcn.com and join us this Thursday, live at 7pm on RCN-TV for our “HS Football Preview Show.” We might read your emails live on the air during this program, along with our panelists’ insights and predictions on the new football campaign, plus interviews with local players and coaches.  We’ll also have a segment devoted to NFL “fantasy” football, with tips and strategies on preparing your team for the upcoming season.  And don’t forget to check back to the “SportsTalk Shop” as the high school football season unfolds for the latest results of our bi-weekly high school football poll.

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

AFC WEST 

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

AFC SOUTH 

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

AFC NORTH 

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

AFC EAST 

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

AFC Championship Game
                         Colts defeat the Patriots

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

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

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

To paraphrase some of the points:

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

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

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

ABOVE THE EARS

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

I had the pleasure of interviewing two of the most professional and highly regarded people in the sports world recently for our “RCN SportsTalk” show (you can see these shows in their entirety through RCN On-Demand and on our podcasts.

Merrill Reese is the longest-serving current team announcer in the NFL and has become the sports voice of the entire Delaware Valley region.  Growing up in a region that already featured broadcasting icons By Saam, Bill Campbell, Gene Hart, Harry Kalas and Richie Ashburn, Reese’s calls are as memorable as nearly any Eagles play on the field since 1977.  Like Kalas, many of the Birds’ greatest moments and team highlights are accompanied by Reese’s calls, and the Eagles’ main radio affiliate, WIP, synchronizes their broadcast with television stations, so that people watching the game can turn down the TV announcers, and hear Merrill’s calls in real time.  Many local stations’ nightly sportscasters, when showing highlights of the Eagles, will stop talking so viewers can hear Reese’s voice and opinions as a play unfolds.

It wouldn’t be a true Eagles game if their fans couldn’t hear Merrill’s calls either during or after the game.  It was great to speak with him recently and get his thoughts on the Eagles training camp, the team’s biggest roster additions, and his outlook on the Redskins, Cowboys and Giants.

Tony Gwynn, Jr. is the son of baseball Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn, Sr., and has carved out a nice career for himself–currently playing with the Washington Nationals’ Triple-A affiliate.  Like his dad, Gwynn, Jr. plays the game hard and rarely makes mental mistakes, and has always treated his teammates, coaches, fans, and the game itself, with the upmost respect.  I had a chance to interview both father and son a few times over the years when they were in Philadelphia—Tony, Sr. as a visiting player and Tony, Jr. when he played first against, and then for, Philadelphia.  Few people come close to this pair who combined professionalism with great baseball insights.  It was my pleasure to once again catch up with Tony, Jr. recently to speak with him about some current baseball issues, along with his memories of his father.

Here are samples of both of our interviews.

It’s wonderful enough to get an opportunity to spend a few minutes with a “big name” in the sports world, but it is incredibly rewarding when you have an opportunity to meet a special person in the sports world and revisit with them from time to time.  Both Merrill and Tony not only have a world of knowledge regarding their respective sports, but also they turn out to be great people when the cameras are turned off.

Keep watching our “SportsTalk” shows and check in for more special interviews here at the “SportsTalk Shop” as we continue to feature more of the great sports personalities in the RCN region.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME NO-HIT MUSINGS)

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

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