(Author’s note:  Due to the Memorial Day holiday and upcoming District XI baseball championships, I am repeating an earlier blog from November, 2012)

As the RCN sports crew travels around from venue to venue, we, happily, hear from so many viewers.  The compliments far outweigh the criticism and, most of the time, the criticism centers around not doing a particular team or a particular game.  To me, that is really a backhanded compliment because it just means those fans want to see us televise their team.  Every so often, an over-exuberant fan will come up and say, “You guys are just like ESPN!”  Well, I am here to tell you we are not even close!!

In an article (“More Show Than Game” – Sept. 27) written for “Rolling Stone” magazine by David Amsden, he talks about observing an ESPN Monday Night Football broadcast of a New England-Philadelphia pre-season football game.  The insights offered were astounding to me and, I anticipate will be for you, too.  This preseason game had:

• 11 trucks transport the gear
• A crew of 200 (graphics, producers, assistants, statisticians, a sideline reporter, sound editors, mixers; the list goes on and on)
• 50 microphones
• 20 cameramen (31 cameras are used during the regular season)
• 216 monitors

That’s the staff – how about the cost:

• $15.2 billion for the rights through 2021
• That’s $111 million in rights fees per game
• Broken down even further, it costs $600,000 per minute
• Constantly introducing new and very expensive technology (ex: digital yard markers, Skycam)

In addition, staff (announcers, directors, the tech crew, etc) arrives Saturday.  They spend one day with one team and one day with the other.  Highlight packages are produced (about 20% used).  Various storylines are discussed.  Production meetings abound.  On Saturday night, there is a production team-bonding activity.  This particular week, all attended a Bruce Springsteen concert.

In comparison, when the RCN TV team does a Saturday afternoon college game, we have:

• 2 trucks
• A crew of 18
• 15 microphones
• 5 cameramen
• 30 monitors

The cost:

• Around $3000 per game, not counting equipment costs (but ESPN didn’t count that either)
• Rights fees in the hundreds of dollars
• Broken down even further, it costs @ $22 per minute

In addition, the announcers attend a press luncheon during the week to talk to one coach on the phone for around 10 minutes and talk to the other coach for about 15 minutes.  The crew arrives the morning of the game to set up for the telecast.  There is not much time (maybe lunch) for a team-bonding activity.

What do I conclude from this information?

• ESPN spends an astronomical amount of money to do the NFL games (no wonder the NFL will make $9.5 billion in profits this year).
• NBC, CBS and FOX all have similar NFL expenses and the competition to be the best produces terrific broadcasts.
• Despite this “apples to oranges “comparison, the RCN TV sports crew also aims every game to be the best they can be. From the director to holding the Big Ears and everything in between, we always strive for a quality broadcast – to be the best.  From the many comments we receive, I do not think we disappoint.  There is no question our mindset is “just like ESPN’s.”

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS)

• The Nazareth curse hit Indianapolis again over the weekend. Sage Karam of Nazareth, who was in the spotlight all week prior to the race, did not even complete a lap.  Takuma Sato took him out before the race began.  And Marco Andretti, also of Nazareth, finished sixth, but never looked like he had a chance to win the race.  I watch every year hoping a “local” will win the race.  Mario Andretti won the race in 1969.  No “local” since.
• Speaking of Sage Karam, he tweeted after the crash, “@TakumaSatoRacer thinking he can win the indy 500 in the first turn. Thanks man. I have some of your front wing when should I return it?”
• My football color analyst, Mike Joseph, told me on Friday that he read the entire 243-page Ted Wells report on “Deflategate”. He said there is no doubt in his mind that Brady is guilty.  Perhaps Bill Belichick feels the same way.  He has yet to come out in support of his quarterback.
• American Pharoah, the horse who won both the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness, was sold for breeding rights to Ahmed Zayat this past week. There is speculation that the Belmont Stakes, the third leg of the Triple Crown, will be the career finale for the horse.
• Did you see LeBron James’ numbers for Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals: 37 points, 18 rebounds, 13 assists? It was his sixth 30-point, 10-rebound, 10-assist game in playoff history.

I will be getting much more sleep after this week.  David Letterman is retiring.  Wednesday, May 20, will be his last show.  I’m not embarrassed to say that I pretty much go to bed with Dave Monday through Friday and I have been doing so for the 33 years he has been on the air. He fit perfectly into my late night viewing following my favorites, Steve Allen and Johnny Carson.  I first caught Dave when he began his morning show at NBC.  My wife and I actually attended the taping of that show twice.  We, also, were in the audience a few times for the Late Show on CBS.

Letterman says he is retiring to spend more time with his son, Harry.  He feels he has been away so much during Harry’s early years that he owes it to him to be more of a father and less a public personality.  He did 5,914 shows (4,014 on CBS and 1,810 on NBC) and no one on late night did more.  He surpassed Johnny Carson, his idol, in February of 2012.

I have tried to give other hosts my late night attention: Leno, Rivers, Conan, Kimmel (who I do like), Ferguson, Fallen, etc.    Although good, none captured the absurd, zany, quirky, self-deprecating humor that was Dave’s.

As evidence, let me offer a Top Ten of a few of his strangest TV innovations:

1. Larry “Bud” Melman – who would put that guy on TV, but it was really funny.
2. Is this anything? Paul Shaffer and Dave would look at an activity and guess whether it was “anything” – What?  But it worked.
3. Rupert G. – The owner of the deli located near the theater, who seemed so uncomfortable on the air, yet Dave made Rupert a favorite of the show.
4. The “new” feature – He offers this up almost every night as if it will be a continuing part of the show. The new feature never sees the light of day again.
5. Throwing footballs at a pizza on a Christmas tree – need I say more?
6. Stupid Pet Tricks and Stupid Human Tricks – they are stupid, yet stupidly funny.
7. Throwing pencils and the breaking glass sound effect (often the sound effect is late and thus, funnier) – I’m easily amused.
8. The suits – Velcro, Rice Krispies, sponge, etc.
9. Visits from Jack Hanna – much like Carson before him, Dave was his funniest with the zoo animals.
10. Dave’s Mom – Dorothy was the perfect foil with “David”.

There were so many strange interviews, so many weird questions, so many uncomfortable interactions.  But that was Dave.  Starting Thursday, May 21, there will be a void in my day.  I suppose there will be reruns, but even Letterman always told the viewing audience not to watch those.

The good news, I suppose, is I will now get some much needed sleep and maybe my laugh lines will slowly disappear.  Because I can guarantee you with Dave gone, I will sleep more and laugh less.

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS) 

1. Floyd Mayweather bet a total of $350,000 on four sporting events last week – three NBA games and a boxing match. He won all the bets and collected $827,272.  I’m not sure he needed the money.
2. Robert Kraft insisted this week that A) the Patriots and B) Tom Brady are innocent of any wrong-doing when it comes to “deflate-gate”, but C) the team suspended the “deflator” and the equipment manager. If A and B are correct, why C?
3. American Pharoah won both the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness and now has a shot at the Triple Crown. No horse has won the Triple Crown since Affirmed won in 1978.  Jockey Victor Espinoza will attempt to win the Triple Crown for the third time and second year in a row.  He did not get it done with War Emblem or California Chrome.  The third time could be “the charm”.
4. After winning the Wells Fargo Championship, 26 year-old Rory McIlroy fell into third-place all time behind Tiger Woods (34), and Jack Nicklaus (20) for the most wins before age 27. McIlroy won his 11^th
5. Stroudsburg High School pitcher Mike Nikorak will most probably be a multi-millionaire in a few weeks. He was on RCNTV this past week versus Parkland and is being touted as the #1 right-handed pitcher in the nation and an MLB top ten draft pick.  He is 6-5, 220 pounds and throws the ball 95 mph and up.  He already looks like a major league pitcher.  However, Parkland beat him 4-2 to win the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference championship.  The two teams should meet again in the District AAAA championship.  Mike Nikorak – remember his name.

Last week we took a look at the Nationals’ first 30 games of the season, analyzing their first six weeks and previewing the road ahead.  Clearly, the Phillies have a different set of priorities and goals for this season.  There has  been some positive news…and the next few months still could be very interesting as we watch the franchise’s “future” unfold.

Here are three observations about the Phillies season:

• Despite the record, there is reason for optimism, among both young and older players!  First, the play of Freddy Galvis, Cesar Hernandez and Odubel Herrera has given fans hope that examples of a future winning ball club is not years off in the distance in the prospects currently in the lower-to-middle minor league levels.  Galvis, Hernadez and Herrera all found themselves entering spring training in various “play-well-or-go-home” modes.  Galvis struggled mightily offensively last year—even struggling at the plate when he was sent down to Triple-A.  Yet he has not only proved he can hit at the Big League level (currently leading the team by far with a .816 OPS), he’s become one of the most productive shortstops in the league (his batting average and on-base percentage currently lead all National League shortstops).  Hernandez was out of options and was one of the last players assured a spot on the Opening Day roster.  So far, I’m been impressed with his working counts (his .390 OBP is second on the team) and he’s hitting a very respectable .270 despite not getting regular at-bats.  Herrera was a Rule 5 pick who had never played above Double-A and has to remain on the roster all season or be returned.  Even though he’s learning to play a new position at the toughest level, he has a great looking swing and has been able to handle Major League pitching so far.  All three players have made the most of their opportunities and should warrant more playing time for at least the rest of this season.

There’s also been quality performances on the mound by young Ken Giles, Luis Garcia, Justin DeFratus and Elvis Araujo.  All four look to be key pieces of the bullpen going forward and the first three have weathered pitching in higher-pressure situations.  While a slow start by southpaw Jake Diekman has been disappointing, the Phillies feel he can bounce back and strengthen an already strong—and young—core of relievers.

• The fireworks may not be far off.  The play of veterans Cole Hamels, Aaron Harang, Jonathan Papelbon, Ben Revere and even Ryan Howard have not only helped the Phillies win games this season, but more importantly has enhanced each player’s trade value, which potentially could fetch more young prospects as we move closer to the trade deadline.  We’ve already seen the Phillies make some minor moves, optioning Dom Brown, David Buchanan and Cody Asche (although Cody was sent down to learn a new position) to shake things up a bit.  If Asche transitions successfully to left field—as I believe he will—it will make for an ultra-crowded outfield, and the Phillies will have to start making some more significant decisions.

Their potential outfield would then consist of Asche, Revere, Herrera, Brown, Grady Sizemore, Jeff Francoeur and Darin Ruf.  Clearly, not all of these players will be on the roster throughout the summer, and I’m not sure if more than two or three of these names have a future in the organization.  With one of the few outfield prospects doing well in Double-A (Roman Quinn) and a promotion to Triple-A probably looming before too long, it’s obvious that the team will look to move one of their outfielders before season’s end—if not sooner.  Revere is the most likely candidate to go, as he’ll command the most in return.  Between Revere, Hamels, Harang, Papelbon and perhaps one or two others, there could be some trades made over the coming weeks—and a chance for the team to pick up another young piece (or pieces, if you deal Hamels) of the puzzle for future seasons.

• The “Chase” may be coming to an end.  I truly am not saying this just in passing or to be in vogue with what others are now saying.  In fact, in all my years as a sports journalist, I probably got more angry messages over a minor criticism I made about Chase Utley several years ago, and I’m sure I’ll take a hit again this time.  But unless he starts swinging the bat with more success—and soon—it does NO ONE good to see him continue to play every day…and that includes Utley himself. 

The biggest issue for the current team is that he is blocking the road of young talent.  Is Hernandez the Phillies second basemen of the future? Probably not, but we have no way of knowing until he gets a chance to play at least 75% of the time, something they can’t do with Utley playing five nights a week.  The questions remain about Brown, Ruf and a few other players that right now look like role players but do you really want to give up an extended look at these players, and possibly lose them at season’s end, to have them go somewhere else and have success (and haven’t we seen too much of that over the last several years?).  Furthermore, continuing to play Utley every day with his batting average light-years below the Mendoza line is a disservice to Chase himself.  There is no way he’s going to take himself out of the lineup—he has too much pride.  Heck, he’d probably fight to stay on the roster even with a torn ACL.  But someone – Ryne Sandberg, Ruben Amaro Jr., Pat Gillick – anyone in charge of this franchise, is seriously going to have to take time very soon and have a chat with this greatest second baseman to ever wear a Phillies uniform.  Right now, his legacy is taking a beating, and if things don’t improve over the next few series, his mighty image might be weathered for a longer period than it should be.

Here’s a look at the upcoming schedule for Philadelphia, with a few additional important dates that are really more significant to the team’s future than who their opponents will be.

May 18-21       at Rockies
May 22-24       at Nationals
May 25-27       at Mets
May 29-31       vs. Rockies
June 2 – 4        vs. Reds
June 5-7           vs. Giants
June 8-10         MLB DRAFT*
July 2               International Free-Agent Signing Period Begins
July 31             Non-waiver Trade Deadline
Aug. 31            Final Trade Deadline

*Programming Note: We’ll have a preview of the MLB Draft on the June 4^th edition of “RCN SportsTalk” (Thursdays, live, 7-8 pm), which will include an ESPN analyst breaking down the top draftees, along with insights on what both the Phillies and Nationals will do in this year’s draft.

Which Phillies players have you been impressed with so far?  Which do you feel will be the first ones to be traded?  Email you sports opinions to us at rcnsportstalk@rcn.com at any time.  We’ll continue to provide updates on both the Washington and Philadelphia franchises throughout the summer here at the “SportsTalk Shop” and on our weekly “SportsTalk” program.
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A quick reminder, be sure to come out to see “RCN SportsTalk” as we broadcast live from Buffalo Wild Wings on Grape Street in Whitehall, PA, this Thursday from 7-8pm.  This will be the first of several live shows we’ll broadcast from Buffalo Wild Wings this summer.   Keep checking the RCN-TV website for updates on these special programs as SportsTalk “goes wild” this summer!

We are right at the 1/5-th mark of the Major League Baseball season.  While that might not seem like an impressive number, it is a key time in a team’s season.  Once you pass the“30-games” mark, the excuse “well, it’s still early” starts to wear thin and teams start having to take some long looks at players’ abilities.  It’s also the time that teams have to start realizing that early season surprises, whether positive or negative, may just be for real.

This week, we’ll take a look at the Nationals season to date (we’ll next look at the Phillies’ issues and question marks in an upcoming blog entry).

To help us break down Washington’s first 30-games, I had a chance to speak with Nationals Play-by-Play Voice Charlie Slowes about their outstanding starting rotation, an extremely wild game against the Braves and their upcoming schedule.  A few weeks back marked six years since the passing of the late, great broadcaster Harry Kalas, and Charlie gave us some unique perspectives on the legendary announcer.

A couple additional notes about the Nats.

All things considered, the team’s slow start (the Nats lost 15 of their first 23 games) hasn’t really hurt the team.  Considering the injuries to hit the bullpen and to their lineups, they’ve survived most of those “bumps” and have bounced back strong.  Both Jayson Werth and Denard Span—two keys on offense and defensively in the outfield—came back earlier than some had expected.  Span has not missed a beat since his return, flirting with an impressive slash line (.305/.354/.525 heading into this past weekend).  While Anthony Rendon’s oblique injury continues to linger, Bryce Harper, with (finally) an injury-free season to date, has blossomed into the star the team expected him to be.

The bullpen, led by closer Drew Storen and his nine saves, is beginning to flesh out its respective roles following the loss of Craig Stammen to a season-ending injury.  Tanner Roark has made a successful transition back to a reliever’s role, with three holds heading into the Atlanta series.  Aaron Barrett has been solid from the right side, holding opponent’s batting averages under .200 (and a WHIP under 1), and southpaw Matt Thornton having success so far against both right and left-handed hitters.  Sammy Solis also looked impressive holding the eighth-inning lead in the series finale against the Braves.

Also, despite an incredibly hot start by the Mets, Washington is still playing in an incredibly weak division this year, and they should be able to beat up on their divisional opponents quite a bit, even if Rendon continues on the disabled list.  When the Nats’ offense—which has shown a propensity to be streaky—goes through another lull, they should be able to avoid any long losing stretches thanks to their starting pitching depth as they look to move up in the standings over the next few weeks.  Here is a look at their upcoming series:

May 11-13 :         at Arizona
May 14 – 17:       at San Diego
May 19-20:          vs. Yankees
May 22-24:          vs. Philadelphia
May 25-27:          at Chicago
May 29-31:         at Cincinnati

The Nationals still have many more games coming up against NL East teams, and I can’t imagine Washington not compiling a better-than-500 record against them going forward.

As the 2011 Phillies found out, it’s not how many you win during the regular season.  The big key is for Washington to continue to play well, stay near or at the top of the division, and try to keep everyone healthy through the summer.  Hopefully Rendon comes back with enough time to find his stroke and the lethargic start to the season becomes a distant, if not forgotten, memory.

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Special programming note.  Mark your calendars and be sure to come out to see “RCN SportsTalk” as we broadcast live from Buffalo Wild Wings on Grape Street in Whitehall, PA.  This will be the first of several shows we’ll be broadcasting on location this summer.   Keep checking back to the RCN-TV website for updates on these special programs as SportsTalk “goes wild” this summer!

When I was in high school, teachers would normally sit us in rows of chairs alphabetically.  That is why in chemistry and physics class, Laubach (me) was seated next to Miles (not me).  I bring this up because I never really comprehended the personal value of chemistry or physics.  I did not anticipate mixing strange ingredients nor did I concern myself with laws of physics (those things are going to happen anyway).  I just wanted to keep my grades up.  So, since my blog this week is going to be about cheating because it was so prevalent in the world of sports the past seven days, I felt I would be hypocritical if I did not initially confess my own sins.

My classmate, Miles, is now Dr. Miles, MD (in other words, very smart) and you know what I am.  It would be an understatement to say he got me through chemistry and physics.  He sat next to me and, during tests, I may have glanced at an answer or two or three or ten (whatever).  So I guess you could say I cheated.  I feel comfortable saying this now because my Physics teacher has passed away and I’m fairly certain my Chemistry teacher is not reading this stuff.

And I, also, must confess that I often get inspiration for my blogs from the headlines and articles written about the news of the week.  Even though I was going to write about this topic since the “deflategate” report came out, AP writer Paul Newberry beat me to it.  I would like to say he copied my thoughts, but he wrote his article first.  So, suffice it to say, I am not copying here, but adding my thoughts.  Just saying…

And Paul Newberry did not even write about this event.  Two Saturdays ago, Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao earned over $300 million for fighting in what was billed as the “Fight of the Century”.  It turns out that Pacquiao basically fought with just one arm as an undeclared shoulder injury kept him from waging a very competitive fight.  So the fans who put down untold dollars to see the fight LIVE or $89.99 for pay-per-view and, particularly, those fans who legally wagered on the fight were cheated.  Either Pacquiao reveals his injury and gets the fight delayed or he makes everyone aware of his injury and they then decide where their money goes.  He did neither.  But he did get paid!  By cheating us of the information, he, ironically, may have been the only one NOT cheated.

The “deflategate” report  was issued this week, all 243 pages.  The conclusion of the report is that the balls were definitely deflated by an employee of the Patriots prior to the AFC championship game.  And, it appears that Tom Brady had knowledge that this was being done.  The balls were easier to throw and probably easier to catch.  Based on the rules of the NFL, this was cheating.  Brady needs to be suspended and, due to guilt by association, the Patriots need to be fined.  Tom Brady is one of the greatest NFL quarterbacks to play the game, but the image is now tarnished and rightfully so.

This leads me to A-Rod, Alex Rodriquez.  This week, he hit his 661^st home run, passing my childhood hero, Willie Mays, and moving A-Rod into third place all-time in home run totals.  But, he cheated to accomplish that feat.  A-Rod used performance-enhancing drugs for at least four or five years and during that time hit over 200 home runs.  Barry Bonds is ahead of him in home run numbers.  He, also, cheated.  Let those two have a “cheaters” list of their own and keep the records of players like Mays, Babe Ruth, and Hank Aaron separated.

Isn’t it time that all pro athletes act like pro golfers?  Professional golfers call mistakes upon themselves and are immediately penalized for those mistakes.  Often (ex: a ball moved while addressing it), the infraction is not their fault.  But rules are rules and they abide by them.  There are lessons here for Lance Armstrong, Marion Jones, Roger Clemens, etc.

If athletes confessed their cheating immediately upon being caught, we might even forgive them.  C’mon, Tom, be honest with us.  Manny, tell us you should not have gotten into the ring.  A-Rod, don’t accept the accolades that come from passing Willie Mays. Look at me. I am glad I confessed my high school cheating right up front.  Besides, the Statute of Limitations has passed (I hope).

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS) 

1. Have you noticed that former Lafayette student and current Chicago Cubs manager, Joe Maddon, has the Cubs in second place in the National League Central division and they have the fourth-best winning percentage in the National League? Good for Joe.
2. I have found an NBA story that makes me want to watch the playoffs. The LA Clippers are playing the Houston Rockets and, so far, the star of the series is Austin Rivers.  His father, Doc Rivers, is the head coach.  This combination has never happened before in the NBA.  It is neat to see the two interact.
3. Big baseball stories normally center around no-hitters, grand slams, or fights. The defense rarely gets its due.  This past Saturday, the Pittsburgh Pirates pulled off a triple play that had never before happened – second to third to second, or as the scorebook showed 4-5-4.  Take a look here.
4. If outside reports are to be believed, the Eagles did try to make a last-minute trade with Tampa Bay to get the NFL’s #1 draft pick so they could take QB Marcus Mariota. The Bucs would have no part of it and seem very happy they got QB Jameis Winston.
5. High school baseball is on tap this week. On Wednesday, watch the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference semifinals on RCN TV LIVE at 4:00 and the championship on Thursday at 7:00.  Congratulations to all the Colonial League and EPC teams that made the playoffs.  Even with a loss in the league playoffs, District XI baseball is right around the corner for all of them.

I have been on vacation for the past three weeks and I want to thank John Leone, Randy Kane, Jim Best, and Scott Barr for so ably taking over my blog space in my absence.  During my time away, I was on a cruise ship and, unless I went out of my way to research events, I was completely away from American sports during that whole time.  The only sport readily accessible to me was European soccer and I am certainly not enamored with that.  And, the purpose of the vacation, according to my wife, was to get away from sports for awhile.  I did manage to sneak back to my room to see the completion of Jordan Spieth’s victory at The Masters right before we sailed.  From that point on – no baseball, no hockey, no NBA, no NFL draft talk, no nothing!

Imagine my dismay and delight upon my return when Saturday, May 2, rolled around.  It was time to catch up.  However, after perusing the TV guide on the sports page, I was shocked to find that there were 55 sporting events listed from 10 AM through 10 PM.  Plus, at around midnight, Floyd Mayweather, Jr. and Manny Pacquiao would be throwing their first punches in the self-proclaimed “fight of the century”.  Obviously, I needed to prioritize.

I quickly eliminated the three soccer matches, 11 college lacrosse games, two pro tennis matches, four auto racing events, one arena football game, four college softball games, five college baseball games, and IIHF Hockey (what is that, anyway?).  And the college rugby Varsity Cup Championship between BYU and Cal did not stand a chance of capturing my eyeballs.

I was still left with a full day – the NFL Draft (Lafayette’s Ross Scheurman and Freedom’s Mike Coccia were still on the board), NHL hockey which is fun to watch no matter what teams are playing, MLB – the Yankees were playing the Red Sox and the Phillies were at the Marlins, PGA golf – the Cadillac Match Play event, the Kentucky Derby (yes, THE Kentucky Derby), game seven of the NBA playoffs between the Spurs and the Clippers, and the prefight banter on ESPN.

Some of the programs were uneventful – Ross and Mike were not drafted; the Phillies lost again.

But some, like the Derby – American Pharoah winning down the stretch; the NBA game seven won at the buzzer by an amazing shot from Chris Paul; the golf featuring Rory McElroy and Paul Casey playing into the dark in San Francisco and still tied when play was halted after their 21^st hole (I now had to catch the 9:45 tee-off time the next morning for the completion of that match).

It sounds like I made a good decision not to buy the fight.  Pacquiao’s shoulder was injured so reports say it was not as exciting as it could have been.  Plus, it did not start until after midnight and, by then, I realized that I was out of “sports viewing” shape.  Going from no sports for three weeks to a gluttony of viewing right after my return was a challenge. Even the recliner was beginning to feel like a bed of hot coals.  Suffice it to say that the 14+ hours of watching sport after sport left me completely drained.

I NEED ANOTHER VACATION!

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS)

1. It appears the Phillies are as bad as everyone predicted. As I write this, they are already eight games under .500 and have the third worst winning percentage in the major leagues.  At least the Mets are in a slump after their 11-game winning streak, losing seven games in their last 10.  But, do not get your hopes up about the Phils – they appear to be hopeless!
2. So the Eagles took only one offensive player in the NFL draft and five defensive players. Wide receiver Nelson Agholor of USC seems to have been the best available at the time and fills a need at that position.  He will shore up both the wide receiver corps and can return punts and kickoffs.  And the Eagles certainly need defensive help if they want to win championships.
3. All in all, the NFL draft had very few surprises and no wily moves by anyone. The pre-draft analysis sort of spoils the actual picks when that happens.
4. It was nice to see locals Kevin White of Emmaus (Bears), Mike Coccia of Freedom (Eagles), and Ross Scheurman of Lafayette (Steelers) picked up in the draft and free agency. I love watching players in the pros who were on RCNTV.
5. The inaugural Eastern Pennsylvania Baseball semifinals and championship will be on May 13 and 14 on RCNTV. Time to get back to work!

I don’t believe there has been more excitement, angst, anticipation—and anxiety—for an NFL Draft than this year’s selection process for both the Redskins and Eagles communities.  Birds fans wanted new Eagles Czar Chip Kelly to move up and pick Marcus Mariota, and many Skins supporters wanted a move backwards to secure more picks.  While many dyed-in-the-wool football experts really thought the odds were against both of those things happening, it seemed that many, including the entire Delaware Valley, had convinced themselves—emotionally—that a major move would be made…one that would never occur.  After several days of mental withdraw, it’s time to take a step back and take a more pragmatic view of what transpired.

Day One…the first pick

REDSKINS PICK:                B+
EAGLES PICK:                    A-  (However…)

All things considered, I believe both Washington and Philadelphia made the “safe” move.  The Redskins were not able to get the number of quality picks to trade out of the number-five spot overall, and Brandon Scherff is a good choice for a team that needed a major boost on the offensive line.  While it’s normally startling to hear a top-five pick is slated for right tackle (the #5 pick is an awfully high pick for that position), it is an area that had to be addressed, and if he can also play guard, that versatility certainly is a plus.  I had Scherff several spots lower on my draft board, but I don’t think it was a major leap for the Redskins to make to enhance their O-line.

For the Eagles, I’ll first go back to the final game of the regular season.  They had NOTHING to play for, so why didn’t they give Matt Barkley the start at quarterback?  Kelly clearly doesn’t like him (is there another team in the country with more quarterbacks—all of them ahead of Barkley?)  Playing him in the season finale would have benefitted the team no matter what happened.  If Barkley played well, it would have served as a showcase for other teams so that you could have used him as a trade chip.  If he fell flat on his face and lost, the Eagles would have moved up several spots in the draft—perhaps enough to get Marcus Mariota, their prized quarterback.  Clearly Sam Bradford was not enough to enable the Eagles to get Mariota without also surrendering other major talent, but if Bradford is your guy, why haven’t they signed him to a long-term deal—like, yesterday?  If Bradford plays well, he’s going to ask for the farm—and get it.  If he fails (or gets hurt for the third year in a row), you’re starting year-four under Kelly with no definitive quarterback.

So after dropping the ball at several steps, Kelly saved face in the first round by filling one of the three major holes they needed to address.  Of course, if they signed Jeremy Maclin last summer as I had suggested they do, they wouldn’t have had that vacancy in the first place.

Day Two…Rounds 2 & 3

REDSKINS PICK:        C+       
EAGLES PICK:            A-

While I really like the selection of Preston Smith in the second round and think he has great potential, I was not a fan of the third round trade and their subsequent picks.  The Redskins picked up a running back (Matt Jones) that I had questions about and really don’t think will make a major impact with this team.  With the other acquired selections, Washington’s first-year General Manager Scot McCloughan clearly favored selecting players in spots of need over the best available talents, and there were enough players at their initial third-round selection position with more upside that could have made a bigger impact that the collective efforts of the players gained through the trade.  However, whether he’s right or wrong, I’ll give McCloughan credit for adding bodies in the draft (see below).

The Eagles made their best decision of the draft in the second round–trading up to obtain Defensive Back Eric Rowe out of Utah.  He can be an instant starter (that’s something new for a Kelly draftee) and could be a star at either cornerback or safety going forward.  While I question selecting an inside linebacker with their third pick (unless Kelly is planning on trading Mychal Kendricks or is looking ahead to the future), Jordan Hicks is a nice pickup with the 84th overall pick and can help right away on special teams.

Day Three…Rounds 4-7

REDSKINS PICK:   B-        
EAGLES PICK:  C        

With very few big names escaping past the first three rounds (which is why I did not like the decision to trade down), I think Washington did make some good talent additions to their squad overall.  Probably the one most likely to exceed their respective numbered-round expectations is Kyshoen Jarrett, a defensive back out of Virginia Tech.  Despite being undersized (5’10”), I think he can help Washington right away on special teams, and could carve out a nice career as a nickel back or an occasional number-two corner.

In the later stage of the draft, the Eagles added much-needed secondary depth in their back-half of the draft.  However,  I’m still shocked that they didn’t select ANY offensive linemen in the draft–which was one of the three major needs to the team going in. They also didn’t get a “pure” strong safety, so that could be a more minor issue to watch as training camp unfolds.

Final Evaluations/Overall Grades

Despite failing to solidify the quarterback position–which could be a major setback to the future success of the organization–the Eagles’ picks themselves make a lot of sense.  Keep an eye on non-drafted lineman Mike Coccia.  I announced several of his games and visited his workouts at Freedom High School.  He’s an outstanding young blocker who works hard and has always had good technique.  I think Kelly would be foolish not to hold onto him as he can add some much-needed depth along the Birds’ offensive line.  Still, Philadelphia needs a lot to go right to protect an already fragile Bradford under center.

Overall, the Eagles moved forward with this draft, with a couple question marks remaining.  They may have done just enough this past weekend (and, taking advantage of one of the weaker NFL schedules this fall) to propel themselves to a playoff appearance.  How far they’ll go remains a mystery, led by the quarterback combination of Bradford (when/if healthy), Mark Sanchez, Tim Tebow et al, and the team certainly didn’t do anything to help protect their signal callers with their draft choices.

EAGLES OVERALL DRAFT GRADE:  B+

I also think the Redskins made some nice decisions in this year’s draft…but “nice” won’t result in a major improvement in the win total for this season.  Their draft selections should move the team in the right direction, and, with some luck, they could win at least six to seven games this season.  The team made a few weaker selections at some spots in trying to fill needs.  Skins fans hoping for some major moves are left disappointed, as they still look to be AT LEAST one year away from any possible playoff contention, and a subpar year from Robert Griffin III (whose option for 2016 was picked up last week) might just set that plan back even further.  I’ll take into account that it was McCloughan’s first draft with the Skins, and I do believe in him going forward.  But again, we’re analyzing with our head and not with our heart, which results in a…

REDSKINS OVERALL DRAFT GRADE:  B

What are your thoughts on this year’s NFL Draft?  Which picks did you like/hate and what grades would you give the Eagles and the Redskins?  We’ll have plenty of football talk on this Thursday’s “RCN SportsTalk” so email your opinions to RCNSportsTalk@rcn.com and tune in as we respond to your comments live on air.  Don’t forget our show is now on at a new time, live on Thursdays from 7-8pm.  We’ll also have a phone interview with Washington Nationals broadcaster Charlie Slows to talk about the first month of the baseball season on this week’s program.

Today’s “Behind the Mic” blog is written by long time RCN personality Scott Barr. He has covered a wide range of sports, including kick boxing, track and field, lacrosse, soccer, volleyball, football, and baseball. Most of our viewers, of course, will know him for his work with District XI wrestling. Fans across the valley have heard him call “Give him six!” after a pin, while working with three legends of Lehigh Valley sports—Gary Laubach, Ray Nunamaker, and Jim Best. Outside of RCN, Scott helps small businesses set up retirement plans for their employees, and lives in Macungie with his wife, Melissa, and their four children.
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In about six weeks, at the PIAA Baseball Championships, I will wrap up my 30^th season on the air.  Most of the hundreds of broadcasts melt together, with a few exceptions.  Gary Laubach has been there for most of the “exceptions”, and we talk about them often.

I thought today I would take a look at those 30 years and share some of those moments.  Some are on the air, some are not.   Some of the details are fuzzy, and some have been enhanced over time, I’m sure.  Regardless, it makes me excited about the next thirty!

Best individual performance—I was on the sidelines for the 1995 AAA football championship.  In that game, James Mungro was ridiculous.  My recollection is that he gained around 320 yards on about 20 carries.  He returned the opening kickoff to the 40-yard line, and on the first play from scrimmage, took care of the rest.  East Stroudsburg won 35-14, and Mungro went on to a long NFL career.

Luckiest TV assignment—I was assigned to be the sideline reporter for the 1990 AAA football championship at Cottingham Stadium.  I forget who was supposed to be the game’s analyst, but he had to cancel at the last minute, so I spent the broadcast in the booth with Gary.  During the game, no kidding, more than four inches of rain fell.  It would have been miserable down there.  Easton won that game over Stroudsburg 41-10.

Longest broadcast, Part 1—Gary and I were broadcasting DXI boys’ volleyball under the old double-elimination format without “rally” scoring.  Easton came out of the loser’s bracket and beat Emmaus in a long, five-set match (which we called).  This forced a winner-take-all championship, which Emmaus won—in ANOTHER long, five-set match.  We were on the air for around five hours.

Longest broadcast, Part 2—Again with Gary, we were covering the Allentown Ambassadors on a getaway game night with the team from Maine.  They absolutely HAD to fit the whole game in, and despite a long rain delay—a really long rain delay—they did.  We finished at around 2:30 a.m.  There were, maybe, 30 fans left at the end of the game.  Team owner, the late Pete Karoly, gave Ambassador t-shirts to everyone who stayed.

Sports event I would watch again, right now—Easy.  The 2012 NCAA Division II baseball championship.  West Chester beat Delta State 9-0, becoming the northernmost team to ever with the title.  The dogpile at the end is one of my fondest memories, since my son John is at the bottom of it.  If I die with a smile on my face, it’s because my final thought was about that moment.

Best finish—Nazareth was way behind in their annual wrestling rivalry with Easton.  They needed pins in the final three weight classes, and got them all.  Fans swarmed the mat, and referee Gene Waas had to be rescued from under the pile by Nazareth principal Vic Lesky.   It’s a scene that could only happen in District XI.

Coolest TV related event—RCN scored press passes for Jim Best and me to the 2011 NCAA Wrestling Championships in Philadelphia.  Jordan Oliver won his first championship, and the atmosphere was electric.  This event convinced me that if I have the chance to attend ANY national championship—any sport, any division—sponsored by the NCAA, I will do it.  They put on a great show.

Most offbeat assignment—I actually did play-by-play for a kickboxing card in Mountainville around 1990.  In the final bout, the heavyweight competitor stood up in his corner for the third round, and promptly fell over, face first.  It was weird, and scary.  It took a good twenty minutes for the medical staff to get him into an ambulance, and I heard that he was unconscious for a day or so before making a full recovery.

Most fun season—Gary and I had a great time getting to know the Allentown Ambassadors.  A bunch of talented kids playing for the love of the game, with big league dreams, and coach Ed Ott who was just a great guy to hang out with.  He even let Gary put together the batting order when they were in a slump one night.  I think they still lost.

Favorite assignment—I really, really enjoyed being on the Lafayette football sidelines, and hated when my personal situation forced me away.  The Leopards’ staff is professional and super friendly, and Frank Tavani might be my all-time favorite guy to interview.

Regrets—None.  Absolutely none.  It’s been one hell of a ride.

NFL Draft week is finally here!

After months of speculation (and seeing the name “Marcus Mariota” trending more than just about any other athlete over the last several weeks), it is time for the NFL Draft.  Redskins and Eagles fans know this Thursday is a critical time for both franchises and this week’s draft could determine the future level of success of their favorite team.

I had a chance to speak with NFL Network Analyst and former Pro Offensive Lineman Brian Baldinger and “Footballstories” writers Al Thompson and Rock Hoffman about the latest developments and got their insights and predictions on this year’s draft and other football related topics (the entire “SportsTalk” show is available to watch on RCN On-Demand).

A few more insights ahead of Thursday’s draft:

• • Safety is an area of concern for both the Eagles and the Redskins.  I think there are a number of defensive backs who might be available that would help both teams:

Kevin Johnson, Wake Forest
Alex Carter, Stanford
Eric Rowe, Utah
Josh Shaw, USC
Quinten Rollins, Miami
Trae Waynes, Michigan State
Landon Collins, Alabama
Marcus Peters, Washington
Byron Jones, UConn
Damarious Randall, Arizona St.
Jalen Collins, LSU
Adrian Amos, Penn State

• Since the first night of last year’s draft, I’ve continued to be very vocal with my displeasure of the Eagles’ selection of Marcus Smith as their number one pick.  I’m hoping I’m wrong and Smith can rebound, making some contributions this fall.  However, this year’s draft class features a number of impressive outside linebackers.  Don’t be surprised if Philadelphia is able to pick up a solid OLB in the middle rounds of the draft.  FYI:  here is a look at all the draft pick selections for both teams:

Eagles 2015 Draft Picks
1^st Round  –  No. 20 Overall
2^nd Round  –  No. 52 Overall
3^rd Round  –  No. 84 Overall
4^th Round  –  No. 113 Overall
5^th Round  — No. 145 & No. 156 Overall
6^th Round  –  No. 196 Overall
7^th Round  –  No. 237 Overall

Redskins 2015 Draft Picks
1^st Round  –  No. 5 Overall
2^nd Round  –  No. 38 Overall
3^rd Round  –  No. 69 Overall
4^th Round  –  No. 105 Overall
5^th Round  — No. 141 Overall
6^th Round  –  No. 182 Overall
7^th Round  –  No. 222 Overall

• Thompson also shared an interesting story with us.  He got word that Penn State offensive tackle Donovan Smith is heading to Chicago—the site of this year’s draft.  Players normally only attend the NFL Selection Gala if they suspect they’ll be selected in the first round (it certainly doesn’t look good if you are there and you DON’T get picked in the first round.) However, in most publications, Smith is ranked no higher than 52^nd overall, and much further down the list in most other mock draft lists.  Could Smith’s alleged trip to the Windy City be a tip that a “mystery team” is going to jump and take Smith earlier than expected…and would that team be in close proximately to Happy Valley?
• Hoffman indicated that there could be a number of future, high-quality NFL players available later in this year’s draft, and the 5^th and 6^th round selections may be especially interesting to watch.  Both Thompson and Hoffman hinted that Delaware Valley College’s Rasheed Bailey has been receiving interest from a number of teams, and could be selected during the middle rounds of the draft.

The draft itself should be another fun event.  The NFL has molded this selection process into a gigantic party, with the anticipation starting shortly after the Super Bowl and building to this week.  It’s true that pro football teams don’t lose games in April or May, but they can certainly put future success on hold for years if things don’t go well this week in Chicago.

With the weather finally becoming more “spring-like,” the high school sports action in the Lehigh Valley finally kicked into high gear the last couple weeks.

Our “RCN SportsTalk” cameras have been busy covering the local sports landscape.  Here we present a sample of some of our high school sports features (more can been seen on “SportsTalk” live at 7pm on Thursdays and through RCN On-Demand)

A few additional highlights from this spring season:

• Congratulations are in order for the up-and-coming Northampton girls lacrosse program.  The Konkrete Kids just started their program a few years ago.  The Lehigh Valley quickly has become a very talented area for this sport, making it much tougher for newer programs like Northampton to build success quickly.  However, the K-Kids recently won their first ever league contest by defeating Allentown Central Catholic in Eastern Pennsylvania Conference play.  With many underclassmen contributing on the roster, it probably won’t be long before Northampton starts posting league victories on a more regular basis.

• The Easton baseball team conducted a ceremony celebrating their 50^th anniversary of playing on “Richards Field” on 25^th Street in Easton.   The team welcomed back members of the first Easton team to play on that field and honored them before the Red Rovers game against Allen this past Wednesday.  Former Easton Assistant Coach Karl Dutt threw out the first pitch and current Easton players wore “throwback uniforms” replicating the same uniforms worn by that 1965 baseball team.  An interesting side note:  we learned on last week’s “SportsTalk” show that John Lennon was in Easton, Pennsylvania around the same time that Richards Field first began hosting games and he purchased an Easton baseball jersey in a local thrift store.  Lennon later wore that same jersey when he sang his iconic “Imagine” ballad nationally on the Mike Douglas Show.

• Speaking of Allen, it’s great to see both Allentown schools doing well in baseball after several years of struggling.  As mentioned above, it’s tough to rebuild in the EPC (and baseball is among the most competitive sports in the Lehigh Valley) and both the Canaries and Huskies deserve kudos for playing at a much higher level this spring.  Allen already has five wins this spring (as of 4/20/15).   Dieruff also has recorded some impressive victories, and played one of the best teams in the area—Liberty—to a close 2-1 loss the other day.  The Allen and Dieruff kids have never stopped working hard and their perseverance is paying off.

It’s also nice to see area baseball fans recognizing the efforts of the athletes from ASD.  I’ve gone to other schools’ games this spring in which neither Dieruff or Allen is playing, yet baseball fans are talking about these programs and are genuinely happy these schools are moving in the right direction (although they still hope that their team wins in a head-to-head match-up).  Both of these programs have tough issues to overcome that other school districts don’t have to deal with.  One of the great things about this region is the knowledgeable sports fans who recognize great efforts by young student athletes and it’s great to see people acknowledging the Allentown players’ efforts.

What other spring sports accomplishments deserve recognition?  Which spring sports athletes have stood out from the pack?  Email your opinions to us at RCNSportsTalk@rcn.com and tune in to “RCN SportsTalk” at our new time, Thursdays at 7pm, on RCN-TV.  On April 30^th, we’ll be talking in more detail about high school sports, with our in-studio guests comprised of athletic directors from the RCN viewing area.  Also, on this Thursday (April 23^rd) program, join us as NFL Football Network analyst and former Philadelphia Eagles Lineman Bryan Baldinger is among our guest panelists, breaking down the NFL Draft and predicting what the Eagles, Redskins and other teams will do in the draft.  Al Thompson (Eagles beat writer for “FootballStories” magazine) and Rock Hoffman, who covers college football and has a comprehensive list and analysis on many of the region’s players expected to be drafted, will also be featured on this week’s show.