With the pomp and circumstance of Major League Baseball’s Opening Day now behind us, we can take a look at two teams in the RCN viewing area with completely different focuses for the 2015 season. The Nationals are in a “World Series or bust” state of mind, while the Phillies are clearly looking to groom young talent and play for the future.

Here we look at some predictions, projections and thoughts on Washington’s key players to watch, as well as interview clips from some of the Phillies top minor leaguers, reflecting on their spring training performances and discussing their summertime goals.

A couple of other key points for both teams…

• I think the Nationals are clearly the favorites in the division and my pick to win the pennant. I think the Marlins are, at best, a wild card possibility. However, it is imperative that Washington does not flounder for the first month of the season. They have a favorable schedule (they play the Phillies seven times) the first month of the season. Despite being without three key pieces to their lineup and a bullpen still defining roles, they cannot afford to finish April under .500. It’s not likely to happen, but a rough start makes it tougher to work their way back into the race. With all the potential free agents on Washington’s roster, they don’t want to have guys worried about improving their free agency status and more concerned over their individual statistics than the team’s overall success. A rough start could send this negative attitude (or “Natitude” in this case) in motion, and make for a horrifically disappointing year. Again, not likely to happen, but something to keep an eye on.

• The Phillies are not the 76ers. They don’t NEED to trade all their big name players…at least not right away. They don’t get any real benefit by being overly bad, and they’re not going to get much in return right now for unloading guys like Ryan Howard, Carlos Ruiz or Jonathan Papelbon. The best thing to do is hope these older veterans play well, and another team gets desperate enough to give up something of value for them. Someone on last week’s “SportsTalk” show suggested throwing in Cole Hamels in a trade so that the team could rid themselves of Howard’s weighty contract. That’s not wise either, as you lose the only player who can (and should) give you a healthy return of prospects…and for what? To give Darin Ruf—a player the Phillies clearly don’t like—more at-bats? It’s not imperative Philadelphia cuts everyone loose, and only as we near the trading deadline would it even begin to make sense to look for some serious trade rumors to start simmering.

It should be an exciting season overall for the Nationals, hopefully culminating with a record-setting postseason win total for the organization. To get excited about the Phillies, you’ll have to look more closely at the younger members of the organization and try to imagine a bright future that awaits a few summers from now. As the baseball season unfolds, don’t forget to email us your sports comments and opinions to RCNSportsTalk@rcn.com and join us for “RCN SportsTalk” at our new time, now broadcasting live from 7-8 pm, Thursday evenings on RCN-TV.

Remember last week how everyone was bemoaning the fact that they were doing so poorly in their office pool?  After this past weekend, I would think there would be less gnashing of teeth and more people still having a little bit of skin in the game.  After all the early upsets, three #1 seeds are still alive and a coach they call the “Master of March”, Tom Izzo of Michigan State, has his team playing in Indianapolis.  Michigan State last won a national championship in 2000 and Tom Izzo was the coach.

I have three teams still alive in our “for entertainment purposes only” office pool: Kentucky, Wisconsin, and Duke.  I picked #2 Virginia to be the other participant, but Michigan State beat them, too, along with the #3 and #4 seeds.  Here is the way I see the match-ups for Saturday in Indianapolis.

#7 Michigan State vs #1 Duke  –  6:09pm on CBS
Both Duke and Michigan State were in the 2010 Final Four. Ironically, the semifinals that year were also the held in Indianapolis.  Michigan State lost to Butler in the semis and Duke went on to win the national title 61-59.  These two teams played earlier in the season in November and Duke won the game by 10.  There is no question that Michigan State is the surprise team in the Final Four.  Even Coach Izzo said earlier he did not believe his team had the size and talent to compete for a national championship.  In Michigan State’s last final appearance in 2009 they lost to North Carolina.  Izzo has his team one game away again.  Despite his basketball acumen, he goes up against Mike Krzyzewski who has taken Duke to nine championship finals and has won four national championships.  I like Duke to win this game, but it will not be easy and it will not be by 10.
DUKE   66   MICHIGAN STATE  61

#1 Kentucky vs #1 Wisconsin
Believe it or not, there have only been three Final Four rematches in history and this is one of them.  Kentucky hit a three with six seconds on the clock last year that kept Wisconsin from their second national championship game.  This is a revenge game for sure.  Wisconsin’s stars, Frank Kaminsky and Sam Dekker, made it known that they did not go to the NBA just so they could get back to this position again.  Is this one of those “be careful what you wish for” moments?

Everyone knows that Kentucky is 38-0, two wins away from being the first undefeated team since Indiana’s run in 1976.  Kentucky’s John Calipari has a bit of a revenge factor of his own losing in last year’s final to Connecticut 60-54.  After winning it all in 2013, Calipari certainly wants Kentucky fans to put him in the same conversation as the great Kentucky coach Adolph Rupp who won four national championships.  I am awed by the size and the talent that Kentucky puts on the floor.  However, Notre Dame may have shown that they can be beaten losing by just two in the Midwest final.  The last two teams since 1976 to enter the Final Four undefeated were Indiana State (Larry Bird and company) and UNLV (Jerry Tarkanian) in 1991.  Both lost.  I firmly believe that Wisconsin has the talent and the motivation to win this game, but they won’t.

KENTUCKY  72   WISCONSIN  69

National Championship Game
KENTUCKY 73  DUKE 71

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS)
An NCAA Championship Quiz

1. Ten consecutive titles were won by two teams that were known by initials that started with the letter U. Name the two teams.
2. Since 2000, who is the only coach to win back-to-back championships?
3. What former Lafayette head basketball coach won a national championship?
4. Prior to John Calipari, who was the last Kentucky coach to win a national championship?
5. Since 2000, what team has won the most national championships?

ANSWERS:

1. UCLA AND UTEP (1964-1973)
2. Billy Donovan (Florida-2006 + 2007)
3. Gary Williams (Maryland – 2002)
4. Tubby Smith (1998)
5. Connecticut (3)

‘Tis the season.

There is a well-known sports term perfectly describing this time of year for many involved in athletics.  It’s the time of year when all the winter sports are climaxing to an exhilarating finish.  “March Madness,” state tournaments and final swimming and diving meets…all with their elaborate playoff systems formed to create an exciting and balanced formula, pitting the best teams, and individuals squaring off against each other and building in intensity until reaching their conclusions.  With any luck, the results are memorable and thrilling finales.  As we approach the end, everyone involved can enjoy the memories created by this fiercely competitive segment of the calendar, while we all sit back, relax and reflect during a slower, more peaceful time of year….

For some of us.

While there is a perception that the end of winter sports season induces a slower time-period in the sports world, students, parents, athletic directors…and even some of us in the media, have a different story.  A “crossover” exists when one sports season begins winding down following a flurry of playoff action, while the spring sports teams are quietly trying (as best as Mother Nature allows) to put together a winning formula for what every coach hopes will be a successful campaign.  But a heavy snow late in the winter keeps athletes from getting much needed playing time out on their respective athletic fields.  Little to no snowfall but extreme cold temperatures also keeps athletes inside preventing them from much needed practice time out on their fields.  A couple days of rain on surfaces that are still frozen or a low snowfall amount with quickly rising temperatures on hardened surfaces create swampy and/or flooded conditions which…well, you get the idea.

For athletes who participate in both winter and spring athletics, it’s rather challenging to be going full-steam ahead in one sport, then quickly don a brand new uniform and begin competing at a high level instantly in a whole new activity.

And those of us in the media also are doing our best covering the final games of the basketball season while simultaneously attempting to interview as many spring sports coaches and players as we can, without the benefits of cloning.  All this must be accomplished before the looming and unforgiving deadline of the first game/match of the spring season which, ironically and painfully enough, usually gets postponed the day of, due to… (snow, rain, the cold, field conditions, electrical issues, or fill in your own reason here).

Keeping this theme in mind, this week at the “Shop” we look at one of our final winter sports interviews of the year, while also giving you a sampling of several of our spring high school sports previews (you can see more of them on “SportsTalk” live on Thursday evenings or on RCN On-Demand).

First, we check in with Mike Jones to get his thoughts on the final games in the NCAA tournament, the success of the nationally ranked DeMatha basketball program once again this winter, and the outstanding basketball tradition in the Washington, DC area.

Now, here are a few insights into several spring sports teams in the RCN coverage area.

So whether you’re spending the next several days enjoying what promises to be a exciting finish between the last four teams in the NCAA tournament (for the record, I did have Wisconsin and Kentucky in “my” Final Four, but missed with Duke and Michigan State).  Or, if you’re coaching, playing, or supporting one of the outstanding scholastic sports programs this weekend, I tip my cap to everyone who doesn’t take it easy over the next week, continuing to participate in the efforts of our young athletes in action during this special time of year.

‘Tis the season.

I received an invitation to the Dance last week.  Lafayette College asked me to go to Pittsburgh for the start of the NCAA tournament and do some internet work for them leading up to the first round game: Lafayette vs Villanova.  RCN was kind enough to allow me to go.  I am glad I did.

In the past, high school basketball conflicted with the NCAA tournament first round so I was never able to attend.  Now, it seems that the college season is pushed back one week and there is no conflict.

We left the Kirby Sports Center on Wednesday morning and arrived in Pittsburgh at 3:00pm.  The first Lafayette press conference was scheduled for 5:15pm at the CONSOL Energy Arena so we checked in to the hotel and went to the Arena.  The student-athletes spoke first followed by head coach Fran O’Hanlon.  Lafayette was allowed to take the floor for a 40-minute workout.  Lafayette had a full workout that morning at Duquesne University, so they went through some quick drills and a shoot-around.  I chatted with Coach O’Hanlon and immediately made the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette the next day:

http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/marchmadness/2015/03/19/Plenty-will-be-decided-in-the-post-GAME-VILLANOVA-vs-LAFAYETTE/stories/201503190171

Prior to leaving the arena, I did a stand-up report for the Lafayette website and then was quickly corralled by the Villanova radio announcer for some background on Lafayette.  What I thought was going to be a quick discussion turned into a lengthy question and answer session.  It was so long that I missed the team bus when it returned to the hotel.  In all honesty, I was a bit shocked by the lack of pre-game knowledge the radio guy had about the Leopards.  That is not my style, to be sure.

I was able to get a cab back to the hotel just in time for the team meal which was at Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, a short walk down the street.  Nothing beats great food and great company.  Some of the players were not accustomed to eating at such an up-scale restaurant claiming Outback Steakhouse was the epitome of their dining experience.

Thursday was game day with Northeastern meeting Notre Dame and Butler playing Texas in the afternoon session.  Our hotel also housed the Butler contingent so the Bulldogs were well-represented throughout the trip.  I went to the arena for the second game and stayed for the rest of the day.  It was interesting to attend the press conferences for the winning and losing teams, experiencing the “thrill of victory and the agony of defeat.”

Although I had press row access for the Lafayette game, I chose instead to sit in the arena seats and had a great view of the game.  Lafayette did not play well; Villanova played like a #1 seed and won easily, a disappointment to all who made the trip.  The Lafayette players handled themselves exceptionally well speaking before the press as did Coach O’Hanlon.  Villanova’s players and Coach Jay Wright spoke about the difficulty of playing against a Villanova icon like Hall-of-Famer Fran O’Hanlon.  He used the word “bittersweet” when discussing the win.

I stayed to watch the LSU-North Carolina State game and I was glad I did.  It came down to the final shot with NC State winning a thriller.

Back at the hotel, everyone was contemplating the end of the season.  A Patriot League championship, three one-thousand point scorers, and a trip to the NCAAs made the sting of that night’s loss a bit more palatable.  Villanova looked that night like a potential national champion. Not so much on Saturday when they lost to North Carolina State and were eliminated from the tournament.

Best of all was the publicity leading up to the game.  MarketWatch and Payscale.com reported that of all 68 teams in the tournament, Lafayette was #1 in return on investment for their college degree.  In the long run, for more than 90% of the athletes playing in the tournament who will never become professional players, that is the most important outcome.  For the Lafayette players, in the most critical of competitions – the game of life- they are the national champions!!

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS)
No musings this week, just some pictures thanks to Rick Smith/Lafayette Athletic Communications:

After shoveling snow out of my driveway for the final time this winter (even if we get more of the white stuff, I’m just plowing through with my car from now on), I had a chance to witness some of the PIAA state playoff games.  Unfortunately, none of the teams in our RCN-TV coverage area made it all the way through the state tournament, but that didn’t stop us from seeing some tremendous efforts from our local teams in the postseason on RCN-TV.

Here’s a look at our final set of basketball highlight packages from our state playoff game broadcasts; then, a few of my own observations on the final weeks of the PIAA basketball season.

Now a few thoughts as we close out the high school basketball season for our Pennsylvania sports fans.

• Becahi’s Head Coach is a Stand-Up Guy

First of all, Jose Medina took over the Becahi girls basketball team very late (November) before this season started.  There’s no question this team had talent, but to keep all the pieces together and still win 27 straight games, an Eastern Pennsylvania Conference Championship, a District XI 3A title, advance to the 2^nd round of the state tournament and to be ranked in the top four statewide throughout the entire season, all were tremendous accomplishments.
Once more, following a disappointing loss to Conrad Weiser and the controversial decision in which his star player, Kalista Walters, was left in the game with three fouls in the second quarter, he responded to my request to be on our “SportsTalk” show and address this and other issues with this year’s team (this show is available through RCN On Demand).  I cannot offer enough respect and support going forward for Coach Medina for tackling these topics head-on with me on our live show, and admire how he and his players have conducted themselves following their surprising, upset loss in the state tournament.  I heard from a good source that their up-and-coming players like Tessa Zamolyi and Rebekah Recchio were quality, hard-working players even before this season started, and the way they addressed the ending of their season makes me think the future of this program is as bright as ever.

• Speaking of Conrad Weiser…

The Scouts from the Conrad Weiser girls basketball team made for one of the best stories in the entire state.  While some did not count on Weiser to be a force entering the league playoffs—let alone districts and states—the Scouts fought their way into the Final Four in the Berks County playoffs, then followed that up with a trip to the district championship game.  Then, after a mild upset win in the first round of states, they won back-to-back games against the best teams in the state to reach the PIAA quarterfinals.  Head Coach Mark Owens called his team “The Little Engine,” referencing the childhood story of the train that wouldn’t give up.  Despite being discounted multiple times, Owens’ group of undersized players (their tallest player is 5-8, shorter than about a half-dozen players they faced in states) made for an exciting post-season experience and showed what hard work, dedication and determination can do on the scholastic level’s biggest stage.

• The “Final Pairs”

Here’s a look at the final two teams in each classification of the PIAA tournament.  See if something jumps out at you as readily as it did for many high school sports fans (this weekend’s winning teams in BOLD).

State Basketball Finalists
Class 4A Boys – Roman Catholic, Martin Luther King (Both District 12)
Class 4A Girls – CB West (District 1), Cumberland Valley (Dist. 3)
Class 3A Boys – Newmann-Goretti, Archbishop Carroll (Both District 12)
Class 3A Girls – Archbishop Wood (District 12), Black Hawk (Dist. 7)
Class 2A Boys – Conwell Egan (District 12), Aliquippa (Dist. 7)
Class 2A Girls – Newmann-Goretti (District 12), Seton LaSalle (Dist. 7)
Class 1A Boys – Constitution (Dist. 12), Farrell (Dist. 10)
Class 1A Girls – Old Forge (Dist. 2), Vicentian Academy (Dist. 7)

If you noticed most of the teams reaching the state championship games were from the Philadelphia region (Districts 1 and 12) and that ALL the boys winners were from District 12 (first time that has EVER happened in Pennsylvania), give yourself a gold medal.  It was common knowledge that once the District 12 schools were granted access to the PIAA tournament, the teams from the Delaware Valley would often be favorites in playoff match-ups.  However,  I don’t think many basketball fans not from the southeastern corner of the state anticipated just how dominate these programs are.   I’ve had the opportunity to see teams like Roman Catholic, Martin Luther King, Conwell Egan, Newmann-Goretti and Archbishop Carroll play at a high level for several years.  Their successes is not a fluke, nor do I anticipate their quality of play dropping off any time soon.

Is it right that most championship participants of a statewide tournament come from one area?  I cannot argue against it and believe there are opportunities with this tourney for a team to have a chance—although not a great one—to compete for a crown.  Whether it’s envy, sour grapes or an unjust system, the debate will rage on until more teams from other parts of Pennsylvania start making it to the title games—and for the boys teams, it’ll mean winning championships on a more regular basis.  One thing that cannot be disputed is that the success of high school basketball in Philadelphia is as strong as ever, and any sports fans left to watch the last three rounds of the PIAAs will continue to watch Philly’s brand of basketball for years to come.

I would think any of us who covered the Darrun Hilliard era at Liberty High School became Wildcat fans the minute he accepted his scholarship at Villanova to play basketball there.  He has had a terrific career and is now looking forward to the start of the NCAA tournament after winning the Big East and getting a #1 seed in the East Region.  Darrun is the Wildcats leading scorer on a team where balanced scoring is the norm and defense is their greatest strength.  I have watched many of Darrun’s games throughout his career and the “I knew him when” thoughts constantly crept into my psyche.

But on Sunday at 6:20pm, he suddenly became the enemy.  His Villanova team was paired up in the NCAA bracket with #16 seed Lafayette!  The game is scheduled for Thursday, March 19, in Pittsburgh at 6:50pm.  For this one game, I will root against Darrun Hilliard and cheer on the underdog Lafayette Leopards.  I am not alone.

Imagine how Lafayette head coach Fran O’Hanlon feels.  Fran played at Villanova under Jack Kraft, who died this past August at the age of 93.  The Villanova players remember Coach by wearing his initials on their uniforms.  Fran is a 1970 graduate.  He was the team co-captain for the 1969-70 Wildcat team that reached the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals.  Fran averaged 13.1 points per game and still holds the record for assists in one game (16).  He is a true Philadelphia guy, having gone to St. Thomas More high school, being named to the Villanova Hall of Fame in 1992, and coaching at Monsignor Bonner High School and assisting under current Temple head coach Fran Dunphy at the University of Penn.  When you are in Fran’s company in Philadelphia, the stories flow and the fun is non-stop.

All of those good feelings will change for two hours on Thursday night.  This is Fran’s third trip to the NCAA tournament, having made the tournament in 1999 and 2000, losing to Miami, Fla. and Temple.  Lafayette will be a huge underdog again.  No #16 team has ever beaten a #1 team since the tournament began.  Then again, look what had to happen for Lafayette to even get to this game:

(1) Lafayette needed to beat Army in the last regular season game in order for Lafayette to qualify for a quarterfinal home game (they did);
(2) Holy Cross needed to upset Boston University in the final game played in the regular season in order for Lafayette to actually get a quarterfinal home game (they did);
(3) #4 seed Lafayette needed to beat #5 seed Boston University, a team that beat them by 14 at home in their previous match-up (they did);
(4) #6 American University needed to beat #3 seed Lehigh at Lehigh (they did);
(5) #4 seed Lafayette needed to upset #1 seed Bucknell at Bucknell, a feat NEVER accomplished before in the Patriot League semifinals (they did);
(6)  #6 American University needed to beat #2 Colgate in the following game for Lafayette to get a home championship game (they did);
(7) #4 Lafayette needed to beat #6 American after losing to them twice during the regular season for the Patriot League Championship (they did!)

Are they a team of destiny on Thursday night in Pittsburgh?  My head says, “No”.  My heart says, “Maybe”.  Go, Leopards!!

P.S. If Villanova wins, I will jump on the Wildcats wagon.  Go, Darrun!!

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS)

1. I like Virginia, Wisconsin, Kentucky, and Duke in the Final Four for the tournament. Kentucky beats Duke in the final.
2. The Eastern Washington Eagles will upset Georgetown and be the lowest seed to go the deepest in the brackets.
3. Look for my reports from Pittsburgh this week on goleopards.com.
4. As I write this, District 12 out of Philadelphia is dominating the PIAA playoffs again in boys’ basketball. Out of the 16 teams remaining in the four classifications, District 12 has eight of them.  They do the same in football.  Time to investigate?
5. Enjoy the NCAA Tournament. Don’t forget to get some sleep!

We had the opportunity to speak with several important guests on last week’s “RCN SportsTalk,” discussing a number of issues relevant to sports fans in the RCN viewing area.  For this week’s entry in the “SportsTalk Shop,” I’d like to share some of my opinions on these topics and add a few more bits of information that we didn’t have a chance to address.

The first topic of conversation with the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jake Kaplan focused on spring training for the Phillies and also the comparisons between the current Nationals’ starting rotation and the “4 Aces” that the Phillies featured a few seasons ago.

Now, there are several other issues regarding the Phillies exhibition season.  As we close in on the final two weeks of spring training, the Phillies roster is starting to come into focus—and there’s actually some good competition for the remaining roster spots.  The most competitive battle is for the three remaining bullpen spots, with several southpaws standing out.   Andy Oliver, Elvis Araujo, Mario Hollands, Adam Morgan, and Joely Rodriguez all have been throwing well with most of these pitchers not allowing a run so far this preseason.  Oliver (a Rule 5 player who the Phillies risk losing if not on the MLB roster this season) and Hollands (who pitched last year) probably have the edge, but the fact that so many of the young pitchers have looked impressive is an encouraging sign for the future.

The potential starting lineup is also intriguing.  If this team was battling for a playoff spot, the overabundance of left-handed bats would be a definite concern.  Since the Phillies are more in “talent retrieval mode,” the fact that the lefty-hitters are all making contact and squaring the ball up the last few days is worth noting.  Here’s my view of what an Opening Day lineup—especially if an opposing right-handed pitcher is throwing—might look like as of now:

CF – Ben Revere (L)
LF – Odubel Herrera or Grady Sizemore (both L)
2B – Chase Utley (L)
1B – Ryan Howard (L)
C – Carlos Ruiz (R)
3B – Cody Asche (L)
RF – Dom Brown (L)
SS –Freddy Galvis (S)

Also, with Ruiz getting older and coming off another season with an injury, he probably will only start three to four games per week.  This means his backup, unless they do add a significant name, will bat lower in the lineup, and will make the upper half of the lineup even more left-handed.

* * *
The other big subject on last week’s show dealt with the ongoing talk that the PIAA (the governing body for high school sports in Pennsylvania) could realign the classifications for high school football in the Keystone state.  The biggest issue with the new proposal is that it would change the current four classes format (based on male student enrollment numbers) to six classifications.

Here are a few thoughts on the proposal and how it could affect the football landscape in Pennsylvania.

As for District XI fans in the RCN viewing area, here’s a look at the current alignment and the potential breakdown—as of now—for what a six classification format would look like:

Class 4A— over 493 male students
Allen, Dieruff, Easton, East Stroudsburg South, Emmaus, Freedom, Liberty, Nazareth, Northampton, Parkland, Pleasant Valley, Pocono Mountain East, Pocono Mountain West, Stroudsburg, Whitehall.

Class 3A—300-49
Bangor, Bethlehem Catholic, Blue Mountain, Central Catholic, East Stroudsburg North, Jim Thorpe, Lehighton, Pottsville, Saucon Valley, Southern Lehigh.

Class 2A—175-299
Catasauqua, North Schuylkill, Northern Lehigh, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Palisades, Palmerton, Panther Valley, Pen Argyl, Pine Grove, Salisbury, Tamaqua, Wilson.

Class A—1-174
Mahanoy Area, Marian Catholic, Minersville, Nativity, Pius X, Schuylkill Haven, Shenandoah Valley, Tri-Valley, Williams Valley.

Six-class proposal
Class 6A—608 male students and above
Dieruff, Easton, Emmaus, Freedom, Liberty, Northampton, Parkland, Pleasant Valley, Pocono Mountain East, Pocono Mountain West, Stroudsburg, William Allen.

Class 5A—410-607
Bangor, East Stroudsburg North, East Stroudsburg South, Nazareth, Southern Lehigh, Whitehall.

Class 4A—301-409
Blue Mountain, Central Catholic, Jim Thorpe, Lehighton, Pottsville, Saucon Valley.

Class 3A—210-300
Bethlehem Catholic, North Schuylkill, Northern Lehigh, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Palisades, Palmerton, Pen Argyl, Pine Grove, Salisbury, Tamaqua, Wilson.

Class 2A—148-209
Catasauqua, Mahanoy Area, Minersville, Panther Valley, Schuylkill Haven.

Class A—1-147
Marian Catholic, Nativity, Pius X, Shenandoah Valley, Tri-Valley, Williams Valley

My thoughts on this…I’m honestly not so sure it’s a good idea.  I think there are some positives (I’m all for shortening the season) along with some concerns.  There are some major hurdles that different sections of Pennsylvania would have to overcome (the biggest would be scheduling) in order for this to happen.  I also think it would put a strain on some of the newspapers and website outlets that cover high school football, to make the leap from covering (at most) two championships per night to potentially four or more—especially with newspaper staff numbers dwindling.

However, I have known District XI Football Chair Jason Zimmerman and several other proponents of this proposal for quite some time. I believe that Jason and the people he is working with genuinely care about the scholar athletes’ best interests and believe in doing what’s right for the kids in Pennsylvania.  If he feels strongly enough to invest his and other administrators and coaches’ time and energy into exploring this proposal, then I think we should all take a serious look at the ideas presented.

Generally speaking, I would think everyone who is employee is evaluated at some point on their performance.  Most of us have nervously and, hopefully, eagerly awaited the trip to the boss’ office so that he or she can assess your past year’s work, ask for comments, offer you suggestions to improve, and set the goals for the upcoming year. Once you hear that there ACTUALLY are goals for the next twelve months, you are then pretty much assured that your job is safe until the next evaluation.  Hopefully you exit the office with a smile on your face.

But what if you were evaluated every day you came to work?  What if each single, solitary decision you made throughout the work day was rated by an observer?  What if your ability to continue working at your current level was dependent upon the watchful eye and determined by an outside judge?   What if bystanders were allowed to boo or cheer your decisions to try and influence the evaluator?  You probably believe none of this could possibly happen.  Well, you are wrong.

High school basketball officials work under the stipulations listed above throughout the regular season, the district playoffs, and the state playoffs.  Since we are currently in the state playoffs, let me describe the system at work.  A game evaluator, normally a retired official who over the years has literally earned his stripes and credibility, will be assigned a game.  Every state playoff game has one.

Once the game begins, every whistle, every stoppage, every potential whistle, every rule interpretation, and every situation is judged.  The categories are familiar to a basketball fan – foul, violation, held ball, technical, no call.  Accuracy is described as follows: Correct Call, Incorrect Call, No-call Correct, No-call Incorrect.  There are usually @ 50 decisions assessed in every game, sometimes many more, sometimes less.

After the contest ends, there is a post-game assessment between the officials and the evaluator.  In a generalized fashion, the evaluator discusses situations, offers helpful tools to improve performance based on years of experience, and jointly analyzes the entire game.  No individual is ever called out in front of his peers. It is not adversarial in any way.

The evaluation is then sent to the state with thoughts on the strengths and weaknesses of a given crew.  The PIAA then decides future assignments based on the evaluations.

The entire process has one goal in mind – improve the quality of the men and women who are working the games. And what fan does not want that?

There may be a lesson to be learned here for all of us.  I certainly am not advocating that someone follows us around all day, but it would not hurt if we all did some self-evaluation every now and then of all aspects of our lives.  If we could move closer to improving our “correct calls” and decreasing the “incorrect calls”, we would all benefit.  Try it.

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS)

1. If anyone was shocked by the early exits of all but three of our District XI representatives in the state playoffs, you weren’t watching all season. It was not a quality year in the Lehigh Valley.  However, the Parkland boys’ and the Bethlehem Catholic girls’ teams were outstanding and, as I write this, continue to compete.  I am not surprised.
2. Look at the unbelievable circumstances that led to Lafayette getting the Patriot League championship game at home – (1) Lafayette needed to beat Army in the last regular season game in order for Lafayette to qualify for a quarterfinal home game (they did); (2) Holy Cross needed to upset Boston University in the final game played in the regular season in order for Lafayette to actually get a quarterfinal home game (they did); (3) #4 seed Lafayette needed to beat #5 seed Boston University, a team that beat them by 14 at home in their previous match-up (they did); (4) #4 seed Lafayette needed to upset #1 seed Bucknell at Bucknell, a feat NEVER accomplished before in the Patriot League semifinals (they did); (5)  #6 American University needed to beat #2 Colgate in the following game for Lafayette to get a home championship game (they did).  Up next – the championship game AT Lafayette.  Lafayette has never lost a Patriot League tournament game at home –uh-oh!!
3. An intriguing thought – should Lafayette win the Patriot League, I’m guessing they would have to play in the play-in game. Some projections say the opponent would be St. Francis/Brooklyn which features Jalen Cannon of Allen High School.  Jalen, a 1,000 point scorer, was the Northeast Conference Player of the Year.
4. Bracketology is one week away. Is there a real college basketball fan willing to pick against Kentucky?
5. The Philadelphia professional football, basketball, hockey, and baseball front offices all seem to be cleaning house at the same time. Is it for the better?  Probably not.  But at least the Philly fan base is a patient bunch – SAY WHAT?

Last week here at the “SportsTalk Shop,” I examined the top stories, teams and individuals involved in this year’s District XI boys and girls basketball tournament.  As always, the RCN crew did their usual outstanding job, bringing all the sights and sounds of the local playoffs to our viewers–their schedules stretched to the limit to cover as many basketball games as possible.  And let’s not forget the District XI and Northeast Individual Wrestling coverage our crew provided for our viewers.  This year’s tournaments certainly had their share of thrilling action, great individual performances and exciting finishes.

Here are video highlights from our District XI boys and girls basketball post-season coverage, as well as highlights from our playoff wrestling coverage.

Which highlights were your favorites from this year’s District XI playoffs?  Which teams made for the most exciting finishes?  Send us an email with your thoughts and opinions to RCNSportsTalk@rcn.com and we’ll read some of your comments on an upcoming show.  Also, here’s a reminder of a special “RCN SportsTalk” program on Thursday, March 12, from 6-7pm.  On this show, we’ll be joined by District XI Football Chair Jason Zimmerman and PIAA President Dr. Robert Lombardi to discuss the new “six football classifications” proposal, which could gather momentum later this month and potentially change the landscape for the sport in both the Lehigh Valley and in Pennsylvania.  We’ll also have a live update from Florida on the Phillies’ spring training news, and thoughts on who’ll make this year’s team.

It was another fun (and extremely hectic) District XI playoff season for us at RCN-TV.  A huge “THANK YOU” to all the representatives of the district, the athletic directors, coaches, statisticians (especially Bob & Pat Whirl!) and everyone involved in the tournament.  The playoffs were not without their share of exciting moments, a few upsets and some great storylines involving the communities within RCN’s Lehigh Valley coverage area.

Here are a few thoughts and observations regarding this year’s tournament.

1)  Parkland and Becahi Delivered
Coming into this season—heck, even over a year ago—the Parkland boys and Bethlehem Catholic girls basketball teams were the definitive teams-to-beat in the 2015 District XI tourney.  On paper, they clearly had the best teams, but that doesn’t always translate to winning a championship.  No matter how dominating their regular season, one bad night could shatter all of their expectations—especially with an early loss in the playoffs.  However, these teams came out and played their best.  What was more impressive was, if one player was having a rare off-night, others stepped up and delivered.  The result?  Neither of these teams needed a late-game, “sweat-it-out” basket to win its game, and entered the state playoffs as #1 seeds.  It’s one thing to appear to be the best team, but there’s something to be said for going out and executing each and every night.  Through many months of hard work and dedication, they made their success “look” easy, and winning every single game against every area opponent is a tremendous accomplishment for both of these schools.

2)  The Nazareth Community
One example of the truly special communities within the RCN area is Nazareth.  From its #1 fan (Andy Weaver) to its classy and professional head coaches (Joe Arndt, Rich Bickert), to its passionate fan base, it’s always fun to broadcast a Blue Eagle game.  Both teams took different routes to advance to the final day of the district playoffs.  The Nazareth girls team has several seniors armed with experience earned during the Blue Eagles’ 2013 championship season, mixed with some of the most talented sophomores in the area.  Many girls basketball experts thought Nazareth’s experience would give them the advantage over the upstart Red Rovers, a team I don’t think got as much attention as they deserved.  Easton has a host of athletic underclassmen and no doubt will be competing for league and district titles for many years to come.  But 2015 belong to the Eagles and I’m looking forward to seeing them in action this Friday in their opening round state game against Mount St. Joseph’s.  Especially with the game conveniently located, I’m expecting the people of Nazareth to take the short trip down Route 191 and continue to support their team as they embark on their playoff run.  (Programming note: Coach Bickert and members of his District Championship team will be guests on the March 19^th edition of “RCN SportsTalk” at 6pm).

Speaking of the Eagles’ fan base, the people of Nazareth weren’t the only area basketball fans who were rooting for the Eagles boys team, a unit that embodied the spirit of the ‘Comeback Kids’ over the last few weeks.  Nazareth had to defeat Northampton (who was fighting for its league playoff life) just to qualify for the playoffs, then came back to beat Liberty (a team many pegged to play Parkland in the Championship) in the first round.  Then, they overcame a 12-point fourth quarter deficit to beat a Stroudsburg squad that had come the closest local team to beat the Trojans.  Finally, Nazareth bounced back from a 15-point third quarter deficit to force overtime against Whitehall in the semifinal, making for the most thrilling fourth quarter of the tournament.  Although Nazareth would go on to lose to Allen on the playoff’s final day, the Blue Eagles made for some lasting memories for many local basketball fans.  The fact that the boys athletes showed up at the girls’ games and vice versa was tremendous to see, and the entire town should be proud of its winter sports athletes.

3)  The “Ultimate” Underdogs
I don’t know if there’s a more underrated boys basketball head coach in the area than Salisbury’s Jason Weaver.  Ever since he took over the Falcons basketball program seven year ago, all they’ve done is win games.  Every couple years he’ll lose the entire starting lineup to graduation, and yet, by game one of the following season, the Falcons are right there, playing as well as anyone in the Colonial League…and each February they’re beating teams in the post season.  When Salisbury lost its top scorer Dasheen Reid before districts started, they came back and posted one of the most impressive start-to-finish games I saw all year in their win over Wilson.  They continued on and lost tough ball games to Central Catholic and Tamaqua to finish out their season, but, like Nazareth, I don’t know how many local basketball fans thought they would preserve through some adversity as well as they did, and should be commended for their effort.

And speaking of Salisbury, how about a shout-out to two of the top girls basketball performers in our area—the Falcons’ Meagan Eripret and also Palmerton’s Jade Farquhar.  Although we didn’t broadcast any of their games, I had a chance to watch both of these standout stars in action.  We interviewed Eripret for “SportsTalk” last year when her head coach Joe Mladosich won his 200^th game and she was very well-spoken and unselfish when discussing her skills and abilities in relationship to the team’s success during her career at Salisbury.  She became the school’s all-time leading scorer with 1,787 points and has made her Falcons a perennial post-season contender over the last few seasons.

Farquhar was the Colonial League’s MVP and she scored her 1,000^th point in a game against Pleasant Valley earlier this season.  I was also told that she contributes countless hours volunteering at local organizations and youth activities.  I heard extremely wonderful things about both of these young ladies, both in terms of the performances on and off the court from people who follow girls basketball on a regular basis.

Another such individual I have had the good fortune of seeing often was Wilson’s Phil Pierfy, who’s tremendous scholastic basketball career came to an end in this year’s district playoffs.  He’s a two-sport standout star in basketball and baseball, and I know a number of college coaches in both sports that would love to add him to their teams.  Warrior’s Head Coach Bob Frankenfield would commonly refer to Phil as a great “STUDENT-athlete,” putting the emphasis on the first part of this term.   The high standard players like Eripret, Farquhar and Pierfy live up to are what true champions are made of, and should be celebrated just as much,  and in many cases more, than the trophy that’s raised at the end of the district tournament.

What other players should be recognized for great work this past winter sports season, and which individuals deserve “Shout-outs” for their efforts?  Send us an email with your thoughts and opinions to RCNSportsTalk@rcn.com and we’ll read some of your comments on our next show, March 12^th from 6-7pm.  On this show, we are happy to be joined by District XI Football Chair Jason Zimmerman and PIAA President Dr. Robert Lombardi, to discuss the new “six football classifications” proposal, which could gather momentum later this month and potentially could change the landscape for the sport in both the Lehigh Valley and in Pennsylvania.