I think you would have to agree that Super Bowl XLIX (I like that they use Roman numerals because it helps me when I do crossword puzzles – I always confuse fifty and five hundred) was terrific.  And that was just the commercials!  The game was one of the best, but you can read about the game anywhere.  It’s the commercials that need to be discussed.  I thought there were some classics among the many and very few real duds.  Here were my top five:

1. The Fiat 500X Blue Pill – I hope I just didn’t select this one because I’m old, forgetful, and, well, because I’m old. I just thought this was the most creative of all the ads.  It certainly kept you watching as the mini-drama unfolded and went right to the (dare I say climax) end until you realized the Fiat was promoting a newer and bigger crossover vehicle.  It was ingenious.
2. Settle It the Usual way by Skittles – This one was a classic. Everyone in town – men, women, children, babies, and dogs all had, obviously, “settled it the usual way” by arm-wrestling.  I wonder, too, if there was a little NBC arm-twisting with Skittles since the candy got so many free plugs during the playoffs.  You know Skittles are Marshawn Lynch’s favorite pre-game snack (he ate some on camera right before game-time).  I laughed throughout the commercial.
3. The Tortoise and the Hare by Mercedes – I both liked and disliked this one. I really thought the animation was excellent and, again, told a good story from beginning to end.  I really dislike the fact that I certainly cannot afford this beautiful Mercedes sports car.  Much like the tortoise, I felt like a loser after watching this one.
4. First Draft Ever by Avocados From Mexico – This was a great concept for an NFL game – First Draft Ever. Doug Flutie and Jerry Rice were really good, the spot was humorous, and the choices were even funnier. However, I am not sure how I can help the company, Avocados from Mexico.  I do put avocado on my burrito and now feel it’s my way of helping Mexico.
5. Loctite Glue –I never heard of the product, but I know it now and I would think that’s what a commercial is supposed to do. This featured very ordinary people dancing, gluing, and saving their marriage.  I now think Loctite!

There were certainly many others that were outstanding – “Like A Girl”, the Budweiser dog, the Jurassic Park promo, etc.  I would have probably loved the Kim Kardashian, Kate Upton and Victoria’s Secret commercials, but I was probably discussing the “Daddy” ads with my wife.  I may just have to go online to check those out.

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS)

1. Just when it looked like the Patriots would be done in again by a spectacular catch, the Seahawks coaching staff outsmarted itself by calling a pass play on the one-yard line. Marshawn Lynch is nicknamed “The Beast” because of the way he runs.  It was second down.  Give him the ball twice and then get clever.  Oh, well.
2. It figures that right at the beginning of the Super Bowl there is a call that is questionable and NBC, unlike CBS and FOX, does not have a former official to call upon for an interpretation. Was it “roughing the kicker” or “running into the kicker”?  I believe Chris Collingsworth, but an official would have had more credibility.
3. Be honest – Did you know who Malcome Butler and Chris Matthews were before the game? I never heard of Butler and only knew Matthews because he recovered the onsides kick in the Green Bay NFC title game.  They were the least likely to be the stars of the game, but each was.
4. Are the Patriots’ four Super Bowl victories tainted by the cheating accusations? Think Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, and A-Rod.  More to come on “Inflate-Gate”.
5. I have basketball games on Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. And NFL football is over.  Any suggestions as to what to do on Sundays, Monday nights, and Thursday nights?

 NFL PICKS FOR THE YEAR     (Last week – 0-1)  (179-85-1 overall – 68%)   

While many things unfolded the way most Lehigh Valley HS wrestling experts thought the season would, there were still several big surprises during this year’s District XI team wrestling season.  Here are a few of the highlights:

Becahi’s Level of Dominance
The fact that the Golden Hawks ran through its 3A district competitors in this, its first year moving up from being a “Class 2-A”  team, is not really a surprise.  They have been scoring victories over many local wrestlers from larger schools for some time during their competition in the now-defunct Lehigh Valley Conference.  What was shocking was by HOW MUCH Becahi beat up on other Lehigh Valley powers Easton, Parkland, Nazareth & company.  Here’s a look at three of their biggest wins over conference opponents—all by healthy margins – this winter.

Expect the Hawks’ success to continue in the state tournament this weekend and once the “individual” playoffs get underway in a few weeks.

Freedom’s Amazing Season
Last year we had Patriots’ Head Coach Brandon Hall on our “RCN SportsTalk” show and he told us some great stories about what he, his coaches and players have had to overcome in trying to build up the program —a task especially difficult with the high level of competition in the Lehigh Valley.  His team took the next step in a big way—entering the playoffs with an amazing 24-0 record and an impressive win in the “American” Division of the highly competitive Virginia Duals tournament.  Freedom’s next step will be to continue this high level of success for the next few years against the powerhouse teams in the Eastern Pennsylvania region.  However, you have to give a huge congratulations to Coach Hall and his team for all of their success this year—and putting together a season that no one outside of the northern half of Bethlehem saw coming.

Aside from any match involving Becahi, Freedom and most of the other teams in the newly formed Eastern Pennsylvania Conference made for entertaining team competition this winter.  Here are a few of the best matches, including this past weekend’s “Ultimate Qualifier”:

Northern Lehigh’s 2A Championship
Becahi no longer competing in the 2A bracket left a wide-open district tournament for some team to come up and win this year’s crown—a title the Hawks have dominated over the last few seasons.  Saucon Valley headed a field of impressive smaller schools that had multiple talented wrestlers this season.  Head Coach Chad Spirk has done an amazing job over his career of building his program—which sometimes in the past was overshadowed by other teams’ performances from the LVC.  However, it was Northern Lehigh’s Steve Hluschak and his Bulldogs that pulled off the win over the Colonial League Champion Panthers to advance into this weekend’s PIAA tourney as the #1 2A representative from District XI.  Northern Lehigh was one of several teams that made for a great season, along with Northwestern, Notre Dame and Bangor.  Most of these head coaches were on “SportsTalk” recently—you can hear more about their teams and their thoughts on local wrestling by watching the show for free through RCN On-Demand.

Speaking of “SportsTalk,” this Thursday (Feb. 5^th) at 6pm, we’ll have our “Ultimate” wrestling panel with local legends Gene Waas and Sam Burgio joining Jack Logic, Joe Craig and myself as we preview this weekend’s State Finals, the upcoming District XI Individual Wrestling Tournament and give our thoughts on some controversial decisions that were made in terms of forming the new playoff system.  We’ll also have wrestling experts Brad Wilson and Scott Barr on our February 19^th live show to preview RCN’s coverage of that weekend’s “Individuals Championships” and also give their takes on local wrestling issues.

We’d love to hear your comments & questions about Lehigh Valley HS wrestling!  Who stood out in your mind as the top individual wrestlers…and which other team’s exceeded expectations?  Email us at RCNSportsTalk@rcn.com and we’ll read and respond to your emails on our upcoming live shows!

In the last several blog entries, we’ve examined a plethora of winter sports news in the RCN-TV coverage areas dealing with professional and scholastic sports.  This week, I’d like to highlight some exciting accomplishments among the collegiate teams in action right now.

First, I had a chance to talk with American University’s Head Basketball Coach Mike Brennan about a series of standout moments in his current season—from several last-second, game-winning contests, both in and out of the Patriot League, to his team meeting baseball Hall of Famer Cal Ripken, Jr. as well as other highlights in his current season.

Some of American’s highlights this year include Pee Wee Gardner scoring two last second, game-winning baskets in consecutive games.  Gardner’s late-game heroics earned him Patriot League Player of the Week honors this past week.   The Eagles also posted several non-conference wins including an overtime defeat against La Salle, and nearly beating my alma mater, Temple, in its opening game of the season.  It won’t be an easy week as the defending Patriot League champ has to play four of its next five games on the road, including tough ones against Navy,  Holy Cross, and the team currently in first place in the league, Colgate.   The Raiders jumped out to their best start in decades this season and have been very tough playing at home this winter.

Currently Brennan’s squad finds itself just one game out of first place, and just ahead of two other teams in our viewing area, Lehigh and Lafayette.  Speaking of the Mountain Hawks and Leopards, they also have some impressive wins this year.  Lafayette has posted wins against Princeton, Penn, NJIT, Loyola Maryland and Boston—a team that lost to American in last year’s league championship.  Lehigh barely squeaked by the Leopards when the two teams met last weekend and has tough opponents coming up against Bucknell and Army over the next week.

On the women’s side, Lafayette’s Emily Homan was recently selected as one of 30 women’s basketball candidates for the Senior CLASS Award. The senior forward leads the Leopards and is second in the Patriot League in scoring, averaging nearly 18 points per game.  Lehigh’s Kerry Kinek, who had an outstanding scholastic career at Allentown Central Catholic, continues to have an outstanding junior campaign, and is among her team’s leaders in points, three-points, blocks, three-point and free throw shooting percentages and rebounding.

I had the tremendous honor of watching another player in high school, Darrun Hilliard, who continues to lead a Villanova team that’s currently ranked fourth in the nation.  Hilliard leads the team in points and three-pointers and is second in a bunch of other statistical categories.  Nova is coming off a tough loss to another team in the RCN viewing area, Georgetown, 78-58.  The win puts the Hoyas one win ahead of the Wildcats in the Big East Standings, and should make for an interesting rematch when the two teams square off against each other once again in early February in Philadelphia.

Kara Bonenberger, another outstanding athlete RCN viewers had a chance to see play at Northampton HS, has gone on to a stellar career at Penn (currently 9-5 in the Ivy League).  She’s been part of an “Iron-5” that has started every game so far this year and is among her team’s leaders in points, rebounds and field goal percentage.  Bonenberger, a senior co-captain who has earned many rewards during her collegiate career, leads a team that’s looking to defend its Ivy League title.  Penn’s recent highlights include wins over Temple, NJIT and Richmond but still have more than half its league schedule still to play.

Other Big 5 notes include my Owls pulling off a big win against a Kansas team ranked tenth in the nation at the time they played.  Following three consecutive league losses, Temple has bounced back with a win over USF and has several big contests coming up over the next several weeks if they want to improve their seeding for the American Conference playoffs.  The Owls will face all the teams currently in front of them in the standings, with UConn and Cincinnati coming to the Liacouras Center and Temple having to travel to play SMU and Memphis on the road.

St. Joe’s and LaSalle have struggled to stay above .500 and find themselves several games back of the top spot in the Atlantic-10.  However, another team in our area, George Washington, has jumped out to an amazing start and finds itself with just one league loss entering a big ball game against VCU.   The Colonials are led by Patricio Garino, Kethan Savage and Kevin Larsen—all scoring in double figures for GW this season.

What other college teams in the RCN-TV viewing area would you like to see us highlight here on the “SportsTalk Shop” or on our live Thursday night “SportsTalk” show?  Which players in our coverage area deserve some extra mention or should receive a shout-out?  We always welcome your comments, suggestions and opinions!  Email us at any time at RCNSportsTalk@rcn.com and check back for more updates on teams and athletes in the RCN viewing area!

The Super Bowl is here – Seattle vs. New England. And it is certainly an intriguing one. Seattle is going for their second straight title and that hasn’t happened in 10 years when, you guessed it, New England was able to repeat as champions. New England is seeking a fourth Super Bowl victory which would tie the record for the most by any team (Steelers and 49’ers).

There certainly have been plenty of distractions during the first week of the two weeks of preparation. Who is not talking about deflated footballs? Is Richard Sherman going to be healthy enough to play for Seattle (he certainly has been healthy enough to talk this week)? Marshawn Lynch continues to be fined for obscene gestures and for not talking to the press and when he does, his answers are senseless. Tom Brady and Bill Bellichick only got asked about the weight of footballs, not the game, all week. But now it is time to play a football game.

Putting all of the distractions aside, here are my keys for each team to win the game:

Seattle:
5. Jermaine Kearse (WR) – He needs to catch the ball, not tip the ball (two tips led to two interceptions in the Packers game); his catch won the game. Catching is much better.
4. Russell Wilson (QB) – He needs to look to run more and throw less. When he runs, throwing to receivers becomes easier.
3. Kam Chancellor (S) needs to be matched up with Rob Gronkowski (TE). He has the size and the speed to deal with Gronk.
2. Marshawn Lynch (RB) – He, as he ALWAYS does, lets his performance do the talking. He should be able to run against the Patriots. Let the Beast loose.
1.  Defense – Get pressure on Brady and combine that with great cornerback play.

New England:
5. Julius Edelman – He needs to step up as both a return specialist and a receiver, especially if Seattle successfully defends against Gronkowski.
4. Derelle Revis (CB) and Brandon Browner (CB) – Both play their positions defending the run and the pass as well as anyone. Browner played for Seattle last year and may possess some inside information.
3. Offensive line – Open holes and protect. It’s that simple, yet it’s very difficult.
2.  LaGarrette Blount (RB) – I don’t like why he is a Patriot after what he did to his Pittsburgh team and I do not want him to do well. But… Packers ran on Seattle and he must also!
1. Tom Brady (QB) – He’s the best and can join both Joe Montana and Terry Bradshaw as a four-time Super Bowl winner.

Coaches:
Pete Carroll – He appears to be the most energetic of the NFL coaches and his players seem to love to play for him. If that’s the case, they might want to exact some revenge for their coach since New England fired him in 1999 and hired Belichick.

Bill Belichick – Stoicism and preparation are hallmarks of him and his teams. Distractions aside, no one will be better prepared.

It sounds like the perfect match-up for a great, great game. Enjoy!

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS)

 SUPER BOWL TRIVIA QUESTIONS:

1.   The Packers won the first Super Bowl. What team did they beat?
2.  We all know the Jets were the first Super Bowl American Football League Champions (Joe Namath). Which AFL team was the second to win the title?
3.  What Roman numerals will signify next year’s game?
4.  What three teams have appeared in eight Super Bowls?
5.  55-10 is the most lopsided Super Bowl score. Name one of the two teams in that game.

(Last week – 2-0) (179-84-1 overall – 68%)            

AND THE WINNER WILL BE:
            SEATTLE – 27-23

  
ANSWERS:

1. Kansas City Chiefs
2. Kansas City Chiefs
3. L
4. Pittsburgh, New England, Dallas
5. San Francisco over Buffalo (1990)            

“Please join us for the christening of our daughter…”  That’s how it all began.  My niece and her husband were baptizing their baby daughter on Sunday, January 18, at 12:45 PM, with a luncheon to follow.  Nice, right?  Not with the AFC and the NFC Championship games that day!  But I was not worried.  I have TIVO.  I just needed to strategize the day so that I would be home in time to watch both games and get to bed at a decent hour.

You may recall that, on Sunday morning, the roads were a sheet of ice.  The church was supposed to be twenty minutes away.  It was not that morning.  We passed a jack-knifed truck on Route 22 and slid our way to the church on treacherous roads once we left the highway.  Cars were sliding off the roads we needed to travel, police lights were flashing every 5oo yards, and on one of the back roads, we looked at a cliff to our right that seemed like a 100-foot drop.  But, thanks to my SUV, and some expert driving (I must say), we made it to the ceremony on time.

Next, it was on to the luncheon.  It was about 2:00, one hour before the Packers were to meet the Seahawks.  No sweat.  TIVO was ready to save the day.  The meal was nice and the conversation was pleasant.  Everything was going well.  Then one of the guests pops up from the basement and yells – “Packers – 3, Seahawks – 0”.  No!!  I wanted to shout, “Don’t tell me anything about the game.  I have TIVO!!”  But I held my tongue.  My wife warned me not to mention the games during the luncheon.  That same guest returned shortly after that to proclaim, “Packers – 6, Seahawks – 0!”

“No more scores!  I have TIVO”, slipped out, rather loudly, I must say.  I went on to quietly say that I would appreciate if there would be no more updates.

Knowing that “Goodbye” takes about 30 minutes to an hour to complete, I suggested around 4:00 that it might be time to leave.  Thank goodness, we weren’t the first to start putting on coats or I may have gotten the evil eye.  I think we left around 4:45.  And, most importantly, I was now sheltered from any further reports on the game.

Upon arriving at home, I settled into the recliner, offered to put on my headset so my wife didn’t have to listen to the broadcast, and turned on my TIVO (I love my TIVO!).  However, as is always the case when I put on my headset, that is the EXACT time my wife wants to talk to me!  I either have to listen to her or to Joe Buck.  I can’t do both, but I try to do both.  That doesn’t work too well.  Finally, I have acquiesced enough that I can now watch the game in peace.  In the middle of the second quarter, my headset batteries die.  The headset is no longer an option.  I put the sound on, zip through the commercials, and avoid the half-time inanity.  The Packers are up 19-7 late in the fourth quarter and then I get a text from my daughter – “What a game!! Brian is probably crying!”  Brian is my grandson and a huge Packers fan.  Why would he be crying with the Packers up 12?  Oh, no.  My daughter’s TIVO was ahead of my TIVO!!  Next, she texts, “Brian said it was one of his worst experiences ever as a Packers’ fan!”  What!!! It was now 19-14 with 2:09 to go.  Then the onsides kick, the Seahawks TD, the 2-pt. conversion, the Packers’ field goal and we go to overtime.  But it is now apparent that the Packers must lose and they do.  Rather anticlimactic after the texts!  One of the great comebacks ruined!

I ask my daughter not to ruin the AFC game for me, but now my wife wants to talk about the game.  What’s an onsides kick?  Why didn’t the Packers player catch the ball?  She likes the way the ref’s pants are tapered, wonders why they play in the rain, and finds the Colts’ quarterback’s name (Luck) rather amusing.  Keep all sharp objects away from me!!

And… there was no way to ruin the AFC game for me – the game itself ruined the game – New England – 45, Indianapolis – 7.  Why didn’t someone tell me that score in advance so I wouldn’t have watched it?

In two weeks, I will hibernate in a room with no windows, no doors, no people, and no cell phone.  I will sit and enjoy the Super Bowl with my favorite person – ME!!!  Unless, of course, someone invites us to a First Holy Communion!

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS)

1.  Late Saturday night (thanks again to TIVO) I watched Lafayette’s Ross Scheurman in the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl. Ross ran for 28 yards on just four carries and had a 51-yard touchdown called back.  It was a typical Scheurman run – he ran away from everybody.  This was a game to showcase players for the NFL.  I hope some team gives him a chance.

2.  Joe Paterno is the winningest coach in college football history again after the NCAA restored the 112 wins they took from him during the Sandusky scandal. Can the restoration of his statue at Beaver Stadium be far behind?

3.  Should the Eagles trade up to get either Marcus Mariota of Oregon or Jameis Winston of Florida State to fill the quarterback position? The duo could go one and two in the draft.  Or should they pay more attention to the Ohio State defensive scheme?  The Buckeyes did pretty well in consecutive games against these two QB’s.

4.  Ryan Howard is one of the more interesting off-season baseball stories.  Ryne Sandberg and the front office do not want him; he knows it; and no one can do much about it.  If he AND Cole Hamels are still on the squad during spring training, after the Phils tried to get rid of both, the atmosphere could be very interesting

5.  I bet the media is REALLY looking forward to all the time they get to spend in the next two weeks with Bill Belichick of the Patriots and Marshawn Lynch of the Seahawks. They are not exactly “Media Darlings”.

(Last week – 2-0)  (179-84-1 overall – 68%) 

SUPER BOWL PICK NEXT WEEK                       

As we reach the midpoint in the Lehigh Valley high school winter sports season, it continues to be an interesting season for local boys basketball.  While we have had quite a few close ball games, with a handful going into overtime, a look at the different league standings shows there are a few teams doing very well, and even more teams a couple steps behind–finding themselves battling each other for the remaining playoff berths.

The biggest “non-surprise” is the Parkland boys basketball team, as they continue to dominate everyone they’ve faced in the area.  Even against an Easton team that was coming off a big win, the Trojans eventually wore them down and won the game easily.

DeVante Cross is a player who we talked quite a bit about during the football season, but I have really been impressed by what he has done so far on the hardwood.  The Trojans have more than enough firepower to go around, but I think Cross’s improved play has made for an even more well-rounded ball club that will look to go deep into the PIAA playoffs.

While Parkland has been the area’s best team and has already clinched both an EPC and District XI 4A playoff spot, the Rovers are a team that has been playing well of late.  Easton currently finds themselves a couple games below .500 and are making a push for a post-season spot, following a big win recently over Freedom HS.

Three other teams that I have seen playing well and figure to be in the running for both league and district playoff action include Whitehall, Emmaus and Allen.  The Zephyrs have been playing extremely well after a slow start and have won seven of their last nine games.  While they haven’t been posting explosive offensive numbers, it has been their defense—in particular, the match-up zone defense—that has been very impressive.  Whitehall  held a Liberty team—a squad I feel is as athletic as any in the area—to under 50 points last week.  The Zephyrs did the same to an Emmaus team that has been playing some of the toughest teams from both Pennsylvania and New York in its non-conference schedule.

Speaking of Emmaus, there aren’t many teams that can boast as deep a bench as Steve Yoder’s ballclub, and they can beat you a number of ways.  They’ve had some injury issues to overcome, which, combined with their tough out-of-league schedule, has delayed their clinching of a playoff berth until this point.  But once in the playoffs, they are definitely a team that figures to win a few playoff games.

Allen is another team that has been playing extremely well overall.  It’s unfortunate that the new league schedule does  not feature the Canaries playing some of their traditional basketball rivals—at least for this season.  It is entirely possible they will get a chance to face Parkland and Central Catholic once the  post-season begins.  Allen has clinched a district playoff spot and looked impressive in its recent ball game against Bethlehem Catholic.

Perhaps the story of the EPC this year has been the play of Northampton—a team that had struggled in recent years, but has looked phenomenal in nearly every game they’ve played.  They play in the same division as Parkland, Whitehall, Emmaus, Central Catholic and Nazareth and have done more than hold their own, including posting a strong win recently against Dieruff.

Northampton Head Coach Coy Stampone will be one of several local head basketball coaches who will be on our “RCN SportsTalk” show on Thursday, January 29^th from 6-7 pm.  I’m looking forward to speaking with Coach Stampone and getting his thoughts on how he has turned the program around, and what his team’s expectations are for the remainder of the season.

Looking ahead to the first ever Eastern Pennsylvania Conference, the playoffs will feature eight teams vying for their post-season positions.  The eight teams will consist of the three division winners (from the “Mountain,” “Skyline” and “Steel” divisions) and five wild card spots.  Many assume that the five “Skyline” teams not named Parkland will occupy most, if not all, of those wild card spots.  Keep in mind that all those teams will play each other over the next few weeks, so if any one of those teams in the Skyline division go into a funk and lose several in a row, it would open up spots for a couple teams from the other divisions to sneak up and advance to the league playoffs.

One final EPC note about the Vikings—while they may not be the favorite this year in 3A because of the quality play so far by Pottsville, don’t count out Central Catholic from making another district playoff run.  Despite many several quality opponents in their classification, the Vikings have a lot of pride on the line and are looking to win their fifth straight 3A Title and eighth over the last ten seasons.
* * *
In the Colonial League, there are several teams that have continued to play outstanding basketball.  Salisbury has stayed right with the top teams (the others being Bangor, Saucon Valley & Southern Lehigh) and has played a strong non-league schedule once again this winter.

The wild card team—both physically and figuratively–in the Colonial League might be Wilson.  The Warriors ost to Pen Argyl, a team that lost to a struggling Northern Lehigh program and will probably not make the postseason.  They’ve also had some games in which they have struggled shooting from the floor and from the free throw line.  However, Wilson has also posted a number of huge wins,  among them an overtime victory over their rivals from Notre Dame-Green Pond and also played one of its best games of the season against Catasauqua.

Remember, the Colonial League has six berths for its playoffs this year, as opposed to just four teams advancing as in years past.  This could be huge for a team like Wilson, Palisades, Notre Dame or even Northwestern.  In previous years, it would appear to be a lock at this point that the Slaters, Falcons, Panthers and Spartans would be the only teams in the league playoffs.  But with the expansion of two more teams, it’ll make for a very entertaining race over the next few weeks to determine which other teams will qualify for the league playoffs.

Another thing to remember is that the league winners will automatically get top berths for the District XI playoffs.  So if a team that has been struggling during the first half of the year can get hot with a succession of victories over the next few weeks, they can receive a huge bump when it comes to District XI post-season seedings (see Notre Dame last winter).

Which teams have impressed you so far this season and what games have resulted in the biggest surprises?  Send us an email to RCNSportsTalk@rcn.com and join us on Thursday evenings as we read and respond to your sports questions and opinions on each program.

As I write this on a miserable icy, rainy, and cold Monday morning, I am looking forward to the NCAA college football championship, which would be played that night.  I thoroughly enjoyed the semifinals and was intrigued immediately by the contrasting styles of the two winners – Ohio State and Oregon.  Ohio State plays with a physicality and swagger that have always been a part of Big Ten football.  Oregon, on the other hand, seems to be almost “video-gamish” in their approach to offensive football.  They run plays so quickly and have sets that only a computer program might imagine.  That’s not to say Oregon is less physical or that Ohio State does not play fast – it just seems like Oregon plays like they drank too much coffee all day, all week, all season and Ohio State just wants to bully you a bit more.  My “gut” feeling is that Oregon will win this game, but you will know the result by the time you read this blog.

Thinking about the game naturally led me to thinking about the two coaches – Urban Meyer of Ohio State and Mark Helfrich of Oregon.  Both men are highly esteemed in their profession and there are many who believe Meyer, who has won two national championships at Florida, is the best college football coach in the nation.  Helfrich cannot be far behind.  So, if we can agree that they might be two of the very best in their chosen profession, aren’t you a bit interested in how they are compensated for their skills?  In other words, how much do they make?

According to a USA Today survey, Mark Helfrich is #51 on the list of college football coaches. He earns $2 million a year with a possible bonus of $1.1 million.  One would think that if he won a national championship, he would qualify for the bonus which would qualify him for $3.1 million for the season and move him into the 20^th spot.

Urban Meyer makes $4.5 million a year with a potential $550,000 bonus.  He sits at #6 with the potential to be in the top five with the bonus.  He made $333,333 each week he prepared his team to play an opponent this year.

Alabama’s Nick Saban tops the list at $7.1 million.  The Michigan State, Oklahoma, Texas A&M and Texas coaches all make $5 million or more.

72 NCAA football programs pay their coaches $1 million or more.  By contrast, 35 men’s college basketball coaches have a base salary of $1 million or more, led by (no surprise) Mike Krzyzewski of Duke who collects $9.6 million per year.

I will not offer any editorial judgment here.  I will let you decide if these figures are warranted based on the income derived from the sports these men coach.  I just found the numbers interesting and thought you might, too.

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS)

1. I’ll bet there are no NFL fans who still believe that “instant replay” is unnecessary. It seemed like this past weekend every one of the semifinal conference games had a play overturned that was originally called incorrectly and could have had a major impact on the outcome.  I understand that if a call went against your team (Dallas, perhaps), you might be wishing coaches’ challenges did not exist, but, in the end, based on the rule, the overturned call was correct.  And according to FOX, Packers coach Mike McCarthy had not won a challenge all year.  He picked the right one to win.
2. Home field advantage should give the Seahawks and the Patriots an edge in the conference championship games to be played this Sunday. I just don’t think Aaron Rodgers playing on one leg can do enough against the Seattle defense to win their game and, even though I do not think the Patriots play as well in the playoffs as they do during the regular season, they should be able to beat the Colts, unless the Colts have a bit more LUCK (Get it?  You may groan here).
3. Am I the only one who thinks there is something wrong with Peyton Manning? To me, he just has not looked like the great quarterback he has been for so many years in the past month or so.  On Sunday, he seemed confused, arm-weary, and, at times, disinterested.  At the very least, where was the old confidence?
4. I did not see any shots of Jerry Jones or Chris Christie during the Packers-Dallas telecast.  Did I miss them or were both maintaining a low profile this week?  That probably is best for Christie.
5. Concluding with another NFL tidbit, Rex Ryan was named the new head coach of the Buffalo Bills at a reported salary of $5 million. That means he will be in the same division as his former team, the Jets.  Ironically, Doug Marone, who opted out of his Buffalo contract after one year, may soon be named the Jets head coach.  That will make it pretty easy to see who made the right acquisition.  Stay tuned.

(Last week – 3-1)  (177-84-1 overall – 68%)

             SEATTLE
            NEW ENGLAND                 

It certainly has been an interesting few weeks for these four pro teams in the RCN viewing area—all for different reasons.  The Nationals are heading into, what I believe, is a very critical season for them sustaining their long-term success.  The Redskins are trying to figure out how everything went tragically wrong in 2014 and how to rebound as quickly as possible.  The Phillies are starting a rebuilding process that—if it doesn’t gain traction over the next several months—could produce massive changes to their long-time front office personnel.  And the Eagles…well, even the most seasoned beat writers are still trying to figure out just exactly what happened over the last month, and whether the off-season moves they’ve made so far will make the team dramatically better—or worse.

First, here are some thoughts on all four teams as discussed by a panel of media pundits.

Now, a little more now on the Nationals.  I, too, see 2015 as a huge year for Washington.  They clearly are the best team in the National League East and should have no trouble holding off any “surpassing expectations” type of season the Marlins or Mets might have.  Washington is very similar to what the Phillies were as they were entering their 2008 season, with their core reaching the prime of their careers—and several players about to begin their “contract year”.  In my opinion, the Nats MUST get to the World Series this season.  I’ll explain why in a moment, but first, here are three things that have to happen for the Nats to have success this year.

 1) “Go To” Players Must Step Up

It’s time for the big-money guys to do what they get paid for—win.  It’s not enough to put up big individual numbers.  It’s not enough to say the right things in the media. The “go to” guys have to take it to another level and make the players around them better.  Jayson Werth, a player who has experience doing that with the Phillies, will have to make a successful recovery from his arthroscopic shoulder surgery this week.  He won’t be ready by the start of spring training, but needs to be ready to play by mid-April.  The old adage of “you can’t win a pennant in April but you certainly can lose one” applies.  Highly touted prospect Michael Taylor will probably be patrolling Werth’s left field spot (remember, he’s switching positions with Bryce Harper this season) for a good chunk of spring training.  While I’m very high on Taylor and feel he can be an everyday Major League outfielder at some point, it’s extremely risky to rely on a minor leaguer—no matter how high their pedigree—for anything in a season as critical as this one…which brings us to topic #2…

 2)  Stay Aggressive Adding Role Players.

Signing these guys are not flashy moves.  Some of these acquisitions won’t even register on national sports news programs.  But these types of moves are what help win championships.  Sticking with our parallels to the ’08 Phillies, imagine that team without the following moves:  Pat Gillick taking a chance on Werth as a ‘complement’ to Geoff Jenkins in RF; not having J.C. Romero anchoring the 7^th/8^th innings; not having Matt Stairs available to pinch hit…

Injuries will occur.  Players will go into slumps.  The Nationals have already added some nice pieces over the last year (and a gritty player like Kevin Frandsen last year was a great example).  However, I’m not expecting much out of Dan Uggla, and continuing to search for diamonds-in-the-rough will be even more imperative as 2015 unfolds.  GM Mike Rizzo must continue to look for even the slightest moves that can improve his team.  The organization must continue to add depth and leave nothing to chance this season.

3) Sign Desmond NOW!

Ian Desmond is one of the best shortstops in the game.  The Nats will have many questions heading into the offseason, resigning free agents-to be that are currently on the roster, regardless of how the team does this season.  The last thing this year’s team needs is added distractions.  You clearly must bring him back for next season, and entering spring training with his future in limbo opens the door for speculation and puts doubt into the minds of other players about the future of the team.  I mentioned earlier how important it is to get off to a quality start.  You don’t want one issue snowballing into an avalanche of ambiguity.  There is no question that Desmond should be the one guy you bring back for next year, and to go into March with him NOT signing a long-term deal would be a colossal mistake.

The Phillies were able to build on what they established in 2007 to capture a World Championship.  A failure by Washington to at least get beyond the NLDS would signal a lateral progression…or worse, a regressive atmosphere around the organization.  This isn’t the type of feeling you want to have lingering as you try to re-sign as many of the current, productive Nationals players as you may need after this season.  Hard decisions will have to be made on both sides, and those decisions get tougher for all involved if there are questions about the direction of the franchise.

Philadelphia—now—is in a full-blown rebuilding process, and many more things need to be done.  It will certainly not be easy to accomplish those things (moving Ryan Howard, Jonathan Papelbon, et al).  While I actually think they have made some good moves—so far—this winter, I’ll wait to talk about them more in detail until we see more of their off-season work.  The Phillies now have the luxury of time to let their plan develop…the element of time is exactly what the Nationals could soon be running out of.

What are your thoughts on the four pro sports teams mentions?  Who makes the biggest noise this offseason and what moves do you see happening?  Email your comments to RCNSportsTalk@rcn.com and keep checking back to the RCN-TV website as we’ll continue to follow these teams’ storylines and in the coming weeks will have more programs on these franchises on ‘RCN SportsTalk’ (live, Thursdays at 6pm

Are you still having trouble writing 2015?  I am, too.  For me, it’s probably because I continue to ponder the events of 2014.  Therefore, before I jump into the new year, I would like to reflect back on my top ten RCN moments for the past year:

10. The Eastern Pennsylvania Conference was unveiled in the fall and the jury is still out whether this league is good for the Lehigh Valley schools or not.

9.  Even though I do not cover wrestling anymore, RCN was there to cover Nazareth’s win for the District championship over Liberty, their first since 2007.  It should also be mentioned that Easton coach Steve Powell won his 500^th dual meet during the year, the first District XI coach to do so.

8.  Parkland boys’ basketball won the District AAAA title for the second straight year.

7.  The Easton Red Rovers football team went undefeated to win the first EPC championship, only to fall to Parkland and Phillipsburg in their final two games.

6.  Central Catholic’s Muhammad Ali Abdur-Rahkman finished his basketball career having scored 2,136 points, being named to the All-State team for four straight years, and accepting a college scholarship to play at Michigan.  I miss him on the court.

5.  Bethlehem Catholic’s wrestling team was absolutely awesome winning everything – Districts, PIAA team championship duals, PIAA individual team title, and crowning three individual state champions.

4.  The Colonial League had three football co-champions for the first time ever and they were all very good – Northwestern, Southern Lehigh, and Saucon Valley.  The League is already proving to be just as competitive in basketball this season.

3.  Parkland played a memorable game in the first round of the state playoffs losing to the eventual state champs, St. Joe’s Prep, by a 34-30 score.  A controversial no-call by the officials late in the game proved costly to our home team.  Ironically, the only loss the current Parkland basketball team has this year is to St. Joe’s Prep by a 50-47 score.  I’m certain the Parkland basketball team will be close to the top in next year’s highlights.

2.  No girls’ basketball team took us further into state playoffs than the Bethlehem Catholic girls.  They won the LVC, Districts, and went to the second round of states before losing.  Then strange things happened: head coach Bill Lanscek was let go; former Southern Lehigh head coach Megan Delegrotti was hired, then she resigned, leaving Jose Medina in charge.

1.  My #1 highlight this past year was the play of the Central Catholic boys’ basketball team. They won 29 straight games, the LVC championship, the District XI AAA championship and suffered their only loss to eventual state champ Neumann-Goretti in the PIAA quarterfinals.  It was a team for the ages!

Strangely, my most vivid memory had nothing to do with a game we broadcast, but I will never forget the scene at Yankee Stadium for the 150^th meeting between Lafayette and Lehigh.  I was a part of the pre-game festivities on the field and after interviewing the two college presidents, I was able to pull a “Gentlemen, start your engines!” moment as I announced to the 48,000 in attendance the official start of the game.  It was the best!

On to 2015!!

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS)

1. There are certainly too many bowl games. Except for the competitors’ fans, there seems to be little interest in most of them.  With that said, I loved the semifinals of the first BCS championship playoff.  I have seen plenty of football over the years, but Oregon’s offense was amazing to me.  It’s the Eagles on steroids!  I was awed watching them.  And, like many others, I assume, I did not expect Ohio State to beat Alabama.  In fact, early on, I thought it was going to be an Alabama rout and an embarrassment for the Big Ten.  It was not and I am glad I stayed up to watch until 1:00 AM.  Two terrific games to watch.
2. By the way, I think Oregon versus Ohio State will be an amazing contrast in football styles – old-fashioned, hard-nosed Ohio State football against the video-game look of the Oregon Ducks. I like Oregon to win.
3. I am writing this the day after the NFL’s wild card weekend and I am still waiting for an explanation from the officials for picking up the flag on an obvious pass interference call in the Dallas-Detroit game. I had no vested interest in the outcome, but I think the Lions were unfairly treated when the call was negated.  The official in the FOX broadcast booth felt it was definitely pass interference.
4. Is it me, or does Chris Christie still look quite heavy, despite having some sort of gastric bypass surgery?  There were plenty of shots of him in the Cowboys’ booth with owner Jerry Jones.  I know TV adds 10 pounds, but c’mon.
5. One sad reminder that another year has passed occurred when I read that Kobe Bryant of the NBA Lakers was taking days off because of his age. I remember doing one of his high school games.

(Last week – 3-1)  (174-83-1 overall – 68%)
            NEW ENGLAND
            SEATTLE
            GREEN BAY

We’re about a month into this winter’s high school basketball season in the Lehigh Valley area.  As we embark on the “January” portion of the scholastic schedule, here are three observations of the new hoops season that I feel deserve some extra mention.

1.  Parkland’s extremely good, but…

I’ve been privileged to be surrounded by great minds in many different sports and try to defer to the local sports experts when formulating opinions on who the top teams are expected to be.  It’s for that reason that I rarely see a team play summer league basketball in July and can make “stone-cold” predictions about something that happens in February.  I broke my own rule this past summer when I saw the Parkland boys basketball team dominate in a variety of summer hoops tournaments, and said soon after on “SportsTalk” that I felt the Trojans were unquestionably the team to beat for league and district honors.  I felt good about my statement when I heard much smarter basketball minds proclaiming similar expectations as we got closer to the winter sports season–some even believing Parkland could go undefeated during the regular season.

This year’s Trojans’ team reminds me of the Emmaus boys team led by Aaron Grey, who would go on to play in the NBA.  They blitzed through the league playoffs and entered the District XI playoffs with a 28-0 record.  Their season came to a sudden and amazingly fast conclusion when they lost in the first round of the district playoffs.  This year’s Parkland team, albeit without the size of a Grey-type of player, might actually be deeper than that Emmaus team.  Clearly they continue to be the favorite in this area–there aren’t many Lehigh Valley teams that can play with them.  However, I do believe there are a few teams that could step up and cause Parkland trouble on a given night.

Here’s some of the highlights of several “other” top EPC teams playing during the first month of the season…

2.  A “somewhat” bizarre Colonial League start.

For what it’s worth, the current Colonial League standings are very close to my best guesses to the correct order of the standings.  But what has surprised me is some of the individual game results so far this season.  For example, I thought Bangor would be the number-one team in their division, but Bron Holland’s team has once again raised the bar again this season.  In the past, the Slaters would build a quality team for several years…peak for one or two years…then return to “rebuilding mode” for several more seasons.  But lately, Bangor seems to bounce back despite losing talent to graduation and surpass expectations.  They posted dominating wins over the first few weeks of the season, with many different players stepping up, while playing “lights-out” defense in most of their ball games.

In addition to Bangor, Saucon Valley, Salisbury and Southern Lehigh are also teams jumping out to solid starts.  However, that has not kept other teams from challenging the league’s top squads, as Wilson proved by just falling short in their attempt to beat the Slaters and Panthers before Christmas, and then capturing the annual Easton Rotary Championship just before New Year’s Eve.  Also, common opponents results have not been very revealing.  A repeating trend has team “A” beating team “B” soundly one night, only to lose to team “C” (a team that previously lost to team “B”).  It has made for a very entertaining first month to the season, although clearly the best game that I have seen so far this year is Saucon Valley/Notre Dame’s overtime battle, as seen on RCN-TV (available for free through RCN On-Demand).

Here are some of the highlights from that game.

3. Catty’s Changing Guard.

I thought it was a tremendous decision for Catasauqua to name Dave Troxell as their new athletic director this fall.  The only disappointing aspect about the move was that I would no longer see Dave coaching a girls basketball program that featured some of the school’s greatest athletic moments with him at the helm.  While the program struggled after his first departure from the team a few years back, I was confident that it would return to glory with him in charge.  With his promotion, I felt there were very few people reasonably able of taking over that position who could lead the team’s rebuilding efforts as swiftly as if Coach Trox himself were in charge.  I was happy to see one of those people, Ed Seidick, was chosen as their new head coach.  Ed is a Lehigh Valley guy who’s been a part of one of the top girls’ programs in the area, working under the tutelage of Jeff Jacksits.  He’s worked with some of the top female basketball athletes over the last several seasons, and the Northampton basketball program has been a constant contender at the 4A level for many years.

While the team may not be at playoff-level this year, I am confident it won’t be too long before we see the Rough Riders girls team back in the playoff picture.

What observations have you made about the 2014-15 edition of high school basketball in the Lehigh Valley area?  Which teams and players have stuck out in your mind so far?  Email your      comments to RCNSportsTalk@rcn.com and join Toomey Anderson, Tom Stoudt, Joe Craig and myself as we look at the first half of the basketball season and preview the second half on the January 15th edition of “RCN SportsTalk” (live at 6pm on RCN-TV).