One of the most animated Phillies-related discussions this winter continues to be over the team’s power-hitting first baseman/outfielder Darin Ruf. He has solidified a strong fan base in the Delaware Valley region–somewhat surprising since he has never had a full season of success at the Double-A level.

It’s partially because of his ability to rack up home runs as he did in Reading two seasons ago. Or, perhaps it’s because he was not considered a “blue chip” prospect, yet his blue collar approach which we all love a player to have, has forced the Phillies to consider this underdog in their future plans. Although he has been inconsistent in his approach at the plate for the last two years, and he doesn’t really have an available position on the team’s current roster, people have pushed hard for him to be in the ball club.

I pointed out a few weeks ago on our “RCN SportsTalk” show that, at the start of spring training, Ruf would probably not be on their Opening Day roster—not without a key injury to at least one other position player. When I said this, it drew an immediate reaction with our show viewers. Here’s one such email:

“Chris. How can you say that Ruf won’t be on the Opening Day roster this spring? He was the team’s best hitter for the second half
of last year? He showed patience at the plate, and was one of the few players who [showed] the ability to get on base. The Phillies
would be nuts if he wasn’t on the team to start the year, and I don’t know how you can think that he would not???” Dave, Allentown

Again, there are no current starting positions open (first base or corner outfield) in which Ruf could play, nor can he take over the “backup center field” spot on the roster that the Phillies like to have, because he doesn’t have enough foot speed to play that position. Which, in the Phillies’ minds, would keep him from making the team. The Phillies also desperately need to keep a roster spot open for a left-handed pinch-hitting option, which indicates Bobby Abreu or Tony Gywnn, Jr. will make the team before Ruf. However, for all the “Babe Ruf” fans out there, let’s take a realistic approach of how he could make the Opening Day roster. (Note: This would require the team’s front office to show flexibility and change its’ stance on an issue—which hasn’t occurred in quite some time. So you might have to suspend your belief in realism to read further).

Option #1:
The Phillies do without a designated player with great range and speed that would be their backup center fielder in case Ben Revere gets a minor injury or needs a day off. With the shorter dimensions of Citizens’ Bank Park (and other small stadiums around the league), you might be able to get away with Marlon Byrd or even Dom Brown (if your stomach can handle his routes) patrolling the center field for a game or two. This would mean that John Mayberry, Jr.’s role on the team is no longer needed (wouldn’t that kill a second bird with one stone?) and Ruf could make the team as a right-handed pinch hitter, who could spell Ryan Howard at first on occasion, and play a corner outfield spot here and there. If the Phillies do need a long-term center fielder due to a serious injury to Revere (again, like last year), they could bring someone up from Triple-A.

Option #2:
The Phillies could cut another fan favorite, Kevin Frandsen, and go with Freddy Galvis as the lone backup infielder. This might seem the most logical as Frandsen is not a power hitter that the team likes to have coming off the bench (see Abreu, below). Also, Frandsen can only play two or three positions—all of which Galvis and/or Ruf (first base) could man in the case of an slump, double switch or day-to-day injury. However, Ryne Sandberg raved about Frandsen’s pinch-hitting ability a year ago and Frandsen also has a guaranteed contract, so the team would lose arguably their most consistent bat off the bench and be forced to pay him for NOT playing, if they chose this option.

Option #3:
They could keep Gwynn, a player who spent all of last season in the minor leagues, as their primary left-handed pinch hitter. Since Gwynn also has speed and plays center field, it would make either Abreu or Mayberry expendable and clear a spot for Ruf. However, the Phillies love Abreu’s patient approach at the plate (despite his batting average now under .200), and his ability to still hit homers in a pinch–a trait they typically like to have in their first left-handed option (a la Matt Stairs, Lance Nix, Jim Thome, et al). Since Gywnn has minimal power and hasn’t overwhelmed anyone with his bat so far in spring training, this is the least likely option to occur.

Option #4:
Perhaps the most intriguing possibility: infielder Freddy Galvis becomes your “other” center fielder, thus opening up a spot on the bench for Ruf. Galvis, much like Ruf, does not have an available starting spot. While his glove is better than any infielder on the roster, he struggled at the plate in Triple-A (he actually hit better when in the Big Leagues). The team would love to have him start the year in the minors to improve his hitting so that he can become a middle infield starter for the near future. The high payroll, however, dictates the team must play him—and win—now. Having him learn center field would be another way to try to get him more at-bats. (He actually hits better from the right side of the plate and could spell Revere against a tough lefty, if needed). This idea may sound far-fetched, but Ryne Sandberg, who has pretty much guaranteed Galvis a spot on the roster, started him in center over the weekend. Look for that experiment to continue as spring training rolls on.

Are you a fan of Darin Ruf? Do you think he should make the team for Opening Day, and which other players do you think should travel north when the team breaks camp in a few weeks? Hey, Sandberg dropped Howard down to the fifth spot in the batting order for Monday’s game, so maybe anything is possible?! Post a comment below and/or send your comments to RCNSportsTalk@rcn.com and join us on Thursdays at 6pm as we discuss the team on future shows!

The Pennsylvania state basketball playoffs will be commencing this weekend. It’s an exciting time of year—no more safety nets, as it’s a single-elimination tournament and the most talented players in the state might have their season, if not their scholastic careers, come to an end on a given night. We’re going to be broadcasting a number of exciting PIAA playoff games over the next few weeks and it’s going to be fun seeing the top players and teams across the state on RCN-TV.

We’re coming off of a thrilling District XI playoffs season in our RCN viewing area. In preparation for the state games, here are notes and video highlights of some of the teams we’ve had the pleasure of seeing over the last few weeks in postseason action.

PARKLAND (girls and boys teams)
Both teams are playing their best brand of basketball of the season as they head into the PIAAs. The boys team is incredibly deep and have been getting solid performances from all their starters, but what makes them even more dangerous are the players coming off the bench contributing without missing a beat. They pretty much dismantled all their opponents in the district playoffs and made this year’s district championship look easy.

Parkland has momentum and really has not shown any glaring weaknesses, save a slow first-half stretch to Stroudsburg in the semifinal game (the Mountaineers also got a gritty performance from Jacob Battle in the consolation game, which hopefully will propel them to a few wins in states).

The Parkland girls team also has a multitude of talent among both their starters and role players. Olivia Brown led her team in the girls district championship with a great all-around game and a clutch basket down the stretch run.

Erin Bross, Erica Bross, Aubrey Beidelman, Sarash Stagaard and Kristen McCarty are all solid ball handlers who can shoot, and the Trojans have a strong inside presence anchored by Brynne Brouse, Nadine Ewald and Brooke Robertson. They have a very formidable opponent in Central Bucks East, a team known this year for a stifling defense (allowing just 33 ppg) and an offense led by a double-double threat, Courtney Webster.

CENTRAL CATHOLIC (boys and girls)
The Vikettes battled state championship contender Bethlehem Catholic, but lost for a third time to the Hawks in the District XI Final. However, I was very impressed by the efforts of Olivia Roseman, Ashley Bross, Alyssa Mack and Emma Redding in their last two meetings with the Hawks, and they all made big plays again keeping the district title game close. They draw a tough opening round opponent in Abington Heights, a squad RCN SportsTalk guest Dave Troxell labeled a tremendous team on last week’s show. However, they have played—and defeated—a number of teams still alive in the state playoffs. They have solid balance and show great ball handling ability, and I see no reason why they can’t advance at least a couple rounds in states.

The boys team continues to dominate. Everyone knew they were going to be a great team this year, but to have the focus, night-in and night-out and be as solid a team throughout an entire season (they still haven’t lost a game all year) is truly a remarkable accomplishment. In addition to being outstanding athletes, the tandem of Muhammed-Ali Abdur-Rahkman and Jean Lee Baez has guided a steady ship with no noticeable blemishes, on or off the court, this season. We debated on SportsTalk last month (the show is available on RCN On-Demand) about their state title chances, and I’ll stick with my prediction that, at worst, they reach the state quarterfinals.

http://youtu.be/g7ESdylhXQs

EMMAUS (Boys)
I finally got a chance to see Emmaus in person last week, and I was tremendously impressed with their win over Liberty. I knew Nate Feirertag was a great all-around player who plays with as much heart as anyone in our coverage area. Fellow senior forward Joe Nicolini stepped up big time with 19 points (17 in the 2nd half) for the Hornets to advance to the district championship.

This team has lots of talent on the way up and should be vying for state playoff spots for the next several seasons. I know Emmaus fans were disappointed by their loss to Parkland in the district final, and face a tough matchup in District I power Abington, a team loaded with size, speed and several players looking to play at the quality college programs. But Emmaus has bounced back from a tough loss on more than one occasion this year and I would expect a hard fought game this weekend.

NORTHAMPTON (Girls)
The K-Kids shook off a tough loss to Parkland in the semifinals to beat a quality Pleasant Valley team and earn a state playoff bid.

Leandra Sterner is quietly having one of the top all-around performances of the entire high school sports year. Coming off an historic performance on the soccer field this fall, she currently leads the team in points per game, assists and steals. Ali Reppert has a smooth-looking jump shot and Aja Blount might become the best center in the area in the very near future. I think they have a favorable matchup facing Wallenpaupack this weekend and see no reason why the Kids can’t advance into the next round.

NOTRE DAME (Boys)
If you like “shoot-out” games, you would have loved the performances of Tannor Reed, Vicent Eze and the Notre Dame boys team in their District XI 2A Boys Championship.

I think the Crusaders will be the first to admit that their defense needs to play better to defeat Delaware Valley Charter this weekend, but their game might be the most entertaining of all the contests on RCN Saturday night. The Crusaders play extremely well as a team, have a balanced attack and come in with plenty of momentum (they’ve won 13 consecutive games). Tuning in just to see Reed shoot should be worth your time and Eze has improved all facets of his game (he’s averaging 14 points, 17 rebounds and 5 blocks per game), including his ability to score when given the ball outside the paint.

BETHLEHEM CATHOLIC (Girls)
The reigning LVC and District XI 3A Champs will be our guests on RCN SportsTalk this Thursday (live at 6pm), so you can tune in for in-depth conversations with their coaches and players. We’ll also showcase some of their awesome highlights so far this season, and get their expectations on the state playoffs. You can also email us comments and questions to RCNSportsTalk@rcn.com and we’ll read and respond to your opinions live on the air!

Be sure to check back for more highlights and notes on the teams playing in this year’s state playoffs. Also, feel free to email us or post your feelings about the schools competing for titles this winter.

On Wednesday, February 26, the new Phillies’ announcers, Jamie Moyer and Matt Stairs, made their announcing debut when the Phillies played a rain-shortened game against the Toronto Blue Jays. They certainly got off to a good start, and play-by-play man, Tom McCarthy, did a nice job directing traffic (three in a booth can be difficult). With that said, I thought you might be interested in the tips I give to a “newbie” when we are going to work together for the first time:

MY TOP 10 ANNOUNCER TIPS

1. BE PREPARED
a. Follow all the games each week so you get a feel for the top players, the teams, and the conference.

2. BE NATURAL
a. Try to stay conversational and relaxed.
b. With TV, the pictures can speak for themselves – just try to add interest to the game.
c. Relax and respond to the situation and the play-by-play guy.

3. KNOW THE NAMES
a. Learn the proper pronunciation prior to the game. Take time to find the names before talking about a play. It is not a panic situation. There is time to find the number and the name in the program. This will become second nature to you with experience.

4. DON’T HESITATE TO BE HUMOROUS
a. The only caution is try not to demean a player; you certainly can point out a mistake (but it is still better to give the player who did the right thing more air time).

5. IF YOU THINK YOU PROBABLY SHOULDN’T SAY SOMETHING – DON’T!

6. POINT OUT AND CLARIFY
a. You can truly add to the game by pointing out things, emphasizing a player’s skills, clarifying why a play worked, etc.

7. DON’T RESPOND TO THE DIRECTOR IN THE HEADSET – THE PEOPLE AT HOME CAN’T HEAR HIM
a. If a question is asked by the director, work the answer into the conversation.
b. P.S. – the crew will always try to test a rookie and make him answer a question on the air. You’ve been warned.

8. DON’T TALK OVER THE PLAY-BY-PLAY MAN
a. There is ample time to get your analysis in after the play has been called. Relax and jump in at the appropriate time. Remember – “Dead ball is you”; “Live ball is not you”.

9. LISTEN
a. To coaches, sportswriters, players, and play-by-play announcers.

10. BE READY TO BE NOTICED
a. People will eventually get to know you and talk to you at the mall, on the street, at the corner store like you are their friend. I have found that a simple “Thank you” for a compliment and an “I’m sorry you feel that way” or “I hope not to do that again” for a valid criticism works pretty well.
b. Remember – you are a representative of RCN.

ALSO, REMEMBER – PEOPLE TUNE IN TO WATCH THE GAME – YOU SHOULD, HOPEFULLY, JUST ADD TO THEIR ENJOYMENT!!

I have been so fortunate to work with the likes of Dick Tracy, Tom Stoudt, John Leone, Mike Joseph, Scott Barr, etc. They truly understood what our roles as announcers are. I already get a sense the new Phillies’ announcers do, too.

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS)
1. Speaking of the Phillies, they ended the Philadelphia championship drought (NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB) of 25 years in 2008 when they won the World Series. None since for any franchise and, the way the four professional teams are looking, it could be another long time before a Philadelphia team wins the overall championship again.

2. Did you know that Allen High School is the 7th winningest boys’ basketball program in Pennsylvania with @1680 wins? Central Catholic is 10th. By the way Reading is #1 and Chester is #2.

3. I enjoy watching Villanova basketball these days because of Darrun Hilliard of Liberty High School. This is what a Philadelphia sportswriter said about Hilliard after a Feb. 2, Sunday game with Marquette:

No. 8 Villanova beat Marquette 73-56 in Philadelphia. The leader, offensively speaking, on Sunday was junior guard Darrun Hilliard. Hilliard made seven of his eleven shot attempts, finishing with a game-high 26 points to go along with four assists and three rebounds. Averaging 13.6 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game, Hilliard’s versatility is one asset that has helped propel Villanova to the top of the Big East. Hilliard’s a capable perimeter shooter, as evidenced by his 5-for-8 afternoon against Marquette and the fact that he’s shooting 40.9% from deep on the season. He’s also good off the dribble, and from a decision-making standpoint Hilliard committed just one turnover on Sunday.

Not bad for our local kid!

4. Muhammad Ali Abdur-Rahkman broke the Central school career scoring record on Friday night with his 34 points giving him 2,052 points. Larry Miller (1960-64) of Catasauqua holds the Lehigh Valley boys’ record with 2,722 points. One other Lehigh Valley player is ahead of Abdur-Rahkman by just 25 points, but that is my trivia question on Friday night. Tune in for the answer.

5. Congratulations to the Parkland, Central Catholic, and Notre Dame boys for their District Championships. Ironically, they all repeated as champions. Also, to the girls’ champions – Parkland and Bethlehem Catholic. Bethlehem Catholic was, also, a repeat champion. It is now time for the PIAA state playoffs. Please join us.

If you watch our Lafayette basketball games on RCN-TV or WBPH Channel 60, the name Joey Ptasinski should ring a bell… well, three bells, actually. I have been broadcasting basketball games for a long time (43 years to be exact) and Lafayette games for 17 years. I can safely say I have not seen a 3-point shooter quite like Joey Ptasinski. He is accurate, his release is exceptionally quick, and his vertical jump is exceptional. He has made 72-3’s this season alone to hold a comfortable lead in that department in the Patriot League. Joey has made 169–3’s in his career and currently sits in 5th place all-time in the Lafayette record book. You should know that he has done this in less than three seasons, with at least three more games to play this year. He also missed nine games as a freshman due to shin splints. The Lafayette record is held by Andrew Brown who had 285. Joey has a shot at that record.

This past Sunday Ptasinski made five 3-pointers, scored a career-tying 23 points and led the Leopards to a six-point win over arch-rival Lehigh. He shot with his usual deadly accuracy, making five of eight 3-point shots taken, 6-9 overall and was 6-6 from the foul line. In the previous game, he made 4-3’s out of six shots. He is good – he is really good!

However, he didn’t even have the best 3-point shooting week in his own family! Joey’s sister, Anna, set a new school record this past Tuesday with a jaw-dropping 10-12 performance from beyond the 3-point line for Regis Jesuit High School in Highlands Ranch, Colorado. Anna’s head coach, Carl Mattei, said he had never seen anything like it. She tied the state record with three other girls, the most recent in 2012. Amazingly, because the game turned into a route, Anna spent a great deal of time on the bench. She now has 57-3’s for the season in 22 games. Joey’s 72-3’s has come in 27 games. Anna has one more regular season game and then on to the Class 5A state playoffs.

Joey’s career high is seven, both in a game at Regis Jesuit and again in college against Morehead State. No big deal for Anna – she hit seven in a game just two weeks prior! And this sibling rivalry will not end when Anna plays her final high school game. You see, she has enrolled at Lafayette College (poor Joey) and will play basketball for the Leopards.

Anna and her father were at the Kirby Sports Center on Sunday afternoon to watch Joey’s performance. I am sure John Ptasinski was really pleased with Joey’s performance. If Anna is anything like my sisters, she probably just yawned! But, after having met Anna, I don’t think she is anything like my sisters.

P.S. Joey, I feel for you, man!

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS)
1. It sure looked like the US hockey team would accept no less than a gold medal in Sochi. They accomplished that goal. No gold and no medal. They were shut out in the bronze medal game. No “miracle on ice” this time.
2. The University of Oklahoma turned itself in to the NCAA this past May because three of their student-athletes ate too much pasta! In violation of NCAA rules, the three were served an extra pasta buffet at a graduation banquet (they all returned for an additional year of competition). They were required to donate $3.83 to a charity of their choice in order to be reinstated. They decided to donate $5.
3. Congratulations to Muhammad Ali Abdur-Rahkman for attaining 2000 points in his high school career at Allentown Central Catholic High School. The boys’ school record is 2051 points by Billy McCaffrey. Muhammad has at least two more games and probably a few more than that. By the way, there have been four 3,000 point scorers in the state.
4. Wouldn’t you know, however, that the Central scoring record is held by a girl (seems to be the theme this week). Michelle Marciniak scored 3,025 points and is ninth all-time in the state.
5. The District XI basketball champions for boys and girls will be crowned this weekend in four classifications. Then on to the state playoffs. You’re always invited to join us!

The District XI boys basketball playoffs are heading up…and RCN-TV will have you covered!

This week, we’ll have a full breakdown of all this weekend’s boys and girls high school championship games on our live “RCN SportsTalk” this Thursday at 6pm. Local coaches will be on our show dissecting all the playoff games and giving their insights, keys to victory and strategies for all of the big matchups this weekend. We’ll also have several title games broadcast Friday and Saturday on RCN (keep checking our website for our broadcast schedule).

In the meantime, here are several thoughts and video highlights of some of the teams in our coverage area still alive in the playoffs!

PARKLAND
With the return of Nick Rindock, the Parkland basketball team looks like it is playing its best basketball of the year at just the right time. It has an outstanding point guard in Jimmy Hahn, an exciting freshman who does a ton of things well in Sam Iorio, and looked solid defensively in its last two games (which included a tight ball game with undefeated Central Catholic).

The Trojans are playing like the best team in this classification right now, and, should it continue, could play several rounds into the state tournament.

EMMAUS
The Hornets got a scare Saturday as they had to fight off a scrappy Bangor ball club. However, this year’s group of players has had success at all younger levels and is ready for prime time. They have a ton of talent who have had big games throughout this season, including David Kachelries, Joe Nicolini, Nate Feiertag and Joe Polczynski. I think they might have been looking past the Slaters a bit, but that won’t happen this week and I expect Emmaus to give Liberty a solid game this Wednesday (LIVE on RCN-4 this Wednesday at 6pm).

LIBERTY
Both RCN Basketball analyst Tom Stoudt and I said back on “SportsTalk” in January that if Liberty got into the playoffs, they could be the most dangerous 4A team. Even with some roster subtractions, it looks like our prediction is coming true. They manhandled Whitehall in the first round and upset the number-one seed Pocono Mountain West. They have four players, DeShawn Oyeniyi, Ludwin Gonzalez, Jaevan Dobbins and Trenton Coleman-Bishop, all playing at a high level right now. With the exception of the third quarter versus the Zephyrs, everyone has been playing solid defense. I don’t know how he does it every year, but Head Coach Chad Landis always has his team playing well at just the right time and probably deserves to be the LVC Coach-of-the-Year for what he’s done this season. Even if Liberty loses Wednesday, they could still reach the state playoffs with a win in the consolation round on Saturday, which would be a major accomplishment given all this team has been through this winter.

STROUDSBURG
It’s becoming a tradition for the Mountaineers to play in the final rounds of the district playoffs, and I’m looking forward to seeing more of Stroudsburg during the regular season once they merge with the LVC for the next school year. Shawn Thornton is one of the top coaches in the district, and the team has tons of talent once again this season, led by three players (Danny Cuevas, Edwin Lopez, Jacob Battle) all averaging in double figures. They have a tough matchup in Parkland this Wednesday, but if they can pound the ball inside and open up their great perimeter shooters, we should be in for a great contest (LIVE on RCN-4 this Wednesday at 7:30 pm).

CENTRAL CATHOLIC & BETHLEHEM CATHOLIC
We’ve talked quite a bit about both of these teams in an earlier blog post as well as on “SportsTalk” and neither team has done anything recently to derail their outstanding seasons. While the first meeting between these two 3A powers went decisively to the Vikings (highlights below), I would not be surprised if the Hawks challenge them a bit more here in round two (LIVE on RCN-4 this Tuesday at 7:30 pm). Remember, three teams can reach the PIAA playoffs in this classification, so the loser of the semifinal game will still have a chance to play on.

NOTRE DAME
No boys’ basketball team in the Lehigh Valley, with the exception of Central Catholic, comes into the postseason with more consecutive wins. I was promoting Tannor Reed for a Colonial League MVP award when we did their game against Salisbury in January, and he has truly carried this team through their ups-and-downs this year. With the 6’8” Vincent Eze back and doing so many things well at both ends of the floor, this team looks nearly unbeatable against most teams in Eastern Pennsylvania. They also have the momentum following their thrilling buzzer-beating win in the Colonial League championship.
http://youtu.be/AjV6O-yqFS8

CATASAUQUA
Despite the loss to the Crusaders, Catty has a lot to be proud of with reasons for optimism. They did not play well in the first half of their league championship game, yet went down to the wire and did not let a very talented Notre Dame team run away with the game. The Rough Riders are used to having players battling through tough injuries and this week will not be an exception. However, Catty has already defeated other, larger playoff-bound teams in Bangor (a 4A team) and Salisbury (3A) and could make for another thrilling title game if they dispatch North Schuylkill in the semifinals.

Which teams do you think will win championships this weekend? Which players will step up big and help their squads to victory? Email your opinions to RCNSportsTalk@rcn.com and we’ll read your thoughts live on this Thursday’s show at 6pm.

I find it a bit harder to watch the Winter Olympics than I do the Summer Olympics, especially when it seems so much nicer there, weather-wise, than it does here. I find that one of the major problems for me is just plain ignorance. I can relate to swimming, baseball, basketball, track and field, etc. during the Summer Olympics. The Winter Olympic events, however, just do not compute for me. Let me explain:

• Alpine skiing – Too long and too cold.
• Biathlon – Shoot at something when I am exhausted? Not so far in my life.
• Bobsleigh – Closest thing to a childhood pastime, but still looks awfully dangerous.
• Cross-country skiing – I don’t look forward to cross-country DRIVING!
• Curling – What weekend college party led to this sport?
• Figure skating – Can’t skate, let alone make figures.
• Freestyle skiing – This probably WOULD describe my skiing if I actually skied.
• Ice Hockey – Right. A hard, rubber puck flying around my head and body while I am NOT skating  because I can’t – SERIOUSLY?
• Luge – Claustrophobic, speedophobic; dangerous-phobic; chicken-phobic – GOT IT?
• Nordic combined biathlon – I can’t comprehend a sport where I only understand one of the words.
• Short track speed skating – I would like this if I COULD skate because it always appears to me that you can CHEAT your way to victory!
• Skeleton – Huh? This is what eventually you become if you stay in this sport too long.
• Ski jumping – Sliding board maybe; with snow and ice on it and 300 times longer – nah!
• Snowboarding – Jump on one FAT ski and do gymnastics. What planet are these people from?

You may notice, if you are a Winter Olympics elitist, that I did not mention slopestyle, mixed parallel snowboard slalom, halfpipe, or mixed-relay biathlon (do they shoot at each other?) I didn’t mention them because I don’t know what the hell they are!!

And that’s really not the worst of it. For me the hardest thing to relate to is putting on those skintight outfits. That should be an Olympic event – Donning the Outfit. It would be far more interesting than cross-country skiing. Unless, of course, once again, I was the one doing the “donning”. Not so interesting and no chance at GOLD!!

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS)
1. Should the goal of an interviewer be to make the subject cry? Christin Cooper went way too far to drain the emotion out of US skier, Bode Miller, after his third place finish in the men’s Super G. She was relentless in her questions about the death of Bode’s brother. Shame on her.

2. It has been a long time since I watched a sporting event with the excitement of the USA’s hockey win over Russia Saturday morning in eight overtime shootouts. The drama was riveting and gut-wrenching. They may meet again for the gold. Don’t miss it.

3. Did it cost Russia $7 billion, as Putin claimed, or $50 billion, as Russian officials claim, to put on these Olympics? Would Putin lie? Does he want the names of those Russian officials?

4. Unlike the Summer Olympics, there is a scarcity of prominent black athletes in these events. I can only think of Shani Davis, a US speed skater. Is it the type of sport exhibited here or does this deserve further sociological research?

5. Now that we have crowned League and Conference champions, phase three (regular season and league championships being the first two) of the basketball season takes center court this week leading to the District XI championships for boys and girls on February 28 and March 1. Come along with us on RCNTV.

The biggest weekend for high school wrestling fans is nearly upon us and RCN will look to feed its rabid fans’ appetites over the next several days. A full preview of all of the weekend’s weight classes will be on our “RCN SportsTalk” show this Thursday live at 6pm (we’ll also talk a little Penn State football as well). Also, RCN-TV will broadcast the District 3A Championships on February 22. In the meantime, here are a few notes on several of the schools that should do very well in the tournament, along with video highlights of the area’s top wrestlers and teams.

BECAHI
Clearly, the best team in this tournament. The Golden Hawks cruised to their fourth straight 2A district championship and are coming off their fourth straight team state title, beating their four opponents by a whopping 235-18 (they also owned 27 of the first 28 takedowns registered in their dual meets). The program is so much on a roll that Becahi hasn’t lost a dual meet since February 16, 2011 (to Easton). Luke Karam (currently 28-2) and Zeke Moisey (32-0) lead an uber-talented squad that figures to dominate eight or nine of the 14 weight classes. Anything less than seven gold medals this weekend would be a major shock.

http://youtu.be/fdFTxOYaWrs

LIBERTY
The Hurricanes had a banner season under Jody Karam this year. His team beat Easton for the first time since 1991, they won the competitive Virginia Duals American Division, they finished second at the Penn Manor Tournament and battled Parkland before losing by a close margin in the first ever “Ultimate Qualifier” dual meet. Jake Gunning and Orlando Miller, who never wrestled prior to high school, both own 27 wins a piece heading into the tourney. Noah Klingborg and Andrew Gunning both had exceptional years, and K.J. Fenstermacher proved to be one of the most exciting freshman wrestlers in the area. For more on the Hurricanes, check out their recent appearance on “RCN SportsTalk” on free RCN On Demand (the show entitled “Bethlehem Wrestling”).

http://youtu.be/pJZRz1WPRSY

NAZARETH
If not for Becahi, Nazareth would be getting a lot more attention. Sage Karam (if he’s not racing in Daytona) is one of the key wrestlers to watch at 145 lbs. Tyrone Klump (who pinned in a big state semifinal bout at 120 lbs.), Brandon Lane (285 lbs.), Travis Smith (113 lbs.), Josh Golden (220 lbs.) and Tyson Klump (106 lbs.) are just a few of the wrestlers with chances to medal this weekend. The Blue Eagles, fresh off their 3A District XI team title and a bronze finish in the PIAAs, are the tournament’s favorites to capture the most gold medals in individuals if all goes right.

EASTON
First of all, congratulations to Head Coach Steve Powell for earning his 500th coaching victory during the team district tournament this year. Don’t know of a classier wrestling coach in the area, nor do I know of anyone in the state that would ever say a bad word about him.

This wasn’t quite the typical Easton year. Although they had a very good squad, they lacked the one or two dominant standout wrestlers, like a Jordan Oliver-type, that you could almost guarantee a gold medal coming out of the district tournament. Nevertheless, they have several solid wrestlers in the middle-to-heavier weight classes who could contend, and two or three gold medals for the Rovers would not be out of the question.

PARKLAND
After beating Easton early in the season, it looked like the Trojans could be the team to beat in 3A. They battled Nazareth in an exciting District Championship Battle Royale before dropping the meet, but came back strong and had an impressive run in the PIAAs. Their list of candidates to contest for gold this weekend is quite long, including Jacob and Ethan Lizak, Josh Ortman, Marques Sturdivant and Omar and Nezar Haddad. There will be some exciting bouts all throughout the tournament, but it would not surprise me if Parkland comes away with the most medals.

http://youtu.be/y1-t662w04Y

Who else do you feel has a chance to medal at this year’s District XI Individual Wrestling Tournament? What do you think of the dominant run of Bethlehem Catholic, the possibility of them jumping up to 3A and all the other issues surrounding their program? Send an email to RCNSportsTalk@rcn.com with your opinions and thoughts and tune in to RCN-TV this Thursday at 6pm to hear your comments read on-air, plus a full preview of this year’s tourney.

Say the word “recruit” or “recruiting” in the Lehigh Valley and get ready for an argument. Whether it’s football, basketball, or wrestling (and even baseball a few years ago), the term riles up athletic directors, coaches, athletes, and parents. Everyone has an opinion on what should determine the eligibility of any student who “transferred” or was “recruited” to another school for athletic reasons. I will leave this volatile subject up to the powers-to-be and I wish them well in finding a solution, if there is one to be found.

I want to talk about the best use of “recruiting” I have seen in my many years of doing high school sports. It came in the final game of the season for the Nazareth Blue Eagles basketball team when they played in their rivalry game against Northampton. For that last game, they added a player to their roster, not only to help them win, but in a way, to help all of us to understand the value of athletics and the value of working with young people.

Joe Arndt, the Nazareth coach, decided to add Devon Roe to his roster. Devon had tried out for the team in the fall, but despite all the encouragement he got from his fellow teammates, he just could not crack the roster.

You see, Devon Roe is a special-needs student who was supposed to be in a wheelchair by the time he was a teenager. However, Devon is not in a wheelchair and spent this past season serving as the Nazareth manager for the basketball team. He dutifully fulfilled his responsibilities for the first 20 games. Devon has many disorders including autism and OCD.

Friday was Senior Night and Coach Arndt felt it would be the perfect opportunity to do some “recruiting” of his own. He “recruited” Devon. Devon wore number 32 and was placed in the starting lineup. There were no protests from Northampton or their coach, Coy Stampone, who, ironically, was an assistant to Coach Arndt for many years. The District XI and the PIAA would not get involved in this case.

Devon led his team onto the floor for warm-ups, received a resounding standing ovation from the fans when he was introduced as a member of the starting lineup, and caught the opening tap. He quickly left the floor. He would re-enter the contest for the final six seconds.

His mother spent most of the day in tears and cried throughout the night. She has watched Devon overcome so much adversity in his life. He participates in the Nazareth job-study program and she sends him off to work at Petco and Giant a few days a week. She has had, I’m sure, many proud moments with her son, but Friday night was certainly a special one.

Congratulations to the coaches, the administration, and especially the players for teaching all of us a valuable lesson about rewarding hard work, teamwork, and compassion. And I offer special congratulations to Devon. He did what the coach asked, did not complain about playing time, and basked in the victory of his teammates.

This is the type of player every coach should recruit. It would help all of us!

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS)
1. I notice that it always takes me some time to get into the Olympics and this year is no exception. Having grown up during the Cold War, where we spent Health Class in high school learning to build a bomb shelter and going through our decision to boycott the Russian Olympics during Jimmy Carter’s presidency, I feel some resentment toward Putin as I watch him. I’m sure I will get over it. By the end of this week, I’ll be chanting, “USA! USA!” along with the rest of you.
2. By the way, there are 12 more events (98 in all) than there were at Vancouver.
3. Sochi this time of the year has an average temperature of 43 degrees making this the warmest site for a Winter Games. The Super Bowl in cold weather; the Winter Olympics in warm weather? Someone will somehow correlate this to global warming!
4. I watched the final Tonight Show with Jay Leno on Thursday. It was quite good and Jay was very emotional. I have always been a Letterman fan and never found Leno to be all that funny. Ironically, I saw him at the Sands a few months back and his stand-up routine was hilarious. He will now do more of that and I would certainly go to see him.
5. The Beatles 50-year anniversary of their appearance in America was, also, quite good. Ringo and Paul McCartney were at their best. The Ed Sullivan clips brought back memories of watching them that night. I think everybody watched. I was a senior in high school. (And I’m feeling quite old right now! Time for a nap.)

As I gaze out my window at the freshly fallen snow for the gazillionth time this winter (and the extra two feet of the white stuff the plow truck deposited in front of my driveway), I realized it’s time to get ready for the opening of Major League Baseball’s spring training this week.

For Phillies fans, it will be a busy, yet not-quite-fulfilling spring session, given the lack of big-name moves during the offseason. In fact, there are more questions than in any of the last seven pre-seasons, which were met with much more optimism when compared to this year. Nevertheless, several key issues stand out as items to focus on for this year’s Spring Training if the “Phightin’ Phils” are going to have any shot at challenging for a post-season berth. Here’s four things that you MUST pay attention to as camp gets rolling.

THE VETS MUST BRING IT–AND STAY HEALTHY.
There’s simply no two ways around this one. Ruben Amaro, Jr. has used this as his excuse, er, reasoning, behind all the moves they’ve made since last summer. Guys like Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins, Carlos Ruiz and other “over-35” players must defy human nature and play better than they did the past two years, even given their advanced age (in baseball terms, of course). The mantra of “these guys we’re paying $20-million to play baseball have to produce for us” that Amaro and Co. have repeated this winter is the foundation of whatever the team hopes to achieve this year. Any sign of a major injury, continued decline or even just a status-quo performance by any of the established players could mean doom for the ball club before the season even starts.

WILL SANDBERG BE ABLE TO CONNECT TO THE VETERANS — LONG-TERM?
After watching Ryne Sandberg manage ball players for two full seasons at the Triple-A level, I can tell you that his style is completely different from Charlie Manuel. He loves to hit-and-run, have his players hit behind runners, bunt the winning run into scoring position, steal a base–at appropriate times–and really likes the game played the way it should be played. Trying to convince some of his dyed-in-the-wool veterans to do so will be a much more arduous task. Manuel thought he had explained the importance of hustling to Rollins, only to have to bench him on several occasions for simply forgetting to play at 100%. John Mayberry Jr., provided he gets on base, should utilize his God-given speed and try to pilfer a base once-a-season. It will be interesting to see if all the players buy in to his fundamentally sound brand of baseball…and what he’ll do when, inevitably, a player doesn’t follow through.

WHO IS THIS MIGUEL ALFREDO GONZALEZ GUY ANYWAY?
After the initial ESPN-reported signing offer of five years, $48-million fell through, the Phillies signed Gonzalez to a $12-million pact over three seasons. At that time, MAG was unofficially slated to be the number-three pitcher behind Cole Hamels and Cliff Lee. Amaro has slowly backed off his expectations so much that is sounds like Gonzalez is not even a guarantee to be in the team’s starting rotation. Sandberg has referred to him as the “mystery man” and almost everyone in the organization admits they have never seen him pitch nor have any idea what to expect from him. Here lies your hopes of a solid pitching staff. Through experience, you cannot expect Kyle Kendrick to be consistently relied on for anything more than a number-four starter. One must dream of a week without snow in Eastern Pennsylvania as a more realistic hope than thinking Roberto Hernandez, Jonathon Pettibone or even Chad Gaudin will be anything remotely close to what the Phillies had in previous year’s “Number-3” guy, Roy Halladay. I will probably be wrong, but I keep holding out hope the Phillies do make a run for A.J. Burnett, Ervin Santana or one of the few remaining quality starters available to try to add SOME consistency to this rotation. If they don’t, Gonzalez will be the single most-watched pitcher in camp, and anything short of a performance that solidifies him as a middle-of-the-rotation guy this spring will be a huge disaster for the Phillies.

WHEN WILL ‘PAP’ MELT DOWN?
Notice I did not say “if” Jonathon Papelbon melts down. It’s simply in his track record of sounding off and creating havoc in the clubhouse when things are not going well. If the Phillies gets off to a bad start in spring training, it could happen sooner rather than later. The Phillies themselves were so convinced of this distraction that they tried to give him away to any team with the need/payroll/ space/patience to acquire him…yet found no takers. Remember, with this young, inexperienced core of relievers joining him in the bullpen this year, it will be pivotal for “Pap” to provide some leadership for the young arms…something that will not happen if the Phillies closer is unhappy. Several of the beat writers have told me that he was a major distraction during 2013 (and his famous line “I didn’t come here for this” would only support their claims) and he will continue to be one in the likely event that all of the above things don’t go absolutely right for this team out of the gate.

Am I being too pessimistic about the 2014 Phillies? What are your thoughts on my “big four” items to watch for this spring training? What other players and issues should we be focused on for the next six weeks…and beyond? Post your comments here on our blog or email your comments and questions to RCNSportsTalk@rcn.com and keep watching future editions of our Thursday “RCN SportsTalk” program, live each week at 6pm, as we start to focus in on the Phillies as the regular season draws near.

I know high school wrestling and boys basketball get the lion’s share of fans’ attention in the Lehigh Valley area, but there are tremendous accomplishments being made by a number of scholastic sports programs currently in session.

Here’s a video sample of some of our features on different local sports programs produced recently for our “RCN SportsTalk” show (to see more of these features, they are available for free on RCN On-Demand for the next several weeks), and then we have some additional highlights and accomplishments by local teams and athletes deserving mentions this winter.

Some other local sports highlights include:

 • Bethlehem Catholic girls basketball team. Chosen by many to make it to the PIAA championship game again this year, the Golden Hawks have lost just two games so far this season—both to formidable opponents. Kalista Walters could very well repeat as the Lehigh Valley Conference’s MVP again this season, but among several other talented players on the roster include Janelle Robinson. Robinson is a guard by trade, but I continue to be impressed by what a great all-around contribution she makes to the team (she recently led the team in one game with nine rebounds).

 • Becahi is not the only local girls programs that have a shot at going to the PIAAs. In fact, this might be one of the most competitive LVC and Colonial Leagues playoff races in some time. Nazareth, a team that lost four starters to graduation, is back with a group of tall and athletic young ladies that have been drawing impressive results. Central Catholic is back to being one of the top teams in the state—their only loss thus far was their epic 74-72 double-overtime defeat to Becahi. Parkland is also looking very solid and is coming off a terrific summer basketball season. In the Colonial League, Southern Lehigh, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Salisbury and others all have legitimate shots to qualify for the playoffs. With very few exceptions, these teams playing each during the regular season have resulted other so far in down-to-the-wire finishes.

• Parkland has a long line of dominance in the sport of swimming and diving—for both the girls and boys teams. This year, there’s an abundance of outstanding athletes from many different schools, including Emmaus, Easton, Liberty and Freedom. Their district championships are usually held on two of the busiest Saturdays—local-sports-wise–in the Lehigh Valley, when district and state wrestling and boys and girls basketball games are scheduled, but if you have a chance to check out the local diving and swimming title events, you should have a number of great races to watch on February 22nd and March 1st.

• Pius X has very quietly had an impressive wrestling season. They do not belong to either the LVC or the Colonial League, nor do they have enough wrestlers to compete for team title. They DO have several impressive young athletes led by state candidates Dante Albanese, Michael Comunale and Vinny Vonelli. The Royals, under first year Head Coach Peter Stoelzl, jumped out to two impressive wins over Palisades and Central Catholic to start the season. Despite injuries, they’re still racking up wins and will look to make an impact in the District XI Wrestling Individuals Tournament, which will be broadcast on RCN-TV on Saturday, February 22.

Which other local sports athletes deserve more attention? Which teams, besides boys basketball and wrestling, do you think can bring home league, district, or even state championships this winter? Post your comments below or email us at RCNSportsTalk@rcn.com and tune in Thursdays at 6pm as we continue to spotlight local teams and athletes on our show.