Do any of you remember Christmas clubs?  I’m not sure if banks still have them, but I don’t know why they wouldn’t offer another way to keep your money and pay you very little for that privilege.  Christmas clubs began during the Great Depression so that bank customers would set aside a given amount of money each week so they would have some to spend at Christmas time.

My first Christmas club was a whopping $12.50.  I would put aside $0.25 every week (I could afford it because I had my own business – a newspaper route) and receive a check from the bank the first week of December for $12.50.  My younger sister also had a similar account except that she was subsidized by my parents (which didn’t really seem fair since I worked for my December windfall).  I’m not sure what my youngest sister or older brother did for Christmas money, but I sure do not remember any significant gifts coming my way from those two sources.

After receiving our checks, my sister and I would get on the local bus and head downtown to buy gifts for the five members of the family (three siblings and mom and dad).  Do the math – that’s $2.50 for each one.  I assume this is where the phrase “It’s the thought that counts” was originated.  The bigger problem, however, was that my sister always found something SHE liked while we were shopping.  She would always make her first purchase a gift for, you guessed it, HERSELF.

It was at that point that her shopping dilemma would rise up – she had about $2.50 left to buy five gifts.  She knew I had money – heck, I was an entrepreneur.  How could I refuse her?  She would always come home with a gift for everyone and the best gift for herself.  I didn’t like it, but I did it.

This is a long introduction to the main topic – what kind of a Christmas “club” might a top athlete have at their gift-giving disposal?  I decided to look at the highest-paid sports figures of the year and imagined what they might spend on each person on their list.  I’ll use 25 people to buy for as the cost basis and one day’s pay as the available amount of money (in essence, their Christmas club).  And I will use the 25 highest-paid athletes as the gift givers.

The athletes fell into the following categories: one boxer, three tennis players, three race car drivers, three NBA players, four golfers, five soccer players, and six NFL players.  Their annual incomes ranged from $35.9 million to $88 million.  The average yearly earnings for those 25 athletes were $50 million a year.  If you divide that number by 365 days, they make $136,986.30 per day or $45,662 per hour.  I’m thinking for their list of 25 people, some nice gifts are on the way.  On average, their Christmas club would allow them to spend almost $5500 per gift.

Now, I figure I have spent a great deal of my life working with and getting along with athletes.  I’m wondering if I could just convince one of them to let me take them “downtown” to do some Christmas shopping.  I think I remember my sister’s ploy.  Plead poverty.  Get them to financially help me make some wonderful purchases.  It worked on me for years.  Perhaps, it would work on them.

Heck, I would even buy my sister a nice gift.  After all, that’s the Christmas spirit.

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS) 

1. Who is the best team in the NFL at the moment – New England or Dallas? Might it be Oakland or the Giants?  Or are Seattle or Pittsburgh sleepers?  No pro sport does the post season any better.  The playoff scenarios are mind-boggling and maintain interest to the very end of the season.
2. Eagles’ fans can moan all they want about their coach, their quarterback, and the defensive secondary, but no one deserves more criticism than Nelson Agholor. He is a wide receiver who does not receive.  In this past Sunday’s game against the Ravens, he caught one pass, dropped a few, never fielded a punt as a punt receiver, and never got the one-yard necessary for a very important first down because of a poor decision.  He did receive $14.5 million as part of a four-year deal with the Eagles.  I’m sure he RECEIVES that money.
3. The Roundball JAMboree held at Allen High School on Sunday was a huge success. The event was scheduled to raise money for the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research and honor Mike Schneider for his service to Lehigh Valley athletics.  Mike is afflicted with Parkinson’s.  Our local teams split the four games with Parkland and Allen winning while Liberty and Whitehall were defeated.
4. RCN-TV finishes up the year with Emmaus at Parkland and Nazareth at Whitehall on Tuesday night beginning at 7:00pm and Whitehall at Parkland on Thursday at 7:00pm. It was another great year for Lehigh valley sports.
5. This is my last blog until after the New Year so I want to wish all of you a very happy holiday and thank you for spending time with the RCN-TV team this past year.

Gary’s Guesses: NFL Picks – (Last week – 12-4; Overall – 140-83-2 – 63%)
Week Sixteen

GIANTS
WASHINGTON
BUFFALO
TAMPA BAY
ATLANTA
GREEN BAY
NEW ENGLAND
TENNESSEE
SAN DIEGO
OAKLAND
SAN FRANCISCO
SEATTLE
HOUSTON
PITTSBURGH
KANSAS CITY
DALLAS
 

As often as I try to do this—but probably still don’t do it enough … a HUGE THANK YOU to the wonderful women and men we’ve been so fortunate to have on “SportsTalk” as our guests this past year.  Here’s a quick look at only some of the very memorable people on our program during 2016 (in no particular order):

• NFL/MLB Associated Press Writer Rob Maaddi
• Hall of Fame/Philadelphia Eagles Radio Play-by-Play Voice Merrill Reese
• Redskins Radio Announcer/Host Scott Jackson
• ABC7 (DC) Sports Director Alex Parker
• Detroit Pistons’ Guard Darrun Hilliard (former Liberty HS great)
• Dallas Cowboys’ Wide Receiver KJ Williams (former Liberty HS great)
• MLB.com Sr. Sports Writer Jim Callis
• Nationals’ Beat Writer Bill Ladson
• Nationals’ Play-by-Play Announcer Charlie Slowes
• Olympians Marty Nothstein & Joetta Clark-Diggs
• DCIAA Women’s Official/Fmr. Pro Football Player (and one of only three Varsity Head Football Coaches ever) Natalie Randolph
• Joseph Basketball Standout / Fmr. DMV Star Isaiah Miles
• George Washington Men’s Basketball Head Coaches Mike Lonergan
• George Washington Women’s Basketball Head Coach Jen Rizzotti
• Longtime Georgetown Men’s Basketball Play-by-Play Voice Rich Chvotkin & other Hoyas athletes
• Lafayette College Head Basketball Coach Fran O’Hanlon
• American University Head Basketball Coach Mike Brennan
• Washington Times Redskins Beat Writer/CBS Radio’s Rick Snider
• Washington Post Beat Writer’s Eric Goldstein
• Philadelphia Daily News’ Jeff Moeller
• Play-by-Play Announcers for Phillies & Nationals Minor League Affiliates: Mike Ventola, Matt Provence & Terry Byron
• Head Coaches from HD Woodson, DeMatha, Sidwell Friends, Gonzaga High Schools
• Championship teams including Parkland boys basketball team, Nazareth girls basketball team, Notre Dame football team, Emmaus field hockey team, Parkland volleyball team and others
• NY Giants Beat Writer James Kratch
• Washington Times Redskins/Nationals Beat Writer Todd Dybas
• ESPN Radio (DC) Morning Show Host Kevin Sheehan
• ESPN Radio (Philly) Morning Show Anchor/Host Eytan Shander
• Redskins “Breaking Burgundy” Creator/Fmr. Comcast SportsNet “Insider” Ben Standig
• “FootballStories” Magazine Editor/Show Hosts Al Thompson & Rock Hoffman
• ESPN Draft Analyst/Fangraph’s Eric Longenhagen
• Members of this year’s PA Football Hall of Fame Inductees
• Writers from The Morning Call, Express-Times & LehighValley.com
• All the RCN Sports Announcers & Commentators
• Interviews with current Phillies & Nationals players & top prospects

Also, a reminder to watch our special “SportsTalk: 2016-in-Review” show that will be airing at different times on RCN-TV around the holiday season as Senior Morning Call Sports Writer Keith Groller and myself will take a look back at the top players, coaches, teams, special memories and more.  Our subject matter will be focused primarily on teams in the RCN-TV coverage area in the Lehigh Valley, Delaware Valley and Washington, DC regions, but we will mix in a few national topics of conversation as well.

You will also be able to hear the podcast of this show at rcn.com/atvn/sports-talk as it will be made available over the next few days.

Now for “part one” of my year-in-review thoughts/reflections for just a few of the most requested topics of conversation over the last 12 months.

• Pennsylvania’s New Classifications & Playoff System for HS Sports

No Lehigh Valley sports story came close to the interest (and complaining) of the revamped classification for PIAA sports and the outline of the playoff system.

• The Rise & Fall of the Philadelphia Eagles

After having covered the Philadelphia Eagles for several years, I know that there’s no fan base that goes to greater extremes than the faithful followers of Philly’s NFL franchise.  Once the Eagles defeated (destroyed?) the Steelers Week 3, there was no containing the (insane?) amount of the enthusiasm for this team and its first-year head coach, first year quarterback, suspect wide receiving core, weak secondary, et al.  It was practically assumed a deep trek into the NFL inevitably and anyone (like, perhaps, me?) suggesting that the team was still a year away was dismissed as being an “overly negative media opinion.”

Then, reality sent in, sending the Eagles’ into a tailspin in which they have yet to recover, with everyone from Doug Pederson to Carson Wentz to Fletcher Cox falling under heavy scrutiny.

• The Nationals Finally Getting to the Playoffs

The “SportsTalk” camera crew and I had the good fortune of seeing the Nationals’ top prospect Trea Turner play for Triple-A Syracuse (boy, did he put on a display!) and talked with him after an April game just shortly before he received his call-up to the Nationals.  Turner did not disappoint once he got to the Major Leagues—even with a position change from shortstop to center field while at the game’s highest level–and showed the same amazing abilities in helping Washington advance to the NLDS.

Don’t forget to check back for “part two” for more commentary on sports highlights from the 2016 calendar year in the next installment of the “SportsTalk Shop.”

And, of course, a very happy holiday season and prosperous New Year’s for all of you faithfully following us here on the blog in 2016!

The holiday season is in full swing (along with high school basketball season, the wrestling season,  crunch time for the NFL, the Hot Stove League, the NBA, NHL…but I digress).

One of our annual traditions is to reflect back on some of the most interesting programs and events from the past year.  RCN-TV is once again doing a marathon of some of your favorite programs and will be showcasing them for your enjoyment around the holidays.

Likewise, we will be continuing our look back at our viewers’ favorite sports moments from this past year.  Senior Morning Call Sports Writer and new “SportsTalk” co-host Keith Groller and I are asking for your votes and suggestions for your favorite topics, standout players, the teams and memorable sports moments involving participants in the RCN viewing area—dealing primarily with the scholastic, collegiate and professional levels.

Right now, the ball is in your court to nominate and vote!  Email us at rcnsportstalk@rcn.com with your suggestion for favorite 2016 sports moments that you would like us to mention and/or video clips and features that you might like to see again.  Keith and I will huddle next week and review the top nominations to determine what you, our viewers, would prefer to see one more time before we turn the calendar year.

Then, check back to the “SportsTalk Shop” for the final weeks of blog entries for the year, along with our “RCN SportsTalk: Year-in-Review Special” podcast and TV program that airs at various times during the holiday season (check the broadcast schedule here on the RCN-TV website or your RCN on-screen guides for the specific dates and times of this show’s airings).

In a previous blog entry, we posted some of the categories of which we are looking for your feedback.  But we also appreciate your feedback on any other subjects you’d like us to address on this year’s special program.

To help “stir the pot,” here are a few of my memorable moments from 2016, in no particular order:

• Joel Embiid finally plays in a regular season NBA game for the 76ers
• Nationals finally make the playoffs (and lasted until the final game of the NLDS)
• Eagles trades paving the way for Carson Wentz and his subsequent rise to becoming the team’s #1 quarterback and instant popularity with the fan base
• After a spectacular 3-0 start, playoff expectations rise and praise abounds for new Eagles head Coach Doug Peterson … the team then sharply reverses course, loses eight of their next 10 and fans call for Peterson dismissal following the November 29^th loss to the Bengals
• DeMatha HS football’s preseason “Top 5” national ranking in USA Today (and other publications)—and then staying there the entire season
• The new classifications and expanded PIAA HS playoff system for all sports
• The Capitals’ early exit (again) from the NHL playoffs
• Nazareth girls basketball’s second District XI championship in three years (followed-up by a summer league title with very stiff competition). With many high-level players returning for both the Eagles, Easton, Northampton, Parkland and other top teams, it’s going to be an exciting girls hoops season in the Lehigh Valley this winter!
• The Flyers quicker-than-expected resurrection and (near) playoff appearance this spring
• HD Woodson basketball’s undefeated, championship season (check out last week’s “SportsTalk” podcast or RCN On-Demand for an interview with head basketball coach Lawrence “Trey” Mines)
• The Phillies “turn the page” and take several positive steps forward with trades, crafty (but not flashy) free agent signings and the development their younger players
• The many examples of high school student-athlete participating in food drives, dance-a-thons, homeless shelter visits and other wonderful, charitable acts from various schools across our viewing area this past year. Fortunately, just the stories alone that I’ve been told are too numerous to mention in a single blog post, and it would be too difficult to identify a single team/action for this.

Also, here are a few highlight videos from recent games of RCN’s coverage of the Pennsylvania state football playoffs.

And…don’t hesitate to look back through the last eleven months-worth of our blog postings here on the RCN-TV website if you want to refresh your memory on some of the musings from Gary Laubach and myself and select one of your favorite discussion points or videos from the past year.

Again, the decision is yours for our annual program and blog postings…but don’t wait!  Feel free to vote on any of these above topics or suggest your own by emailing rcnsportstalk@rcn.com before voting ends this Sunday night (December 20^th).  Have fun!

This time of the year football fans’ cries and debates always center around “Who’s #1”?  Very rarely does anyone ask or care which team is the worst.  It is hard to determine in college football because there are just so many teams, so we are content to argue the merits of the Top 25.  But the NFL is much easier.  There are only 32 teams and by week 13, I think one could certainly stir things up by looking at which teams are the absolutely worst ones in the NFL.

The Cleveland Browns are the obvious choice as the worst team in professional football.  With this week’s loss to Cincinnati, they have now lost 16 straight games (includes the final three from last year).  The Browns have been playing in the NFL since 1950 and they have never lost this many games without a win.  They are 1-23 in the past 24 games.  Just to pile on a bit, counting last year and this season, they are 3-26.  They have games at Buffalo, home against San Diego, and at Pittsburgh.  To be realistic, none of those games seem winnable.

Going back to 1960, there have only been four other teams to go winless and two of those teams played to a tie.  Only the 1976 Tampa Bay Buccaneers went 0-14 in their debut season and the 2008 Detroit Lions were the only team in history to go 0-16 and the first non-expansion team to lose every game.  So, as you can see, the Browns are among some pretty elite company.

But is there an argument to be made that there are teams just as bad?  Well, the 49ers are 1-12.  The Jacksonville Jaguars are 2-11.  It’s hard to believe I am leaving the New York Jets out of the discussion, but they did just beat the 49ers this past Sunday in overtime so I will give them a pass.

Just to emphasize how bad these teams are: the 49ers two weeks ago had a TOTAL of six net passing yards and, this past week, they threw for 17 yards in the second half against the Jets.  As far as the Jaguars, let me throw this stat at you – QB Blake Bortles has thrown more interceptions for touchdowns than he has wins as a Jacksonville starter.

It does make one ponder whether these teams could beat Alabama, considered by most to be the best team in college football.  It would be men against boys for sure, but a terrific well-coached team against, well, the Browns.

San Francisco has the Giants and you could make the case they also have the Raiders, Athletics, Warriors and Sharks.  In Cleveland, thank goodness for the Indians and the Cavaliers.  Jacksonville only has the Jaguars.  Right now, none of them have a competitive NFL team.

So what’s your answer to “Who’s #32?”  Could it possibly be, “Who cares?”

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS) 

1. Lamar Jackson won the Heisman Trophy, signifying the best player in college football. It was the first Heisman ever for Louisville.  He is only 19 years old and a sophomore, the youngest ever to win the award.  For those of you who go way back, the great Johnny Unitas played at Louisville in the 1950s and went on to a Hall of Fame career in the NFL.  Lamar has some big high-topped black shoes to fill (an analogy for just those who remember Unitas).
2. This past weekend, Army defeated Navy for the first time in 14 years. It wasn’t easy.  After leading 14-0, Army lost the lead and trailed 17-14.  They fought back to win the game 21-17.  Emmaus’ Andy Davidson scored the first two Army touchdowns.  Both teams will play in a bowl game.
3. CBS sports announcer Verne Lundquist did his final college football game as the play-by-play man for the Army-Navy game. He announced college football for 42 years.  Watch his goodbye:

http://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2016/12/10/13909272/verne-lundquist-army-navy-goodbye

4. Villanova, the defending national champion of college basketball, is off to a 10-0 start. They are #1 in the nation for the second straight week and may have the player of the year in Josh Hart.  Years ago, head coach Jay Wright sat in my office for about an hour and we talked basketball and coaching young men.  He was here to appear on an RCN interview show.  I have rooted for him ever since.
5. More high school basketball next week with Emmaus-Parkland and Nazareth-Whitehall on Tuesday, December 20. We will have Whitehall-Parkland on December 22.

Gary’s Guesses: NFL Picks – (Last week – 9-7; Overall – 128-79-2 – 62%)
Week Fifteen

SEATTLE
MIAMI
DALLAS
GIANTS
GREEN BAY
BALTIMORE
MINNESOTA
BUFFALO
KANSAS CITY
HOUSTON
ARIZONA
ATLANTA
NEW ENGLAND
OAKLAND
PITTSBURGH
WASHINGTON

With all of the Lehigh Valley teams now out of the running for a PIAA state football title, it’s now time to fully devote our attention to the rapidly approaching high school basketball season.

We are extremely fortunate to have some incredibly insightful people giving their opinions on the 2016-17 scholastic season.  In addition to local media members (Morning Call’s Keith Groller, RCN Sports Director Gary Laubach, RCN announcers Tom Stoudt and Dennis Laub, and LehighValleyBasketballRankings.com’s Toomey Anderson), we have three distinguished head basketball coaches giving their takes on five important questions for the upcoming season.  We won’t reveal the names of the head coaches to avoid any “bulletin board” material, but, just like in fall with our football poll, we are blessed to have some long-tenured and well-established basketball names with us this year!

So…let’s get started with each of our pollsters giving their opinions on:

1) 3 KEY PLAYERS TO WATCH THIS WINTER
Toomey Anderson: We all know about the top players in the district.  Here are some others to expect good seasons from:
Lehigh Valley –  Jay Vaughan (ACC).  Charles Hudson (Whitehall),  Arnell Lewis (Easton);  Colonial League-  Dylan Benton (Bangor), Jack Reichenbach (Salisbury), Isaiah Graves (Catty);   “Mountain teams”- Jalen Vaughns (PM West), Shon Wilson (Stroudsburg), Darin Bellinger (ES North)

Keith Groller:  Talek Williams, Sam Iorio, David Kachelries
Dennis Laub:  Talek Williams, Sam Iorio, Dave Kachelries…although I personally like Logan McGinley from Whitehall
Tom Stoudt: Talek Williams, David Kachelries, Tyrese Martin
Mystery Coach 1:  Talek Williams and Tyrese Martin both of Allen; Sam Iorio of Parkland and the Kachelries twins of Emmaus. I know that is 5, but they are all special players.
Mystery Coach 2:  Tyrese Martin (Allen); Isaiah Wiggins ((PM West); Mickey Esquilin (Whitehall)
Mystery Coach 3:  Talek Williams (Allen), Sam Iorio (Parkland), Lance Singh (Poc. Mt. West)

2) “CAN’T MISS” GAME OF THE YEAR
TA: Salisbury vs. Bangor (Colonial) & Parkland vs. Allen (EPC)
KG: Parkland at Allen, Feb. 6
DL:  Allen vs. Pocono Mountain West (at least 150 points scored…if not 180)
TS:  Parkland vs. Allen (Oh, wait, they don’t play each other), Parkland vs. PMW (Oh, they don’t play each other, either), Parkland vs Allen on 2/6/16
MC 1:  Bangor vs. any of the EPC teams they play. A good way to see how Bangor, the biggest school in the Colonial League, “hangs” with the big boys of the EPC. Also, Pocono Mt. West vs. Allen should be a heck of a game.
MC 2: Allen vs PM West; Bangor vs Easton
MC 3: Pocono Mt. West vs. Whitehall

3) “NEWCOMER” THIS SEASON
TA: Mohammed Dunbaya (Easton). New to Easton last year but didn’t play much—he will be a force defensively this year.
KG: Chico Whyte, Dieruff
DL:  Aidan Ellwood returning to Northampton, where he’ll thrive again.
TS:  Zach Sabol, 6’7 Sophomore at Emmaus
MC 1:  Aiden Elwood and his return to Northampton. Also, the big kid Sabol from Emmaus.
MC 3:  Justin Paz (Bethlehem Catholic)

4) “TEAMS TO BEAT”
TA: Bangor & Parkland
KG: Allen and Bangor
DL:  Allen & Pocono Mountain West
TS:  Allen & Pocono Mountain West
MC 1: Allen in the EPC-South, Bangor in the Colonial League and Pocono Mt. West (in the EPC-North). They all have a lot of talent.
MC 2:  Allen; PM West
MC 3: Allen and Liberty

5) “SLEEPER TEAM”
 TA: Bethlehem Catholic
KG: Bethlehem Catholic in the EPC; Southern Lehigh in the Colonial
DL:  Emmaus (they have a huge advantage in their home gym)
TS:  Bethlehem Catholic
MC 1: Whitehall. They finished 2^nd in the Stellar and Sportsfest tournaments and won the Allentown Summer League. Also, watch out for Northampton with the return of Ellwood from CCHS.
MC 3:  Parkland – people think they are down but they still have one of the best players in the league. I never thought I would say that Parkland is a sleeper, but this year they just might be

Don’t forget to catch RCN’s first broadcast high school basketball game this Tuesday, December 12, with Gary Laubach and Tom Stoudt and be sure to check out our winter sports schedule here on the RCN-TV website for all the top games!

If any college football fan doubts the wisdom of a four-team College Football Playoff system, this past weekend should eliminate those doubts.  The Selection Committee has no choice under the current system.  They can choose four and ONLY four.  The idea in the beginning was that conference champions would fill the four slots.  The only problem there is that there are five power conferences, but I’m sure the founders felt they could surely eliminate one of the champions.  But this year, the committee eliminated two – the Big 12 champions and the Big 10 champion.  The ACC will send Clemson; the Pac 12 will send Washington; and the SEC will send Alabama.  It is hard to argue with any of those choices.

Now we come to Ohio State.  Should they go or should the committee have chosen Penn State – the Big 10 champion?  I have no argument with Ohio State’s pedigree.  They lost only one game; they beat Michigan; they were ranked in the top three all year; and they beat Michigan.  That’s good enough for me.  EXCEPT….

Penn State won the Big 10 championship, while Ohio State did not play at all last week.  Penn State gave Ohio State their only loss of the year 24-21.  Penn State’s losses were to Pitt, which, by the way, beat Clemson and they lost to Michigan.  Both of those losses were on the road.  And if “playing well at the end of the year” means anything, Penn State has not lost since September.  They have won nine games in a row.  Ohio State lost to Penn State in October and Michigan lost two of their last three.

Winning a conference title is supposed to give the winning team a 13^th data point.  Penn State earned that point; Ohio State did not.  Conference championships should matter.  For two teams, it did not.

As I said earlier, Ohio State, with only one loss should be in the mix for a national championship.  My fault with the system is four teams.  If you make it eight you add only one more week to the schedule and that should be palatable.  I know if you add eight, then nine and ten will feel shunned.  But eight gives you the five conference champions,   (the Big 12 will start playing one next year) and three “wild cards”.  A similar system works quite well for the NFL and six of those teams have gone on to win the Super Bowl.

So Penn State will play in the Rose Bowl against USC and that certainly is a justified reward for their season, but should they have been playing for a national championship?  What if you were on the committee – how would you have voted?

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS) 

1. I really started to watch Penn State because of Saquon Barkley, the former Whitehall Zephyr. Now I watch them because they are one of the most exciting and dramatic teams in college football.  Their win over Wisconsin, after being down by 21 points and being totally dominated early in the game, was nothing short of miraculous!
2. The Bethlehem Catholic Golden Hawks played almost as well on Friday night against undefeated Imhotep Charter out of Philadelphia. Imhotep is the defending state champion and has won 28 games in a row.  No team stayed within 30 points of them this season.  Until they met the Hawks!  The Hawks lost 24-13 when Imhotep scored a TD late in the game. Beca was in it right up until the very end of the game and actually led at one point.  It was a great year for Coach Kyle Haas and the Beca football team.
3. Notre Dame High School did not win a game two years ago. On Friday night, they played in the PIAA state semifinal game against undefeated Middletown.  The Crusaders lost that game, but their resurgence in the past two years has been amazing.
4. The Eagles looked like a team that cannot make the playoffs this past Sunday. The Bengals just crushed them.  Maybe it’s not a good thing for the coach to say they are looking towards the future before the present is completed.  The Eagles took major steps in the wrong direction this past Sunday.
5. High school basketball begins next week with Freedom-Allen and Liberty-Easton on Tuesday, December 13. We will have Liberty-Central and Saucon Valley-Wilson on Friday, December 16.  The wrestling season begins on Wednesday, December 14, with Liberty taking on Nazareth.

Gary’s Guesses: NFL Picks – (Last week – 12-3; Overall – 119-72-2 – 62%)
Week Fourteen

OAKLAND
PHILADELPHIA
MINNESOTA
DETROIT
CINCINNATI
ARIZONA
INDIANAPOLIS
DENVER
CAROLINA
PITTSBURGH
JETS
TAMPA BAY
ATLANTA
SEATTLE
DALLAS
NEW ENGLAND

It’s almost time for our annual “year-in-review” special on RCN-TV and this year, we want to incorporate your opinions on the top team, players, games and more!

Senior Morning Call Sports Writer Keith Groller and I will be giving our picks for our favorite sports moments of 2016—and your votes will help shape who we will be featuring in the coming weeks as part of a special program.

Email us at rcnsportstalk@rcn.com with your suggestions for favorite 2016 sports moments, video clips and/or features that you would like us to mention or you might like to see again.  Also, we’re taking your votes on the following topics:

1).Best Defensive Football Player in Eastern PA this fall
2) Most Intriguing HS Team
3) Best & Worst Sports Decision Made in 2016 (any level)
4) Best “Professional” Sports Story in Philly or DC
5) Most Underrated Story (any level)
6) Favorite Sports Moment of 2016
7) Sports Personality You Would Have Liked to See More Of
8) Most Disappointing News of the Year (Any level)
9) Something Witnessed That You Hope To See Again In 2017
10) Something You Hope Doesn’t Repeat Next Year
11) Best Performance By An Underclassmen
12) Most Overplayed Story of 2016 (any level)
13) Biggest Turnaround in 2016 (any level)
14) Most Lasting Image of 2016 (Local / National)
15) Best Coaching Job of 2016
16) Most Outstanding Individual Performance of 2016
17) Most Impressive Team Performance of 2016

And, predictions for 2017…
18)  One Team & Player to Watch in 2017
19) Something “New” You’d Like to See in 2017
20) One Piece of Advice for an Athlete/Coach in 2017

And…a “Stone-Cold” Lock To Happen in 2017.

Keith and I will be coming up with our own lists but welcome your input—you may just sway us with your votes/comments!

Then, check back to the “SportsTalk Shop” in a few weeks, along with our “RCN SportsTalk Presented by The Morning Call: Year-in-Review Special” that will air multiple times during the holiday season (check the broadcast schedule here on the RCN-TV website for the specific dates and times of this show’s airings).

Again, the decision is yours for our annual program and blog postings.  Feel free to vote on any of these above topics or suggest your own by emailing rcnsportstalk@rcn.com.

We also have some video highlights of recent District XI and PIAA state playoff games broadcast on RCN recently:

We also have a “Best of RCN-TV” contest here on the website for you to check out and vote on your favorite overall game/programs. The top choices will be shown again on RCN TV ON New Year’s Day.

Last, but certainly not least, make sure you mark your calendars, set your RCN TiVo boxes and make sure you tune in to the “Dream Come True Telethon” on RCN-TV, on Monday, December 5, from 6:00-9:00 pm to help one of the Lehigh Valley’s most worthwhile charities.  The auction is already active online! Click here to view and bid on lots of items, including one-of-a-kind donations from your favorite cable TV networks! It’s an excellent way to take care of your Christmas shopping list in addition to supporting a tremendous cause. Or just make a donation – no bidding necessary! And then tune in to the telethon next Monday night; it’s very entertaining with special guests from around the region.  Be sure to watch and thank you in advance for your donation!

Sometimes I think I have a big mouth!

As we got to the end of the high school football season (a campaign that FLEW by this year), I mentioned both here at “The Shop” and on “RCN SportsTalk presented by The Morning Call” that our football poll season went by much too quickly and that maybe, if our audience was interested enough and would send me positive feedback, we might entertain the possibility of doing a scholastic hoops version of the poll for our viewers in the District XI area.  This suggestion caused me to once again prove something I’ve known down deep for years…

The Lehigh Valley LOVES their high school sports!

Needless to say, I did get a number of people who said they’d like to see a basketball poll for the winter.    So now, it’s time to put the wheels in motion (basketball practices did get underway last week, if you didn’t realize that in the middle of all this football playoff news).

First, we are going to present a “preseason” poll (we’ll publish this right around the start of our RCN broadcast schedule),  including a ranking of teams from one to five (#1 being the best, then #2 for the 2^nd best, #3 for the 3^rd, etc).

Also, for our pre-season poll, we’ll also be asking our voters’ opinions for the following questions…

• Three players to watch for the upcoming season
• A “can’t-miss” game to watch this season
• “New” player to watch this season
• Top two “teams to beat”
• “Sleeper” team

Then, starting January 8 through the start of the playoffs, our voters will continue to rank their top-five teams each week.  All District XI schools are eligible for the poll and will be divided into either our “big schools” (5A & 6A classifications) or “small schools” (3A & 4A) polls within the RCN footprint:

The “small schools” consist of Wilson, Saucon Valley, Bethlehem Catholic, Northwestern, Wilson, Palisades, Palmerton, Salisbury, Notre Dame-GP, Palmerton, Pen Argyl, Northern Lehigh and Catasauqua.

The “big schools” are Bangor, Central, Southern Lehigh, Whitehall, Allen, Dieruff, Easton, Emmaus, Freedom, Liberty, Nazareth, E. Stroudsburg North & South, Pocono Mountain East, Pocono Mountain West, Stroudsburg, Northampton, Parkland, and Pleasant Valley.

Last but not least, we are going to have some great basketball minds weighing in on our poll!

Among them:

• RCN TV Sports Director Gary Laubach
• RCN Basketball Commentators Tom Stoudt and Dennis Laub
• Lehigh Valley Basketball Ranking’s (and former high school and collegiate standout player) Toomey Anderson
• Morning Call Sr. Sports Writer/Lead HS Hoops Writer Keith Groller

PLUS…

We also will have local coaches giving their insights.  Like the football season, we will not divulge their names publicly so that they can give their honest impressions, without having to worry about getting negative push-back from the teams they play and avoiding any potential “bulletin board” issues.

So thanks for everyone’s feedback and input suggesting we do a poll for the winter high school basketball season (despite the extra work—it will be fun to see the results for me, too–but don’t tell anyone J. Don’t forget to check back to the “SportsTalk Shop” in two weeks when our new basketball poll will debut for the season!

Last, but not least, we hope everyone has an enjoyable Thanksgiving Day holiday and enjoys the state playoff high school football action on RCN-TV this weekend.  Also, please be safe if you do venture out and are traveling before Thanksgiving Day and/or on Black Friday!

I know this will show my age, but when I was a little kid, I was a Baltimore Colts fan.  Does anyone remember the Baltimore Colts (not the Ravens, not Indianapolis – Baltimore).  I was seven years old in 1953 when the Colts took the field at Memorial Stadium.  I don’t remember if I became a fan then, but I do remember when Johnny Unitas took over the quarterback position in 1956.  His crewcut and high top shoes and, more importantly, his great right arm and the ability to make the Colts winners made him an instant hero in my eyes.  Penn State’s Lenny Moore, Alan Ameche, and Raymond Berry were also stars of that team.  They won back-to-back NFL titles in 1958 and ’59 defeating the Giants both of those years.  They won another in 1968 when I graduated from college.

But after 30 years of rooting for the Colts, Bob Irsay took the team in the middle of the night to Indianapolis.  Baltimore lost the Colts and I lost my team.  From that point on, I watched NFL football, but never felt a real attachment to any team.

And then the Eagles signed Carson Wentz of North Dakota State.  In 2011, I flew with the Lafayette football team to North Dakota State to do a football game.  The fan base out there was so passionate about their team.  They closed down the town at 4:00pm on game day so everyone could go to the game.  Realistically, there wasn’t much else to do in Fargo anyway.

So with that small professional reference, I decided to jump on board and root for the Philadelphia Eagles and “Wentzylvania”.  And I am not sorry.  I have watched every Eagles game from start to finish, thanks to TIVO and, in all honesty, they have all been entertaining.  Even though they are 3-5, they were competitive in every game.  I think I will enjoy watching this team and their young quarterback develop under first-year head coach Doug Pederson.  But like any fan, there are some things that are already starting to bother me:

1. Nelson Agholor cannot catch the football. He is a “wide dropper”.  Wide receivers are supposed to catch the football.  He seems to have more “drops” than catches and Sunday against the Seahawks Agholor had no catches and a touchdown was called back because he did not line up properly.  Give me a break.
2. Jason Peters is a penalty machine. Does anyone in the league hold more often than he does?  And he is really good when he is not costing the team yards in crucial situations.  Then he is really bad.
3. Do the announcers have to put all of the Eagles’ woes on their young quarterback? They make it seem that he is responsible for every drive that stalls.  Between penalties and dropped balls by his wide receivers, he seems to always be in 3^rd and long.  I, for one, think he has actually played quite well for his first year.
4. The Eagles seem to turn the ball over at the very worst times. Two more wins would have been there for the taking if not for costly fumbles.
5. Doug Pederson has sadly managed games, at times, like his mentor Andy Reid. Is poor clock management contagious?  If so, Andy passed on the virus.

The fact that I even now care about these things tells me that I am starting to become a fan of the Eagles.  I hope, like the Baltimore Colts of old, they take me to the promised land.  E-A-G-L-E-S!  Go, Birds!

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS) 

1. The 152^nd addition of Lafayette-Lehigh was not competitive. Lehigh dominated in every aspect of the game.  Most disappointing was the lack of a sellout crowd.  Blame that on the Lafayette season.  Due to their record, it did not look like a good match-up and it wasn’t.  But I still look forward to 153.
2. What was good about the broadcast, however, was the use of a drone for aerial shots. The drone really added to the very professional look of the game and gave us some beautiful shots during the game.
3. Even more ironic, however, concerning the drone is that one flew over J Birney Crum Stadium on Friday night during the Parkland – Freedom game. The officials stopped the game and ordered both teams to their respective locker rooms which are about a quarter of a mile away.  Luckily before the long walk was completed, the drone left the area and the players came back.  So, one drone enhanced a game and another stopped the game – go figure.
4. They are still playing golf. Jordan Spieth won the Australian Open on Sunday in a playoff with two Aussies.  It was the second time he won the title.  Up until this week, it was still nice enough to squeeze in a round here.
5. PIAA playoffs this week are on RCN-TV. Whitehall will play Archbishop Wood on Friday at 7:00pm.  Parkland takes on St. Joe’s Prep on Saturday at 1:00pm.  Both games will be LIVE.  Good luck to Bethlehem Catholic and Notre Dame as their football teams take on Johnstown and Delaware Valley Charter.  Both games are on Saturday.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!!!

Gary’s Guesses: NFL Picks – (Last week – 10-3; Overall – 96-65-2 – 60%)

Week Twelve
DETROIT
DALLAS
INDIANAPOLIS
TENNESSEE
HOUSTON
BUFFALO
BALTOMORE
ATLANTA
MIAMI
NEW ORLEANS
GIANTS
SEATTLE
OAKLAND
DENVER
NEW ENGLAND
PHILADELPHIA

We are right in the middle of an exciting run of District XI high school football action on RCN-TV.

First of all, the EPC announced their All-Star class, so let’s take a moment to spotlight some of the outstanding high school players during the regular season.

Last weekend, the district’s 4A and 5A champions were crowned and will move on to the PIAA state playoffs, commencing on Friday night.

This weekend will also be the 6A and 3A title games.  Of course, this time of year is even more exciting as it’s “do or die” time, with the loser of these playoff games seeing their season come to an end.   For that reason alone, there’s a little more adrenaline running through the hearts and minds of the players, coaches and people associated with the football teams involved at this time of year.

Here is a look at RCN’s recent coverage of the final regular season games, along with the opening rounds of the district playoff season.

Don’t forget, you can see more highlights, along with insights, predictions and previews of our local teams in the state playoffs by watching “RCN SportsTalk presented by The Morning Call” live on Thursdays at 7pm and also by catching our podcasts at rcn.com/atvn/sports-talk.

We hope to have a special guest on this Thursday’s show in which we’ll discuss the Lafayette/Lehigh game—both past and present, along with high school football talk and some commentaries on how this time of year used to mean some great Thanksgiving Day rivalry games.  Of course, we’ll also talk about a few of those traditional holiday game classics, like Easton/Phillipsburg, Catasauqua/Northampton and others that still exist.

Also, make sure you check out RCN’s broadcast schedule each week as we follow our local teams through the state playoffs.   Best of luck to all the teams still playing!