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!

If you were a Seinfeld fan, like I was, you probably remember the episode when George shouted, “The worlds are colliding, Jerry, the worlds are colliding!”  He simply meant that Jerry’s girlfriend and his girlfriend were friends and, therefore, sharing secrets about the two of them.  It was not good.

This week, my worlds are colliding for a whole other reason.  It is the time when sports seasons begin to overlap.  The collision takes place when basketball begins as football is continuing.  The other two “worlds” are high school athletics and Lafayette athletics with a sprinkle of other internet work on the Lafayette campus.   Trust me, I do not want your sympathy, but as a response to the many people who ask, “Do you just do games?”- Here is my schedule for this week:

Monday

• Choose the Patriot League offensive, defensive, special teams and rookies of the week and submit my ballot.
• Notify the Parkland and Liberty head football coaches that I will be doing their championship game on Friday night so I ask them to send me their starting lineups and season stats as soon as possible.
• Get the season stats off the internet for Lafayette and Lehigh. Do my stat sheets for the Lafayette and Lehigh game charts.  This entails putting all the offensive and defensive stats on my game charts.  I alshave to update the starters, the individual and team sheets to be used during the game.  I put together a pre-game sheet for the opening and come up with Keys to the Game.
• Now it’s on to writing this blog which I will submit Tuesday morning after all the NFL games are played.
• Make a recording for ESPN Radio discussing Lafayette’s outlook for the game. This will be played prior to their broadcast of Lafayette-Lehigh on Saturday.
• Prepare my notes for a one-hour interview with Lafayette President Alison Byerly, discussing the state of the college.
• Arrive at Lafayette at 5:30PM to rehearse. Interview the President LIVE on Monday night for the internet from 7:00-8:00 PM.

Tuesday

• Make the NFL picks for next week and submit this blog.
• Begin to put together the information for the high school game on Friday night. Hopefully, the coaches and stat people will have gotten me the information requested (often not the case by Tuesday).  This also requires doing all the offensive and defensive stats for these two teams.
• Begin the preparation for the Lafayette-Robert Morris women’s basketball game on Wednesday. This means filling in my game sheets with all the stats and researching pertinent information.
• Attend the Lafayette press luncheon for the Lehigh game; do an internet preview of the game; talk to the coach and a few players, and gather up the game notes (@50 pages combined for both schools).
• Spend the afternoon digesting the game notes and taking my own notes.
• Eat dinner at home for the only time this week.

Wednesday

• Complete as much of the high school prep as possible. This means profiling each team, keys to the game, starting lineups, stat charts, getting game officials and coming up with a trivia question.
• Finish all preparation for that night’s Lafayette-Robert Morris women’s basketball game and create another trivia question.
• If time permits, begin preparation for the Lafayette-NJIT men’s Thursday night basketball game.
• 5:00 – arrive at the Kirby Sports Center. Prepare the broadcast table.
• 7:00 – Tip-off for the women’s game.

Thursday

• Go over the weekly checklist to make sure all is done for the two football games.
• Complete preparation for the Lafayette-NJIT basketball game that night (another trivia question).
• Start to prepare for Sunday’s Lafayette-Cornell men’s basketball game.
• 5:00 – arrive at the Kirby Sports Center. Prepare the broadcast table.
• 7:00 – Tip off for the men’s game.

Friday

• Read all the articles in the local paper about tonight’s high school game.
• Check out all the possible individual records and numbers of significance that might be important as the game progresses that night.
• 5:00 – Arrive at the stadium and prepare the broadcast booth.
• 7:00 – Freedom vs. Parkland for the District XI AAAAAA championship in Allentown.

Saturday

• Read all the articles concerning Lafayette-Lehigh football in the local papers.
• 10:00 AM – arrive at Fisher Stadium for the game and set up the booth for the game day broadcast which is going around the world on the internet and on a number of broadcast networks.
• 12:37 – Kickoff for the 152^nd game of college football’s most played rivalry.

Sunday

• Finish the preparation for the Lafayette – Cornell men’s basketball game by completing and reviewing the game notes.
• 12:00 Noon – Arrive at the Kirby Sports Center and, once again, prepare the table for the broadcast.
• 2:00 – Tip off for the men’s game.
• I should arrive home around 5:00 on Sunday afternoon from just doing the games, realizing how right George Costanza was when he complained that “The worlds are colliding, Jerry, the worlds are colliding!” Indeed, they are!

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS)
No musings this week.  Did you read the blog?

Gary’s Guesses: NFL Picks – (Last week – 8-7; Overall – 86-62-2 – 58%)
Week Eleven

NEW ORLEANS
PITTSBURGH
DALLAS
DETROIT
TENNESSEE
KANSAS CITY
ARIZONA
MIAMI
NEW ENGLAND
SEATTLE
WASHINGTON
OAKLAND   

October is a month when people enjoy the transitional weather, the changing colors of the foliage, and the changing of clothing.  The month has some holidays – Columbus Day, Yom Kippur, and Halloween.  However, it is pretty much a “yawner” as far as celebrations are concerned.  Yet, for the sports fan, it may very well be the best month of the year.

In October, baseball comes to a close with the World Series; college football becomes real serious as the rankings begin to take shape; the NFL games are in full swing; the National Hockey League and the National Basketball Association start their season.  This may be why there are so few holidays for a sports fan.  There is just too much going on to take the time to celebrate much of anything, except the wins by your team.

What could possibly be better than Game 7 of the World Series if you are a baseball fan?  That was especially true this year when you had two teams who had not gotten to the promise land for a combined 176 years.  What fan was not on the edge of their seat when the game went into extra innings before deciding the outcome?  And, honestly, could anyone really be that upset when the Cubs won for the first time in 108 years?

There is no question that college football generates a tremendous amount of excitement, especially if you are a Penn State fan.  As I write this, the Nittany Lions are currently ranked #12 in the nation and climbing.  They have a local Whitehall star in Saquon Barkley, who is under consideration for the Heisman Trophy, signifying college football’s best.  And I’m sure if you have a favorite team, you live and die every weekend following the results.

The NFL is in full swing so every Thursday, Sunday, and Monday, fans, fantasy football aficionados, and pool players are in front of their TV sets or checking their phones for scores.

Every NBA and NHL fan wants their team to get off to a great start in October so even these early games take on importance.

Sprinkle in the high school football runs to league and conference championships and you pretty much fill up the entire month.

So I offer praise for the person who foresaw that there was simply no time for many holidays in October.  The true sports fan celebrates almost every day of the month.

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS) 

1. In the blog, I mentioned that Whitehall’s Saquon Barkley is now in the Heisman Trophy conversation. His 20-carry, 167-yard effort Saturday against Iowa included a 57-yard touchdown scamper, and he caught a 44-yard TD pass as well.  He has 675 yards over the last four games, including a pair of 200-yarders, as well as 1,055 this season (his second straight over 1,000) and 2,131 in his career, 15th on the school’s all-time list.
2. Josh Huff, the Eagles’ wide receiver who was arrested last week for DUI , marijuana possession, and carrying a hand-gun without a permit, was signed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to their practice squad. It’s really hard NOT to find work once you are in the NFL, no matter how hard some players try.
3. In case you did not see the Steelers’ attempt at an onside kick on Sunday – take a look:

4. Remember the, “Now that you’ve won the fill in the blank, what are you going to do now” question? And the answer was “We’re going to Disney World”.  The Cubs along with family, friends, and fans all went to Disney World.
5. By the way, Cubs’ manager and former Lafayette student, Joe Maddon, will be attending the Lafayette-Lehigh game on November 19. We will be doing our half-time interview with him.  Cool!!

Gary’s Guesses: NFL Picks – (Last week – 7-6; Overall – 78-56-2 – 58%)
Week Ten
            BALTIMORE
            HOUSTON
            CAROLINA
            DENVER
            JETS
            PHILADELPHIA
            WASHINGTON
            GREEN BAY
            CHICAGO
            SAN DIEGO
            ARIZONA
            PITTSBURGH
            NEW ENGLAND
            GIANTS

The state high school football playoff season is officially underway in Pennsylvania (it actually started last week for Lehigh Valley teams due to the expanded playoff format, but we’ve talked about that in great detail before…)

There are several big matchups coming up this weekend.  Here are some insights on each of the games which feature teams in the RCN viewing area.

CLASS 6A
EASTON AT PARKLAND
Parkland is getting key people healthy—especially at running back—at just the right time.  During his tenure at Liberty, Head Coach Tim Moncman has often shown his desire to grind out long scoring drives if he has the horses available, and the improving health of Nick Suriel has allowed his Trojans to do that last week in their win over Nazareth.

This sets up an interesting issue:  Easton has had much more success stopping (or at least containing) the run against almost every team they’ve faced this year.  Even through injuries, the Red Rovers were the second best 6A team in points allowed this year during the regular season (Parkland was first), and they, too, are getting guys healthy—especially lineman—heading into the post-season.

This figures to be a low-scoring game.  Time of possession, turnovers and the ability to pick and choose your spots to throw deep will be keys and should make for one of the more entertaining games on Friday night.

FREEDOM AT EMMAUS
I’m really surprised it took a gutsy coaching decision by Emmaus Head Coach Harold Fairclough to put away his Hornets’ first round win over Liberty.  Both teams were missing key personnel and Liberty did a nice job containing Emmaus’ running attack.

In the first meeting between these two, the Hornets proved to be one of the few teams that found a way to pressure Freedom QB Joe Young and made him rush his passes.  If the Patriots’ offensive line can buy him more time—and I’m sure Head Coach Jason Roeder and his staff will also be making adjustments—Freedom could have much more success offensively this time around.

Emmaus’ Josh Artis helped to stretch the defense in the second half of the regular season matchup, which led to a Hornets victory.   As long as Freedom doesn’t hurt themselves with penalties/turnovers, a Patriot win wouldn’t surprise me at all.

CLASS 5A
Southern Lehigh vs. Whitehall
This is the matchup that surprised no one once the new classifications were laid out and both of these teams, along with East Stroudsburg North and South, were guaranteed playoff spots.

This is the game RCN will broadcast Friday.  We’ll be talking about this contest in much more detail on this Thursday’s “SportsTalk” show, when I’ll be joined by The Morning Call high school football scribes Keith Groller and Steve Miller for insights, analysis and predictions.

CLASS 4A
Saucon Valley vs. Bethlehem Catholic
In my opinion, this championship game is the most intriguing playoff contest this weekend.

Becahi steamrolled through most of the top teams in the EPC and featured the best run defense in the area before hitting an injury wall in the last quarter of the regular season.  They had to bounce back from a Central Catholic beating the week prior to avenge the Vikings’ defeat in the playoffs (see video above).  They also accomplished last week’s victory without some of their top players due to injuries.

Furthermore, Becahi—a team last year predicted to go deep in the state playoffs—is looking to get revenge on Saucon Valley—the team that knocked them out of the post-season last fall in the district semi-final.  Both teams have had great success defensively this year and also feature solid players on special teams.  I think you would have to give the Hawks the advantage offensively, but the same was said last season and that didn’t stop the Panthers from using its underdog status to fuel a hard fought win.

CLASS 3A
Pen Argyl at Palisades
The Green Knights have been a tough team to figure out this year.  Pen Argyl was one of our top four Colonial League teams in our pre-season and scored some impressive wins.  They’ve also lost a couple games that surprised some of our football experts here at RCN-TV.  Palisades has really been playing well under Kevin Ronalds and looked strong last week in their win over Northern Lehigh.

I’d give the advantage to Pen Argyl given Logan Sterner’s running ability and the Knights having a more battle-tested group, but this should be another interesting match-up this weekend.

North Schuylkill at Notre Dame

Notre Dame took a while to get its motor running versus Lehighton last weekend, but once they did, it turned into the blowout that I had predicted it would on last week’s show.

The Crusaders clearly have the most offensive weapons of any in this classification and have been doing a better job defending the run over the last several weeks, which traditionally has been North Schuylkill’s bread-and-butter.

I haven’t seen North Schuylkill in person this season as they play outside our coverage area but already have some calls in and am waiting for more information and details on this year’s squad as this week’s blog goes to press.  Again, I’ll have to use the “tease” button here and invite you to watch this Thursday’s show (or hear the podcast at rcn.com/atvn/sports-talk) for more on this playoff game.

Don’t forget to bookmark and check out RCN’s broadcast schedule here on the website and check back throughout our local team’s playoff run for more details on our featured games.