Last week, we discussed a number of teams in the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference or Colonial League post-season races—nearly all of them will look to be major players in the District XI tournament, which starts this week.  Today here at “The Shop,” we take a look at a few more teams that begin their district championship quests over the next few days.

“Give Me Liberty…”
Don’t let a first-round loss in the EPC playoffs fool you.  Chad Landis always seems to find a way to get his team playing deep into the district playoffs—and usually well enough to get at least one of the top-3 district seeds, which would give the Hurricanes a trip to states.

Liberty lost to a very talented Allen team last week.  On paper, however, I think Liberty could play with almost anyone in their bracket.  They have a tremendous talent on the inside in Cam Hoffman and exciting guard play with added depth now that Chance Neilly has returned and gotten some game action under his belt. They’ll open up the tournament by facing Nazareth on Wednesday (live, RCN4 at 7pm).

“…or Fly Like An Eagle”
Nazareth Head Coach Joe Arndt has to be on a short list of underrated basketball coaches in the region.  Following his great run in the post-season last year (more on that later), he has done a great job grooming young talents Jahan Dotson and Kevin Wagner to become one of the strongest 1-2 underclassmen punches among EPC teams.  Nick Youngkin has added scoring punch from different spots on the floor and probably deserves more attention that he’s received this season.  The key will be containing the likes of Hoffman, Andrew Hudak and Caleb Martinez on the inside and for Nazareth to get its share of rebounds.  More inside scoring could go along way for Blue Eagles—the loser of this ball game sees their season come to an end.

The 3A Race Should be Fun To Watch
Central Catholic has an incredibly talented team, filled with underclassmen and amazing potential.  But when you have a younger group of players, there’s always an element–however slight—of ambiguity in reading how they will play together in the post-season.  They lost to a very solid Pocono Mountain West team in the first round of the league playoffs and, unlike previous years, I don’t think the Vikings are your ‘stone-cold locks’ to win the district title.  Salisbury, Notre Dame and Saucon Valley are all good, well-balanced teams who can play with Central Catholic.

Bethlehem Catholic also showed a tremendous amount of poise in hanging with the area’s best team, Parkland, in their EPC first-round match-up and have scored some impressive wins during the regular season.  Ray Barbosa has done a great job in his first year with the Golden Hawks and I don’t think a lengthy run in districts should be seen as a shocker.

Also, waiting “in the wings” is a Pottsville team that just completed a perfect 22-0 regular season.  The Tide will face the winner of Tuesday’s match-up between Saucon Valley/Lehighton (live, RCN4 at 7pm).  There will be very few “easy” games in the District XI 3A Classification this time around, and I doubt very many people could clearly predict just how this bracket will shake out this winter.

This Year’s Cinderella?
Last year it was Nazareth’s boys team that surprised people with a lengthy and exciting run through the District XI tournament—winning a few more games than many expected.

Who will be this year’s dark horse squad to last the longest? Stroudsburg is always an underrated team that seems to find a way to advance deep in the playoffs—despite the fact local experts rarely predict a successful post-season run for the Mountaineers.  If they can get by Freedom on Wednesday, they have as good a shot against Pocono Mountain West, then would face the winner of the Bangor vs. Solehi/Whitehall matchup, so another post-season run by the Mounties certainly looks like it has potential.

Also, there’s a number of talented girls basketball individuals and teams to keep an eye on that don’t get the hype they deserve.  Easton is coming off an impressive performance in its EPC Championship victory and are led by standout stars like Gabby Bloshuk, Leanna Deegan, Olivia George and Shelby Stocker.

However, this might be one of the most competitive District XI girls playoff fields we’ve seen in some time.  Parkland features Emily Piston, Rachel Medlar, Nadine Ewald and Sarah Stagaard.  Among the other top EPC talents include Nazareth’s Tessa Brugler, Northampton’s Aja Blount and Victoria Keenan.  Colonial League players to watch include Southern Lehigh’s Amanda Mobley, Olivia Snyder and Ellie Cassel (all underclassmen, by the way), Palisades’ Karlee Krchnavi, Northwestern’s Erika Thomas and Bangor’s Marissa Fernandez-Tierney.  We talked about a number of these teams and players in last week’s “SportsTalk” podcast (listen here: rcn.com/atvn/sports-talk).

Don’t forget, we’ll be discussing many more teams, previewing match-ups and making District XI playoff predictions on Thursday’s “RCN SportsTalk” show, live from 7-8pm on RCN-TV with the show’s podcast available on Friday.  Guests include RCN Basketball Analyst Tom Stoudt along with Toomey Anderson and Andre Williams from LVBasketballRankings.com.  Email your high schools opinions and questions to rcnsportstalk@rcn.com and our panel will read and respond to your comments live on the air!

The Super Bowl was played this past Sunday.  Denver won.  Don’t stop reading yet – I know the WHOLE WORLD knows the Super Bowl was played this past Sunday and who won the game.  But it is a good starting point for this blog.

Amidst all the hoopla, commercials, the halftime show, the parties and the game itself, is the looming conversation about the danger of the sport and, in particular, concussions.  You cannot watch the NFL anymore without seeing a particular play or be reminded about a particular player in the past who now suffers from or died of “chronic traumatic encephalopathy”.  There is a film out now, Concussion, which features the attempt by the NFL to suppress the research of Dr. Bennet Omalu.  That attempt by the NFL was shameful and they deserved to be exposed for turning their attention away from the controversy.  But what we did learn and continue to learn is that the dangers of playing the game are now self-evident.  Every parent, every participant, every team from midgets to professionals now know that football can be a very dangerous game.

So where does that leave us?  Absolutely nowhere.  The choice still lies with the individual who decides to put on the helmet and the shoulder pads to play.  People decide to do things every day that endanger their health.  Choices are made to smoke cigarettes, to drink too much alcohol, to smoke marijuana, to live a sedentary life, to eat too much, to sky dive, to take on a giant wave, ski down the steepest of mountains, drive a race car at ridiculous speeds, etc.  But the participants make that choice and, I’m certain they do not make the choice blindly.  The risks are self-evident for some activities and well-documented for others.

It’s been a long time since I played organized sports.  I played football, basketball, and baseball in high school, received 11 varsity letters for my efforts.  I continued to play basketball and baseball in college.  Back then, there was not much concern for the dangers of any of those sports.  And besides, I truly loved playing them all.  I still reflect back on what being part of a team, disciplining myself to practice and work out, feeling the “thrill of victory and the agony of defeat”, accomplishing individual success and learning to meet difficult challenges meant to my growth and fortitude as an adult.  Risks be damned (even though I gave them very little thought).

I can say I was fortunate because I was only injured twice during my athletic career – a broken collarbone and a severe case of dehydration that put me in the hospital.  These maladies occurred, not playing the three – football, basketball, and baseball.  Both of the injuries occurred playing – wait for it – SLOW-PITCH SOFTBALL!!  That’s right and nobody ever told me how dangerous that sport could be.  It wouldn’t have mattered anyway.  I loved playing softball and continued to play even after both my body and my wife started to discourage my participation.

The point I am trying to make here is that, in this day and age, we all know the risks involved in the decisions we make every day.  But they are OUR decisions and we must weigh the choices and then take responsibility for those decisions.  I am not implying we shouldn’t continue to warn people of the health hazards, the dangers, and the consequences of those choices, nor should we discontinue all the research that makes us safer and more knowledgeable about those choices or make rules that help protect the participants.  I am a fan of “concussion protocol”.  What I am saying is that if individuals decide to participate in dangerous activities, SO BE IT!

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME SUPER BOWL  MUSINGS)

 Here are my favorite commercials from the Super Bowl:

1. Seth Rogan and Amy Schumer for Bud Light. It was funny from the beginning to the end and, unlike many other commercials, I got it.
2. The Apartments.com ad was good with Jeff Goldblum playing the piano, but what was it about? Landing a better apartment?  I guess it worked because I now know about the site.
3. The sheep singing a rock song in the Honda truck ad, but was the selling point – that you can listen to rock from the bed of the truck? What?
4. Hot dogs, literally, running to human catsup and mustard bottles, literally, made by Heinz. It was cute and made some sense.
5. Oh, wait there weren’t five I liked. What’s a Marmot or a “puppymonkeybaby”? The ads were pretty lame this year and the game was somewhat boring. I liked the halftime show.

NFL PICKS LAST WEEK – 10-6; OVERALL 160-96 (63%)
NFL PICKS (WILD CARD) – 3-1
NFL DIVISIONAL PLAYOFFS – 3-1; PLAYOFFS (6-2)
NFL CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS – 1-1; PLAYOFFS (7-3)
SUPER BOWL – 0-1

The high school basketball playoffs have arrived in the Lehigh Valley region.  Thanks to the expanded playoff format (of which there’s been much debate amongst local sports fans–discussed at length on ‘RCN SportsTalk’), the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference and the Colonial League post-season actually got underway last weekend, with the league semifinals to be played on Tuesday and Wednesday (check the RCN broadcast schedule for our coverage).

On this Thursday’s live “SportsTalk” program (7-8pm), we’ll have local coaches and experts Megan Dellegrotti (former Southern Lehigh Head Coach/fmr. DeSales Assistant Head Coach), Joe Jarjous (current Dieruff boys head basketball coach), Kyle Hutnik (Pen Argyl Boys Basketball Head Coach) and Ed Seidick (Catasaqua Girls Head Basketball Coach) on the show to give their insights on the teams involved, along with opinions, predictions and key match-ups to watch for on both leagues’ championship nights for both the boys and girls title games (also to be broadcast on RCN-TV on Friday).

To get you set for the semifinals, here are thoughts on the teams that I’ve seen so far this winter, along with the video highlights from RCN’s regular season coverage of high school basketball in the Lehigh Valley.

EPC:  PARKLAND
Despite just a five-point lead over Bethlehem Catholic at halftime, Parkland looked just as strong in the second half of its opening round playoff game as they have at any point during their season since the football players returned.  I’m sticking with my prediction from early December that the Trojans win the EPC and continue to advance all the way to the PIAA state championship.  A big key for this to happen will be for Parkland to avoid one of the top Philadelphia schools (aka., Roman Catholic) in the first few rounds of the  tourney.  However, this team is so well-balanced and has all the advantages (size, speed, shooting ability et al) over nearly every team they’ll face over the next few weeks.

ALLEN

Another prediction I made back on this blog before the season started (and I’m sticking with now) is that Talek Williams is one of the most dynamic players in the Lehigh Valley.  From what I’ve seen of his Canaries teammates this year, I don’t believe Allen is a one-star team.  At any given time, Williams and Co. could be the Lehigh Valley team to give Parkland its biggest challenge.  The key for the Canaries is their consistency—they’ve looked great at times, and have also struggled: sometimes game-to-game, other times quarter-to-quarter.  If Allen can put together a string of solid efforts, they could give the Trojans a battle for the EPC Championship Friday (RCN-TV, live, Friday at 7:30pm), provided they don’t look past Pocono Mountain West in the semis.

Emmaus
The Hornets also have the size, guard-play and speed to hang with Parkland, but have not been able to come close to a win in the two meetings between these two juggernauts.  I believe they have the biggest collection of underrated players in the area (Cam Widdoss, Brandon Rapose, Jake Freirtag, Joey Polczynski, Eric Cichocki, Jake Scarnulis).  Because of their regular-season finale loss to Whitehall, they drew Parkland in the semifinal round (RCN-TV, live Tuesday at 7:30pm).  This might be the wrong way to look at things, but if Emmaus loses to Parkland in the league playoff, the old adage of “it’s hard to beat a good team four times” might apply if these area rivals would face each other again in the District XI playoffs—or even a fifth time if they would both clinch and meet in the state playoffs.

Colonial League:  Bangor vs. Saucon Valley
While Bangor’s Michael Martino has been the headline name in the league this past year, I think both the Slaters and the Panthers have a lot of high-talent players, and their semifinal matchup (RCN4, live Wednesday at 7:30pm) should be just as competitive as their regular season meetings.  While Bangor won each contest, Mike Kane was not available for the first meeting between these two teams, and he has shown he can be a difference maker.

Another player to watch?  While he’s certainly gone under the radar, I believe Saucon Valley guard Josh Snead might just be the best point guard in the Colonial League this year.  Equally underrated are Bangor’s guard Reece Jones along with the Slaters’ frontcourt—with some up-and-coming talent also on the way.

Southern Lehigh vs. Salisbury
I haven’t gotten a chance to see in person either of these teams this year, but will this Wednesday in the first Colonial League semifinal contest (RCN4, live at 6pm).  For some great insights on the Falcons from Head Coach Jason Weaver and his players, check out their “SportsTalk” appearance on our podcast here.  In addition to talking about their successes this year and thoughts on the post-season, top scorer Tevon Weber told some great stories about his shot selection, and what he does every time he hits a three-pointer.

If you have a comment or question about the local high school basketball playoffs, email them to rcnsportstalk@rcn.com and tune in Thursday at 7pm for our “League Championship Preview Show” as we read and respond to your thoughts on the local league playoff season in the Lehigh Valley.

One of the biggest Lehigh Valley local sports winter events is happening this Saturday—the District XI AAA Team Wrestling Final & Ultimate Qualifier (live, 4:30pm on RCN-TV).  Local wrestling gurus Gene Waas and Jack Logic were on our “SportsTalk” show to discuss that event, as well as give their opinions on many local wrestling issues.  Among the topics discussed–they gave their takes on the “EPC Challenge” and on the first year of the “revamped” alignments for the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference.  Here’s a brief sample of our discussion of the “new look EPC” for wrestling–the entire program along with thoughts on the District XI tournament structure is available here on our podcast.

We’ve also had some great wrestling action on RCN-TV this past winter.  We covered a number of Colonial League teams on our “RCN SportsTalk” show—the interviews and videos are available on-demand for RCN customers.

To get you set for this weekend’s tournament action, here’s a look back at the highlights of the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference wrestling matches featured on RCN-TV this season.

In addition to this Saturday’s team district wrestling coverage, we have more wrestling coverage coming up in the next few weeks.  On the Thursday, February 25^th edition of “SportsTalk” from 7-8 pm, we’ll have preview of that weekend’s District XI AA and AAA individual wrestling tournament.  On Saturday, February 27^th at 9:30 RCN-TV will have the AAA Wrestling Final and the following week RCN will be broadcasting the PIAA Northeast Wrestling Final at 9pm.

Keep checking the RCN-TV schedule page here on the website for the latest news and/or changes for our local sports coverage.  Also, don’t forget to email you opinions and feelings the local sports action to rcnsportstalk@rcn.com .

So the two #1 seeds in their respective conferences will ACTUALLY meet in the 50^th Super Bowl championship.  One team (Carolina) scored more points than any other this year and the other (Denver) got up the least amount of yardage.  As I write this, Carolina is favored by 4.5 points.  I will attempt to analyze the two teams and pick a winner.

DEFENSE
“You win championships with defense.”  How many times have we heard analysts tell us that?  If, indeed, that is the case, it would still be very hard to choose a winner based on that adage.  Both teams have outstanding defenses (maybe that’s why they are in the Super Bowl).  Carolina’s defense has been particularly tough on quarterbacks.  They are the best team in the NFL for creating the lowest opponent passer rating.  They certainly made life miserable for Cardinals’ quarterback, Carson Palmer.  And linebacker David Newton, who broke his arm in the Cardinals’ game, is expected to play after having surgery this past Monday.

The Denver defense, however, has stopped almost every team and had little trouble stopping Tom Brady and the Patriots.  Von Miller is an awesome player.  The Broncos were first in the league in total yards allowed and had 20 quarterback hits last week.  I would think that the diversity of the Carolina offensive attack would be a bigger challenge than Denver faced against the Patriots.

ADVANTAGE:  CAROLINA

OFFENSE
QB’s – Cam Newton (Carolina) vs. Peyton Manning (Denver) – wow!  Talk about contrasting styles.  Newton never seems to feel the pressure of the moment and always looks like he is just having fun.  Manning, on the other hand, is like a scientist in his lab studying and dissecting.  Newton has the stronger arm; Manning has won this game, has the experience and the knowledge of many years in the league.

Receivers – Greg Olsen and Ted Ginn, Jr. (Carolina) vs. Damaryius Thomas and Emanuel Sanders (Denver).  I like Carolina here because of their defensive secondary and Greg Olsen is not unlike the Patriot’s Rob Gonkowski.

Running Backs – Jonathan Stewart and Mike Tolbert (Carolina) vs. C J Anderson and Ronnie Hillman.  Both teams give up very little rushing yardage, but with Cam Newton as a running weapon, Carolina should be a bit harder to defend.  Both teams, however, give up @ 80 yards per game on the ground.  Running the ball (except by Newton) might be a non-factor.

ADVANTAGE:  CAROLINA

INTANGIBLES

• Peyton’s last game?  This would certainly give the emotional edge to Denver.
• Turnovers?  Carolina has a +20 turnover differential compared to Denver’s -4.
• Carolina’s cockiness? This could serve them well on such a big stage or derail them if things do not go well early in the game.
• Extra points ARE important – Just ask the Patriots; they chased that one point the whole game.

ADVANTAGE – DENVER

THE PICK
This is a really tough choice (as it should be).  On paper I like the Carolina Panthers; but I do think the emotional edge goes to Denver.

THE WINNER OF SUPER BOWL 50:
CAROLINA PANTHERS  24 – 17

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME SUPER BOWL  MUSINGS)

1. If Carolina wins, Cam Newton would become the only player to win the Heisman, a national NCAA championship, NFL MVP and a Super Bowl.
2. If Denver wins, Peyton Manning would be the first quarterback to win a Super Bowl with two teams. He won at Indianapolis.
3. The Browns, Lions, Jaguars and Texans are the only teams that have not played in a Super Bowl.
4. A 30-second ad this year will cost $5 million, 11% higher than last year. 4 million people tuned in last year.
5. If you like to gamble, the odds before the season started that the Broncos would face the Panthers in the Super Bowl were 184-1!

NFL PICKS LAST WEEK – 10-6; OVERALL 160-96 (63%)
NFL PICKS (WILD CARD) – 3-1
NFL DIVISIONAL PLAYOFFS – 3-1; PLAYOFFS (6-2)
NFL CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS – 1-1; PLAYOFFS (7-3)

I have never been one to think about a “bucket list” – you know, things you would like to do before you actually “kick the bucket”.  I’m more into letting things come to me or making things happen when I truly want to do something.  And I really have not been disappointed – I have been to an NCAA college national football championship, a PGA major golf tournament, a World Series game, a Stanley Cup hockey game.  I have played some of the best golf courses – Oakmont, two TPC courses, the three Saucon Valley courses and courses in Bermuda and the Bahamas.  I have interviewed well-known personalities, – Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Lee Trevino, Woody Hayes, John Legend, Tony Orlando, Liza Minelli, and others not so well-known – the world’s ugliest man, the world’s fattest woman, the youngest snake charmer, etc.  Reflecting back on these moments, I remember that there was an interesting story concerning them all.  But I would not say these things were then crossed off my bucket list because I never really had a list.

I have often thought that one thing I would like to do, however, would be to go to the Super Bowl.  After watching the NFC and AFC championship games this past weekend, I was curious what it would cost to go see Denver vs. Carolina on February 7, at Levi Stadium in Santa Clara, California.  I decided to investigate the cost.

I went to the NFL Ticket Exchange and found that there were tickets available in the very upper deck of the stadium at costs ranging from $4095-$4594.  I could sit in the upper deck on the 50-yard line for $4952.  I was a bit discouraged knowing I would still have to fly to California.

But then I got an e-mail from the Damien Scribner Hospitality Group.  It read:

Gary,

14 days to Super Bowl 50!  Make sure you are there to watch Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos and Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers battle for the Lombardi Trophy at Levi Stadium!

Super Bowl 50 Game Day Program
February 7th, 2016
Levis Stadium, Santa Clara, CA
*6 Upper Level End-Corner Tickets
*6 VIP NFL Players Pregame Party Tickets which include Hand Passed Appetizers, Multiple Gourmet Food Stations prepared by Legendary Chef Guy Fieri, Multiple Top Shelf Open Bars staged throughout the event, over 20 current NFL Players in attendance and introduced by our event MC, Erin Andrews- Sports Reporter for Fox for Sunday Chalk Talk with our guests as well as a special appearance by Frank Caliendo!
*All Inclusive Price:  $27,950

Super Bowl 50 Game Premier Program
February 7th, 2016

Levis Stadium, Santa Clara, CA
*3 Deluxe Double Occupancy Accommodations at the Luxurious Palace Hotel 

*6 Upper Level End-Corner Tickets
*6 VIP NFL Players Pregame Party Tickets which include Hand Passed Appetizers, Multiple Gourmet Food Stations prepared by Legendary Chef Guy Fieri, Multiple Top Shelf Open Bars staged throughout the event, over 20 current NFL Players in attendance and introduced by our event MC, Erin Andrews- Sports Reporter for Fox for Sunday Chalk Talk with our guests as well as a special appearance by Frank Caliendo!

*All Inclusive Price:  $39,500

We only have a limited amount of rooms at the Palace Hotel so please contact us right away to secure your spots to Super Bowl 50.

Thanks and I look forward to working with you on this exciting event!
Damian

That’s $4,658.33 or $6,583.33 apiece. But considering that it includes Guy Fieri, upper level, Frank Caliendo, and Erin Andrews – What more could I ask for?  I should go.

Well, to tell you the truth, the only way I could go and seize the opportunity to cross this one off my “bucket list” would be to literally pass the bucket, pass a hat, use GoFundMe or stand at the door of my favorite supermarket and plead.

Instead, once again, I will sit in my most comfortable chair, eat some snacks, and have a beverage.  You’re welcome to join me for, oh, I don’t know – $1,000?

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS)

1. Last Wednesday night, January 20, the Penn Palestra and Big Five basketball celebrated their 60^th Temple played LaSalle in game one and Penn took on Saint Joseph’s in game two.  I grew up watching Big Five basketball on TV, listening to Les Keiter (“Tickle the twine”, “In again, out again, Finnegan”) call the games.  I also went to about a half dozen games over the years.  There was nothing like it and they had a great night of basketball this past Wednesday.  Happy Anniversary!
2. Speaking of exciting games, they don’t get much better than this past Friday night when Liberty played Allen. The game featured nine ties and 11 lead changes and ended tied in regulation at 59.  With Allen leading 65-63 and seconds left in overtime, Cameron Hoffman raced down the floor and hit a three-point shot for the Liberty win!  It was appropriate that Hoffman would be the hero, having scored a career high 29 points in the game.
3. As you know by now, Chip Kelly is the new 49ers coach picking up $24 million dollars for four years. (I assume he was able to get by the two weeks he was unemployed).  And the Eagles must pay $6.5 million on the final two years of his contract.
4. I was a bit surprised that New England could not handle the Broncos defense on Sunday. The defense won the game for Denver, but all TV did was focus on Peyton Manning.  Carolina looks like a team of destiny this season.
5. The Lafayette-Lehigh men’s basketball game scheduled for this past Saturday will now be played on February 8, at 7:00pm. It will be LIVE on RCN-TV.

NFL PICKS LAST WEEK – 10-6; OVERALL 160-96 (63%)
NFL PICKS (WILD CARD) – 3-1
NFL DIVISIONAL PLAYOFFS – 3-1; PLAYOFFS (6-2)
NFL CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS – 1-1; PLAYOFFS (7-3)
 
SUPER BOWL PICK NEXT WEEK

In the fallout of record amounts of snowfall, coinciding with the cold and blustery conditions we suffered through this past weekend, I’d like to pass along the following public service announcement…

“We’re under a month away from the start of Major League Baseball’s opening of spring training!”

I said in an earlier post that I’m more confident in the Nationals’ chances of making the playoffs this year and it should be a great summer/fall for fans in the Washington, DC region.

While many baseball fans will write off 2016 year as a lost year for the Phillies—with most of the organization’s top prospects at least a few months away from being on the major league roster—I think there are many intriguing storylines for the upcoming season.

The “SportsTalk” cameras recently had a chance recently to speak with some of the key members of the organization going forward, new General Manager Matt Klentak, Manager Pete Mackanin, who’ll begin his first full year as the team’s skipper, and young right-handed pitcher Aaron Nola.  Despite the fact that Nola enters the season with just a few months of Major League experience under his belt, he holds the distinction of being one of the “oldest” members of the pitching staff, and could very well be the “eldest” pitcher on the team’s Opening Day starting rotation.

Here is Mackanin’s thoughts on a number of issues, including:

• his approach of how Ryan Howard will be used this season
• a critical season for third baseman/outfielder Cody Asche
• a peek at what his Opening Day outfield alignment could look like
• who has the edge to round out the starting rotation
• the competition for the team’s closer position
• why fans should be enthusiastic about the 2016 Phillies ball club

New GM Matt Klentak answered questions on:

• what are this year’s team goals
• why the team is headed in the right directin
• young, highly touted prospect Vincent Velasquez, who was acquired in the Ken Giles’ trade
• an off-season conversation he had with Ryan Howard, regarding his future with the Phillies

Nola also talked about his expectations for the new season, how he and his teammates will approach a “rebuilding season,” and his insights on how he’s learned to have success, even on days in which he doesn’t have command of all his pitches.

There could very well be a number of additional storylines that develop and players to watch over the next several months for the “Phightins,” as they continue to turn over the roster and look to rebuild after a period that will go down as the greatest era in team history.  With young prospects like Nick Williams, Jorge Alfaro, J.P. Crawford, Roman Quinn, Andrew Knapp and a host of good, young pitching prospects, it may not be too long before the Phillies return to the upper half of the division and resume stringing together playoff appearances.

Check back to the “SportsTalk Shop” as we get closer to Opening Day for more insights on the Phillies, the Nationals and topics of interested for baseball fans in the RCN viewing area.  Also, email us your baseball comments and opinions to RCNSportsTalk@rcn.com and we’ll read and respond on an upcoming edition of “RCN SportsTalk.”

As I write this on January 18, 2016, I am reminded that exactly one year ago today the New England Patriots defeated the Indianapolis Colts by a 45-7 score in the AFC Championship.  Prior to the start of the game and during the game, the Colts accused the Patriots of underinflating the footballs.  Tom Brady was at one point suspended for four games to start this season, only to have the punishment upheld twice on appeal and then have it eventually rescinded because a judge found that there was an absence of “fairness and due process”.

“Deflategate” became the center of fans’ attention and media controversy for months on end.  Nothing similar has caused a stir this year, but that doesn’t mean the NFL has been without its share of on and off-field problems.  It’s just that the microscope has not been as focused on team and player conduct.  The Cincinnati-Pittsburgh debacle during the Wild Card weekend may have changed that as rule violation after rule violation occurred.  Lest you think this has been a very quiet year for the NFL as far as conduct is concerned, let me give you some interesting facts:

There have been 16 players suspended this year for a total of 49 games.  The common infractions were labeled as “violation of league’s personal conduct policy”, but they also included punching and breaking the jaw of a teammate, domestic violence, vehicular assault, poking an eye, helmet-to-helmet contact, and repeated violations of safety-related playing rules.  Vontaze Burfict of the Cincinnati Bengals was recently accused of the latter and was suspended for three games next season.  He was certainly no angel in the Pittsburgh game.

Violations of the NFL drug policy are considered separate from the previous infractions.  That is a separate category.  Substance infractions fall under two headings – 1) those that improve performance; 2) those that are for recreational use.

Fifty-three players were suspended for these infractions this year accounting for 189 games. Not included in that number are the four players who were suspended for the entire season and two who are listed as “indefinite suspensions”.

And, by the way, two coaches were suspended for 1) punching a teenager and 2) an undisclosed violation.  In addition, the league suspended a general manager for texting his personnel during a game, two equipment handlers, and an official for his failure to catch an 18-second mistake on the clock.

That is a total of 108 individuals associated with the NFL who required severe discipline by the league.  It is a shame we do not hear more about the exemplary players who do a great deal for their community and various charities.  Those players do not seek out the headlines, nor do their stories garner much attention.  But then there are those who proclaim that they “are not role models”. I hope young people take those athletes at their word.  Because, obviously, too many of them are not.

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS)

1. I’m sure that Eagles fans saw “déjà vu all over again” as Yogi used to say, when they watched the horrible clock management by Andy Reid on Saturday night when the Chiefs lost to the Patriots. If you watched the end of each half, I’m sure you were appalled at the total ineptness to control the clock in obvious scoring situations.  That is, unless you remember how the Eagles used to do it.
2. I invite you to read Greg Joyce’s highly entertaining piece in the Express-Times on former Liberty player Greg Noack, whose basketball season at Monmouth was curtailed due to concussions. He and some teammates, known as the Monmouth Bench Mob, have become nationally known for their sideline antics.  It’s a great story.  Click here to read it.

3. The Eagles hired Doug Pederson on Monday to be their new head coach. He was a career backup quarterback (3-14 in 17 games).  As the offensive coordinator in Kansas City, he did not call the plays.  His head coaching experience was in high school with the Calvary Baptist Academy.  Keep your fingers crossed!
4. All the home teams won in the NFL this past weekend. I hope you got to see the end of the Packers and Cardinals overtime game.  Just amazing!!
5. It’s the first match-up of the season Saturday when the Lafayette men play Lehigh in Patriot League basketball. If you are snowed in (which might be the case), give the game a look.  It’s LIVE on RCN at 2:00pm.

NFL PICKS LAST WEEK – 10-6; OVERALL 160-96 (63%)
NFL PICKS (WILD CARD) – 3-1
NFL DIVISIONAL PLAYOFFS – 3-1; PLAYOFFS (6-2)
 

CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP PICKS
NEW ENGLAND
CAROLINA

Maybe it was the lack of snow or the warmer-than-normal temperatures over the last month, but it is really hard to believe we are at the halfway point of the scholastic basketball season.  Here’s three Eastern Pennsylvania Conference-related observations from the first half of the winter sports campaign.

Parkland looks even better than last year

They not only have practically the same team back from a year ago, but they have more depth and can beat you in more ways than they did during last season’s run to the state playoffs.  They barely missed a beat without some of their football players on board to start the season—giving the “reserves” an extended varsity experience.  However, the returning players seem even more determined than a year ago, and I don’t think anything less than a state title game is what they are setting their sights on.

The only question might be what teams they’ll face—and when—in the PIAA tournament.  There’ll be several of the high-octane offenses from Philadelphia that love to push the tempo and Parkland doesn’t get a whole lot of chances to see that from teams in the Lehigh Valley—not to the extent of the Philly teams.  However, the team has gotten some significant tests early (and a couple more still to come before states).   I would be surprised if the seniors refuse to take every opportunity to match the football team’s success, and it certainly looks like they have the weapons to go much deeper into the state playoffs.

Central’s coming on strong
I saw Central Catholic a few times in December, and, they looked like a young team that had a ton of potential, and, after going through some growing pains, they would eventually have great success.

I’m not sure if Santa granted the Vikings a flash forward to their learning curve, but in the times I’ve seen them since Christmas, it seems like the younger players are not only buying into the team-defense approach, but they are becoming much more comfortable playing—and scoring—together on the court.  I think some of the Class 3A teams were hoping Central Catholic might have to wait until next year to once again be considered the favorite in the District XI playoffs, but the way the Vikings have been playing the last few weeks, I think they have a great chance at being in the EPC playoffs as well as being the ‘team-to-beat’ in their district classification.

Freedom as a dark horse?
There are some interesting teams in the “Steel” division of the EPC—and probably several of those teams could make the playoffs with a quality run over the next few weeks.  If I had to pick one of them to surprise area basketball fans over the next month, I’m leaning toward Freedom.

They have one of the area’s best head coaches (Joe Stellato), a great coaching staff, and some really good athletes.  On paper, they may not be the best team, but they’ve had some nice wins and have been “in” most of their losses.  Not many people are picking the Patriots to do much in the post-season, but of all the teams not directly in the area’s media spotlight, I think Freedom might be one team to make some noise over the next month.

Allen and Whitehall were also featured on RCN-TV recently and are two more teams that have played well this season.  With a number of talented teams, the Canaries, Zephyrs and a few other teams all very well could contend in the playoffs this February.  Also, Bethlehem Catholic was a team to watch on our basketball preview show back in December, and they have done very little to disappoint so far.

We’ll have more opinions and video highlights of other high school sports teams, in addition to wrestling videos, coming up over the next several weeks here at the “SportsTalk Shop.”

Also, keep checking back to the RCN-TV website for our schedule the latest games to be broadcast on RCN-TV and feel free to send your sports comments and opinions to us at RCNSporsTalk@rcn.com

The NFL got real serious this past weekend with the start of the playoffs.  It’s called Wild Card Weekend.  I picked three of the four games correctly, but should have had three out of four wrong!  Two teams lost that should have never lost.  Here are my thoughts on the four games:

Kansas City at Houston
The Kansas City Chiefs had not won a playoff game in 22 years.  Their last win was against the Houston Oilers in 1994.  They were led by Joe Montana and Marcus Allen.  Even though they had to travel to Houston, since they were the Wild Card entry, they were favored to win this game and they did not disappoint.  It took 11 seconds for Knile Davis to go 106 yards with the opening kickoff and that turned out to be enough points to win the game.  The Chiefs won 30-0.  The hometown crowd was booing their own team by the second quarter and Houston’s ineptness never changed throughout the game.  Texan QB Brian Hoyer was just awful throwing four interceptions and losing a fumble.  The Chiefs have now won 11 games in a row and are the hottest team in the NFL.

Is there a bit more Philadelphia anguish attached to this win because the Chiefs are led by former Eagles’ coach Andy Reid?  And the Chiefs could beat the New England Patriots – they are on a roll (the Patriots lost their last two games); they are 7-3 on the road; and they, obviously, are strong on defense.

Pittsburgh at Cincinnati
I must admit I had trouble watching this game – there were so many cheap shots, so much trash talking, and so little control by the coaches and the officials of their players and staff that all of my enjoyment was lost.  And the final straw was the hit by the Bengals’ Vontaze Burfict on the Steelers’ Antonio Brown which, to me, was an obvious attempt to seriously maim the wide receiver.  It was an ugly moment.  And then the Bengals during the same sequence pick up another 15-yard penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct.  So with 0:18 seconds on the clock, the Steelers were awarded 30 yards in penalties after gaining 44 yards on their own and left with a “chip shot” field goal to win the game 18-16.  I picked Pittsburgh.  They should have lost.

This game was an embarrassment to the NFL and each play should be reviewed to fairly assess all of the warranted fines and suspensions.  And there must be a message sent here by the league.  In particular, Vontaze Burflict must be punished severely 

Seattle at Minnesota
It was -6 degrees when this game started and the weather kept both offenses in the deep freeze.  The Vikings led all the way until a Viking fumble led to a go-ahead field goal with 1:42 to go in the game.  Seattle was up 10-9.  The Vikings were aided by a pass interference call and drove deep into Seattle territory.  The game-winning field goal would be a 27-yarder, pretty much automatic by high school, college, and NFL standards.  The kick by Blair Walsh was wide left and the Seahawks won.  Someone noted Walsh’s new Vikings’ jersey:

Or do you agree more with this post about the Vikings:

I picked the Seahawks and should have, also, had this one wrong.

Green Bay at Washington
I should have known better.  For some reason, I really felt like the Redskins would be able to beat the Packers.  I could not believe I felt this way, but the Packers had been so inconsistent, particularly their running game and they had lost their last two games and looked bad doing it.  And the Redskins were playing their first playoff game under head coach Jay Gruden and with a revived Kirk Cousins.  When DeSean Jackson did not score when he should have and I was reminded of the problems he caused the Eagles, I should have been forewarned about the outcome.  11-0 should have been 15-0.  All of a sudden, Aaron Rodgers played like Aaron Rodgers and the rest of the game was dominated by the Pack.

I picked the Redskins.  I hope I learn from my mistakes.

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS)

1. After watching football all day on Sunday, I watched the golf tournament from Hawaii. That was almost as hard to watch as the Pittsburgh – Cincinnati game.  The setting was so beautiful, the golf course was magnificent, and Jordan Spieth ran away with the tournament.  I was jealous.  But it was nice to see athletes compete and be cordial to one another.  No trash talking.
2. I mentioned last week that the decision to play the NCAA national college football semifinals on New Year’s Eve was just awful. The ratings dropped around 38% for the two games.  Well, guess what?  The NCAA decided to do it again next year, January 1 the following year, and New Year’s Eve the following two years.  Who is running the asylum, I mean, the Association?
3. Just in case you are not keeping up with the other Philadelphia teams – the ‘76ers are now 4-36. They are four games ahead of the Lakers in the loss column.  The Lakers are 8-31.  Six teams have fewer wins than the Flyers; 24 have better records.  When is spring training?
4. So the Eagles are interviewing Tom Coughlin this week for the head coaching job. Rebuilding with a 70-year-old coach??  No way, but picking Coughlin’s brain in a subtle way about the Giants, the NFC East, and Coughlin’s assistants may be a good idea.  Dumb or smart like a fox?  Wait and see.
5. No high school basketball team in the area is better than Parkland, but it sure is hard to figure out the rest of the competition. Emmaus, Allen, Whitehall, Central, Freedom, Beca, Liberty, Northampton, Pocono Mountain West, and Nazareth would really battle for the Conference title if not for Parkland.

NFL PICKS LAST WEEK – 10-6; OVERALL 160-96 (63%)
NFL PICKS (WILD CARD) – 3-1

KANSAS CITY

DENVER

CAROLINA

ARIZONA