I have to admit, I continue to be amazed at all of the technological advances made by RCN.  I come from a long line of family members who are initially slow to appreciate change—ANY type of change.  This includes having reservations about new ways of doing things.  I still joke with my dad that he was the last one to give up his abacus in deference to a calculator.  I myself usually need new tech-related inventions explained to me a few times before I understand and can start to utilize and eventually appreciate them.

And yet, to look back at all the products that RCN has produced for us, its customers, from TiVO and RCN2GO to relationships with Netflix and YouTube, the advancements are really incredible.  Even the lightning fast internet speeds…there are so many avenues available to enhance one’s entertainment viewing lifestyle.  I continue to be impressed with more advances and innovations each and every month.

I had the pleasure recently to witness an almost instant benefit of one of the newest additions to the RCN-TV website, and that is the “SportsTalk” podcast.  Over the last few months, we have had several championship teams in our studio as guests for “RCN SportsTalk” to talk about their achievements in their respective sports.  These shows are always interesting for me – to speak with the young athletes in our area, after a long stretch of hard work is realized with the highest honor achieved at the scholastic level.  While some students are nervous about appearing on television, most everyone is usually smiling and having fun by the time the show wraps.

There was one studio guest, however, who seemed a little more distracted before going on the air and seconds before the red light flashed on, and I asked this athlete if anything was wrong.  The response was that he was excited to be on the show, but was disappointed that his grandmother, who lives outside the RCN coverage area, wouldn’t be able to watch his appearance on the program.

Enter “the podcast.”

Our marketing team has once again come up with a great, new addition to feature for our customers.  Our “RCN SportsTalk” show will be posted online as podcasts, so that if you, your family or friends are traveling outside the RCN coverage area (or even if you are in your car and can’t see the show live), you still have the opportunity to catch our sports conversations with all the wonderful people in our region.  While you can watch the show On-Demand when you get back home, the podcast gives you the ability to hear the show, anywhere and anytime.  It also allows you to hear current sports issues before they become dated (two excellent examples currently on our site was the MLB Draft Preview and also our thoughts and predictions on the start of NFL Training Camps and the Major League Baseball Trade Deadline—both recorded and posted right before those events took place!)

I recently took a step back and glanced at some of our guests since we began our podcasts this summer—a list that includes:

Major League Baseball Player Tony Gwynn Jr.
Associated Press MLB/NFL Writer Rob Maaddi
Eagles Longtime Broadcaster Merrill Reese
Redskins Radio Announcer Craig Hoffman
Georgetown Football Head Coach Rob Sgarlata
Lafayette Pre-Season All-League Corner Matt Smalley
ESPN’s Eric Longenhagen
Olympian Joetta Clark-Diggs
Philadelphia Daily News/PhillyBurb’s Sports Writer Jeff Moeller
Lehigh Valley’s 2015 All-Star Football Coaches & Players
All four Lehigh Valley Spring Sport PIAA/State Champions
District XI 4A & 3A Defending Football Champs
“Reunion Shows” featuring some of the top football players in Bethlehem & Whitehall history & more!

We really have been fortunate to have so many talented and well-respected guests give their opinions on our “SportsTalk” podcast since its inception just a few short weeks ago,  and we are looking to continue building on this list and speak with more special names as we transition into the autumn season.

In some ways I had considered myself an “old school” entertainment viewer…and, in a few ways, I still do.  However, I really am impressed by all the ways RCN is continuing to grow in terms of providing information, entertainment and access to more people than ever before.  I hope everyone enjoys checking out the new “SportsTalk” podcast over the coming weeks and months.  Be sure to be on the lookout for even more creative ways that RCN is making your life more “awesomazing” going forward.

I have now wasted approximately seven hours watching the Philadelphia Eagles.  Which is nothing compared to how much time the Eagles wasted so far preparing for this season.  Imagine all the hours Chip Kelly invested in putting this team together and all the hours this team has spent trying to learn to play together.  And for what?  To be embarrassed two weeks in a row; to be described as the “worst performance I have ever seen” by both Troy Aikman and Jimmy Johnson and, I am sure, scores of others.

Just consider these ten thoughts after Sunday’s game:

1. Against the Cowboys, the Eagles rushed for a total of seven yards. It was actually worse because they only got to positive yardage late in the game.
   1. S. – Cowboys backup QB Brandon Weeden rushed for 11 yards!
   2. P.S. – Brandon Weeden’s rushing total matches DeMarco Murray’s total for the year!!
2. DeMarco Murray is on pace to rush for 88 yards for the season. He has now carried the ball 21 times for 11 yards.  He carried 13 times for two yards on Sunday against his former team.  This is the worst rushing start to a season in the history of the NFL.  Last year, he ran for a league-leading 1,845 yards and had 285 yards rushing in his first two games last year with Dallas.
3. The Cowboys were on the field more than twice as much time as the Eagles – 40:30 vs. 19:30. The hurry-up offense is nice when it works, but it destroys the defense when it doesn’t.
4. The Eagles had one, that’s right – one, first down in the first half and that was via a penalty.
5. Sam Bradford looks so uncertain in the pocket, when there is one. There is no deep threat and he looks very unsure of himself as he goes through his progressions, often missing an open target.  Add to that the double negatives that there is no run game and no deep threat.  It is easy to understand his uncertainty.  I thought this was a great trade when it was made, but without some blocking up front, it does not matter who stands in the pocket.
6. The whole offense lacks any creativity. The first-round draft pick was supposed to be a deep-threat receiver, but there has not been a deep threat yet.
7. Jordan Matthews MUST catch the ball.
8. Eagles’ special teams allowed a punt block which resulted in a score.
9. The defense lost two starting inside linebackers in the game and yet, overall played pretty well considering…..
10. There are so many people to blame – the offensive line, the quarterback, the receivers, the defensive secondary, the special teams, the coaching staff, etc. The NFL season is a long one, but is it long enough for all of these problems to get solved?

The fans were booing by the second quarter this past Sunday.  After watching the Sixers, Flyers, and the Phillies, they could be a very angry mob by mid-season.

Perhaps the Pope could stop in the locker room and offer up a prayer.  Trust me – it cannot hurt.

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS)

1. I suffered through the Eagles loss on Sunday after suffering through Princeton’s domination of Lafayette on Saturday night. The Leopards have so many players injured it is unbelievable.  Their top running back was injured on Friday when the team was doing their walk-through.  Wagner is up next on Saturday at 6:00pm on RCNTV.
2. I am really anxious for the baseball post-season to begin. Joe Maddon, former Lafayette baseball player, is managing the Cubs and they should get in.  My announcing buddy, John Leone, is a life-long, die-hard Pirates fan and they should get in.  The Yankees and Mets will be there.  Toronto looks terrific.  There are so many storylines.
3. Is it any wonder that legal betting venues like Las Vegas love the NFL? Before Monday night’s game, seven underdogs won out of the 15 games played.  The biggest upset occurred in New Orleans where the 10-point favorite Saints lost by seven to Tampa Bay.  I bet (should I use that word?) that quite a few “survivor” pools were destroyed by that loss.
4. Having seen both Parkland and Easton play the past two weeks, I cannot wait for that matchup on October 16. It should be a great high school game. If you cannot make it to Cottingham Stadium, watch it LIVE on RCN4 or RCN 1004 in HD.
5. I have been doing NFL picks for many, many years and I cannot remember ever being under .500, but my early results (16-16) are much like the Eagles – embarrassing.

NFL PICKS LAST WEEK – 7-9; OVERALL  16-16 (50%)

GIANTS
CAROLINA
PITTSBURGH
MINNESOTA
HOUSTON
JETS
NEW ENGLAND
CINCINNATI
CLEVELAND
INDIANAPOLIS
ATLANTA
ARIZONA
SEATTLE
BUFFALO
DENVER
GREEN BAY

We’ve had a couple surprises through the first three weeks of the high school football season, yet many of our pre-season expectations remain firmly in place.

The biggest surprise of the District XI high school football season has to be the improved performances of the Nazareth Blue Eagles.  While the football pundits thought Nazareth’s up-and-coming players might be a year away from contending, the Eagles have clearly established themselves as a team to watch this fall.  Jahan Dotson, Travis Stefanik and company have played three outstanding games—all against strong opponents—and have won two of those contests.  Several of those same Eagle athletes who surprised everyone during the basketball season during their tremendous run last winter are stepping up and making noise, pushing Nazareth forward and in to our football poll for the first time this season.

Saucon Valley holds on to their first-place ranking after jumping out to a 49-24 cushion on previously unbeaten Southern Lehigh in posting a victory last Friday night.  Parkland also continued its winning ways by jumping out to a 28-0 lead on Central Catholic last weekend en route to a win and a 3-0 record.  Both Saucon Valley’s and Parkland’s games last weekend are available to watch on RCN On-Demand.

Before we look at the complete list, here’s a quick recap of our poll structure.  Our pollsters consist of many different people over the entire Lehigh Valley region.  Our voting panel consists of local media members from different outlets, along with local coaches and athletic directors from across the entire district.  The voters are not identified so they can give their honest impressions without any worry of outside pressures or “bulletin board” material, and we rotate different pollsters from different schools each year, including guests from our biggest to our smallest schools.

As in previous years, we take the 400-male enrollment number as the cutoff for schools within the District XI/RCN footprint.  All schools above that number qualify as “big schools” in our poll. These schools consist of Parkland, Liberty, Allen, Easton, Emmaus, Liberty, Dieruff, Freedom, Stroudsburg, Pleasant Valley, Northampton, Nazareth, E. Stroudsburg-South, Whitehall, Southern Lehigh and Bangor.  “Small schools” (below 400-male enrollment) consist of Saucon Valley, Central Catholic, Bethlehem Catholic, Northwestern, Wilson, Palisades, Palmerton, Salisbury, Notre Dame, Pen Argyl, Nolehi and Catasauqua.  Each pollster will identify their top five teams in each group—the top school gets five points, the second team gets four points and so on, with an average score determining the order of teams in the poll.

With the particulars out of the way, here’s the full look at how this week’s polls shake out…

BIG SCHOOL FB Poll (10 pollsters)
1)     Parkland – 50 total votes (10 -1st place votes)
2)     Easton — 37
3)     Freedom — 33
4)     Nazareth — 17
5)     Liberty — 9
Other schools receiving more than one vote:  Whitehall

SMALL SCHOOLS FB Poll (10 pollsters)
1)      Saucon Valley – 46 total votes (6 – 1st place votes)
2)      Bethlehem Catholic – 43 (4 – 1st place vote)
3-tie)      Central Catholic– 24
3-tie)      Notre Dame — 24
5)      Northern Lehigh — 9
Other schools receiving more than one vote: Northwestern, Palmerton

Here are clips of the highlights from all of our high school games broadcast on RCN-TV so far this season.

Feel free to email your opinions on our poll to RCNSportsTalk@rcn.com and join us this Thursday, live at 7pm, on RCN-TV.  We might read your emails live on the air during this program.   This week’s guests list includes Head Coach Matt Evancho and members of the Saucon Valley football team to talk about their success this fall and the Panther’s upcoming schedule.

Don’t forget to check back to the “SportsTalk Shop” throughout the fall for the latest results of our bi-weekly high school football poll.

It was a tough week for many of us on the RCN sports staff, and for the many people whose lives were touched by our former colleague, and legendary head basketball coach, Francis Richard Tracy.

For me personally, I had the good fortune of knowing Coach Tracy in many roles throughout my life…

• As a youngster, playing tag under the bleachers at Whitehall’s Gym during basketball games (which, for some five-year olds, is more fun than watching a basketball game—and a low scoring one at that).  I later wondered if my hearing issues are a direct result of Coach’s trademark kicking of the bleachers during games (see video below for a reminder).
• As a pre-teen, seeing this larger-than-life man, who curiously had the same name as one of my favorite comic strip characters, leading a parade of fire trucks through town following his team’s state championship win in 1982.
• As a high school student…he was an English teach and my journalism/yearbook advisor.  His first instructions upon hearing my name was that I could rob a bank using my real name, then legally switch my first and last name to avoid persecution (the way he delivered the line, I actually believed him for a few seconds).   As he noticed my intense passion for sports as a writer on his staff, he—gradually—warmed up to me, and provided invaluable instructions on my first ventures into the sports writing arena.  He was a tough critic…and an incredibly accurate
• As a senior, and after his departure from Whitehall … a man whose eyes widened while smiling exuberantly as he approached me at the Whitehall Library (where his beloved wife, Mary, worked), genuinely seeming interested in my progress and my college planning, followed by him giving me a laundry list of things to work on if I wanted to make a living working in sports.
• As a high school football radio announcer … Dick was the first one to greet me if we were doing the same game, and quickly went over all of his numerous notes with me, and made sure I knew all the latest news, rumors and a full rundown of items that I should be aware of for that game and for my broadcast.
• As a colleague at Twin County/RCN … Coach always commanded an amazing, and unique, presence, with everyone he came in contact with.  Among our staff, current and former coaches, athletic directors, players, fans…everyone.   And heaven help the game manager if the game was running long and an important Yankees or Notre Dame football game was scheduled for that evening.
• As Dick’s driver, set-up man and his foil.  There’s no two ways about it.  When I had the opportunity to work with Coach on-air, he was the broadcast.  I made sure to announce the particulars of the game, confirm we hit all the sponsors, liners and commercial breaks and every once in a while I’d bring up a storyline that I thought Dick might not know about.  He always responded to, and then augmented, whatever facts I mentioned.  Some of the happiest moments of my life were preparing for the broadcasts with Coach, driving to the site (including an unbelievable story regarding a flat tire suffered en route), having a pre-game meal (no one got more free food than Coach) and all the discussions that went on before, in-between (oh, the facial expressions I would get for an athlete’s mental error and during blow-out games!), and after, the broadcasts.  The rides home were filled with reflections … on the game, the broadcast (“NEVER take the game home with you!”), and…strangely enough, about nearly everything else you could possibly imagine.
• As a fly on the wall for his tribute show, featuring many of his former players and closest friends.  During one of our many long conversations, I once asked him, if he could have one afternoon to relive ANYTHING he experienced during his life…anything at all, what would you do?  My mind raced through games during his championship basketball seasons, running the Wing-T during his football playing days, the various sports he announced, his trips to Yankee Stadium and South Bend…what would he say?  I still remember his response.

He paused for a quick moment, then a smile flashed across his face…

“You know, Chris, that’s an easy question.  If, for one afternoon, I could sit down with some of my former players … and just talk.  Doesn’t have to be about basketball…it doesn’t have to be about anything, really.  Just to sit down, and talk with some of those guys…I don’t think I’d want anything more than that.”

*********
Following Dick’s passing last Friday, we had an opportunity to memorialize him, and to reflect on the many aspects of this colorful man’s life.  Here’s a clip of our discussion of “Coach” on last week’s “SportsTalk” show and a sample from our Liberty/Becahi football broadcast last Saturday.

RIP…Coach Tracy

I spent 35+ years working alongside Dick Tracy announcing football, basketball, and baseball.  I knew Dick as a coach, a teacher, a professional colleague, and, most importantly, as a friend ever since I began my broadcasting career.  He passed away on Friday, September 4.

Six years ago, while I was on vacation and out of the country, the news broke about Dick Tracy’s retirement after 40 years of announcing basketball, football, and baseball here at RCN.  Dick and I chatted about his decision right before I left and he specifically asked that there be no publicity.  And, at the very end of his life, he still did not want any publicity.  His instructions to the funeral director included this line:

“Others will write and talk about all of the accomplishments, so why should I pay to talk about myself.”

He was right.  I will happily write about him for free!

His coaching career speaks for itself with his phenomenal record (205-51) and a state basketball title in 1982.  I can still vividly recall following the ’82 team to their state semifinal win only to be told that we could not broadcast the state championship game from Hershey.  Bob Gehris and I could not have been more disappointed.  We had followed this wonderful team made up of wonderful young men, coached by a defensive basketball genius. We wanted to call their last game.  I watched Dick’s team put the defensive clamps on that night to win the state title.  The telecast was on Channel 6 out of Philadelphia and all night long they showed the school librarian who was on the Whitehall bench and referred to him as Coach Tracy.  I think that is where the cliché “I could have thrown my shoe at the set” came from.  The announcers and the production team did not even know the state championship coach.  They did not talk to Dick or, and this is probably closer to the truth, Dick would not talk to them.  “Pleasant”, “congenial”, “sympathetic”, “sociable”, “complaisant” are all words I would NOT use to describe Dick Tracy.  “Cranky”, “obstinate”, “hard-nosed”, “stubborn” and “ornery” seem to come to mind much more easily.  But, with that said, the game announcers did not do their homework.

They did not do their homework.  It seemed so ironic because these are words that could never be uttered ABOUT Dick Tracy.  He ALWAYS did his homework.  Nobody was more prepared for an opponent; nobody was more prepared for class; nobody was more prepared for a broadcast.  Nobody was more prepared!

Dick’s preparation, however, never got easier because he was a technological misfit.  All his notes were done by hand.  He had to write out lineups, background information, records, stats, etc. each and every time we did a game.  There was no computer file- there was no computer.  Why would there be?  Dick could never use one – a TV remote pretty much stretched his technological wherewithal.  But for Dick it all worked.  He was passionate about everything he did and everything he enjoyed.  He didn’t just root for the Yankees – he lived and died after every game.  He didn’t just love Notre Dame – he worshiped the Fighting Irish.  He didn’t just go to a game – he tirelessly understood the game before we got there.

What I most remember, however, about the man I spent so much time with the past 35 plus years is the iconic persona thrust upon him by so many people.  Dick was a former Marine and certainly knew the meaning of “semper fi”- “always faithful.”  His former students, his former players, his former assistant coaches absolutely adored the man and I always had the sense they would do anything for him and that they knew him so well he did not have to solicit their help.  They anticipated what he needed and they were “always faithful” as he was to them.

If respect and friendship are the true measure of a man, Dick Tracy was immeasurable.  Today they refer to these people as “peeps” or the “posse”.  Dick only heard the words “Coach” or “Mr. Tracy”.  These three words represented who this man was to so many people and represented the love and respect they thrust upon him.

Dick gave his time, his effort, his insights, and his friendship to his students, to his players, and to all of us at RCN for so many years.  He was a pioneer behind the microphone and he did the job with grace and humility.  His spirit, for me and my colleagues, continues to be a part of every broadcast.

Finally, on a personal note, I will miss my color analyst and my friend.  We had a great run together!  I have no greater wish than for him to meet up with his beloved Mary.  Much like the nights when I returned Dick home only to see her waiting at the door, I am quite certain she waited for him at the Gates!  They will be together again and, despite my sadness, that puts a smile on my face.

Frances Richard “Dick” “Coach” Tracy – May you rest in peace!

However, with both Dick and Mary in heaven together again, I am a bit concerned about God’s peace!

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS)

Not in “Musing” mood this week.

NFL PICKS LAST WEEK – 9-7 (56%)

DENVER
CAROLINA
NEW ORLEANS
PITTSBURGH
DETROIT
NEW ENGLAND
ARIZONA
TENNESSEE
CINCINNATI
ST LOUIS
GIANTS
BALTIMORE
MIAMI
PHILADELPHIA
SEATTLE
JETS

High school football season is now in full swing.

Following a bunch of interesting contests within the RCN viewing area this past weekend, it’s time to examine our “week two” edition of the District XI/RCN HS Football Bi-Weekly Poll.

First, a quick recap of our poll structure.  Our pollsters consist of numerous people from throughout the entire Lehigh Valley region.  Our voting panel consists of local media members from various  outlets, along with local coaches and athletic directors from across the entire district.  The voters are not identified so they can give their honest impressions without any worry of outside pressures or “bulletin board” material, and we rotate different pollsters from different schools each year, including guests from our biggest to our smallest schools.

As in previous years, we take the 400-male enrollment number as the cutoff for schools within the District XI/RCN footprint.  All schools above that number qualify as “big schools” in our poll. These schools consist of Parkland, Liberty, Allen, Easton, Emmaus, Liberty, Dieruff, Freedom, Stroudsburg, Pleasant Valley, Northampton, Nazareth, E. Stroudsburg-South, Whitehall, Southern Lehigh and Bangor.  “Small schools” (below 400-male enrollment) consist of Saucon Valley, Central Catholic, Bethlehem Catholic, Northwestern, Wilson, Palisades, Palmerton, Salisbury, Notre Dame, Pen Argyl, Nolehi and Catasauqua.  Each pollster will identify their top five teams in each group; the top school gets five points, the second team gets four points and so on, with an average score determining the order of teams in the poll.

With the particulars out of the way, here’s a look at how this week’s poll shakes out…

BIG SCHOOL FB Poll (11 pollsters)
1)     Parkland – 55 total votes (11 -1st place votes)
2)     Freedom — 36
3)     Easton — 34
4)     Liberty — 19
5)    Whitehall – 12
Other schools receiving more than one vote:  Emmaus

SMALL SCHOOLS FB Poll (10 pollsters)
1)      Saucon Valley – 45 total votes (6 – 1st place votes)
2)      Bethlehem Catholic – 38 (3 – 1st place vote)
3)      Central Catholic– 28 (1 – 1st place vote)
4)      Northern Lehigh — 21
5)      Notre Dame — 13
Other schools receiving more than one vote: Northwestern

The big shake-up in this week’s poll occurs with the smaller schools.  Saucon Valley’s impressive showing versus up-and-coming Salisbury, coupled with Becahi’s loss to Liberty, pushes the Panthers into the number-one spot.  Central Catholic also looked solid last weekend, which moves the Vikings up one spot (we’ll see Central Catholic play Whitehall this Saturday, tape-delayed on RCN-TV).  Notre Dame’s win over Northwestern allows the Crusaders to flip-flop positions with the Tigers and move into the fifth spot.

All of the “big schools” in our poll remained undefeated last weekend, so the top five (six, if you include Emmaus) all stayed exactly where they were in our previous poll.  The Hornets will get an opportunity to move up in our poll if they could pull off a win over Easton this Friday (see the game live on RCN-TV).
**********
We also had an opportunity over the last two weeks to talk with some of the local high school football coaches about their own teams, and their opinions on the other teams in the region.  Here are a few of those interviews (more can be seen by watching our “SportsTalk” show through RCN On-Demand or by checking out our podcast at rcn.com/atvn/sports-talk).

Feel free to send us your opinions on our poll to RCNSportsTalk@rcn.com and join us this Thursday, live at 7pm on RCN-TV.  We might read your emails live on the air during this program.   This week’s guest list will include Dave Mika from EasternPAfootball.com to talk about high school football teams, players and current issues across Pennsylvania.  Additionally on this Thursday’s show, we’ll be speaking with Redskins radio announcer Craig Hoffman to discuss the upcoming NFL season, as well as gaining insights into Washington’s season opening contest against Miami.

Don’t forget to check back to the “SportsTalk Shop” throughout the fall for the latest results of our bi-weekly high school football poll.

Did you ever wonder why our favorite sport is called “football”?  After all, it is a game that is played primarily with your hands.  Soccer, on the other hand, deserves the name “futbol” because it is played with, well, you can guess.  So why do we call it “football”?  According to Wikipedia:

There are conflicting explanations of the origin of the word “football”. It is widely assumed that the word “football” (or “foot ball”) references the action of the foot kicking a ball. There is an alternative explanation, which is that football originally referred to a variety of games in Medieval Europe, which were played on foot. There is no conclusive evidence for either explanation.

In other words, no one seems to know.

There is one high school coach, however, who knows the name should definitely not be “foot-ball”.  He could appropriately call it “No-foot-ball”.  Kevin Kelley is the coach of Pulaski Academy in Arkansas.  He has been the coach since 2003.  He took over a struggling program and in the past 11 years his team has won three state titles.  His record is 124-22.  AND, except in very special situations, he never punts.  That’s right.  He never punts!!

Why?  Because he has statistically proven that there is no advantage to giving the other team the ball.  Even if you have the ball on your own 5-yard line, Kelley says you should not punt.  If you make the first down, there is no problem.  If you do not, the opponent’s chance of scoring is 92%.  If you punt the ball, statistics show the other team will get the ball around your 40-yard line.  Again, statistics show the opponent still has a 77% chance of scoring.  That’s only a 15% difference.  More numbers – Pulaski gets the first down 50% of the time.  California University professor David Romer agrees.  He said high school punters are very unreliable and therefore high school teams should never punt.  And your chances of making ten yards in four downs as opposed to three are dramatically increased.  The only time Kelley does punt is near the end of a half or at the end of a game when he feels time does not permit the other team to score.

When Kelley’s teams score, he adds another ripple to his unconventional style.  He ALWAYS onside kicks.  His team is successful 20% of the time in recovering the kick.  That is not a very high percentage, but once again, statistics prove his point.  The average drive after a kickoff starts on the 33-yard line.  The average field position after an onsides kick is the 47-yard line, a difference of just 14 yards.  Pulaski will cause a turnover one in five kickoffs – well worth the 14-yard risk.

How do you think Lehigh Valley fans would react to this decision-making?  We all know that fans’ patience with high school coaches’ decisions is far from tolerant.  Going for and failing to make a first down inside your own five-yard line on fourth down would definitely create, to put it mildly, disgruntlement. One of Kevin Kelley’s fellow coaches succinctly explained why he is not a disciple of the Pulaski philosophy, “I like my job, and I would like to keep it.”

This would, however, bring the “foot” back to football, I suppose, because the coach would get “booted” from his job!

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS)

1. I returned from vacation Saturday morning to the devastating news that my friend and fellow announcing buddy for so, so many years, Dick Tracy, had passed away on Friday. My last visit with him suggested it was time.  More on Dick next week.
2. I was off the ship Saturday morning, got home, and back in the broadcasting booth on Saturday night for the opening game of the 2015 football season – William and Mary at Lafayette and now in high definition. It was great to start another season, but my make-up budget just increased dramatically!
3. Friday night football went as expected with the Lehigh Valley teams destroying the teams from up north in the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference OUTSCORING THEM 359-132 (47 by Stroudsburg in a loss). I wonder if I will see the day when the Pocono teams become formidable opponents.
4. Congratulations to Liberty for their win on Saturday night. Bethlehem Catholic took a bit too long to get over opening night jitters; Liberty, not so much.  Despite the outcome of game one, Beca will have a terrific season.
5. I hope you didn’t spend Labor Day “laboring” at the computer like I did.

NEW ENGLAND
GREEN BAY
HOUSTON
CLEVELAND
INDIANAPOLIS
MIAMI
CAROLINA
SEATTLE
ARIZONA
SAN DIEGO
TAMPA BAY
CINCINNATI
DENVER
DALLAS
PHILADELPHIA
MINNESOTA

Green Bay kicks off to Chicago at 1:00 on Sunday, September 13, and the NFC is underway for the 2015 season.  The Eagles do not play until Monday night at Atlanta, so Philadelphia fans need to be a bit more patient (if that’s possible).  To test your patience even further, here are my projections for the NFC.

NFC WEST 

1. Seahawks – This is the strongest defensive division and Seattle is the best of the best. There is no reason to pick against the Seahawks getting to the division championship again and then on to the conference championship.
2. Rams – Nick Foles opens against the Seahawks in St. Louis. A win here could catapult both him and his team to a very successful season.
3. Cardinals – They are always a difficult team to figure out. Defensive coach Todd Bowles went to the Jets.  So if defense is better or worse because of that could spell the difference between success and failure for this team.
4. 49ers – Old players gone; tough schedule; rebuilding. None of these aspects are a formula for success.

 NFC SOUTH 

1. Panthers – They will play against only four playoff teams from last year and QB Cam Newton looked angry and focused in camp. Defense is certainly strong enough to win the division.
2. Falcons – This is just a wild guess, picking them over the Saints, but my prediction is all about new coach Dan Quinn who came over from Seattle. The Falcons will certainly improve defensively.
3. Saints – TE Jimmy Graham is gone; they lost five straight at the end of last year. Their schedule should help them achieve at least a .500 record.
4. Bucs – Bucs’ QB Jameis Winston vs. Titans’ QB Marcus Mariota in game one. Great scheduling; great matchup, EXCEPT neither team is very good.

NFC NORTH 

1. Packers – With a healthy quarterback, they may have been the best team last year. The loss of Jordy Nelson could really hurt their success, but I think they will adjust.  Home field advantage means more to them than any other team in the league.  They play Chicago away and Seattle at home to start the season.  That is an early barometer.
2. Vikings– Yes, the Vikings. Adrian Peterson is back and Teddy Bridgewater is good, potentially very good.  Defense is young and solid.  This is a different Vikings team.
3. Lions – DL Ndamukong Suh (I do not want to type his first name again) was traded to the Dolphins and so, too, is the strength of their defense and a motivational leader.  They should have found a way to keep him.
4. Bears – Their defense will have a new look, but the offense not so much. If QB Jay Cutler plays well, they could move up past the Lions.

 NFC EAST 

1. Eagles – Offensive line aside, this is a much better Eagles team. They are loaded with offensive talent and they have surrounded Sam Bradford with outstanding rushers and receivers.  Is the defense good enough?
2. Cowboys – No offensive line problems here. They may be the best in the NFL.  OR was last season more about DeMarco Murray’s ability?  Time will tell.  Early starts against the Giants, Eagles, Falcons and Saints will offer answers about their defense.
3. Giants – Defense weaker if DE Jason Pierre-Paul is not effective. Can they run?  Can they protect Eli Manning?  Can they stop the run?  Too many unanswered questions.
4. Redskins – I loved RG III when he came into the league. If his offensive line can protect him, he might return to his earlier form.  The defense needs to help him stay in games.

 NFC Championship Game

                         Seahawks defeat the Packers

While the jury will be out for some time on this year’s Phillies trades, one aspect of these moves is clearly developing.  In addition to getting highly regarded minor league players and prospects, the players they’re acquiring seem to be versatile—in terms of ability, skill set and potential roles they could have in this club.

This is even more important on a rebuilding team as it’s not locked in stone which players will be playing which positions as the team continues to evolve…and hopefully improve.

Can you imagine Ryan Howard playing another position?  Remember the failed attempts to move Chase Utley to third base?  How about the lack of quality catchers behind Carlos Ruiz the last several years?  The Phillies had to move Jim Thome and Placido Polanco to part ways with some valuable veterans in order to open up spots for the next generation of Phillies players.  The current crop of prospects in the Phillies farm system will find it to easier to reach the Major Leagues, not just because of the present holes on the roster, but also because a good number of up-and-coming players have the ability to play different positions.

Maikel Franco, Odubel Herrera and Cesar Hernandez have had good seasons and look to have starting positions waiting for them in 2016.  Freddy Galvis—at least for the moment—has played well enough to hold down the shortstop spot until J. P. Crawford arrives.  But most positions going forward are very much up for grabs.

The advantage of the young players now in the Phillies’ fold is not just that they have Major League potential, but they have the ability to move around and play different roles, should the need arise.  Franco can also play first base.  Hernandez has played shortstop, third base and outfield, even though he looks more comfortable at second.  Newly acquired Darnell Sweeney projects as a utility guy, but has some pop and speed and played regularly at second, short, third and center field.  Galvis, too, has looked like an above-average defender, regardless of where he’s placed on the diamond.

Fans already can see the benefits of having different players’ ability to play multiple positions.  Interim Manager Pete Mackanin has frequently double-switched in games, allowing more flexibility with his batting order late in games, while not sacrificing anything defensively.

Here’s a look at the younger players in the upper-level of the Phillies farm system.  Top prospects are listed in BOLD, and players, at least at the beginning of the season, projected as “super utility” (or not quite everyday) players are in italics.

Nick Williams (acq. in the Cole Hamels trade) – projects to be a left fielder per Baseball America, but has played all three outfield positions and has a blend of speed, power and the ability to hit for average.

Roman Quinn (drafted by Phila, 2^nd round) – Despite an injury, Quinn had a great season at Double-A after making the transition from shortstop to the outfield.  MLB.com suggests he can be an above-average defender in center field with more experience.

Cornelius Randolph (draft by Phila., 1^st round) – An MLB “Top #100 Prospect” who has bat speed, strength and patience (according to MLBPipeline.com), coming on a solid season in the Gulf Coast League.  Randolph has played the middle infield positions with some believing he could play 3d base, but with Franco occupying that position, he saw time in left field this past summer.

Jorge Alfaro (acq. in the Cole Hamels trade) – The key piece in the Hamels’ trade, boasting perhaps the greatest potential of anyone acquired in the deal, was hurt for much of the year.  With raw power, he’s currently listed as the #2 catching prospect in all of minor league baseball.  However, he can also play first base and some feel he could also be an everyday right fielder, or even play first base.  This is important with the development of Phillies’ farmhand Andrew Knapp, who had a strong second half in Double-A and might be closer to the Major Leagues than Alfaro is at present.

Odubel Herrera (Rule 5 selection) – Per his Rule 5 status, Herrera had to stay on the Big League roster all season or be offered back, but the Phillies had no problems finding a spot for him, and even felt comfortable moving Ben Revere for him at the trade deadline.  He’s a quality MLB bat and seems to be improving as the year has gone along, both offensively and defensively.  However, if Quinn has another big season in 2016 and makes the jump to the Big Leagues, Herrera can also play left field and is a natural infielder.  The Phillies should be able to find a way to get plenty of “ABs” for him going forward.

Aaron Altherr (draft by Phila., 9^th round) – While not everyone in the Phillies organization viewed him as a blue chip prospect, I was impressed from what I saw in Altherr’s play in Triple-A this season.  More importantly, some of the guys who saw Aaron play on an everyday basis said they felt he could be an everyday MLB outfielder—at least on the current Phillies team.  He has nice range and a strong arm, which lends him to playing all three outfield positions.  Offensively, he was one of the top hitters at Lehigh Valley.  Supposedly, the Phillies wanted him to continuing playing every day and was not promoted once Revere was traded.  I am glad he received a “pre-September” call-up and hope that he gets even more of a chance to showcase his skills (and hope he doesn’t turn into another Darin Ruf, who really never did seem to get an extended look).  If he continues to play as well as he has at the Major League level, he may force the team to have him in the lineup every day.

Cody Asche didn’t exactly shock and awe anyone with his offensive outputs.  But if Asche and Ruf remain on the team beyond their arbitration years, both can play a couple different spots defensively and could see themselves as platoon or bench options as the other young players develop.

Trying to predict an everyday lineup is nearly impossible at this point, which is a good thing.  The future Phillies manager (whether it’s Mackanin or not) will have many different options where to bat and position players in the field.  This will also help the front office in trying to improve the team.  If/when they assume the team is ready to challenge for a playoff spot, it will keep options open in trying to acquire additional players through trades and free agency.

Even the most skeptical Phillies fan has to be impressed with the moves being made by the Phillies front office over the last several months.  While it might still be a stretch to be in playoff contention next summer, outgoing CEO Pat Gillick’s ominous warning that the team may not be a contender until 2017 or 2018 may not be correct after all.

To be perfectly honest, I take great pride in an important and popular aspect of our fall football season here at RCN.

For quite some time, I was given the responsibility of putting together the District XI/RCN HS Football Poll, and I have enjoyed building this into what I believe is the most comprehensive scholastic football poll in the region.

Unlike polls that consist of a couple representatives within the same organization, our poll is much more varied with input from many different people over a wider scope.  Our voting panel consists of local media members from different outlets, along with local coaches and athletic directors from across the entire district.  The voters are not identified so they can give their honest impressions without any worry of outside pressures or “bulletin board” material, and we rotate different pollsters from different schools each year, including guests from our biggest to our smallest schools.

As in previous years, we take the 400-male enrollment number as the cutoff for schools within the District XI/RCN footprint.  All schools above that number qualify as “big schools” in our poll. The “Big Schools” consist of Parkland, Liberty, Allen, Easton, Emmaus, Liberty, Dieruff, Freedom, Stroudsburg, Pleasant Valley, Northampton, Nazareth, E. Stroudsburg-South, Whitehall, Southern Lehigh and Bangor.  The “Small Schools” (below 400-male enrollment) consist of Saucon Valley, Central Catholic, Bethlehem Catholic, Northwestern, Wilson, Palisades, Palmerton, Salisbury, Notre Dame, Pen Argyl, Northern Lehigh and Catasauqua.  Each pollster will identify their top five teams in each group—the top school gets five points, the second team gets four points and so on, with an average score determining the order of teams in the poll.

With the particulars out of the way, here’s a look at how our preseason poll shakes out…

BIG SCHOOL FB Poll (10 pollsters)
1) Parkland – 50 total votes ( 10 -1^st place votes)
2—tied) Easton — 28
2—tied) Freedom — 28
4)  Liberty — 16
5)  Whitehall – 11

Other schools receiving more than one vote:  Emmaus, Stroudsburg

SMALL SCHOOLS FB Poll (9 pollsters)
1)  Bethlehem Catholic – 43 total votes (8  -1^st place votes)
2)  Saucon Valley – 36 (1 – 1^st place vote)
3)  Northern Lehigh — 20
4)  Central Catholic — 11
5)  Northwestern – 10

Other schools receiving more than one vote: Notre Dame, Pen Argyl, Salisbury

I have a few initial thoughts on this poll, which we’ll be addressing in much more detail on this week’s “RCN SportsTalk.”  One thought is that Emmaus looks to be flying under the radar so far this preseason.  They did not have a great 2014 season and graduated a number of skilled position players, including one of the top all-around football stars (Andrew Davidson) in the area.  However, they have added a new quarterback (who has shown great ability in the preseason workouts), they have their entire offensive line returning, and their JV team from a year ago had a TON of speed that should be showcased at the varsity level this fall.  Don’t be surprised if the Hornets move up into one of the “top five” positions at some point this season.

Some may be surprised to see Central Catholic ranked lower than they usually are in previous years.  Without asking any of the pollsters, I believe a major reason for this is the Vikings schedule.  For the second year in a row, they really get hammered out of the gate, playing several of the top five teams (all large school programs) in the first half of the season.  Central Catholic has its work cut out for them to stay even this year, and will probably have to pull off an upset or two in order to make a run at the playoffs this season.  That being said, the Vikings have some nice pieces returning from last year and still could have a better record this fall than they did a year ago.

Another team to watch out for is Salisbury.  After several years of finishing at or near the bottom of the Colonial League standings, they very quietly put together a nice 2014 campaign and bring back many talented players this fall.  They were one of the schools we interviewed over the last week and the Falcons coaches and players seem determined to continue improving, both on the field in and in our poll.

Feel free to send us your opinions on our poll to RCNSportsTalk@rcn.com and join us this Thursday, live at 7pm on RCN-TV for our “HS Football Preview Show.” We might read your emails live on the air during this program, along with our panelists’ insights and predictions on the new football campaign, plus interviews with local players and coaches.  We’ll also have a segment devoted to NFL “fantasy” football, with tips and strategies on preparing your team for the upcoming season.  And don’t forget to check back to the “SportsTalk Shop” as the high school football season unfolds for the latest results of our bi-weekly high school football poll.