We are right at the 1/5-th mark of the Major League Baseball season.  While that might not seem like an impressive number, it is a key time in a team’s season.  Once you pass the“30-games” mark, the excuse “well, it’s still early” starts to wear thin and teams start having to take some long looks at players’ abilities.  It’s also the time that teams have to start realizing that early season surprises, whether positive or negative, may just be for real.

This week, we’ll take a look at the Nationals season to date (we’ll next look at the Phillies’ issues and question marks in an upcoming blog entry).

To help us break down Washington’s first 30-games, I had a chance to speak with Nationals Play-by-Play Voice Charlie Slowes about their outstanding starting rotation, an extremely wild game against the Braves and their upcoming schedule.  A few weeks back marked six years since the passing of the late, great broadcaster Harry Kalas, and Charlie gave us some unique perspectives on the legendary announcer.

A couple additional notes about the Nats.

All things considered, the team’s slow start (the Nats lost 15 of their first 23 games) hasn’t really hurt the team.  Considering the injuries to hit the bullpen and to their lineups, they’ve survived most of those “bumps” and have bounced back strong.  Both Jayson Werth and Denard Span—two keys on offense and defensively in the outfield—came back earlier than some had expected.  Span has not missed a beat since his return, flirting with an impressive slash line (.305/.354/.525 heading into this past weekend).  While Anthony Rendon’s oblique injury continues to linger, Bryce Harper, with (finally) an injury-free season to date, has blossomed into the star the team expected him to be.

The bullpen, led by closer Drew Storen and his nine saves, is beginning to flesh out its respective roles following the loss of Craig Stammen to a season-ending injury.  Tanner Roark has made a successful transition back to a reliever’s role, with three holds heading into the Atlanta series.  Aaron Barrett has been solid from the right side, holding opponent’s batting averages under .200 (and a WHIP under 1), and southpaw Matt Thornton having success so far against both right and left-handed hitters.  Sammy Solis also looked impressive holding the eighth-inning lead in the series finale against the Braves.

Also, despite an incredibly hot start by the Mets, Washington is still playing in an incredibly weak division this year, and they should be able to beat up on their divisional opponents quite a bit, even if Rendon continues on the disabled list.  When the Nats’ offense—which has shown a propensity to be streaky—goes through another lull, they should be able to avoid any long losing stretches thanks to their starting pitching depth as they look to move up in the standings over the next few weeks.  Here is a look at their upcoming series:

May 11-13 :         at Arizona
May 14 – 17:       at San Diego
May 19-20:          vs. Yankees
May 22-24:          vs. Philadelphia
May 25-27:          at Chicago
May 29-31:         at Cincinnati

The Nationals still have many more games coming up against NL East teams, and I can’t imagine Washington not compiling a better-than-500 record against them going forward.

As the 2011 Phillies found out, it’s not how many you win during the regular season.  The big key is for Washington to continue to play well, stay near or at the top of the division, and try to keep everyone healthy through the summer.  Hopefully Rendon comes back with enough time to find his stroke and the lethargic start to the season becomes a distant, if not forgotten, memory.

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Special programming note.  Mark your calendars and be sure to come out to see “RCN SportsTalk” as we broadcast live from Buffalo Wild Wings on Grape Street in Whitehall, PA.  This will be the first of several shows we’ll be broadcasting on location this summer.   Keep checking back to the RCN-TV website for updates on these special programs as SportsTalk “goes wild” this summer!

When I was in high school, teachers would normally sit us in rows of chairs alphabetically.  That is why in chemistry and physics class, Laubach (me) was seated next to Miles (not me).  I bring this up because I never really comprehended the personal value of chemistry or physics.  I did not anticipate mixing strange ingredients nor did I concern myself with laws of physics (those things are going to happen anyway).  I just wanted to keep my grades up.  So, since my blog this week is going to be about cheating because it was so prevalent in the world of sports the past seven days, I felt I would be hypocritical if I did not initially confess my own sins.

My classmate, Miles, is now Dr. Miles, MD (in other words, very smart) and you know what I am.  It would be an understatement to say he got me through chemistry and physics.  He sat next to me and, during tests, I may have glanced at an answer or two or three or ten (whatever).  So I guess you could say I cheated.  I feel comfortable saying this now because my Physics teacher has passed away and I’m fairly certain my Chemistry teacher is not reading this stuff.

And I, also, must confess that I often get inspiration for my blogs from the headlines and articles written about the news of the week.  Even though I was going to write about this topic since the “deflategate” report came out, AP writer Paul Newberry beat me to it.  I would like to say he copied my thoughts, but he wrote his article first.  So, suffice it to say, I am not copying here, but adding my thoughts.  Just saying…

And Paul Newberry did not even write about this event.  Two Saturdays ago, Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao earned over $300 million for fighting in what was billed as the “Fight of the Century”.  It turns out that Pacquiao basically fought with just one arm as an undeclared shoulder injury kept him from waging a very competitive fight.  So the fans who put down untold dollars to see the fight LIVE or $89.99 for pay-per-view and, particularly, those fans who legally wagered on the fight were cheated.  Either Pacquiao reveals his injury and gets the fight delayed or he makes everyone aware of his injury and they then decide where their money goes.  He did neither.  But he did get paid!  By cheating us of the information, he, ironically, may have been the only one NOT cheated.

The “deflategate” report  was issued this week, all 243 pages.  The conclusion of the report is that the balls were definitely deflated by an employee of the Patriots prior to the AFC championship game.  And, it appears that Tom Brady had knowledge that this was being done.  The balls were easier to throw and probably easier to catch.  Based on the rules of the NFL, this was cheating.  Brady needs to be suspended and, due to guilt by association, the Patriots need to be fined.  Tom Brady is one of the greatest NFL quarterbacks to play the game, but the image is now tarnished and rightfully so.

This leads me to A-Rod, Alex Rodriquez.  This week, he hit his 661^st home run, passing my childhood hero, Willie Mays, and moving A-Rod into third place all-time in home run totals.  But, he cheated to accomplish that feat.  A-Rod used performance-enhancing drugs for at least four or five years and during that time hit over 200 home runs.  Barry Bonds is ahead of him in home run numbers.  He, also, cheated.  Let those two have a “cheaters” list of their own and keep the records of players like Mays, Babe Ruth, and Hank Aaron separated.

Isn’t it time that all pro athletes act like pro golfers?  Professional golfers call mistakes upon themselves and are immediately penalized for those mistakes.  Often (ex: a ball moved while addressing it), the infraction is not their fault.  But rules are rules and they abide by them.  There are lessons here for Lance Armstrong, Marion Jones, Roger Clemens, etc.

If athletes confessed their cheating immediately upon being caught, we might even forgive them.  C’mon, Tom, be honest with us.  Manny, tell us you should not have gotten into the ring.  A-Rod, don’t accept the accolades that come from passing Willie Mays. Look at me. I am glad I confessed my high school cheating right up front.  Besides, the Statute of Limitations has passed (I hope).

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS) 

1. Have you noticed that former Lafayette student and current Chicago Cubs manager, Joe Maddon, has the Cubs in second place in the National League Central division and they have the fourth-best winning percentage in the National League? Good for Joe.
2. I have found an NBA story that makes me want to watch the playoffs. The LA Clippers are playing the Houston Rockets and, so far, the star of the series is Austin Rivers.  His father, Doc Rivers, is the head coach.  This combination has never happened before in the NBA.  It is neat to see the two interact.
3. Big baseball stories normally center around no-hitters, grand slams, or fights. The defense rarely gets its due.  This past Saturday, the Pittsburgh Pirates pulled off a triple play that had never before happened – second to third to second, or as the scorebook showed 4-5-4.  Take a look here.
4. If outside reports are to be believed, the Eagles did try to make a last-minute trade with Tampa Bay to get the NFL’s #1 draft pick so they could take QB Marcus Mariota. The Bucs would have no part of it and seem very happy they got QB Jameis Winston.
5. High school baseball is on tap this week. On Wednesday, watch the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference semifinals on RCN TV LIVE at 4:00 and the championship on Thursday at 7:00.  Congratulations to all the Colonial League and EPC teams that made the playoffs.  Even with a loss in the league playoffs, District XI baseball is right around the corner for all of them.

I have been on vacation for the past three weeks and I want to thank John Leone, Randy Kane, Jim Best, and Scott Barr for so ably taking over my blog space in my absence.  During my time away, I was on a cruise ship and, unless I went out of my way to research events, I was completely away from American sports during that whole time.  The only sport readily accessible to me was European soccer and I am certainly not enamored with that.  And, the purpose of the vacation, according to my wife, was to get away from sports for awhile.  I did manage to sneak back to my room to see the completion of Jordan Spieth’s victory at The Masters right before we sailed.  From that point on – no baseball, no hockey, no NBA, no NFL draft talk, no nothing!

Imagine my dismay and delight upon my return when Saturday, May 2, rolled around.  It was time to catch up.  However, after perusing the TV guide on the sports page, I was shocked to find that there were 55 sporting events listed from 10 AM through 10 PM.  Plus, at around midnight, Floyd Mayweather, Jr. and Manny Pacquiao would be throwing their first punches in the self-proclaimed “fight of the century”.  Obviously, I needed to prioritize.

I quickly eliminated the three soccer matches, 11 college lacrosse games, two pro tennis matches, four auto racing events, one arena football game, four college softball games, five college baseball games, and IIHF Hockey (what is that, anyway?).  And the college rugby Varsity Cup Championship between BYU and Cal did not stand a chance of capturing my eyeballs.

I was still left with a full day – the NFL Draft (Lafayette’s Ross Scheurman and Freedom’s Mike Coccia were still on the board), NHL hockey which is fun to watch no matter what teams are playing, MLB – the Yankees were playing the Red Sox and the Phillies were at the Marlins, PGA golf – the Cadillac Match Play event, the Kentucky Derby (yes, THE Kentucky Derby), game seven of the NBA playoffs between the Spurs and the Clippers, and the prefight banter on ESPN.

Some of the programs were uneventful – Ross and Mike were not drafted; the Phillies lost again.

But some, like the Derby – American Pharoah winning down the stretch; the NBA game seven won at the buzzer by an amazing shot from Chris Paul; the golf featuring Rory McElroy and Paul Casey playing into the dark in San Francisco and still tied when play was halted after their 21^st hole (I now had to catch the 9:45 tee-off time the next morning for the completion of that match).

It sounds like I made a good decision not to buy the fight.  Pacquiao’s shoulder was injured so reports say it was not as exciting as it could have been.  Plus, it did not start until after midnight and, by then, I realized that I was out of “sports viewing” shape.  Going from no sports for three weeks to a gluttony of viewing right after my return was a challenge. Even the recliner was beginning to feel like a bed of hot coals.  Suffice it to say that the 14+ hours of watching sport after sport left me completely drained.

I NEED ANOTHER VACATION!

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS)

1. It appears the Phillies are as bad as everyone predicted. As I write this, they are already eight games under .500 and have the third worst winning percentage in the major leagues.  At least the Mets are in a slump after their 11-game winning streak, losing seven games in their last 10.  But, do not get your hopes up about the Phils – they appear to be hopeless!
2. So the Eagles took only one offensive player in the NFL draft and five defensive players. Wide receiver Nelson Agholor of USC seems to have been the best available at the time and fills a need at that position.  He will shore up both the wide receiver corps and can return punts and kickoffs.  And the Eagles certainly need defensive help if they want to win championships.
3. All in all, the NFL draft had very few surprises and no wily moves by anyone. The pre-draft analysis sort of spoils the actual picks when that happens.
4. It was nice to see locals Kevin White of Emmaus (Bears), Mike Coccia of Freedom (Eagles), and Ross Scheurman of Lafayette (Steelers) picked up in the draft and free agency. I love watching players in the pros who were on RCNTV.
5. The inaugural Eastern Pennsylvania Baseball semifinals and championship will be on May 13 and 14 on RCNTV. Time to get back to work!

I don’t believe there has been more excitement, angst, anticipation—and anxiety—for an NFL Draft than this year’s selection process for both the Redskins and Eagles communities.  Birds fans wanted new Eagles Czar Chip Kelly to move up and pick Marcus Mariota, and many Skins supporters wanted a move backwards to secure more picks.  While many dyed-in-the-wool football experts really thought the odds were against both of those things happening, it seemed that many, including the entire Delaware Valley, had convinced themselves—emotionally—that a major move would be made…one that would never occur.  After several days of mental withdraw, it’s time to take a step back and take a more pragmatic view of what transpired.

Day One…the first pick

REDSKINS PICK:                B+
EAGLES PICK:                    A-  (However…)

All things considered, I believe both Washington and Philadelphia made the “safe” move.  The Redskins were not able to get the number of quality picks to trade out of the number-five spot overall, and Brandon Scherff is a good choice for a team that needed a major boost on the offensive line.  While it’s normally startling to hear a top-five pick is slated for right tackle (the #5 pick is an awfully high pick for that position), it is an area that had to be addressed, and if he can also play guard, that versatility certainly is a plus.  I had Scherff several spots lower on my draft board, but I don’t think it was a major leap for the Redskins to make to enhance their O-line.

For the Eagles, I’ll first go back to the final game of the regular season.  They had NOTHING to play for, so why didn’t they give Matt Barkley the start at quarterback?  Kelly clearly doesn’t like him (is there another team in the country with more quarterbacks—all of them ahead of Barkley?)  Playing him in the season finale would have benefitted the team no matter what happened.  If Barkley played well, it would have served as a showcase for other teams so that you could have used him as a trade chip.  If he fell flat on his face and lost, the Eagles would have moved up several spots in the draft—perhaps enough to get Marcus Mariota, their prized quarterback.  Clearly Sam Bradford was not enough to enable the Eagles to get Mariota without also surrendering other major talent, but if Bradford is your guy, why haven’t they signed him to a long-term deal—like, yesterday?  If Bradford plays well, he’s going to ask for the farm—and get it.  If he fails (or gets hurt for the third year in a row), you’re starting year-four under Kelly with no definitive quarterback.

So after dropping the ball at several steps, Kelly saved face in the first round by filling one of the three major holes they needed to address.  Of course, if they signed Jeremy Maclin last summer as I had suggested they do, they wouldn’t have had that vacancy in the first place.

Day Two…Rounds 2 & 3

REDSKINS PICK:        C+       
EAGLES PICK:            A-

While I really like the selection of Preston Smith in the second round and think he has great potential, I was not a fan of the third round trade and their subsequent picks.  The Redskins picked up a running back (Matt Jones) that I had questions about and really don’t think will make a major impact with this team.  With the other acquired selections, Washington’s first-year General Manager Scot McCloughan clearly favored selecting players in spots of need over the best available talents, and there were enough players at their initial third-round selection position with more upside that could have made a bigger impact that the collective efforts of the players gained through the trade.  However, whether he’s right or wrong, I’ll give McCloughan credit for adding bodies in the draft (see below).

The Eagles made their best decision of the draft in the second round–trading up to obtain Defensive Back Eric Rowe out of Utah.  He can be an instant starter (that’s something new for a Kelly draftee) and could be a star at either cornerback or safety going forward.  While I question selecting an inside linebacker with their third pick (unless Kelly is planning on trading Mychal Kendricks or is looking ahead to the future), Jordan Hicks is a nice pickup with the 84th overall pick and can help right away on special teams.

Day Three…Rounds 4-7

REDSKINS PICK:   B-        
EAGLES PICK:  C        

With very few big names escaping past the first three rounds (which is why I did not like the decision to trade down), I think Washington did make some good talent additions to their squad overall.  Probably the one most likely to exceed their respective numbered-round expectations is Kyshoen Jarrett, a defensive back out of Virginia Tech.  Despite being undersized (5’10”), I think he can help Washington right away on special teams, and could carve out a nice career as a nickel back or an occasional number-two corner.

In the later stage of the draft, the Eagles added much-needed secondary depth in their back-half of the draft.  However,  I’m still shocked that they didn’t select ANY offensive linemen in the draft–which was one of the three major needs to the team going in. They also didn’t get a “pure” strong safety, so that could be a more minor issue to watch as training camp unfolds.

Final Evaluations/Overall Grades

Despite failing to solidify the quarterback position–which could be a major setback to the future success of the organization–the Eagles’ picks themselves make a lot of sense.  Keep an eye on non-drafted lineman Mike Coccia.  I announced several of his games and visited his workouts at Freedom High School.  He’s an outstanding young blocker who works hard and has always had good technique.  I think Kelly would be foolish not to hold onto him as he can add some much-needed depth along the Birds’ offensive line.  Still, Philadelphia needs a lot to go right to protect an already fragile Bradford under center.

Overall, the Eagles moved forward with this draft, with a couple question marks remaining.  They may have done just enough this past weekend (and, taking advantage of one of the weaker NFL schedules this fall) to propel themselves to a playoff appearance.  How far they’ll go remains a mystery, led by the quarterback combination of Bradford (when/if healthy), Mark Sanchez, Tim Tebow et al, and the team certainly didn’t do anything to help protect their signal callers with their draft choices.

EAGLES OVERALL DRAFT GRADE:  B+

I also think the Redskins made some nice decisions in this year’s draft…but “nice” won’t result in a major improvement in the win total for this season.  Their draft selections should move the team in the right direction, and, with some luck, they could win at least six to seven games this season.  The team made a few weaker selections at some spots in trying to fill needs.  Skins fans hoping for some major moves are left disappointed, as they still look to be AT LEAST one year away from any possible playoff contention, and a subpar year from Robert Griffin III (whose option for 2016 was picked up last week) might just set that plan back even further.  I’ll take into account that it was McCloughan’s first draft with the Skins, and I do believe in him going forward.  But again, we’re analyzing with our head and not with our heart, which results in a…

REDSKINS OVERALL DRAFT GRADE:  B

What are your thoughts on this year’s NFL Draft?  Which picks did you like/hate and what grades would you give the Eagles and the Redskins?  We’ll have plenty of football talk on this Thursday’s “RCN SportsTalk” so email your opinions to RCNSportsTalk@rcn.com and tune in as we respond to your comments live on air.  Don’t forget our show is now on at a new time, live on Thursdays from 7-8pm.  We’ll also have a phone interview with Washington Nationals broadcaster Charlie Slows to talk about the first month of the baseball season on this week’s program.

Today’s “Behind the Mic” blog is written by long time RCN personality Scott Barr. He has covered a wide range of sports, including kick boxing, track and field, lacrosse, soccer, volleyball, football, and baseball. Most of our viewers, of course, will know him for his work with District XI wrestling. Fans across the valley have heard him call “Give him six!” after a pin, while working with three legends of Lehigh Valley sports—Gary Laubach, Ray Nunamaker, and Jim Best. Outside of RCN, Scott helps small businesses set up retirement plans for their employees, and lives in Macungie with his wife, Melissa, and their four children.
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In about six weeks, at the PIAA Baseball Championships, I will wrap up my 30^th season on the air.  Most of the hundreds of broadcasts melt together, with a few exceptions.  Gary Laubach has been there for most of the “exceptions”, and we talk about them often.

I thought today I would take a look at those 30 years and share some of those moments.  Some are on the air, some are not.   Some of the details are fuzzy, and some have been enhanced over time, I’m sure.  Regardless, it makes me excited about the next thirty!

Best individual performance—I was on the sidelines for the 1995 AAA football championship.  In that game, James Mungro was ridiculous.  My recollection is that he gained around 320 yards on about 20 carries.  He returned the opening kickoff to the 40-yard line, and on the first play from scrimmage, took care of the rest.  East Stroudsburg won 35-14, and Mungro went on to a long NFL career.

Luckiest TV assignment—I was assigned to be the sideline reporter for the 1990 AAA football championship at Cottingham Stadium.  I forget who was supposed to be the game’s analyst, but he had to cancel at the last minute, so I spent the broadcast in the booth with Gary.  During the game, no kidding, more than four inches of rain fell.  It would have been miserable down there.  Easton won that game over Stroudsburg 41-10.

Longest broadcast, Part 1—Gary and I were broadcasting DXI boys’ volleyball under the old double-elimination format without “rally” scoring.  Easton came out of the loser’s bracket and beat Emmaus in a long, five-set match (which we called).  This forced a winner-take-all championship, which Emmaus won—in ANOTHER long, five-set match.  We were on the air for around five hours.

Longest broadcast, Part 2—Again with Gary, we were covering the Allentown Ambassadors on a getaway game night with the team from Maine.  They absolutely HAD to fit the whole game in, and despite a long rain delay—a really long rain delay—they did.  We finished at around 2:30 a.m.  There were, maybe, 30 fans left at the end of the game.  Team owner, the late Pete Karoly, gave Ambassador t-shirts to everyone who stayed.

Sports event I would watch again, right now—Easy.  The 2012 NCAA Division II baseball championship.  West Chester beat Delta State 9-0, becoming the northernmost team to ever with the title.  The dogpile at the end is one of my fondest memories, since my son John is at the bottom of it.  If I die with a smile on my face, it’s because my final thought was about that moment.

Best finish—Nazareth was way behind in their annual wrestling rivalry with Easton.  They needed pins in the final three weight classes, and got them all.  Fans swarmed the mat, and referee Gene Waas had to be rescued from under the pile by Nazareth principal Vic Lesky.   It’s a scene that could only happen in District XI.

Coolest TV related event—RCN scored press passes for Jim Best and me to the 2011 NCAA Wrestling Championships in Philadelphia.  Jordan Oliver won his first championship, and the atmosphere was electric.  This event convinced me that if I have the chance to attend ANY national championship—any sport, any division—sponsored by the NCAA, I will do it.  They put on a great show.

Most offbeat assignment—I actually did play-by-play for a kickboxing card in Mountainville around 1990.  In the final bout, the heavyweight competitor stood up in his corner for the third round, and promptly fell over, face first.  It was weird, and scary.  It took a good twenty minutes for the medical staff to get him into an ambulance, and I heard that he was unconscious for a day or so before making a full recovery.

Most fun season—Gary and I had a great time getting to know the Allentown Ambassadors.  A bunch of talented kids playing for the love of the game, with big league dreams, and coach Ed Ott who was just a great guy to hang out with.  He even let Gary put together the batting order when they were in a slump one night.  I think they still lost.

Favorite assignment—I really, really enjoyed being on the Lafayette football sidelines, and hated when my personal situation forced me away.  The Leopards’ staff is professional and super friendly, and Frank Tavani might be my all-time favorite guy to interview.

Regrets—None.  Absolutely none.  It’s been one hell of a ride.

NFL Draft week is finally here!

After months of speculation (and seeing the name “Marcus Mariota” trending more than just about any other athlete over the last several weeks), it is time for the NFL Draft.  Redskins and Eagles fans know this Thursday is a critical time for both franchises and this week’s draft could determine the future level of success of their favorite team.

I had a chance to speak with NFL Network Analyst and former Pro Offensive Lineman Brian Baldinger and “Footballstories” writers Al Thompson and Rock Hoffman about the latest developments and got their insights and predictions on this year’s draft and other football related topics (the entire “SportsTalk” show is available to watch on RCN On-Demand).

A few more insights ahead of Thursday’s draft:

• • Safety is an area of concern for both the Eagles and the Redskins.  I think there are a number of defensive backs who might be available that would help both teams:

Kevin Johnson, Wake Forest
Alex Carter, Stanford
Eric Rowe, Utah
Josh Shaw, USC
Quinten Rollins, Miami
Trae Waynes, Michigan State
Landon Collins, Alabama
Marcus Peters, Washington
Byron Jones, UConn
Damarious Randall, Arizona St.
Jalen Collins, LSU
Adrian Amos, Penn State

• Since the first night of last year’s draft, I’ve continued to be very vocal with my displeasure of the Eagles’ selection of Marcus Smith as their number one pick.  I’m hoping I’m wrong and Smith can rebound, making some contributions this fall.  However, this year’s draft class features a number of impressive outside linebackers.  Don’t be surprised if Philadelphia is able to pick up a solid OLB in the middle rounds of the draft.  FYI:  here is a look at all the draft pick selections for both teams:

Eagles 2015 Draft Picks
1^st Round  –  No. 20 Overall
2^nd Round  –  No. 52 Overall
3^rd Round  –  No. 84 Overall
4^th Round  –  No. 113 Overall
5^th Round  — No. 145 & No. 156 Overall
6^th Round  –  No. 196 Overall
7^th Round  –  No. 237 Overall

Redskins 2015 Draft Picks
1^st Round  –  No. 5 Overall
2^nd Round  –  No. 38 Overall
3^rd Round  –  No. 69 Overall
4^th Round  –  No. 105 Overall
5^th Round  — No. 141 Overall
6^th Round  –  No. 182 Overall
7^th Round  –  No. 222 Overall

• Thompson also shared an interesting story with us.  He got word that Penn State offensive tackle Donovan Smith is heading to Chicago—the site of this year’s draft.  Players normally only attend the NFL Selection Gala if they suspect they’ll be selected in the first round (it certainly doesn’t look good if you are there and you DON’T get picked in the first round.) However, in most publications, Smith is ranked no higher than 52^nd overall, and much further down the list in most other mock draft lists.  Could Smith’s alleged trip to the Windy City be a tip that a “mystery team” is going to jump and take Smith earlier than expected…and would that team be in close proximately to Happy Valley?
• Hoffman indicated that there could be a number of future, high-quality NFL players available later in this year’s draft, and the 5^th and 6^th round selections may be especially interesting to watch.  Both Thompson and Hoffman hinted that Delaware Valley College’s Rasheed Bailey has been receiving interest from a number of teams, and could be selected during the middle rounds of the draft.

The draft itself should be another fun event.  The NFL has molded this selection process into a gigantic party, with the anticipation starting shortly after the Super Bowl and building to this week.  It’s true that pro football teams don’t lose games in April or May, but they can certainly put future success on hold for years if things don’t go well this week in Chicago.

With the weather finally becoming more “spring-like,” the high school sports action in the Lehigh Valley finally kicked into high gear the last couple weeks.

Our “RCN SportsTalk” cameras have been busy covering the local sports landscape.  Here we present a sample of some of our high school sports features (more can been seen on “SportsTalk” live at 7pm on Thursdays and through RCN On-Demand)

A few additional highlights from this spring season:

• Congratulations are in order for the up-and-coming Northampton girls lacrosse program.  The Konkrete Kids just started their program a few years ago.  The Lehigh Valley quickly has become a very talented area for this sport, making it much tougher for newer programs like Northampton to build success quickly.  However, the K-Kids recently won their first ever league contest by defeating Allentown Central Catholic in Eastern Pennsylvania Conference play.  With many underclassmen contributing on the roster, it probably won’t be long before Northampton starts posting league victories on a more regular basis.

• The Easton baseball team conducted a ceremony celebrating their 50^th anniversary of playing on “Richards Field” on 25^th Street in Easton.   The team welcomed back members of the first Easton team to play on that field and honored them before the Red Rovers game against Allen this past Wednesday.  Former Easton Assistant Coach Karl Dutt threw out the first pitch and current Easton players wore “throwback uniforms” replicating the same uniforms worn by that 1965 baseball team.  An interesting side note:  we learned on last week’s “SportsTalk” show that John Lennon was in Easton, Pennsylvania around the same time that Richards Field first began hosting games and he purchased an Easton baseball jersey in a local thrift store.  Lennon later wore that same jersey when he sang his iconic “Imagine” ballad nationally on the Mike Douglas Show.

• Speaking of Allen, it’s great to see both Allentown schools doing well in baseball after several years of struggling.  As mentioned above, it’s tough to rebuild in the EPC (and baseball is among the most competitive sports in the Lehigh Valley) and both the Canaries and Huskies deserve kudos for playing at a much higher level this spring.  Allen already has five wins this spring (as of 4/20/15).   Dieruff also has recorded some impressive victories, and played one of the best teams in the area—Liberty—to a close 2-1 loss the other day.  The Allen and Dieruff kids have never stopped working hard and their perseverance is paying off.

It’s also nice to see area baseball fans recognizing the efforts of the athletes from ASD.  I’ve gone to other schools’ games this spring in which neither Dieruff or Allen is playing, yet baseball fans are talking about these programs and are genuinely happy these schools are moving in the right direction (although they still hope that their team wins in a head-to-head match-up).  Both of these programs have tough issues to overcome that other school districts don’t have to deal with.  One of the great things about this region is the knowledgeable sports fans who recognize great efforts by young student athletes and it’s great to see people acknowledging the Allentown players’ efforts.

What other spring sports accomplishments deserve recognition?  Which spring sports athletes have stood out from the pack?  Email your opinions to us at RCNSportsTalk@rcn.com and tune in to “RCN SportsTalk” at our new time, Thursdays at 7pm, on RCN-TV.  On April 30^th, we’ll be talking in more detail about high school sports, with our in-studio guests comprised of athletic directors from the RCN viewing area.  Also, on this Thursday (April 23^rd) program, join us as NFL Football Network analyst and former Philadelphia Eagles Lineman Bryan Baldinger is among our guest panelists, breaking down the NFL Draft and predicting what the Eagles, Redskins and other teams will do in the draft.  Al Thompson (Eagles beat writer for “FootballStories” magazine) and Rock Hoffman, who covers college football and has a comprehensive list and analysis on many of the region’s players expected to be drafted, will also be featured on this week’s show.

Gary will be returning with a new blog on May 4.  This week, he’s asked RCN’s Jim Best to guest blog.  Viewers should recognize Jim from RCN-TV’s coverage of high school wrestling.

St. Louis, MO…home of the Gateway Arch, the Cardinals, riverboats, ribs, Budweiser beer, and in 2015 the NCAA Division 1 Wrestling Championships. The Scottrade Center, a beautiful facility which plays host to a variety of indoor athletic events, was the site of the championships this past March. If you are a passionate wrestling fan like me, the Scottrade Center was the place to be for some of the most action-packed wrestling in my memory.

The storylines heading into the tournament were numerous. For one, a young man from Ohio State, Logan Stieber, was taking aim to win his fourth consecutive title. Up to this point in time, only three other wrestlers in the history of the tournament were able to achieve the status of “4-timer!” (Pat Smith from Oklahoma State, Cael Sanderson from Iowa State, and Kyle Dake from Cornell). This particular storyline hit home with many local fans because Stieber’s first championship (his freshman year) included a very controversial win in the finals over Jordan Oliver from Oklahoma State. Jordan is a product of the great Easton wrestling program. In addition to the Logan Stieber story, the team championship title was “wide open” because any one of approximately eight teams had the potential to earn enough points to win the team title. The traditional powers like Iowa, Oklahoma State, Minnesota and Penn State were certainly in the mix. However, the contenders this year also included Cornell, Ohio State, and the tiny Pennsylvania wrestling power of Edinboro. Last, but certainly not least, the seedings of individual wrestlers in certain weight classes left many diehard wrestling fans scratching their heads and saying, “How did this happen?” For example, at 125 pounds (the lightest weight class in NCAA competition), the two-time defending champion, Jesse Delgado from Illinois, entered the tournament unseeded! Granted, he had missed most of the competitive season due to an injury, so his win-loss record was less than stellar, but for a defending champion to enter the tournament unseeded…that is one tough weight class! Another head scratcher occurred at the 149-pound weight class as Josh Kindig, a Blue Mountain product now wrestling for Oklahoma State, also entered the tournament unseeded. Josh was a runner-up in 2014, and, adding insult to injury, not only was he unseeded, but he was also paired against the third-seeded wrestler in the first round! All of the seeding quandaries made for a high level of fan anticipation for the first round of wrestling.

The tournament unfolded over a three-day time period. Similar to the NCAA basketball tournament, brackets for each of ten weight classes are pre-determined by “seeds”. Each weight class has 32-35 qualifying wrestlers, and the first round of wrestling begins on a Thursday morning. Unlike the March Madness basketball tournament, every competitor who qualifies for the tournament has the chance to wrestle at least two matches due to a full consolation bracket. In each round, with the exception of the Saturday morning round (that round is all consolation bracket matches), a championship round is contested, and at least one consolation bracket round is contested, with the exception of the championship finals on Saturday evening. Local wrestlers who qualified for the tournament this year included Zeke Moisey (Bethlehem Catholic/West Virginia University), Ethan Lizak (Parkland/Minnesota), Zach Horan (Nazareth/Central Michigan), Randy Cruz (Bethlehem Catholic/Lehigh), Josh Kindig (Blue Mountain/Oklahoma State), Mitch Minotti (Easton/Lehigh), and Elliot Riddick (Bethlehem Catholic/Lehigh). I am sure that I missed a few names in that mix, and I apologize greatly to those wrestlers, mainly because I know, from personal experience, how hard it is to qualify for that tournament, and every wrestler in the tournament deserves special recognition!

Of the local wrestlers, Zeke Moisey was the Cinderella story of the tournament. As a true freshman, Zeke entered the weight class unseeded at the 125-pound weight class. After upsetting three highly seeded wrestlers in the championship round, and bringing over 18,000 cheering wrestling fans to their feet in the process, Zeke made his way into the championship finals. In the finals, he ran into a familiar foe, a redshirt freshman from Ohio State, and Zeke fell just short of becoming an NCAA champion when he lost a hard-fought battle in the finals. Mitch Minotti also achieved All-American status at 157 pounds with an eighth-place finish. Mitch wrestled through injuries for the entire tournament, and ended up have to forfeit his final match, for seventh place, due to medical reasons. All of the local wrestlers competed well, and all are continuing to maintain District XI’s reputation as one of the “toughest wrestling districts in the country.”

At the conclusion of the tournament, Logan Stieber did make wrestling history by winning his fourth title, and Ohio State walked away with their first ever team title.  As I have described to some of my non-wrestling friends and colleagues, attending that tournament is the equivalent to a football fan attending the Superbowl, or a college basketball fan attending the Final Four-it just doesn’t get any better in terms of action and atmosphere. For three days in March, approximately 18,000 diehard wrestling fans converge at the site of the championships to watch the best college wrestlers in the country compete against each other, and then we get to meet at the local eating establishments, in between the rounds of wrestling, to discuss and relive the most exciting moments over a burger and some cold beverages…it truly is a “live, eat and breath” wrestling experience! Next year, the Big Apple (New York City), will play host to the tournament when wrestlers, coaches and fans will flock to Madison Square Garden to grapple in the garden for an NCAA championship. I’m counting down the days!

One of the goals of our “SportsTalk Shop” is to spotlight outstanding female student-athletes in the RCN markets.  I had an opportunity this past week to interview one of the current top athletes in RCN’s coverage area—for both our Pennsylvania and Washington, DC audiences.

Senior girls lacrosse player Jamie Bumgardner, after having an outstanding high school career in Pennsylvania, has gone on to play—and excel—at the Division-I level at George Washington University.  In high school, Jamie totaled 123 goals and 45 assists in three scholastic seasons at Gwynedd Mercy Academy.  She was also a two-time Athletic Association of Catholic Academies (AACA) selection.  She also become an all-AACA performer and two-time District qualifier on the Monarchs’ golf team.

Following graduation and after making the challenging adjustment to playing collegiate lacrosse at its highest level, Jamie has gone on to put herself in the record books at GW.  This past Friday in a game against Richmond, she registered four more assists, which not only pushed her over 100 for her career, but also tied her for the top spot, all-time in GW history (with at least four more games for her to establish—and add to—a new university record).  Here are more of Jamie’s outstanding athletic accomplishments in college (as of April 9^th):

• Ranks 5th all-time at GW with 156 career points
• Current Season numbers: 13 goals, 19 assists, 32 points, 13 ground balls, 14 draw controls
• In 2013, tallied 18 goals and tied GW’s single-season record with 39 assists, which led the A-10 and tied for 14th in NCAA Division
• Became 3rd player in program history to record at least one point in every game for two consecutive seasons (2013, 2014)
• Set Colonials’ single-game assists and points records with 12 points on six goals and six assists against Liberty (Feb. 26, 2014

George Washington participates in the very competitive Atlantic-10 conference.  Jamie’s squad has not only had success in the league, but she continues to find herself ranked among the best individually in both the A-10 and the NCAA.  Her rankings as of 4/9/15:

• Ranks 3rd in Atlantic 10 with 19 assists this season
• Ranks 5th in Atlantic 10 with 32 total points this season
• Two-time A-10 All-Conference Second Team selection (2013, 2014)
• Ended 2014 season as A-10 leader and fifth in NCAA Division I with 38 assists and 2.38 assists per game
• What really impressed me about this senior “attack” player was not just her ability to maintain an exceptional academic standing, but Jamie is a terrific representative of both her college, the conference and the sport of lacrosse.  This sport, for both the boys and girls teams, has seen great growth in interest in many areas of the country…but in others, it’s still in its infancy stages.  Here’s a portion of my conversation with Jamie discussing her career, the quality of play at George Washington, and her thoughts on the advancement of girls lacrosse.

  Bumgardner has two regular season home games remaining (4/17 vs. Duquesne and 4/19 vs. St. Bonaventura; both games are at the GW Lacrosse Field) before the Atlantic-10 playoffs commence. Regardless of Jamie’s final individual numbers that end up being logged into the record books, she’ll have the recognition of being regarded as a great ambassador for her sport and her collegiate program.

  We are always on the lookout for outstanding accomplishments by athletes, both on and off the athletic fields.  If you have a suggestion for an athlete for us to feature, send us an email at RCNSportsTalk@rcn.com and join us for “RCN SportsTalk” at our new time, now broadcasting live from 7-8 pm, Thursday evenings on RCN-TV.

Gary will be returning with a new blog on May 4.  This week, he’s asked RCN’s John Leone to guest blog.  RCN-TV viewers should recognize John from the Lafayette College basketball broadcasts on the Lafayette Sports Network.
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Another season of March Madness has come and gone and we were again reminded of why so many are so attracted to The Game. While it may not completely explain the meaning of life, when it is played right and for the right reasons, it certainly offers some useful clues. How sad that, at least in some corners, the real “Madness” had as much to do with the sudden finality of a season spent as it did with those elements on the periphery of the game that threaten its core and its fabric. Basketball purists may be the first to take my point, but I fear that in the prevailing culture “purist” means “old”, and the underlying message is bound to be lost in an age of mass media, mega money, and me-first mentality. In the current climate, it’s hard to recall a time when programs were simply teams, when events were games, and when all of it was less for the ESPN highlight reel and more for the real love of it all. The underpinning of integrity that makes the game at all worthwhile is weakening, and in danger of becoming as obsolete as a perfectly executed bounce pass.

Of course, none of the national attention for the game is a bad thing except for the perspective that is invariably lost as succeeding generations of coaches and players have come to believe that “the game” is an end unto itself, leaving untapped the vast reservoir of learning that once accompanied it. After all, haven’t we been told that it’s all about the journey?  There was a time when losing the right way had almost as much value as winning. This loss of perspective has diminished the value of both. As the stakes have risen, the cost of losing and the rewards of winning have, in many cases, driven coaches and players alike to do whatever it takes to engineer an outcome, eliminate risk, and compromise their own integrity to achieve the only prize that matters: win on the scoreboard, and win the adulation and dollars that follow. I am still old-school enough to believe that winning right matters and winning right can still happen even on the largest of stages.

The game itself, when played right, is a thing of beauty that can invoke the same visceral reactions that one might find in a ballet or musical score – choreography, timing, spacing, imagination and creativity, speed and grace, power and skill. We should trust it, embrace it, and allow it to nurture young lives the way it once did – through the same lessons that both winning and losing teach. Any worthy endeavor that engenders the kind of emotional and physical investment that The Game does deserves better than what it’s becoming. There may be a place outside of the current structure for the power conferences and “programs” that choose a different course, but the NCAA needs to reexamine its futile attempt to regulate the basketball fiefdums that have been created on major college campuses nationally. The days of the letter sweater and the mantra of being “true to your school” are as dead as Julius Caesar (thank you Officer Jim Malone) and those concepts, to the likes of Kentucky and Syracuse, are lost in a paradigm of pseudo amateurism.

Too much of a good thing has caused a kind of basketball indigestion that has sullied the college game, and in response, the NCAA is using a garden hose to try to extinguish a forest fire of rules violations that are neither entirely enforceable, nor really apropos given the big business that major college basketball has become. There was a time when a fully subsidized college education awarded on the basis of basketball skill would be compensation enough for a college player. But it’s a tougher argument to make these days when at least a couple of the starters at Kentucky will use their time in Lexington as a springboard to an NBA salary of between $1 and $3.5 million after one semester-plus on the campus, and their presence there in real time helps the school bring in millions more.

The Coach as teacher, mentor, and role model is another staple of the game that is an endangered species. Duke Coach Mike Krzyzewski tried to give this some perspective a few years ago when admonishing his power conference coaching peers: To paraphrase Coach, don’t let it blow your mind to know that there is some guy out there at a Division III school (or maybe an Ivy or Patriot League school) who can outcoach you seven days out of the week.  The system has evolved in a way that has given rise to coaches who more resemble Gordon Gekko than Norman Dale. The sad part is that had Coach Dale not won in 1952, we may never have heard of him. Would losing that Indiana State High School title have rendered his lessons any less valuable or valid? Would the experience have had less meaning for his players?

These days, in a no-holds barred effort to land the next great high school player, coaches and their staffs seem increasingly willing to shelve their personal integrity and engage in tactics that would make DC politicians blush. Too many of the nation’s academic institutions have become warehouses for basketball aprenticeships that are too often one or two years in length and that have little or nothing to do with academic integrity. In fact, circumventing the rules governing academic progress has become a modus operandi on far too many campuses. Coaches and the institutions that hire them know – or at least should know – the rules by which they are willing to play. When the proverbial stuff hits the fan, it’s almost comical to hear administrators suddenly turn into Casablanca’s Louie Renault, shocked to learn anything underhanded may have been going on.  I was born and raised in Syracuse. I enjoy SU basketball. I admire and respect Duke and what those teams have done on the court, along with North Carolina, Kansas, and the rest. I don’t blame John Calipari – not one bit – for his way of winning championships at Kentucky. The system is what it has become, and as Albert Einstein once said, “you have to learn the rules of the game, and then you have to play better than anyone else”. Unfortunately, the “game” in this case has become recruiting, and the rules stretched beyond recognition.

Jim Boeheim recently stated that he isn’t a policeman, he’s a basketball coach. It’s a statement that sadly presumes that the game has passed him by, and that is more an indictment of the game at that level than it is of the coach. The NCAA responded by saying it wants him to be a policeman. My takeaway: the state of the art resembles little of what it once was, and continues to move in the wrong direction.

As for the purity and beauty of the game, it seems someone has scribbled a mustache on the Mona Lisa. And Diogenes is still a 16 seed.

Diogenes searches for an honest man. Painting attributed to J. H. W. Tischbein (c. 1780)