One of my pet peeves in the sports broadcasting industry is commentators who make dozens of ridiculous predictions each sports season for the sole purpose of claiming “victory” once one of his/her inane insights happen to come true. These same people will quietly forget or ignore the other, incorrect guesses they made in an effort to make themselves look smarter than they may actually be.

We made our own predictions on an Eagles preview edition of RCN SportsTalk and, in the interest of full disclosure, I went back to see how we did. Here’s the good…and the bad…predictions we made about the Eagles 2013 season, keeping in mind these were made by our panelists and myself several weeks prior to the start of the season.

Preseason prediction #1: The Eagles will end the year with a .500 record or better.
When the team started the year 1-3 and their defense had more holes than Gruyére Swiss, this prediction wasn’t looking too solid. Even when the Eagles lost to the Giants—giving New York their first win of the season—not many people thought this team would break even record-wise, led alone win the division. Between fate (you couldn’t have ask for more opposing teams’ number-one players to go down with injuries), an improved defensive scheme, and an offense that learned to trust new starting quarterback Nick Foles, the team won seven of its last eight games. Despite a frustrating loss to the Saints in the first round of the playoffs, this year’s 10-7 season was a success and built a solid foundation for 2014.

Preseason prediction #2: Michael Vick will start 10-12 games this year.
WRONG! Not one of us on the panel thought that Vick had the slightest chance to go the entire season without missing at least a few games due to injury and/or ineffectiveness. However, Vick went down with debilitating injuries early and often and Nick Foles took full advantage of the increased playing time, turning in a performance for the record books. For a time, he had the highest quarterback passer rating in the HISTORY of the game. Despite a lackluster finish, he ended the year third on the all-time list sandwiched by future Hall of Famers Aaron Rodgers, Peyton Manning and Tom Brady. Foles’ rapid ascension to the starting quarterback spot made Vick—even after recovering from injuries–an afterthought by season’s end.

Preseason prediction #3: Nick Foles will finish the year as the starting quarterback.
Correct—but….
Most of our panel believed that Foles would eventually win the job anyway, or he’s be the last QB standing by default. Matt Barkley never did anything to indicate that he would be a signal-caller to run this offense in training camp, and the limited times we saw him during the season suggests he’ll only return next year as a third-stringer at best. I know people don’t want to hear any possibility that Foles DOESN’T return as the starter next year, and I still highly doubt that the team will seriously look to move him. However, there’s a few well-respected Eagles’ journalists that I’ve spoken with that insist the team will at least venture into the possibility of “selling high” and getting a bundle in return for him—or at least, ASKING for a king’s ransom, and keeping Foles if no team bites.

Preseason prediction #4: Mychal Kendricks will emerge as a star.
This prediction came true very early in the season as the second-year, 23-year-old out of California established himself as the top-notch middle linebacker this team has sorely needed since the first departure of Jeremiah Trotter. But what we didn’t foresee back in early August was the way the players around Kendricks would step up their games. Connor Barwin also become a force on defense for the Eagles, disrupting passing lanes and rarely allowing a ball carrier to break free in his territory. By season’s end, Trent Cole looked extremely comfortable after adjusting to his “hybrid” position in the Eagles new 3-4 alignment. Really, there weren’t too many weaknesses in this defense overall—with the exception of depth, especially at outside linebacker and safety. Improving on the core with Kendricks at the center of it all will be the Eagles number one priority this offseason. Adding bigger, taller and stronger players into the fold was a focus of Chip Kelly’s post-season analysis and will be the main mission of the front office this offseason.

Preseason prediction #5: Jeremy Maclin will return next year.
At the time this prediction was made and contrary to many other players like him in the last year of a contract, Maclin had made the classy decision to NOT sit-out of training camp. Perceived as a critical piece of the puzzle in Kelly’s new offense, Maclin participated in preseason drills for the betterment of the team, only to tear his ACL, and lose all negotiating leverage he had when trying to extend his contract.

This will be a key issue for the team to address in the coming months. With the emergence of Riley Cooper as a solid number two receiver (despite that dropped pass over the middle in the Saints game), and another steady season by slot receiver Jason Avant, it appears that Maclin will not have a place on next year’s team. The Eagles have dropped the public relations ball on previous players who gave their heart-and-soul to the team (i.e., Reggie Brown, Brian Dawkins) only to be spurned a respectable offer to return. I know Maclin is not in that group’s class of all-time greats, but if the team is truly looking to embark on a new year, it should bite a small financial bullet and bring Jeremy back. It still remains to be seen if one of the top-skilled position players from a year ago will be back this fall.

We’d love to hear your thoughts on the Eagles season and on what steps the team needs to take this offseason to further its playoff drive for next season. Post a comment below or email your sports opinions to us at RCNSportsTalk@rcn.com and tune in on Thursdays at 6pm for the latest local, regional and national sports conversations.

Behind the Mic:  No More BCS

Well, hopefully, we have seen the last of the BCS College Football Championship. It will be replaced with the CFP (College Football Playoff) in order to determine a national champion for the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (why does it have to sound so complex?).

Under the new system, four teams will play in two semifinal games (#1 vs. #4, #2 vs. #3), with the winners advancing to the championship. There is a rotation system in place to keep the major bowls viable. On consecutive days around New Year’s Day, the Rose and Sugar Bowls will host the semifinals; in 2015, the Orange and Cotton, and in 2016, the Fiesta and Chick-Fil-A. During the off-years, these bowls will have the remainder of the games featuring the other top eight teams not in the top four. Computers will not be used to select the teams, as they are now. Instead, a committee of 13 people, made up of ADs, former ADs, coaches, media members, etc. will select and seed the teams. Throughout the season, this committee will meet and release rankings. They will weigh strength of schedule, records, conference champions and head-to-head results.

Next year’s championship will be played on January 12, 2015 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. ESPN has the rights to the playoff games through 2025 at a cost estimated to be $7.3 billion ($608 million per year for the seven games). If you do not want to do the math, that’s $86 million a game!

The system differs from the FCS (Football Championship Subdivision) where Lafayette and Lehigh reside. Their playoff system consists of 24 teams with the top eight getting a bye week. It takes five weekends to name a national FCS champion. That is still the fairest system.

In a year where I felt Auburn should have played Alabama again for the national championship (before I watched the Oklahoma-Alabama game), the new system will certainly be an improvement. I would have liked to have seen an 8-team playoff system, where a champion could be determined in three weeks, but this is certainly a better system. But there will still be plenty to debate between #4 and #5. Who gets the shot and who doesn’t? With that said, I still really look forward to the last two weeks of college football in 2016 for sure.

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS)
1. How about those NFL wild card games this past weekend? Could there have been more exciting and, for some fans, more excruciating games? Three of the four came down to the very end and three of the four played in the worst possible weather. The Indianapolis game in the dome turned out to be a pleasant relief from the “freezer” games.

2. The Eagles game, in particular, had so many “what-ifs”. What if they make an early field goal and put three points on the board (they lost by two)? What if Riley Cooper catches a wide-open pass which most assuredly would have led to a score of some kind? What if the Eagles score the go-ahead touchdown and do not leave so much time on the clock for the Saints and Drew Brees? What if a horse-collar tackle is not made and the runback goes for a touchdown on the kickoff and the Eagles have time to score themselves at the end? What if?

3. Is there a rule in the NFL that offensive and defensive linemen cannot wear long shirts? I know these guys are tough, but in subzero weather!! Is “tough” defined as “stupid”?

4. I still vividly remember the trip to North Dakota State back in 2011 when Lafayette opened their football season. It is a unique place for sure – meat raffles, dogs on bar stools, a town that closes down on football day, etc. Lafayette lost 42-6 that night. Well, that same North Dakota State team just won their third straight FCS national football championship this past weekend by a 35-7 score over Towson. Head coach Craig Bohl is now headed to Wyoming to coach the Cowboys. I would not think Wyoming is a booming metropolis either.

5. I sure hope we get to broadcast some high school sporting events this week. Three high school basketball games are on tap and a huge wrestling match (Nazareth at Bethlehem Catholic). Now we just need some cooperation from the weather.

NFL PICKS FOR THIS WEEK
(Last week – 2-2) (168-91-1 65%)
SEATTLE
NEW ENGLAND
SAN FRANCISCO
DENVER

First of all, a big thank-you for all the comments, suggestions and feedback we received prior to, during and following our “Year-in-Review” edition of “RCN SportsTalk.”  It takes a good deal of time to go back through all the games, tapes, files, et al, trying to review all of the sports events covered over a twelve-month stretch.  It is extremely rewarding when our viewers call us asking in advance for the show and then let us know afterwards how much they enjoyed looking back at many memories, one last time, at the end of the calendar year.

Since it is a very busy program, we inevitably run out of time before we get through every item we hoped to address.  Here are a few of the year-end topics and my responses that didn’t make it to this year’s show, along with a few predictions for the new year. 

•  “Most Underrated Coach in 2013.”  Northampton softball head coach Sally Whittaker-Kahan guided her team to winning its first 19 games of the season.  Led by an outstanding pitcher in Marly Laubach (no relation to RCN’s own Gary), they entered the league playoffs as the number-one team.  Despite a semifinal loss in leagues, the K-Kids bounced back to capture the District XI title.  After the season Whittaker-Kahan announced she would be stepping down due to a medical issue, ending a long run of success as a player at Parkland High School and Temple University, and finishing her coaching career on top.
• “Biggest Challenge Overcome in 2013.”  The Allen girls and boys basketball teams each had major hurdles they had to overcome in 2013.  The girls team found themselves without a coach, and retired head coach Tom Gallagher came on board late in the offseason.  The Lady Canaries did not have high expectations nor returned many players from the previous year.   Gallagher gave the program a huge lift by agreeing to take over in a very tough situation.  Boys’ head coach Doug Snyder had to deal with several players leaving the team for various reasons throughout the 2013 season and still found a way to make the district playoffs.  They lost more players prior to the start of this current season – not all of their losses due to graduation.  But between Snyder’s coaching and the outstanding players that remain with the program, I am sure the Canaries will once again be a force in 2014.
• “Top Underclassman for a Team We Saw on RCN.”  To be honest, I had a tie between Liberty’s Doug Erney and Nazareth’s Justin Albert.  I think both teams had some off-field issues that may or may not have affected the rest of their teams.  I feel both Erney and Albert grew into their roles as quarterbacks and showed solid decision-making ability combined with strong throwing arms.  I think both the Hurricanes and the Blue Eagles will have better records in 2014 and those two players will be a big reason why.
• “Worst Decision Made by a Sports Personality.”  Basically every move Phillies General Manager Ruben Amaro, Jr. made during the last few months of the year.  He not only resigned nearly all of the aging core of players who have been underperforming over the last two seasons (with the exception of Roy Halladay, who retired), but also added older, inconsistent players (Marlon Byrd, Roberto Hernandez) via free agency.  The list of question marks for next year’s team has only grown since the season concluded, with a series of head-scratching moves and acquisitions.  Amaro needs nearly all those questions answered very positively in 2014 if the Phillies are going to have any chance at the playoffs — and to save his job.
• “Best Sports Addition in 2013.”  Eagles head coach Chip Kelly.  I normally wish fans would give head coaches at least one year (at the professional level) to adjust to a new team and implement his/her system.   Birds fans were all over Kelly for his moves early in the season and his 1-3 start, and questions were raised if he was going to be a long-term answer to running the team.  2013 was a huge success for the Eagles and the team will be even better in 2014.  Our co-host Joe Craig’s “Stone-Cold Prediction” for 2014, if time had allowed on the show, was that the Eagles will go to the Super Bowl.
• “Stone-Cold Lock for 2014.”  There will be much greater interest in the Dieruff football program in 2014.  While most local football experts thought a “good” season for the Huskies in 2013 would have been one or two wins, Dieruff exceeded everyone’s expectations this past year with five victories.  They almost won a sixth game, which would have qualified them for the playoffs.  The team looks to build on the success it developed in ’13 and, for the first time in quite a while, they will head into the this fall season as a team to watch.  I envision Dieruff winning more games in ‘14, thanks, in part, to the new LVC, which will grant a more lenient and stable schedule for the long-term.

We’d love to hear your responses to these topics, along with your sports predictions for 2014.  Please post your comments below and we’ll see if your predictions come true in the new year.

Don’t forget, you can see the entire show for free on RCN On-Demand by going to channel 1 or hitting the VOD button on your remote control, then click on RCN-TV, sports and then “RCN SportsTalk.”  Be sure to check out all of RCN’s local programming, along with the latest movies and special events that are offered on RCN On-Demand. 

Happy New Year everyone!

We recently wrapped up the high school football season by featuring the District XI Champion Parkland football team on “RCN SportsTalk” (the show is available for free on RCN On Demand). As we closed the books on the 2013 campaign, there were a few things that stuck out in my mind, along with an issue or two that might linger into the 2014 season.

1) This was NOT a “down year” for quarterbacks. The Lehigh Valley has been blessed with some awesome signal callers, especially in the last decade. Liberty, Whitehall, Wilson, Nazareth and a couple other schools have had multiple quarterbacks excel and move on to play at the collegiate level. With no clear “player of the year” coming into 2013, many fans thought the skill level of quarterbacks would suffer this fall. On the contrary, I saw a different type of QB quite often. Players like Doug Erney (Liberty), Jeff Charles (Whitehall), Travis Edmond (Southern Lehigh) and Justin Albert (Nazareth) were just some of the quarterbacks who grew into the area’s best in their positions. While they didn’t necessarily put up dominating rushing yards like a Brendan Nosovitch-type of player, the QBs mentioned above would often run to buy time for their receivers to get open. We also saw a slight decrease in the number of interceptions this fall, indicating smart decision-making by local passers this year. Perhaps no quarterback has more of an ‘up-side’ than Parkland’s DeVante Cross. Initially identified more as a rushing-type of back, he began to showcase a cannon of an arm and showed big-time play ability in the team’s district playoff wins over Whitehall and Easton. Most of these names return in 2014, and I’m looking forward to seeing them continue their ascension for the next season.

2) Score one for the “underdogs.” While we had a number of stars coming into this season, some of the players not expected to be in the spotlight are the players that I’ll remember the most. Becahi’s Will Ward, Whitehall’s Ryan Bonshak, Easton’s Cameron Casciole and just about everyone on Catasauqua’s line were some of my favorite players to watch this past season—not for posting gaudy offensive numbers, but for the things they did to set up the big plays. All of these players were forces on solid defensive teams and made key contributions on offense, defense and special teams. You need a key stop, a block or a turnover? These guys were the types of players who made their teams successful in 2013.

3) The Last of the One-Team Colonial League Domination. Over the last twelve seasons or so, we’ve seen one team dominate the Colonial League. First, Wilson was the clear team to beat for seven seasons. Then, Northern Lehigh, Pen Argyl and, most recently, Catasauqua took two-year turns as the clear-cut favorites. Catty was a fun team to watch, and the numbers they posted this season will stand in the record books for years. But with the Rough Riders graduating nearly their entire starting unit, I see a wide-open race for the League title next year. Teams like Palisades and Southern Lehigh took another major stride this year and found themselves in district championship games, with most players on those teams returning. Notre Dame and Northwestern, armed with up-and-coming talent, improved as the season unfolded and will look to increase their win total in ’14. Pen Argyl and Saucon Valley, each led by an outstanding group of coaches, will look to retool and be playoff contenders once again next fall. Northern Lehigh and maybe one other team that struggled this past season will look to shake things up and be much better a year from now.

4) The End of the LVC as we knew it. Regardless of whether or not the new “super-league” will keep the Lehigh Valley Conference name, there will be significant changes for 2014. There will no longer be non-conference games that coaches loved to use as a barometer to see how their team would stack up against squads from outside the area. This was the last season in which everyone in the conference will play each other. I know, in the near future, we’re going to have battles over the scheduling of games. Despite the league officers’ best efforts, it will be impossible to avoid conflicts over the crossover scheduling. For example, if Parkland ties Easton at season’s end, and one team had a more challenging schedule than the other, you know people from the “wronged” school will be unhappy. Teams that have to travel later in the year will feel slighted by other teams who made their long-distance travels during longer, warmer days earlier in the season. And good luck trying to figure out who will be the league champion with so many different variables at play. Eventually, things will work themselves out and the majority of teams will benefit thanks to the new conference. In the short term, it’s going to be an interesting 2014 school year, to say the least.

What are your memories from the past high school football season? Which players stuck out in your mind, and which teams will rise to glory next season? Post your comments on our blog and enjoy debating your points of view.

Gary is on vacation this week so he asked Jim Best, RCN high school wrestling color commentator, for his thoughts on local high school wrestling: 

The winter sports season is in full swing, and with it comes extensive coverage of local high school wrestling action. This will be my ninth “RCN” season, working alongside Scott Barr, commentating on some of the best high school wrestling action in the nation. With every new season, Scott and I find ourselves in conversations about District XI wrestlers that graduated and went off to college to 1) further their education, and 2) extend their respective wrestling careers. This season has been no different, and we are fortunate to have plenty of wrestlers to discuss. District XI has long been considered a “hot bed” of high school wrestling by college wrestling coaches, so it is no surprise that the most recent Division 1 college wrestling rankings have eight former District XI wrestlers ranked among the top 20 wrestlers in their respective weight classes. Although I have never been a huge fan of “rankings” in any sport (I much prefer the pecking order to be determined via head to head competition), the rankings that I trust the most come from the writers of the Amateur Wrestling News publication.  This publication is the Sports Illustrated for passionate wrestling fans like myself – we rejoice on the day that the monthly publication arrives in the mailbox!

Corey Keener (freshman, Central Michigan) from Blue Mountain High School is ranked seventh in the 125 pound weight class. Zach Horan (sophomore, Central Michigan) from Nazareth High School is ranked eleventh in the 141 pound weight class. Josh Kindig (junior, Oklahoma State) from Blue Mountain High School is ranked sixth in the 149 pound weight class. Mike Ottinger (junior, Central Michigan) from Parkland High School and Elliot Riddick (freshman, Lehigh) from Bethlehem Catholic High School are ranked ninth and fifteenth respectively in the 174 pound weight class. Jimmy Sheptock (senior, Maryland) from Northampton High School is ranked third in the 184 pound weight class. Brandon Palik (senior, Drexel) from Saucon Valley High School is ranked thirteenth in the 197 pound weight class, and Justin Grant (senior, Bloomsburg) from Easton High School is ranked nineteenth in the 285 pound weight class (also referred to as “heavyweight”).

In addition, there are several other former District XI wrestlers that are making noise in the college wrestling world. Mitch Minotti (Easton/Lehigh), Mike Racciato (Penn Argyl/University of Pittsburgh), Cole Sheptock (Northampton/University of Pittsburgh) and Darian Cruz (Bethlehem Catholic/Lehigh) are all “knocking on the door” to enter the top 20 rankings. At the Division 2 level, Ziad Haddad (junior, Kutztown University) from Bethlehem Catholic High School is ranked first in the 285 pound weight class, Evan Yenolevich (senior, Kutztown University) from Northwestern High School is ranked ninth at the 133 pound weight class, Bradan Turner (senior, East Stroudsburg University) from Northampton High School is ranked eleventh at the 165 pound weight class, and at the Division 3 level, Mark Hartenstine (senior, Wilkes University) from Easton High School is ranked fifth at the 149 pound weight class.

Now, these are just the guys that I currently keep track of. There are plenty more former District XI wrestlers who are “out there” and competing at the collegiate level, and I apologize for not recognizing them in this blog. Some of these wrestlers continue to compete because they receive the rare wrestling scholarship money as a reward for their wrestling abilities, but all of them continue to compete because they love the sport of wrestling. My guess is that none of them are competing to get mentioned in this blog!

Like every athlete that competes at the collegiate level, these wrestlers need to delicately balance the demands of training and competing with the demands of excelling in the classroom. As an observer from afar, and as a former college wrestler, I have the utmost respect for how these young men conduct themselves and keep their priorities in perspective. Over the years, numerous District XI wrestlers, that competed at the collegiate level, returned to the area after graduation and have since contributed to the local high school wrestling scene in a coaching role.

As a District XI wrestling community, we should be proud of these athletes and continue to fully support them, in whatever ways that we can, no matter where they are now.

NFL PICKS FOR THIS WEEK
 Last week – 15-1; (Overall:  166-89-1 – 65%)
Kansas City
Cincinnati
San Francisco
Philadelphia

Would Eagles Trade Nick Foles?

I have a ton of respect for the Philadelphia Eagles beat writers. From the time I covered the team on a regular basis to the times where we are fortunate to have them on our “RCN SportsTalk” show, they always provide valuable insights on the team and on the NFL. They don’t buy in to starting wild or ridiculous rumors to try to sell their papers, nor do they start controversies just to put themselves in the news. They base their stories and opinions on solid facts and, whether you agree with their commentaries or not, they’re always thought-provoking, using logic and reliable gut instinct.

It is with this in mind that I mention comments raised by the Morning Call’s Eagles beat writer Nick Fierro on last week’s “SportsTalk” show…

At first, I was stunned at the thought of the Eagles trading arguably the most popular personality in Philadelphia right now (for the record, co-host Dennis Laub wholeheartedly agreed with him). When Nick offers his sage wisdom, I’ve learned to consider his observations and think long and hard before disagreeing with him. So let’s consider the upside to trading your starting quarterback:

• Foles’ stock will never be higher than it is right now, and he’s not likely to continue playing at this high a level going forward.

• Trading Foles now would get you two or three other quality pieces (with one being a draft pick that could be packaged in a deal to get you a new starting QB or a stud pick for another position).

• There are some quality signal callers available in the draft that might be closer to Chip Kelly’s “ideal” quarterback to run his spread offense. (Although Kelly has said publicly and repeatedly that Foles is his guy, there are indications that Foles is not the typical back to run this offense).

Would this be enough reasoning for the Eagles to trade Foles after the season? It would open the door for a possible return of Michael Vick, perhaps as a stop-gap starter and mentor to the quarterback you’d select in the draft. Even though most fans and critics have called the 2013 a success on many levels, the next few weeks might just determine what the front office decides to do with Foles and their plans going forward. One would think it’ll be harder from a PR standpoint to trade Foles if he leads the team to multiple playoff victories…or would it only enhance the value Philadelphia could get in return for him?

For the record, Nick did not say he would a proponent of trading Foles, nor did he say it was a done deal once the season concludes. But recent Eagles history indicates they’re not a team that stands pat very often, and if Kelly’s coaching style this year has taught us nothing else, it’s proven that he is not afraid to take risks.

What would you do if you were Eagles GM Howie Roseman? Would you ‘stick-with-Nick’ and make him your quarterback for the future? Or do you sell high and try to solve other issues with more proven players at other positions and take your chances on drafting a young QB? Send your comments to RCNSportsTalk@rcn.com or post your views in our comments section. Have fun debating Foles’ fate in Philadelphia as the Birds look to continue Swinning games this winter.

BEHIND THE MIC:

Since this is my final blog for 2013 (Scott Barr and Jim Best will fill in for the next two weeks), I thought this would be a good time to look at New Year’s resolutions. Early research indicates that 52% of people want to lose weight; 43% want to improve their general health; 18% want to start a fitness program; and 15% want to curb stress and anxiety.

That all sounds like a great start to a healthy 2014, doesn’t it? However, only 11% of people polled thought they would actually stick to their resolution; 68% would abandon them in January; and 11% said they did not think they could even get through the first six days of the New Year.

Let me offer up 10 possibilities that you may WANT and actually BE ABLE to achieve:
1. Travel
2. Socialize more; Facebook a little less
3. Buy less expensive coffee on your way to work
4. Talk more than text
5. Watch less reality TV
6. Read a good book
7. Save more money
8. Leave work on time more often
9. Learn to use Twitter; it can be fun
10. Walk more

Trying to do the things on this list should improve both your physical and mental health (weight loss is optional). Plus, they all seem very doable. So by this time next year, you might actually get a little self-gratification, too. And that’s not a bad thing.

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS)
1. Can anyone figure out the NFL? San Diego beats Denver; Miami beats New England; Minnesota beats Philadelphia; St. Louis destroys New Orleans; Pittsburgh over Cincinnati. If you need a reason NOT to bet on NFL games, this weekend should prove that to you.

2. We know that CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy) has been found in football and hockey. Now they have found it in baseball. One year after the suicide death of Cincinnati player, Ryan Freel, the Boston University School of Medicine has diagnosed Freel with Stage 2 CTE. Stage 2 CTE caused by concussions is associated with erratic behavior and memory loss. This year alone, 18 baseball players were placed on the disabled list after concussions – 10 of them were catchers.

3. Did you notice that the Eagles played Green Bay when the Packers did not have Aaron Rodgers (a win!); they played Detroit without Reggie Bush (a win!); they played Minnesota without Adrian Peterson and the Vikings only won three games with him (48-30 loss! What??).

4. Remember Liberty’s Darrun Hilliard? The junior scored 21 points this past Sunday to lead #9 Villanova to their 10th consecutive win this year without a defeat. I saw two of our best local high school players last Friday night – Central Catholic’s Muhammad Ali Abdur Rahkman and Dieruff’s Tyler Kohl. They scored 57 points – Rahkman: 32; Kohl: 25. They should both be playing major college basketball this time next year. Get out and see them play!

5. Finally, I want to thank all of you for the kind comments throughout the 2013 sports season and I want to wish you and your family a wonderful holiday and a very Happy and Healthy New Year!! See you in 2014!

NFL PICKS FOR THIS WEEK
(Last week – 9-7) (140-83-1 overall – 63%)
MIAMI
CAROLINA
CINCINNATI
DENVER
TENNESSEE
KANSAS CITY
JETS
ST. LOUIS
DALLAS
DETROIT
SEATTLE
GREEN BAY
SAN DIEGO
NEW ENGLAND
PHILADELPHIA
SAN FRANCISCO

Calling for “Year-in-Review” Nominations

One of our annual traditions on the “RCN SportsTalk” show is our sports “year-in-review” show. We try to spotlight the people, teams, games, stories and memories, both positive and negative, that highlighted the past calendar year. We try to come up with new topics for this program each December while keeping some of our favorite questions. This year, we’d like to include our RCN-TV website audience and incorporate your opinions in shaping this year’s show, which will be live on RCN-TV on Thursday, December 19th from 6-7 pm.

Here’s a look at some of the potential topics for this year’s program:
• Most Unique Athlete of 2013
• Toughest Challenge Overcome in 2013
• Most Unique HS Game ‘You Saw’ in 2013
• Most Frustrating Thing About 2013
• Best Surprise of 2013
• Biggest Local Story (Lehigh/Delaware Valley) of 2013
• A “Shout out” for one person/group who did something exceptional during the year
• Biggest National Story of 2013
• Best Sports Decision Made in 2013
• Biggest Loss In 2013
• Sports Personality You Saw Too Much Of in 2013
• Sports Personality You’d Have Like to See More Of in 2013
• Best Team You Saw in 2013
• One Thing You’d Like To See in 2014
• Team/Player to Watch in 2014
• Resolution Advice for 2014
• A ‘Guaranteed’ Sports Prediction for 2014

We’d appreciate your feedback! Which topics are your favorites? Do you have a unique athletic, a memorable game or another answer to one or more of these questions that we should include on our year-in-review show? Email us at RCNSportsTalk@rcn.net and tune in for our final live show of 2013 on December 19th at 6pm!

BEHIND THE MIC:  Top Searches of the Year

Within the past week, Yahoo released its lists for 2013: Top-Searched Teams; Top-Searched Athletes; Top-Searched Girlfriends. Let’s take a look (not at the girlfriends – I’ll leave that up to you).

Top-Searched Sports Teams on Yahoo in 2013:
1. Dallas Cowboys
2. Boston Red Sox
3. Green Bay Packers
4. Los Angeles Lakers
5. Detroit Tigers
6. Pittsburgh Steelers
7. Los Angeles Dodgers
8. New York Yankees
9. Denver Broncos
10. Milwaukee Bucks

What’s wrong with these people? The Steelers appear to be the most popular team in Pennsylvania. Where are the Eagles, the Phillies, and the Flyers? In fact, where is any hockey team? And why Dallas – are they still really “America’s team” despite their recent failings? The Yankees at #8 is a surprise to me. Aren’t they loved AND hated enough to be higher? And to be beaten out by three spots to the Detroit Tigers and four spots by the Dodgers! Is the temperature dropping in Hades? The Milwaukee Bucks over the Miami Heat – what’s up with that?

Maybe I can make more sense out of the Athletes searched this past year:

Top-Searched Athletes on Yahoo 2013:
1. Tim Tebow
2. Tiger Woods
3. Danica Patrick
4. Lindsey Vonn
5. Ronda Rousey
6. Lamar Odom
7. Tito Ortiz
8. Serena Williams
9. Maria Sharapova
10. Gina Carano

What? Obviously, I cannot make more sense out of this list, either. Tim Tebow has an offer to play football in Italy, but he can’t make a team in America. He’s #1?? Wouldn’t it have been nice to put Lindsey Vonn and Tiger Woods next to each other? They are a couple, you know, and I don’t like seeing Danica Patrick come between them. Lamar Odom – seriously – his personal life and Kardashian connection create interest – his 2013 athletic achievements – not so much? Serena and Maria: I would not have guessed that women’s professional tennis would create such interest. Perhaps, it’s not the tennis.

I had to look up Ronda Rousey, Tito Ortiz, and Gina Carano. Who are they? It turns out that they are all associated with the MMA (Mixed Martial Arts). And by looking them up, I have added to their popularity. Go figure.

And to satisfy your curiosity, the top-searched athletes’ girlfriends on the list are:

Top-Searched Girlfriends on Yahoo in 2013:
1. Tim Tebow’s girlfriend
2. Tiger Woods’ girlfriend
3. A J Mccarron’s girlfriend
4. Colin Kaepernick’s girlfriend
5. Johnny Manziel’s girlfriend

It appears that the road to finding that special someone is to be a quarterback or the world’s best golfer. Glad I could help!

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS)
1. The Sunday snow sure made for some interesting NFL watching. The Eagles game was just plain fun to watch. It could foreshadow the possible weather conditions for this year’s Super Bowl. Is that a good thing?

2. Did you take notice that of the eight teams that will vie for the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association state football championships in four classes, six are private schools and just two are public schools. Eventually, there will be an outcry from the public school sector.

3. It looks like Auburn vs. Florida State for the NCAA BCS National Football Championship. It should be a high-scoring, entertaining game.

4. The scene: Golf’s World Challenge: Par 4 – Final Hole – $1,000,000 prize – tied for the lead with Tiger Woods. That’s what faced Zach Johnson on the 18th hole on Sunday. He hit his second shot in the water. Tournament over? Not so fast – put the ball in the drop area – one stroke penalty – and hit the fourth shot 58 yards in the hole – easy par! Tie Tiger. Beat Tiger in the playoff. Have a nice day.

5. Nelson Mandela was rarely mentioned in a sports story. In his autobiography there is no mention of sports, but no event in South Africa symbolized what he spent his life fighting for than the rugby World Cup in 1995. South Africa won and, as president of the country, he embraced the blond captain of the traditionally white team, and symbolized his desire to unite the country and put an end to apartheid. It’s all there in the movie Invictus.

NFL PICKS FOR THIS WEEK
(Last week – 11-5) (131-76-1 overall – 63%)

DENVER
JACKSONVILLE
INDIANAPOLIS
PHILADELPHIA
SAN FRANCISCO
CAROLINA
GREEN BAY
TENNESSEE
CHICAGO
PATRIOTS
SEATTLE
ATLANTA
KANSAS CITY
NEW ORLEANS
CINCINNATI

Dream Come True Telethon

I love my job. Make no mistake about it. In the past few weeks, I have been able to watch our local high school football teams compete for a conference championship, a District title, and make a run for a state championship. In addition, I was able to broadcast the 149th edition of the Lafayette-Lehigh football game and begin the college basketball season with the Lafayette men’s team. Right around the corner is another season of high school and college basketball which will quickly take me through the winter and into March Madness. It’s the best.

There is one night a year, however, that is even better. It is the night that I co-host the Dream Come True Telethon. On Monday, December 9, we will do the Telethon for the 28th year. I have not hosted all of them, but in the early years, I made sure I was a guest on the show. The Dream Come True organization, in case you did not know, was founded in 1984 by Kostas Kalogeropoulous, a local businessman. The goal of the organization is simple – fulfill the dreams of children who are seriously, chronically, and terminally ill and reside in the greater Lehigh Valley area. Children are referred by family, friends, clergy, doctors, social workers, etc. and the dreams usually fall into three categories – trips, contact with celebrities, and special gifts (computers, shopping sprees, for example).

Scott Barr and I have been hosting together for many, many years. He handles the auction area and, boy, is he terrific! If you watch Home Shopping Network or any of the other all-day shopping TV channels, just watch Scott do his thing during the four-hour night. He is as good as, if not better, than the professionals.

There is always a variety of unique items donated by local businesses as well as our friends from the cable TV networks. If you want something really unique and not found in any store, tune us in and bid on the items. You’ll make Scott’s night.

Ann Savkova, our excellent parade announcer, will do many of the interviews with the children who have had their dreams fulfilled. She is a pleasure to have as part of the team.

We will, once again, be at The Outlets at the Sands. They were wonderful hosts last year as we broadcasted for the very first time from this venue. It is an exciting location and we enjoyed the new “digs”. You certainly are invited to stop by, say hello, and, hopefully, make a donation. It is a great place to shop and giving to Dream Come True will certainly get you into the holiday spirit.

The important facts are:
The Date: Monday, December 9
The Time: 6:00 – 10:00 PM
The Location: The Outlets at the Sands
The Television Dial: RCNTV channels 4 and 1004 (HD)
The Purpose: To fulfill as many hopes, dreams and fantasies for seriously, chronically,and terminally ill children as possible.
The Phone Number to Make a Donation: 1-800-749-8099

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS)
1. I know that this past Friday is known as Black Friday, but since I would never shop that day, it means very little to me. However, I did suffer through Black Saturday when all of our local football teams went down to defeat – Lafayette lost 45-7 to New Hampshire; Parkland lost 21-10 to St. Joe’s Prep and Catty lost 49-0 to Imhotep Charter. It was a “black” day indeed.

2. There were some amazing college football games on TV this past weekend. Penn State was a 24-point underdog to #15 Wisconsin and beat them 31-24. I watched as #17 LSU needed to go 99 yards in the final minute to beat Arkansas 31-27. Arkansas did not win an SEC game all year. And the best of all was watching Auburn’s Chris Davis return a missed field goal 107 yards with no time left to give #1 Alabama their first loss in 16 games. Can we actually have a BCS championship game without an SEC representative? We can and probably will, but I still think Alabama and Auburn are the two best teams in college football. Again, no true championship decided on the field.

3. Dare I forget that Ohio State beat Michigan 42-41? Michigan coach, Brady Hoke, decided to go for two points in the last few seconds. It failed. Speaking of that rivalry, Sunday Night’s 60 Minutes did a feature on a young boy who is an avid Ohio State fan. He has brain cancer but hates the word “cancer”. He calls his tumor “Michigan”.

4. Speaking, again, of good football, 10 NFL games were decided by seven points or less this past weekend – two went overtime and NOTHING changed in the standings or the Wild Card scenarios.

5. The Lafayette women’s basketball team is off to a very impressive 5-2 start with wins over Rider, Brown, Columbia, Pit, and Loyola of Chicago. RCN-TV will broadcast the first women’s game of the year on Sunday, December 8, LIVE at 2:00pm. Join us.

NFL PICKS FOR THIS WEEK
(Last week – 11-5) (120-71-1 overall – 63%)
HOUSTON
BALTIMORE
CINCINNATI
NEW ENGLAND
JETS
PHILADELPHIA
PITTSBURGH
BUFFALO
KANSAS CITY
ATLANTA
DENVER
ARIZONA
SAN DIEGO
SEATTLE
NEW ORLEANS
CHICAGO