The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of RCN or any other agency, organization, employer or company.
I know this is the time of the year when most writers look back on the past year and reminisce on the highlights of the 2019. You will be able to find plenty of those articles and opinions in the next week or so. I am not much for looking back. I tend to think except for the nostalgia value, not much is gained by it. Instead, I like to look ahead – you know, have a reason to look forward to the next day and the one after that.
So, with that in mind, and since this will be my last blog for the year (“Gary’s Guesses” will continue, however), I thought I would offer up some of the questions I look forward to answering in the near future in 2019. They are in no particular order:
- Can the Eagles actually get into the NFL playoffs and win a playoff game? (I think a Super Bowl win is out of the question).
- If the Eagles beat the Cowboys this week, will John Garrett get the ax; or if the Cowboys win, will his job be safe?
- Is it me or are NFL games becoming much like all NBA games in that the outcome comes down often to the last two minutes?
- Did the Patriots really cheat again by filming the Bengals sideline?
- Do you have a favorite yet to win the Super Bowl? I like the Ravens right now.
- Is there a more enjoyable college football game to watch than Army–Navy? It just gives you a different feeling when you see the members of the academies both playing and cheering on their respective teams. I hope there is a reasonable explanation for the hand gestures picked up by the TV cameras.
- With all Philadelphia sports teams seemingly on the rise (except maybe the Eagles), will the Phils and the Flyers and 76’ers all create year-round excitement in the City of Brotherly Love?
- Will the winter high school wrestling and basketball seasons be just as competitive as the past football season? I am guessing we are in for a great winter of high school sports?
- Do you agree with me that Match Play golf is the most entertaining golf to watch? The President’s Cup was great television (except for the fact it was played in Australia and the outcome was known before the TV broadcast)? Even with that said, it was still exciting to see how it all ended.
- Can Lafayette maintain the excitement of their recent successes in all sports particularly football and men’s and women’s basketball?
Well, that’s enough to chew on for a while, with new questions cropping up every week. Before I call it a year, I do want to thank all the people who made this past year so gratifying – the RCN-TV crew and management (they are an amazing group); athletic directors and coaches (their cooperation is essential); statisticians (they are SO important to me); the players (your dedication and effort inspires me every game); the Lafayette Sports Information Department (you make me feel like part of the team); and, especially, you, the fans. Nothing makes our day than when so many of you take the time to tell us how much you enjoy our product.
I hope we all can spend 2020 together once again!
ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS)
- Aaron Clark of Easton knows how to return to a lineup. After getting a high ankle sprain during the second practice of the season, the sophomore missed the Red Rovers’ first two games. He returned this past Thursday and, despite barely playing in the first quarter, he scored 26 points, was 8 for 8 from 3-point range, and blocked the final potential game-tying shot. By the way he scored another 25 against Liberty on Saturday night. He is certainly back.
- Imagine the poor bettors who had the Redskins and 6.5 points or those who had the Falcons – 49’ers in the “over/under” bet. The Eagles had a four-point lead when the Redskins fumbled. The Eagles returned the fumble for a touchdown with no time left. The Eagles won by 10 and those who bet on the Redskins lost. The over/under for the Falcons game was 49.5 points. The Falcons scored two touchdowns in the final 8 seconds to put the score “over” with a 29-22 win (51 points). I’m sure there was plenty of wailing in the various betting parlors around the country.
- With all the analytics in all sports these days, you would think the easiest thing to get right would be the decision after you win the opening NFL coin toss. Not so. The Cowboys really messed it up this past Sunday. Dallas quarterback, Zak Prescott, actually gave three different answers to the referee and confusion reigned. And the Rams actually thought they would receive the second half kickoff when they came out of the locker room. They had already received the first half kickoff. It turns out that the Cowboys eventually deferred, but caused plenty of confusion. It is hard to imagine this is a hard decision.
- Nine weeks into the NBA season, and the 76’ers look like they could be in the title hunt this year. They just won 13 of their last 16 games and Joel Embiid seems to have taken the Charles Barkley criticism to heart. He is playing excellent basketball of late (38 points and 13 rebounds against the Celtics this past week).
- Plenty of high school action takes place this week on RCN-TV. In basketball, Allen takes on Bethlehem Catholic LIVE and Freedom plays Easton (9:30) on Tuesday with Liberty at Freedom (LIVE) and Nazareth at Northampton (9:30) on Friday night. Our wrestling season begins with Emmaus at Parkland on Wednesday night.
GARY’S GUESSES (LAST WEEK – 11-5) (YEAR-TO-DATE) – 143-79-1 (64%)
HOUSTON
NEW ENGLAND
SAN FRANCISCO
ATLANTA
NEW ORLEANS
GIANTS
PITTSBURGH
INDIANAPOLIS
DENVER
CHARGERS
SEATTLE
