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.
Below is a blog I wrote last year. Since my feelings have not changed, it is still quite appropriate so I have decided to repeat it again:
I heard two sentences this week that really hit home. The words were even more poignant since this is Thanksgiving week.
The first sentence came from a gentleman in his 80s. He said, “Growing old is good.” I thought about that since I am getting up there or, as my younger friends constantly remind me, I have already gotten there. It is good. Every day is a new challenge but every day is welcomed.
Sunday night on 60 Minutes, a former NFL player who now suffers from ALS said that when others listen to his optimistic outlook despite being diagnosed with a shortened life, they very often end their encounter with him by saying, “God bless you.” His response is always the same, “He already has.”
For some reason, these two sentences meant a great deal to me. I know I often try to fill these pages with sports stories, but not this week. I have plenty to be thankful for. I, along with many others, I’m sure, rarely verbalize it. Since I have this venue, this is as good a time as any to say “Thank you”.
Thanks to my wife of 56 years. She has always been my rock. I’m not so sure about me. People who know me, and then see her, often say to her, “You must be a saint.” I can tell you she is.
Thanks to my children and grandchildren. For my wife, Luba and I, they are our pride and joy. They are all successful, caring, and nice people. And they are happy. What more could any parent or grandparent want?
Thanks to RCN. My occupational ventures have taken me from the classroom to the broadcasting booth. The ride has been spectacular. I started with Twin-County, stayed on with C-Tec, and continue the journey with RCN. Vocationally, it is the best time of my life and the company continues to allow this guy to represent them in public. I really appreciate that.
Thanks to the viewers. They are appreciative. They complain when we do not games, but even that is a compliment in a way. And when they offer criticism, we take it to heart and try to get better.
Thanks to the athletic directors, the coaches, and the statisticians. This job would be a nightmare without their help. Luckily they ALL help.
Thanks to the student-athletes. If you want to feel and stay young, hang around young people. I know every time I interview a Lafayette student, I come away thinking these are the citizens who will fix the world.
Special thanks to the RCN television team. There are so many workers (and, boy, do they work) who run the wires, set up the cameras, the audio, the graphics, and the booths for every game only to tear it down and do it all over again many times each week.
Thanks to Joanne G. She has to read and edit this blog every week. So at least I know one person has read it and corrected it. She keeps me out of trouble and I thank her for that and feel a little sorry for her.
Making this list felt good. And, to review, “Growing old is good” and God has blessed me.
Happy Thanksgiving to you!
ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS)
1. Once again the Lehigh Valley District football champions were subjected to the annual pounding by the Philadelphia Catholic schools. Nazareth was soundly beaten by St. Joe’s Prep, ranked #1 in the state and Southern Lehigh was beaten 41-7 by Archbishop Wood. This IS NOT a level playing field. Both of our teams were outstanding this year and yet they could not compete with the non-boundary schools. It is time for a change. Let our public schools compete against public schools.
2. It felt really good to finally call a Lafayette victory over Lehigh! The last time I was able to do that was in 2013. Even though I did a 2-hour pregame at Yankee Stadium in 2014 and Lafayette dominated Lehigh 27-7, I was not part of the broadcasting team.
3. Speaking of Lafayette, their athletic program had quite a week. On Tuesday, the men’s basketball team upset Ivy League favorite Penn (and they had already beaten Princeton); the women beat LIU on Wednesday and won again with a win over Albany on Saturday. The men beat a very good Fairleigh Dickinson team on Sunday and, did I mention, that the Lafayette football team beat Lehigh 17-16 on Saturday. I may have mentioned that.
4. I came home on Saturday and watched the Penn State–Ohio State game. I thought that Penn State at least made Ohio State look vulnerable before losing 28-17. One player who is not vulnerable is Chase Young, the defensive end for the Buckeyes. He is spectacular and is being mentioned as the #1 NFL draft choice. It would be a good choice.
5. The Eagles’ offense was awful again this past Sunday. Until their wide receivers get healthy, they will continue to struggle scoring. Hopefully, they will be able to win their games in the next few weeks against weaker opponents. That would leave the Dallas game in Philadelphia as a must win.
GARY’S GUESSES (LAST WEEK – 8-6) (YEAR-TO-DATE) – 117-57-1 (67%)
DETROIT
DALLAS
NEW ORLEANS
GREEN BAY
CAROLINA
SAN FRANCISCO
INDIANAPOLIS
PHILADELPHIA
KANSAS CITY
JACKSONVILLE
JETS
RAMS
CHARGERS
CLEVELAND
NEW ENGLAND
MINNESOTA
