As I gaze out my window at the freshly fallen snow for the gazillionth time this winter (and the extra two feet of the white stuff the plow truck deposited in front of my driveway), I realized it’s time to get ready for the opening of Major League Baseball’s spring training this week.

For Phillies fans, it will be a busy, yet not-quite-fulfilling spring session, given the lack of big-name moves during the offseason. In fact, there are more questions than in any of the last seven pre-seasons, which were met with much more optimism when compared to this year. Nevertheless, several key issues stand out as items to focus on for this year’s Spring Training if the “Phightin’ Phils” are going to have any shot at challenging for a post-season berth. Here’s four things that you MUST pay attention to as camp gets rolling.

THE VETS MUST BRING IT–AND STAY HEALTHY.
There’s simply no two ways around this one. Ruben Amaro, Jr. has used this as his excuse, er, reasoning, behind all the moves they’ve made since last summer. Guys like Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins, Carlos Ruiz and other “over-35” players must defy human nature and play better than they did the past two years, even given their advanced age (in baseball terms, of course). The mantra of “these guys we’re paying $20-million to play baseball have to produce for us” that Amaro and Co. have repeated this winter is the foundation of whatever the team hopes to achieve this year. Any sign of a major injury, continued decline or even just a status-quo performance by any of the established players could mean doom for the ball club before the season even starts.

WILL SANDBERG BE ABLE TO CONNECT TO THE VETERANS — LONG-TERM?
After watching Ryne Sandberg manage ball players for two full seasons at the Triple-A level, I can tell you that his style is completely different from Charlie Manuel. He loves to hit-and-run, have his players hit behind runners, bunt the winning run into scoring position, steal a base–at appropriate times–and really likes the game played the way it should be played. Trying to convince some of his dyed-in-the-wool veterans to do so will be a much more arduous task. Manuel thought he had explained the importance of hustling to Rollins, only to have to bench him on several occasions for simply forgetting to play at 100%. John Mayberry Jr., provided he gets on base, should utilize his God-given speed and try to pilfer a base once-a-season. It will be interesting to see if all the players buy in to his fundamentally sound brand of baseball…and what he’ll do when, inevitably, a player doesn’t follow through.

WHO IS THIS MIGUEL ALFREDO GONZALEZ GUY ANYWAY?
After the initial ESPN-reported signing offer of five years, $48-million fell through, the Phillies signed Gonzalez to a $12-million pact over three seasons. At that time, MAG was unofficially slated to be the number-three pitcher behind Cole Hamels and Cliff Lee. Amaro has slowly backed off his expectations so much that is sounds like Gonzalez is not even a guarantee to be in the team’s starting rotation. Sandberg has referred to him as the “mystery man” and almost everyone in the organization admits they have never seen him pitch nor have any idea what to expect from him. Here lies your hopes of a solid pitching staff. Through experience, you cannot expect Kyle Kendrick to be consistently relied on for anything more than a number-four starter. One must dream of a week without snow in Eastern Pennsylvania as a more realistic hope than thinking Roberto Hernandez, Jonathon Pettibone or even Chad Gaudin will be anything remotely close to what the Phillies had in previous year’s “Number-3” guy, Roy Halladay. I will probably be wrong, but I keep holding out hope the Phillies do make a run for A.J. Burnett, Ervin Santana or one of the few remaining quality starters available to try to add SOME consistency to this rotation. If they don’t, Gonzalez will be the single most-watched pitcher in camp, and anything short of a performance that solidifies him as a middle-of-the-rotation guy this spring will be a huge disaster for the Phillies.

WHEN WILL ‘PAP’ MELT DOWN?
Notice I did not say “if” Jonathon Papelbon melts down. It’s simply in his track record of sounding off and creating havoc in the clubhouse when things are not going well. If the Phillies gets off to a bad start in spring training, it could happen sooner rather than later. The Phillies themselves were so convinced of this distraction that they tried to give him away to any team with the need/payroll/ space/patience to acquire him…yet found no takers. Remember, with this young, inexperienced core of relievers joining him in the bullpen this year, it will be pivotal for “Pap” to provide some leadership for the young arms…something that will not happen if the Phillies closer is unhappy. Several of the beat writers have told me that he was a major distraction during 2013 (and his famous line “I didn’t come here for this” would only support their claims) and he will continue to be one in the likely event that all of the above things don’t go absolutely right for this team out of the gate.

Am I being too pessimistic about the 2014 Phillies? What are your thoughts on my “big four” items to watch for this spring training? What other players and issues should we be focused on for the next six weeks…and beyond? Post your comments here on our blog or email your comments and questions to RCNSportsTalk@rcn.com and keep watching future editions of our Thursday “RCN SportsTalk” program, live each week at 6pm, as we start to focus in on the Phillies as the regular season draws near.

I know high school wrestling and boys basketball get the lion’s share of fans’ attention in the Lehigh Valley area, but there are tremendous accomplishments being made by a number of scholastic sports programs currently in session.

Here’s a video sample of some of our features on different local sports programs produced recently for our “RCN SportsTalk” show (to see more of these features, they are available for free on RCN On-Demand for the next several weeks), and then we have some additional highlights and accomplishments by local teams and athletes deserving mentions this winter.

Some other local sports highlights include:

 • Bethlehem Catholic girls basketball team. Chosen by many to make it to the PIAA championship game again this year, the Golden Hawks have lost just two games so far this season—both to formidable opponents. Kalista Walters could very well repeat as the Lehigh Valley Conference’s MVP again this season, but among several other talented players on the roster include Janelle Robinson. Robinson is a guard by trade, but I continue to be impressed by what a great all-around contribution she makes to the team (she recently led the team in one game with nine rebounds).

 • Becahi is not the only local girls programs that have a shot at going to the PIAAs. In fact, this might be one of the most competitive LVC and Colonial Leagues playoff races in some time. Nazareth, a team that lost four starters to graduation, is back with a group of tall and athletic young ladies that have been drawing impressive results. Central Catholic is back to being one of the top teams in the state—their only loss thus far was their epic 74-72 double-overtime defeat to Becahi. Parkland is also looking very solid and is coming off a terrific summer basketball season. In the Colonial League, Southern Lehigh, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Salisbury and others all have legitimate shots to qualify for the playoffs. With very few exceptions, these teams playing each during the regular season have resulted other so far in down-to-the-wire finishes.

• Parkland has a long line of dominance in the sport of swimming and diving—for both the girls and boys teams. This year, there’s an abundance of outstanding athletes from many different schools, including Emmaus, Easton, Liberty and Freedom. Their district championships are usually held on two of the busiest Saturdays—local-sports-wise–in the Lehigh Valley, when district and state wrestling and boys and girls basketball games are scheduled, but if you have a chance to check out the local diving and swimming title events, you should have a number of great races to watch on February 22nd and March 1st.

• Pius X has very quietly had an impressive wrestling season. They do not belong to either the LVC or the Colonial League, nor do they have enough wrestlers to compete for team title. They DO have several impressive young athletes led by state candidates Dante Albanese, Michael Comunale and Vinny Vonelli. The Royals, under first year Head Coach Peter Stoelzl, jumped out to two impressive wins over Palisades and Central Catholic to start the season. Despite injuries, they’re still racking up wins and will look to make an impact in the District XI Wrestling Individuals Tournament, which will be broadcast on RCN-TV on Saturday, February 22.

Which other local sports athletes deserve more attention? Which teams, besides boys basketball and wrestling, do you think can bring home league, district, or even state championships this winter? Post your comments below or email us at RCNSportsTalk@rcn.com and tune in Thursdays at 6pm as we continue to spotlight local teams and athletes on our show.

When I invite people over for a Super Bowl party, my wife and I usually serve some pretty good food. But this past Sunday all I ate was “crow”. If you read last week’s blog, you know why. If you did not read it, let me review my predictions:

10. Prediction: Seattle is not at home. The 12th man may be part of the crowd at MetLife Stadium, but will anyone be able to hear them? “Omaha, Omaha” will be easily heard and communicated at the line of scrimmage by Manning.
Reality: The crowd was very loud and seemed to be behind the Seahawks. I did not hear “Omaha” once!

9. Prediction: New England never came close to Peyton Manning in the AFC Championship. The Seattle defense is outstanding and the front four had 44 sacks, but, first and foremost, the Denver offensive line knows they must protect their franchise player.
Reality: Manning was rushed all day. The pass rush directly led to the two interceptions.

8. Prediction: Even though the Seahawks had 28 interceptions and forced 17 fumbles during the regular season, they are not likely to do that against the veteran receiving corps of Denver and the arm of Manning. Denver only had 24 turnovers all year.
Reality: Denver turned the ball over four times!! FOUR times!!

7. Prediction: The Denver defense may not keep Marshawn Lynch in check at running back, but they should be able to keep Russell Wilson in check. Even though he is a great athlete, it is his first Super Bowl. That has to account for a mistake here or there.
Reality: I couldn’t even get this one right. Denver DID keep Marshawn Lynch in check, but Russell Wilson was outstanding.

6. Prediction: Matt Prater, the Denver kicker, converted 25 of 26 field goal attempts this season, one an NFL record of 64 yards. He can get the nod from almost anywhere on the Denver side of the 50-yard line. By the way, Steve Hauschka of Seattle was outstanding, also. He made 33 of 35 attempts and every one beyond 50-yards (3). Prater should get more opportunities.
Reality: Hauschka – two field goals. Who is Matt Prater (no field goal attempts; his “on-side” kick was awful)?

5. Prediction: The Seattle receiving group is not as good as the Denver group.
Reality: Denver receivers are REALLY good three yards beyond the line of scrimmage. Seattle actually throws the ball downfield.

4. Prediction: All defenses have trouble covering a tight end. Manning has made a star of Julius Thomas. He had 12 touchdowns and 788 yards during the regular season and Manning knows when the tight end should be open.
Reality: I couldn’t even pick the right “Thomas”. Demaryius had 13 catches (a record); Julius just four, but I don’t remember ANY of them.

3. Prediction: Efficiency should beat passion. I don’t think there is an NFL coach better than Pete Carroll in emotionally getting a team ready to play. However, John Fox is great at “x-ing and o-ing”. Strategy, not emotion, should win the game.
Reality: Pete Carroll is better at both.

2. Prediction: The Seahawks cannot outscore the Broncos (and I think that’s the object of the game).
Reality: How smug and how wrong was this prediction? 43-8!!

And the Number 1 reason the Broncos will win – Peyton Manning!
Reality: Just shut up!!

I cannot go on; I have a black feather caught in my throat!!

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS)
1. The best line of the day came from Hillary Clinton – “It’s so much fun to watch FOX when it’s someone else being blitzed and sacked!”
2. Both of Seattle’s scores at the beginning of each half occurred 12 seconds into the period. By the way, the first score (a safety) was the earliest score in Super Bowl history.
3. Thank goodness for Bruno Mars! It kept the people at my house from eating and drinking for about 15 minutes.
4. My favorite commercial: Audi’s Doberman-Chihuahua hybrid dog.
5. I thought the Bud Light two-part commercial with a llama, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Don Cheadle, etc. took a long time for a weak punchline.

I DID NOT ENJOY THE GAME!!

NFL PICKS FINAL RECORD
174-92- 1 – 65%

Super Bowl XXLVIII has one of the most intriguing match-ups in years: the league’s highest scoring team taking on the team that gave up the fewest points during the regular season. It is, also, only the second time (2004) that the #1 seed in each conference made it to the championship final. It certainly appears that the two best teams will play in this one. Add the winter venue in New Jersey and you have the makings for a game we will talk about for years.

So, who will win?

Defense wins championships: Any follower of any sport is well aware of this adage and most fans believe it to be true.

That’s not my call, however. Here are ten reasons, in descending order, why Denver will win this game:

10.   Seattle is not at home. The 12th man may be part of the crowd at MetLife Stadium, but will anyone be able to hear them? “Omaha, Omaha” will be easily heard and        communicated by Manning at the line of scrimmage.

9.  New England never came close to Peyton Manning in the AFC Championship. The Seattle defense is outstanding and the front four had
44 sacks, but, first and foremost, the Denver offensive line knows they must protect their franchise player.

8.  Even though the Seahawks had 28 interceptions and forced 17 fumbles during the regular season, they are not likely to do that against the veteran
receiving corps of Denver and the arm of Manning. Denver only had 24 turnovers all year.

7.  The Denver defense may not keep Marshawn Lynch in check at running back, but they should be able to keep Russell Wilson in check. Even though he is a great athlete, it is his first Super Bowl. That has to account for a mistake here or there.

6.  Matt Prater, the Denver kicker, converted 25 of 26 field goal attempts this season, one an NFL record of 64 yards. He can get the nod from almost anywhere on the Denver side of the 50-yard line. By the way, Steve Hauschka of Seattle was outstanding, too. He made 33 of 35 attempts and every one beyond 50-yards (3). Prater should get more opportunities.

5.  The Seattle receiving group is not as good as the Denver group.

4.  All defenses have trouble covering a tight end. Manning has made a star of Julius Thomas. He had 12 touchdowns and 788 yards during the regular season and Manning knows when the tight end should be open.

3.  Efficiency should beat passion. I don’t think there is an NFL coach better than Pete Carroll in emotionally getting a team ready to play. However, John Fox is great at “x-ing and o-ing”. Strategy, not emotion, should win the game.

2.  The Seahawks cannot outscore the Broncos (and I think that’s the object of the game).

And the Number 1 reason the Broncos will win – Peyton Manning!

P.S. – If you want Seattle to win, consider this: The NFC is 5-1 against the spread in the past six Super Bowls and the underdog is 5-1 in those six games.

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS)
1. The forecast for the game is a high of 37 degrees and a low of 27. There is a 60% chance of precipitation.
2. Everyone knows about Bruno Mars and the Red Hot Chili Peppers performing at the half, but did you know Phillip Phillips and The Band Perry will perform during the pre-game?
3. Troy Aikman will be the color analyst with Joe Buck. Aikman won three Super Bowls with Dallas.
4. This is not the first Super Bowl in a cold-weather city. Super Bowls were played in Indianapolis, Pontiac, Detroit, and Minneapolis, but those were all played indoors.
5. The game is televised to 180 countries in more than 25 languages. It will be broadcast LIVE from the stadium in Chinese, Danish, French, German, Hungarian, Japanese, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish and English.

ENJOY THE GAME!!

NFL PICKS FOR THIS WEEK
(Last week – 2-0) (174-91-1 66%)

DENVER – 27 SEATTLE – 20

After “thanking” Mother Nature for cancelling so many winter sports activities and wreaking havoc on everyone’s schedule, I want to give my take on the high school basketball teams that I have had a chance to observe so far this season. Despite an erratic schedule (many HS teams are now playing more games per week than the NBA), I have seen some standout performances on the boys side (a look at some of the girls teams coming next week). Here are a few of my comments on the teams that I have seen, along with highlights of teams featured on our RCN game broadcasts.

CENTRAL CATHOLIC
They clearly are the cream of the crop this year in the Lehigh Valley, and are predicted to be one of the top teams in the state. Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman continues to improve despite some very intelligent head coaches continuing to try new defenses to slow him down with very little success. The addition of Brendan Wagner at center allows Jean Lee Baez to become as cumbersome a “4-player” as there is to defend, creating matchup problems for just about everyone in the league. Their role players are smart, play solid defense and are capable of stepping up in big moments. I see no reason (and a few of my colleagues outside of the Lehigh Valley agree) that this team can’t play deep in the state playoffs and perhaps win it all.

EASTON
At the midway point, the Rovers are right at the .500 mark this season, which I think is a nice accomplishment for this team. Easton lost several key people to graduation, they had a tremendous athlete in Shane Simpson trying to get back in the mix after a lost-2013 basketball season, and a brand new head coach. Given all the school closing days, which not only creates a backload of games but also cuts into a new team’s practice opportunities, I thought a 7-7 start was a solid opening six weeks for them. I am also very impressed with new Head Coach Ben Childs and believe he can have long-standing success with the Rovers over time. I saw Easton make a tremendous effort against Central Catholic (highlights below) and, if they’d converted a few more opportunities close to the bucket, would have made for a much tighter finish. Assuming Easton qualifies for the district playoffs, they could have scoring potential from both the inside and the perimeter and could advance in the district post-season.

BETHLEHEM CATHOLIC
I met Mike Frew several year ago when he took over the Pen Argyl job and was very impressed by his desire to base his team on defense and really stress its importance to his players. Now, after establishing that philosophy with Becahi, he’s ready to take the program to the next level. The Golden Hawks have some of the most athletic players in the area, headlined by Freddie Simmons Jr. and Jamal Aziz. Becahi, much like its football team, has some incredibly determined upperclassmen looking to make a statement this year. I think Central Catholic is a tough matchup for them, especially if they don’t have everyone healthy. But don’t forget, you don’t have to win the district to advance into the state playoffs, and I think the Hawks have a great chance at winning at least one PIAA game this season.

WHITEHALL
First of all, I have to give props to the Express-Times’ Bruce Buratti for picking the Zephyrs as one of the top ten teams in the area in his preseason poll. Most people—back in early December—what he ranked them too high. However, with talented returning players like Aaron Keglovits, Brett Radocha, Jacob Meyers, Matt Melosky, Chad Rex and Saquon Barkley on the roster, we should have seen Whitehall’s big victories coming this winter. They’ve also lost a couple games I thought they would have a chance to win. I think the Zephyrs’ experience will come up big in the post-season and could make them a team to watch in February.

LIBERTY
One of the great attributes of Liberty Head Coach Chad Landis is that he gets his team to play its best basketball as they enter the postseason. There is no magic formula for this, nor has any coach in my career been able to give me a certified formula to make this happen. The Hurricanes have won more LVC titles than any other team, and, when you add in the talent on this year’s squad, you have to consider them a dangerous playoff team. Last year I identified DeShawn Oyeniyi as my favorite post player in the LVC and he’s done nothing in 2014 to detract from that. I think Darius Jones anchors some solid guard play, and K. J. Williams continues to be one of the best athletes in the area. I don’t think they’ll be too many 4A teams that will WANT to play the Canes in the postseason.

BANGOR
I had a chance to talk with Bangor guard Shane Reider a few months back and was very impressed by him and the “team-first” attitude that permeates through their program. I’ve heard many good reports on how unselfish the players are, with multiple people telling me the Slater kids would probably run through a cement wall if Head Coach Bron Holland ask them to. They have great balance offensively and kids who play smart on defense. I don’t know if this team is as deep nor has the size of their Colonial League championship squad from a year ago. I certainly like the direction the program is going. The players no longer get rattled in key situations, and they seem to excel now when the pressure is on. They will be one of the league favorites come playoff time. It may not be this year, but sometime soon Bangor is going to take the next step—win a district playoff game—despite being one of the smallest 4A schools in the eastern Pennsylvania.

WILSON
Before we talk about the Warriors’ play this winter, a big tip-of-the-cap to Head Coach Bob Frankenfield, his players, the cheerleaders and then entire Wilson community for organizing a fund raiser recently to benefit the American Heart Association and raise over $2100 at an event. They’ll have another charity event coming up soon (please contact Wilson HS for more details). Coach Frankenfield is truly one of the class guys in the area and cares so much about his program and his community.

Now, on-the-court. The Warriors boast one of the top centers in the area in Phil Pierfy, who certainly commands a ton of attention from opposing team’s defenses. However, I think they have some nice players around him in Tyler King, Dakota Bogoly, Jeff Cooper, Jonathon Citron, Jahid Beamon and A.J. Raso. At least two of those players must step-up on any given night to help provide some offense, but I liked their tenacity on defense and seemed to have fun playing when I saw them against Bangor. I think they have to work on cutting down on turnovers and continue to be aggressive in taking the ball to the basket, but Wilson can most definitely be a player in the league playoffs.
http://youtu.be/dS5k8YBQ2LE

Remember, I haven’t seen Parkland, Emmaus, Southern Lehigh, Salisbury and a few other top teams in our viewing area as of yet (although I did give the Falcons a “shout-out” on last week’s “RCN SportsTalk” show for a very underrated first half). I would appreciate your feedback on the teams that you have seen. Who do you feel are the other top teams in the LVC, MVC and the Colonial League? Which teams have the best chance of winning league and district championships this winter?

Post your opinions below, email us (rcnsportstalk@rcn.com) and tune in to RCN-TV each Thursday from 6-7 pm as we continue to breakdown the local winter sports action and preview the Super Bowl on our show the next two weeks.

The teams are set for Super Bowl XLVIII – Denver vs. Seattle.

I would not think there is a tremendous number of people here on the East Coast who are passionate fans of either of these two teams. However, I would think there are a number of fans who put attending a Super Bowl on their “bucket list”. And with the game being played on the “right” coast this year at MetLife Stadium, wouldn’t this be the perfect opportunity to check this one off your agenda?

Before you jump at the chance, there is one very important item you need to consider: THE COST! The cheapest seat (and probably the worst) costs $500. About 39% of the 77,500 tickets will be priced under $1,000 at face value (try to find those). By comparison, the first Super Bowl ticket cost $6; in 2001 the ticket cost $325. And, to be honest, you will probably not be able to get any of these tickets anyway. The NFL controls 25% of the tickets. These end up in the hands of their corporate sponsors. 35% of the tickets go to each of the participating teams.

And making the remaining 5% of tickets available to fans may be a myth. Josh Finkelman of New Jersey believes the NFL only makes @1% of the tickets available for purchase at face value. He feels so strongly that the NFL is gouging the average fan that he has sued them in court. He complains that about 99% of the tickets must be purchased through a middleman. He is seeking hundreds of millions of dollars in damages.

Even if you get a ticket, you also must consider the price of parking. That should be a little less than staying in a New York hotel. The absence of tailgating (forbidden this year) means you should be prepared to pay a week’s wages just to eat and drink inside the venue.

So, if you are still interested and really want a ticket, you can get a $2,600 ducat for the club level and this, too, will give you access to the indoor restaurants. There are $1,500 tickets that do not give you the restaurant access (so see above for additional food costs).

If this all sounds like a hassle and you are reconsidering your “bucket list”, you might want to just literally “go for broke” and consider a VIP Package. Allow me to entice you:

• (4) Upper Level Corner End Zone Super Bowl Tickets
• (4) VIP Pregame NFL Players Party Tickets which includes Hand- Passed Appetizers; Five Gourmet Food Stations prepared by a Legendary Super Chef; Multiple Top-Shelf Open Bars staged throughout the Event; Over 20 Current NFL Players introduced by our Event MC, ESPN Sports Center Anchor Lindsay Czarniak, for Sunday Chalk Talk with our Guests; and VIP Round trip Transportation to Metlife Stadium on Game day!
All-Inclusive Price for Four Guests: $14,500

If you’re like me, you have decided to invite a few friends over for some good food, good drink, and good conversation. Sit back, turn on the TV, enjoy the commercials, the game, go to bed at a decent hour, and sleep knowing you might need to revise your “bucket list” in the morning.

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS)
1. I do not think the high price of a seat has anything to do with it, but Commissioner Roger Goodall will not be sitting in a luxury box for the Super Bowl. His seat will be outside in the stands. By the way, the coldest Super Bowl in history was 39 degrees for Super Bowl VI at Tulane Stadium in New Orleans. That record will be broken this year.

2. With one NFL game left to pick (you’ll have to wait until next week), I finished the season guessing 66% of the games correctly. The last four weeks, I have gone 23-3 and have picked the winner the last six games. It was a good year.

3. “Omaha! Omaha!” Am I the only fan who finds Peyton Manning’s skills to be so good that they are boring? He rarely gets sacked, rarely runs, rarely throws an incomplete pass, rarely looks like he is confused by a defense, rarely throws for less than 350 yards, rarely has fewer than three TD passes, and rarely loses. He’s so consistent; it takes all the fun out of the game.

4. In contrast, I thoroughly enjoy watching Colin Kaepernick play quarterback for the 49’ers. He runs like a running back, avoids sacks like a magician, and sometimes loses. If I was a general manager, I’d rather have Peyton.

5. Ironically, the NFL Network is looking to give up its own Thursday night game broadcasts. They say their viewing audience wasn’t large enough. So ESPN, NBC, CBS, FOX, ABC and Turner Sports are expected to bid @ $800 million for the eight games.

NFL PICKS FOR THIS WEEK
(Last week – 2-0) (174-91-1 66%)

SUPER BOWL PICK COMING NEXT WEEK!

No, this is not a “typo” and yes, I do know how to spell. I can read, too. I was also a college athlete. And from what I have read of a recent analysis of college football and college basketball by CNN’s Sara Ganin, there are too many athletes with very limited ability to read and/or write representing academic institutions:

http://www.cnn.com/2014/01/07/us/ncaa-athletes-reading-scores/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

A career learning specialist, Mary Willingham, researched the reading levels of 183 University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill athletes who played football and basketball from 2004 to 2012. 60% read between 4th and 8th grade levels. Between 8% and 10% read below a third grade level!!

How can these athletes possibly earn a college diploma? Well, that answer lies in cheating on tests, having papers written for them, getting passing grades for classes they never attend, and so on. And why do colleges turn a blind eye to many of these practices – MONEY!!

According to Ganin, the Louisville Cardinals basketball program made a profit of $26.9 million and the University of North Carolina made $16.9 million last year on their men’s basketball programs alone. This is the justification for admitting students with abysmal SAT scores and reading levels below fourth grade (estimated to be @10%). Student-athletes were admitted with SAT scores between 200 and 300 and the lowest possible score on this test is 200 (the highest is 800).

And, perhaps, the first question we should ask is, “How did they ever get a high school diploma?” The system of “rewarding” outstanding athletic talent by not requiring academic success begins here and is perpetuated at the next level.

My collegiate broadcasting experience is with the Patriot League and Lafayette College. Their goals are summed up in their Mission Statement (the underlines are mine):

Mission
The Patriot League promotes opportunities for students to compete in Division I intercollegiate athletics programs within a context that holds paramount the high academic standards and integrity of member institutions, and the academic and personal growth of student-athletes.

Vision
The Patriot League will be the exemplary intercollegiate athletics conference in the country for student-athletes who demonstrate success both in academic achievement and athletic competition.

• Offering broad-based and diverse athletic programs, the League schools are dedicated to shared values of integrity, character and the personal development of all students.
• Student-athletes are provided the opportunity to achieve their athletic potential and compete successfully at the NCAA Division I level.
• The Patriot League will be recognized nationally for the effective integration of Division I athletics into the educational mission of the institution.
• Student-athletes are prepared to become leaders and to make meaningful contributions to society.

If colleges would begin to raise the academic standards required to be admitted and public education would stress those standards at the elementary and high school levels, wouldn’t everyone benefit? If the most motivating goal for some high school athletes is to play at the next level, wouldn’t they raise their bar if the institutions raised the requirement bar? The question remains, however, who is willing to take the first step? My guess is – No One!

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS)
1. Chris Wheeler and Gary “the Sarge” Matthews were dismissed from the Phillies broadcast booth this past week by Comcast SportsNet. Comcast SportsNet signed a 25-year, $2.5-billion contract with the Phillies and, thus, now have control over the TV broadcasting team. What’s done is done. I personally enjoy the radio team of Scott Frantzke, Larry Anderson, and Jim Jackson. Frantzke has said he is not interested in doing television.

2. In other Phillies news, the games that used to be on Channel 17 will now be on Channel 10 which is owned and operated by Comcast.

3. DeSean Jackson’s home was robbed this weekend and the burglars made off with $125,000 in jewelry and $250,000 in cash. He also lost two semi-automatic handguns. I’m having a little difficulty relating to his loss!

4. Speaking of outrageous money, did you see where A-Rod paid $12,000 a month for Performance Enhancing Drugs? His ultimate goal was to hit 800 home runs. He has 654 and will miss all of next season. He will still make $3 million for the year. And, at least, he’ll save $144,000 in “medical” expenses.

5. Did you see that in the last three weeks, I was 21-3 on my picks? 4-0 this past weekend. The NFL matchups this coming weekend could not be much better. So, please don’t bother me on Sunday.

NFL PICKS FOR THIS WEEK
(Last week – 4-0) (172-91-1 65%)

SEATTLE
DENVER

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!