{"id":79106,"date":"2016-12-20T14:20:11","date_gmt":"2016-12-20T14:20:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sandbox.web.rcn.net\/rcntv\/?p=79106"},"modified":"2023-04-14T19:42:42","modified_gmt":"2023-04-14T19:42:42","slug":"sportstalk-shop-year-review-part-one","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.astound.com\/atvn\/sportstalk-shop-year-review-part-one\/","title":{"rendered":"The SportsTalk Shop:  Year-in-Review: Part One"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>As often as I try to do this\u2014but probably still don\u2019t do it enough \u2026 a <strong>HUGE <em>THANK YOU<\/em><\/strong> to the wonderful women and men we\u2019ve been so fortunate to have on \u201cSportsTalk\u201d as our guests this past year.\u00a0 Here\u2019s a quick look at only <strong>some<\/strong> of the very memorable people on our program during 2016 (in no particular order):<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>NFL\/MLB Associated Press Writer Rob Maaddi<\/li>\n<li>Hall of Fame\/Philadelphia Eagles Radio Play-by-Play Voice Merrill Reese<\/li>\n<li>Redskins Radio Announcer\/Host Scott Jackson<\/li>\n<li>ABC7 (DC) Sports Director Alex Parker<\/li>\n<li>Detroit Pistons\u2019 Guard Darrun Hilliard (former Liberty HS great)<\/li>\n<li>Dallas Cowboys\u2019 Wide Receiver KJ Williams (former Liberty HS great)<\/li>\n<li>MLB.com Sr. Sports Writer Jim Callis<\/li>\n<li>Nationals\u2019 Beat Writer Bill Ladson<\/li>\n<li>Nationals\u2019 Play-by-Play Announcer Charlie Slowes<\/li>\n<li>Olympians Marty Nothstein &amp; Joetta Clark-Diggs<\/li>\n<li>DCIAA Women\u2019s Official\/Fmr. Pro Football Player (and one of only three Varsity Head Football Coaches ever) Natalie Randolph<\/li>\n<li>Joseph Basketball Standout \/ Fmr. DMV Star Isaiah Miles<\/li>\n<li>George Washington Men\u2019s Basketball Head Coaches Mike Lonergan<\/li>\n<li>George Washington Women\u2019s Basketball Head Coach Jen Rizzotti<\/li>\n<li>Longtime Georgetown Men\u2019s Basketball Play-by-Play Voice Rich Chvotkin &amp; other Hoyas athletes<\/li>\n<li>Lafayette College Head Basketball Coach Fran O\u2019Hanlon<\/li>\n<li>American University Head Basketball Coach Mike Brennan<\/li>\n<li>Washington Times Redskins Beat Writer\/CBS Radio\u2019s Rick Snider<\/li>\n<li>Washington Post Beat Writer\u2019s Eric Goldstein<\/li>\n<li>Philadelphia Daily News\u2019 Jeff Moeller<\/li>\n<li>Play-by-Play Announcers for Phillies &amp; Nationals Minor League Affiliates: Mike Ventola, Matt Provence &amp; Terry Byron<\/li>\n<li>Head Coaches from HD Woodson, DeMatha, Sidwell Friends, Gonzaga High Schools<\/li>\n<li>Championship teams including Parkland boys basketball team, Nazareth girls basketball team, Notre Dame football team, Emmaus field hockey team, Parkland volleyball team and others<\/li>\n<li>NY Giants Beat Writer James Kratch<\/li>\n<li>Washington Times Redskins\/Nationals Beat Writer Todd Dybas<\/li>\n<li>ESPN Radio (DC) Morning Show Host Kevin Sheehan<\/li>\n<li>ESPN Radio (Philly) Morning Show Anchor\/Host Eytan Shander<\/li>\n<li>Redskins \u201cBreaking Burgundy\u201d Creator\/Fmr. Comcast SportsNet \u201cInsider\u201d Ben Standig<\/li>\n<li>\u201cFootballStories\u201d Magazine Editor\/Show Hosts Al Thompson &amp; Rock Hoffman<\/li>\n<li>ESPN Draft Analyst\/Fangraph\u2019s Eric Longenhagen<\/li>\n<li>Members of this year\u2019s PA Football Hall of Fame Inductees<\/li>\n<li>Writers from The Morning Call, Express-Times &amp; LehighValley.com<\/li>\n<li>All the RCN Sports Announcers &amp; Commentators<\/li>\n<li>Interviews with current Phillies &amp; Nationals players &amp; top prospects<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Also, a reminder to watch our special \u201cSportsTalk: 2016-in-Review\u201d show that will be airing at different times on RCN-TV around the holiday season as Senior Morning Call Sports Writer Keith Groller and myself will take a look back at the top players, coaches, teams, special memories and more.\u00a0 Our subject matter will be focused primarily on teams in the RCN-TV coverage area in the Lehigh Valley, Delaware Valley and Washington, DC regions, but we will mix in a few national topics of conversation as well.<\/p>\n<p>You will also be able to hear the podcast of this show at <a href=\"http:\/\/www.rcn.com\/atvn\/sports-talk\/\">rcn.com\/atvn\/sports-talk <\/a>as it will be made available over the next few days.<\/p>\n<p>Now for \u201cpart one\u201d of my year-in-review thoughts\/reflections for just a few of the most requested topics of conversation over the last 12 months.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Pennsylvania\u2019s New Classifications &amp; Playoff System for HS Sports<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/wsRZXP6g6SI\" width=\"425\" height=\"350\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>No Lehigh Valley sports story came close to the interest (and complaining) of the revamped classification for PIAA sports and the outline of the playoff system.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>The Rise &amp; Fall of the Philadelphia Eagles<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/LXmcwvMyq1U\" width=\"425\" height=\"350\"><\/iframe><br \/>\nAfter having covered the Philadelphia Eagles for several years, I know that there\u2019s no fan base that goes to greater extremes than the faithful followers of Philly\u2019s NFL franchise.\u00a0 Once the Eagles defeated (destroyed?) the Steelers Week 3, there was no containing the (insane?) amount of the enthusiasm for this team and its first-year head coach, first year quarterback, suspect wide receiving core, weak secondary, et al.\u00a0 It was practically assumed a deep trek into the NFL inevitably and anyone (like, perhaps, me?) suggesting that the team was still a year away was dismissed as being an \u201coverly negative media opinion.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Then, reality sent in, sending the Eagles\u2019 into a tailspin in which they have yet to recover, with everyone from Doug Pederson to Carson Wentz to Fletcher Cox falling under heavy scrutiny.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>The Nationals Finally Getting to the Playoffs<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/MRHd_St9hfU\" width=\"425\" height=\"350\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>The \u201cSportsTalk\u201d camera crew and I had the good fortune of seeing the Nationals\u2019 top prospect Trea Turner play for Triple-A Syracuse (boy, did he put on a display!) and talked with him after an April game just shortly before he received his call-up to the Nationals.\u00a0 Turner did not disappoint once he got to the Major Leagues\u2014even with a position change from shortstop to center field while at the game\u2019s highest level&#8211;and showed the same amazing abilities in helping Washington advance to the NLDS.<\/p>\n<p>Don\u2019t forget to check back for \u201cpart two\u201d for more commentary on sports highlights from the 2016 calendar year in the next installment of the \u201cSportsTalk Shop.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>And, of course, a very happy holiday season and prosperous New Year\u2019s for all of you faithfully following us here on the blog in 2016!<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<!-- AddThis Advanced Settings generic via filter on the_content --><!-- AddThis Share Buttons generic via filter on the_content -->","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As often as I try to do this\u2014but probably still don\u2019t do it enough \u2026 a HUGE THANK YOU to the wonderful women and men we\u2019ve been so fortunate to have on \u201cSportsTalk\u201d as our guests this past year.\u00a0 Here\u2019s a quick look at only some of the very memorable people on our program during&#8230;<!-- AddThis Advanced Settings generic via filter on get_the_excerpt --><!-- AddThis Share Buttons generic via filter on get_the_excerpt 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