{"id":81814,"date":"2018-11-20T17:26:10","date_gmt":"2018-11-20T17:26:10","guid":{"rendered":"\/rcntv\/?p=81814"},"modified":"2018-11-20T18:00:56","modified_gmt":"2018-11-20T18:00:56","slug":"thanks-giving","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.astound.com\/atvn\/thanks-giving\/","title":{"rendered":"&#8220;Thanks&#8221; Giving"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong><em>The views expressed in this blog are<\/em> <em>those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of RCN or any other agency, organization, employer or company.<\/em>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I heard two sentences this week that really hit home.\u00a0 The words were even more poignant since this is Thanksgiving week.<\/p>\n<p>The first sentence came from a gentleman in his 80\u2019s.\u00a0\u00a0 He said, \u201cGrowing old is good\u201d.\u00a0 I thought about that since I am getting up there or, as my younger friends constantly remind me, I have already gotten there.\u00a0 But, so far, it is good.\u00a0 Every day is a new challenge but every day is welcomed.<\/p>\n<p>Sunday night on <a title=\"60 Minutes\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/60-minutes\/\" target=\"_blank\">60 Minutes<\/a> , a former <a title=\"NFL\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nfl.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">NFL<\/a> player who now suffers from ALS said that after listening to his optimistic outlook on life, despite being diagnosed with a shortened life, said that people very often end their encounter with him by saying, \u201cGod bless you\u201d.\u00a0 His response is always the same, \u201cHe already has\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>For some reason, these two sentences meant a great deal to me.\u00a0 I know I often try to fill these pages with sports stories, but not this week.\u00a0 I have plenty to be thankful for.\u00a0 I, along with many others, I\u2019m sure, rarely verbalize it.\u00a0 Since I have this venue, this is as good a time as any to say \u201cThank you\u201d.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Thanks to my wife of 55 years. She has always been my rock.\u00a0 I\u2019m not as sure about me.\u00a0 People who know me and then see her often say to her, \u201cYou must be a Saint\u201d.\u00a0 I can tell you she is.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Thanks to my children and grandchildren. For my wife, Luba, and I, they are our pride and joy.\u00a0 They are all successful, caring, and nice people.\u00a0 And they are happy.\u00a0 What more could any parent or grandparent want?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Thanks to <a title=\"RCN\" href=\"\/lehigh-valley\/\" target=\"_blank\">RCN<\/a>. My occupational ventures have taken me from the classroom to the broadcasting booth.\u00a0 The ride has been spectacular.\u00a0 I started with Twin-County, stayed on with C-Tec, and continue the journey with RCN.\u00a0 Vocationally, it is the best time of my life and they continue to allow this guy to represent them in public.\u00a0 I really appreciate that.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Thanks to the viewers. They are appreciative.\u00a0 And sometimes they complain when we do not cover games, but even that is a compliment in a way.\u00a0 And when they offer criticism, we take it to heart and try to get better.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Thanks to the athletic directors, the coaches, and the statisticians. This job would be a nightmare without their help.\u00a0 Luckily they ALL help.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Thanks to the student-athletes. If you want to feel and stay young, hang around young people.\u00a0 I know every time I interview a <a title=\"Lafayette College\" href=\"https:\/\/www.lafayette.edu\/\" target=\"_blank\">Lafayette<\/a> student, I come away thinking these are the citizens who will fix the world.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>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 all down and do it all over again many times each week.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Thanks to Kristin Vitovitch. She will be embarrassed that her name is here, but she does all the rosters, helps keep me organized, and never frowns!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Thanks to Joanne G. She has to read and edit this blog every week.\u00a0 I feel sorry for her, but at least I know one person has read it and corrected it.\u00a0 She keeps me out of trouble and I thank her for that.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>By the way, making this list really felt good.\u00a0 You might want to make your own this week.\u00a0 In summary, \u201cGrowing old is good\u201d and may God bless you.<\/p>\n<p>Happy Thanksgiving to you!<\/p>\n<p><strong>ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSING)<\/strong><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Oh, the poor NFC East. With <a href=\"https:\/\/www.redskins.com\/\">Washington<\/a> losing on Sunday to the <a title=\"Houston Texans\" href=\"https:\/\/www.houstontexans.com\" target=\"_blank\">Texans<\/a> and losing their quarterback for the year; the <a title=\"Philadelphia Eagles\" href=\"https:\/\/www.philadelphiaeagles.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">Eagles<\/a> getting killed by the <a title=\"New Orleans Saints\" href=\"https:\/\/www.neworleanssaints.com\" target=\"_blank\">Saints<\/a>; the <a title=\"New York Giants\" href=\"https:\/\/www.giants.com\" target=\"_blank\">Giants<\/a> and <a title=\"Dallas Cowboys\" href=\"http:\/\/www.dallascowboys.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">Dallas<\/a> winning, the NFC East is a mess.\u00a0 No team can seem to play their way out of a possible playoff berth as much as they try.\u00a0 All the teams are in it, but probably all should be out of it.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<ol start=\"2\">\n<li>How about <a title=\"Whitehall High School\" href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehallcoplay.org\/Domain\/12\" target=\"_blank\">Whitehall\u2019s<\/a> Saquon Barkley? I hope you chose him for your fantasy football team.\u00a0 He now has the fourth highest number of fantasy points after 10 games of any player in NFL history \u2013 252.8.\u00a0 Only Eric Dickerson, Marcus Allen, and Patrick Mahones have ever scored more points.\u00a0 The Eagles are next.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<ol start=\"3\">\n<li>The <a title=\"Philadelphia 76ers\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/sixers\/\" target=\"_blank\">Philadelphia 76ers<\/a> are going to have a great season. Jimmy Butler will fill both offensive and defensive pieces on a team that is starting to look like they could win the East.\u00a0 They are certainly taking some of the attention away from the woeful Eagles.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<ol start=\"4\">\n<li>I had one of the most enjoyable interviews of my career this past Friday. <a title=\"Chicago Cubs\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mlb.com\/cubs\" target=\"_blank\">Chicago Cubs<\/a>\u2019 manager Joe Madden was in town for the Lafayette-<a title=\"Lehigh University\" href=\"http:\/\/www.lehigh.edu\" target=\"_blank\">Lehigh<\/a> football game.\u00a0 He is so likable and intellectual and a great storyteller.\u00a0 Thus, he is the perfect interview.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<ol start=\"5\">\n<li>The <a title=\"PIAA\" href=\"http:\/\/www.piaa.org\/\" target=\"_blank\">PIAA<\/a> State Football playoffs begin this week. On Friday night, we will have the <a title=\"Bethlehem Catholic\" href=\"http:\/\/www.bethlehemcatholichs.org\/\" target=\"_blank\">Bethlehem Catholic<\/a> \u2013 <a title=\"Pottsgrove High School\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pgsd.org\/\" target=\"_blank\">Pottsgrove<\/a> game from Palisades at 7:00pm LIVE.\u00a0 <a title=\"Freedom High School\" href=\"https:\/\/basdwpweb.beth.k12.pa.us\/freedom\/\" target=\"_blank\">Freedom<\/a> won their very first District football AAAAAA championship this past Saturday and will take on St. Joe\u2019s Prep on Saturday afternoon in Philadelphia at 1:00pm.\u00a0 We will also bring that game LIVE.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><strong>Gary\u2019s Guesses: NFL Picks (Last week: 9-4)\u00a0 (Overall: 102-57-2\u00a0 64% )<\/strong><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Week \u00a0TWELVE<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a title=\"Chicago Bears\" href=\"https:\/\/www.chicagobears.com\"><strong>CHICAGO<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>DALLAS<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>NEW ORLEANS<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>PHILADELPHIA<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a title=\"New England Patriots\" href=\"https:\/\/www.patriots.com\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>NEW ENGLAND<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a title=\"Jacksonville Jaguars\" href=\"https:\/\/www.jaguars.com\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>JACKSONVILLE<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a title=\"Baltimore Ravens\" href=\"https:\/\/www.baltimoreravens.com\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>BALTIMORE<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a title=\"Tampa Bay Buccaneers\" href=\"https:\/\/www.buccaneers.com\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>TAMPA BAY<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>CINCINNATI<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a title=\"Carolina Panthers\" href=\"https:\/\/www.panthers.com\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>CAROLINA<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>INDIANAPOLIS<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>CHARGERS<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a title=\"Pittsburgh Steelers\" href=\"https:\/\/www.steelers.com\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>PITTSBURGH<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a title=\"Minnesota Vikings\" href=\"https:\/\/www.vikings.com\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>MINNESOTA<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>HOUSTON<\/strong><\/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>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.\u00a0 I heard two sentences this week that really hit home.\u00a0 The words were even more poignant since this is Thanksgiving week. The first sentence&#8230;<!-- AddThis Advanced Settings generic via filter on get_the_excerpt --><!-- AddThis Share Buttons generic via filter on get_the_excerpt --><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","inline_featured_image":false,"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"episode_type":"","audio_file":"","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","itunes_episode_number":"","itunes_title":"","itunes_season_number":"","itunes_episode_type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-81814","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-behind-the-mic"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>&quot;Thanks&quot; Giving - ATVN<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.astound.com\/atvn\/thanks-giving\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"&quot;Thanks&quot; Giving - ATVN\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"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.\u00a0 I heard two sentences this week that really hit home.\u00a0 The words were even more poignant since this is Thanksgiving week. 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