{"id":83238,"date":"2019-11-12T15:48:04","date_gmt":"2019-11-12T15:48:04","guid":{"rendered":"\/rcntv\/?p=83238"},"modified":"2023-04-14T20:07:28","modified_gmt":"2023-04-14T20:07:28","slug":"leopards-first","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.astound.com\/atvn\/leopards-first\/","title":{"rendered":"Leopards in First"},"content":{"rendered":"

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.<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

I have been writing my blog for almost seven years and the last time I wrote about a Lafayette <\/a>football team being in first place in the Patriot League<\/a> was way back in 2013.\u00a0 They won the championship that year.\u00a0 It was their last.<\/p>\n

In fact, since that championship season, Lafayette has gone 11-22 in the League and has not had a League-winning record since.\u00a0 And after an 0-7 start to this season, it would be safe to say no one expected they would put themselves in a position to win the Patriot League championship.<\/p>\n

But that is exactly where they are.\u00a0 They are 3-1 in the League, the same record as Holy Cross<\/a>.\u00a0 This past weekend, the Leopards beat Holy Cross by a 23-20 score.\u00a0 Thus, they now hold the tiebreaker should both teams end with the same PL record.<\/p>\n

Lafayette has two games remaining \u2013 Colgate<\/a> and Lehigh<\/a>. Win both and Lafayette is the champion.\u00a0 However, there is a sports adjective to describe the upcoming game with the Raiders of Colgate \u2013 it is called a \u201ctrap game\u201d.\u00a0 This game is the absolute definition of that term:<\/p>\n

\u201cA trap game in college football is loosely defined as a\u00a0game against a lesser opponent that is sandwiched between or directly before a \u2018big-time\u2019 game\u00a0such as against a rival or highly ranked opponent.\u201d<\/p>\n

The only shot to a championship for Lafayette started this past week by playing the team that was in first place \u2013 Holy Cross.\u00a0 Therefore, that was the epitome of a \u201cbig game\u201d.\u00a0 After Colgate, comes the 155th<\/sup> game between Lafayette and Lehigh.\u00a0 That game is ALWAYS on the minds of both teams.\u00a0 After all, it is college football\u2019s most played rivalry.\u00a0 Lehigh has won the last four games, so I suppose it is just human nature to constantly be thinking about your arch rival.\u00a0 There is a countdown clock in the Lafayette locker room that starts the first day of practice denoting when the Lafayette-Lehigh game will begin.<\/p>\n

Now you see why Colgate becomes a possible \u201ctrap game\u201d \u2013 a huge win last week; an even bigger game next week.\u00a0 The problem here is the term \u201clesser opponent\u201d.\u00a0 You see, Colgate also started 0-7 this year.\u00a0 They were chosen to win the Patriot League before the season started.\u00a0 In fact, their quarterback was chosen as the pre-season PL offensive player of the year.\u00a0 They seem to finally be playing at the level most felt they would, having won three of their last four games.\u00a0 And they have won four straight over Lafayette by a combined scoring total of 138-36; 72-0 the last two years.<\/p>\n

Kickoff for the \u201ctrap game\u201d is 12:30PM this coming Saturday at Lafayette.\u00a0 Let\u2019s hope the Leopards are not thinking about the game in Bethlehem the following week.<\/p>\n

No matter, it is fun to write once again \u2013 Lafayette is atop the Patriot League in the football standings.\u00a0 It has been a long time!<\/p>\n

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS)<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. With sports betting now legal in many states, it is interesting to see how an NFL<\/a><\/strong> weekend outcome affects the payouts. It is estimated that 90% of all bets placed on the Chiefs<\/a>–Titans<\/a> game were placed on the Chiefs.\u00a0 The Titans won the game 35-32 after the Chiefs\u2019 tying field goal was blocked with no time left.\u00a0 It was estimated the bookies won $10 million on the outcome.\u00a0 With all the upsets on Sunday, it was a good day to be a legal bookie. One bettor in New Jersey, however, put $440,000 on the Titans to win.\u00a0 That same person also bet $440,000 on Tampa Bay and $420,000 on the Browns.\u00a0 Both those bets were winners, too.\u00a0 Oh, my!\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
      \n
    1. And lest you think the NFL reigns when it comes to betting, more money was bet on LSU<\/a>–Alabama<\/a> than any NFL game. Alabama was a 2-1 favorite to win the game so most fans put their money on LSU.\u00a0 LSU won 46-41 in a thriller.\u00a0 LSU and Ohio State<\/a> are now 2-1 favorites to win the national championship.\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
        \n
      1. It does not appear Saquon Barkley is fully recovered from his high ankle sprain. In the last two games, he has gained a total of 29 yards, with just one yard coming on 13 carries this past week against the Jets<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
          \n
        1. If NBA<\/a> basketball is beginning to show up on your radar, please note that after a 5-0 start, the 76ers<\/a> lost three in a row. Ben Simmons is banged up and Joel Embiid was suspended.\u00a0 Right now, they are barely one of the top 10 teams in the league.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
            \n
          1. District XI<\/a> championships will be decided this week on RCN-TV. Friday night features Parkland <\/a>taking on Nazareth<\/a> for the 6A championship.\u00a0 Nazareth last won a District title in 2011 and Parkland won the next six straight before Freedom<\/a> won last year.\u00a0 On Saturday, at 7:00pm it\u2019s the 4A final with Central Catholic<\/a> traveling to Northern Lehigh<\/a> to take on Pottsville<\/a>. Saturday afternoon at 12:30pm, Lafayette entertains Colgate<\/a> on RCN-TV.\u00a0 See the blog.\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

            GARY\u2019S GUESSES (LAST WEEK \u2013 5-8)\u00a0 (YEAR-TO-DATE) \u2013 98-48-1\u00a0 (67%)<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

            PITTSBURGH<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

            PHILADELPHIA<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

            JETS<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

            DALLAS<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

            NEW ORLEANS<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

            CAROLINA<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

            INDIANAPOLIS<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

            MINNESOTA<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

            BUFFALO<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

            BALTIMORE<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

            \u00a0SAN FRANCISCO<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

            OAKLAND<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

            RAMS<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

            KANSAS CITY<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

            \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

             <\/p>\n

             <\/p>\n

             <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

            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\u00a0 I have been writing my blog for almost seven years and the last time I wrote about a Lafayette football team being in first…<\/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":"Yoast SEO Relevanssi index exclude","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":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-83238","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-the-sportstalk-shop"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nLeopards in First - 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