Fabulous Freddie!

Bethlehem Catholic Senior WR Freddie Simmons is arguably the Lehigh Valley's most likely Division I prospect. His Friday night four-touchdown performance (one was called back on a hold) against cross-town rival Liberty High School was poetry in motion. Both speed and deception had defenders running into each other as he would make his way down the field, virtually untouched. He's the best I've ever seen at Beca.

During last year's games, I certainly heard his name called out often enough for tremendous plays that he seemed to just will to happen at times. But what really turned me into a Freddie Simmons fan is his performance on the basketball court. I watched him in several games last Winter, and there were times when I just couldn't stop laughing. He would really enjoy himself, and loved to joke around with the refs and his opponents.

This Summer, I saw Freddie in action again during the games that were held at Cedar Beach. Instead of being cocky with the younger players like my grandson, he would actually help them out and encourage them.If they made a mistake, he would be quick to give them a re-assuring pat on the back.

He is also something of a track star, as you might imagine. last Spring, he led off a relay race for Beca, but dropped the baton, which put the school behind. The anchor runner gave it everything he had, and Beca won the race. Freddie, who was upset with himself over dropping the baton, was so happy and appreciative of his teammate that he repaid him in a strange and very selfless way.

There was a hurdles event, and Freddie was way ahead, with the anchor band the closet hurdler in sight. Right before the end, Freddie pulled up and let the anchor pass him and win the race.

I'm told that he sometimes asks his football coach to take him out and give other players a chance.
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Yes, he is emotional. High strung. But he is a great teammate and a great person.

Last Great Run By A Bronco Was in '94

I'm sure we all remember that one.

But today's performance was utterly forgettable. Thanks to Fox Sports, I was able to livestream the game, including the commercials.

I don't think I've been missing much.

Peyton Manning disappointed. Richard Sherman, the reviled "thug", is on crutches.

I want to say one thing about this game. Ordinarily, I would have gone with the Broncos. But Sherman the trash talker made that impossible. I love the guy.

I know, I know. He's black, brash, from Compton and even sports dreadlocks. He's also a Stanford graduate, a student of the game, and understands the value of getting inside an opponent's head.

This is Joe Paterno country, where even a player's name does not appear on his jersey. We tend to dislike trash talkers as egotists who think only of themselves. But i believe Sherman's approach is much different and is team-focused.

According to Buzzfeed, he's actually one of the most likable players in the NFL. They don't focus on his work with youth or his serious approach to the game, but to his goofy sense of humor. Just about everything he does, including the fiery words that tend to irritate us, is tongue in cheek.

Want an example? Below is an interview that he conducted himself last year with unsuspecting fans. The guy knows how to laugh at himself.

Friday High School Football Picks

I enjoy high school and college sports much more than on the professional level. For on thing, I can afford to see the games. For another, they're so unpredictable. My calls this week are below. Tell me who you like, if you dare.

Bangor bangs Northern Lehigh (Got this one wrong. N. Lehigh came out on top, 34-27)

Catty claws Palmerton (48-7)

Pocono Mountain West pulverizes Dieruff. (postponed 'till 1 PM today)

Liberty lambasts overconfident Easton. (Easton might think Liberty is an easy target).. (Easton wins, 31-21, but Liberty led in the first quarter.)

Nazareth numbs Central Catholic (prepare for last rites) - (Wow! Central upsets Nazareth 27-21, but game suspended until Saturday, 6 PM.)

Northampton knocks Freedom. (Freedom knocked the conkrete out of 'em, 34-16)

Notre Dame beats Palisades (They're due.) (But not yet. Palisades pounds out a 23-7 win).

Whitehall whoops Emmaus (How the Hell did they ever come up with "Zephyrs"? Sure, it beats Hoboes, but not by much.) (Zephyrs beat the Hornets, 27-14. An explanation of the Zephyr is in the comments.)

Pleasant Valley unpleasant to Allen. (This game was called after the first half, with Pleasant Valley up 42-0)

Wilson whacks Salisbury (I know, I have a soft spot for Wilson). (Wilson wins! 48-19!)

Northern Lehigh pastes Pen Argyl

Parkland pulverizes Becahi. (Forget the Atiyeh rehab and build a hospital).

Updated Saturday PM. - With two games left, I am 4 for 9. I'll order a new crystal ball.

My Friday High School Football Picks

Let's see if I can get my winning percentage up from last week. Who do you pick?

Whitehall over Central Catholic.
(32-7)

Nazareth over Becahi.
(30-0)

East Stroudsburg North over Dieruff.
(63-21)

Easton over Northampton. (49-28)

Emmaus over Liberty.
(22-24)

Parkland over Freedom.
(41-7)

Bangor over Palmerton.
(47-12)

Salisbury over Palisades.
(15-41)

Notre Dame over Saucon Valley (upset)(13-24)

Wilson over Southern Lehigh.(20-52)

Catty over Pen Argyl.

Lehighton over Allen.

Friday HS Football Picks

I'm jumping in this in the middle of the season, but better late than ever. Every Friday, I'll post a list of my high school football picks. I actually do follow HS football, and go to a few games every year. I find it more exciting, more unpredictable and a lot cheaper than the pros. So below are this weekend's picks. You can let me know where I'm wrong. If you're good at this, I'll be begging you for your predictions every Friday.

Pocono Mtn W over Allen; (17-6)

Bangor over Catty (going out on a limb here); (14-35)

E Stroudsburg S over Dieruff; (53-14)

Easton over Freedom; (35-21)

Nazareth over Parkland; (21-420

Emmaus over Northampton;  (35-14)

Pen Argyl over N. Lehigh; (41-28)

Saucon Valley over Salisbury; (38-7?)

Notre Dame over Southern Lehigh (in an upset);  (7-15)

Wilson over Palisdes;

Liberty over Central Catholic (upset);

Whitehall over Becahi.

Updated Friday night: Looks like I'm 6 for 9 so far. Not sure about the SV score.

A Sunday Drive ... On a Bike

Remember the Sunday drive? This one was on the bike. Using Google's mapping feature for bikes, I was able to get a route from Nazareth to Grange Park in Upper Macungie that kept me off the main drags. My grandson had a football game there against South Parkland. If he was going to risk his life against the Trojans, I'd risk mine against Lehigh Valley motorists.

Google Maps managed to put me on both the Nor-Bath and Ironton Trails for part of the 51-mile round trip.

The most dangerous part of my trip was the frequent appearance of PSU students, who were collecting money for cancer or something. There was even a kid waiting outside my estate.

I unleashed the hounds.

I shot some video of different parts of the trip, ending it with one of Dat's touchdown passes.

We both survived.

Bethlehem Steelers Prepare For First Scrimmage

Steelers hydrate during a hot practice.

Though it was about 180 degrees in the shade, several hundred kids in heavy pads and helmets spent a few hours running themselves ragged and hitting each other yesterday. Under the careful supervision at least fifty coaches, one of whom swallowed his whistle, these boys and men engaged in the organized insanity we all know and love as football.

This is Dat's last year with the Steelers. During a break in yesterday's festivities, he and Kyle are taking some big gulps. I just hope it's not Budweiser.

Dat and Kyle have played football and baseball together for several years. I think they might be the team's quarterbacks.

I've seen their line. I sure hope they can run backwards.

Their first scrimmage, incredibly, is Monday night. I think they're playing Penn State.

Bethlehem Steelers Send Bulldogs to the Pound

Last Saturday's snowstorm delayed the clash between the 125-pound Bethlehem Township Bulldogs (5-3) and Bethlehem Steelers (7-1). The winner would advance against teams like Saucon Valley or Parkland, but this game would determine bragging rights in Bethlehem.

They faced each other just two weeks before, when the Steelers visited Bethlehem Township's North Municipal Park. In a game dominated by Bulldog errors, the Steelers came out on top, 18-8, in a game that was more lopsided than the score indicated.

On Saturday, the Steelers hosted the Bulldogs. Although the final score was identical to their first battle, this was a much closer game. In fact, it was scoreless the first half, with neither team able to move the ball, as winds swirled around the Monocacy complex. But in the second half, the Steelers exploded. The offensive line opened up hole after hole, and RB Damian Diaz (#4) smashed through them, scoring twice.

Coaches from other weight groups usually do the chain gang during playoff games. Somebody must have screwed up because they asked for volunteers before Saturday's game. On the very first play of the game, I managed to break the chain, causing a delay until a Bulldogs' coach came through with some athletic tape.

My grandson (#1) was injured when he tried to make a tackle near the end of the game, and was kicked in his chest. Fortunately, he just had the wind knocked out of him, and was only out a play. It took all my will to remain on the sidelines. It's a good thing his mom had to miss the game, or she would have run out there.

The Bulldogs lost the game, but the coaches and kids were terrific. My head is still ringing from all the yelling that goes on in a football game, but they were all class acts.

Bethlehem Steelers Muzzle Bulldogs

They'll meet again in the playoffs, but the Bethlehem Steelers (125-pounders) muzzled the Bethlehem Township Bulldogs 18 to 8 on Saturday in a game in which the Bulldogs were unable to get anything going. Despite an early injury, QB Thomas "the train" Murphy led his team to victory. His powerful line, led by Justin McSchmoyer, opened hole after hole, and RB Chase O'Detres sliced through them.

In addition to a powerful arm, Murphy can kick run and tackle. I think you'll be reading his name again in a few short years. Yes, his grandfather is the former Lehigh County District Judge.

North Parkland, Saucon Valley and the Steelers are undefeated in their respective divisions.

(Commenting here will track IPs to deter trolls.)

The Battle of Bethlehem Looms

Even though it will likely soon be pulling in more tax revenue than the aristocrats on the other side of the river, the South Side is still part of Bethlehem. No secession is being planned at the moment. Three Republicans - Al Bernotas, Tom Carroll and Tony Simao - are intent on forming their own "Occupy 10 East Church Street" group on City Council, but I'm not talking about them, either. I'm talking about a real war brewing between Bethlehem and Bethlehem Township this coming Saturday on a battleground off William Highway. The Township's 6-1 Bulldogs host the City's 6-1 Steelers in the final regular game of the season for 125-pounders.

Although the Steelers have a powerful line, QB Thomas "the train" Murphy is willing to throw the ball ... and connect. But the Bulldogs' record is very impressive, too, and they may have beaten the Steelers in a game last year.

Of course, parents will go crazy and coaches will lose their voiceboxes for three years, but I'm sure these kids are looking forward to this game.

Working the Chain Gang

In youth football, the one job nobody wants is the chain gang. As players stand on the field, ready to kick off, the announcer plaintively calls out for three volunteers. It often takes a threat of a delay of game penalty before someone steps forward.

When I'm there, they only have to wait for two volunteers. As far as I'm concerned, it's the best seat in the house. And although I'm standing in "enemy" territory, most of the coaches and parents are no different than the ones on the other side of the field.

Completely nutz. Fortunately, most of them know they're crazy, and will sometimes even apologize after breaking my eardrums. But it is an exciting game, usually accompanied by a loud PA system and cheerleaders to wind people up even more.

The players work themselves up into a frenzy, too, slapping their pads in a ritualized demonstration that reminds me of ancient warriors clanging their shields with a spear or sword.

It is, as one of my readers noted, a little war.

But it's a war in which the object is to score points, not kill your opponent. The kids understand this. The coaches understand this. But sometimes, people get carried away.

That's what happened on Saturday, when Allentown's South Side Mounties visited the Bethlehem Steelers.

The 125-pound team consisted of only about 14 kids. But almost that many fathers stepped out onto the field with their sons, all of them thinking they were coaches. Every time the ref made a call against them, they would scream there is some kind of bias against South Side Allentown. Between nearly every play, almost every one of these fathers kept stepping out onto the field, shouting out last-minute instructions.

Now the ref kept warning these guys to stay behind the line, and they really tried, but they did it the entire game. They couldn't help it. The Mounties, though smaller in number, caught the Steelers flat and actually had the lead going into the second quarter. They were on their way to an upset.

When the Steelers finally realized that the Mounties had no idea that they were supposed to roll over and lose, they woke up and started moving the ball and scoring points. They took the lead in the second quarter and managed somehow to stay on top, even though these South Siders fought furiously.

Although the kids on the field were really valiant, some of the wannabe coaches were despicable. In the third quarter, one of them started shouting, "Hurt somebody!"

At that, I turned around and said to him, "You mean 'hit somebody,' don't you?"

"No, I mean 'hurt somebody!'" Then he began shouting it out again.

I pointed out that these are just 11 and 12 year-old boys, and he couldn't want one of them to get hurt, could he?

His answer was Yes, and he shouted it again.

I turned to someone who I thought was a real coach and asked him to do something, and he said, "It's just a figure of speech. This is football."

I'm sorry, but asking a bunch of boys to "hurt somebody" is no figure of speech. Then the dude on the box, who heard what was going on, started freaking out on the wannabes, and I was pretty sure a riot would ensue.

Yellow flags were thrown all over the place and kids sent off the field while the refs came back and gave South Side a "warning," which was promptly ignored.

After that, a board member breezed by to make sure everything was OK, and a ref got us off the field as soon as the game ended. The box dude wanted to talk to the South Side parents, but I talked him out of it.

Next time I work the chain gang, I think I should wear pads and a helmet, too.

Should Parents Be Banned From Kids' Football Games?

Last week, the Bethlehem Steelers (125 lbs.) were playing the Mustangs in Lower Macungie. With a little over a minute to go, and the Steelers up by 20, a young Mustang was injured.

Unlike most kids, who might yell in pain or even cry (you can cry in football), this boy was just lying there. He was out. When he came to, he was not moving. He complained of numbness in his shoulder and arm, and everyone waited what seemed like a half hour for an ambulance to drive out onto the field and take the boy away.

Who the hell would want to play after something like that? The Mustangs and the Steelers, that's who. They played a pointless minute in a game that was already decided and after the kids had lost their enthusiasm.

Coaches were still screaming, with veins popping out of their necks and foreheads. So were moms and dads. But the kids knew better. The game was over.

Yesterday, the Steelers played a very good team from North Parkland. They're called the Buffaloes and they are big. I was on the chain gang.

Before these games start, the kids on both teams start whooping it up and hitting each other or slapping their pads, reminding me of primal warriors from our distant past. Cheerleaders encourage them with a banner they run through to their bench.

But the kids aren't the only ones who get psyched. Parents and coaches start screaming, too.

During yesterday's game, which was very close but eventually won by the Buffaloes, one of their boys fumbled the ball in the backfield. As Steelers scrambled for the ball, one of North Parkland's 900 coaches (they all have more coaches than players and with very nice matching shirts) shouted out, "Step on his hands!"

WTF? These are 11 and 12 year-old kids, not the NFL. Would this guy appreciate another adult telling some boy to step on his son's hand?

I turned to the coach, from where I was on the chain gang, and asked him what the hell was wrong with him. There's no excuse for that kind of behavior. To his credit, the coach immediately apologized, told me he had never said anything like that before, and did not know what had happened to him.

I believe him, too. I don't think any of his boys heard him in all the confusion, with so many adults screaming conflicting orders at the tops of their lungs. And if they did, they'd ignore him. The kids knew better.

I'm sure this coach could be removed, but that's not the problem. The problem is that perfectly nice people can turn into animals very quickly. Does the violence inherent in a sport like football cause us all to become primitive tribesman, devolving about 30,000 years for the two hours that we stand in a 100-yard filed of grass?

My grandson loves the game, even more than baseball. So do his teammates. But I'm not worried about them. It's their parents.

Hurricane or Not, the Bethlehem Steelers Played

Can you say you ever played football or were a cheerleader in a hurricane? Young men and women from Northampton and Bethlehem can make now that claim. Despite ominous skies, rain and a hurricane warning, the Bethlehem Steelers played the Konkrete Kids on Saturday. Since most of the Steelers expect to end up with the Liberty Hurricanes, they probably liked the forecast.

Fortunately, the weather held, although a ref warned everyone that if he saw one just one flash of lightning, he was ending it.

Football or Dance of the Grass Fairies?

It's hard to believe that the Eagles-Vikings' game has been postponed until Tuesday, supposedly out of public safety concerns. If the NFL were really concerned about that, they'd ban the booze.

Is this Football or the Dance of the Grass Fairies?

Bethlehem Steelers v. Mountainville, 10/9/10

Updated Sunday AM: I shot that video from the chain gang, where I usually fnd myself when the kids play football. For some reason, nobody ever wants to do it, but it's the best seat in the house.

On Defense, Dat is a cornerback, and I have rarely see anyone play that spot who looks for more excuses NOT to tackle anyone. I brought my flipcam yesterday to show him how good he is at just missing.

I guess he showed me.

Concrete Charlie: Great Christmas Gift

Bethlehem luminary Larry Kisslinger has sent out one of his famous mass emails, asking his numerous friends and acquaintances to buy Concrete Charlie, the latest reminiscences of Eagles legend Chuck Bednarik. As hard as the steel then produced in Bethlehem, Liberty High grad Bednarik is a rare breed - the last of the iron men who could and did play both offense and defense in NFL football. But before doing this, he was an Air Force gunner in thirty combat missions over Germany during WWII. After the war, he played college ball at the University of Pennsylvania, not Penn State. Professionally, he played 58 minutes during the 1960 title game, the last title ever claimed by the Birds. According to Governor Ed Rendell, "He was the consummate hard hitter. He was a force that gripped the town."

If you believe what former Morning Call reporter Mike Sielski writes, Bednarik is also a bigot. During a 2003 interview in this legend's living room, "Bednarik began to rant, for five to 10 minutes, about the "n—--r bull—-t" in present-day pro football. Deion Sanders, end-zone dances, guys who weren't tough enough to play both ways — he took a blowtorch to all of them."

Sielski waited five years, apparently 'till he was selling his own book, before publishing a word of this supposed rant. "For one thing, it wasn't relevant to the primary thrust of the piece: Bednarik's dispute with the Eagles. For another, I felt sorry for him. Here was an old man trapped in his sad, antiquated way of looking at the world, and I didn't want to embarrass him more than he already had embarrassed himself. One terrible sound bite can drown out the music of a man's life."

Wonderfully considerate of Sielski, don't you think? So did Bednarik get younger in the last five years? Why would Sielski try to drown out the music now? Personally, I prefer sportswriter Ray Didinger's assessment. "When people retell things, the legends tend to get exaggerated. Chuck Bednarik is one of the very few cases where the accomplishments were greater than the legend. What’s been lost is not just that he played two ways, but how great he played."

I'll be buying Bednarik's book.

Bethlehem's Steel Curtain

Are you ready for some football? Steelers football? No, I'm not talking about those candy asses in Pittsburgh. I'm talking about real football from the nearly 300 spirited kids and cheerleaders known and feared as the Bethlehem Steelers. When they man the field in their dreaded black uniforms and begin chanting their war cries, ambulances and hospitals everywhere are put on red alert.

The Steelers are actually just one of seventeen, equally fierce, teams participating locally in the Suburban Youth Football League. It draws kids from Parkland to Saucon Valley and Emmaus. Despite my hype, the real powerhouse is traditionally North Parkland. It's packed with juvenile delinquents, convicted felons and ringers from Mongolia who guzzle Budweiser during water breaks. Some say Michael Vick played there last year.

But last year, North Parkland was crushed by the 90 lb. Steelers' team. It had a perfect record, winning most games by 20 or more points. Those boys, and their coaches, have all moved on to the next level, where they are once again terrorizing the league.

All but my grandson, Dat.

He's very proud that he now tips the scales at a hefty 72 lb. (with pads), and is joined this year by the kids who played in the 80 lb. division last year. They're scrappy, but lost every game. This year looked like a repeat performance. Upper Macungie's Mustangs broke them in the season opener, 13-7. In their second game, South Parkland's Trojans prevailed in overtime.

This weekend, these 80-turned-90 pounders finally shed their curse as a team that always snatches defeat from the jaws of victory. Power running back Justin Schmoyer, who always hovers near the upper weight limit, beefed up the line, and the Steelers' luck changed. In the first half, he opened up a gaping hole that Dat Lambert exploited for a sixty yard touchdown. Once he got through the line, Dat was able to elude defenders and ran like hell for the end zone, and fortunately in the right direction.

In the second half, Schmoyer opened another hole for Joshua Clark, who himself scampered another sixty yards down the sideline for a second touchdown. In addition, Lambert and Clark had some long gains that were called back because of holding.

Final score? 12-0. After the game, the two Bethlehem teams congratulated each other, were hugged by moms and ate cupcakes and an increasingly popular Puerto Rican meat pastry called patellias(sp?). My grandson may now weigh 72 1/2 lb.

But before trying on another championship jacket, there are plenty of tough teams standing in the way. Next weekend, the Steelers face the 3-0 North Parkland Powerhouse.

Blogger's Note: The photos used here come with the kind consent of Jeff Kaboly Photography, who told me my blog sucks while I worked the chain gang. I speared him.

Are You Ready for Some Football?

Last time I bragged about my grandson Dat, he had just bumped into three-time Cy Young winner Pedro Martinez. This hurler not only posed for a picture with Dat, but had lots of very good baseball advice. Unfortunately, it was all in Spanish.

That seems like ages ago. It's now football season, baby, and I goofed off a few hours tonight to watch The Bethlehem Steelers in action. Insects swarmed around my legs and locusts bellowed in nearby trees, answering the football whistles blowing everywhere. Parents in lawn chairs expectantly watched their pups. I watched, too, as the offensive squad continually screwed up a punting play. Every time they messed up, they all had to drop and do ten push ups.

They did a lot of push ups. In fact, the offense was so bad that even the defense had to do pushups. Even the kids on the sidelines had to drop. I bolted right before those goofy coaches ordered the parents to drop. This team may lose every game, but they'll all be experts at push ups.

I've included a picture of Dat during a water break, after about 80 push ups. Notice that this hot dog sports different color wrist bands. Already stylin' and profilin'. That should be worth another twenty or thirty push ups.

Get this. They actually have a preseason game this Saturday, the first annual John Fenstermacher Bowl, named after a legendary Bethlehem football and wrestling coach who was unfortunately stricken with ALS.

Pennsylvania Super Bowl?

Andy Reid's sixth-seed Philadelphia Eagles have defeated the vaunted first-seed NY Giants, 23-11, in a physical, defensive struggle. The Birds will seek the NFC championship for the fifth time under Reid. That's pretty cool, especially since a few short days ago, supposed "experts" confidently pronounced there was no way the mighty Giants could fall twice in their own stadium and that Andy Reid is too fat to coach ... blah ... blah ... blah.

If Pittsburgh knocks off the Chargers (it's half time), a Pennsylvania Super Bowl - and possible civil war - becomes a little more likely. Steeler fans are pretty tough. I met a few over Christmas, and they eat venison, ride snowmobiles and sometimes shit in outhouses. But Philly's gangs probably have more firepower, so I'll remain an Eagles fan or move to Jersey.

Allen Canaries Are Early Warning System for Allentown

Canaries, a coal miner's early warning system, drop over from carbon monoxide or methane poisoning before those deadly fumes can reach miners. Allen Canaries are dropping over, too, sending their own warning in Allentown.

Allentown resident Scott Armstrong, who publishes the informative Allentown Commentator, has noticed those dying Canaries. He has kindly allowed me to cross post his well-written, but sad, report here.

If one wanted to witness firsthand a perfect metaphor of Allentown's decline there was no better place then in one of the many available seats in the hometown section of J. Birney Crumb Stadium tonight. It was there that Bethlehem's Liberty High School rolled over the once mighty Canaries 62 to zero. It wasn't just the football team that was overwhelmed by the visitors; the visitors outshined the hometown in eery way. Liberty fans filled their stands, their band was large, disciplined and impressive (they will be going to Pasadena for this year's Rose Bowl Parade), their cheerleaders were motivated and having fun… Meanwhile the Allen seats were occupied by only a few odd students and a smattering of parents who came out in support of their children who were on the field as players, band members or cheerleaders.

Clearly tonight's match was more than just a football game, it was a contest between a functioning municipality and school district and a non-functioning school district and municipality. It wasn't pretty and although I wore an Allentown Band parent T-Shirt with the words "Allen Pride" I felt ashamed that my son's school experience routinely included this sort of humiliation.

Fifteen years ago we made the decision to move into Allentown.

Clearly that was a big mistake.

Personally, I think it's the name. I can understand a Hawk or a Huskie, but Tweety Bird?