Monday, September 30, 2013

Two Chuck Bednarik ceremonies planned for Liberty on Friday

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FROM KEITH GROLLER


Chuck Bednarik will be honored in two separate ceremonies on Friday at Liberty High School with the second one culminating in the unveiling of a statue of "Concrete Charlie" at Bethlehem Area School District Stadium.
The first ceremony will take place inside Memorial Gym at 12:30 on Friday afternoon. A plaque will dedicated at that ceremony.
The second ceremony will occur at 6:30 during the pregame of the Lehigh Valley Conference game between Central Catholic and the host Liberty Hurricanes.
Liberty athletic director Fred Harris confirmed the ceremonies and said that Bednarik's statue will be unveiled on the Greenadier Blvd. side of the stadium in the corner by the home stands.
The ceremonies are being held in conjunction with the Pro Football Hall of Fame's "Hometown Hall of Famer" program, according to Harris. Allstate Insurance is the sponsoring partner.
According to the Hall of Fame's website, this is the Hall of Fame's first nationwide plaque program and will lead into the celebration of the Hall's upcoming 50th anniversary in 2013.

"Honoring the hometowns that helped create the foundation for Hall of Famers' pathway to the Hall will be truly special as these plaques will live forever in their hometown communities," said George Veras, Pro Football Hall of Fame Enterprises president and CEO. "The Hall of Fame is pleased that Allstate has recognized the significance of this program and given all of us - the players, their communities and the Pro Football Hall of Fame - a chance to celebrate the hometown stories of these legendary professional football players."

The Pro Football Hall of Fame and Allstate will honor a total of 90 Hall of Famers through 2014.

Following each presentation, the plaques will live permanently at a designated local venue in the Hall of Famer's hometown community.  In addition to the plaque, each community will receive two commemorative Hometown Hall of Famer™ road signs to proudly display in their hometowns.
Bednarik attended Liberty High School in the early 1940s. After graduation, he entered the US Air Forces and served from 1942-46 and then was a two-time All-American at the University of Pennsylvania before embarking on a storied 14-year NFL career with the Eagles from 1949-62. He helped the Eagles win NFL titles in 1949 and '60. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1967.
Bednarik, now 88 and living in Coopersburg, is expected to attend both ceremonies.

Sports Media Digest- September 30, 2013

http://sportsmediajournal.com


NFL Today Analysts to Get Work on Game Sites as Game Analysts

CBS Sports announced today that three members of its NFL Today  crew, Boomer Esiason, Sterling Sharpe, and Bill Cowher will leave the studio and serve as second analyst at three game sites during week six of the NFL.
The trio will call games featuring the teams they either played for or coached: Cowher will form a three-man booth with Jim Nantz and Phil Simms to call the game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the New York Jets; Esiason will join Kevin Harlan and Solomon Wilcots to call Cincinnati at Buffalo; and Sharpe will head back to Denver to team with Ian Eagle and Dan Fouts for the Jacksonville-Denver game.
Bart Scott and Amy Trask will fill the trio’s role on the NFL Today, moving from That Other Pregame Show that day.
“We wanted to try something new and showcase the insights and perspective of our studio analysts during a game broadcast,” said CBS Sports Chairman McManus. “Looking at the slate of regional games during Week 6, with three involving the former teams of our studio analysts, we thought it was the perfect time to have some fun and add Coach, Boomer and Shannon to our game coverage.”

SEC Football Continues to Score Big on CBS

CBS Sports reports that the overnight ratings for Saturday’s LSU/Georgia SEC football game earned the network an average rating of 4.9, up 75% over the game from the same week last year (Tennessee/Georgia)
CBS also announced that this Saturday’s SEC match-up will feature Georgia at Tennessee while the game on October 12th will pit Florida at LSU.

Former Coach George Karl Joins ESPN as NBA Analyst

ESPN announced today that it has hired former NBA Coach of the Year George Karl as an NBA analyst.
Karl will make his debut on the 11 p.m. ET edition of SportsCenter on Saturday, October 5 and also make regular appearances on NBA Coast 2 CoastNBA Tonight and other news and information programming.
“I’m excited to be back at ESPN and to offer the insights that I’ve gathered from 25 years of coaching,” said Karl. “It’s going to be a fun season ahead and I’m looking forward to sharing it with our viewers.”

ESPN Digital and Yahoo! Sports Claim Victory in Latest Online Viewership Numbers

Yahoo! Sports remains the leader in terms of unique visitors while ESPN is claims the top spot of average minutes of the audience, audience share, and minutes per user, according to the latest monthly online figures provided by comScore.
Yahoo! Sports attracted 61.6 million unique viewers last month compared with 57.8 million on ESPN’ digital platform.   114,151 people used ESPN digital properties on computers, smartphones and tablets in the average minute throughout August and had 29.5% of the online sports audience.

ESPN Radio’s Coverage of the MLB Wild Card and Division Playoffs

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ESPN Radio is the radio home for Major League Baseball’s Wild Card and League Division Series.
Here is the schedule of games on ESPN Radio, along with announcer assignments:
ESPN Radio Wild Card Schedule:
DateTime (ET)Game/Commentators
Tue, Oct 18 p.m.National League Wild Card: Cincinnati Reds at Pittsburgh Pirates
Dan Shulman, Orel Hershiser
Wed, Oct 28 p.m.American League Wild Card: Tampa Bay Rays or Texas Rangers at Cleveland Indians
Jon Sciambi, Chris Singleton

ESPN Radio NLDS Schedule:
DateTime (ET)Game/Commentators
Thu, Oct 3TBDNational League Wild Card at St. Louis Cardinals – Game 1
Dave Flemming, Rick Sutcliffe
TBDLos Angeles Dodgers at Atlanta Braves – Game 1
Shulman, Hershiser
Fri, Oct 4TBDNL Wild Card at St. Louis Cardinals – Game 2
Flemming, Sutcliffe
TBDLos Angeles Dodgers at Atlanta Braves – Game 2
Shulman, Hershiser
Sun, Oct 6TBDSt. Louis Cardinals at NL Wild Card – Game 3
Flemming, Sutcliffe
TBDAtlanta Braves at Los Angeles Dodgers – Game 3
Shulman, Hershiser
Mon, Oct 7TBDSt. Louis Cardinals at NL Wild Card – Game 4*
Flemming, Sutcliffe
TBDAtlanta Braves at Los Angeles Dodgers – Game 4*
Shulman, Hershiser
Wed, Oct 9TBDNL Wild Card at St. Louis Cardinals – Game 5*
Flemming, Sutcliffe
TBDLos Angeles Dodgers at Atlanta Braves – Game 5*
Shulman, Hershiser

ESPN Radio ALDS Schedule:
DateTime (ET)Game/Commentators
Fri, Oct 4TBDAmerican League Wild Card at Boston Red Sox – Game 1
Sciambi, Singleton
TBDDetroit Tigers at Oakland Athletics – Game 1
Michael Kay, Aaron Boone
Sat, Oct 5TBDAL Wild Card at Boston Red Sox – Game 2
Sciambi, Singleton
TBDDetroit Tigers at Oakland Athletics – Game 2
Kay, Boone
Mon, Oct 7TBDBoston Red Sox at AL Wild Card – Game 3
Sciambi, Singleton
TBDOakland Athletics at Detroit Tigers – Game 3
Kay, Boone
Tue, Oct 8TBDBoston Red Sox at AL Wild Card – Game 4*
Sciambi, Singleton
TBDOakland Athletics at Detroit Tigers – Game 4*
Kay, Boone
Thu, Oct 10TBDAL Wild Card at Boston Red Sox – Game 5*
Sciambi, Singleton
TBDDetroit Tigers at Oakland Athletics – Game 5*
Kay, Boone

Premier League Action this Week on NBC

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Here is this week’s schedule of English Premier League matches, along with network assignment, on the networks of NBC Sports:
Below is the NBCUniversal schedule for the seventh week of the Premier League season (all times ET):

DateTime (ET)Home-AwayNetwork
Mon., Sept. 3010:30 p.m.Barclays Premier League ReviewNBCSN
Mon., Sept. 3011:30 p.m.Premier League Encore: Manchester MondayNBCSN
Tues., Oct. 111 p.m.Premier League EncoreNBCSN
Fri., Oct. 47 a.m.Barclays Premier League NewsNBCSN
Sat., Oct. 52:30 a.m.Barclays Premier League PreviewNBCSN
Sat., Oct. 57 a.m.Premier League LiveNBCSN
Sat., Oct. 57:45 a.m.Manchester City v. EvertonNBCSN, mun2
Sat., Oct. 59:45 a.m.Premier League LiveNBCSN
Sat., Oct. 510 a.m.Liverpool v. Crystal PalaceNBCSN
Sat., Oct. 510 a.m.Hull City v. Aston VillaExtra Time
Sat., Oct. 510 a.m.Cardiff City v. Newcastle UnitedExtra Time
Sat., Oct. 510 a.m.Fulham v. Stoke CityExtra Time
Sat., Oct. 5NoonPremier League LiveNBCSN
Sat., Oct. 512:30 p.m.Sunderland v. Manchester UnitedNBCSN, mun2
Sun., Oct. 612:30 a.m.NBCSN’s Match of the DayNBCSN
Sun., Oct. 68 a.m.Premier League LiveNBCSN
Sun., Oct. 68:30 a.m.Norwich City v. ChelseaNBCSN
Sun., Oct. 68:30 a.m.Southampton v. Swansea CityExtra Time
Sun., Oct. 610:30 a.m.Premier League LiveNBCSN
Sun., Oct. 611 a.m.West Bromwich Albion v. ArsenalNBCSN
Sun., Oct. 611 a.m.Tottenham Hotspur v. West Ham UnitedExtra Time
Sun., Oct. 611 p.m.NBCSN’s Match of the Day IINBCSN

Lehigh rises to No. 10 and No. 13 in the two national FCS football polls

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FROM KEITH GROLLER


Lehigh's come-from-behind 34-27 win over New Hampshire on Saturday has elevated the Mountain Hawks in the FCS national polls.
Lehigh (4-0) has moved up to No. 10 in the coaches poll and to No. 13 in The Sports Network poll.
Last week, Lehigh was No. 17 in the coaches poll and No. 21 in The Sports Network rankings.
Lehigh has another major showdown looming on Saturday in the Bronx against unbeaten Fordham.
The Rams are one spot ahead of Lehigh in The Sports Netwok poll, checking in at No. 12 and are three spots behind the Mountain Hawks in the coaches poll.

he Sports Network FCS Top 25
College Football Poll
 
Team (First-place votes)2013 RecordPointsPrevious Rank
1.North Dakota State Bison (157)4-039491
2.Sam Houston State Bearkats (1)4-136734
3.Towson Tigers5-036453
4.Northern Iowa Panthers4-034925
5.Eastern Illinois Panthers4-131568
6.Eastern Washington Eagles2-230502
7.South Dakota State Jackrabbits3-225816
8.Montana State Bobcats3-2256111
9.Coastal Carolina Chanticleers5-0247812
10.Montana Grizzlies3-119647
11.McNeese State Cowboys4-118369
12.Fordham Rams5-0183216
13.Lehigh Mountain Hawks4-0176421
14.Central Arkansas Bears2-2176313
15.Northern Arizona Lumberjacks3-1171124
16.Georgia Southern Eagles3-1163515
17.Wofford Terriers2-2120317
18.Cal Poly Mustangs2-2119518
19.New Hampshire Wildcats1-2116210
20.Villanova Wildcats2-2100219
21.Bethune-Cookman Wildcats3-194720
22.Tennessee-Martin Skyhawks3-172423
23.Maine Black Bears4-1702NR
24.Delaware Blue Hens4-1671NR
25.Gardner-Webb Runnin' Bulldogs4-157025
Others receiving votes: Youngstown State 555, James Madison 544, William & Mary 235, Southern Utah 180, North Carolina A&T 126, Richmond 83, Tennessee State 59, Samford 46, Illinois State 45, Charleston Southern 41, Southeastern Louisiana 33, Harvard 31, Jacksonville State 27, Chattanooga 27, Stony Brook 17, Western Illinois 9, South Carolina State 7, Murray State 6, Portland State 6, Liberty 4, Sacred Heart 3.
RANKSCHOOL (FIRST-PLACE VOTES)RECORDPOINTSPREVIOUS 
1.North Dakota State (26)4-06501 
2.Towson5-06232 
3.Sam Houston State4-15994 
4.Northern Iowa4-05675 
5.Eastern Illinois4-148512 
6.Coastal Carolina5-047711 
7.Montana State3-246510 
8.Eastern Washington2-24503 
9.South Dakota State3-24326 
10.Lehigh4-034517 
11.Central Arkansas2-233613 
12.Montana3-13307 
13.Fordham5-032816 
14.McNeese State4-13209 
15.Wofford2-229815 
16.Bethune-Cookman3-125618 
17.Northern Arizona3-124222 
18.New Hampshire1-22227 
19.Cal Poly2-219819 
20.Villanova2-216821 
21.James Madison3-112214 
22.Youngstown State4-111725 
23.Maine4-1103NR 
24.Gardner-Webb4-149NR 
25.Delaware3-147NR

Turner Announces Broadcaster Assignment for Wild Card and Division Series

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Turner Sports announced today the announcer assignments for TBS’ coverage of the MLB Wild Card games and Division Series.
Here is the schedule and assignments for the two Wild Card games:
DateTime (ET)Games/Commentator Teams
Tuesday, Oct. 17 p.m.MLB Postseason Pre-Game on TBS presented by JeepKeith Olbermann (host), Mark DeRosa, Dirk Hayhurst, Pedro Martinez and Tom Verducci (analysts).
 8 p.m.N.L. Wild Card Game: Cincinnati Reds at Pittsburgh Pirates
Ernie Johnson (play-by-play), Ron Darling and Cal Ripken (analysts) with Craig Sager (reporter)
 PostgameThe Postseason Show on TBS presented by Johnnie Walker
Olbermann, DeRosa, Hayhurst, Martinez and Verducci
  
Wednesday, Oct. 27 p.m.MLB Postseason Pre-Game on TBS presented by JeepOlbermann, DeRosa, Hayhurst, Martinez and Verducci
 8 p.m.A.L. Wild Card Game: Tampa Bay Rays / Texas Rangers at Cleveland Indians
Brian Anderson (play-by-play), Joe Simpson and John Smoltz (analysts) with Rachel Nichols (reporter)
PostgameThe Postseason Show on TBS presented by Johnnie Walker
Olbermann, DeRosa, Hayhurst, Martinez and Verducci
Here are the assignments for the Division Series:
  • Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Atlanta Braves  Ernie Johnson (play-by-play), Ron Darling and Cal Ripken (analysts) with Craig Sager (reporter)
  • N.L. Wild Card vs. St. Louis Cardinals  Dick Stockton (play-by-play) and Bob Brenly (analyst) with Matt Winer (reporter)
  • Detroit Tigers vs. Oakland Athletics – Don Orsillo (play-by-play), Dennis Eckersley and Buck Martinez (analysts) with David Aldridge (reporter)
  • A.L. Wild Card vs. Boston Red Sox – Brian Anderson (play-by-play), Joe Simpson and John Smoltz (analysts) with Rachel Nichols (reporter)

Pocono's NASCAR and IndyCar race dates in 2014 have been set

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FROM KEITH GROLLER


The 2014 race dates for Pocono Raceway have been set and they're almost identical to the dates of this past summer.
The two NASCAR Sprint Cup series will again have its races on the firt weekend of June and August.
The Pocono 400 is set for the weekend of June 6-8 and the GoBowling.com 400 is scheduled for the weekend of Aug. 1-3.
The IndyCar series returns for the second straight year on the weekend of July 5-6.
In addition, the Raceway will add a couple of events -- the Tough Mudder Poconos April 19-20 and the Warrior Dash on Aug. 23.
“The past year was incredible,”  Brandon Igdalsky, Pocono Raceway President and CEO, said in a release. “Five-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion, Jimmie Johnson, dominated and took the checkers in our June race. Local favorite Marco Andretti set a new track record as he earned the pole for the INDYCAR race in July, but during the race, Scott Dixon came out of nowhere to capture the first open-wheel victory at Pocono since 1989.
"Then the thrilling duel, at the end of the GoBowling.com 400 in August, between teammates Jeff Gordon and eventual race winner Kasey Kahne, capped off our exciting 2013 racing season. 
“We are so excited about how our 2014 schedule is shaping up. We’re not only bringing back some of the best motorsports races in the country; we’re also adding great events like the Tough Mudder and theWarrior Dash. As we shift gears and give fans more events to enjoy, our goal is to turn Pocono Raceway from the motorsports venue it currently is into one of America’s premier sports and entertainment facilities.”
Tickets for the 2014 NASCAR and INDYCAR race weekends at Pocono Raceway, which will include the same supporting series events as 2013, will go on sale October 1, 2013. Fans can visit www.poconoraceway.comor call 1-800-RACEWAY (1-800-722-3929).

PFN releases Week 5 Statewide Rankings

http://www.d11football.com/news/09/30/pfn-releases-week-5-statewide-rankings/


2013 Scholastic Football Rankings – WEEK 5
By The Pennsylvania Football News

PFN’s scholastic football rankings are released for publication Sundays and include the team, geographic district, season record and previous week’s result. Teams listed as honorable mention are arranged in numerical order by geographic district.

AAAA:
1. St. Joseph’s Prep (12, 3-1), def. Roman Catholic 42-7
2. Coatesville (1, 5-0), def. Bishop Shanahan 37-13
3. Upper St. Clair (7, 5-0), def. Baldwin 44-0
4. Pittsburgh Central Catholic (7, 5-0), def. Seneca Valley 42-0
5. La Salle College High School (12, 4-1), def. Archbishop Ryan 28-14
6. Neshaminy (1, 5-0), def. Harry S. Truman 35-7
7. McKeesport (7, 5-0), def. Altoona Area 34-7
8. Wilson-West Lawn (3, 5-0), def. Cedar Crest 35-0
9. Cumberland Valley (3, 4-1), def. Chambersburg 31-14
10. Easton (11, 4-1), lost to Emmaus 14-7

HM: Bayard Rustin (1, 5-0), Central Bucks South (1, 4-1), Garnet Valley (1, 5-0), Pennridge (1, 4-1), Pennsbury (1, 4-1), Wyoming Valley West (2, 4-1), Penn Manor (3, 4-1), Bethel Park (7, 4-1), Gateway (7, 5-0), North Allegheny (7, 4-1), Seneca Valley (7, 4-1), Woodland Hills (7, 3-2), Parkland (11, 4-1), Whitehall (11, 4-1)

AAA:
1. Bishop McDevitt (3, 5-0), def. Susuehanna Township 36-19
2. Archbishop Wood (12, 5-0), def. Cardinal O’Hara 41-0
3. Thomas Jefferson (7, 5-0), def. Albert Gallatin 49-0
4. Cathedral Prep (10, 5-0), def. Youngstown Ursuline (OH), 37-8
5. Manheim Central (3, 5-0), def. Lebanon 72-0
6. West Allegheny (7, 5-0), def. Central Valley 13-7
7. Berwick (2, 5-0), def. Selinsgrove 36-0
8. Central Valley (7, 4-1), lost to West Allegheny 13-7
9. West Mifflin (7, 5-0), def. Ringgold 42-28
10. Pottsgrove (1, 5-0), def. Spring-Ford 14-7

HM: Abington Heights (2, 5-0), Scranton Prep (2, 5-0), Cocalico (3, 5-0), Conrad Weiser (3, 4-1), Franklin Regional (7, 4-1), Mars (7, 4-1), New Castle (7, 4-1), University Prep (8, 4-0), Clearfield Area (9, 5-0), Bethlehem Catholic (11, 4-1), Southern Lehigh (11, 4-1)

AA:
1. Imhotep Charter (12, 4-0), def. High School of the Future 83-6
2. Aliquippa (7, 5-0), def. Mohawk 56-8
3. Richland (6, 5-0), def. Bishop McCort 70-21
4. South Fayette (7, 5-0), def. Seton-LaSalle 45-3
5. Catasauqua (11, 5-0), def. Saucon Valley 56-34
6. West Catholic (12, 4-1), def. Bishop McDevitt (12) 52-14
7. Berks Catholic (3, 5-0), def. Blue Mountain 37-7
8. Danville (4, 5-0), def. Central Columbia 34-6
9. Beaver Falls (7, 5-0), def. Keystone Oaks 54-15
10. Montoursville (4, 5-0), def. Mount Carmel Area 18-13

HM: Bermudian Springs (3, 5-0), Littlestown (3, 5-0), Lewisburg (4, 4-1), Central-Martinsburg (6, 4-1), Ligonier Valley (6, 5-0), Tyrone (6, 4-1), Jeannette (7, 4-1), Mt. Pleasant (7, 5-0), Seton-LaSalle (7, 4-1), Shady Side Academy (7, 5-0), Washington (7, 5-0), Kane Area (9, 5-0), Karns City (9, 4-1), Greenville (10, 5-0), Hickory (10, 4-1)

A:
1. Southern Columbia (4, 5-0), def. Muncy 55-13
2. Dunmore (2, 5-0), def. Holy Cross 62-21
3. Clairton (7, 4-1), def. Fort Cherry 36-28
4. Sto-Rox (7, 5-0), def. Northgate 58-0
5. Bellwood-Antis (6, 4-1), def. Mount Union 20-6
6. Pittsburgh North Catholic (7, 5-0), def. West Shamokin 60-27
7. Old Forge (2, 4-1), def. Riverside (2) 57-7
8. Monessen (7, 4-1), def. Bishop Canevin 40-6
9. Steelton-Highspire (3, 5-0), def. East Pennsboro 21-14
T-10. Clarion Area (9, 5-0), def. Union-Rimersburg 62-0
T-10. South Williamsport (4, 4-1), def. Warrior Run 63-28

HM: Bristol (1, 3-1), Lackawanna Trail (2, 4-1), Berlin Brothersvalley (5, 5-0), Northern Bedford (5, 5-0), Penns Manor (6, 5-0), Portage (6, 3-1), Avonworth (7, 5-0), Neshannock (7, 4-1), Curwensville (9, 4-1), Farrell (10, 4-1), West Middlesex (10, 4-1), Mahanoy Area (11, 5-0), Tri-Valley (11, 5-0), Williams Valley (11, 5-0)