#30 takes out Brian Westbrook

It seems that two high profile were taken out in the last few days by #30. LT of San Diego and Brian Westbrook of Philadelphia. 30 isn't the uniform number of an opposing player but the Mendoza Line for NFL running backs.....Age 30.

As an Eagle fan and Villanova alum, I am a big Westbrook fan. He played hurt, but in the long run the concussions have taken their toll.

Unlike the Dawkins departure after last season, releasing Westbrook now gives him an opportunity to sign with a team in his favor. The Eagles did the right thing.

Remembering Terence P. Reiley

Today marks 10 years since death of Terence(Terry) P. Reiley lost his battle with leukemia. I first met Terry in September of 1984 at Villanova University. He happened to be in a class or two with Robert Scanlon who would become one of my roomates the following year.

At the time of his death, Terry was the mayor of Pottsville, PA. An engineer by trade and just finishing up law school, the sky was the limit. One great character trait Terry had while being a life long politician was his ability to talk to anyone regardless of where they fell in the class structure. Everyone was important to Terry.

His father has carried the stewardship of being mayor for the past decade.

It only seems like yesterday when you were holding court at the Humane on St. Patrick's Day Saturday or trying to get in the Brass Tap on the same day. On this day the Villanova community remembers Terry and our lives are better for it.

God Bless!!!

Get the Knack!

Sad to report, Doug Fieger, leader of the power pop band The Knack who sang on the 1979 hit "My Sharona," died Sunday. He was 57.

The Knack was a rock group that had the biggest selling albums of 1979 and "My Sharona" spent six weeks at #1.

The Knack provided that bridge from 70's disco to what we had in the Big 80's.

Do You Believe in Miracles................Yes!!!!!!!

Those were the words of ABC hockey commentator Al Michaels as the last seconds of the USA's improbable victory over a heavily favored Soviet team in Olympic ice hockey. Today marks the beginning of the 21st Winter Olympics. It is hard to believe that 30 years have gone by since the USA's miracle run a Olympic gold and hockey immortality took place in Lake Placid, New York.

Back in 1980, the US hostage crisis with Iran was entering a fourth month of a 444-day ordeal that would bring down the presidency of Jimmy Carter. We had high inflation with little growth coining the phrase "stagflation". The country was still wounded from our involvement in the Vietnam War. The Soviets were fighting in Afghanistan.

The 1980 Olympic Hockey team gave this country a shot in the arm. Along with speedskater Eric Heiden and some drama of ice skating pairs Tai and Randy. The US had a pretty good home showing.

The Soviet Union and Eastern Bloc no longer exist. We are knee deep in Afghanistan. The economy is hurting.

What will the Vancouver Olympics bring? Here is a look back on what 1980 and Lake Placid gave us:

Death and Taxes

Gov. Rendell released his 29 million dollar budget today. While trying to lower the state sales tax from 6 to 4 percent. 74 items that were exempt could be back on the table.

• Accounting, auditing and bookkeeping services
• Administrative services
• Advertising, public relations & related services
• Air transportation
• Airline Catering
• All other professional and technical services
• Amusement & recreation industries
• Architectural, engineering, & related services
• Bad Debts
• Basic television
• Call Center Credit
• Candy and Gum
• Caskets and Burial Vaults
• Catalogs and Direct Mail Advertising
• Charges for Returnable Containers
• Coal
• Coin Operated Food and Beverage Vending Machines
• Commercial Vessels (Construction & Repair)
• Commercial Vessels (Equipment, Maintenance)
• Common Carriers
• Construction of Memorials
• Consulting (scientific, environmental, & technical)
• Custom programming, design & data processing
• Dry-cleaning & laundry services
• Electric - Residential
• Electrical, plumbing, heating & AC service fees
• Financial Institutions Fees
• Firewood
• Fish Feed
• Flags
• Fuel Oil/Gas - Residential
• Funeral parlors, crematories & death care services
• Gratuities
• Helicopters
• Horses Sold To Out of State Purchasers
• Hotel-Permanent Resident
• Information services
• Investment Metal Bullion & Investment Coins
• Legal
• Liquor or Malt Beverage Purchased From Retail Dispenser
• Magazines
• Mfg. Exemption (Public Utility)
• Motor Vehicles (Out-of-State Purchases)
• Museums, historical sites, zoos, & parks For-Profit
• Newspapers
• Non-Prescription Drugs
• Other transportation
• Other: personal services
• Parking lots & garages
• Personal care services
• Personal Hygiene Products
• Rail Transportation Equipment
• Recreational parks, camps & campgrounds
• Rental of Films for Commercial Exhibition
• School Buses
• Scientific research & development services
• Services to Buildings and Dwellings
• Specialized design
• Spectator sports admissions (excludes schools)
• Stair Lift Devices
• Telephone - Residential
• Temporary Usage
• Textbooks
• Theater, dance, music & performing arts admissions For-Profit
• Tourist Promotion Agencies
• Transit & ground transportation
• Trout
• Truck transportation
• Uniform Commercial Code Filing Fees
• Veterinary fees
• Warehouse Storage
• Waste management and remediation services
• Water and Sewage Services
• Wrapping and Packing Supplies