baltimoresun.com sports blogs

Live chat during Ravens-Bengals game [Ravens Insider]

2009-11-08T08:35:00-08:00

Join Sun reporter Kevin Van Valkenburg for a live chat during today's Ravens-Bengals game. You can begin submitting questions now. Live chat during Ravens-Bengals game

Ravens Q&A: Submit a question for Mike Preston [Ravens Insider]

2009-11-08T07:51:12-08:00

Ask Baltimore Sun reporter Mike Preston a question about the Ravens-Bengals game or other Ravens-related topics. Questions can be submitted as blog comments below. Answers will be published Tuesday on baltimoresun.com.

Ravens-Bengals Sunday primer [Ravens Insider]

2009-11-08T03:00:00-08:00

Murphy's Law was in the house in Week 5 when the Ravens were ambushed at home by the Bengals, 17-14. It was a game played almost in slow motion -- at least by the Ravens -- and a loss that shouldn't have happened. Why? Because anything that could go wrong, did, from the 10 penalties the Ravens incurred to the Bengals' penalties that weren't called to the stellar job Cincinnati's patchwork offensive line did against the Ravens' pass rush. That was the game that cost Ray Lewis $25,000 for the thundering hit that separated Chad Ochocinco from his helmet. It was the game where Andre Caldwell caught the game-winning touchdown after throwing nickel back Chris Carr to the ground by his facemask and getting away with it. It was where Ochocinco tackled cornerback Domonique Foxworth rather than allow him to make an interception -- and didn't get flagged, either. Unless the Ravens are afflicted with the same lethargy, Sunday in Cincinnati figures to be different. The Ravens have figured out a few things since then, and reinforced others. The defense finally went back to the attack mode against Denver. The Ravens played multiple fronts, used more blitzes and beat up on quarterback Kyle Orton. Carson Palmer should be forewarned. He was sacked only once in the first game. If he's sacked only once today, the Bengals could easily win this game. The other key for the defense is getting after Cedric Benson, who snapped the Ravens' streak for not allowing a 100-yard rusher at 40 games. Benson is good, but he isn't that good. The Ravens missed too many tackles that day. Linebacker Antwan Barnes, in fact, hasn't played since missing a tackle on Benson's 28-yard touchdown run. Having a healthy Haloti Ngata would help, but even at 70 percent, Ngata could make a difference. The linebackers need to play big this game. Lewis needs to play big; he had his share of mental and physical mistakes in that game. The defense should respond. And the offense should give Cincinnati a big dose of Ray Rice. The Bengals couldn't handle him the first time, when he had 143 yards from scrimmage, including a 48-yard catch-and-run for a touchdown. That was the Ravens' only offensive touchdown in the game. That's another example of Murphy's Law. Holding Joe Flacco's offense to one touchdown won't happen again.

Injury update on Turner and Ross [Tracking the Terps]

2009-11-07T16:00:31-08:00

Quarterback Chris Turner has an MCL injury of undetermined severity.

Backup Jamar Robinson said he must prepare as if he will be the starter.

“I’ve seen third-degree MCLs come back in a week or two weeks,” Fridge said of Turner’s injury. “If it’s worse (he’s) probably done.”

Maryland also lost defensive end Isaiah Ross to a knee injury in the first half. Maryland defensive tackle Travis Ivey said Ross was “speared” on the play, which Friedgen said should have resulted in an ejection.

Friedgen said Ross suffered an ACL injury and is done for the year.

Why the Terps lost [Tracking the Terps]

2009-11-07T15:46:21-08:00

Notes from another loss. Some of this will appear in an updated game story and some of it won't. I wanted to get it to you now...

--It's hard to switch quarterbacks in the middle of a game, particularly when the new guy has barely played. I like Jamar Robinson. But he needed time to settle in -- to, as he said, allow the game to 'slow down.'

Maryland seemed cautious with Robinson early on. He didn't throw at all on his first series, not even when the Terps faced third and 8 on the Wolfpack 15-yard line. He ran five yards on the play and Nick Ferrara then had a 27-yard field goal attempt blocked with the Terps trailing 24-21..

Robinson adds a new running dimension. But one play he will want back when he sees the video will be his overthrow of an open LaQuan Williams in the end zone with the Terps trailing, 31-28 . Ferrara then missed a 47-yard field goal attempt that could have tied the game.

By the way, Maryland coaches discussed the possibility at halftime of inserting true freshman Danny O'Brien at quarterback. Robinson played the whole second half, but coach Friedgen said afterward: "Danny, he's got to be ready to play.'

Another reason for the loss is that the Terps missed two field goals and did not take full advantage of four turnovers. The Terps had three picks -- the most since recording three against Wake Forest in 2007.

Orioles: Was Adam's glove really "golden?" [The Schmuck Stops Here]

2009-11-07T12:13:41-08:00

The Rawlings Gold Glove Awards probably will be announced early next week, and there are rumblings that Adam Jones is about to become the first Orioles outfielder to win a Gold Glove since Paul Blair back in 1975. We've made some inquiries to try and confirm that, but the best info anybody has at the moment was a MySpace entry by Adam's brother Jonathan the other day saying how excited he was about his little brother winning a "Golden Glove 4 his Baseball Team, the Baltimore Orioles." If it's true, and I don't think that would surprise anybody who has watched him glide around the outfield the past two years, Adam would be the first Oriole to win a Gold Glove since Mike Mussina in 1999 and the first Orioles position player since Roberto Alomar and Rafael Palmeiro each won one in 1998. The Orioles are currently tied with the Yankees for the most American League Gold Gloves all time. Blair won eight of them during his reign as the league's best defensive center fielder from 1967-75.

Turner is done for the day [Tracking the Terps]

2009-11-07T12:06:02-08:00

Starting Maryland quarterback Chris Turner is done for the day with a knee injury.

Defensive lineman Isaiah Ross also suffered a knee injury and did not return.

Turner emerged from the stadium tunnel in the second half wearing black sweats and a black T-shirt. He was injured after being hit on an incomplete pass in the second quarter and limped off the field.

Backup Jamar Robinson entered on the next possession and dropped the first snap out of the shotgun formation. Maryland recovered the fumble but didn’t score.

Robinson didn’t throw a pass on his first series.

N.C. State 31, Maryland 21 third quarter
Terps turnovers: one

Chris Turner is injured [Tracking the Terps]

2009-11-07T11:21:23-08:00

From third and 19 from own his own 33, Maryland quarterback Chris Turner was hit on an inside rush and limped off the field with help with 4:33 left before halftime.

Turner headed into the Maryland locker room.

Backup quarterback Jamarr Robinson entered on Maryland's next possession and fumbled the first snap. The Terps recovered the fumble. But Robinson didn't attempt a pass on his first series, which ended with a blocked Maryland field goal.

For those fans who wanted to see Robinson, this is your chance. The question is whether Maryland coaches trust Robinson's passing enough to let him try to exploit N.C. State's porous defense.

N.C. State 24, Maryland 21, second quarter.
Terps turnovers: one

Bowl scouts watching -- for real [Tracking the Terps]

2009-11-07T10:45:49-08:00

Representatives of the Chick-fil-A Bowl and the Champs Sports Bowl are present at Carter-Finley Stadium to watch Maryland-N.C. State – two teams that had combined for one win in the Atlantic Coast Conference entering their meeting.

The Chick-fil-A Bowl has the second pick of ACC teams. The Champs Sports Bowl has the fourth pick.

Here's a question. Why exactly are they here?

The representatives gave several reasons for attending:

*The ACC teams are so clumped together in the standings that most teams are scouted, even those with a remote chance of reaching a bowl.

*The bowl representatives select the games they will attend several weeks in advance. They couldn’t have known then exactly how Maryland’s and N.C. State’s seasons would unfold.

Long time between defensive TDs [Tracking the Terps]

2009-11-07T10:26:21-08:00

Maryland just tied the game at 14 when linebacker Alex Wujciak, the Terps leading tackler, stepped in front of tight end George Bryan to pick off a Russell Wilson pass.

He returned it 70 yards for Maryland’s first defensive touchdown since linebacker Erin Henderson got one in 2006.

Maryland 14, N.C. State 14, first quarter
Terps turnovers: one

Got turnovers? [Tracking the Terps]

2009-11-07T10:10:03-08:00

It didn't take long.

Maryland quarterback Chris Turner’s first pass was intercepted in the flat by defensive end Willie Young. Only 13 seconds had elapsed in the game when N.C. State took over on Maryland’s 21.
Two plays later, Russell Wilson fired a touchdown pass over the middle to 17 yards to tight end George Bryan to put the Wolfpack ahead, 7-0.

TBut the Terps, going no-huddle, drove 69 yards in 10 plays on their next possession, tying the game on a third-and-inches leap into the end zone by Davin Meggett.

Maryland 7, N.C. State 7
Terps turnovers: 1

Rosburg: No advice for Reed [Ravens Insider]

2009-11-07T04:00:00-08:00

Ravens special teams coordinator Jerry Rosburg was as amazed as everyone else that Mitch Berger's second punt of the game got past rushing Ed Reed last week. Reed came from the outside and was in the air when Berger seemingly launched the punt UNDERNEATH Reed. "I'm not exactly sure where it went," Rosburg said this week. "I think Harbs [John Harbaugh] said it well: 'We think the ball actually vaporized and went through his body and came out the other side, because we can't see any space in there.' But it got past him some way or another. We still haven't figured it out yet." Asked about Reed's technique blocking punts, Rosburg offered this assessment: "I coached against Ed for a long time at another club [the Browns] where he was rushing our edge, and I don't do a whole lot of coaching of Ed at that particular point in time. I've seen him get his hands on a lot of footballs. I'll let Ed coach himself on that. He'll figure it out, I'm confident."

Bad memories for Kelley Washington [Ravens Insider]

2009-11-07T03:00:00-08:00

Ravens wide-out Kelley Washington spent the first four years of his NFL career in Cincinnati, and it was a long, steady decline from prospect to disappointment. Washington has good memories of his former teammates, but not-so-good for Bengals coach Marvin Lewis and owner Mike Brown. Washington said he had issues with "select" coaches in Cincinnati, although he liked offensive coordinator Bob Bratkowski ("he was a great coordinator"). Washington said he didn't learn much from Lewis, and that there were double standards for certain players. "The only thing I learned how to do is not to do the right thing," he said. On Bengals' management: "I don't really favor the way they do things." On Brown: "He was the type owner [where] you'd sit down at the same table or pass right by him and he wouldn't speak to you. ... When you go to New England or come here, you have owners who speak to you, have a conversation, ask about your family, friends. It's a different mentality." In his conference call with Baltimore reporters this week, Lewis had nothing bad to say about Washington. "You know, when he left and had an opportunity, he wanted to play more and he went up to New England, and he did some things there and got an opportunity to paly on special teams," Lewis said. "Particularly, I don't think he was able to catch the balls that he quite wanted, but when Kelley was here with us, he always was a good contributor, and a guy that we could count on." Washinton caught 53 passes in his first two years with the Bengals, but only 19 the last two years, when he missed 20 games with injuries. He spent two years with the Patriots before signing with the Ravens in May as a free agent.

Looking back at the cross country regional results [Varsity Letters]

2009-11-06T19:08:13-08:00

Here’s a quick summary of what happened at Thursday’s MPSSAA cross country regional meets. The state meet for all four classes is next Saturday at Hereford. Class 2A North: Kenneth Johnson won for Edmondson, which also took the team title. Regina Summerville did the same for Digital Harbor. Class 2A South: Robby Creese of Glenelg sparked the Gladiators’ victory. Oakland Mills won for the girls. Class 3A East: Mount Hebron won for the boys after taking the Howard County title last week. Atholton’s Matthew Pacheco captured first place. River Hill also won after earning the county crown -- and Mount Hebron’s Becky Yep did the same thing. Class 3A North: Hereford didn’t have any problems with rules violations this time, beating Towson by eight points. Mason Rivera won for the Bulls, who also took the girls’ title. Hereford’s Lauren Kennedy captured that race. Class 4A East: Severna Park swept both championships and got a victory from Chris Patrick on the girls’ side. Chesapeake’s Will Neal won the other race. Class 4A North: Dulaney and Westminster’s boys tied for first with 43 points, but the Baltimore County school got the title on the tie-breaker (who got the better sixth-place finisher). -- Jeff Seidel

Mercy still celebrating C Conference field hockey crown [Varsity Letters]

2009-11-06T14:34:48-08:00

At the end of the field hockey season, Mercy's team will go to the home of its leading scorer and captain Jenna Parr and celebrate this season's Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland C Conference Championship with a team dinner. But the Magic aren't waiting to celebrate their third C Conference crown in four years -- this one won Oct. 31, by a 2-1 margin over Annapolis Area Christian. Eagles goalie E. Ferguson had five saves, while Mercy's Abby Baker made two. K. Latney scored the initial goal in the game for Annapolis, but then Jenna Benje scored off an assist from Parr, who would also go on to score the winning goal. "It was so exciting," Parr said. "Oh my gosh!. We played Annapolis twice in the regular season and they beat us both times. After losing those two games, to win this one, to come back from a goal down, it was unbelievable." For Parr it was the exclamation point at the end of an amazing career. The senior has insulin-dependent diabetes and Autoimmune Polyglandular Syndrome type 2, which means she is susceptible to many autoimmune diseases. But nothing has stopped her from being at the top of her game. Over four seasons she has scored 52 goals and recorded 25 assists. This year, her tally was 17 goals and 12 assists. She had one goal and one assist against AACS, despite the fact that her blood sugar levels swung from a dangerous morning low of 45 to an undesirable high of more than 400 by the end of the game. Mercy coach Alex Chambers was impressed by the effort of her entire team. "We really turned it on," said Chambers, whose team finished the season 13-2-1. "It was amazing to see the transformation in our team from one half to the next. The chemistry. The continuity. "I think Annapolis thought they had it won when they scored that first goal." But Saturday's game did not go the way the first two meetings between these two did. AACS was playing its third game in about 36 hours because of weather and religious issues, but also found itself playing against an inspired Mercy team that would not give up. "It was a beautiful way to end the season," Chambers said. "I think if we had lost I wouldn't have minded because my team used everything they had."

Former Roland Park lacrosse standout to host fundraiser [Varsity Letters]

2009-11-06T12:55:33-08:00

From a news release: The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) of the Greater Baltimore Medical Center (GBMC) has been selected as the recipient of proceeds from the 10th Annual Paul Sherry Shootout Basketball Tournament to be played at The Bryn Mawr School on Saturday, December 12, 2009. The women’s varsity basketball team from Bryn Mawr will match up against Roland Park Country School at 1:00 P.M.; and Mt. de Sales Academy will play the varsity women of Pope John Paul the Great High School from Dumfries, Virginia at 3:00 P.M. As part of the fund raising effort, Kelsey Twist Schroeder and Jamie Schroeder will be hosting a reception on Thursday December 10th to honor the physicians and staff of GBMC’s Neonatal ICU. In June of this year, their daughter, Hazel Twist Schroeder, was born three months premature. She weighed only two and a half pounds at birth. Hazel was under the skilled and loving care of the Neonatal ICU for 87 days. Thankfully, Hazel now is home and thriving. She is tipping the scales at over ten pounds!! Each year GBMC delivers approximately 4,500 babies, making it the busiest of any other hospital in Central Maryland. Approximately 30% of those births require medical treatment at the NICU. This very special department of GBMC continues to expand in patient volume as medical advances offer lifesaving treatments for the most fragile newborns. The GBMC NICU has the capability to care for the most complex and severely ill babies and the highly trained staff care for an average 500 critically ill and premature infants each year. The Sherry Shootout Benefit Basketball Tournament honors the memory of Paul Sherry, a longtime leader within the Towson Recreational Council. Mrs. Jan Sherry, her three daughters and son have helped to carry forward Paul Sherry’s significant legacy through this tournament. The Sherry Shootout Benefit Basketball Tournament is sponsored by The Collaborative Group and other generous sponsors with all proceeds from the event being donated to the selected charity. The Sherry Shootout has raised nearly $75,000 for local charitable organizations.

Katula expected to play [Ravens Insider]

2009-11-06T12:30:00-08:00

Long snapper Matt Katula's sore elbow is not expected to prevent him from playing Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals. Katula practiced today after sitting out Wednesday's and Thursday's sessions, but he is listed as probable on the team's injury report. Coach John Harbaugh said when he was an assistant coach with the Cincinnati Bearcats in 1991, kicker David Rowe had to replace the usual long snapper. "We had to go into a game one time where the long snapper was the kicker," Harbaugh recalled. "He was the kicker for kicks and the long snapper for punts. They went after him. He survived. Dave Rowe. If you’re out there, Dave, this is a shout. You did good. I think it was against Penn State, too." After a pause, Harbaugh added, "That will not be the case in this game."

Friday's injury report [Ravens Insider]

2009-11-06T11:39:18-08:00

Although Haloti Ngata did not practice this week, the defensive tackle is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Cincinnati Bengals. Ngata, who has made 55 consecutive starts in his four-year career, is dealing with a sprained right ankle, but expressed optimism earlier today that he could play Sunday. Safeties Haruki Nakamura (strained abdominal muscle) and Tom Zbikowski (illness) are also questionable. Nakamura was upgraded today to full participation after being limited Thursday. Zbikowski was limited for the second consecutive day. Linebackers Jarret Johnson (left shoulder) and Prescott Burgess (illness), tight end Todd Heap (ankle), fullback Le'Ron McClain (shoulder), cornerback Frank Walker (illness) and long snapper Matt Katula (sore elbow) participated fully in practice and are listed as probable. For the Bengals, strong safety Roy Williams (forearm) was limited in practice and is questionable for Sunday. Fullback Jeremi Johnson (sprained left knee) was upgraded from limited to full participation and is probable. Defensive tackle Tank Johnson (foot) was added to the injury report after being limited in practice, but he is also listed as probable.

Ochocinco's gifts raise few eyebrows [Ravens Insider]

2009-11-06T11:30:00-08:00

The gift basket of deodorant that Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chad Ochocinco said he sent to Ravens linebackers Ray Lewis and Terrell Suggs and the secondary hasn't raised a stink with the Ravens players. In fact, Suggs was the only player I could get to comment on the delivery. "It’s all in fun," Suggs said.

Lights, cameras, action at Calvert Hall [Varsity Letters]

2009-11-06T11:03:24-08:00

Thursday's first of its kind soccer game at Calvert Hall -- the first athletic event ever played under the lights in school history -- lived up to its billing and then some with visiting Mount St. Joseph taking on the lead role in a Hollywood-like script. The Gaels came away with a win in penalty kicks to advance to Monday's Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association A Conference championship against defending league champion McDonogh. How they made it was nothing short of incredible with a number of heroes taking turns on center stage. First to step up was JV goalie Dominic Ruggiero, who was unexpectedly pressed into action when starter Brad Benzing was not available due to what coach Mike St. Martin called school-related issues. Playing in front of an estimated 2,700 fans, Ruggiero was able to keep the Gaels close, enabling Jalen Robinson to tie the game at 2 with just 15 seconds left in regulation as the Calvert Hall student body was ready to spill onto the field. Then, senior forward David Arnold stole the show when the game went into penalty kicks. As penalty kicks approached, St.Martin asked Arnold, tall and athletic, to not only take a penalty kick, but also stop some. So after making good on his penalty kick to get the Gaels off to a strong start, he made saves on the last three Calvert Hall attempts to give the Gaels a 3-2 win. It was the first time Arnold, a team captain, had been in goal since he was 11 years old. Mount St. Joseph will take on McDonogh at 7 p.m. Monday at Johns Hopkins. The Gaels upset the Eagles, 2-1, in early October. It was the Eagles' first loss of the season and came the same week they were named the No. 1-ranked team in the country for the first time ever. Monday's game also will be a rematch of last year's title game, a 6-1 win by McDonogh.

Patterson boys soccer falls [Varsity Letters]

2009-11-06T10:59:00-08:00

The Patterson boys soccer team, which went undefeated in the regular season and repeated as Baltimore City champs, had their season end with a heartbreaking 3-2 loss to Urbana in Thursday's Class 4A North region playoffs. The Clippers, whose roster had players from 12 different countries across five continents, finished with a 14-1 mark. They took a 2-0 lead early on goals from Bash Kamara and James Tarra, but Urbana, from Frederick County, got both goals back in the first half and then scored the game-winner with five minutes left in regulation to advance. "I am very proud of our guys for leaving everything on the field," Patterson coach Harry Martin said. "They played with a tremendous amount of pride and energy for the whole game." - Glenn Graham

Ngata seems confident he'll start Sunday [Ravens Insider]

2009-11-06T10:53:08-08:00

Defensive tackle Haloti Ngata seemed confident that he would start Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals. Ngata, who sprained his right ankle last Sunday, hasn’t practiced all week. In his first comments to reporters this week, Ngata estimated Friday that his chances of playing at “8 or 9.” “It feels great. Actually, it feels pretty good,” he said. “There’s not much swelling or anything. Just stiffness and soreness. So hopefully, we can get it full to go, and I’ll go for it.” Having Ngata will be a big lift for the Ravens, who are going against Cedric Benson. The Bengals running back gained 120 yards against them earlier this season. Since being drafted in the first round in 2006, Ngata has been one of the most durable Ravens. He has never been sidelined in his 55-game career. Asked to rate Ngata’s chances of playing, coach John Harbaugh said, “I wouldn’t be interested in doing that. There is a chance.”

Weekly recruiting roundup [Recruiting Report]

2009-11-06T09:37:00-08:00

Last weekend Miller School (Va.) center Hippolyte Tsafack made an official visit to Maryland. This weekend, it’s St. Anthony (N.J.) power forward Ashton Pankey’s turn to see College Park. “He and his mom took the train down today and it wouldn’t surprise me if he really liked the visit, he might just take one more to compare apples to oranges,” [St. Anthony coach Bob] Hurley said. • Tobias Harris visited Louisville last weekend and is scheduled to take a trip to West Virginia today. Harris, who has already visited Syracuse, Tennessee, Kentucky and now Louisville, heads to West Virginia on Friday and will then visit Maryland and Georgia Tech before announcing his college decision on November 19th. • Maryland shooting guard commitment Terrence Ross’ Montrose Christian squad was ranked the No. 5 high school team in the country by ESPN Rise. Outlook: The Mustangs have added [Josh] Hairston, a Duke recruit who averaged 25 points and 11 rebounds last season, to the fold. Top returning veterans include Maryland recruit Ross, who averaged 18 points per game as a junior, and the precocious Anderson, last season's sixth man as a freshman. Hairston is the No. 27 player in the ESPNU 100, while Ross checks in at No. 39. Anderson is the No. 6 player in the ESPNU Terrific 25. Another newcomer is 6-foot-6 junior Paul Gombwer. • St. Anthony (N.J.) forward Devon Collier, a former Maryland target, committed to Oregon State last night. The Bronx product, who currently attends St. Anthony's HS in Jersey City, verbally committed to Oregon State, choosing the Pac-10 program over St. John's, Seton Hall and Providence. Football recruiting • GoBlueWolverine.com reported earlier this week that Michigan has started pursuing Terps defensive end recruit David Mackall. In response to that report, InsideMDSports.com’s Jeff Ermann spoke to John Shuman, Mackall’s prep school coach at Fork Union Military Academy. Shuman said no such visits have been set up, there has been no talk from Mackall about re-opening his recruitment and that all of their collective energy is being focused on getting Mackall eligible per NCAA standards to enroll at Maryland in January. He’ll take the SAT this Saturday and likely will take the ACT Dec. 12. His enrollment at Fork Union expires in about six weeks, so it’s imperative he becomes qualified as soon as possible. There has been no discussion about alternative plans should he not receive the requisite scores; Shuman doesn’t want to plant any seeds of doubt in Mackall. • Terps offensive line target Max Garcia, a Norcross, Ga., native, will visit Clemson this weekend. "I like Clemson because it's close to home," said Garcia. "They have a need at left tackle and some other posiitons so it's a place I think I could impact the program in the first couple of years." • Maryland commitments Matt Robinson and Andre Monroe both have first-team spots on The Washington Post’s All-Met watch list. -- DL Andre Monroe St. John's Sr. Five tackles in 30-7 victory over O'Connell. • Robinson and his Atholton squad take on Glenelg tonight in the Raiders’ regular-season finale. What [Glenelg coach Butch] Schaffer is anticipating is another big game from Atholton's quarterback-receiver combo of Kalvin Seamonson and Matt Robinson. The pair has connected on 37 passes for 781 yards and eight TDs. "They throw the ball really well, (Robinson) might be the best receiver I've seen in a long time. There's a reason he's going to have a chance to play for Maryland," Schaffer said. "I hope it rains and there are 50-mile-per-hour winds (on Friday), but I don't think that's going to happen." • UM defensive end pledge Ian Evans will lead his undefeated Hammonton (N.J.) High team against unbeaten Egg Harbor tonight. Tight end Ian Evans, a Maryland recruit, has 10 receptions for 27 yards and two touchdowns. Evans is also a force at defensive end.

Practice notes [Ravens Insider]

2009-11-06T08:53:48-08:00

The Ravens practiced on the far field today, so it was difficult to take roll call. But it was clear that defensive tackle Haloti Ngata was not present during the portion of practice open to the media. Ngata, who is dealing with a sprained right ankel suffered in last Sunday's victory over the Denver Broncos, has started all 55 games of his four-year career, but NFL teams usually suscribe to the general rule of thumb that an injured player must practice at least once to be considered available for an upcoming game. Long snapper Matt Katula, who has sat out the past two days, took part in practice today. Katula, who has been bothered by a sore elbow, insists that he will play Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals. Three starters in linebacker Jarret Johnson (left shoulder), tight end Todd Heap (ankle) and fullback Le'Ron McClain were present at practice.

Prediction Friday: Ravens-Bengals [Connolly's Corner Sports Bar]

2009-11-06T08:05:07-08:00

Before we get to the Ravens today, I have some Orioles info to pass on.

Bodog.com, an online gambling site, set its odds for winning next year’s World Series, and the Orioles are 75-1 longshots. The only clubs worse off are the Kansas City Royals, Pittsburgh Pirates and Washington Nationals. They are all at 100-1 to win the 2010 title.

So, yeah, aren’t you glad it’s Prediction Friday and we have the Ravens to discuss?

(By the way, here’s a drink chip to CSB Jack, who predicted the exact score of the Ravens’ 30-7 victory over the Broncos. Of course, he cheated and submitted it after the fact while the bar was closed. But I am offering a chip anyway for his creativity.)

Now, for your predictions (you must submit before the Bengals’ game, Jack).

For the record, I will not be overlooking the Bengals the way I did in Week 5, when Cincinnati won in Baltimore, 17-14. But I am still going with the Ravens to win.

I am sticking with the same theory I had for the Broncos game (though I didn’t write it). The Ravens need this win more than the Bengals. If they lose, they drop two games behind Cincinnati and also will lose the head-to-head tiebreaker.

The Ravens aren’t talking about desperation, which admittedly is a bit of a stretch at Game 8. But this one is pretty darn important.

So I say the Ravens win 17-10 on a Kelley Washington 23-yard TD reception from Joe Flacco in the fourth quarter.

We’ll make Washington the game’s hero. Why? No clue.

Daily Think Special: Predict the winner, score and hero of Sunday’s Ravens-Bengals game.

Bengals not worried about being 'dogs against Ravens [Ravens Insider]

2009-11-06T07:17:27-08:00

Even though the Cincinnati Bengals won the first meeting and get to stay home and play host to the Ravens this Sunday, the Ravens are three-point favorites. Cincinnati coach Marvin Lewis said he was unaware of what could be perceived as a major slight. "Well, I didn’t know I was an underdog, so it doesn’t matter what we are," he said Wednesday. "We’ve just got to play. We have a nine-game season and our first week is this week against the Ravens, and what counts is this game. This one counts, and all the other stuff is peripheral. It’s good for people to talk about, but when you come out there on Sunday the team that executes, runs and tackles and takes care of the football will win the football game." Quarterback Carson Palmer pointed out that this current Bengals squad that is tied for the AFC North lead with a 5-2 record went 4-11-1 last season. "When you win four games the year before, people don’t expect you to be on top of your division, and to beat a team that went to the AFC Championship game last year, back-to-back times," Palmer said. "I’m sure that has something to do with it. But I could care less whether we’re overlooked or underlooked. At the end of the year, if you’re playing in the Super Bowl, people think you’re pretty good. And you are pretty good if you make it that far. That’s our goal."

Coach: Terps DT recruit an 'impact player' [Recruiting Report]

2009-11-06T06:49:29-08:00

The Maryland football program added a big body to its defensive line this week when Darius Kilgo committed to the Terps on Wednesday. Kilgo, a 6-foot-3, 285-pound defensive tackle, picked Maryland over offers from East Carolina, Illinois, Michigan State, South Carolina and Tennessee. Kilgo’s coach at Weddington High in Matthews, N.C., Justin Hardin, said his standout lineman started hearing from Maryland early on in the recruiting process. “They jumped on Darius the spring of his junior year,” Hardin said. “So they jumped on him pretty early on and that was a selling point. They stayed with him through the entire recruiting process, calling him, sending letters and visiting. He felt comfortable that they wanted him so that’s why he committed there.” Hardin said Kilgo, who also plays on the offensive line for Weddington, is a surprisingly nimble athlete. “To be as big as he is, he’s athletic,” Hardin said. “He was 325 pounds last year and he’s lost a lot of weight to get in good condition. But he’s athletic at 285 pounds. He runs very well for a big fella. He’s got good hands and good speed, and that’s what sticks out to colleges. [Maryland was impressed with Kilgo being] as big as he is and as well as he can move.” Hardin calls Kilgo a “physically dominating” player at the high school level. College will undoubtedly be a major adjustment, but Hardin likes Kilgo’s chances at successfully adapting. “I think he’s going to be an impact player at Maryland. I think they’re lucky to have him,” Hardin said. “He’s a good football player and he’s a great kid. I expect nothing less than him having a great career at Maryland.” Check back with Recruiting Report later this weekend for more on Kilgo’s commitment.

Reed nearly gets fifth blocked punt [Ravens Insider]

2009-11-06T03:00:00-08:00

With four blocked punts in his career, free safety Ed Reed almost got his fifth blocked punt in the first quarter of Sunday's 30-7 thumping of the Denver Broncos. Somehow, Mitch Berger's punt escaped Reed's outstretched arms. "The ball went through my hands," Reed said Wednesday. "That was a rookie mistake. You’ve got to have those hands tight to take it off the foot." Special teams coordinator Jerry Rosburg said he had never seen a punt squirt through Reed's hands. "We’re not exactly sure where it went," Rosburg said Thursday. "I think Harbs [coach John Harbaugh] said it well. We actually think the ball vaporized and went through his body and came out the other side. We can’t see any space in there, but it got past him somehow. We still haven’t figured it out yet."

Maryland football's 'dilemma' [Tracking the Terps]

2009-11-05T14:58:16-08:00

Maryland coaches say they've been trying in recent weeks to accomplish two goals at once -- win games and allow young players, including quarterbacks, to get some game experience.

Coach Friedgen acknowledged today that it's a difficult balancing act. When you're 2-6 you tend to get desperate for a win.

"I'm in a real dilemma there," Fridge said. "I don’t think [freshman quarterback] Danny [O'Brien] really wants to play -- I think he'd rather redshirt. Obviously I want to do everything we need to do to win games, but then we go into next year without a really experienced quarterback."

Maryland has played 10 true freshmen -- the most in Friedgen's nine-year Maryland tenure.

The number may grow. Fridge said freshman running back D.J. Adams will travel to N.C. State. Adams is still behind Davin Meggett, Caleb Porzel and Gary Douglas (shoulder), who appears ready to return. Morgan Green (groin) is out.

Another true freshman who could play is promising offensive lineman Pete White. The line will be further thinned because offensive lineman Bennett Fulper (shoulder) is out for the season and will undergo surgery, Fridge said.

The N.C. State game will mark Maryland's return from its bye week. Quarterback Chris Turner said he took off and went to Fort Lauderdale, where he played some flag football. There could be an easy joke here about whether he got intercepted, but I'll refrain.

"I’m just trying to go out, have fun and really make these last few weeks count starting this Saturday," Turner said of the remaining four games.

Bengals' WR makes sure Ravens don't 'Ocho-stinko' [Ravens Insider]

2009-11-05T14:45:50-08:00

Chad Ochocinco, the Bengals' flamboyant wide receiver, said today on 105.7 FM that he sent gift baskets containing deodorant to the Ravens’ secondary and to linebackers Terrell Suggs and Ray Lewis. “I not only sent them gift baskets, but I sent them something they could use so they don’t sweat,” Ochocinco said. The Ravens and Bengals meet at 1 p.m. Sunday in Cincinnati. -- Jamison Hensley

Thursday's injury report [Ravens Insider]

2009-11-05T13:52:18-08:00

Defensive tackle Haloti Ngata did not practice for the second consecutive day. It's beginning to look increasingly doubtful that Ngata, who is dealing with a sprained right ankle and was absent from the the portion of practice open to the media, will be available Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals. Long snapper Matt Katula (sore elbow) also missed his second straight day of practice. As mentioned earlier, there is no backup to Katula listed on the team's depth chart. Cornerback Frank Walker (illness) and linebacker Prescott Burgess (illness) did not practice Wednesday, but returned to full participation today. Linebacker Jarret Johnson (left shoulder) also practiced fully. Safeties Haruki Nakamura (strained abdominal muscle) and Tom Zbikowski (illness) were upgraded to limited participation after sitting out Wednesday's session. Tight end Todd Heap (ankle) and fullback Le’Ron McClain (shoulder) were limited for the second consecutive day. .For the Bengals, strong safety Roy Williams (forearm) and fullback Jeremi Johnson (sprained left knee) were limited for the second straight day.

City, Poly QBs: More friends than foes [Varsity Letters]

2009-11-05T12:53:22-08:00

For about three hours a year, Adrian Coxson and Antoine Goodson have to think of each other as rivals, not friends. As the quarterbacks for the City and Poly football teams, they line up on opposite sides of the area’s longest-running rivalry, an intense annual encounter that draws thousands of raucous, partisan fans to M&T Bank Stadium. When they square off at noon Saturday in the 121st meeting of their programs, the seniors won’t let friendship get in the way of the game. They won’t let the game get in the way of their friendship either. Fittingly, City's Coxson met Poly's Goodson met at a football camp at Poly. Friends since the ninth grade, they have never had a problem keeping the big game in perspective. “I don’t know how to explain how it works,” Goodson said. “We’re friends and we understand that while we’re on the field. We both try to win the game because it’s a big game. We understand that we both want to win, but even when you lose, after the game, you congratulate each other, say, ‘Good game,” and say, ‘I’ll see you later at the Victory Dance.’” That doesn’t mean they haven’t been working each other via cell phone this week. “He was just telling me the other day about how he might go for 200 yards,” Goodson said, “and I said the same thing, ‘I might just go for 200 yards.’ It makes it kind of fun, though.” Coxson's perspective is about the same: “I was just talking to him and we laugh about how we’re going to beat each other, stuff like that -- how much we’re going to score. I play corner too, so me and him talk about me hitting him, me tackling him. We just laugh about it.” The two have had a lot in common this season with Coxson taking over as City’s quarterback although he has committed to Penn State as a wide receiver. Goodson, who is being recruited by Georgia Tech, runs No. 11 Poly’s triple-option offense. They are the guys in charge on the field. “Both are like the air traffic controller of their team,” said Poly coach Roger Wrenn. “They keep all the planes flying and make it all work. They’re both veteran players, they’re terrific guys and they’re terrific leaders.” Earlier this season they shared an unfortunate coincidence, each suffering a shoulder injury in a game on the same day, Sept. 25. Goodson separated his right shoulder and Coxson sustained a small ligament tear in his left shoulder. Each missed only one game and both are now 100-percent recovered. That’s good, because a lot more is riding on Saturday's game than bragging rights and the adulation of their devoted classmates and alumni. Poly, which won last year ending a three-year string of Knights’ victories, is favored, but City almost certainly needs a win to clinch a berth in the Class 2A North region playoffs. Poly is already in the Class 3A North region playoffs, but the Engineers can sew up at least a share of the Baltimore City Division I championship, which will be decided by Friday and Saturday’s final regular-season games. That’s more than a little added incentive to a rivalry that has been very close historically. Poly leads the series, but only 59-55-6. Coxson and Goodson are ready for Saturday, which for them, as for all seniors, will be a bittersweet day. It’s their final City-Poly game, so they want to make the most of a day they will never forget. “I just enjoy the feeling you get playing in front of all those people,” Coxson said, “how important the game is to you and how important it is to them. It’s historic and it’s just a fun game. At the same time, you have to be serious because both teams need this win, but it's still fun. Even after we get out of high school, me and Antoine are going to be friends. We both know how important this game is.” Even though Coxson and Goodson play on opposite sides of the rivalry, they agree that being part of such a storied tradition bonds guys across the line of scrimmage. Theirs isn’t the first friendship that grew out of the City-Poly rivalry and it won’t be the last. “As intense as the rivalry is,” Wrenn said, “it makes for enduring friendships, too.”

MetroSports Weekly football highlights [Varsity Letters]

2009-11-05T11:13:33-08:00

Games include: City-Edmondson, Dunbar-Poly, John Carroll-Spalding and Calvert Hall-McDonogh

Secrecy shrouds long snapper Katula [Ravens Insider]

2009-11-05T10:49:55-08:00

Long snapper Matt Katula returned to practice today after sitting out Wednesday's session with an elbow injury. Katula's absence on Wednesday seemed to beg the question of who would handle long-snapping duties if Katula was unavailable for Sunday's contest against the Cincinnati Bengals. Well, the Ravens have not officially listed a backup to Katula on the team's depth chart. So special teams coordinator Jerry Rosburg was asked about the glaring omission. "That's curious," Rosburg said before avoiding the subject. Pressed on his expectation for Katula, Rosburg said, "I have no information for you on that." Katula was slightly more forthcoming, saying that his elbow is sore, but he doesn't expect it to prevent him from playing against the Bengals. "It’s not a big deal," he said. "It’s kind of been brewing for a little bit, I guess. Just a repetitive-motion type of thing. Just have to be smart about reps and stuff right now."

SportsMaryland.com's high school highlights -- Nov. 4 [Varsity Letters]

2009-11-05T10:24:47-08:00

Many schools tracking Glenelg Country's Miles [Recruiting Report]

2009-11-05T08:52:43-08:00

After Isaiah Miles' standout freshman season at Glenelg Country School last year, most people expected him to develop into a high-major Division I recruit. Now it’s official. Miles, a 6-foot-7, 190-pound sophomore forward, drew “probably 10-15” Division I coaches to the Glenelg Country open gyms this fall, according to Dragons coach Charlie Stewart. In talking with the coaches, Stewart said the consensus was that Miles is “a big-time Division I player.” “Maryland was out, the University of Washington, Penn State, Xavier has been there from day one, Richmond really likes him a lot ... [and] UMass has been very actively recruiting him,” Stewart said. “So he’s gotten a wide amount of interest from pretty much every major conference. It’s been very exciting for him to get across-the-board, high-major interest from virtually every major basketball conference.” A strong showing this summer with Nike Baltimore Elite ensured Miles’ status as a high-major recruit. He positioned himself as a definite top 100 -- if not top 50 -- prospect in the 2012 class. Still, having so many big programs visit Glenelg Country was startling at first. “Maryland was a big deal, obviously,” Stewart said. “To get them out, being the local school [was great]. He had a chance to go to Maryland Madness and was very impressed with obviously the school and the coaches. So it was a big deal to have Maryland out and be interested in him. But the University of Washington was great and Xavier likes him ... and was really the first school that showed serious interest. They’ve seen him in our gym probably five times last year. They’re a great program as well.” Maryland assistant coach Rob Ehsan has been the point man for the Terps with Miles early on in his recruitment. According to Stewart, Ehsan has made a strong impression thus far. “Coach Ehsan came up and watched Isaiah work out,” Stewart said. “We talked for a good bit about how they’re interested and that recruiting local kids is very important to their success. Isaiah knows a lot of their guys. He knows Sean Mosley just from playing on the AAU circuit over the years. So immediately when Maryland came, that made an impact on him. I probably have to say that [the Terps] are at the front of the pack, just because they carry a lot of weight around here and they’ve certainly done a good job in just the short period that they have been recruiting him actively.” While college coaches came to see Miles and came away impressed, they were also intrigued by Warren Powers, a freshman wing who came to Glenelg Country for the strong academics and to play in the dribble-drive offense. Stewart said Powers is a definite “high-major Division I kid.” “Warren is 6’4, 205 or 210 pounds. He is very, very well built for a kid that’s 14-years-old,” Stewart said. “He jumps well, dunks the ball with two hands, handles the ball really well and has pretty good perimeter fundamentals for a kid that has played inside his whole career. ... We’ve had Warren go up against Isaiah [in open gyms] and he’s really challenging Isaiah. He’s not able to score on Isaiah all the time, but he has shown some flashes of brilliance. His stock continues to rise every day.” As for Miles, he’s already improved a great deal in a short amount of time. Stewart expects Miles -- who averaged 11 points, eight rebounds and two blocks per game as a freshman -- to take additional steps forward this year. “It’s amazing how much he’s improved,” Stewart said. “Last season, he was just a 14-year-old pup getting pushed around a little bit at times by some of the older guys. Now he’s put on probably 15 pounds of muscle before the start of this season. He has a long way to go physically but his physical maturation in the weight room has been invaluable to his improvement. ... When the college coaches see a 15-year-old who is 6’7, who can dribble inside the 3-point line and dunk or pull up in transition and hit a 3, those are the things that correlate to a high Division I-level college player. He still has a long ways to go, and he’d be the first person to tell you that. But he’ll continue to get better.”

Under the lights at Calvert Hall [Varsity Letters]

2009-11-05T08:34:12-08:00

There's plenty of chatter in the hallways today at Calvert Hall, where the anticipation is high as the school's boys soccer team prepares to make history tonight in its Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association A Conference semifinal game against Mount St. Joseph. Game time is set for 6:30. The key word above is "night" as the school will host its first-ever athletic event under portable lights. "It's pretty exciting around here -- there's a lot of buzz right now on campus," said Calvert Hall coach Andy Moore. Calvert Hall's stadium can hold 2,700, and Moore said he wouldn't be surprised to see tonight's game played in front of a capacity crowd. The administration thought it would be a good idea to play the game at night to allow more fans to support the game. Moore said if all things go well, it may lead to some lacrosse games being played under lights in the spring and perhaps permanent lights being put in. As for the game itself, it should be a great one. Both teams have creative playmakers on offense and sturdy defenses. Geaton Caltabiano and David Arnold lead the visitors, while Pete Caringi Jr. and Zach Wenger are two of the focal points for the Cardinals. The teams split two games during the regular season with Calvert hall coming away with a 3-1 home win. The winner will meet No. 1 and defending league champ McDonogh on Monday for the championship.

Let the offseason begin [The Schmuck Stops Here]

2009-11-05T08:07:44-08:00

Now that the Yankees are world champions for the 27th time and all is right with the world (Sasrcasm alert!), we can get on with our lives -- and our offseason. If there is a bright side for the Yankee haters, it is that -- for the first time since 2000 -- there will be no postseason panic period in the Big Apple, which has generally been followed by an attempt to corner the free agent market. The bad news, of course, is that the free agent market isn't really worth cornering, but there are players that could make a difference for the Orioles, especially if they are willing to consider moving Nolan Reimold to first base. Sorry, I'm not sold on getting somebody like Nick Johnson, who wouldn't even replace the run-production potential of the departed Aubrey Huff. If it were my money and my team -- oh yes, it will be mine -- I would take the best bat possible in either the free agent or trade market and figure it out from there. Not that anything's going to happen real soon anyway. There's still the free agent filing period to wait out before the Orioles can make any offers, if that's the direction Andy MacPhail decides to go. He can talk trade any time, but the end of the World Series is sort of the traditional time to start doing that kind of thing. Make no mistake. Though the landscape isn't terribly promising, the Orioles have to make some significant moves to keep people interested. That doesn't mean throwing the youth movement under the bus, but it will require some flexibility if MacPhail wants to do anything dynamic. I said this in a column last week. MacPhail has delivered on the foundational aspect of his rebuilding program. The time has come to start the next phase in earnest.

MMA on CBS [MMA Insider]

2009-11-04T23:22:43-08:00

MMA returns to CBS this weekend as Fedor takes on Brett Rogers and Strikeforce assembles a fairly entertaining card overall.

ESPN.com gives a quick breakdown on the two main fights, but I think it's pretty clear that Fedor and Jake Shields are going to win.

This is a big show though because it is Fedor's U.S. prime-time debut and it marks the first real MMA show on CBS. EliteXC was a joke and even the most casual fan now recognizes that. I know plenty of UFC fans were angered at the mention of EliteXC and their CBS deal.

How do casual fans feel about Strikeforce and CBS? At least they are marketing the right fighter. One of the sport's all-time greats instead of the biggest fraud in the sport's history. I think, at least, we can all agree that this will be good for the sport, right?

It seems like Fedor is a heavy favorite (-500, it seems) and there seems to be little money headed Rogers' way. Has there even been more of a sure thing than Fedor winning this fight? Especially with his superior ground game and Rogers lack of a ground game?

Even still, I can't wait for this show. It's about time to see Fedor back in action.

Which athlete's life story would you like to see become a movie? [Connolly's Corner Sports Bar]

2009-11-04T17:32:14-08:00

Yeah, it’s true I have been away too long.

But you have to give me credit for coming back with a flourish, getting half the bar stirred up about Mark Teixeira in November.

I may not be bright, but like they said about me during my entire educational career, I can stir it up.

Now, to answer the question posed from Rob K. and the other regulars, my time off was not Steve Phillips-esque. There was no forced vacation, no revealing text messages and no rabbits in pots during the entire week the bar was dark.

I simply took some time off after the long baseball season, but it had to be delayed a little bit.

So everything’s cool and there is no need to Google my name with “arrest” or “fired.” Certainly not yet, anyway.

Today’s topic is something we have hit on before. But it has been 18 months or so.

Wednesday evening I attended a screening of “The Blind Side,” the movie based on the book that was based on the life of Ravens’ offensive lineman Michael Oher.

I’ll give you my thoughts about the film at a later time.

I really enjoyed the book and was eager to see how it translates to the big screen. I also was also looking forward to seeing Sandra Bullock for 90 minutes. That’s one of life’s small pleasures.

Plus, this one movie is going to open up a whole lot of cool topics here for the next couple of weeks. Let’s get one out of the way quickly.

Oher’s story – a disadvantaged teen living from home to home was befriended by a rich family that helped him realize his potential – is an inspiring one and deserves to be told.

My question is this: Which athlete’s story – local, national or international -- would you like to see made into a movie? One that already hasn’t been told by Hollywood.

This is a serious inquiry, but I am sure we’ll get some jokers to chip in, and that’s cool too. Just keep it clean.

Daily Think Special: Which athlete’s life story would you like to see become a movie?

Rahsaan Moore discusses Terps commitment [Recruiting Report]

2009-11-04T12:51:24-08:00

Almost 10 months ago, Wise defensive end and fullback Rahsaan Moore watched as his teammate, safety Titus Till, committed to Maryland. This week it was Moore’s turn to do the same. He pledged to the Terps on Monday. “It feels good. It feels like a big weight has been lifted off my shoulders,” Moore said of his commitment. “I always wanted to go to a DI school and fortunately Maryland has been the school I’ve been wanting to go to since I’ve been in high school.” Moore, 6 feet 2, 235 pounds, admitted he wasn’t sure if a Maryland offer would come through. A host of powerhouse FCS schools offered, including James Madison, Richmond and William & Mary. But New Mexico was Moore’s only FBS offer -- until the Terps followed suit this fall. “I was definitely nervous because being my size and being a tweener type, it’s hard to figure out where to put me,” Moore said. “So I just had to make sure I went out this year and proved that I’m able to play D-IA football.” Moore thinks a position switch may have ultimately convinced the Maryland staff that he was worth offering. Moore has played defensive end throughout his time at Wise, but he made the switch from tight end to fullback before this season. “I think [the Maryland staff] watching my tape at fullback showed that I’m able to play at Maryland,” Moore said. “The past couple of years I’ve been playing tight end, and being 6’2, that’s not the typical height of a tight end. They were looking for somewhere they could put me and fullback just happened to show up.” It’s not a guarantee that Moore will play fullback at Maryland -- defensive end is still a possibility -- but the coaches have told him he’ll come to school as “a big athlete.” Moore said he’s aware that because he slipped under the radar of most programs, some might doubt his ability. The relative lack of Division I offers just serves as motivation. “It definitely makes me hungry because it shows that I have to go out there and prove people wrong,” Moore said. “Size doesn’t really matter -- it’s just how you go out there and play. I think I definitely have a chip on my shoulder to prove some people wrong and let them know that I can dominate the game just as well as anybody else can.” Click here for Wise coach DaLawn Parrish’s take on Moore’s commitment.

Four still alive in city football race [Varsity Letters]

2009-11-04T08:30:24-08:00

I'll start by saying the chances of this plot actually playing out are just about impossible. That said, some pretty strange things have happened this football season. Let's see if they happen in Baltimore City's crowded Division I race. Here’s what could happen: It could end up in a four-way tie for first place. Poly, Dunbar, City and Patterson are all within a game of each another going into this weekend’s regular-season finales. Poly and Dunbar are 6-1 in the Division. City and Patterson are 5-2. Here's what would have to happen to give all four a share of the title. • City must beat No. 11 Poly • Digital Harbor must upset No. 9 Dunbar • Patterson must beat Northwestern. Highly unlikely all three will happen. Two, maybe. Still, it’s an interesting scenario to contemplate. There are no tiebreakers in the city league, so co-champs are not uncommon, but four would be quite a crowd at the top.

Looking ahead to the Basketball Academy [Varsity Letters]

2009-11-04T08:03:40-08:00

The fall season is still in full swing for most athletes, but here's a look forward to one of the top annual basketball events: the Basketball Academy. The lineup for the 14th Annual Basketball Academy at Morgan State Jan. 14 through Jan. 16 features some of the area's top boys and girls teams. Make your plans now. Thursday, Jan. 14 Digital Harbor girls vs. Milford Mill, 3:30 p.m. Mervo boys vs. Randallstown, 5 p.m. City girls vs. Perry Hall, 6:30 p.m. Dunbar boys vs. Woodlawn, 9:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 15 City girls vs. Milford Mill, 3:30 p.m. Digital Harbor boys vs. KIMA (DC), 5 p.m. Western girls vs. Riverdale Baptist, 6:30 p.m. Lake Clifton boys vs. Ballou (DC), 8 City boys vs. Longwood (NY), 9:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 16 Woodlawn boys vs. Mervo, 10:30 a.m. Perry Hall girls vs. Archbishop Spalding, noon Randallstown boys vs. Digital Harbor, 1:30 Digital Harbor girls vs. Riverdale Baptist, 3 Douglass boys vs. KIMA, 4:30 Parkville boys vs. Dunbar, 6 City boys vs. Ballou, 7:30 Lake Clifton boys vs. Longwood, 9

What we know (and don't) about Gregory [Tracking the Terps]

2009-11-04T07:46:24-08:00

If Maryland sounds vague about the future status of forward Dino Gregory, that's not because the team is trying to be coy.

Maryland really doesn't know how things will play out with Gregory. His situation going forward has not been determined, university sources said.

The university announced in a news release before last night's exhibition win over Indiana (Pa.) that the junior forward would not participate "due to a violation of team rules. Due to federal regulations which protect the privacy of student records, there cannot be further comment."

Note that the release did not deal with anything other than last night's game. After that, we (and the team) just don't know.

According to the Washington Post, Gregory had said this summer that his eligibility was in question because of a charge of "academic dishonesty." The Post said it could not be determined whether that was the reason the player was held out of last night's game.

Coach Gary Williams said he could not comment on Gregory for the reasons given by the university in the news release.

Gregory was a likely starter. An extended absence would mean more immediate playing time for the two freshman forwards, Jordan Williams and James Padgett.

Rivalry football games impact titles [Varsity Letters]

2009-11-04T02:00:00-08:00

More than just bragging rights will be decided Saturday in two of Baltimore’s longest-running football rivalries: City-Poly and Gilman-McDonogh. When City and Poly meet for the 121st time at noon Saturday at M&T Bank Stadium, the No.11 Engineers (8-1, 6-1 division) will be looking to clinch at least a share of the Baltimore City Division I title. On the other hand, the Knights (7-2, 5-2) probably need a win to seal a berth in the Class 2A North regional playoffs. If City loses, Dundalk could knock the Knights out of the fourth and final playoff spot with a win Friday over Owings Mills. And in the city, if the Knights win and No. 9 Dunbar suffers an unlikely loss to Digital Harbor on Friday, City would sneak into a share of the Division I title. In the longest-running public high school rivalry in the country, Poly holds the series edge 59-55-6. Last season’s 16-13 Poly win broke a three-year City reign. Gilman and McDonogh have not been playing quite as long. Saturday’s 2 p.m. matchup will be the 94th edition. The No. 2 Eagles host the regular-season finale which has turned into the MIAA A Conference championship game. The Eagles (8-1) stand alone in first place in the conference at 4-0, but No. 5 Gilman (6-3) is 3-1. A Greyhounds win would give them the title outright because the head-to-head result breaks the tie. The Greyhounds lead the series, 55-33-5, but the teams have traded wins for the past four years with the visiting team taking the victory each time. Last year, McDonogh won, 22-14, and the past three games have been decided by an average of seven points. As for the other big rivalry, No.10 Calvert Hall and No.12 Loyola extend their series to its 90th year when they meet in the Turkey Bowl on Thanksgiving Day at M&T Bank Stadium. Loyola leads that one 48-33-8. We'll have more about that closer to game day.

Injuries, Kimbo Slice and Pat Barry [MMA Insider]

2009-11-03T22:49:07-08:00

Brock Lesnar still isn't healthy enough to resume training, so rumors are swirling that he won't be able to fight Shane Carwin on Jan. 2 at UFC 108. Another bout rumored for that card, the middleweight title fight between Anderson Silva and Vitor Belfort, will also be pushed back as Silva still is rehabbing his elbow. And now it looks like Georges St. Pierre may not return before March, as he's still rehabbing from the injury he suffered at UFC 100.

While some bouts are being pushed back and fighters are taking a little longer to heal, at least there's some good news this week. It looks like the bout between Kimbo Slice and Houston Alexander is close to official. It will be on the TUF finale card and it should be a heck of a fight. Neither guy has much of a ground game, both will be going for quick knockouts. Smart money has to be on Alexander but at least Kimbo fans will have one (final?) chance to see him fight. Alexander, a light heavyweight, and the heavyweight Slice will likely fight at a catchweight.

A great read about Pat Barry cashing his $120k check from UFC 104.

Finally, it's a big weekend on the horizon with the return of MMA to CBS. Fedor Emelianenko vs. Brett Rogers ... is anyone crazy enough to throw their cash behind Rogers? Anyone?

Gibbons point guard talks Loyola pledge [Recruiting Report]

2009-11-03T21:11:46-08:00

There were plenty of reasons why Cardinal Gibbons point guard Dylon Cormier decided to commit to Loyola last week. Reason No. 1 on the 6-foot-2, 180-pound senior’s list of positives was simple. “Minutes. A lot of minutes,” said Cormier, who averaged 19 points, six rebounds and four assists last season. “The situation is that they’re losing their starting point guard, Brett Harvey. The kid that’s the backup right now, Brian [Rudolph], is going to be a senior next year, and that’s the only point guard [on the roster for next season]. I’ll get minutes as a freshman and it’s pretty much going to be my team for the rest of my college career.” Cormier, an All-MIAA A Conference first-team selection as a junior, picked the Greyhounds over offers from Long Island, St. Francis (Pa.), Stony Brook and Youngstown State. Cormier took an official visit to St. Francis earlier this fall, calling the trip to rural Loretto, Pa., “real boring.” His visit to Loyola, meanwhile, couldn’t have been better. “[It was a] drastic [difference]. Crazy,” Cormier said. “Everybody was nice, everybody was friendly. There were a lot of people there and a lot of students there. I just liked the atmosphere there. It’s a lot of people there and it’s close to home.” Loyola started recruiting Cormier this summer after noticing him on the AAU circuit with Crusader Nation. Greyhounds assistant Greg Manning, a 2008 Loyola graduate, made a good impression on Cormier immediately. “He’s real, real cool. He’s my guy,” Cormier said. “He’s really funny and he went to Loyola, actually. He was telling me everything about his experience, so that was cool. ... He went through it, so he wouldn’t lie about it. That was real cool.” Cormier also it off with Jimmy Patsos, Loyola’s animated head coach. Witnessing Patsos in action during his visit to the school sealed the deal. “Man, he’s a character,” Cormier said. “But he just likes to win. I don’t have no problem with that. Everybody says he’s real crazy. But if you want to win as bad as him, then it’s the right place to go. He knows what he’s talking about. “I remember when they were going through practice and I was watching and [some of the guys] were just loafing around. Then Coach Patsos storms on the court and starts [yelling] and just giving them an earful on what they were doing wrong, from the beginning of practice to the end. ... Then I was like, ‘OK, he wants to win.’ He’s pushing them and I need someone to push me.” Cormier, who plans on majoring in accounting, said he’s excited to follow in the footsteps of other local players -- including Jamal Barney (Southwestern) and Gerald Brown (Douglass) -- who went on to have great careers at Loyola. “Hometown heroes,” Cormier said. “You can’t beat that.”

Padgett, Williams make debuts [Tracking the Terps]

2009-11-03T19:18:02-08:00

So how did the newbies do?

*Freshman James Padgett had some impressive moments. Padgett lost the ball moving toward the basket in the first half. But he later put the Terps up, 33-26, on a feed from Sean Mosley and followed on the next possession with a follow-up slam. He finished with eight points and four rebounds.

*Freshman forward Jordan Williams also made his debut before the Maryland fans, who had previously seen him in intrasquad scrimmages. He scored seven points to go with six boards. He checked in with 15:20 left in the first half and committed an offensive foul on his first field-goal attempt. He scored his first point on a foul shot with 2:27 left in the half, then made a put-back to push Maryland’s lead to 44-31.

I really think these guys will help with inside depth. But they are freshmen. And this was a smallish, Division II opponent. So it's hard to draw too many conclusions.

Would you be willing to give Mark Teixeira a mulligan? [Connolly's Corner Sports Bar]

2009-11-03T17:34:01-08:00

I am back. The bar is open. Hope you are thirsty.

Not sure where to start. We could talk about the Ravens and that big win against the Denver Broncos. But that’s old news now.

We could talk about the upcoming game against the Bengals, but we still have some time for that.

We could discuss the Orioles’ recent moves, but they are so minor they are not worth your hard-earned two cents. Instead, we are going to rehash one of our favorite subjects – at least since this dive has been open.

While I’ve been off, I have been keeping one bleary eye on the World Series. And one thing is apparent to me: Baltimore’s curse on previously favorite son Mark Teixeira seems to working.

At least partially.

Teixeira, a career .290 hitter, is batting .172 this postseason. He has just four extra-base hits in 67 plate appearances in the New York Yankees’ three playoff series.

Still, heading into Wednesday night’s Game 6, Teixeira is one win away from a World Series championship ring, the ultimate prize that Baltimore’s voodoo doctors kept away from Mike Mussina for all those years in pinstripes.

If Teixeira wins one – and I’m pretty sure he is going to – we’ll have to line up shots on the bar for many of you.

When Teixeira signed with the Yankees last December and said at his news conference that he dreamed of being a Yankee and wore a Yankees hat to Camden Yards, many of you immediately cursed him.

Deep down, though, you know how good he is. And you also know what the Orioles most need right now to compete is a power-hitting first baseman in his prime who is either a switch-hitter or a right-handed hitter. Teixeira, who grew up in Severna Park, really was the perfect fit.

I am not asking you to cry over spilled beer. But here is my fictitious scenario for the day. Assume for a minute that Tex could opt out of his Yankees contract after one year and that shiny ring on his finger if he said he wanted to come home.

Would you let bygones be bygones and welcome the prodigal son into the Orioles’ nest? Or did he lose you forever at that press conference, no matter how much he would help your team?

Here are the ground rules: If he came back, he wouldn’t have to apologize for his previous comments. He wouldn’t have to give back his ring. He’d still cost the Orioles $180 million or so. But he’d be with the Orioles at a time when they could really use him.

Well, what do you do?

Daily Think Special: Would you be willing to give Mark Teixeira a mulligan and an olive branch?

Sean Mosley is first-half star [Tracking the Terps]

2009-11-03T17:18:44-08:00

I know it's an exhibition game, but Sean Mosley came out and hit his first three outside shots, then followed with a layup.

He's a rugged player who wasn't a great outside shooter last season. But he's shooting very confidently tonight.

He has a team-leading 10 points (5-for-6 from the floor) and the Terps lead 44-33 against Indiana (Pa.) at the half.

Friedgen gets help with his diet [Varsity Letters]

2009-11-03T17:05:35-08:00

Maryland football coach Ralph Friedgen was asked what he did when not worrying about his current football team during the Terps' bye week. The coach said he went to a football game last weekend (he was spied at Gilman) and while there he got a big surprise that had nothing to do with football. It was senior day and the owner of one of his favorite Italian restaurants - Da Mimmo's - was at the game supporting her son. She saw the coach and came over to him to say hello. "She said she was looking forward to seeing me at her restaurant that night," Friedgen said. "I said, 'Tonight?' And she said yes, 'Your wife made reservations for the whole family, didn't you know?' "No. I wasn't told. "I mean, would your wife do that to you? She must of wanted to keep me on my diet," said the coach, who has been on a diet since before the season.

Terps start three guards [Tracking the Terps]

2009-11-03T17:03:01-08:00

Tonight's starting lineup against Indiana (Pa.)...

Greivis Vasquez-G
Eric Hayes-G
Sean Mosley-G
James Padgett-F
Landon Milbourne-F

Dino Gregory is out because of "team rules" [Tracking the Terps]

2009-11-03T16:49:39-08:00

Terps forward Dino Gregory is out of tonight's exhibition game because of an undisclosed violation of team rules.

His future status is uncertain.

Maryland won't identify the rules it said were violated, citing federal privacy regulations.

This would be a blow to the Terps if it's long term. Coach Gary Williams had told me a few weeks ago that Gregory had probably earned a starting spot.

He averaged 2.6 points and 3.2 rebounds last season but became an important inside defender (34 blocks) and rebounder.

Freshman James Padgett is penciled in as the starter tonight at forward opposite Landon Milbourne.

Stenger anchors resilient Mercy girls soccer team [Varsity Letters]

2009-11-03T15:35:00-08:00

The Mercy girls soccer team battled through adversity all through the year but still managed to be playing on the season’s final day — losing valiantly to defending champ and No. 1 Archbishop Spalding in Sunday’s Interscholastic Athletic Association A Conference championship game. The No. 3 Magic (12-5-3) learned two standout players had transferred just before the start of the season and then overcame various injuries and illnesses along the way. One thing that was never missing from the team was leadership, thanks to senior center midfielder and captain Jordan Stenger. Over the summer, Stenger’s father got a job in San Diego, but instead of moving away immediately, she and her mother, who had a baby a few weeks ago, stayed in Baltimore so she could play her last season at Mercy. Stenger played a pivotal role in the Magic’s playoff run, helping control the middle of the field in a 1-0 upset of then-No. 2 McDonogh in the quarterfinals before doing the same in a 1-0 shootout win over Notre Dame Prep in the semifinals. After giving 100 percent in a 2-0 loss to Spalding on Sunday, she was packed and ready to go to San Diego, leaving Tuesday. “The family separated so Jordan could play the season for the team. She led us all season long, and it was unbelievable to watch,” Mercy coach Albert Oni said. -- Glenn Graham

Wise High athlete commits to Terps [Recruiting Report]

2009-11-03T07:34:52-08:00

A familiar face will accompany Maryland safety commitment and Wise High senior Titus Till to College Park next season. Rahsaan Moore, another Pumas standout, committed to Maryland on Monday. Moore, a 6-foot-2, 235-pound defensive end, tight end and fullback, picked the Terps over offers from New Mexico, Delaware State, James Madison, Liberty, Old Dominion, Richmond, Towson and William & Mary. “He’s a great all-around football player,” said Wise coach DaLawn Parrish. “He understands the game. He reads plays very well and diagnoses them. He knows where he needs to be. He’s very physically strong with his hands. He’s just a dominating player. And he runs very well for his size. At one combine this summer he ran a 4.58 [40] and at a couple colleges he ran a 4.62 and 4.66.” Moore, as well as Till, have been instrumental in Wise’s 9-0 start this season, which includes eight consecutive shutouts. “He’s been very important [in our success this year],” Parrish said. “He’s been here and played varsity here three years now and he’s an exceptional leader. He does all the right things in the classroom and he’s tremendous.” The Maryland staff first noticed Moore last year but wanted to see him play this season before deciding to offer. Once the Terps offer came, there was little doubt in Parrish’s mind what Moore would do. “He told me he always wanted to play for Maryland,” Parrish said. “That’s all it took -- for them to offer. He knew what he was going to do.” Check back with Recruiting Report later this week for more on Moore’s commitment.

The Cosh Watch [Varsity Letters]

2009-11-03T02:00:00-08:00

Here is this week’s attempt to keep up with record-setting Arundel quarterback Billy Cosh. It's not an easy job. The All-Metro senior keeps breaking his own record for passing touchdowns in a career. Six more in Friday night’s win over Meade gives him 100. That’s 20 more than the record coming into the season. Cosh broke that in Week 6. The biggest news is that Cosh hasn’t wiped anyone else’s name out of the record book – at least not yet. His 326 yards passing Friday bring his career total to 6,498, just 24 yards shy of the state mark set by North County’s Mike Pfisterer in 2000. Cosh should get there in Friday’s regular-season final against Southern. He also has an outside chance to get Pfisterer's record for most completed passes. He will need 33, but that's exactly what he had against Meade, going 33 for 46. If – or I should say when – Cosh gets those marks, they will be his 11th and 12th state records (he shares one of those). He now holds all of the state single-game and single-season passing records except best completion percentage in a season, .694 held by Ryan Fleetwood of Cambridge-South Dorchester since 1993. Cosh’s percentage this fall is .68. Cosh, who is headed to Kansas State, has thrown 43 touchdowns this season as the No. 1 Wildcats improved to 9-0. He threw for 56 last season. With one regular-season game remaining and up to four more in the playoffs, Cosh is closing in on three Pfisterer records, all state public school career marks: Most passing yards: Pfisterer 6,522, Cosh 6,498. Most passes attempted: Pfisterer 902, Cosh 777. Most passes completed: Pfisterer 548, Cosh 515.

Terps hoops notes [Tracking the Terps]

2009-11-02T14:06:37-08:00

Notes in advance of Tuesday night's exhibition game against Indiana (Pa.)...

*So what does Greivis Vasquez think of Maryland being No. 26 in the AP's preseason rankings?

"I was a little upset because we beat California and we beat Georgia Tech and they are ranked so much higher than we are. We just have to prove people wrong. It’ll take care of itself if we just win," Vasquez said.

*Eric Hayes averaged averaged 15.2 point per game in the postseason – the Atlantic Coast Conference and NCAA tournaments – after averaging 10.3 in the regular season. Hayes seemed like a different player in the postseason, penetrating more and looking to create shots for himself.

“I just kind of had a mindset of being more aggressive and more assertive,” Hayes said. “I’m looking to build on my game.”

*Does it matter if Hayes doesn't start? Remember that Sean Mosley became the starter last season.

Here's Vasquez:--"All he (Hayes) wants is just to win games. He’s totally going to play 30 minutes or 28 minutes. I’m not really worried about him starting or coming off the bench."

More to come in a story I've filed for tomorrow's paper...

Come fly with me [The Schmuck Stops Here]

2009-11-02T09:04:49-08:00

I've been concerned that I might be putting the whammy on the Ravens by hanging around town during the football season, so I decided to play it safe and fly to the West Coast yesterday afternoon. Sure enough, the Ravens rolled over the previously undefeated Broncos, so I'm going to stay away through next Sunday. I realize the game is in Cincinnati, but you can't be too safe with the team's playoff future in the balance. If you recall, the only Ravens victory I've been in town for was the the opener against the Chiefs, who were without starting quarterback Matt Cassel and still somehow made it interesting. Then I went overseas and the Ravens beat the Chargers on the road and hammered the Browns at home. I returned to join the team in New England and you know what happened from that point on. After the Ravens defeat the Bengals, I think it will be safe to come home. Even a Jonah like me can't jinx them badly enough to lose to the Browns.

Weekend wrap — Evans dominates [Recruiting Report]

2009-11-02T06:26:09-08:00

Ian Evans' Hammonton (N.J.) High team cruised to a 41-0 win over Millville on Friday night. The Maryland defensive end commitment played an integral role in the Blue Devils’ shutout, starting with a forced fumble and recovery on Millville’s first possession. "We swarmed to the ball," he said. "Our secondary covered every guy perfectly. Our line made the right cuts and the right slants. Everyone did a great job." Evans had three sacks to go along with the fumble recovery. • Carver (Ga.) High trailed 7-0 in the second quarter to LaGrange on Friday night, until UM quarterback recruit Devin Burns rushed for a 25-yard touchdown on fourth-and-18. Burns’ squad then pulled away for a 27-7 win and the Georgia Region 2-AAA championship. [Burns] finished with 105 passing yards and a touchdown plus 39 rushing yards and a score. • Terps quarterback commitment Tyler Smith guided Wilson (Pa.) Area High to a 28-13 win over Salisbury. Smith passed for 319 yards and three touchdowns in yet another dominant outing for Wilson. • Despite a big game from Maryland athlete recruit Matt Robinson, previously-unbeaten Atholton dropped a 35-14 game to River Hill (9-0). The Hawks allowed only 37 points in their first eight games, but Atholton quarterback Kalvin Seamonson threw touchdown passes of 90 and 80 yards to Matt Robinson as the Raiders took a seven-point halftime lead. • UM safety pledge Titus Till helped Wise to a 35-0 win over Bowie, the Pumas’ eighth consecutive shutout. Wise got its next points in bizarre fashion when Bowie's Kevin Clayborne misplayed a Titus Till punt inside his own 5-yard line and tried to elude the onrushing Pumas by going backwards. Eventually he fumbled the ball through the back of the end zone for a safety. Basketball recruiting • The Terps hosted a visitor from the class of 2010 this weekend. Hippolyte Tsafack was at Maryland on an official. He could very well announce something this week. • Tobias Harris was scheduled this weekend to visit Louisville. Harris has visited Syracuse, Tennessee and Kentucky, and he's expected to see Maryland, West Virginia and Georgia Tech. Harris is expected to announce his decision on Nov.19.

It starts this week for Williams and Terps [Tracking the Terps]

2009-11-01T10:24:07-08:00

Maryland, which has been practicing since "Maryland Madness," gets to play a real team this week. The Terps play Indiana University of Pennsylvania in an exhibition game on Tuesday night.

I'll be posting updates and assessments on how the team looks -- particularly the newbies (freshmen power forwards Jordan Williams and James Padgett).

Coach Gary Williams has been regaining his strength from surgery to repair a disc problem that had existed for some time but had grown increasingly painful -- literally a pain in the neck.

He's been wearing a neck brace off and on during his recuperation -- including, I'm told, at today's Ravens-Broncos game where he's watching the football and supporting his good buddy, Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti.

O's: International intrigue [The Schmuck Stops Here]

2009-10-31T10:03:54-07:00

I'm sure a lot of people would like to see the Orioles boldly go where they haven't gone before and pony up the big money it will take to sign Cuban left-hander Aroldis Chapman, but I wouldn't hold your breath. There are several indicators that point in the opposite direction, which likely means that the club's meeting this week with Chapman and his agent is more public relations than aggressive international player development. Don't misunderstand. I'm not saying the Orioles weren't really interested in talking to the guy, but when you consider what it could cost to sign him -- some say $40 million or more -- it's hard to imagine the Orioles really being in the ballpark with some of the other teams that have shown interest. The club wants to have a solid international presence, but came up about $1 million short on promising Dominican infielder Miguel Angel Sano when the competition for his services was relatively light and he signed for only $3.15 million. If they would balk at Sano at that price, what makes anybody think they'll be a real player at $40 million for Chapman? The Orioles did pony up $10 million for Japanese pitcher Koji Uehara last winter, but they aren't exactly bragging about that acquisition anymore...and we're not hearing a lot of chatter about their new emphasis on international player development like we heard at this time last year. Hopefully, the team is still just as committed to a global approach, because the O's are going to have to keep every avenue open if they are to have any chance of competing with the Yankees and Red Sox on a yearly basis. They probably will never be able to out-spend them, so they're going to have to out-scout them, both here and abroad.

O's: Soft news is good news [The Schmuck Stops Here]

2009-10-31T08:49:20-07:00

This is the lull before the storm. This is the time when major league front office people tie up loose ends, take a few days off and catch their breath before offseason begins in earnest following the World Series. That's why the biggest baseball headline in The Sun today is about negotiations with reliever/swingman Mark Hendrickson, who almost certainly will re-sign with the Orioles -- which is fine because he's a versatile role player on the pitching staff, but it's not really news when you consider he's from nearby York and not many other teams will be beating down his door this winter. The Orioles had an extended conversation with Cuban defector Aroldis Chapman yesterday. That's an interesting development, but we all know that he's going to end up in Boston or New York. The thing that's most significant about the meeting is that it signals that owner Peter Angelos no longer has strong reservations about negotiating with Cuban players, though I guess we should have figured that out when the Orioles gave all that money to Danys Baez. The biggest story of the week was the official decision to decline the option on Melvin Mora, which was no surprise to anyone. Melvin told us he wasn't coming back a couple of months ago when he publicly blasted manager Dave Trembley. Basically, this is roster crunching time, and the Orioles have moved a bunch of players off the 40-man roster, including pitcher Rich Hill. Seems like a long time ago that the O's were hanging tough with Hill because they were afraid someone would take him off waivers. His 7.80 ERA pretty much took care of that. The club also outrighted Alfredo Simon, which means they can monitor his recovery from surgery and bring him back later if they think he's still got some promise. Frankly, this is such a soft news period that it might be time for another warm weather vacation.

Orioles: Moeller explained [The Schmuck Stops Here]

2009-10-30T08:51:26-07:00

Most of you probably know this already, but I thought I'd clarify the Chad Moeller situation for anyone who didn't get to the end of Jeff Zrebiec's story on the subject. The Orioles declined his $850,000 major league option yesterday, but that does not mean he will not return as Matt Wieters backup next season. In fact, I would guess that his return is fairly likely. The option was declined to free up room on the 40-man roster in anticipation of the finalization of the club's reserve list. The O's have to determine by Nov. 20 who will be protected in anticipation of the Rule 5 draft in December. That's also why several players were outrighted yesterday and a few more may be today. The club has told Moeller that it will basically honor the terms of the option that was declined if he later accepts a minor league deal and then makes the major league roster out of spring training. He has the option of accepting a guaranteed roster spot from another team in the meantime, but the Orioles want him back and he is open to coming back if somebody doesn't offer him a more secure situation. Moeller isn't an impact player, but he bonded well with Wieters last season and seemed to have a positive effect on his development. He's also a terrific guy who is well-liked in the clubhouse, though that's not an important reason to keep him.

Weekly recruiting roundup [Recruiting Report]

2009-10-30T03:01:59-07:00

Kicking off a slow week in Maryland recruiting news with a few football items ... • The recruitment of Norcross, Ga., offensive lineman Max Garcia is winding down, according to Phil Kornblut. Offensive lineman Max Garcia of Norcross, Ga., is scheduled for his official visit to Clemson on Nov. 6. A week or two later, he plans to have a decision between the Tigers, Maryland and Vanderbilt. Maryland is his favorite going into the final visit. • TurtleSportsReport.com’s Ross Leonhart scouted last week’s Good Counsel-St. John’s (D.C.) game, which featured Terps defensive tackle commitment Andre Monroe and several other Maryland targets. #60 Andre Monroe: This 2010 defensive tackle is a Maryland commit. He has the capability of getting through the offensive line and causing trouble for the backfield. The offensive play call appeared to be directed away from the middle of the defense, with Monroe and McReynolds there. Monroe showed his strength in his few snaps on the offensive line. • The Gazette took a look this week at Wise High’s team, on which Terps safety recruit Titus Till stars. The Pumas have recorded seven consecutive shutouts. "We can say that we were the cornerstone of this program," said senior safety Titus Till. "The freshmen and sophomores want to be like us because we're accomplishing things that nobody's done here before." • UM tight end commitment Nermin Delic has tough matchups on both sides of the ball tonight in Northwest Whitfield (Ga.) High’s game against Dalton. Northwest two-way starter Nermin Delic will face off with two of Dalton’s best linemen. While playing tight end, the 6-foot-5-inch, 245-pound Maryland commitment will go against defensive end Jalen Fields (6-4, 240), the first Georgia commitment of the 2010 class. When Delic’s at defensive end, he’ll face Watts Dantzler, a 6-8, 300-pound junior offensive lineman currently being heavily recruited by several Southeastern Conference schools, including Georgia. • Maryland defensive end commitment David Mackall and linebacker recruit L.A. Goree both made the trip to College Park on Monday for Fork Union Military Academy’s JV game against the Terps. Neither Mackall or Goree ended up playing in the game, according to The Washington Times’ Patrick Stevens. I caught up with Goree after the game, and he said he plans to be in College Park on Jan. 3 to get ready for a winter session. He said he improved his SAT score enough, and didn't exactly hide his eagerness to attend a university rather than at a military academy. Basketball recruiting • One current Maryland target and one former Maryland target were on hand for Kentucky’s Blue-White game earlier this week. Highly regarded prospects C.J. Leslie and Terrence Jones attended the Blue-White Game. Leslie is a forward from Raleigh, N.C. He played with UK freshman John Wall last season. Jones is a forward from Portland, Ore. • Maryland is one of many high-major schools in the running for Juan’ya Green, a junior combo guard. Juan’ya Green, a ghastly 6-foot-3 combo guard at Archbishop Carroll (PA) HS, is receiving plenty of Big East love. He’s sifting through letters, receiving the most interest from Villanova, Georgetown, Syracuse, Providence, Maryland, St. Joe’s and Temple.

Orioles: Mora, Moeller and Datz [The Schmuck Stops Here]

2009-10-29T13:36:25-07:00

Jeff Zrebiec has already posted stories on the long-expected decision by the Orioles to decline Melvin Mora's option for 2010 and also the choice of former Indians coach Jeff Datz as the new O's bench coach. The club also declined the $850,000 option on catcher Chad Moeller and outrighted some guys to free up room on the 40-man roster. It's probably still possible that Moeller could be re-signed. Doubt there's any chance that the Orioles will try to bring Melvin back for less. The only surprise, really, is the selection of a relatively unknown coach to replace Dave Jauss. I think a lot of O's fans were hoping for somebody more familiar, but Datz apparently came well-recommended by some of the people Dave Trembley consulted around the major leagues. I'm sure he's a fine coach, but I'm pretty sure there are going to be some people who will view Datz as a guy who was chosen because he will not pose an obvious threat to Trembley's job security the way a Bob Melvin or some other former major league manager might. I'm pretty sure that's not the case -- because Dave knows that this is a do-or-die year for him no matter what-- but I'll leave you all to your opinions. What do you think?

Digital Harbor's two Div. I seniors [Recruiting Report]

2009-10-29T07:58:24-07:00

George Jackson has left Digital Harbor and taken his game across town to Coppin State. But while Jackson, a Baltimore Sun first-team All-Metro selection, is gone, the defending Class 1A state champion Rams won’t be devoid of talent. Digital Harbor coach Johnnie Grimes’ quest to repeat as state champions will depend largely upon seniors Davon Usher, 6 feet 5, and Justin Jackson, a 5-foot-10, 170-pound point guard and George Jackson’s younger brother. Usher’s stock rose dramatically this summer, and Grimes witnessed it firsthand while serving as an assistant coach for Nike Baltimore Elite. When Will Barton and Josh Selby were at the NBA Top 100 Camp one week in June, Usher “really just blew up” at a tournament in Chantilly, Va. Thanks to his summer on the AAU circuit, Usher has heard from a host of mid- and high-major schools. “He’s like the best-kept secret. He’s really starting to come into his own,” Grimes said. “I know in particular, George Mason [has expressed interest], Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, they are really high on Davon Usher. Oklahoma was showing interest and UMBC. Quinnipiac is another school that’s on Davon Usher real heavy. ... Virginia Tech is interested in Davon, too.” Usher averaged around 16 points and 10 rebounds per game last season. Grimes expects those numbers to go up this year. Usher’s long-term potential is high, Grimes said. “Davon, in college, would probably be a 2-guard,” Grimes said. “He can pass the ball and he’s 6-5. He’s very crafty with the ball. He has real good court vision and he shoots the ball very well from mid-range. He has a little work to do on his defense, but offensively, that’s his strong point.” Jackson was slowed last season by a high ankle sprain, but still managed to average “around 13 or 14” points per game, according to Grimes. With his older brother at Coppin, Jackson will now be counted on to run the point for Digital Harbor. The brothers Jackson are talented but different, according to Grimes. “With George, he’s a tremendously hard worker,” Grimes said. “Justin really has the natural ability. He’s very skillful -- it’s easy for him to score in a variety of ways. Justin’s going from being a 2-guard and now making the transition to being the point guard. Now you really get to see exactly how he’ll be able to lead the team. He’s very crafty as well and smart. He’s definitely going to show all his talent.” On the recruiting front, Jackson has received interest from a couple different schools in the Baltimore-Washington area. “As far as Justin, it’s been pretty much George Mason and UMBC,” Grimes said. Grimes is confident that both seniors will sign with Div. I schools, if not next month, then definitely during the spring signing period. Baltimore Sun photo of Davon Usher by Gene Sweeney Jr. / March 13, 2009

World Series: Yankees fall over a Cliff [The Schmuck Stops Here]

2009-10-28T23:13:24-07:00

Cliff Lee's performance in Game 1 was so impressive, I'd like to change my World Series prediction to the Phillies in five, but I won't because that would just give me a chance to be wrong twice. You don't see all that many complete games in the postseason in the era of bullpen specialization, but Lee tamed the Yankees lineup so completely that he'll be very much in their heads when he comes back around in the rotation. Meanwhile, A.J. Burnett has to go to the mound tonight carrying a lot on his eighty-million-dollar shoulder. If he struggles with his control in the early innings -- and that would appear to be a possibility since he has walked 10 batters in 18 1/3 innings in this postseason -- the Phillies are going to smell blood. Now that I think about it, I probably doomed the Yankees when I picked them in six before the start of Game 1. I don't think I've guessed an outcome right since I gave the points in the presidential election. Associated Press photo

The Fall Classic... [The Schmuck Stops Here]

2009-10-28T15:35:39-07:00

...will be over by Thanksgiving -- I promise -- but the Yankees and Phillies might cut it close if this fall continues to be as rain-soaked as it has been the past few weeks. I'm particularly sensitive to that because I've spent the day with a caulk gun filling cracks around the foundation of the house and tearing out a bunch of soggy carpet padding in the basement. Please forgive me, but I'm getting a bit nostalgic for Southern California, where they don't have either rain or basements. If anyone has any advice in this area, I'm all ears, but I'm going to take a break from proving I'm a Renaissance man to give you my quick take on the World Series, which begins tonight at Yankee Stadium. First off, if I knew the Yankees were going to play host, I wouldn't have rooted for the American League in the All-Star Game, because I think the home-field advantage probably will be enough to put the pinstriped pariahs over the top. Both teams have star power and both teams can hit the ball out of the park, but the Yankees may be able to neutralize the Phillies' advantage at Citizens Bank Ballpark because they have nine players who can hit a long fly ball -- and you know what happens to long fly balls in Philly. Yankees in six. Sorry. I don't like it any more than you do. If the Phillies win and prove me wrong, I'll promise to root for the Eagles a couple of times this year. Personal note: I'm heading over to Chipotle Grill before the game. I have a friend who won that promotion where you get to bring nine friends for a free meal. I'm guessing not one member of the current Orioles roster shows up, but I feel an obligation to be there.

Brooks: About last night [The Schmuck Stops Here]

2009-10-28T14:54:30-07:00

Just want to say that the "Evening With Brooks" at the Meyerhoff Symphony Hall last night was truly special and a lot of congratulations are due -- and not just to the guest of honor. The setting was terrific, all the speakers struck the right tone, a combination of reverence for Brooks and recognition that he's never been about that kind of thing. Lots of stories. Lots of fun. Lots of love for a guy who has given way more than he has gotten over the course of his life. The Orioles and Crown Petroleum got together to sponsor the night, which benefitted the Babe Ruth Birthplace/Sports Legens Museum and the American Cancer Society. Kind of felt sorry for Brooks, who isn't comfortable listening to people say nice things about him. He had to do that for a couple of hours, but at least he had his lovely wife (of almost a half-century) Connie there at his side for the whole night. Then he had to speak, which he always does well. "This is a lot tougher than my Hall of Fame speech,'' he said. He proceeded to tell everyone that this event was just an another example of why he made the right decision way back when he first chose the Orioles over the Cincinnati Reds. They were the two teams that offered him a major league contract when he was an all-around high school standout in Little Rock, Ark., in the 1950s. By the way, that wouldn't be the last time he disappointed the Reds. He was asked at various junctures during the evening for his personal favorite career moment, everyone undoubtedly expecting him to say the 1970 World Series. He had a little bigger one in mind. "Sometimes I get that question from someone,'' he said at the end of the program. "I've been out of the game for 32 years, and the more I think about it, the thing I'm most proud of is the fact that I played longer with one team than anyone else in baseball, along with Carl Yastrzemski. He played 23 years with the Red Sox and I played part or all of 23 years with the Orioles...Believe me, it has come back tenfold for me." Of course, Brooks always had things in perspective. "The biggest highlight of my life was meeting my beautiful wife Connie,'' he said."I met her playing for the Baltimore Orioles. You can't ask for more than that." It was a great night.

Meet Terrence Ross [Recruiting Report]

2009-10-28T08:48:22-07:00

For a consensus top 50 prospect, Terrence Ross took the road less traveled this summer. Instead of joining other top-ranked players on the AAU circuit, the Maryland shooting guard commitment stayed at Montrose Christian this summer to take classes and work on his game. Staying out of the spotlight did have its consequences. Some scouting services dropped Ross in their rankings, drawing the ire of many Maryland fans. But for the future Terp, a lower rating couldn’t be less important. “Probably my freshman to sophomore year [I paid attention to recruiting rankings],” Ross said. “But after my junior year, it didn’t matter to me. I was getting recruited, so it really didn’t matter who was [ranked] better than me. It really didn’t matter.” Ross did admit to missing the competition aspect of AAU. He played his fair share of pickup ball in College Park with some of his future teammates, which whetted his appetite a bit. Now he’s just counting down the days until his senior season starts. “It was just pretty quiet,” Ross said of his summer. “[So] I’m really excited [for the high school season] because it’s just like all that hard work I put in, [now] I get to show it off.” Ross has stayed in close contact with Maryland’s other 2010 commitments, Miller School (Va.) small forward Mychal Parker and Tucson (Ariz.) Santa Rita point guard Terrell Stoglin. There’s already a strong bond between the Maryland recruits, Ross said. “Me and Mike are close and me and Terrell are close,” Ross said. “Before we get [to Maryland], we already got a friendship. We’re all pretty close and text each other. … Right now I’m just focused on high school, but in the meantime, I can’t wait to get to Maryland.” Here’s an introduction to Ross. Name: Terrence Ross Birthdate: Feb. 5, 1991 Birthplace: Long Beach, Calif. Hometown: Portland, Ore. Nickname: T-Ross Height: 6’6 Position: Shooting guard/small forward High School: Montrose Christian Junior statistics: 15 points per game Rankings: Rivals.com -- Four stars, No. 43 overall, No. 10 shooting guard. Scout.com -- Four stars, No. 93 overall, No. 21 shooting guard. ESPN.com -- 95 rating, No. 39 overall, No. 8 small forward. Other schools considered: Louisville, UCLA, Memphis, Oklahoma Favorite pro basketball player: Joe Johnson Favorite pro basketball team: None Favorite all-time Terp: Steve Francis Favorite music: Drake, Lil Wayne, Kanye West, Jay-Z Favorite book: Till We Have Faces by C.S. Lewis Favorite movie: Paranormal Activity Favorite TV show: Fresh Prince of Bel Air Favorite food: Pizza Favorite high school class: Statistics Favorite thing about College Park: “The campus [and] the dorms.” Hobbies: “Relaxing, hanging out with my friends and working out.” Intended major: Criminology Something that not many people know about you: “I’m shy.” Best basketball moment: “Winning [the] state championship in Portland my sophomore year.” Role model: “Michael Jordan because he has accomplished a lot of things that I would like to accomplish.” Why Maryland? “I like the atmosphere and they recruited me the hardest.”

Orioles: Can they get there from here? [The Schmuck Stops Here]

2009-10-28T07:55:54-07:00

President of baseball operations Andy MacPhail and his staff are getting their ducks in order for a very important offseason -- and the team needs to make some significant moves to be more competitive next year -- but the winter landscape seems forbidding. If you want to read more about that, check out today's column here and let me know whether you think the O's have a real chance to improve with the right offseason trades and free agent acquisitions.

Phony controversy [The Schmuck Stops Here]

2009-10-27T11:44:57-07:00

It's a petty little tempest in a teapot, but I still have to respond to the post-Brooks-bash "controversy" over how many current Orioles showed up at last night's event at the Meyerhoff Symphony Hall. There were 1,500 people there, including myself, and there were at least a dozen people who were definitely in attendance that I looked for and never saw, so I couldn't say with certainty who was or wasn't there. Frankly, I think it's terribly disrespectful to Brooks to shift the focus from his great night to some opportunistic Orioles axe-grinding. I didn't see any current O's there, but I didn't see any current Ravens there either (doesn't mean there weren't any, just that I didn't see one), and -- if we're going to get technical about this -- doesn't Brooks transcend baseball as one of the most important sports figures in the history of Baltimore? Of course he does. That's why Sandy Unitas was the one who convinced him to take part and that's why there were a bunch of former Colts -- Art Donovan, Tom Matte and Bruce Laird, to name a few -- in attendance. So, I guess if you're going to rip the Orioles, who were one of the principle sponsors of the event, you've got to take a shot at the Ravens, too, for not having a particularly visible presence. Except that you don't have to take a shot at anyone, because it wasn't about that, and making it about that distracts attention from what a terrific and touching evening it was. By the way, to be fair, the place was full of Orioles and MASN employees, so the notion that Brooks was being ignored by the current organization is ridiculous. I'm pretty sure the Ravens were also supportive, but if your priority on Brooks' special night was to take roll of who was and wasn't there, I guess you've got to count everybody. Open question: Were there any current Blast players present? And one more thing, to compare this to the Elrod Hendricks funeral is just plain wrong. The criticism of the current Orioles roster at the time -- which was represented at the memorial only by Melvin Mora -- was legitimate, because Elrod was a major figure in the Orioles clubhouse and a friend to every one of those guys. The "Evening with Brooks" was a trip down memory lane for all of the long-time Baltimore fans and sports figures, so I don't know if you can expect the players who don't have any personal or nostalgic link to Brooks to fly across country just to be seen.

Meet Laurin Mincy [Recruiting Report]

2009-10-27T07:56:36-07:00

Laurin Mincy couldn't wait to put her mid-summer injury setback behind her. The Maryland shooting guard commitment had torn the meniscus in her left knee while playing in an AAU tournament in July. After eight weeks of rehab, she was ready to make her return to the court at a tournament in New York last month. “Three minutes into the game, [the knee] gave out on me,” Mincy said. “[It was the] same move [as I made in July]. It was a crossover and it just gave out. That time, I definitely knew that there was something wrong.” Mincy tore her ACL and her meniscus this time. She underwent surgery three weeks ago and had her stitches removed last week. Mincy will sit out her senior year, but still take on an active role for University High’s team. She plans on serving as a student assistant. The opportunity to contribute to her team as a coach helped ease the disappointment of being unable to play this season. “At first I took it real hard,” Mincy said. “I was devastated, being that it was my senior year and knowing that I couldn’t be on the court helping my teammates. But then I started talking to my family and it’s only going to make me a stronger person and a stronger player.” Mincy said she plans on returning to the court in May and reporting to College Park in July. Terps coach Brenda Frese has been extremely supportive throughout her injury ordeal, according to Mincy. “She just told me she was sad to hear that,” Mincy said, “but she told me that she just wanted me to get taken care of as soon as I could and just rest up. I should be good to go when it’s time to play for Maryland.” Here’s an introduction to Mincy. Name: Laurin Mincy Birthdate: Feb. 3, 1992 Birthplace: Newark, N.J. Hometown: Newark, N.J. Nickname: LB Height: 5-11 Position: Guard High School: University High Junior statistics: 21 points, six rebounds, three assists, two and a half blocks per game Rankings: AllStarGirlsReport.net -- No. 9 player in the country. ESPN Hoop Gurlz -- No. 23 player in the country. Other schools considered: Rutgers, Georgia Favorite pro basketball player: Dwyane Wade Favorite pro basketball team: Cleveland Cavaliers Favorite all-time Terp: Marissa Coleman Favorite music: Trey Songsz, Keyshia Cole Favorite book: The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini Favorite movie: Love and Basketball Favorite TV show: Fresh Prince of Bel Air Favorite food: Shrimp Favorite high school class: English Favorite thing about College Park: “The atmosphere.” Hobbies: Dancing, shopping, singing Intended major: Marketing Something that not many people know about you: “That I write poems. I’ve been doing that since about eighth grade.” Best basketball moment: “I think it was my freshman year, when my team won the Tournament of Champions in New Jersey.” Role model: “I would have to say my role model is my mom because she sets a great example for me and is really independent. I would love to be a type of woman she is today.” Why Maryland? “I thought Maryland was the best choice because their style of play fits my style of player, the staff was very family-oriented and it was not that far from home. Even though I didn’t want to stay close to home, it wasn’t that far. Everything was just perfect.”

Shogun-Machida: Immediate rematch [MMA Insider]

2009-10-26T23:07:09-07:00

This doesn't happen too often. While both parties agreed to it, rematches like this, especially with a title on the line, usually don't happen so quickly. Yet, it appears Dana White and both Lyoto Machida and Mauricio "Shogun" Rua have signed off on it so the rematch is a reality.

The first one was an enjoyable fight to watch (from my perspective) and I think the rematch will be even better. I definitely feel like it won't make it to the judges this time around. I also feel like the Machida backlash will force him to do more in the next fight. I wouldn't be surprised if Shogun felt the same way, since he won the fight and still wasn't awarded the victory.

This seems like the right call. Especially since there's no one knocking on the door for a title shot at light heavyweight. With Rampage out of the picture, the Rashad Evans-Thiago Silva winner seems poised for the next shot, and neither of those guys can make as interesting a fight as Shogun part two.

I think the lack of quality challengers has a lot to do with it, because other fights have had controversial decisions but weren't given immediate rematches. The Rampage-Forrest Griffin fight comes to mind.

Lesnar out of UFC 106 [MMA Insider]

2009-10-26T23:04:38-07:00

In devastating news, Brock Lesnar was forced to withdraw from his scheduled bout with Shane Carwin at UFC 106 in November. The match will now be held at UFC 108 on Jan. 2.

Lesnar has been suffering from an illness that sounds an awful lot like H1N1, but is unconfirmed. Lesnar reportedly claimed it's the sickest he's been in his life and his people say he wouldn't have near the time needed to train for a big fight.

Instead, the Forrest Griffin-Tito Ortiz rematch will be moved into that slate instead.

Tough news, but this sort of thing happens. You can catch the full story here at Yahoo.

An Evening with Brooks [The Schmuck Stops Here]

2009-10-26T18:54:07-07:00

It was typical Brooks. He might be the greatest third baseman who ever lived – and certainly one of Baltimore’s most beloved figures – but he had to be all but dragged to the Meyerhoff Symphony Hall on Monday night for “An Evening with Brooks” – a night of testimonials for the benefit of the Legends Sports Museum and the American Cancer Society. “They had to twist my arm for about a month,’’ he said. Everybody knows the story by now. It took some special arm-twisting by Sandy Unitas to get Brooks to show up. It didn’t take much persuasion at all for anybody else, and just about everyone who is anyone in Baltimore sports was on hand to honor “Mr. Oriole.” Sportscaster Scott Garceau and Hall of Fame pitcher Jim Palmer served as Masters of Ceremonies for an event that was broken up into nine “innings” and featured stars from the entire spectrum of Baltimore sports history as well as some of the Cincinnati Reds players who competed against Brooks during the 1970 World Series which cemented his reputation as the “Human Vacuum Cleaner.” Maybe you’ve noticed that I haven’t bothered to address Brooks by his full name, but that is no accident. Brooks will suffice in a sports town where he needs no further introduction. If you’re a Baltimore sports fan, you’re more likely to say “Madonna who?” than ask “which Brooks.” “He was a very special player both on and off the field,’’ said Palmer. “As Davey (Johnson) used to say, ‘He’s just so unassuming.’ That’s Brooksie. That’s what made him so appealing.” How unassuming? The guy just doesn’t feel comfortable being told what a great player he was and what a great guy he still is, but – in the end – he just couldn’t say no to the opportunity to raise money for the museum and the American Cancer Society, especially after his recent brush with prostate cancer. “I’ve had enough adulation,’’ Brooks said. “I though that was over. My heart can’t take much more of this. But a lot of people have come a long way to be here…It’s overwhelming, to tell the truth.” The guest list was too long to list here, but you know who we’re talking about. Hall of Fame manager Earl Weaver held court on the second level of the Meyerhoff, describing how well Brooks treated him when Weaver was an up-and-coming minor league manager and how Brooks helped him get to Cooperstown. I mean, how great a guy do you have to be to make one of the most irascible managers in baseball history go all soft and cuddly? “It’s goes all the way back to Paul Richards when I would go down as a minor league manager,’’ Weaver said. “You watched him work, and he went from being a good ballplayer to a great ballplayer to probably, you’d have to say, the best defensive third baseman that ever played the game. “I remember him when I was a minor league manager and he was always so polite. He always was like that. I’ve never seen him say no to anyone. There probably is not a person in this room who hasn’t shook his hand or got an autograph from him. I don’t think you’ll ever see anybody else like Brooks.” If you don’t believe Earl, consider that even former Cincinnati Red Bernie Carbo jumped at the chance to travel to Baltimore to be part of an evening for the guy who robbed him and his teammates of a possible world title in 1970 with his highlight reel performance at third base. “Brooks Robinson treats you like you’re the Hall of Famer,’’ Carbo said. “Very kind. Very humble. The thing I remember most is being a 23-year-old kid sitting on the bench with my teammates and watching him make those plays and wishing he was on our team.” Baltimore Sun file photos

World Series: Eastern promises [The Schmuck Stops Here]

2009-10-26T11:32:55-07:00

Guess you've got to give it up for the Yankees, who took care of business in Game 6. The Angels did not go down quietly, but a defensive meltdown in the eighth inning stretched a slim Yankees lead, and how much help does Mariano Rivera need, anyway? Though I certainly would have prefered a coast-to-coast World Series, you can't deny that the upcoming matchup between the Yankees and Phillies is an interesting and attractive one. Both teams have considerable star power and both play the game the way it is supposed to be played. The Yankees are an impressive (and expensive) group, but if you watch them day in and day out, you have to admit that they are more than just a huge payroll. The thing that has impressed me the most during this postseason is how well they've scouted their opposition, which is reflected in the seemingly perfect positioning of the fielders. Can't count how many times Mark Teixeira has stolen a hit halfway between first and second base. In the top of the eighth inning tonight, Torii Hunter hit a hard shot right up the middle for what normally would be a hit, but Robinson Cano was playing right over the bag at second. That's great advance scouting and dugout coaching. The Yankees spend a lot of money, but they also develop great talent and they do their homework. It's hard to root for them -- and I won't in the World Series -- but you have to give them credit.

Weekend wrap — Big day for Robinson [Recruiting Report]

2009-10-26T07:00:51-07:00

Atholton's improbable undefeated season continued this weekend thanks in large part to Maryland athlete recruit Matt Robinson. In the Raiders’ 49-13 win over Marriotts Ridge, Robinson contributed six tackles on defense and, once again, made a big impact on offense. Kalvin Seamonson completed all five of his pass attempts for 105 yards and three touchdowns, including scoring passes of 31 and 27 yards to Matt Robinson, in the homecoming win. • Terps quarterback recruit Tyler Smith guided Wilson Area (Pa.) High to its seventh win of the season. Tyler Smith passed for 251 yards and two touchdowns and Ray Mosby rushed for 122 yards and scored four touchdowns to lead the unbeaten Warriors to a convincing 45-21 victory over Southern Lehigh at Smith Field. • UM quarterback commitment Devin Burns played just one half in Carver (Ga.) High’s 47-8 win over Kendrick. Burns was 7-for-12 passing with an interception and threw for 119 yards. • Maryland safety pledge Titus Till helped Wise to its state-record seventh straight shutout, a 44-0 win over Oxon Hill. "We were just going out and playing our game," said Wise senior safety Titus Till. "We are just doing what we do and haven't really been preoccupied with what it meant." • Terps defensive back recruit Jeremiah Johnson found the end zone once in Suitland’s 34-0 win over Laurel. The Rams blocked a Laurel punt, and [Suitland quarterback Devonte] Lindsey followed with a 20-yard score to Jeremiah Johnson with 1:50 remaining in the third. • UM tight end commitment Nermin Delic helped Northwest Whitfield to a 14-3 win over Sequoyah, which gave the Bruins sole possession of first place in the Georgia sub-region 7A-4A. “It was all execution,” said Delic, who made a critical sack for a 9-yard loss late in the fourth quarter. “Everyone was doing their job and staying motivated. It’s all about doing your job every play without being selfish.”

NFL: Explain this to me [The Schmuck Stops Here]

2009-10-25T12:48:16-07:00

The Minnesota Vikings had a first and goal from the 1/2 yard line, but apparently they have turned the playcalling duties back over to Brian Billick. How else do you explain a team that has Adrian Peterson in the backfield, throwing the ball on second and third down and then settling for a field goal? While I'm ranting here, I thought I'd irritate the Steelers fans with a little more official bashing. On the last kickoff return, a Pittsburgh player jumped onto the pile at the end of the play and ripped the helmet off one of the Vikings underneath him. There was an official standing right there looking at the play and the helmet flew right by him, but I guess that's not a penalty at Heinz Field. And, let's see, didn't a Steelers defender just kneecap Brett Favre? Instead of a flag, the official quickly explained over the PA system that the Vikings player was holding and threw the guy into Favre's legs...except the replay only showed that Tom Brady is in London. Really, the officials appear to have just decided this game. They took away a touchdown from Favre on a bogus tripping call -- the replay showed it wasn't -- and the Steelers have turned it around with a huge fumble return to take a 10-point lead. The officiating has been awful in this game and -- though it may be a coincidence -- just about all the bad calls have favored the Steelers.

Shogun was robbed [MMA Insider]

2009-10-25T00:42:54-07:00

Mauricio "Shogun" Rua fought a very tactical fight against a difficult opponent in UFC light heavyweight champ Lyoto Machida and Rua fought it to perfection. He landed a flurry of devastating leg kicks and while the fight was extremely close, it's hard to see Machida as the winner in this bout. You could argue that Shogun won 49-46, but even most rational fans had to assume Shogun was going to be announced as the winner when it was declared a unanimous decision.

Rua completely took Machida out of his gameplan and looked much more like the Shogun of old. The Shogun of old, however, would've finished the fight. The Shogun we saw at UFC 104, however, certainly did enough to win. He was never in too much danger and really controlled the tempo of the fight. He threw some ferocious kicks to the legs and body of Machida and handled the "elusive" fighter very well. He should've won that fight. I thought Machida looked as surprised as the fans at the Staples Center were when he was announced as the winner.

Some will argue that the challenger has to take the belt from the champion and that any close fight will go to the current champ. That wasn't the case with Forrest Griffin and Quinton "Rampage" Jackson. Even so, I felt (as many other writers, fans in attendance and both Joe Rogan and Mike Goldberg) that Rua did more than enough to get the decision.

Outside of Rua getting robbed, it was a pretty enjoyable show. I thought the prelim fights on Spike were terrific. I was surprised that Chael Sonnen handled Yushin Okami the way he did but I thought it was a good fight. Joe Stevenson looked terrific and Cain Velasquez dominated Ben Rothwell. I still don't think Velasquez is ready for Brock Lesnar, though. I'd like to see Velasquez face someone like Nogeuira or even Frank Mir before getting a shot at Lesnar. Anthony Johnson had a sick knockout as well, but his came against a fighter with no chin.

Overall, a pretty enjoyable night of fights, outside of a highly controversial decision. Even though he lost, Rua proved he's a fighter to be reckoned with again at light heavyweight. And, more importantly, it showed that Machida is human. He was thought to be one of the most unbeatable fighters in the UFC but that was simply not the case Saturday night. He still doesn't belong in the St. Pierre/Anderson Silva class, not yet.

Although I would've loved to see Rua win, just on the chance that Dana White would make that Shogun vs. Anderson Silva fight. That would be a great one to watch.

UFC 104 worth a buy? [MMA Insider]

2009-10-23T10:34:38-07:00

UFC 104 is this weekend and outside of the Lyoto Machida vs. Shogun Rua bout for the light heavyweight championship, there’s not a whole lot of intrigue.

I’m excited for the Joe Stevenson-Spencer Fisher fight, but the rest of the card? Take it or leave it.

I’m curious to see how the PPV sells since it’s headlined by a pair of Brazilians. Both great fighters but I’m curious how the casual fan will support it. I’m still on the fence. This may be one show I catch at a sports bar instead of shelling out the 50 bucks.

I wish we could see the Yushin Okami-Chael Sonnen fight, but what are you going to do? Cain Velasquez and Ben Rothwell could be a decent fight, but not for second billing.

I don’t know though ... if PRIDE Shogun shows up, that main event might be worth it.

Weekly recruiting roundup [Recruiting Report]

2009-10-23T09:07:24-07:00

Tobias Harris has already visited Syracuse, Tennessee and Kentucky this fall. Now the five-star forward from New York has scheduled trips to his four other finalists -- West Virginia, Georgia Tech, Louisville and Maryland. Then the weekend of November 7 they will travel to West Virginia. The following weekend they will visit Maryland with a final visit to Georgia Tech scheduled for November 16 and 17 following the Maryland visit. • MemphisRoar.com caught up with Albany (N.Y.) City Rocks coach Jim Hart this week for an update on Hippolyte Tsafack, a Cameroon native and Miller School (Va.) big man. “He loves Maryland,” replied Hart. ”He’s pretty high on Maryland. I think he still has his scheduled visit (next weekend) to Maryland. Maryland has recruited him longer than anybody, probably. Nothing else is scheduled right now, but Auburn, Alabama, Miami, and UCLA are all showing interest. ” • St. Anthony (N.J.) forward Ashton Pankey, who still plans on making an official visit to College Park before the fall signing period ends, is also considering Rice, Houston, Hofstra and Drexel, according to Adam Zagoria. “If you want to play at the highest level, Maryland would probably be the leader right now,” [New Heights AAU coach Kimani] Young says. • South Kent (Conn.) School junior point guard Danny Lawhorn says he’s hearing from the Terps. “Washington, North Dakota St, Baylor, Mississippi St, Texas A&M, Auburn, Arkansas, Rutgers, South Florida, UAB, St. Bonaventure, Maryland, Fresno St, St. John’s, St Peters, Fairfield, Louisville [and] Texas,” were the schools Lawhorn mentioned as those recruiting him, in addition to Providence. • Long Island (N.Y.) Lutheran junior guard Achraf Yacoubou has committed to Villanova. Even though Yacoubou hasn’t even begun his junior season at Lutheran, [Yacoubou’s guardian Randy] Harper said there were more than 20 scholarship offers, from schools such as Memphis, Kentucky, Georgia Tech, Wake Forest, Xavier, Maryland and Oklahoma State. Football recruiting • Phil Kornblut reports that Norcross, Ga., offensive lineman Max Garcia has the Terps at the top of his list. Garcia says right now Maryland is his favorite with Vanderbilt second and Clemson third. He visited Vandy last weekend. • Maryland remains in good shape with Christchurch, Va., tight end Josh Lovell, according to Rivals.com. “Maryland is still at the top,” he said. “They are close and the coaches are great. I just feel comfortable there. • Terps defensive end commitment Ian Evans is involved in one of the three key matchups to watch in Hammonton (N.J.) High’s game against Vineland tonight. Hammonton DE Ian Evans (6-3, 235) vs. Vineland OT Jeffrey Bryson (6-3, 235). Evans, who has verbally committed to Maryland, could be one of the best pass rushers Vineland will have to contend with all season. Bryson is nursing a sore ankle. If he can't go, look for sophomore Kevin Santiago (6-3, 315) to get the call. • Rutgers remains the leader for Bishop McNamara wide receiver and Maryland target Brandon Coleman, according to Scout.com. “I like the coaches at Rutgers a lot,” Brandon Coleman said. “We’re pretty close and they run a great program. Coach Greg Schiano has great principles and reminds me of my high school coach. I could see myself there." • Linganore offensive tackle Robby Havenstein committed to Wisconsin this week, picking the Badgers over offers from Maryland, Penn State, Wake Forest and Virginia. "I wanted to play in the Big 10. It's my kind of football," he said. "I have family up in Michigan and they are all big Michigan and Michigan State fans." • Khamrone Kolb, an offensive lineman from Virginia, pledged to Penn State earlier this week. Kolb, from Lake Braddock High in Burke, Va., also claimed scholarship offers from North Carolina, North Carolina State, Wisconsin, Illinois and Maryland.

Selby enjoys Kansas visit [Recruiting Report]

2009-10-22T07:39:18-07:00

Lake Clifton point guard Josh Selby got a sneak preview last weekend of what it would be like to play for Kansas. The five-star prospect, who is also considering Baylor, Indiana, Kentucky, Miami and Syracuse, took an unofficial visit to Lawrence for Midnight Madness and was impressed with what he saw, according to his mother, Maeshon Witherspoon. “Kansas was a very good trip,” Witherspoon said. “The fans were crazy and supportive. I wasn’t expecting the fans to support the kids the way they did. Josh was in awe of how the fan support was.” Witherspoon said she and Selby arrived in Lawrence a day before Midnight Madness to spend some time with Kansas coach Bill Self. Selby also got a chance to play pickup with current players, and reportedly fit in well on the court. “He hit it off with the majority of the team,” Witherspoon said. “His host was [senior point guard] Sherron Collins. Him and Sherron hit it off. Him and [freshman shooting guard] Xavier [Henry] knew each other. [Selby knew Washington native and freshman forward] Thomas Robinson from him being from close to Baltimore. So basically Josh got along with the majority of players on the team. He didn’t come home and say, ‘I don’t like this one kid.’ He got along with everybody. The entire staff was very cool and made us feel very comfortable. They made us feel like they really want us there.” Witherspoon is now in the process of scheduling Selby’s upcoming trips. They still plan on seeing all six schools, but “the next visit we’re trying to get taken care of is Kentucky,” Witherspoon said. “[We’re still planning on a] spring decision,” she said. “After all the visits, it’s possible that he could commit early, but he’s still going to sign late.”

Can Shogun beat Lyoto Machida? [MMA Insider]

2009-10-22T07:22:18-07:00

The odds aren't in his favor. Right now, the line on the Mauricio "Shogun" Rua vs. Lyoto Machida fight for the light heavyweight title is Mauricio Rua (+375) vs. Lyoto Machida (-550). If you're not a degenerate gambler, like I used to be, this essentially means Machida is a heavy favorite.

It's hard to disagree because Shogun hasn't looked overly impressive in any of his fights in the UFC. He was a legend in PRIDE and if that Shogun was in this fight, it might be more even. But with the unpredictability of what we'll get from Shogun, shouldn't he at least be given better odds? He was once considered the top light heavyweight fighter in the world by some analysts.

In the UFC, he lost to Forrest Griffin and was injury plagued until beating Mark Coleman more than a year later. Both his UFC wins, over Coleman and Liddell, aren't over guys exactly in their prime. Or even close to it.

Machida, on the other hand, has been fantastic lately. He's shaken the unfair label of being a "boring" fighter by winning the knockout of the night honors in his last two bouts, taking down Thiago Silva and Rashad Evans. Machida is near the top of his game, and it's not really known where Rua is.

Smart money is on Machida, but is anyone going to back Rua?

Predict the 2009 World Series winner and its MVP [Connolly's Corner Sports Bar]

2009-10-21T17:08:38-07:00

Interesting talk about Philadelphia and its fans on Wednesday.

Like I said before, I think most of you are going to need a sidecar for the Phillies bandwagon as it gears up for the World Series against the New York Yankees.

Stranger things can happen, but Phillies-Yankees looks inevitable.

So, assuming that is the case, break it down for me. Call it Thursday’s Pre-Prediction Friday.

(We are shutting the bar down today and will be back in early November to talk Ravens and the hot-stove league. Make sure you check back shortly after Halloween.)

I want your predictions for the World Series: The winner, the number of games and the MVP.

Here is my thought: Your hated Yankees win in six games. Robinson Cano gets the MVP. There’s no insider information here. Just a hunch.

Have a great week or so and, to quote Rob K. quoting an ad campaign, stay thirsty.

Daily Think Special: Predict the World Series winner and MVP.

UFC counterprogams Fedor [MMA Insider]

2009-10-21T14:19:11-07:00

Fedor Emelianenko makes both his Strikeforce and network television debut on Nov. 7 when he takes on Brett Rogers on CBS. The UFC, as it frequently does, has put together a solid special to compete against that telecast. The UFC will be airing a special of previously unseen-on-cable main events.

The UFC has done something similar before, when it showed past pay-per-view shows on Spike, but it has never collected a series of main events like this. It could be a really cool special and it's a great chance for a new fan to get introduced to some of the biggest stars in the sport. I don't think it will outdraw the CBS card, but it's definitely a smart plan on the UFC's part.

Here's the lineup for the show.

UFC 102

RANDY COUTURE vs. ANTONIO RODRIGO NOGUEIRA

This highly-anticipated battle featured UFC legend and former heavyweight and light heavyweight champion, Randy Couture, against former PRIDE heavyweight and then UFC interim heavyweight king, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira.

UFC 103

VITOR BELFORT vs. RICH FRANKLIN

A battle of veteran former UFC champions featured former light heavyweight champ Vitor Belfort returning to the Octagon against former UFC middleweight champ Rich Franklin.

UFC 101

BJ PENN vs. KENNY FLORIAN

Lightweight champion BJ Penn, in his second title defense, took on top contender Kenny Florian in a battle of Brazilian jiu jitsu experts.

UFC 101

FORREST GRIFFIN vs. ANDERSON SILVA

UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva moved up in weight class for a non-title bout against former UFC light heavyweight champ and “The Ultimate Fighter 1” winner, Forrest Griffin.

Dunbar's Edwards visits future home [Recruiting Report]

2009-10-21T09:05:21-07:00

When Dunbar shooting guard Derrell Edwards committed to Texas A&M-Corpus Christi last month, he did so without ever having visited the Southland Conference school. Last weekend, Edwards made the nearly 1,670-mile trip from Baltimore to Corpus-Christi for Island Invasion -- Texas A&M-Corpus Christi’s version of Midnight Madness. “It turned out really nice and I really enjoyed it. I had a lot of fun down there,” Edwards said. “They had a dunk contest, a 3-point shootout and a scrimmage. So it was nice down there. It was real hot. I think it was about 80. There’s no winter down there.” Edwards watched the team practice, took a tour of the campus and saw Corpus-Christi’s downtown, which he likened to “a smaller version of Miami.” Edwards, 6-2, 195 pounds, also spent plenty of time off the court with senior small forward Kevin Palmer (Parkville) and sophomore guard Terence Jones (Lake Clifton). Edwards stayed with his fellow Baltimore natives on the trip, making Corpus Christi feel more like home. “I was different, but it wasn’t really weird,” Edwards said. “I felt comfortable [there] more than any other place I took unofficial visits to. Every other place I went, the players never showed me as much love as they did. I just related to them. It was like I was already down there playing. They even gave me a nickname -- Rello.” Edwards plans to sign his letter of intent next month. For now, he’s focusing on his football season, as the No. 13 Poets are 6-1. But after his weekend in Texas, Edwards is convinced more than ever that he made the right decision. “I know I can play there and really be an impact player in the Southland Conference,” Edwards said. “I think I can come in as a freshman and do my thing.”

What's your feeling about Philadelphia sports teams and their fans? [Connolly's Corner Sports Bar]

2009-10-20T17:20:31-07:00

Back to baseball for a day.

(But a quick programming note first. With the Ravens’ bye week coming up and the Orioles rather silent, I am going to be shutting the bar down, likely for the rest of October. That means probably no Prediction Friday this week or next, but we’ll get back to sports talk in early November. Thursday will probably be the last day for a while, but I’ll leave the key under the door in case you guys need an emergency drink.)

Anyway, I was in Philly on Monday and watched the Phillies come back to beat the Los Angeles Dodgers and go up 3-1 in the National League Championship Series.

In the preseason I predicted the Dodgers would win the World Series. Technically, they are still alive, but I don’t see it happening now. The Phillies are a very good team with a great offense and a dependable – if not formidable -- rotation.

So I am pretty sure they’ll represent the NL again in the World Series.

Now I know if they play the Yankees in the October Classic, this place will suddenly become South Street South. But otherwise I am curious as to hear what Baltimore fans think about the success in Philadelphia.

There was a time when the two cities had a little geographical rivalry, especially between the Orioles and Phillies, who met in the 1983 World Series.

I went to a Pennsylvania college and the number of Philadelphia sports fans there grossly outnumbered Baltimore/Washington or New York area fans.

And so I had a lot of Philly sports shoved down my throat in four years.

It has been a long time since I have been a fan or hater of any particular sports team, though. So I want your opinion on the Phillies and Philadelphia sports in general.

To be honest, I think this Phillies team is pretty likeable. Also, two men with Orioles ties that I respect, third base coach Sam Perlozzo and assistant GM Scott Proefrock, are in line for a ring, and I’d like to see that happen for their sakes.

Plus, after the initial celebration wore off, Philly Phanatics were pretty darn civil and respectable this year as the fans of the defending World Champions. They didn’t seem to flaunt it the way a certain crew up north has recently. I think part of it is that Philly fans are so used to falling short that they were waiting for someone to wake them up this year.

So I don’t have a problem if they repeat. But do you?

Daily Think Special: What’s your feeling on Philadelphia sports fans and their teams?

Which 2008 Raven does this year's team miss the most? [Connolly's Corner Sports Bar]

2009-10-20T05:32:30-07:00

Now that Ravens fans are a bit on the disgruntled side, there has been a whole lot of remorse getting tossed around the bar.

Usually we save that kind of second-guessing for old flames at 1 a.m. But I’ll indulge you all today.

The Ravens broke up their long-term relationships with several players/personnel last offseason.

The list of those hitting the road included linebacker Bart Scott, kicker Matt Stover, defensive back Jim Leonhard and defensive coordinator Rex Ryan, among others.

Each name has been brought up in the last few days, with that “I never should have dumped him” tone.

You could argue the Ravens could use all of them back here. But which one do they miss the most? Is there someone else from the 2008 team that they need right now?

Sure, some left on their own accord, others the Ravens chose not to re-up. Point is, they aren’t here anymore.

It’s time to cry in your beer over spilled milk.

Daily Think Special: Which 2008 Raven does this year's team miss the most?

What do you take away from Sunday's Ravens' loss? [Connolly's Corner Sports Bar]

2009-10-18T16:49:49-07:00

Let’s get the obvious out of the way first.

That was one heck of a game at the Metrodome Sunday. I know it didn’t end the way most of you wanted, but it couldn’t have been much more entertaining.

And Joe Flacco couldn’t have looked more like vintage Brett Favre if he had worn Wranglers and retired in the fourth quarter.

Still, the Ravens lost and have dropped three straight. What was a season of immense possibilities (3-0) is now one of confounding mediocrity (3-3).

Several of you picked the Vikings to win this one, but no one was real close to the 33-31 score. So I am giving the free bar tab this week to Space, who predicted a 24-23 Ravens’ loss. He wins because he knew this would be a nail-biter that would end poorly.

Steve Hauschka missed the game-winner, but he didn’t lose this game. The secondary did. It was a concern before the season started and it’s absolutely alarming now.

Sure, there are plenty of positives with this team. It has heart, and Joe Flacco, despite his inexperience and inconsistency, is often a pleasure to watch. That said, it may not matter if other teams can slice apart the Ravens’ pass defense.

That’s what I take from Sunday’s Ravens’ loss. Great game, but if the secondary doesn’t improve, the Ravens won’t get far in the postseason, if they make it at all.

Daily Think Special: What do you take away from Sunday’s Ravens loss?

Prediction Friday: Ravens at Vikings [Connolly's Corner Sports Bar]

2009-10-16T05:47:19-07:00

You’ve made it to another Prediction Friday.

We are serving double shots of Purple Moose (or Purple Jesus in some parts) in honor of the Ravens-Vikings game in Minnesota. So line up.

I am no longer predicting blowouts. I have learned my lesson.

I think the Ravens win, because I don’t think they’ll lose three in a row heading into the bye week. Pretty scientific, huh? And some of you thought I was just a baseball guy.

I look at it like this: If the Vikings defensive front can keep up its impressive season, get past the young offensive line and pressure Joe Flacco, there could be some serious trouble for the Ravens. It Flacco can get some time, though, the Ravens should put up points, especially if they can add a balanced running attack as well.

Adrian Peterson is going to get his, as will old man Favre. But I still like the Ravens in this one, 27-24, on a late touchdown pass to Derrick Mason (remember him?)

I’ll give Flacco the hero of the game tiebreaker for three TDs, including a Favre-esque, game-winning drive.

Daily Think Special: Predict the score and hero of Sunday’s Ravens-Vikings match-up.

MMA on The Simpsons [MMA Insider]

2009-10-15T23:49:09-07:00

The Simpsons took its shots at mixed martial arts on a recent episode and Dana White was less than thrilled about it. He spoke with USA Today about the episode and said his chief complaints where showing kids doing MMA moves on the playground and the depiction of fans that go to fights.

"We like fighting," White said to USA Today. "But to make it sound like the UFC crowd is this bloodthirsty crowd that shows up and just want to see people get their (butts) kicked — that's not true. That's the stigma that the mainstream has of us. ... The Simpsons program will show you how mainstream we're not," White said.

The only interesting thing about this is the final point White made. That episode proves how mainstream the sport isn't yet. There are a ton of people out there with horrible misconceptions. I can't even count how many people still call it "no-holds barred" or still have that conception of "two men enter, one man leaves."

But does this episode upset people? I find myself more in the "screw it" phase. If people want to have misconceptions about the sport, fine. Smart people understand it's a sport with highly skilled and highly trained athletes and not two drunk guys locked in a cage. As for everyone else, who cares?

Cool event to benefit Wounder Warrior Project [MMA Insider]

2009-10-15T23:41:32-07:00

Just got an e-mail about a very cool event happening in the area this weekend benefiting a great cause. Make sure to check it out if you're around on Saturday. Here's some information from the news release.

"The Second Annual Mid-Atlantic Hopper Challenge (the Hopper) is coming to Crossfit BWI in Glen Burnie on Saturday, October 17, 2009 starting at 8:00 a.m. The CrossFit fitness competition features 143 athletes competing all day for two things – bragging rights and a great cause. All proceeds from the event go to support the Wounded Warrior Project.

The Hopper is a charity fitness competition to benefit The Wounded Warrior Project, a nonprofit organization that provides programs and services to severely injured U.S. Armed Services members during the time between active duty and transition to civilian life. WWP’s amazing work focuses on helping these men and women establish bright new futures for themselves and their families. The majority of the prescribed workouts performed by CrossFit athletes are named after fallen soldiers so this particular cause is near and dear to their hearts.

This year’s competition will be hosted by CrossFit BWI, an established CrossFit gym in Glen Burnie, Maryland. “We’ve already passed capacity for the Hopper with 143 athletes (97 men and 46 women) competing and we hope to be able add a few more from the waiting list. In addition to the 143 athletes, we expect at least another 250 spectators. This year’s competitors come to the Hopper from an incredible nine states and 25 CrossFit gyms,” said event organizer, John Alanis."

--If you want more info, you can check it out at http://www.midatlantichopper.com

What's your hope for the Yankees this postseason? [Connolly's Corner Sports Bar]

2009-10-14T19:45:56-07:00

Well, the good news from Wednesday’s discussion is that there still are plenty of passionate opinions about the Orioles, despite their continual losing.

You may not care as much as you once did, but you still care. And that’s important.

I understand some of you believe it is ridiculous that most of the coaching staff (and Dave Trembley) can be back after the team lost 98 games and stumbled through consecutive losing season No. 12.

I say to that what I said to the picking up of Trembley’s option: There isn’t enough talent to make a true judgment on the coaching staff.

But, trust me, it is expected that if this team is disastrous again next year, there will be a housecleaning -- even if, again, it’s not the coaches’/manager’s fault. It won’t matter.

One quick point about Wednesday’s discussion: Juan Samuel has re-upped as third base coach, so he will not be bench coach. He probably would have been good at that position, but look for the new hire to have catching experience.

OK, moving on. We haven’t talked much about the baseball postseason. So we let the premature ending of the Red Sox season pass without any comment. Shame on all of us.

The Yankees are still alive, though, and they are worth discussing. I have talked to several Orioles’ fans as well as some friends who are just baseball fans. And the thoughts are all over the board when it comes to these Yankees.

Some traditional Yankee haters are unhappy that the Bronx Bombers are back in the ALCS. Yet at least one Yankee hater I know wants to see the Yankees get to the World Series, so they can lose to Joe Torre. He figures they can suffer that indignity while the whole world watches them suffer.

I ran that theory by another Yankee hater, who admitted that is a sweet scenario but said he didn’t want to leave it to chance. He’ll root for the Angels, and if they falter, then he’ll root for whomever plays the Yankees in the World Series.

Another O’s fan told me that he views this Mark Teixeira-led team much like he did Mike Mussina’s Yankees. He has cursed them and hopes Tex never wins a ring.

Then there’s another interesting theory. A writer I know said he’d like to see the Yankees win it all, just to show that you can go from a non-playoff team in one year to a champion if you can buy the three best players in a free-agent market. He says it will further expose baseball’s economic disparity for the sham it is. I get that, but I also told him it’s not a news flash and it’s not going to change a thing.

One last side of the Yankees coin. A diehard Orioles fan told me he wants to see the Yankees win, because he now hates the Red Sox more, and if the Yankees win, it’ll most pain Red Sox Nation. And that will give him tremendous pleasure, since he doesn’t harbor the illusion that the Orioles can top either in his lifetime.

So which camp are you in?

Daily Think Special: What’s your dream scenario involving the Yankees and this postseason?

Should the Orioles have brought back most of their coaching staff? [Connolly's Corner Sports Bar]

2009-10-14T05:24:43-07:00

I know it is football season, but we’re going to talk baseball today.

We are going to talk baseball lots of days, no matter what the temperature is outside. We won’t abandon the Ravens, but I have to stick with my so-called expertise on occasion.

And that’s baseball, and those battered and beaten birds of Baltimore.

Before I get to them, though, a quick scouting report on the Jason Isbell concert for those that care (and based on the e-mails I’ve gotten about my lack of music discussion recently, some of you, a vocal/typing portion anyway, do).

Isbell put on a heck of a show, one that would make all Drive-By Truckers fans proud. He played for about two hours, did several of his most recent solo tunes as well as covers of The Talking Heads and Tom Petty and mixed in some of his Truckers stuff (“Outfit,” “The Day John Henry Died,” “Decoration Day.”) There were some technical difficulties at the venue, but Isbell and his band, the 400 Unit, fought through it and sounded great.

The only disappointment was the size of the crowd. I wasn’t expecting a Truckers’ audience, but thought there’d be more people out. Of course, as an old guy, I’m much more comfortable with gatherings versus crowds these days.

Two Baltimore notes from that night: The opener was Charm City’s own J Roddy Walston and the Business, a fun band that’s energy is only matched by its volume of hair. The drummer is Steve Colmus, who is one of the Warning Track Power guys that created “How Bout Dem O’s?” which we have featured here before. Steve came up and re-introduced himself to me before his gig, which was cool.

Also, I discovered after Isbell’s show that one of the guys in his band, keyboardist Derry deBorja, is from Towson. He’s a McDonogh grad, and this old Calvert Hall guy didn’t hold it against him. I swear.

So, yeah, Baltimore’s music scene was well represented in Pa. last week. Good to see.

OK, back to something you care more about: the Orioles.

As I wrote today, Dave Trembley has brought back all of his coaches except bench coach Dave Jauss. I guess that’s somewhat of a surprise from a team that lost 98 games in 2009. But if you believe that Trembley deserved to return despite the record, the same can probably be said about his staff.

The fact that the only one to get the ax was the bench coach isn’t surprising. The manager and the bench coach have to have a special relationship and if that doesn’t develop – or if it slips some over time -- it’s an easy spot to make a change. Don’t worry about Jauss, who has been in the game forever. He’ll surely find a job somewhere else.

I know some were disappointed that Juan Samuel stayed. A bad team’s third base coach is always a target for fans. It’s by far the easiest coaching position to criticize and, in the time I have covered this club, fans wanted the heads of Sam Perlozzo and Tom Trebelhorn, too. Yes, Samuel made some mistakes in 2009. But a third base coach is only noticed when he makes a questionable decision. The other 700-plus times when the team scores, no one gives him any credit for waving his arm.

Here’s what you need to know about Samuel: He is arguably the most respected person in the Orioles' clubhouse – players and coaches alike. A former all-star, he’s unafraid to tell a player when he did something wrong or isn’t acting professionally. And, at 48, he’s still has the muscle (and resume) to back it up. I would have kept him, too.

In fact, I’m OK with the returning of these coaches; there is something to be said for continuity, But are you?

Daily Think Special: Should the Orioles have brought back most of their coaching staff?

Frank Mir and Anderson Silva? [MMA Insider]

2009-10-14T00:40:35-07:00

Frank Mir was at the WEC 43 weigh-in and during a Q&A session he said he’d love a chance to fight Anderson Silva at heavyweight. Could we ever see that fight?

Silva has talked about possibly fighting at the heavyweight level in the future and Silva-Mir could be an intriguing bout. If he was going to go to heavyweight, Mir would make good sense. Silva wouldn’t be able to handle Brock Lesnar’s size and the only other heavyweight superfight would possibly be Randy Couture, and I don’t think he’d give Silva any more trouble than Forrest Griffin. In the end though, it doesn't make much sense for Silva to move up to heavyweight, so it's one wish Frank Mir probably won't see come true.

Mir also seemed to talk down a possible rematch with Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, saying he’d simply knock him down again. That’s the fight I think makes the most sense for Mir, provided he gets past Cheick Kongo at UFC 107.

Check out the full account at yahoo.com.

Also, the UFC officially announced the first bout for The Ultimate Fighter 10 finale on Dec. 5. In a bout between rising stars in the light heavyweight division, Matt Hamill will face Jon Jones. I love this fight and cannot wait for it. Jon Jones will be a star someday but Hamill is severely underrated (in my book).

What must the Ravens do to improve? [Connolly's Corner Sports Bar]

2009-10-11T16:19:40-07:00

My guess is you are stunned.

I definitely was stunned by the Cincinnati Bengals’ last-minute upset of the Ravens Sunday. Part of that was because I wholly underestimated the Bengals, especially their defense.

I also didn’t see the Ravens’ defense folding during crunch time. OK, I’ll be honest. I didn’t even expect a crunch time on Sunday.

That folding, of course, had plenty to do with the Ravens committing penalties. You can blame the officiating all you want, but the bottom line is the Ravens have lost two straight, and the Bengals now have an advantage in the AFC North.

And I guess the Bengals are for real.

Four patrons – Sentient, Space, Christian and Larry – each had the Bengals, and all deserve an open tab today. Larry, with a 21-17 Bengals’ prediction, gets the tab for the week. Enjoy.

For the rest of you, I am sure the first part of the week won’t be enjoyable. Rest assured, it won’t be a bowl of cherries for the Ravens, either.

My question is a little different today. Let’s forget about the two consecutive losses, and be forward thinking and try to build on Sunday's loss.

Daily Think Special: What must the Ravens do to improve from here forward?

Prediction Friday: Ravens-Bengals [Connolly's Corner Sports Bar]

2009-10-09T04:00:27-07:00

OK, all.

The place is open for business and I’m swapping filled shot glasses for predictions.

But before we go there, a few personal notes (it is a blog, after all. So I am allowed to get personal. The gambling part is for recreational purposes only).

First, I apologize for the closed door this week. I was taking a breather after the long Orioles season and the breather turned into a veritable slumber after I had to tend overnight to a couple incredibly flu-bitten daughters. But I am back now.

Secondly, I must apologize to the music fans out there -- and I’ll eventually get to those of you who e-mailed me -- for my lack of music banter the past few busy weeks. I have some time to download new CDs now and I’ve updated my iPod (took me a while to figure out how to exclude my son’s “Harry and the Potters” tunes from my sync).

So we’ll throw some names and CD ideas around in the next few weeks, but I do have one programming note: I’m heading out Friday to see Jason Isbell play in Harrisburg, Pa. Isbell, as many of my hip patrons know, is the former “Drive-By Truckers” guitarist and songwriter who has ventured out on his own. The recent studio album is good, but rather bluesy and mellow. Curious as to how that translates into a live show.

Last, and most important, you may have read that The Baltimore Sun lost a valued employee this week when business editor Tim Wheatley was killed in a car accident while taking his 9-year-old daughter to school.

Tim was my sports editor for a few years, and he was the one who listened intently and then approved a silly idea to create a blog based around a fictitious sports bar. I’m sure he had his doubts, but he encouraged me to do this two years ago, and, honestly, if it weren’t for him, Connolly’s would never have seen the light of the Internet. For that, and the opportunity to interact with you people, I will forever be grateful to Tim.

Please keep his family in your thoughts and prayers during this tragic, difficult time

Thanks for that. Now, to the matter at hand: The Ravens will crush the Cincinnati Bengals and Chad Ochocinco this week. I’m going with 34-14.

My hero of the game is the Ravens young running back Ray Veintisiete, who will run for two touchdowns, including one in excess of cincuenta yards.

I want your predicted score and game hero. Fake bar tabs are at stake, people.

Daily Think Special: Predict the Ravens-Bengals score and the game’s hero.

TUF quick thoughts: Rampage as a coach? [MMA Insider]

2009-10-07T22:31:55-07:00

Another episode of The Ultimate Fighter, another loss for one of Rampage Jackson’s fighters. It looked like Demico Rogers was going to win his bout as he was dominating the action, but he fell prey to a choke near the end of the first and that’s all there was.

Rampage is a great guy for TV but he does not seem like a good coach by any means. It was sad watching Rashad Evans and his guys comforting Rogers after his loss. I get that Rampage is funny but because he’s so poor at picking fights and telling his guys what to do, the season is starting to feel pretty one-sided.

I feel that Evans is simply a much better coach. He’s done a great job of picking fights and getting his guys ready. He’s been through it as a competitor and I think that makes a world of difference when it comes to winning a contest like this. Sure, Rampage has some experience with it as a coach, but Rashad has now seen both sides of it.

And, on the Kimbo Slice watch, it’s only a matter of time before he's fighting again. I don’t know who is going out, but we have not seen the last of Kimbo on the show. Someone will trip and “sprain an ankle” or will get hurt in some other dubious fashion and have to step down. They can’t keep Slice away for too long.

Forrest Griffin on why he ran from the cage [MMA Insider]

2009-10-06T00:49:25-07:00

Just came across the Forrest Griffin interview with MMA Fanhouse, where Forrest Griffin talks about why he ran from the cage after losing to Anderson Silva.

“This guy actually asked me a good question the other day, and this is a real story and I really like it: first off, he was very confrontational; I didn't like him much to begin with, and he goes, 'Hey, man, I have to know,' because it's his business to know, 'why did you run out of the cage that night after the Silva fight?' And I said, 'Look, man, I haven't told anybody, let's keep this on the down low, but the truth is your mom was waiting for me in the back to suck my ****, and you know how good of a **** *** your mom gives, so I didn't want to be late for that ****.' And that's pretty much the answer I give. I like that answer, so I'll give that answer to everyone.” -- Forrest Griffin

I love Forrest Griffin. I love that he’d say that to someone that was being a jerk to him. My follow-up question would be, if he was so worried about being late, why not schedule that for a day other than his fight with Silva?

Griffin doesn’t have a good answer as to why he left the cage. Clearly, after an embarrassing loss, he wasn’t thinking straight. And I imagine he’s gotten a TON of hate for his actions (I can understand some of it, but most of it I can’t). So I hope this is coming more from the “Forrest being Forrest” side rather than “Forrest hitting his breaking point with fans harassing him over his exit.”

He’s a good guy, good for the sport, and his jaunt from the cage is not who he is. You aren’t who you are in your worst moment.

What went wrong for the Ravens on Sunday? [Connolly's Corner Sports Bar]

2009-10-04T18:24:21-07:00

The Ravens weren’t the only ones who had a rough Sunday.

Of the 40 or so prognosticators at the bar this week, only four had the Patriots winning. Plenty of confidence in the old Balmer team, and you have to respect that, I guess.

Didn’t work out though.

No one correctly predicted a 27-21 Pats win (Never More gets one drink chip for the right score, but the wrong winner).

The closest -- and therefore the winner of the free bar tab this week -- was JTK, who had New England to win, 27-17. Congrats, I suppose.

Since I have never lied to you before (at least that you know of), I have to come clean today. I didn’t watch much of the Ravens game, not enough to be analytical anyway. You see, I have this pesky day job watching another professional sports team in Baltimore.

Yes, there is one.

So I basically know what happened on Sunday in New England -- I know about Jared Gaither and Mark Clayton‘s drop and the referees' spots. But I don’t know the big picture stuff. Like, specifically, what ultimately cost them the game.

That’s where you come in. It’s time for you to be the analyst (you guys do it in here every week anyway). What did you think went wrong on Sunday?

Was it the game plan? Was it the execution of a particular facet? Or did they just run into a good team that was more desperate to win?

Daily Think Special: What went wrong for the Ravens on Sunday?

UWC viewing info [MMA Insider]

2009-10-02T12:34:05-07:00

The UWC has a really solid card this weekend available for PPV online. The show is headlined by a big fight between Mike Easton and Chase Beebe. Here’s the viewing information.

UWC® and Modavox Announce Global Pay-Per-View of UWC 7: REDEMPTION available at www.uwcmma.com

Pre Sale price - $14.95
Day of the Show price - $19.95

Event goes live at 6:30pm ET and features two world championship title fights

*The LIVE stream / broadcast will not be available within approx 100 miles of the Patriot Center

THE CARD

Mike “The Hulk” Easton vs Chase "The Rage" Beebe

UWC Flyweight World Championship Title Fight
Pat Runez vs John “The Magician” Dodson

Tommy "Gun" Truex vs Kyle "The Alleycat" Baker

Timothy "Reshad" Woods vs Ryan "The Rhino" Sturdy

Beau “Blackjack” Baker vs Jacob “Tick-Tock” McClintock

Kris "Savage" McCray vs Igor “The Legend” Almeida

Sumie Sakai vs Iman Achhal

Jesse "Mountian Man" Riggleman vs Josh "Taz" Ferguson

Felipe “Sertanejo” Arantes vs Freddy Assuncao

Prediction Friday: Ravens-Patriots [Connolly's Corner Sports Bar]

2009-10-02T03:48:41-07:00

We made it to Friday.

Grab a spot at the bar, snag a cold glass and while I pour give me your prediction for the Ravens-Patriots game this Sunday.

I have a special on the spiked purple Kool-Aid. Because I think the Ravens go into Gillette Stadium in Foxborough and take this one.

I know, I am the guy that predicted a loss to the San Diego Chargers in Week 2. But I am more of a believer now.

That’s not to say I think it will be easy. I’m by no means dismissing the Patriots.

I think Tom Brady will get his share of yards passing and a couple touchdowns. But their running game will be non-existent, and the Ravens’ secondary will come up big at the end.

My call: Ravens 24, Patriots 17.

Ed Reed gets his first touchdown of the season – late in the game – and serves as the hero of the day.

That’s how I see it. I want your thoughts on the fourth Prediction Friday of the season.

Daily Think Special: Predict the score and hero of Sunday’s Ravens-Patriots game.

Roy Nelson and Kimbo Slice [MMA Insider]

2009-09-30T23:02:25-07:00

It was billed as the biggest fight in the history of The Ultimate Fighter and one fighter was less than impressive. And that fighter was Roy “Big Country” Nelson. As predicted, Roy Nelson took out Kimbo Slice. But it was not all that impressive. He was fighting a guy that has next-to-no MMA training. A guy that didn’t know how to get out of a takedown or sprawl before he got on the show. And that’s the best Roy Nelson, the clear favorite to win the season, can do?

Say what you will about Kimbo being overhyped. Real MMA fans know that Slice is vastly inexperienced and that Nelson, considering he’s a former IFL champ, is the most respected fighter on this season. Nelson should not have had any trouble disposing of Slice in the first round.

So where does the show go from here? Clearly Kimbo has to get back into the game at some point for him to impress the UFC enough to get a deal (which is already done -- reportedly Kimbo is under contract now and will fight in December). Someone will get hurt, Kimbo will step in and he’ll finally do something to warrant some hype.

Otherwise, who wants to keep seeing him fight? We get it -- he was on YouTube. We get it -- he was overhyped before he was ready and everyone hates him for it. We get it -- he is a “fighter” and not a mixed martial artist. But how many times are people going to want to see him get controlled and outclassed in the Octagon?

Eventually people are going to stop caring about him and that’s a good thing for Kimbo the fighter, because he will grow better without the huge spotlight. But it’s a bad thing for Kimbo the brand. Let’s face it, he’s 35 and is too old to pick up the sport from scratch. Better for him to fight in smaller promotions, fight in Japan, etc. and make $100,000+ per fight until he’s in his 40s and then get involved in something else. He will never, ever be a champion in the UFC so he might as well take the big paydays where he can find them.

I have respect for Slice’s humility and willingness to learn, but I would think no less of him if he went the sellout route. It’s what anyone would do.

What type of manager do the Orioles need for 2010? [Connolly's Corner Sports Bar]

2009-09-30T19:51:33-07:00

This is not an official poll. The results are haphazard and arguably meaningless.

What did you expect? I mean, it’s not even a real bar. But if you are truly disappointed, then I will return your cover charge.

Anyway, I tallied Wednesday’s comments for and against keeping Orioles manager Dave Trembley for 2010.

It was 32 against him, 25 for him and a bunch that commented around the specific question without giving a definite answer (I’m cool with that, too. We don’t judge at Connolly’s).

The point is it was close. An argument can be made each way.

I guess my contention is that those who criticize Trembley’s in-game moves are missing the big picture. Oftentimes, he is replacing one reliever who shouldn’t be in the majors with another reliever who shouldn’t be in the majors.

He is pinch-hitting a kid who won’t be in the big leagues in two years with a veteran who won’t be in the big leagues in two years.

OK, I’m exaggerating a bit, but the guy doesn’t have enough quality personnel to allow us to properly evaluate his managerial skills on a daily basis. Are there things he has done I disagree with? Absolutely. But are his mistakes so rampant that it proves he can’t manage at this level? Nope.

I keep him for 2010. And one of the reasons is I don’t know who should be his replacement. Or, I should say, what kind of manager should replace him.

Today I don’t want to get into the names of potential replacements. Trembley still has his job, and it would be disrespectful to start clamoring for another candidate.

But I want to know this: What type of manager should lead the Orioles in 2010?

What’s funny is that the Orioles have tried all kinds of prototypes in the past decade: There was the veteran who would force accountability onto the players (Ray Miller), the proven winner (Mike Hargrove), the fresh-faced hot commodity (Lee Mazzilli), the players’ manager (Sam Perlozzo) and the nurturing development guy (Trembley).

How did those work out?

What’s left is the hard-(nosed) disciplinarian -- which is usually a disaster for young teams. No doubt some Orioles could use a good benching when they don’t give 100 percent. But let’s see how that disciplinarian keeps the clubhouse when this team is losing 90 in 2010 and the veteran leaders are grousing about being treated like rookies. (Remember, the 2009 player is much different than the ones Earl Weaver terrorized in 1970.)

Again, I think it is a lot more about the personnel than the manager right now.

But I want to hear what personality type you want in your next manager. And I want to see how that differs from what Trembley brings to the table. Or what Sammy P brought. Or Mazz or Grover or Rabbit.

Daily Think Special: What type of manager do the Orioles need for 2010?

Bill Belichick talks lacrosse [Faceoff]

2009-09-30T12:54:38-07:00

The New England Patriots are spending this week preparing for a visit from the Ravens Sunday, but that didn't stop Patriots coach Bill Belichick from talking a little lacrosse during a conference call with media members who cover the Ravens on Wednesday.

Belichick, who grew up in Annapolis and graduated from Annapolis High School, spent at least five minutes of his 15-minute conference call discussing lacrosse.

Regarding his relationship with Johns Hopkins and coach Dave Pietramala, Belichick said, "It’s a strong one. Coach Pietramala has been a good friend. Certainly enjoy talking to him and exchanging ideas about coaching and preparation and things like that and stats and players. I know the sports are different and all, but coaching is still coaching to a large degree and handling your team, there’s a lot of carryover even though the sports are different. He’s given me the opportunity to be around his teams, on the practice field, at games, and in meetings and in preparation. I’ve learned a lot and I’ve taken a lot of things that he’s done and incorporated them into some of the things that we do – more in terms of coaching and preparation style and that type of thing. He’s come up to visit us here a few times in training camp and at games, and I have a great exchange of ideas with him, and he’s been a huge help. I have a tremendous amount of respect for what he’s done and what he’s done with that great program, which I’ve always admired – even though I grew up at the Naval Academy and bleed blue and gold. But being that close to Hopkins and the program that they run there from when he was a player until now as a coach, I just have tremendous respect for him and the entire Johns Hopkins lacrosse program. It’s first class and they do things the right way. It’s been a great opportunity for me to watch them up close and see how they do some of the things they do so well."

An inspiration passes away [Faceoff]

2009-08-05T18:58:56-07:00

Longtime Middlebury College lacrosse field manager Peter Kohn passed away this morning after suffering a heart attack last Saturday while on a fishing trip near his home in Cape May, N.J.

Mr. Kohn, a former field manager at the Park School, suffered from a mild form of autism, but was a beloved member of the lacrosse community. I didn't know Mr. Kohn, so here are links to two publications that have much deeper perspective on Mr. Kohn's impact on the sport.

http://blogs.insidelacrosse.com/2009/08/05/longtime-middlebury-lacrosse-field-manager-peter-kohn-passes-away/

http://www.laxmagazine.com/blogs/badder/080509_peter_kohn

With or without Bayhawks, MLL Finals are coming to Annapolis [Re: Lax]

2009-08-05T08:46:44-07:00

The Bayhawks beat Chicago last weekend. Now they're rooting for the Machine this weekend. The Bayhawks enter the final week of the season with a chance at postseason life. They had to beat the visiting Chicago Machine last Saturday to get to this point and they did, in overtime on a Matt Abbott goal. Now they need Chicago to beat Long Island this weekend while they must beat the Cannons, Thursday in Boston, which is not so easy. The Bayhawks travel to Boston for a Thursday night showdown with the Cannons. If these two things occur, the Bayhawks would make their first championship weekend appearance since they won it all in 2005. Whether the Bayhawks make the championship weekend or not, it will be held in Annapolis Aug. 22-23. Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium is a great place for the games and the Baltimore crowd will have a chance to redeem itself as a lacrosse-supporting town. These will be the best four teams in world, loaded with local talent, playing for a title in what is the infancy of pro lacrosse. When history is made, the people living through it rarely know it’s happening around them. Early NFL and baseball championships are now legendary, and so will some of these early MLL finals 50 years from now, regardless of what pro lacrosse league exists then. Baltimore is the lacrosse town. The fields around town have been alive with summer leagues all season and there are tons of lacrosse people not going to the beach that weekend, especially since the Ocean City Lacrosse Classic tournament is the weekend before. Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium is just 30 minutes away from Baltimore and tickets are pretty cheap at $21-30 for a weekend package, plus $10 for parking each day in the stadium parking lot. You’d pay that $10 even if you wanted to park there to shuttle to the Naval Academy or walk around Annapolis. You can buy tickets here. The crowd at the last game against Chicago was, for the first time I’ve seen, mostly kids. There were kids everywhere having a great time. The Bayhawks will be in Annapolis again next year and they have a special 2010 season ticket deal going right now for less than $100. Now that’s recession proof. Plus, if you buy twop tickets now, you’ll get a Bayhawks autographed ball. To reserve your tickets, contact the Bayhawks at 866-99-HAWKS (42957) or by visiting the Bayhawks website.

A star is born [Re: Lax]

2009-07-22T15:03:59-07:00

A few years back I watched Herkimer win a national junior college championship with an exciting young goalkeeper named Brett Queener. He was the national junior college player of the year that season, but he stood out for other reasons, too. When the team was on the sideline and after the game he was basically a showman. It was like he was the post-game entertainment. He looked like Shia LaBeouf and he held everyone’s attention effortlessly. I guessed that day that the kid might be destined for greater things than JUCO glory. Queener went on to play at the University of Albany and was the difference in many wins, while usually impressing even in the losses. He would bring the ball down on offense probably more than coach Scott Marr really wanted him to, but he was a huge morale boost and mood lightener for two great seasons at Albany. His whole family is in the game. His dad coached him at Penn Yan Academy in the Albany area, his brother Brice played at Georgetown and his sister Sarah coaches at Claremont McKenna in southern California. Queener went on from Albany to play and star in Major League Lacrosse for Toronto. In his rookie year he was voted onto the All-Star team. The All-Star game was this past weekend in Denver and for the first time in my life, I had the impression that the MLL could possibly succeed long term, and it was all because of Queener. The funny part was, while Brett was exciting in the goal during the second half and the crowd loved his play, it was his halftime antics that really showed his true talents and potential value to the suffering league. The halftime was a condensed version of the NBA’s night before All-Star party with a series of skills competitions. Normally I would have skipped this part of the event, but I gave it a chance and was amazed at what I saw. The three competitions tested accuracy, shot speed and creativity. The accuracy test was won by Toronto’s Merrick Thompson, who barely bested Toronto’s Joe Walters. The fastest-shot competition was won by Boston’s Paul Rabil with a 111 mph shot, believe it or not. The freestyle shot or creative shot competition is most like the NBA’s slam dunk competition. Props can be used. One guy had a lacrosse head on each end of his shaft and a ball in each, trying to shoot both. He didn’t win. The thing gets pretty campy. At one point a Drew Westervelt imposter (Matt Danowski) pretended to multi-fake the goalie while the real Westervelt shot the ball into the net effortlessly from the first row of the stands, sitting with fans. True corn. I almost turned it off when Steven Berger used a specifically modified skateboard to kick a ball up to himself. But the most ridiculous and stupid trick shot was yet to come and it was Queener who would stoop so low and oddly, save the show. Across the field a John Deere was cruising toward the action and on its flatbed back was a fake-beard-wearing Queener who shot video of the audience as he approached, ditched the camera just before they approached the goal and dove off the back of the mini-truck toward the goal and goalie. He shot the ball mid-air as he dove, scoring past the token keeper and landing face down in the cage. It was ridiculous and yet actually funny. Like actual-world funny. Like “the kin folk said, Jed move away from here, Californy is the place you ought to be” funny. Queener won the first round but there was a second round. After a dumb Rabil/Berger combination and the two-headed guy, it was time for Queener again. He held the crowd for a couple minutes like a fine comedian as he did a Michael Jackson spoof tribute complete with one glove, a moonwalk and a shot on the cage to boot. It was as if someone had hired a Jack Black or Robin Williams to come up with some lacrosse routine. Queener was brilliant. The players behind him were in stitches and without even putting a hard or trick shot on goal walked away with the award hands down. The kid is talented and lacrosse isn’t his best game. The question is: will the league somehow figure out how to translate his electricity to the dwindling league and revive it before it’s too late? They are much more prone to feature a Paul Rabil, especially after the amazing 111 mph shot and really dominating on the field, but as a celebrity personality, he’s as boring as Pete Sampras. He’s got a self-satisfied thing going on that is the exact opposite of Queener’s drive to entertain us at every moment. I’m not dissing Rabil. Sampras was an all-time great tennis player and ruled an era, but tennis went down the crapper under his reign. Queener is John McEnroe. And McEnroe captured the imagination of a generation, love or hate him. Queener has this ability if the league can just figure out how to make a Toronto goalkeeper the goofy goateed face of professional lacrosse.

Tragedy strikes Virginia lacrosse again [Faceoff]

2009-07-13T16:16:51-07:00

For the second time in eight months, the Cavaliers program has lost a valued family member.

On Saturday, Michael Colley, an assistant sports information director who fielded all media requests connected to the Virginia lacrosse team died during a walk while vacationing with friends in Virginia Beach, according to the school. Colley was 46.

Colley's suddent death comes on the heels of the death of former short-stick defensive midfielder Will Barrow, whose body was found in his Charlottesville apartment on Nov. 22. Although Newsday reported it was an apparent suicide, no one from the Cavaliers has confirmed that initial report.

Colley was in charge of the football and lacrosse teams at Virginia and was a tireless representative for both teams. I can remember covering last March's seven-overtime thriller between the Cavaliers and Maryland, and Colley had worked up sweat trying to feed the media as much information as he could despite working outside in 50-degree temperature. And he still found a way to get us reporters an opportunity to interview whomever we requested.

My condolences to the Colley family and the rest of the Cavaliers.

Maryland State of Lacrosse Games this weekend [Re: Lax]

2009-07-09T10:13:21-07:00

This weekend the Maryland State of Lacrosse Games will be held in Howard County. The tournament, held at Patterson Park in previous years, will host men's and woman's elite teams, men's masters and grand masters teams. Even though it's a Maryland tournament, teams from as far as New York and Charlottesville will be playing. The level of play is typically very high with former college All-Americans dotting the landscape along with many all-club and all-pros, as well. Games will be played at Cedar Lane East grass fields, Cedar Lane West field turf stadiums, Western Regional field turf stadiums and Rockburn Park field turf complex. Saturday will feature round-robin play and Sunday will culminate with afternoon championships. The event is sponsored by Blue Cross Blue Shield and CareFirst of Maryland and DC. There will be a lacrosse village at Cedar Lane West, featuring food venders, lax vendors, hardest shot contests and a tournament bull roast. The champions and MVPs will be presented Saturday evening at the lacrosse village. The tournament has been run for years by Jim Huelskamp, a friend of mine and author of the 1992 book Indoor Lacrosse, The Story of the Major Indoor Lacrosse League -- a great history of the professional indoor game. He played in the league after starring at Salisbury. For more information and directions to all the fields go to LaxClassic.com.

Many college refs not paid in 2009 [Re: Lax]

2009-06-30T11:47:15-07:00

When the firm that assigns and pays referees for a large portion of college lacrosse games defaulted on payments to the officials this spring, it wasn’t an issue that reached the fans or the media. In early June, the season was over, but John Powers of the Boston Globe broke the story, directly affecting about a dozen schools in the paper’s coverage area. I started calling around to see if the refs were paid and which schools were affected locally. The company that owns the AssignByWeb service is called PaymentsFirst. They are in Philadelphia and serviced many schools and conferences in many sports for five years before 2008. Some of their reported customers are/were Quinnipiac, MIT, Mount St. Mary's, York, Johns Hopkins, Amherst, Colby, Army and Navy. They had a contract with conferences like the ECAC and even the college lacrosse oversight body, the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association. More than 50 lacrosse-playing schools had paid in advance but were, in fact, not paying the referees that called the games. The USILA has used the AssignByWeb service for a few years. As you can see in this excerpt below from the USILA Web site, the proposed services were valuable and less expensive that previous methods of assigning and paying lacrosse’s college referees. Section II. On-Line Services - The USILA has contracted with assignbyweb.com to provide online services. 1. Services include: A) Posting all game assignments by date and school B) Posting all post game officials evaluations C) Posting all costs associated with officials fees and travel 2. This replaces the ECAC Program used in 2004 & 2005, at savings of over $15, 000 per year. 3. This new system will allow DAA's to precisely judge officials' travel to allow scheduling to be done with school expenses in mind. The system was working. AssignByWeb was paid in advance by the schools to administer and pay the referees who officiated their lacrosse games. By the way the story goes, the company was paying out to each season with the fees from the next season. When they hit the summer season with no college sports going on, they ran out of money and the spring referees did not get paid. In fact, referees in winter sports stopped getting paid in January when the problem was reported to the ECAC and the USILA along with the individual colleges in many cases. Powers reported that the USILA “alerted the Athletic Directors of its member schools in mid-April, telling them that it was clear they couldn't expect payment from the company and asking them to pay the officials directly.” College referees make between $150 and 250 per game plus mileage. And many of them did. Many of the schools were horrified that the refs were not paid and felt swindled by the company that had their money and would not release it to the referees. Many of the schools started paying the referees the wages they were owed and then manually for the games remaining in 2009. They were back to cutting checks and assigning refs and out the $5,000 or more they each had to deposit with AssignByWeb for the services they did not receive. Roy Condon, USILA's district assigner for New England told Powers that "at least a third [of the schools] have already paid. Another third are sending out W-9s [tax forms]. And probably another third are awaiting a legal response." As it turns out, PaymentsFirst was not authorized by the state of Pennsylvania to transmit money and has been prohibited from operating until it receives a license, according to Powers. I have copies of some of the e-mails flowing back and forth between schools and referees and have seen evidence of schools attempting to pay the referees promptly, but others have claimed that payment would be forthcoming but they do not know when. They have mentioned possible litigation against PaymentsFirst and have noted the inconvenience this has caused all of the parties. The only problem with the wait-and-see approach is that the referees don’t work for PaymentsFirst and should have been paid immediately after the situation was brought to the attention of the schools. In some cases, the schools kept requesting referees after the problem surfaced and still did not promptly pay them. If the school knows at some point that the ref is not being paid and still assigns the ref without making some other arrangement for payment, then they are somewhat complicit in the offense against the referee, regardless of their initial victim status. I should have to explain this to institutions of higher learning? I won’t name the schools that I’ve been told have not made payments even now, as we end the month of June, but fully expect them to do the right thing.

Team USA dethrones Australia [Re: Lax]

2009-06-27T13:50:09-07:00

I really enjoyed watching the women’s World Cup championship Saturday morning on the webcast from Prague in the Czech Republic. I spoke to a few college coaches who were watching the same way this week. The U.S. women held the Aussies to a low scoring output with a dominant defense, anchored by Devon Wills in the goal. Colorado’s Caroline Cryer exploded on offense with three goals in the 8-7 win. I am not one to boast but I once said, in this blog, that for the U.S. to win Cryer would have to be the MVP. She was edged out by Wills for the honor. I am also not one to dwell on my lesser moments, but I also wrote, just last week, that the Aussies would be too much for the Americans in the final, even after the U.S. “upset” the Australians in the round robin game. I really thought the Aussies had another year in their “dynasty”, while, with the loss, they have no dynasty at all, just a great win in 2005. In fact, I think what we witnessed in the earlier matchup between these finalists, was the shift from Australian domination, up 9-4 at halftime, to the youthful and talent-rich Americans, who won that game patiently 10-9, completely stopping the Australian juggernaut. The U.S. just finished the Aussies off today in the final with patient offense, great coaching, perfect defense and special performances by Wills, Cryer, Kristen Kjellman -- who may be the best player in the world -- and Michele Dejuliis, the leader of Sue Heether’s American squad. Team USA led throughout the second half after a 3-3 intermission. The Australians attempted a comeback with three straight goals, but Wills stopped the tying shot with less than a minute left. The U.S. was the better team, both days. We likely also witnessed the end of the career of Sarah Forbes, and the end of domination by the world’s previously number one player, Jen Adams, who, could not, as I asserted the other day, score a goal at will, or at least not on Wills. Congratulations to Team USA, the Czech hosts and the FIL for what looked like another set of great games!

U.S. Women upset Australia [Re: Lax]

2009-06-23T14:00:55-07:00

I root for the U.S. whenever they play other countries in other sports. I have been covering lacrosse as a journalist for so long that I don’t ever root for any team under any circumstance. I sometimes root for outcomes that may help the game grow or get a particular coach a milestone victory or other human circumstances that transcend the field of play. But I have no favorite teams, even the U.S. in the World Games or Women’s World Cup, which is being played this week in Prague. In fact, just yesterday the U.S. upset the world champion Australians 10-9 after trailing at the half 9-4. There was such a stark difference in the play of both teams from the first to the second half of this game that my skepticism rose for a moment, thinking perhaps that all was not as it seemed in Prague. In the first half the U.S. was obviously outgunned and overwhelmed by the Aussie barrage. Stacey Morlang led off the scoring, but two-time Tewaaraton winner Hannah Nielson was effortlessly quarterbacking the Aussies to a slow and steady crushing of the U.S. team. She fed Jen Adams, perhaps the best player in the world (if it’s not Nielson) twice for scores in the first. Morlang, Nielson, Adams, Sonia LaMonica, Sarah Mollison, Alicia Moodie, Courtney Inge, Sarah Forbes and Loyola recruit Tegan Brown make up an offense that I thought, even before the games began, would be unstoppable. The defensive unit of Megan Barnet, Tess McLeod and goalie Sue McSolvin were shutting down the Americans. This same unit scored not a single goal in the second half. Not one. They led 9-4 at half and lost 10-9. They let long periods of time pass while the U.S. worked the ball around without ever playing defense with close to the level of intensity employed in the first half. There was no desperation or even urgency in the play of the Australians, even at the end. Jen Adams took a few shots but did not really try to win the game the way I might have expected and was not even in the game at some critical times. She can score one goal at will, last time I checked. This was, at the very least, an acceptable loss for the ladies from down under. Methinks they like the underdog role 100 percent more than the huge favorite role they had to bear until this game’s end. I'm not suggesting anything of a conspiratorial nature occurred, but now the pressure is firmly on the Americans. I am not saying the Aussies threw the half, although after watching, I can’t help but at least entertain the notion. It may have been that I witnessed the result of the worst coach’s halftime speech ever, or that all of the sudden, the best team in the world just forgot how to win, or even how to really play. I have watched quite a few men’s teams at international events play a 3/4-speed round-robin game against their likely championship game foe. They narrowly lose the first matchup and yet they never panic or really try to win the game. Not like they would in an elimination game. They aren’t really that upset afterward. That’s the way this seemed in Prague -- IN THE SCOND HALF. In 2005, Australia tied the United States 7-7 in the round-robin game, before throttling them in the final. I’m not taking away anything from the Americans who obviously played with intensity throughout and really did pull off a comeback win. They have come back to win against England and Canada in these games, as well, which is a good sign and a bad sign at the same time. But they are now the only 4-0 team at the Games and enter the medal round as the new favorite and No. 1 seed. They have some great players. Attacker Caroline Cryer is very, very good. The midfield is the strongest unit with Caitlyn McFadden, Lindsey Munday, Acacia Walker, Tewaaraton winner Katie Chrest, Sarah Bullard, Sarah Albrecht and two-time Tewaaraton winner Kristen Kjellman. And the 'D' is solid with Amber Falcone, Michi Ellers and Regina Oliver. In the U.S. cage, Devon Wills was the first-half victim and Megan Huether was the second-half hero. I must say that for whatever reason Amy Appelt is not on this squad, I personally am disappointed that she is not on the field representing the U.S. for a second time and think we are a lesser team without her, just as we were in Annapolis in 2005. This is a very good U.S. team, but so was the 2005 squad. The 2005 Australia squad may have been the best team I ever saw. Any team with each of the headline stars from the University of Maryland championship dynasty, Sascha Newmarch, Sarah Forbes, Jen Adams, Courtney Hobbs and Sonia Judd (LaMonica now) had a good chance in 2005 to take that honor without up-and-coming stars Sarah Mollison, Stacy Morlang, Kate McHarg and Hannah Nielson and the incredible unknown Sarah Falcione. This 2009 team has a mature Morlang, Mollison and Nielson. Jen Adams and Sonia LaMonica are at their prime and might be better now than last year. They looked that way yesterday for a half. I talked to one of the top coaches in the land today and they said, after watching the game on the internet as I did, that the U.S. comeback looked legitimate to them and that the Aussies just lost their focus. I am sure that my very knowledgeable friend was right, but I would think twice about putting any money on the U.S. in the final based on the outcome of the last game. Like anyone bets on women’s lax. Click here to see the game.

Pietramala staying in Baltimore until at least 2015 [Faceoff]

2009-06-19T07:21:46-07:00

Johns Hopkins and coach Dave Pietramala agreed to a two-year extension that will keep Pietramala with the Blue Jays through the 2015 season, the school announced earlier this morning.

Pietramala recently wrapped his ninth season and became the second-winningest coach in the program's history as he has compiled a 106-30 (.779) record at Johns Hopkins. He has guided the Blue Jays to national championships in 2005 and 2007 and runner-up finishes in 2003 and 2008. The team has qualified for the NCAA tournament in each of Pietramala's nine seasons.

"We are fortunate to have the finest men's lacrosse coach in the nation leading our program," athletic director Tom Calder told the school's website. "Dave Pietramala's coaching resume speaks for itself, but the success our players have had in the classroom and their extensive involvement in community service initiatives is something that we also take great pride in. The manner in which Dave and his players represent Johns Hopkins is exemplary and we look forward to many more years with Dave leading our program."

"The dedication our administration has shown to the men's lacrosse program during my tenure is remarkable," Pietramala was quoted as saying. "Our coaches and players recognize the privilege it is to represent Johns Hopkins University and we take that privilege very seriously. It has been exciting to coach so many fine young men and we look forward to working with another outstanding group during the 2010 season. We look forward to building on the tradition of Johns Hopkins lacrosse under the leadership of our new President, Ron Daniels."

Review & preview: Three teams under the radar [Faceoff]

2009-06-12T08:00:00-07:00

Last June, I published my version of the 2009 preseason poll and added another entry of three teams that I thought had potential. So in keeping with that tradition, here are three teams that did not finish above .500 and missed the tournament this past season. But what they do have is intrigue in either the form of returning players, a new head coach or a campaign that just fell short of the tournament. In alphabetical order, the teams flying under the radar are:

OC summer ball [Re: Lax]

2009-06-11T09:56:37-07:00

If you are "down the ocean" for the summer and want to play some lacrosse, the summer pickup games start again on Wednesday (June 17). It will be a little different this year. They will be playing in Ocean City at the Third Street fields next to the bay and there is a cost to rent the field. There will be a fee of $30 for the summer (six sessions) or $5 per night. The games will be each Wednesday night from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. See you there next week!

Review & preview: Premature poll Part 4 [Faceoff]

2009-06-11T08:00:00-07:00

Here is the final installment of a preseason and premature poll for the 2010 season, publishing the teams ranked from Nos. 5 to 1.

Unless there are confirmed reports about certain players planning to use fifth years of eligibility, this space will assume that seniors in 2009 will not be back next season. Unannounced fifth-year seniors and potential transfers will affect the rankings that come out next February, but here are the teams that I think will fall between Nos. 5 and 1.

UMBC visiting the Far East [Faceoff]

2009-06-10T13:38:47-07:00

The Retrievers will take their game overseas as participants in the International Friendship Games as part of an 11-day tour to Tokyo and Nagoya, Japan. The players and coaches from this past season’s team will leave Baltimore on Thursday and join in commemorating the 20^th anniversary of this event.

"We have a great relationship with the Japan Lacrosse Association [JLA]," coach Don Zimmerman told the school’s website. "This past fall, they sent a team over here and after the game, we had a tailgate for them. One of the principle ideas of the JLA is ‘Lacrosse Makes Friends.’ We understand that and give them the opportunity not only to play, but to socialize. As a result, they are always excited for UMBC to come over and participate in this event."

The Retrievers will compete against the Under-20 Toyko squad and the Japan National
squad on Saturday before facing the Under-22 Japan National Squad in Edogawa Stadium in an International Friendship Game on Sunday. The team will play against two collegiate teams on Tuesday before heading to Nagoya the following day.

The squad is scheduled to tour the Nagoya Castle and the Toyota Motor Corporation on Thursday, June 18 and will take part in a clinic the next day. UMBC will then compete in the second International Friendship game against the Nagoya Regional squad on Saturday, June 20 before returning to Baltimore on Sunday.

Fans can follow the team by logging onto www.umbcretrievers.com and going to "The Dawg Blog." Several players will be submitting entries during the trip.

Review & preview: Premature 2010 poll Part 3 [Faceoff]

2009-06-10T08:00:00-07:00

Here is the third installment of a preseason and premature poll for the 2010 season, publishing the teams ranked from Nos. 10 to 6. Thursday will be the last entry, featuring the teams ranked from Nos. 5 to 1.

Bill Tierney heads west [Faceoff]

2009-06-09T11:57:52-07:00

As first reported by Inside Lacrosse, longtime Princeton head coach Bill Tierney agreed on Monday to assume the same position at Denver after 22 years with the Tigers. It’s a surprising development considering that the 57-year-old Tierney was considered the face – and some would say raspy, passionate voice – of a Princeton program that captured six national championships under Tierney’s tutelege.

Tierney’s presence should pay immediate dividends for Denver, which endured a disappointing 7-8 campaign this past spring after two trips in three years to the NCAA tournament and witnessed the dismissal of three players and the resignation of head coach Jamie Munro.

Tierney’s background as a defensive whiz should improve a Pioneers unit that surrendered 10 or more goals in seven losses. His prowess at recruiting should make Denver a quality destination for blue-chip prospects. And with the Pioneers moving to a revamped Eastern College Athletic Conference, they suddenly become Loyola’s primary contender for the league title.

So what does this mean for the Tigers, who were 390-354-19 before Tierney and 238-86 under Tierney? Associate head coach David Metzbower, who just completed his 20^th season at Princeton, becomes the leading candidate to succeed Tierney. But don’t be surprised if the Tigers make a run at Cornell coach Jeff Tambroni, who has guided the Big Red to at least a share of the last seven Ivy League titles, or one of the young up-and-coming Ivy League coaches like Harvard’s John Tillman or Brown’s Lars Tiffany.

Tierney to Denver not just another coaching change [Re: Lax]

2009-06-09T11:16:14-07:00

This is not just another coaching change. Can you imagine how many times a school has asked Princeton’s Bill Tierney to leave the Tigers and lead their program? Johns Hopkins, Maryland, North Carolina, Duke and a few others are among the programs rumored to have approached Tierney in the past. Tierney said yesterday that this opportunity at Denver was one “that I never thought would come my way." That makes me assume he’s had Denver on his mind for a while and it was just a matter of waiting out Jamie Munro, a much younger man who had the job for the last 11 years. Whether it was Munro or the university that made the decision, Jamie resigned on May 7 after posting a 91-70 mark at Denver. I am not trying to fuel speculation, but did the school know of Tierney’s interest before Munro’s departure? I’d fire any coach in the land to get Tierney. This is not just another coaching change. Bill Tierney is not just another coach. He’s the best. This will change the game and he knows it. In his statement yesterday he said, "The expansion of the game to the West is exciting. If we are truly going to make lacrosse a nationwide sport, we need for some programs out there to become great. I think I can help Colorado lacrosse become the launching pad for that movement." He’s exactly right and he’s the only one who can do that in my eyes. If Petro or Zimmerman or Desko were headed to Denver, I would say they sold out for the money, and that the money was likely wasted. But Tierney will have Denver in the final four in three years. A national championship will be won within five years. I have no doubt at all. The others would do as well as Munro out there, which was admirable, in my opinion. This is not just another coaching change. My guess is that Tierney is now the highest paid coach in college lacrosse history, if he wasn’t already that at Princeton. Denver is coming as close to buying a championship as you can come. With it they finance the expansion of the game’s geographic center. Denver was a hotspot already with great pro crowds and huge growth on the youth level, but Tierney will exponentially improve the area in a few years. The Denver summer camps will become a must for blue-chip players. He will draw some of the finest high school players in the land immediately, albeit, perhaps not of the academic caliber he is used to. But that will be a new twist, too. Imagine Tierney being able to recruit kids with less than a 1400 on their SATs. Princeton's academic standards were always a barrier for most kids that would have played for Tierney if they could have. This is not just another coaching change. Tierney will make the state of Colorado a rival to New York and Maryland as a lacrosse hotbed in short order. He will expand the attendance of Denver lacrosse games from an average of 1,300 fans (2,000 for the Notre Dame game) to over 10,000 in a year’s time. He should be able to capture much of the 15,000-person crowds that attend Colorado Mammoth (NLL) and Denver Outlaws (MLL) games. College lacrosse at the top level has usually done better than any other levels of the game in lacrosse hotbeds. This increased attendance, especially by kids, will exponentially grow the game in Denver, eventually. This is not just another coaching change. It will limit a Denver recruit’s access to local Division I lacrosse for a while. That is the short-term downside to such rapid change in an area like Denver, at least for some of the kids there. In 2009, the Denver team included 12 players from Colorado while the Princeton team had none. The whole field of NCAA tournament participants included seven players from Colorado. Under the Tierney era, it will take some improvement in the local high school lacrosse for Colorado kids to make the Denver team in the near term. But in a few years, the make-up of the Denver roster may look more like Princeton or other big NCAA teams than the local team it is now. Eventually it will help Denver kids, but the immediate impact will be a negative one, I would think. Every great coach who takes over a program utilizes what he has while he brings in who he wants. That usually means that each class is exponentially better than the last and that kids who start as freshman each year might not start again after their first season. I saw it happen at Georgetown as they went from being an obscure team of Northern Virginia and Montgomery County kids to a national powerhouse with mostly New York and Baltimore kids. The building blocks of these rising teams are often very temporary and it can get awkward as every year freshmen replace the starters. This is not just another coaching change. This is a change to the game that will benefit our sport greatly. I’ve always moaned about the exclusivity of champions at the Div. I level and suggested that it would take a conspiracy of players to choose a school like Denver or some other outlier to grow the game, but I overlooked this method, thinking Tierney would live out his years at the Ivy League institution where he is an institution. But this will do the trick nicely. Believe me, with yesterday’s news the conspiracies just started. Great high school juniors and sophomores are thinking “Go west young man” as of today! The best kids at Gilman and West Genny and Wilton and Malvern and Georgetown Prep have widened their horizons in a day. The geographic borders of potential greatness just expanded five-fold. This is not just another coaching change. The applications for the new opening at Princeton will likely set a record. It is the best job opening in years. I can’t imagine someone other than David Metzbower getting the job. Tierney’s longtime assistant is the top assistant in the game and he could provide a seamless transition. He is the recruiter and a strategic mastermind who Tierney always shared credit with when they won championships. The national job search may just be a formality. This is not just another coaching change. This is Tierney’s last job. He’s looking to be near family and find a spot to live out his post-collegiate coaching life, too, and what place better than Colorado. His old friend Fred Acee was the coach for years at Air Force and Tierney understands the great quality of life awaiting him. I have always envied the coaches that have a niche in some community that is comforting. Hank Janczyk stands out to me in a small town like Gettysburg. What a life he has up there! I am sure Princeton was a comfort to the Tierneys, but it’s not exactly a retirement mecca, despite the slow pace that the pretty Main Street facade evokes. I am surprised a little that Tierney did not go to Jacksonville, but he must be a mountain guy instead of a beach guy and the hotspot for that type of living is just where he’s headed. He is also headed into lacrosse immortality. He’s already legendary for his coaching. Now he’s attempting to achieve something far more important, something so rare, perhaps only he could do it. Good luck, coach!

Review & preview: Premature 2010 poll Part 2 [Faceoff]

2009-06-09T08:00:00-07:00

Yesterday, I released the first installment of a preseason and premature poll for the 2010 season, publishing the teams ranked from Nos. 15 to 11. Wednesday will feature Nos. 10 to 6 and Thursday, Nos. 5 to 1.

Review & preview: Premature 2010 poll Part I [Faceoff]

2009-06-08T08:00:00-07:00

Here is one observer’s attempt to take a crack at a preseason and premature poll for the 2010 season. I will break up the top 20 into four installments with today’s entry looking at teams ranked from Nos. 20 to 16. Tuesday will feature Nos. 15 to 11, Wednesday Nos. 10 to 6 and Thursday Nos. 5 to 1.

Review & preview: Johns Hopkins [Faceoff]

2009-06-04T07:14:08-07:00

Here’s the final installment of a new series that checks in with the seven Division I programs in the state to give a glimpse into the past and the future. Next week, we’ll unveil our take on next season’s top-20 poll. Today, we take a spin with Johns Hopkins.

Updates on Maryland's Brian Farrell and Brian Phipps [Faceoff]

2009-06-03T11:00:00-07:00

It sounds like junior Brian Farrell will return to his previous position as the Terps’ long-stick midfielder after dabbling with a close defenseman’s position this past spring.

Coach Dave Cottle didn’t go as far as to confirm that move, but his comments seem to suggest that sophomore Brett Schmidt, who moved from long-stick midfielder to close defenseman when Farrell was lost for the season after suffering rib and lung injuries just three games into the year, will remain in that position. Farrell will likely return to his old spot.

"I think Brian will be a guy that we use on faceoffs and play some down low, but he’ll also play some pole because he’s really dangerous going from defense to offense," Cottle said, adding that the school plans to help Farrell apply for a medical redshirt that will give him two more seasons of eligibility. "Not only is he a good defender, but he also will help us in transition."

Cottle also said that junior goalkeeper Brian Phipps is scheduled to undergo surgery to repair the torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee on June 16. Although recovery usually takes about 12 months, Cottle said Phipps tore the ACL in his right knee in August of his senior year at Severn and was ready for season opener.

"We hope that he will be ready," Cottle said.

Review & preview: Maryland [Faceoff]

2009-06-03T08:00:00-07:00

Here’s the penultimate installment of a new series that checks in with the seven Division I programs in the state to give a glimpse into the past and the future. Today, we take a visit with Maryland.

Navy and Loyola to meet in regular season for first time since 1943 [Faceoff]

2009-06-02T11:28:02-07:00

In addition to scheduling a regular-season contest against Towson for the first time since April 12, 1997, the Midshipmen agreed to renew a series with Loyola. The two programs have not played against each other since a playoff game on May 15, 1993 and a regular-season contest on April 3, 1943.

The Greyhounds will replace Navy’s game against Ohio State in the middle of February, and Midshipmen coach Richie Meade joked that it only took him 10 years to figure out that a trip to Baltimore is more economically feasible and less physically taxing than visiting Columbus, Ohio.

"Loyola is right down the block," he said. "It made a lot of sense. I think we’re a good game for them, and they’re certainly a good game for us. I think the games will draw great crowds, and I think there will be a lot of local interest. They will be big games. We play in some big games, but we need to play in more big games. I think that helps you."

Notes from Foxborough [Re: Lax]

2009-05-31T12:47:51-07:00

What a final! So, after all the complaining I always do before the playoffs about the monopoly on the title by a few schools, I am always so impressed by how these teams pull it off year in and year out that I forget to complain. This year, either the Syracuse kids pulled off the win of the young century or the lacrosse gods were just playing with our heads. I mean, this comeback was not just unlikely -- it was unnatural. Cornell had just played perfect defense for 2.9 games against the best teams in the nation. They held Princeton to four goals, Virginia to six goals and then Syracuse to seven goals before it all fell apart. Or did it? Is there a better defensive feat than deflecting a critical pass to an open attacker with five seconds left in a national championship game? The Big Red had the game won with 27 seconds left and possession of the ball, but after a behind-the-back desperation pass by Stephen Keogh on a ground ball followed by a backhanded, tipped pass from a double-covered Matt Abbott -- which is now called the "Immaculate Deflection" -- was caught by a falling Kenny Nims who landed at his man’s ankles while shooting and scoring the equalizer with 4.5 seconds left. It was truly a miracle in Foxborough. While the faithful never faltered, everyone I was with knew it was over the minute it went to overtime. We kept it to ourselves because Richie Moran, the legendary coach of those Cornell champions in the 1970s, sat only a few seats away and we knew how much he wanted it. He deserved it, really, as did Jeff Tambroni, Max Seibald, John Glynn and Jake Myers, but like so many others in the short history of the college game, it was yanked from their grasp at the last moment by those lax gods I mentioned. It was hard to see Richie after the Jamieson goal. As the Orange stormed the field, I turned away from his direction. I did not want to invade his very public private moment of despair. He wanted it so bad for all those guys. They’re still his guys, decades after his retirement from coaching. Roy Simmons, the legendary retired coach of the victorious Syracuse team, referred to the players as “his boys” in a discussion with us at the Syracuse tailgate after the game. He was as happy as Richie was sad, I imagine. The game of lacrosse is not without its growing pains from the rapid popularity, geographic growth and advancement into the mainstream. Each year more and more news organizations join the throng covering the final four weekend. And each year, members of the media with no real lacrosse knowledge increase in numbers. Ever since I’ve covered the NCAA tournament, the members of the media have selected the tournament MVP and the All-Tournament team. There have always been disagreements in the process, but over the last five or six years only the flashy make the cut, while the subtle goes unappreciated in the voting. One defenseman makes this year’s team, after each team held an explosive offense to small numbers and then played a defensive classic against each other. The blaring absence of Syracuse defensman Sid Smith is stunning. He held Duke’s Ned Crotty, who led the nation with 76 points, to two assists and then Sunday held Cornell’s Ryan Hurley to one goal and two assists while lending a big hand in keeping Max Seibald to only two goals. He made the check that stole the initial and crucial overtime possession from Cornell, which led to Cody Jamieson’s winning goal. If you watch that last Cornell possession, Smith just stalks Hurley with his feet, playing perfect position and only laying one check to take the ball. Then he gobbled the ground ball and started the immediate clear. That’s the type of play that is totally missed by the “new media”. All the guys on the list below are quite deserving, though. I wouldn’t take it away from anyone, but Smith was very possibly the tournament MVP and did not even make the team. Here’s this year’s All-Tournament team: Matt Abbott, Syracuse, Senior, Midfield John Glynn, Cornell, Senior, Midfield Ryan Hurley, Cornell, Junior, Attack Cody Jamieson, Syracuse, Junior, Attack Matt Moyer, Cornell, Senior, Defense Kenny Nims, Syracuse, Senior, Attack Rob Pannell, Cornell, Freshman, Attack Pat Perritt, Syracuse, Senior, Midfield Max Seibald, Cornell, Senior, Midfield Joel White, Syracuse, Sophomore, Longstick Midfield Speaking of Jamieson and Smith, in the blog I recently wrote, noting the geographical origins of the NCAA Division I field of players, I noted that there were only two Native Americans in the whole group and implored coaches to do more to recruit the descendants of the game’s fathers. Well, those same two Native Americans made the two most critical plays in the 2009 National Championship overtime. And they are great friends. As soon as Cody knew his final goal had gone in he immediately located Smith, some 80 yards away and ran right to him without stopping for any of the celebrations in between. He knew who he needed to celebrate with. Bureaucratic red tape pertaining to the transfer and acceptance of grades from a community college almost had Jamieson missing this postseason like he missed most of the season. His presence deepened the already potent Syracuse offense. Both potential opponents in the final, Virginia and Cornell, had played Syracuse already this season, but not with Jamieson in the lineup. On a funny note, when Virginia beat Johns Hopkins by 11 in the quarterfinals, the sports information department at UVa. sent a release with this heading: "Virginia Men's Lacrosse Romps Past Johns Hopkins 19-8", but when they were beaten by Cornell by nine, they sent the following: "Cavaliers Fall to Cornell 15-6 in National Semifinal". Good thing they didn't lose by two more goals. They just barely avoided a romping, I guess. I thought Syracuse wouId win by one in overtime but over Virginia. In the semi I predicted a halftime score of Virginia 8, Cornell 2. The halftime score was Cornell 9, Virginia 2. A local win in the Foxborough final. You might have noticed that both Cornell and Syracuse are STX teams. STX is the lacrosse manufacturer from Baltimore and they supply some of the best teams in the game with all their gear. In this case, while the game was out of town and the teams were from upstate New York, all of the gear on the field on Memorial Day was from right here in Charm City!

Between final fours [Re: Lax]

2009-05-21T15:22:30-07:00

I just got back from the MCLA Tournament in Denver. For the second year in a row, Michigan and Chapman battled in the final with the Wolverines taking the title. The final was a great game. Chapman, having lost in the final last year, had only one goal this year and that was to win the championship. It was a tremendous heartbreak losing to the same team again. But Chapman played Michigan better than anyone all year. The Wolverines finished a second 20-game undefeated season with the win and now stand at 40-0 in the last two years. In the Division II tournament, St. Thomas defeated Dayton in the final. On the final day, the Dick’s Sporting Goods Tournament of Champions event was held at the complex. Some 200 youth teams played all day long on 20 or more fields. I saw teams from Utah, California, Texas and lots of Colorado kids. The whole state is getting good at the youth level quickly. Denver is a hotbed in the making. And they support their pro teams better than any other town, so they are already a top lacrosse community. They hosted a great event and the facility was first rate with plenty of parking and perfect fields under clear skies. While I was gone Gilman won the MIAA A Conference championship as I thought they might. Congratulations to them and to Calvert Hall, which would have been a fine champion also. The Bayhawks lost in the opener to Toronto. If you missed it, Toronto comes back in a week or so for another game in Annapolis. But the big news while I was at the “other college championships”, was the NCAA quarterfinals where Johns Hopkins and Maryland were eliminated while Duke and Cornell found their way in against likely finalists Virginia and Syracuse. I was stunned that UNC lost three to Duke in a year. I was stunned that Cornell held Princeton to four goals. I am encouraged that we could see a Duke-Cornell final. That would be my hope. I have nothing against Virginia and Syracuse, but I’d just like to see the group of recent champions expand. There are some very interesting games Saturday and possible match-ups for Monday in Foxborough, Mass. The first is the Duke-Syracuse game. These teams have never played and that makes it very interesting to me. I would imagine we’ll see an offensive affair with any real defensive standout performance being the difference. If any of the Orange or Blue Devil stars are shut down, that would be the difference. Virginia already beat Cornell 14-10 in Charlottesville in early March. Both are better teams now. I love the play of Max Seibald and Rocco Romero. I saw them play together years ago on a team in Vail and knew then that both were special players. Coincidentally, Rocco is from the Denver area but graduated from Boys’ Latin in Baltimore before going to Cornell. Virginia has the tools to limit or surpass both of the Cornell stars but so did Princeton, on paper. I was so ready for a Princeton-Virginia semifinal that Cornell-Virginia seems like a good game to me. But then I look at the Hopkins-Virginia game and see that Virginia is hitting on all cylinders now. This one may not be close after all. But we can hope for a good game. A Cornell win would be a huge upset. But if they won, the matchups for the final would be sweet either way. Cornell always plays Syracuse tough and they have a tradition of upsetting the Orange. They lost a 2007 semifinal thriller to Duke, which was one of the most exciting games I’ve seen. A rematch of that game is appealing to me, especially for the national title. If Virginia wins the semifinal they could face Syracuse in a battle of traditional contenders. The game, which has a 70 percent likelihood of occurring, in my opinion, would be well played, hard fought, and exciting to watch. But the result would just add a notch to a crowded gun handle either way and blend in well with the history of the game. Should Virginia face Duke in the final, the fun begins, because the best team in the nation and the most touted team in years would have to beat a team they just can’t beat statistically. The Blue Devils have beaten the Cavs seven times in a row, winning every game since 2005. The last time they played was the semifinal of the ACC tournament. Duke beat the top-ranked team 16-5. Virginia lost the first meeting of 2009, 15-10. But a Duke win would mean they beat two conference teams three times each in the same season. That is a massive achievement in any sport. It may be too much to ask for should the Blue Devils survive the battle with Syracuse, which should take a lot out of them. If Virginia cruises in their semifinal they could have an advantage they would need to pull out a trend-breaking win against their conference nemesis. Again, the fact that they would be playing for a title makes that game very attractive. A Cornell-Duke final would mean that a new champion would be crowned and would join the group of modern-era winners, a most elusive feat, but in this case, a sure thing for one of the two teams and all of us. Cornell beat Duke in Durham earlier this year by a score of 10-6. I love this matchup and would already be happy that the game’s glass ceiling had been cracked. That said, dreaming of this final Monday matchup is as close as I will get. It is far less likely that Cornell will play Duke in the final then it is that the 2009 final between Syracuse and Virginia be called one of the greatest games ever played. Either way it will be great for the fans in attendance. See you up there!

Stranglehold on NCAA lacrosse; weekend picks [Re: Lax]

2009-05-15T15:26:21-07:00

I hate it when I’m right. Well, that is, only when it comes to picking NCAA tournament lacrosse games each year. But if you’re sick of my cynical rants about college lacrosse’s glass ceiling, stop reading now. In the words of Midnight Oil’s Peter Garrett, “The rich get richer, the poor get the picture.” The title monopoly is just a never-ending cycle of the best players picking the same four or five schools that win the title and so on and so on. Once again this past weekend, that rusty nail was driven home. As you know by now, all but one of the first-round games were won by the higher seed. The one upset was Maryland over Notre Dame, and was that even considered an upset? In the interests of real growth in the game and Notre Dame’s last two first-round losses -- to Johns Hopkins in 2007 and Syracuse in 2008 -- anything that gets the Irish deeper into the tournament would be an upset. In the traditional sense of lacrosse, Maryland beats Notre Dame every time. But on that same note, the Terps also lose in the next round to Syracuse every time. Notre Dame is one of the programs I am counting on in my lifetime to break the stranglehold on the NCAA hardware. Duke is another team who has a chance. But these teams, when they have strong years, ultimately lose when expected in the bracket -- and often by a goal in overtime, like the outcome was fixed. It’s not, which is a shame, because we could do something about that. But it’s just the cycle of self-interest that is known as human nature. Why do people always choose the restaurants with the longest waiting lines? The game suffers from free will, common sense and the desire to win. We don't want to change those things. It will have to work itself out in time. Maybe at some elite camp somewhere this summer, the top five or 10 recruits for the class of 2012 will initiate a conspiracy to all go to Notre Dame or maybe Jacksonville. Unfortunately, that’s what it may take to pull off a real insurgence in lacrosse -- one that gives us real change at the top, not just Notre Dame becoming seeded in the tournament, or Delaware making it to the final four, or Maryland losing in the championship. We’ve seen those things before, and they just tease us. With that said, here are my picks for this weekend: Syracuse beats Maryland Virginia beats Johns Hopkins Princeton beats Cornell UNC beats Duke You may think UNC over Duke is an upset, but it's not in the long-term perspective. If, by some strange circumstances, Maryland, Johns Hopkins, Cornell and Duke made the final four, I’d bet the house on the Blue Jays. I can't even imagine Maryland vs. Cornell or Duke in the final. Johns Hopkins beats Cornell, or the Blue Jays beat Duke just sounds much more probable. Again, I hope I am wrong. I hate it when I’m right.

Big weekend for local lacrosse teams [Re: Lax]

2009-05-15T15:03:23-07:00

This will be huge weekend for lacrosse teams -- both at the college level and in the pros -- from the state of Maryland. In Major League Lacrosse, the Bayhawks open their season at 7:30 tonight at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis. They host the Toronto Nationals, which are coached by Dave Huntley. His son, Kevin, plays for the Bayhawks. The Bayhawks are loaded this year with attackmen Andrew “Buggs” Combs, Jake Byrne, Spencer Ford, Huntley, and Scott Urick. The midfielders are Kyle Dixon, Kevin Buchanan, Hunter Lochte, Jed Prossner, Ben Rubeor, Justin Smith and Brian Vetter. On defensive midfield, they just traded for Benson Irwin who joins Billy Glading and Loyola assistant Dan Chemotti. On close defense, Shawn Nadelen returns for his ninth MLL season. He is flanked by Ronnie Staines, Greg Vetter, Zack Burke and Kyle Sweeney. In the cage, they feature Chris Garrity and Chris Collins. Alex Smith gets things started at the faceoff X. That's quite a squad! For tickets, contact the Bayhawks box office at 1-866-99-HAWKS (42957), or go to the team's Web site at http://www.washingtonbayhawks.com. At the college level, Maryland has the unenviable matchup against defending national champion Syracuse at Hofstra at noon Saturday. The Terps are coming off the upset of undefeated Notre Dame, but the road likely ends in Long Island this weekend. They sure could use some fan support up there. It's only a six-hour drive for the faithful. The first game Sunday at the Naval Academy is between Johns Hopkins and No. 1 Virginia at noon. This should be a classic with the Blue Jays as the underdog -- like they are ever really the underdog. I am thinking this game will end in an overtime victory for Virginia, but don't count out Johns Hopkins. These teams know each other well and excellent preparation will be evident on both sides. The Duke Blue Devils will take on ACC rival North Carolina for the third time this season in Game 2 on Sunday at Navy. They will faceoff around 2 p.m. Can Duke beat the Tar Heels three times in one season? Billy Bitters is on a tear, and Duke is in destiny-overdue mode. This will be a wonderful game and perhaps a second overtime contest between the two teams. I think UNC will pull this one out to deliver a long-awaited return to the final four. To purchase tickets for these games, call the Navy ticket office at 1-800-US4-NAVY. Also Sunday at 1 p.m. in Baltimore, Stevenson will host Gettysburg in the Division III final four. Paul Cantabene's Mustangs pulled out the win over Salisbury Wednesday and face the Bullets, who they pounded early in the season. It's Stevenson's first final four, and they look like they can go to Foxborough if they don't blow up. Cortland or Middlebury will be waiting for Stevenson in the championship if it wins Sunday.

The NCAA teams by the numbers: A recruiting perspective [Re: Lax]

2009-05-05T15:00:26-07:00

Just out of curiosity, I looked at the rosters of all the teams that made this year’s tournament from a recruiting and geographical perspective. It surprised me in a few ways and, while not a full look at the Division I recruiting scene, it is quite telling. Here are some of the results.: Of the 16 postseason teams, 146 players are from Maryland, while 201 are from New York. No wonder, Syracuse has 28 New Yorkers and 1 kid from Maryland, while Siena has 40 from their home state and none from ours. Not surprisingly, Maryland has the most from Maryland with 32, while UMBC is second with 26. Both have some New Yorkers though with 11 and seven respectively. UMass has 11 kids from Massachusetts, Brown has eight and Maryland has four. Undefeated Notre Dame has an even number of players from Maryland and New York with 10 apiece. The Irish have no one from Indiana on the squad. Indiana has lacrosse, but no players in the field this year. That will change rapidly if Notre Dame wins a championship in 2009. Lacrosse is the national sport of Canada and Canada is the reigning indoor and outdoor world champion, but only 14 Canucks are found on these teams and nine are at Cornell. Cornell has more New Yorkers, though, with 15. The team with the fewest amount of states represented is Siena with six and the one with the most is Princeton with 13 states plus Canada in the mix. Syracuse, Maryland and Cornell are tied for second with 12 states and some Canadians. Some other interesting numbers are also found in the data. Duke relies heavily on the state of Connecticut for recruiting with 9 kids from the state, which has 36 players in the 16-team field. Pennsylvania and Massachusetts have a few more with 39. New Jersey has 55. California surprised me with 18. Who has more kids from Ohio than anyone? Maryland with six. How about Nevada kids? Maryland again with two. Who has the most kids from Virginia? Yep. The Terps with seven. The University of Virginia has only five. How about North Carolina recruits? Um ... the Tar Heels with seven. Duke has only two. Hopkins has a good mix of blue-chippers with 15 from Maryland and 10 from New York. But Hopkins also has the only recruit from Arizona. Only seven Coloradans and seven Illini are in the field. There are 12 from North Carolina, 11 from Ohio, nine from Michigan, five from Rhode Island. There are three players apiece from Washington D.C., New Hampshire, Texas and Georgia. There are two each from Tennessee, Delaware, Maine and Nevada. There’s only one Australian. He’s at Maryland. Cornell has the only Minnesotan. Princeton has the only Montanan. Siena has the only Oregonian. Syracuse has two members of the Iroquois Nation. The whole field has two members of the Iroquois Nation. That is sad. More coaches need to attend the Nation’s Cup in the fall and see the talent that exists at the all-aboriginal tournament.

Tewaaraton Award finalists announced [Re: Lax]

2009-05-05T14:54:16-07:00

The Tewaaraton Award finalists were announced this week. The nominees for top collegiate men's and women's players are: 2009 men's finalists: Matt Abbott, Syracuse Ned Crotty, Duke Danny Glading, Virginia Zack Greer, Bryant Max Seibald, Cornell 2009 women's finalists Jillian Byers, Notre Dame Carolyn Davis, Duke Amber Falcone, North Carolina Caitlyn McFadden, Maryland Hannah Nielsen, Northwestern I am very happy that Zach Greer made the list. Seibald should win the award once, but Crotty may take this year’s trophy. Now that Matt Abbott is in a smaller group, he looks more attractive as a potential winner as well. Still, none of these guys is the best in the land. The best player, in my opinion, is really Virginia’s Danny Glading. I think he is the most talented lacrosse player in this group. This may be his last chance to beat Crotty at something. Of course, some of these guys have a few more games to play on the big stage and how they do will have an impact. On the women’s side, what a job it was to pick five players. Nielsen should have this one locked up, in my opinion. Maryland’s Caitlyn McFadden could pull off the upset, on the field or at the Tewaaraton awards. Jillian Byers is such an exciting player with a joy for the game. I’d love to see her sneak in. I was stunned to see my dark-horse favorite, Duke’s Caroline Cryer, not make the final list. She is so good. Cryer has 40 goals and 32 assists while Carolyn Davis has 59 goals and 15 assists just as a comparison with her teammate. Both are amazing. I thought both would make the final list. I have seen Cryer play for years now and if women’s lacrosse was the NBA, she would win three or four of the next 10 MVP awards. Her potential is that strong. But there is no women’s pro league so athletes like Cryer and Hannah just play club ball if they continue at all after college. Some play World Cup, but that’s only held every four years. It’s a shame that there is no platform for athletes like these to continue developing as great lacrosse players for all to see.

First-round NCAA predictions [Re: Lax]

2009-05-04T05:24:58-07:00

I like the field this year. No teams left out got totally robbed. Maybe Loyola has an argument but they had a couple of chances to state their case in close games against this field and did not. Bucknell and Colgate proved they could play with this field but not consistently. Georgetown had no chance after losing to Penn State. So here are my picks for the first round. Also, be sure to check out the Lacrosse Pool Contest at E-Lacrosse this week! Villanova @ Virginia I’ve seen a Villanova-type team beat a Virginia-type team. It was the Drexel at Virginia upset a few seasons ago. I don’t think I will ever see such an upset again, much less in the playoffs. Virginia is just too strong in this matchup. They are the legit No. 1 seed in my opinion. This one's a ten-point win. Brown @ Johns Hopkins Hopkins is a team with character, because of their failings. They have had to overcome all year long. And they are better than their record. Their losses are close ones to good teams. Close losses and close wins build character. They will need all of it to beat this Brown team, perhaps the best I’ve ever seen. Brown is coming off a loss to Princeton where they really never got out of the gate. They were embarrassed. Hopkins is coming off an emotional victory over a Loyola team they had beaten, and then let back in the door and had to go to overtime to close out. This is going to be a close game and I have no pick. They are even. Both would lose to Virginia in the second round. Hofstra @ Cornell These are two teams with chips on their shoulders. They want to be included among the top programs, but usually fall short. This will be the most fiercely contested game because both need respect, though the result doesn’t prove anything. Each of these teams needs to go to the final four to consider their seasons a success. I like Cornell by three. UMass @ Princeton Princeton is all that. I like this team. UMass will have to play better than they have all year to win and Princeton will have to crumble. But when’s the last time you saw a Bill Tierney team crumble? They will be prepared and know they belong in the final four. Princeton by six. Navy @ Duke The big upset potential in the first round is most likely right here. I like the matchup of Navy’s physical play and discipline against Duke’s strong offense. This will be a fun game to watch. I think Duke will pull it out but it may take overtime. UMBC @ North Carolina I like these teams equally. They are coached by two of my favorites in Joe Breschi and Don Zimmerman. This will be another great game and I really can’t pick the winner. Both can beat Duke or Navy in the next round. Another Duke-UNC game would be very interesting. But UMBC can be a final four team, too. They have the most exciting offense this year and the best keeper in the land in Jeremy Blevins. Maryland @ Notre Dame Because we don’t know enough about Notre Dame through comparative scores, you could sum up their chances against Maryland this way: If Irish transfer Will Yeatman would have been their best player this year, then they will lose to Maryland, because he’s not Maryland’s best player. But if I know Kevin Corrigan teams well, they would insist that there are no stars on the Irish squad and that they use teamwork to do things that individuals cannot do. That may be enough to beat Maryland in South Bend. In the Terps’ games I’ve seen this year, cohesive offensive teamwork has been their shortcoming. Remember, I picked the Terps to be in the final four before the season. On paper they are still that good to me. Travis Reed is a wildcard they don’t play enough. I thought he would be the star of their offense this year. He’s done very well despite his more limited role, but I saw something different unfolding for the Terps this year with him in the middle of it all. I was wrong. I’ll take Notre Dame in a two-point game. Siena @ Syracuse This would be the largest upset in lacrosse history if Siena beat the Orange in the dome. Siena has a well-deserved sense of accomplishment just getting into the tournament and Syracuse would be devastated with a loss here. But it’s really about the players. If Siena was up 10 at the half, John Desko could pull every starter, put in a whole team of guys who haven’t played much this year and still win the game. The toughest contest Syracuse will play this week will be in practice against these same second-teamers. I’ll take Syracuse, a little to a lot.

Last call for Medium Well [Ray Frager's Medium Well]

2009-04-30T09:34:05-07:00

The last call I took as an employee of The Baltimore Sun was from a gentleman who was bugged because hearing "Alfonso Soriano" was making him think of a former Orioles pitcher with sort of a similar name, but he just couldn’t figure out who it was.

After thumbing through some old media guides, I finally determined he was thinking of Armando Benitez.

So, at least on my last day of work, I made one person happy.

No doubt, my involuntary departure from The Sun Tuesday will make some other people happy, too. Over the years, through a couple of stints of writing a sports media column and, more recently, a blog, I often have been told what a moron I am and how I’ve wasted a reader’s time with my drivel. (I did like hearing from one commenter about how it was my "dribble" that was so offending. If this guy had ever seen me play basketball, he would have known just how right he was.)

There was even the occasional local media personality who found it much easier to dole out criticism of those in the sports world than to receive some critical words himself.

Unlike Mark McGwire, I am here to talk about the past. This layoff came on roughly my 24th anniversary of arriving at The Sun.

I was originally hired as a sports desk slot man, a job in which one serves as the last editing eyes on type before it is printed in the newspaper, before being promoted to different editing duties. Since getting into the newspaper business in 1979, most of my time has been spent as a sports editor of one kind or another. It was always my goal to make the game stories, columns and features that went through my hands as clear, informative and accurate as possible. I wanted headlines and captions to reflect the tone of articles to which they were attached. And though there were times I had to take a writer’s prose and turn it into English, I never thought it was my job to make his or her story read as if I had written it.

I hope, even as the world of journalism -- sports journalism in particular -- continues to shake out, that there continues to be a place for those who take care of the words.

I also hope there is still a spot for those who have a sense of place, who understand what is important to the readers. Despite 20-plus years as a Baltimore area resident, I was told by a native colleague how I would never understand what "Baltimore" on the Orioles road jerseys meant because "you’re not from here." Ah, but he is, and so I would listen to him and others who grew up here when it came time to make judgments on things such as story play and photo choices. He is still at The Sun. I hope they keep listening to him and others like him, who are unwavering in their devotion to the old Colts and the pizza at Squire’s in Dundalk.

I leave with no real regrets except that I am leaving. Well, OK, I regret that higher-ups nixed my headline suggestion for Cal Ripken’s 2,131 night, "Cal touches home," in favor of the correction-in-waiting "Immortal Cal."

It has been an honor to work with a collection of talented writers and editors and to help produce sports coverage for the passionate, dedicated fans of Baltimore. I hope to pop up soon with a new sports media blog and would love to continue wasting your time. You can reach me at rfrager@gmail.com.

Oh, and one more thing for those who might care: I was Mr. Flip.

-- Ray Frager

Last night's Emmy scores [Ray Frager's Medium Well]

2009-04-28T07:15:31-07:00

The Sports Emmy Awards were handed out last night, and the totals went like this: NBC 10, HBO 8, ESPN 6, CBS 5, Fox 5, Fox SportsNet 3, TNT 2, ABC 1, NFL Network 1, Showtime 1. Those totals include some shared Emmys for talent appearing on two networks and shows produced by two and also add Web site awards for networks.

The on-air individuals honored:

Studio host: Bob Costas

Play by play: Jim Nantz

Studio analyst: Terry Bradshaw, Tom Jackson

Event analyst: Cris Collinsworth

A few comments: Good to see Jackson recognized. He has been the best thing about ESPN's NFL studio coverage for a long time. ... Bradshaw? Not so much. ... How about Jay Bilas for a share of the studio Emmy? ... You would expect to see NBC leading the way after an Olympic year.

Mayock and McShay's final mock drafts [Ray Frager's Medium Well]

2009-04-27T08:41:54-07:00

In the last mock draft posted by NFL Network expert Mike Mayock (helpfully placed in the sports media blog by The Dallas Morning News' Barry Horn), Mayock correctly predicted the "reach" for Maryland's Darrius Heyward-Bey by the Raiders. Mayock also had the Ravens' first-round pick, Michael Oher, going at No. 10.

Here is the last mock by ESPN's Todd McShay (through No. 16). He also had Oher going at 10.

For those of you keeping score, each correctly predicted seven of the top 16, with McShay getting the first four up until the Jets-Browns trade at No. 5 and being right on six of the first eight.

Radioactive thoughts [Ray Frager's Medium Well]

2009-04-26T14:45:53-07:00

A couple of observations that occurred to me while I was on a drive from New Jersey back home Saturday (it was a bar mitzvah this time; I've consumed my weight in whitefish salad over the past two weeks):

So who's the more provincial in radio coverage of the NFL draft, Philadelphia or Baltimore?

I was listening to Philadelphia's all-sports station, WIP, after the Eagles had picked Jeremy Maclin, the Missouri wide receiver, in the first round. That was all I heard about over the next hour-plus. Not a mention of players being selected by other teams during that time.

Later on the drive (let's not even discuss the turnpike traffic), when we got in range of WBAL, I heard the station's draft program, and Gerry Sandusky kept updating the players being taken (by then, it was the second round), not solely focusing on the Ravens.

And, in Maryland, the only toll I had to pay was heading north over the Tydings Bridge.

# # #

Years ago, I had the pleasure of sitting in the booth with Jon Miller as he called an Orioles game on radio. He kept a little egg timer in front of him, something he had read about from the great Red Barber. When the sand would run out, it was a reminder to give the score again.

Somebody give one to Fred Manfra. Tuning in on the same drive, we were looking for an update on the Orioles game after having been listening to the draft. We had to wait through several minutes, until the half-inning ended, before getting one.

If the likes of Barber and Miller don't think you end up repeating the score too often, then it sounds like a pretty good idea to me.

40-yard times: hit or myth (plus Friday basketball report) [Ray Frager's Medium Well]

2009-04-24T13:15:05-07:00

Darrius Heyward-Bey's 40-yard dash time at the NFL combine has been reported over and over in the sports media (including in The Baltimore Sun) as the fastest of all prospects this year, 4.3 seconds.

Very impressive. Except that the time -- like those assigned to just about all football players -- is probably best described by a word that used to be referred to as "a barnyard epithet." In other words, wrong.

No one is arguing Heyward-Bey isn't fast, but is he faster than the 'roided-up Ben Johnson was at the 1988 Olympics? Track experts figured out that when Johnson made his gold-medal-for-the-moment run, he covered 40 yards in 4.38. This piece about 40 times is four years old but well done and worth reading for NFL fans fed these inaccurate times by the league and the media.

# # #

On a gorgeous afternoon in the New America, the Sun pickup basketball game resumed. For the record, six appeared: Pesky Andy, Stevie G., B-Hop, Mr. Jones, Dead Man Walking and (making his debut) The Donald. It wasn't too bad for our first outing, until the dreaded injury happened. Pesky Andy was tripped up by Mr. Jones and went sprawling on the blacktop, his hand landing under his body and his face smacking the ground. Early diagnosis: sprained hand and scraped, bloody patches on his face.

Photo: Getty Images

NFL draft numbers [Ray Frager's Medium Well]

2009-04-23T08:50:18-07:00

Neil Best of Newsday has posted some stats regarding the NFL draft that have nothing to do with times in the 40 but are worth a look nonetheless.

Fair warning [Ray Frager's Medium Well]

2009-04-22T21:27:52-07:00

It appears the Friday Sun pickup basketball games are returning, so that means updates here. I'm certain many of you went into withdrawal during the absence of any mentions of Pesky Andy, Stevie G., Maryland Matt and B-Hop. If the Boy Columnist doesn't sprain his ankle while tying his sneakers, maybe he'll actually show this year.

Update on Vasquez [Ray Frager's Medium Well]

2009-04-22T10:02:30-07:00

Comcast SportsNet now says there will not be an exclusive interview with Greivis Vasquez Thursday. Maybe Vasquez could be announcing his plans today.

Greivis Vasquez to reveal plans on Comcast SportsNet [Ray Frager's Medium Well]

2009-04-22T09:13:16-07:00

Maryland's mercurial guard and critic of Conference USA, Greivis Vasquez, will announce his plans for next basketball season during Comcast SportsNet's SportsNite on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. Vasquez will tell Chick Hernandez whether he plans to enter the NBA draft.

Won't you take me to Hockeytown [Ray Frager's Medium Well]

2009-04-21T22:59:36-07:00

Fox 1370 Sports is carrying Caps playoff games, and talk guy Jerry Coleman was talking hockey Tuesday. The station certainly is differentiating itself from Baltimore's other sports stations, especially when you consider 1370 also carries the Wizards and thus talks NBA more than the other locals.

That's not to say you won't hear plenty of Ravens and Orioles talk during 1370's local shows, but I'd be curious to know how many listeners are drawn to the station by the NBA and NHL presence.

CBS floating in the stream [Ray Frager's Medium Well]

2009-04-21T09:00:34-07:00

Thanks to Fang's Bites for pointing out this Business Week piece about CBS, which apparently is collecting loads of dough from sports fans who want to watch events online. That might include the next Super Bowl, because CBS reportedly has approached the NFL about streaming the game.

Less screaming at ESPN [Ray Frager's Medium Well]

2009-04-20T21:56:21-07:00

Yes, I'm late to this, but I have an excuse: I was out of town for my niece's bat mitzvah and wasn't checking in on sports media news. (So what's my excuse for all the other times? I'll think of something.)

Anyway, Stephen A. Smith is leaving ESPN. Before Smith confirmed the news, it was reported by The Big Lead (warning: typically salty language in the comments).

I always found Smith best in small doses, useful for presenting contrarian positions but usually far too dismissive of opposing points of view. Still, Smith vs. Skip Bayless on First Take was a great way to waste five minutes of your time.

Boom goes the dynamite on WNST [Ray Frager's Medium Well]

2009-04-17T15:14:34-07:00

WNST's King of Baltimore Sportstalk competition landed a clip at Deadspin this week. A fellow named Chris had a bit of trouble remembering some names and seemed stunned by the fact that people affiliated with baseball were dying.

For a look at more of the folks who would be King, go to the station's Web site.

In other news ... [Ray Frager's Medium Well]

2009-04-16T09:19:48-07:00

You've probably heard this morning's news that John Madden is retiring from announcing.

In a related story, Frank Caliendo just put his house up for sale.

Madden retiring [Ray Frager's Medium Well]

2009-04-16T09:07:08-07:00

NBC announced this morning John Madden is retiring from broadcasting. Here is the network news release:

NBC Sports Chairman Dick Ebersol announced today that John Madden, Hall of Fame coach and the most honored broadcaster in sports television history, has decided to retire from broadcasting.

Madden issued the following statement today:

It's time. I'm 73 years old. My 50th wedding anniversary is this fall. I have two great sons and their families and my five grandchildren are at an age now when they know when I'm home and, more importantly, when I'm not...

It's been such a great ride... the NFL has been my life for more than 40 years, it has been my passion – it still is. I appreciate all of the people who are and were such an important part of the most enjoyable, most fun anyone could have... that great life with the teams, the players, the coaches, the owners, the League... my broadcasting partners Pat and Al... the production people and the fans...is still great... it's still fun and that's what it makes it hard and that's why it took me a few months to make a decision.

I still love every part of it – the travel, the practices, the game film, the games, seeing old friends and meeting new people... but I know this is the right time.

Preakness Beer Polka [O, by the Way]

2009-02-09T00:30:11-08:00

After hearing of the Maryland Jockey Club's decision to prohibit Preakness infield spectators/partyers/lunatics from bringing their own beer into Pimlico Race Course this year, we were reminded of an old polka standard, called "In heaven, there is no beer." And we thought that a re-do of that old ompah standard might give voice to the despair being felt by all those folks who are -- what else -- crying in their beer.

In case you're not a polka fan, there's an audio file below (no pictures) to go along with our lyrics that we like to call the "Preakness Beer Polka" or The Lament of the Infield Sots.

C'mon everone, sing along!

At the Preakness, we can’t bring beer
They’re gonna make us buy it there
We get volleyball babes instead
But they’re still collecting 50 bucks a head.

At the Preakness, we can’t bring booze
They insist there has to be new rules
So when it comes time to race
The infield won’t be such a big disgrace.

At the Preakness, we can’t bring brews
No sense in crying the blues
That porta-potty run was a hoot
But now it’s costing us a lot of loot.

At the Preakness, we can’t bring suds
Better pray those bands aren’t duds
‘Cause if this party’s a bore
We don’t wanna hear a bunch of horse manure.

Lunchtime music video: Double Yoi Polka [O, by the Way]

2009-01-30T10:02:59-08:00

As the Big Game approaches, I wanted to renew what had become something of a standing feature on this blog, which was running music videos that had some timeliness to them or were just plain fun. Just a little dessert to go along with your brown bag lunch. Well, there's a lot of sappy Super Bowl musical tributes to the Steelers out there on the Internet but I can't bring myself to run any of those.

However, one of the things associated with the Steelers that I can admit I am fond of is the late Myron Cope, the broadcaster with a voice that would make dogs howl. Myron, who was the first to laugh at himself and had the nerve to refer to Chuck Noll as the "Emperor Chaz," was also the originator of the Terrible Towel. So here's a music video that has some fun with Myron's favorite verbal expressions, such as, "Yoi!" and doesn't take the concept of Steeler Nation all that seriously.

Barbaro's brother preps for Saturday [O, by the Way]

2009-01-29T10:35:04-08:00

In today's Sun, we had a story reporting that Nicanor, a full-brother to Barbaro, will get his first career start on Saturday at Florida's Gulfstream Park. Frankly, no one knows how good this 3-year-old will be but the eighth race at Gulfstream is sure to draw more interest than any $40,000 maiden race in recent history. Right now, Nicanor is the favorite at 4-to-1.

In addition to Nicanor, the Barbaro immediate family line extends to still another full brother, 2-year-old Lentenor and to an unborn colt currently being carried by Barbaro's dam, La Ville Rouge. The folks who owned Barbaro, Roy and Gretchen Jackson of West Grove, Pa., also own Nicanor and Lentenor and the unborn colt. They had been hoping for a filly this time but they're getting another colt. The Jacksons also own La Ville Rouge but not the sire of Barbaro and his brothers, Dynaformer. If you're wondering about the names of the equine brothers, they are all named after foxhounds in a portrait also owned by the Jacksons.

Here are photos of Nicanor (top right) and Barbaro (bottom left) for comparison. They both have a forehead blaze but Nicanor has white on his nose. Peter Brette, Barbaro's exercise rider, is atop Nicanor as well in this photo.

Photos: Nicanor (Courtesy Gulfstream Park), Barbaro (Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)

Special places to watch not-so-special Super Bowl [O, by the Way]

2009-01-27T16:38:54-08:00

Good morning, Baltimore, or wherever you are out there in cyberspace. Sorry about the hiatus, and thanks to all who wrote to make sure I wasn't the victim of an alien abduction.

During the Ravens' playoff run, I was embedded in enemy encampments in Nashville and Pittsburgh in anticipation of those clashes. Now, we all watch from snowy Maryland as the Steelers and -- I can still hardly say this -- the Arizona Cardinals prepare for the Super Bowl in sunnier climes. If Ravens fans are disappointed, imagine how those Philadelphia Eagles fans must feel knowing that the only thing that stood in their way was a team that lost four games by more than 20 points.

On the list of Super Bowls, the 43rd edition is not particularly high on my personal must-see list. However, if one must watch, I’ve been compiling a list (albeit short one so far) of interesting places to watch the Big Game.

In no particular order:

1. The Playboy Mansion. Now that’s an attention-getter. Yes, you can celebrate the NFL's national holiday at Hef’s place as a guest of actress Brande Roderick of Baywatch fame (right). Actually, the party, called Game Day at the Playboy Mansion, is on the grounds of the grand house, but since 20 Playmates are expected to be attending, what's the difference. An organizer said about 1,000 people attended last year's party. There's a scheduled live performance by heavy metal rocker Bret Michaels, and much more including a cigar roller, massages and, of course, food. So how much, you ask? General admission is $1,500. A table for five is $10,000. And a cabana for 10 is $25,000. Here are the details, big spender. Warning: music automatically plays with the link -- you can turn it off at the bottom of the home page.

2. Somewhere in the mountains of Afghanistan. Probably not as comfy as the Playboy Mansion's lawn, but you will be sharing rations with genuine heroes. Raytheon, the folks who brought us the Patriot Missile, along with the Air Force, will provide the technology to beam the live broadcast of the Super Bowl to service men and service women in some of the most remote places where our military serves, such as the mountain outposts in Afghanistan, or in a submarine 800 feet beneath the surface. The technology is the same stuff used in unmanned aerial vehicles, such as the Predator, that send live images of battlefields.

3. Atlantis Casino, Paradise Island. It's a little short notice, but I like this one because you get to do something that the NFL squelched in Las Vegas, which is pay to attend a Super Bowl party where you can eat, drink and watch the game on a theater-sized screen -- even bet on it because the Atlantis has a sports book. The Super Sunday Game Party is $150 per person. It starts at 5:30 p.m., and guests get four hours of an open bar and food and, of course, the commemorative hat and T-shirt. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. No age restrictions. Call 1-800-ATLANTIS for information.

Photo: Michael Buckner/Getty Images

Ravens are focused but Sunday provided a lesson [O, by the Way]

2008-12-22T09:45:08-08:00

Two cautionary words for the Ravens.

Eagles.

Jets.

Yesterday, as Ravens fans were celebrating a spectacular win that kept Baltimore in charge of its own playoff destiny, two other teams that needed to win out to clinch their own playoff spots squandered the opportunities. And in both cases it was against teams that were out, or nearly out, of the running for the playoffs and should have been all that much more beatable.

The Eagles, who the Ravens actually helped with that victory over the Cowboys on Saturday night, failed to score a touchdown against the struggling Washington Redskins and were stopped a yard short of a game-tying touchdown. The Eagles now need to beat the Cowboys next week in Philadelphia and hope both Tampa Bay and Chicago loses. Good luck on that one since the Bucs play Oakland.

The Jets' loss was even more inexcusable, coming as it did against Seattle, which had nothing more to play for than the game was coach Mike Holmgren's home finale. Now New York needs a win against the Dolphins next week and a loss by either New England or -- and here's where I get back to the point, the Ravens.

Of course, Baltimore plays Jacksonville. The Jaguars have been out of the playoff hunt for weeks. But I do not expect the Ravens to emulate the sleep-walking Eagles or Jets. There are too many leaders on this team, especially on the defensive side. And the offensive side understands its identity and offensive coordinator Cam Cameron has proven that he has faith in the running game to provide the muscle and in rookie quarterback Joe Flacco to make the third-down conversion when needed.

Baugh, perhaps greatest ever, dies at 94 [O, by the Way]

2008-12-18T07:51:16-08:00

Sports fans love to talk in superlatives, especially who was the greatest in a given sport. Ruth in baseball. Gretzky in hockey. And then there are the debates. Jordan or Chamberlain? Bobby Jones or Tiger Woods? The differences in eras spice the discussion and make resolution impossible, and that's part of the fun.

Sammy Baugh, the great Redskins quarterback, just died at age 94 and when the conversation about greatest football players is joined, Baugh's name is right there. In my mind, there are three players in the debate about greatest football player -- and note, I'm making the distinction to say player apart from the single specialties that characterize the modern NFL. There's Jim Thorpe, Walter Payton and Baugh.

Thorpe played in the game's ancient era when running and kicking dominated and Thorpe excelled at both but passing had not yet become an established part of the game. Payton was a throwback in the Super Bowl era. He did everything well that a great running back should as a ball carrier, pass receiver and blocker. But he also could throw effectively -- he had eight career touchdown passes and even punted once. John Madden often remarked that in the single-platoon era, Payton would have been a great defensive back as well.

But Baugh did get to demonstrate his virtuosity in just about every phase of the game, as a quarterback, defensive back and punter. His numbers are extraordinary in every category. He led the NFL in passing six times, he still holds the single-season record for punting average, 51.4 yards, and he had 31 career interceptions. Perhaps, most importantly, like Ruth, he was a transformational player, changing his game forever -- in this case with the forward pass as an offensive weapon.

Debate if you will -- Thorpe, Payton, Baugh and whoever else may be included -- but Slingin' Sammy will always be in the discussion.

One more time: Ravens face most important regular-season game ever [O, by the Way]

2008-12-17T07:12:00-08:00

Talk about groundhog week.

Last week, all the talk was about how the Ravens’ game against Pittsburgh was the biggest regular-season game in franchise history.

Guess what, fans? Now Saturday night’s game against the Cowboys in Texas Stadium is the biggest regular-season game in franchise history.

The circumstances are incredibly similar. Just as the Steelers and Ravens found themselves in a struggle for AFC North supremacy last Sunday, Baltimore and Dallas are fighting for their playoff lives in a few days.

If the season ended today, the 9-5 Cowboys would be the NFC's No. 5 playoff seed. And if the season ended today, the 9-5 Ravens would be the AFC's No. 6 seed.

With just two games remaining, neither team can afford a slip.

In Las Vegas, the Cowboys are a consensus 4 ½-point favorite. This also happens to be the last game in Texas Stadium before Jerry Jones moves the ‘Pokes into that gazillion dollar space station he’s building out there. Cowboy legends will be crawling all over the place for farewell ceremonies but for all the talk about history’s motivation, this 2008 Dallas team needs no more motivation than its own legacy of playoff futility. You know, the best team ever to never win a playoff game.

This is a weird bunch, these Cowboys. They are bent into a pretzel by internal disharmony and sometimes their play reflects that. But last weekend, when they had every excuse to implode, they put together a great performance against the Giants in Texas Stadium. The Cowboys have been playing well at home –- they’re 6-1 so far. The Ravens have been a decent road team, 4-3.

As far as matchups are concerned, Dallas Morning News sports writer Rick Gosselin points out that the Cowboys have had more difficulties with big backs (Brandon Jacobs, Steven Jackson) than speed backs, which brings Le’Ron McClain into the discussion as a key factor. But against Pittsburgh, the absence of Ray Rice seemed to remove a dimension that gives the Ravens’ offense some big-play threat. A couple of plays from Rice have gone a long way in a few games this season.

On the other side, the Ravens have their hands full accounting for all those Cowboys’ receivers. Terrell Owens, Roy Williams, Jason Witten, even Patrick Crayton and Miles Austin. Obviously, that means the Ravens have to choke off the Cowboys passing game where it originates, in the pocket.

Sure, history will be the theme of Saturday’s game as Dallas trots out the Roger Staubachs and the Bob Lillys –- Cowboys who ended their careers long before the Ravens even arrived in Baltimore. But athletes live in the now. These Cowboys who close out Texas Stadium will be more concerned about surviving into the playoffs. And for these Ravens, that building with the hole in the roof in Irving is just another place where they can make a little history of their own.