Thanks also to those of you have brought coats out to one of our “Thursday Night Live” shows with Dennis Pitta the last couple of weeks, and thanks to those of you who have stopped by The Zone Superstore studios in Towson this week with your coats as well.

We’re coming down to the nitty gritty as far as collecting coats goes this year. We’ll be making our annual donation on behalf of the WNST.net community to Helping Up Mission Tuesday.

But we’ve got one more big to-do left to get you to step up and bring us some coats!

I want to introduce you to my new friend Zack Merrick. He’s the good looking guy sitting between Dennis Pitta and I at McFaul’s IronHorse Tavern last Thursday…

Zack is a Towson High School graduate, big fan of the Baltimore Ravens and Baltimore Orioles and has a neat job touring the world as part of a little band called “All Time Low”. Here the boys are playing “For Baltimore” recently at the MLB Fan Cave in New York…

They look like they’re having fun. They’re also a REALLY big deal. If you’re saying to yourself “I’m not sure I’m familiar with All Time Low”, you might want to ask your kids. They have about a half a million Twitter followers and you couldn’t have sold an internal organ to get a ticket to one of their two recent Charm City shows.

Like I said, big deal.

So with everybody kinda bummed about the Ravens’ recent slide, Zack and I decided it would be a good idea to throw a Purple Friday Pep Rally Friday on “The Reality Check”. He’s going to join me in studio from 3-6pm, he’ll be taking over as GM of my team during “Your Picks Are Nasty”, we’ll be chatting with Ravens TE Ed Dickson and we MIGHT even bring back “The Airing of the Grievances” this week to celebrate Festivus.

But the much more important part is the part where Zack has offered to help to raise coats.

Zack has offered to sign autographs/pose for pictures with anyone who brings in ten or more coats (and other warm gear) to the Zone Superstore Studios Friday afternoon between 3 and 6pm. THIS WOULD MAKE A GREAT HOLIDAY GIFT FOR SOMEONE YOU KNOW-YOU JUST DON’T REALIZE THAT AT THE MOMENT.

It’s as simple as that. You get ten coats. Raid your closet. Raid your kids’ closets. Raid your neighbors’ closets. Raid the thrift store down the street. Wherever they are, get the coats together.

Once you do, e-mail me (glenn@wnst.net) to let me know when you’re coming. THEN, head to 1550 Hart Rd. here in Towson Friday afternoon to meet Zack.

And if for some reason meeting Zack Merrick isn’t really your thing, I have tickets for the Coppin State-Towson game next Wednesday at Towson Center AND I still have a few copies of “The Bourne Legacy” on Blu-Ray as well.

Anything I’m forgetting? Let me know.

See you Friday afternoon. Go Ravens!

-G

The post We’re winding down our coat drive, but I’ve got one more offer for donations appeared first on We Never Stop Talking Baltimore Sports.

Mark Reynolds is gone. Peter Angelos is cheap.

There’s a lot going on, but not everything is changing.

It’s been an active few days here in Charm City, as you could tell on-air Monday on AM1570 WNST.net. We’re going to be even more active in the community over the next few days, and we need you to be a part of it.

On December 18, we’ll be making our annual donation to the Helping Up Mission downtown. If you’re not familiar with the work of the Mission, I encourage you to head to their website. I’m always overwhelmed by the work that group is doing every year when we get down there. The Helping Up Mission welcomes men who are absolutely broken-due to poverty, homelessness, addiction, etc. and works to get them back on their feet and return them to the community. They also work as an overnight shelter to keep people off the street at night.

This is the third straight year we’re collecting coats here at WNST. Our friends at Enoch Office Equipment partner with us annually, as they allow people to drop off coats at their office and then help us transport them downtown. Here’s a picture they posted on their Facebook page last year of just a few of the coats and one of the men from the Mission…

We’re up against it a bit this year, as we need to make the donation ONE WEEK FROM TODAY (Tuesday, December 18) and we’ve been off to a bit of a slow start because there’s just been so much going on. We NEED to step it up.

We need you to bring us your coats. We also need your jackets, sweaters, sweatshirts, hats, gloves, mittens, scarves and any other warm clothes you can gather up. We need your old clothes and your new clothes. We need your clothes that don’t fit. We need your clothes with the one button missing. We need men’s clothes, but we also need clothes for women, kids and even babies. You have to keep in mind that many of these mean have children and families and will not be able to give gifts without donations.

We need to lift up those less fortunate this holiday season. We need to help keep our community warm as the temperatures eventually stay below 40 for a few months. Keep in mind-winter doesn’t even officially start for more than a week.

So we’re gathering together Tuesday night to celebrate and raise coats. Our annual coat drive hits Buffalo Wild Wings in White Marsh (at the White Marsh Mall). Drew Forrester will be over there at 6pm, Ryan Chell and I will head that way as soon as “The Reality Check” goes off the air. We’ll be collecting coats, talking sports, eating asian zing wings (or maybe even other types of wings), drinking beer and just hanging out. No radio show, no silly events, just the opportunity to hang out with fellow members of the WNST.net community and do some good this holiday season.

To further entice you to hang out with us Tuesday night, it’s $.50 traditional wing night at B-Dubs and anyone who brings at least one coat will receive a $5 gift card. Since Mr. Radcliffe did a hell of a job teaching me math at Perry Hall High School, I can tell you with assurance that means a single coat will get you ten free wings. I’m absolutely certain I’ll be taking advantage of this.

It’s going to be a great night and I can’t wait to see everybody out there. I REALLY hope you’ll be bringing out coats. John Harbaugh said Monday “my charge…is to maximize the opportunities for our team to win.” Our charge as members of the WNST.net community is to lift up those in need. This is a simple opportunity to do just that and have a great time hanging out with other Baltimore sports fans.

You all did an amazing job coming through for the community during our annual canned food drive…

…we need you to come through similarly in the next week with warm clothes.

If for some reason you can’t make it Tuesday night, there are some more options for donating coats this week. Nestor Aparicio will be back at the White Marsh Mall Wednesday night for Santa Spirit Night and would gladly take your donation then. We’ll be at Greenmount Station in Hampstead with Dennis Pitta Thursday night for “Thursday Night Live” presented by Freedmont Mortgage at 7pm. The Weekend Warriors will be at Top Hat Cue Club on Satyr Hill Rd. Saturday from 12-3pm and would also be happy to accept donations. You can also stop by any day Monday-Friday 6am-6pm (until next Tuesday at 10am) at the Zone Superstore Studios at 1550 Hart Rd. in Towson with your donation.

But we REALLY hope to see you Tuesday night at BWW White Marsh.

Let’s celebrate community service at least HALF as much as we celebrated a coach getting fired Monday.

Please?

-G

The post There’s a lot going on right now, but we need you to come through tonight appeared first on We Never Stop Talking Baltimore Sports.

I think we’ve all had a sinking feeling over the course of the last few weeks, as we’ve realized Thanksgiving is happening on the earliest possible date on the calendar-next Thursday, November 22nd.

It’s with that in mind that I’m making one last push for you guys to help us out before then.

The last few years, Drew Forrester and I (with the incredible help of Nestor Aparicio and the rest of the WNST Staff, as well as Enoch Office Equipment) have collected canned goods and other non-perishable food items to help make Thanksgiving and the entire holiday season brighter for the less fortunate in the Baltimore area.

You know what? I misspoke there.

YOU all have collected the cans, we’ve just tried to pitch in and help out all of you.

When I was part of “The Morning Reaction”, I used to try to explain it this way.

All of us are part of the WNST Community. As hosts, we’re just the part of the community that has microphones in front of us. Otherwise, we’re just part of the group. The community isn’t necessarily people who are fans of Drew, Nestor, Luke Jones, Catch The Buzz, Thyrl Nelson or myself; the community is made up of Baltimoreans who are sports fans.

We fall into that group. We’re Baltimore Ravens fans. We’re Baltimore Orioles fans. We’re Maryland Terrapins and Towson Tigers and Baltimore Blast and UMBC Retrievers and Morgan State Bears and Navy Midshipmen and Coppin State Eagles and Loyola Greyhounds and Calvert how the Calvert Hall Cardinals and Perry Hall Gators fans.

It’s a community I’m incredibly proud to call myself a part of. In fact, I have made it clear I was a part of the WNST community long before I ever worked at WNST. I was a part of the WNST community from the inception of the outlet. I was a part of the WNST community when I was working at the community of living in Arizona.

Some of the members of the WNST community are going to need our help to have a more meaningful holiday season.

I’ll never…EVER…forget when a listener and caller who is a REGULAR at WNST events approached me a few years ago and told me it meant a little bit more to them to be donating to our effort because it had only been a few years earlier that they found themselves at a shelter needing the donations of others not only to provide a holiday celebration, but just to get by.

Once again, that listener was in the studio at 1550 Hart Rd. in Towson last week making their annual donation to our efforts. It warmed my heart in a way I couldn’t possibly explain.

I don’t want to sound like I’m begging, but I’m absolutely begging.

We got off to a great start to our canned good drive thanks to some significant donations early in November. But as our deadline approaches next Tuesday, we NEED you guys to step up a bit.

We’ll be taking our food donations to the Canton Baptist Church food kitchen and the Bea Gaddy Thanksgiving Dinner again this year, but we have to make the donation next TUESDAY the 20th. We’re up against it.

So I’m making one more push.

We usually do an annual “hangout” night during the food drive. Unfortunately between our WNST.net live Ravens player shows, Hurricane Sandy, an election and a trip to Brooklyn, it was almost impossible for us to work out a date before the early Thanksgiving date.

Instead, I’m hoping you’ll come hang out with us this Thursday night. Bud Light Thursday Night Live presented by Freedmont Mortgage is at The Grill at Harryman House, 340 Main Street in Reisterstown. Our host is Ravens TE Dennis Pitta, his special guest is LB Dannell Ellerbe-who has been playing as well if not better than any Ravens defensive player recently.

If you come out Thursday night and bring me canned goods/other non-perishable food items, I will give you a “PRIORITY” spot at the front of the line to meet the guys. I’ll also throw in a pair of tickets to the Maryland/Towson women’s basketball game December 11th at the Towson Center. I know damn well you’ll be begging me for tickets to this game (I remember because you were doing the same thing the last time the Terrapins visited Towson) which will likely end up sold out. I have ten pairs of tickets, so the first ten of you to bring me canned goods Thursday night will get them.

Also, I’ll be hanging out after the show Thursday night in the Tavern Room at The Grill at Harryman House, checking out the Bills/Dolphins game, debating the merits of whether or not the Orioles should sign Jonny Gomes, doing vodka shots in honor of Alex Len, trying out quarterbacks who could play against Florida State next week and talking about some little football game in the Steel City Sunday night.

I’m hoping to convince Drew, Luke and Ryan to stick around as well and hang out after the show. It should be a good time.

We’ll do the same thing next Monday night at Hooters in Towson for Monday Night Live.

If you can’t get out to either show, we’d LOVE to have you stop by the station any day between now and Tuesday with your donations.

We need to get this done Baltimore. We owe this to those who need it this holiday season, have needed in the past and might need it in the future.

These are O’s fans. They’re Ravens fans and Terps fans. They need us. Like Bruce Springsteen would say, we need to take care of our own.

Hope to see you Thursday night.

-G

The post Okay…we only have a few days left…we NEED your help! appeared first on We Never Stop Talking Baltimore Sports.

The 2012 WNST Charity Golf Classic is ONLY open to the first 22 teams to register, so get your foursome together today and sign-up by e-mailing Drew Forrester (drew@wnst.net). Please note there is not a registration form — you MUST e-mail Drew to register your team.

This year’s event promises to be the best one yet. The 2012 WNST Charity Golf Classic will benefit Matt Birk’s HIKE Foundation, and the Ravens’ center will be on hand at Pine Ridge to greet golfers, pose for photos and speak to the group at the post-golf awards dinner.

EVERY player receives an individually framed photo of themselves with Matt Birk.

Your entry fee of $150 per-player/$600 per foursome includes golf, dinner & prizes after the event and the photo with Birk. Checks should be made payable to “Maryland Golf Live, Inc.”

When: Tuesday, October 9
Time: 1:00pm shotgun start (Registration begins at Noon)
Where: Pine Ridge Golf Course, Timonium

We are ONLY accepting 22 teams for this year’s event, ensuring a smooth pace of play and less congestion during our outing. The 2011 Classic was completed in 4 hours, 20 minutes.

All four players MUST have a handicap that can be verified.

Prizes will be awarded for the teams with the lowest gross score and the lowest net score.

To register your team, e-mail Drew (drew@wnst.net), and you will receive a confirmation e-mail that ackowledges your team is in the event. Once you’ve received that confirmation e-mail, you have 7 days to reply with your foursome information (name/handicap, etc.).

Payment in full is due no later than September 25. Any teams not paid in full by September 25 will be removed from the registration list.

Questions? E-mail Drew Forrester at (drew@wnst.net).

The post Join us for 2012 WNST Charity Golf Classic on October 9 at Pine Ridge appeared first on We Never Stop Talking Baltimore Sports.

#3

The Baltimore Ravens didn’t do anything on day one of the 2012 NFL Draft but they were certainly busy on day two and day three. In case you misssed it here is the complete Ravens 2012 Draft:

We all had a chance to go out and meet Alabama Linebacker Courtney Upshaw, Iowa St. Tackle Kelechi Osemele and Temple Running Back Bernard Pierce on Saturday.  My initial impression was that Upshaw is the real deal who is anxious to come in and compete day one. I know a lot of Ravens fans were hoping for Donta Hightower to come in to be the heir apparent to Ray Lewis at the ILB position. Instead they get a guy that could possibly replace Jarett Johnson.

Kelechi Osemele is a little bit more of a raw talent that may take a little while longer to integrate himself into the Ravens starting Offensive Line. He will have to slide inside to the Guard position. I don’t see him unseating Michael Oher as the Right Tackle on this team anytime soon.

Bernard Pierce will compete for the back-up Running Back position. He is anxious to get into camp and show the Ravens what he can do. Pierce’s biggest challenge will be acclamating himself to the Ravens passing game. Bernard wasn’t a big part of the passing game at Temple, and if he wants to get on the field he will need to work on learning the Ravens protection schemes. Here’s Bernard sharing his thoughts with “Bulldog” and I.

#2

6,000 fans descended on the Ridley Sports Complex to watch the Loyola Greyhounds take on the Johns Hopkins Blue Jays. How big was this game? Here is the blog post from Geoff Shannon from Inside Lacrosse before the game:

The line winding up the hill into the Woodberry neighborhood (where the Ridley Athletic Complex is officially located) is already stretched back to Coldspring Lane in North Baltimore, as the anticipation builds for the Charles Street Rivalry matchup between No. 1 Loyola University and No. 11 Johns Hopkins.

A lot was at stake in this one. Loyola was looking to wrap up a top four seed in the NCAA Tournament and Hopkins was looking to knock off #1 for the second time this season (they defeated Virginia 11-10 in OT at Charlottesville earlier this year). Hopkins came out on fire and built a 5-0 lead on the undefeated Greyhounds. Loyola showed that they deserved their #1 ranking with a furious four goal, fourth quarter rally that culminated in Justin Ward’s game tying goal with just :05 left in regulation. The Blue Jays got the game winning goal from Rob Guida with just :02 seconds left.  Here’s the game winner courtesy of the Loyola Webstream. (It’s absolutely ridiculous that this game was not on TV or radio)

http://www.hopkinssports.com/allaccess/?media=317664

#1

I don’t know whether its the fact that I’m not used to seeing the O’s win or that it was Matt “The Untouchable” Wieters who tied the game in the ninth yesterday, but in any event the Orioles come from behind victory is #1 this week. How clutch has Wilson Betemit been for this O’s team? Remember two weeks ago I was talking about him hitting a clutch home run in the eighth inning to tie up the game  in Toronto. Now he’s belting game winning, ninth inning homers. The Orioles won five games all of last year when they were trailing after seven innings. Now they have won five games when trailing after seven innings in the month of April.  Everyone will remember Betemit’s three-run homer, but this game was won and lost by plays that were made and not made at first base. It was 2-0 A’s headed into the bottom of the ninth. It could have been a lot worse if it wasn’t for the O’s defense. In particular Mark Reynolds had a great day with the glove at first base. Reynolds made a great play early in the game when Tommy Hunter’s throw was into the runner. Reynolds was quick enough to make the catch and get out of the way of the runner. Reynolds stole a double in the 4th inning. He snagged Kila Ka’aihue grounder that was headed into right field, and turned the 3-6-3 double play. Oakland A’s First Baseman Daric Barton wasn’t as good in the ninth inning. You certainly are not going to blame Barton for the A’s loss on Sunday, but he could have been a difference maker for the Athletics. J.J. Hardy started the inning with a ground ball up the middle. A’s Second Baseman Eric Sogard got to the ball but he one hopped the throw to first. That’s a do or die play for a first baseman. If Barton makes the play it’s the first out of the inning. Instead he can’t make the scoop and now the tying run is at the plate. Next up was Adam Jones. His soft tapper to the left of the mound was fielded by A’s pitcher Bartolo Colon. Colon had to rush his throw and once again Barton was in a do or die position when the throw bounced in front of him. If Barton makes the tough handle he keeps the winning run from coming to the plate. Instead he can’t make the play and now the tying run is on second and the winning run comes to the plate. The rest is history and it’s another great win for the O’s. Right now they are doing the little things that win ballgames and they have great momentum heading to New York and Boston.

The best non-sports event of the weekend.

Without doubt it was the 4th annual Jonathan Ogden Poker Tournament at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Timonium. The hold em tournament is always a good time. It was great to see J.O. and guys like former Ravens OT Spencer Folau and Ravens Long Snapper Morgan Cox. My night of Holdem ended early when my A K was knocked out by J 7 but that’s the way it goes sometimes. I still had fun playing Black Jack with Morgan Cox’s wife Lauren and Kori. I also got a chance to catch up with my old friend Skip Conrey. Skip used to hang out with us when we did the Tony Siragusa show at the Barn. Wow those were the days. (pictures below)

Until next time…

The post What had happened was… appeared first on We Never Stop Talking Baltimore Sports.

For this first blog I want to share with you some of the other things we will be doing on the show. I have learned a lot of things since my last full time stint on the radio. I have been fortunate to be in a position to help others and it has been a very rewarding experience. I have worked for the Ed Block Courage Award Foundation and I have also done some work with Baltimore Blast Asst. Coach David Bascome and the Hope4Life program in Bermuda. Those two foundations will also be a big part of our show.

The post Time to start another chapter of my life appeared first on We Never Stop Talking Baltimore Sports.

The radio show will be hosted by Glenn Clark, Drew Forrester, Luke Jones and Nestor Aparicio and will begin at 7 p.m. at Bill Bateman’s at 9629 Bel Air Road in Perry Hall.

Because of the large crowds we’re expecting here are some guidelines and what to expect if you are planning to attend:

We will be selling autograph tickets for $25 each to the first 100 people starting at 5 p.m. All of the money will go to the Living Classrooms Foundation. Flacco will not be available to meet or take photographs beyond the 100 purchasers.

One lucky winner at the end of the show will be invited to join the private dinner with Flacco at the conclusion of the radio show at 8 p.m.

- ONLY ONE autographed item only for the ticket holders and no pictures (there’s simply not enough time to accommodate 100 pictures in addition to the autographs.

- Show starts at 7 and dinner starts at 8.

We hope to see you tonight at Bateman’s in Perry Hall with Joe Flacco!

The post Come say hi to Joe Flacco LIVE at Bateman’s Perry Hall tonight appeared first on We Never Stop Talking Baltimore Sports.

This is your last chance to be eligible by making a tax deductible contribution to LCF here by becoming a Fu Five Fighter For Flacco.

We are closing off the contest at midnight on Thursday, March 22 and our dinner with be held on Monday, April 2nd at Bateman’s in Perry Hall. All winners will be notified this weekend.

All donations are appreciated. We’ll also be holding a special live radio show with Joe Flacco on April 2nd that is open to the public as well.

The post Last chance to donate & win dinner with Joe Flacco! appeared first on We Never Stop Talking Baltimore Sports.

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All of you know I’m in the locker room, asking questions, posting videos, texting and Tweeting and Facebooking all sorts of insights, observations, jokes and information from Baltimore Ravens’ games.

This was the last thing on my video reel after the game — before Drew Forrester and Luke Jones joined me on the field to recap the game and the missed Billy Cundiff field goal reenactment by our morning show host.

As Luke and I walked out of Gillette Stadium and through the purple confetti our final words were: “If Ray Lewis can find peace with this game 15 minutes after it’s over then maybe we should find a way as well.”

Watch this video. I think it might change your mood…it certainly changed ours!

The post Ray Lewis gives us all some food for thought after loss in New England appeared first on We Never Stop Talking Baltimore Sports.