Blast Announces 11 Returning Players

Millwood and Lookingland are Among the Veterans Set to Return to the Field

Baltimore – Baltimore Blast President and General Manager Kevin Healey announced today that the team has re-signed 11 players from last year’s squad, pending league approval.  The returning players are forwards Machel Millwood, Adauto Neto, Lucio Gonzaga, Adriano Dos Santos and J.T. Noone; midfielder Max Ferdinand and defenders Mike Lookingland, Pat Healey, Ptah Myers, Mike Deasel and Stephen DeRoux.  The Blast will open the 2012-13 MISL season on November 3 against the Chicago Soul at 1^st Mariner Arena.

Head coach Danny Kelly and assistant coach David Bascome will also return for their seventh season together as the team’s coaching staff.  Millwood, a 2012 All-MISL Second-Team selection, becomes the team’s longest-tenured player as he prepares to return for his ninth season in Baltimore.  Millwood was among the team’s scoring leaders last season with 26 goals and 16 assists for 71 points.  Lookingland, the team captain and the 2012 MISL Defender of the Year, will be back for his eighth season with the Blast.  A three-time champion, Lookingland led the Blast’s defensive core with 34 points in 2011-12.  Ferdinand led the Blast with 72 points last year and was named First-Team All-MISL, just two seasons after being named Rookie of the Year in 2010.

“This group has a lot of offer, ” said Blast head coach Danny Kelly.  “There’s experience and youth, as well as guys that can change a game on both sides of the ball.  With the willingness to prepare and put in the work, I believe this group can help us compete for an MISL Championship.”

Healey, the 2009 NISL Rookie of the Year, moved to a defensive position last season and led the team with 33 blocks.  Neto, the 2006 MISL MVP who has won two championships with the Blast, is entering his sixth season in a Blast uniform.  He ranked third on the team with 49 points last season and boasts 150 career goals.  Gonzaga, who missed the entire 2011-12 season while recovering from knee surgery, will be back on the field for his fifth season in Baltimore.

Myers, a nine-year veteran, is back for his second season with the Blast after recording 11 points and 18 blocks last season.  Dos Santos, is back for his third season in Baltimore, and Noone, DeRoux and Deasel, rookies last season, all are returning for another season.  DeRoux was named to the MISL All-Rookie team after posting 10 goals and one assist for 22 points; Noone ranked sixth on the team with 33 points.

“GOALS FOR DANIEL” PROGRAM WILL RAISE MONEY FOR PERRY HALL RESIDENT DANIEL BOROWY 

Baltimore – The Baltimore Blast announced today that the team has partnered with the family of Daniel Borowy to create the “Goals for Daniel” program to raise money for medical costs for Daniel Borowy, the 17-year-old victim of the Perry Hall High School shooting that took place on August 24.  Borowy, who underwent three surgeries after the shooting, has recently returned home to continue his recovery.

Goals for Daniel will kick off on October 13 with a soccer marathon at Honeygo Regional Park from 2-6 p.m.  Soccer players, students and members of the Perry Hall community and the surrounding areas will raise money for their participation in small-sided 6 vs. 6 soccer games. All proceeds from the soccer marathon will go directly to the Borowy family.  The soccer marathon will also feature a small-sided game between Blast players and participants from the Allied Sports Program.

Daniel, a 17-year-old special-needs student at Perry Hall Senior High School, has a love of sports including soccer, basketball, baseball, softball, bowling, swimming, horseback riding, tennis, gymnastics, hiking and climbing.  He has been an active participant in the Allied Sports Program through PHHS, Harford County’s Discovery League for individuals with disabilities, the Parkville Recreation Conquerors Program and Kingsville Recreation. Daniel also loves to dance, especially to the music of his favorite singer, Lady Gaga.

“I am really excited that this event will not only raise funds for Daniel’s medical expenses but also raise awareness of the need to kick bullying and violence out of our schools,” said Carissa Smith, a close friend of Daniel’s sister who approached the Blast with the idea for a fundraising partnership.  “We all need to respect and be patient with each other’s differences.  Thanks to his athletic interests, he is strong enough to get through this. If you have ever met him you know that he would never hurt anyone. He didn’t deserve this at all. I hope to see him a month from now, singing in the car, turning the music up too loud, and doing everything he can do to make me laugh.”

In addition to the soccer marathon, the Blast will also host Goals for Daniel night at 1^st Mariner Arena on November 3.  Students from all over Baltimore County will be invited to attend the Blast’s opening night game and the team will donate a portion of ticket sales to Borowy’s family.

Additionally, the Blast players will continue to visit local Elementary, Middle and High Schools, urging students to learn from this incident and others like it.  The Blast diversity and respect school program, which highlights the diversity among the Blast teammates, features a soccer volleyball game between Blast players and school teachers along with the message that people who come from different backgrounds with vastly diverse experiences and beliefs can successfully work together as a team to reach a common goal.  Additional information on the Blast School Program is available at www.baltimoreblast.com.

“The Blast is happy to be able to help Daniel and his family,” said Blast President and General Manager Kevin Healey.  “We always are looking for ways to make a positive impact on our community.  This event will be a fun way to help Daniel and raise money for his medical bills.  We encourage everyone to participate.”

The soccer marathon teams will be broken into travel, rec and just for fun levels of play and each player must raise a minimum of $20 in order to participate.  Teams and groups who want to participate in the Goals for Daniel soccer marathon should fill out the entry form available on www.baltimoreblast.com or call Mike Conway at 410-558-4292.

Season tickets and mini plans are on sale now through the Blast office at 410-73-BLAST.  Single-game tickets will go on sale on October 1 and will be available at the 1^st Mariner Arena Box Office and at all TicketMaster outlets including TicketMaster phone charge at 410-547-SEAT.  Tickets can also be purchased online atwww.ticketmaster.com.  For additional information on Blast tickets, call the Blast at 410-73-BLAST.

BLAST ANNOUNCES 2012-13 SCHEDULE

The 33^rd Season of Indoor Soccer in Baltimore Will Begin on November 3

Baltimore – The Baltimore Blast released its 2012-13 schedule today, with the action slated to kick off on Saturday, November 3 at 1st Mariner Arena against the Chicago Soul, the MISL’s newest addition.  The Blast will play 26 regular season games, 13 at home and 13 on the road, and will compete against teams from Milwaukee, Missouri, Syracuse, Rochester, Wichita and Chicago.

In a rematch of the 2011 and 2012 MISL Championships, the Blast and Wave will meet for the first time this season on November 16 in Baltimore.  The two teams, who boast the fiercest and longest-standing rivalry in the MISL, will play each other four times during the 2012-13 regular season.

The MISL Playoffs will begin with the semifinals March 8-10, featuring matchups between the No. 1 and No. 4 seeds and the No. 2 and No. 3 seeds. Each pair will meet in a home-and-home series with a mini game following the second game if needed.  The championship will follow the same format on March 15-17. The higher seed will have the option to choose which game it hosts.

The MISL Board of Governors increased each team’s number of regular season games from 24 to 26 beginning with the 2012-13 season, adding two games for each team without increasing the length of the regular season. The Governors also voted for a single-table format, eliminating the past divisional alignment.

Keeping with the Baltimore Blast tradition of affordable family entertainment, fans will be treated to various promotional items throughout the season.  The team will also host a variety of theme nights including Hall of Fame night, Boy and Girl Scout nights and a post-game Christian concert featuring Thousand Foot Krutch on January 25.

Season tickets, mini plans and single-game tickets for the 2012-13 Blast season will go on sale soon.  Season tickets and mini plans will be available through the Blast office at 410-73-BLAST.  Single-game tickets will be available at the 1^st Mariner Arena Box Office and at all TicketMaster outlets including TicketMaster phone charge at 410-547-SEAT.  Tickets can also be purchased online atwww.ticketmaster.com.  For additional information on Blast tickets, call the Blast at 410-73-BLAST.

BALTIMORE BLAST 2012-13 SCHEDULE

Date                                                  Opponent                                Eastern Time

Saturday, November 3                                 vs. Chicago Soul                                   7:35 p.m.

Friday, November 9                                      vs. Chicago Soul                                   7:35 p.m.

Saturday, November 10                               vs. Syracuse Silver Knights                 7:35 p.m.

Friday, November 16                                    vs. Milwaukee Wave                            7:35 p.m.

Saturday, November 17                                    at Rochester Lancers                               7:00 p.m.

Friday, November 23                                        at Wichita Wings                                     8:35 p.m.

Saturday, November 24                                    at Missouri Comets                                  8:35 p.m.

Friday, December 7                                       vs. Wichita Wings                                 7:35 p.m.

Saturday, December 15                               vs. Missouri Comets                             7:35 p.m.

Friday, December 21                                        at Chicago Soul                                       8:30 p.m.

Saturday, December 22                                    at Milwaukee Wave                                  7:00 p.m.

Tuesday, January 1                                          at Rochester Lancers                               4:00 p.m.

Friday, January 4                                          vs. Rochester Lancers                          7:35 p.m.

Saturday, January 5                                     vs. Rochester Lancers                          7:35 p.m.

Friday, January 11                                            at Chicago Soul                                       8:30 p.m.

Saturday, January 12                                       at Milwaukee Wave                                  7:00 p.m.

Friday, January 18                                            at Syracuse Silver Knights                        7:30 p.m.

Sunday, January 20                                          at Syracuse Silver Knights                        1:30 p.m.

Friday, January 25                                        vs. Rochester Lancers                          7:35 p.m.

Saturday, January 26                                   vs. Missouri Comets                             7:35 p.m.

Friday, February 1                                            at Syracuse Silver Knights                        7:30 p.m.

Saturday, February 2                                    vs. Syracuse Silver Knights                 7:35 p.m.

Friday, February 8                                            at Wichita Wings                                     8:35 p.m.

Sunday, February 10                                        at Missouri Comets                                  4:10 p.m.

Saturday, February 16                                 vs. Wichita Wings                                 7:35 p.m.

Saturday, February 23                                 vs. Milwaukee Wave                            7:35 p.m.

Honorable Mention: Boxing-Victor Ortiz vs. Joselito Lopez (Saturday 9pm from Los Angeles live on Showtime); WNBA: Washington Mystics @ Phoenix Mercury (Wednesday 10pm from Phoenix live on WNBA.com), Washington Mystics @ Seattle Storm (Sunday 7pm from Seattle live on WNBA.com); Pro Lacrosse: MLL Boston Cannons @ Chesapeake Bayhawks (Saturday 7pm from Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium live on Comcast SportsNet); U.S. Olympic Trials: Diving (Wednesday 12am & 10pm Thursday 10pm Friday 11pm live on NBC Sports Network, Saturday 4pm Sunday 3pm live on NBC. All diving from Federal Way, WA); Track & Field (Friday 9pm live on NBC Sports Network Saturday 8pm Sunday 7pm live on NBC Monday 9pm live on NBC Sports Network. All track from Eugene, OR); Swimming (Monday 6:30pm live on NBC Sports Network 8pm live on NBC. All swimming from Omaha)

10. Earth, Wind & Fire (Thursday 6pm Pier Six Pavilion), Childish Gambino (Saturday 6:30pm Pier Six Pavilion); Rascal Flatts/Little Big Town (Saturday 7pm Jiffy Lube Live); Counting Crows (Wednesday 7pm Wolf Trap), Diana Krall (Tuesday 7:30pm Meyerhoff Symphony Hall Thursday 8pm Wolf Trap); Jill Scott (Thursday 7pm Verizon Center); LMFAO (Monday 7pm Patriot Center); Mr. Greengenes (Friday 8pm Power Plant Live); Tech N9ne/Machine Gun Kelly (Tuesday 8pm Baltimore Soundstage), Ice Cube/Wale/DJ Khaled (Wednesday 8pm Baltimore Soundstage); Deanna Bogart Band (Saturday 8:30pm Rams Head on Stage); The Hives (Tuesday 7pm 9:30 Club), Modest Mouse (Wednesday & Thursday 7pm 9:30 Club); Fiona Apple (Wednesday 8pm Modell Performing Arts Center at The Lyric); Stephen Kellogg & The Sixers (Friday & Saturday 8pm Jammin’ Java); Del Ray Music Festival feat. Pat McGee (Mt. Vernon Recreation Center Fields Alexandria); Ringo Starr (Sunday 7pm Meyerhoff Symphony Hall); Safeway National Capital Barbecue Battle feat. Soul Asylum/Cowboy Mouth (Saturday & Sunday Pennsylvania Avenue DC); Smashing Pumpkins “Oceania” and Kenny Chesney “Welcome to the Fishbowl” available in stores/on iTunes (Tuesday)

I like Donald Glover on “Community” (Six seasons and a movie!) and all, but I was always skeptical about him as a performer. But honestly, not bad (lyrics NSFW)…

Quick. Favorite Counting Crows song ever. I’ll go with this…

Wale and Kevin Durant have something in common. I like them both a LOT but would like them a hell of a lot more if they weren’t Redskins fans…

Fiona Apple is coming to town. Anyone remember their awkward feelings about seeing her in her underwear in the “Criminal” video? I can’t tell you how confused I was about myself watching it the first time…

9. Aziz Ansari (Friday 7:30pm Meyerhoff Symphony Hall); Paul Mooney (Thursday-Sunday Baltimore Comedy Factory); Jim Gaffigan (Thursday DC Improv); “Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter”, “Seeking A Friend For The End Of The World” & “Brave” out in theaters (Friday)

If you don’t think Aziz Ansari is funny I don’t think this conversation is going anywhere and we might want to consider talking to other people…

Also, I think I AM planning on a midnight screening for ALVH Thursday night. I’m hoping to come dressed like this…

If you don’t go see this movie you’re a terrible American.

ARLINGTON, Va. – The Washington Capitals have released their 2012 preseason schedule, vice president and general manager George McPhee announced today. The schedule features seven games against four opponents and includes three games at Verizon Center. The Capitals will face-off against the Columbus Blue Jackets in the second-annual Baltimore Hockey Classic at 1st Mariner Arena in Baltimore on September 26.

Washington will open the preseason on Tuesday, Sept. 25 (7 p.m.), at Verizon Center in a rematch of the 2012 Eastern Conference quarterfinals vs. the Boston Bruins. The Capitals will begin their preseason road schedule on Sunday, Sept. 30 (5 p.m.), at Detroit versus the Red Wings.

The team’s preseason home schedule includes the Nashville Predators on Friday, Oct. 5 (7 p.m.), and Detroit on Sunday, Oct. 7 (5 p.m.). In addition, Washington will play exhibition games on the road against Columbus on Monday, Oct. 1 (7 p.m.), and at Boston on Wednesday, Oct. 3 (7 p.m.).

The Capitals were 3-3-1 in the preseason last year, and their all-time preseason record is 143-115-29-10.

Each preseason game will be broadcast live on WashingtonCaps.com. The complete 2012-13 NHL regular season schedule will be released at a later date.

Honorable Mention: Golf-PGA Tour FedEx St. Jude Classic (Thursday & Friday 3pm live on Golf Channel Saturday & Sunday 3pm live on CBS. All golf from Memphis), Champions Tour Regions Tradition (Thursday & Friday 6:30pm Saturday & Sunday 7:30pm from Shoal Creek, AL on Golf Channel), Wegmans LPGA Championship (Thursday & Friday 12pm Saturday & Sunday 2pm from Pittsford, NY live on Golf Channel); WNBA: New York Liberty @ Washington Mystics (Friday 7pm from Verizon Center live on Comcast SportsNet); Mixed Martial Arts: UFC on FX 3-Demetrious Johnson vs. Ian McCall (Friday 9pm from Sunrise, FL live on FX); Pro Lacrosse: MLL Charlotte Hounds @ Chesapeake Bayhawks (Saturday 7pm from Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium live on Comcast SportsNet/ESPN3.com)

10. Gavin DeGraw & Colbie Caillat (Sunday 6pm Pier Six Pavilion); Foster The People (Sunday 5:30pm Merriweather Post Pavilion); Carbon Leaf/Civil Twilight (Saturday 7pm Rams Head Live); Hawthorne Heights (Sunday 5pm Recher Theatre); Victor Wooten (Tuesday 8pm Rams Head on Stage), Edwin McCain (Thursday 8pm Rams Head on Stage), Little River Band (Sunday 1pm Rams Head on Stage), Marshall Tucker Band (Sunday 8pm Rams Head on Stage), Bootsy Collins (Monday 8pm Rams Head on Stage); Jimmy Cliff (Thursday 7pm 9:30 Club); The Wailers (Tuesday 8pm Howard Theatre); Beach Boys “That’s Why God Made The Radio” available in stores/on iTunes (Tuesday)

There was a time in my life when I genuinely enjoyed the tunes of Gavin DeGraw. Maybe that’s not something I should be broadcasting…

Since Foster The People are coming to town and the Beach Boys are putting out a new record, here’s FTP’s EXCELLENT take on the greatest Beach Boys tune of all time…

Any excuse to share a Carbon Leaf tune is a good one…

I wish I could go to RHL Saturday night. Civil Twilight is excellent too…

9. “Prometheus” opens in theaters (Friday); “Safe House“, “John Carter” and “Act of Valor” available on Blu-Ray/DVD (Tuesday); Greg Proops (Thursday-Sunday DC Improv); Doug Benson (Saturday Baltimore Comedy Factory); Honfest (Saturday & Sunday Hampden); Maryland Wine Week begins (Friday)

You know Prometheus as THAT MOVIE EVERYONE IN THE WORLD WANTS TO SEE. Well, at least until “Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter” comes out, at which point they might as well just stop making movies.

Honestly, there is no single greater gift you could ever purchase me than this movie poster…

Honorable Mention: WNBA-Chicago Sky @ Washington Mystics (Saturday 7pm Verizon Center); Mixed Martial Arts: UFC on FUEL TV 3-”Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung vs. Dustin Poirier (Tuesday 8pm from Patriot Center live on FUEL TV); Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix Final-Josh Barnett vs. Daniel Cormier (Saturday 10pm from San Jose live on Showtime); Bellator Fighting Championships 69 (Friday 8pm from Lake Charles, LA live on MTV2); Golf: PGA Tour HP Byron Nelson Championship (Thursday & Friday 3pm live on Golf Channel, Saturday & Sunday 3pm live on CBS. All golf from Irving, TX), LPGA Tour Sybase Match Play Championship (Thursday & Friday 6:30pm Saturday 3pm Sunday 4pm from Gladstone, NJ live on Golf Channel); Pro Lacrosse: MLL Chesapeake Bayhawks @ Hamilton Nationals (Friday 11am from Hamilton, Ontario, Canada live on ESPN3.com); Tennis: ATP Tour & WTA Tour Internazionali BNL d’Italia (Tuesday-Saturday 6am Sunday 7:30am from Rome live on Tennis Channel); Women’s College Lacrosse: NCAA Tournament-Loyola @ Maryland (Saturday 12pm Field Hockey & Lacrosse Complex)

10. Infieldfest feat. Maroon 5, Wiz Khalifa, Little Big Town, The Darkness (Saturday 11am Pimlico Race Course); New Edition (Sunday 7pm 1st Mariner Arena); Black Keys/Arctic Monkeys (Friday 6:30pm Merriweather Post Pavilion), Lucinda Williams/Drive-By Truckers (Saturday 6:30pm Merriweather Post Pavilion), Lady Antebellum/Darius Rucker (Sunday 5:30pm Merriweather Post Pavilion); Styx/REO Speedwagon/Ted Nugent (Friday 7pm Jiffy Lube Live); Buckcherry/Foxy Shazam (Thursday 7:30pm Power Plant Live), Mr. Greengenes (Friday 8pm Power Plant Live); 2 Skinnee J’s/All Mighty Senators (Friday 8pm Rams Head Live); Kenny Wayne Shepherd (Tuesday 8pm Rams Head on Stage, Thursday 8pm Howard Theatre); Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros (Tuesday 7pm 9:30 Club), SOJA (Friday 7pm Saturday 8pm 9:30 Club); Fishbone (Thursday 7pm State Theatre); Less Than Jake/Ballyhoo! (Friday 8pm Rock N Roll Hotel); Chesapeake Bay Blues Festival feat. Jonny Lang, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Big Head Todd and the Monsters (Saturday & Sunday Sandy Point State Park); Justin Jones & The Driving Rain (Monday 7pm Ottobar); Night of 1000 Dylans (Friday 7:30pm Creative Alliance); Tenacious D “Rize of the Fenix” available in stores/on iTunes (Tuesday)

Totally underrated Black Keys tune? “I Got Mine.” See you at MPP Friday night…

If Maroon 5 promised to not play a song they’ve released in the last 10 years I’d be excited to see them Saturday. But if they did nothing but tunes from “Songs About Jane” I would be in…

If you haven’t seen Darius Rucker play country music, you’re going to have to trust me. He kicks a little ass…

I’m hoping Justin Jones will stop by the studio Monday. He’s quite talented…

9. Brian Regan (Friday & Saturday Warner Theatre); John Henton (Thursday-Saturday Baltimore Comedy Factory); Bobby Slayton (Thursday-Sunday DC Improv); “The Dictator” (Wednesday), “Battleship” and “Crooked Arrows” (Friday) open in theaters; “The Grey” available on Blu-Ray/DVD (Tuesday); Preakness Crab Derby (Thursday 12pm Lexington Market); Preakness Frog Hop (Wednesday 12pm Patterson Park)

Crab races? Okay I guess. MUCH more kickass? PIG races.

And as far as the frog hop goes, I think you already know which frog I’ll be pulling for…

Honorable Mention: Soccer-MISL DC United @ San Jose Earthquakes (Wednesday 10:30pm from San Jose live on Comcast SportsNet PLUS), DC United @ Toronto FC (Saturday 4pm from Toronto live on Comcast SportsNet PLUS); Pro Lacrosse-MLL Ohio Machine @ Chesapeake Bayhawks (Saturday 7pm from Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium live on Comcast SportsNet/ESPN3.com); Women’s College Lacrosse: NCAA Tournament-Monmouth @ Towson (Saturday 7pm Unitas Stadium)

10. Lynyrd Skynyrd (Friday 6:30pm Pier Six Pavilion), Chicago (Sunday 6pm Pier Six Pavilion); Lupe Fiasco (Thursday 8pm Patriot Center); Slash feat. Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators (Thursday 7pm Rams Head Live), George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic (Friday 8pm Rams Head Live), P.O.D. (Sunday 6pm Rams Head Live); Marilyn Manson (Tuesday 8pm Fillmore Silver Spring), Korn (Friday 8pm Fillmore Silver Spring); The Bad Plus (Tuesday 8pm Howard Theatre); fun. (Thursday 7pm Friday 8pm 9:30 Club), Eric Hutchinson (Saturday 8pm 9:30 Club), Rusted Root (Sunday 7pm 9:30 Club), Willie Nelson and Family (Monday 7pm 9:30 Club); Bob Schneider (Wednesday 7:30pm Birchmere), Mint Condition (Thursday & Friday 7:30pm Birchmere); Norah Jones “Little Broken Hearts” available in stores/on iTunes (Tuesday)

If I were going to be in town, I’d head to the Inner Harbor to check out Chicago. Honestly…

I like Eric Hutchinson. I also like women. I understand this comes as a surprise to many.

Bob Schneider made one of the best tunes of 2012…

“This is a fun tune from Norah Jones” uttered the man for the first time EVER…

9. Cirque du Soleil Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL (Saturday & Sunday 1st Mariner Arena); D.L. Hughley (Friday-Sunday Baltimore Comedy Factory); Gilbert Gottfried (Friday-Sunday DC Improv); “The Avengers” in theaters (Friday); “Haywire” available on Blu-Ray/DVD (Tuesday)

I don’t like to speak out of line, but if you don’t go see “The Avengers” within hours of its’ release, you are almost certainly a terrorist.

Tony Stark is the greatest fake human being of all time.

Oh-and did you not remember Haywire? Haywire was the one where Gina Carano…you know I’m just going to go ahead and stop there.

Honorable Mention: Mixed Martial Arts-Bellator Fighting Championships 67 (Friday 8pm from Ontario, Canada live on MTV2); Boxing: Friday Night Fights-Ismayl Sillakh vs. Denis Grachev (Friday 10pm from Austin, TX live on ESPN2), Thomas Oosthuizen vs. Marcus Johnson (Friday 11pm from Miami, OK live on Showtime), Bernard Hopkins vs. Chad Dawson (Saturday 10:15pm from Atlantic City live on HBO), Vyacheslav Senchenko vs. Paulie Malignaggi (Sunday 1pm from Donetsk, Ukraine live on Pay-Per-View); Tennis: ATP Tour Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell (Thursday 7:30am Friday 6:30am Sunday 10am from Barcelona live on Tennis Channel), WTA Tour Porsche Tennis Grand Prix (Saturday 8am & 12pm Sunday 12:30pm from Stuttgart, Germany live on Tennis Channel); Women’s College Lacrosse: Georgetown @ Maryland (Wednesday 7pm Field Hockey & Lacrosse Complex College Park)

10. Rammstein (Wednesday 8pm 1st Mariner Arena), Trans-Siberian Orchestra (Sunday 8pm 1st Mariner Arena); Shinedown (Wednesday 6pm Rams Head Live), All-American Rejects (Sunday 7pm Rams Head Live); Bob Schneider (Saturday 8pm 8×10 Club); Pat McGee Band (Friday & Saturday 8pm Rams Head on Stage); Punch Brothers (Friday 8pm 9:30 Club); Creed (Tuesday 8pm Warner Theatre); Kottonmouth Kings (Wednesday 6:30pm Sonar); Chuck Berry (Saturday 8pm Howard Theatre); Mac Miller (Thursday 6:30pm Pier Six Pavilion); Nellie McKay (Thursday 6:30pm Birchmere); Candlebox (Monday 8pm Fillmore Silver Spring); Sweetlife Festival feat. Kid Cudi, Fitz and the Tantrums, Fun. (Saturday 12pm Merriweather Post Pavilion); Death Cab For Cutie (Monday 8pm Strathmore); Nickelback/Bush/Seether (Monday 6pm Verizon Center); Jack White “Blunderbuss” available in stores/on iTunes (Tuesday)

TSO didn’t post in Charm City this Christmas, and you know someone who was bitter. I’d be willing to go see them Sunday night though, their Beethoven stuff is also awesome…

Does anyone just want to GIVE me tickets to the Punch Brothers show Friday night? Most of you haven’t given me a birthday present in years.

Enjoy skateboarding? Hip-hop? Marijuana? Here’s Kid Cudi…

Jack White is sorta becoming that “I don’t care what he does I’m just going to like it” man for the 21st century. Are we still in the 21st century?

9. “The Raven” and “The Five-Year Engagement” out in theaters (Friday); “Contraband” available on Blu-Ray/DVD (Tuesday); Tom Brokaw (Tuesday 8pm Meyerhoff Symphony Hall); Sugarloaf Crafts Festival (Friday-Sunday Timonium Fairgrounds)

I’d love to dissect Jason Segel’s new flick (I think it actually looks good) or try to figure out what the hell they do at the Sugarloaf Crafts Festival, but I don’t know where else in T10BD I’d be able to post this picture of a frog sitting on a bench like a human…

We all agree this is the greatest picture of all time, right?

ARLINGTON, Va. – The Washington Capitals will face the Columbus Blue Jackets in the second Baltimore Hockey Classic presented by W.R. Grace on Wednesday, Sept. 26, 2012, at 7 p.m. at 1st Mariner Arena in Baltimore, Capitals general manager George McPhee, 1st Mariner Arena/SMG general manager Frank Remesch and president of the Baltimore City Council Bernard C. “Jack” Young announced today.

“We are excited to return to Baltimore,” said Capitals president Dick Patrick. “The overwhelming support from the city of Baltimore and our fans in Maryland made this decision to return for a second-consecutive season an easy one.”

Last year’s inaugural Baltimore Hockey Classic, which featured the Nashville Predators and Washington Capitals kicking off the Capitals’ 2011-12 preseason schedule, sold out as the capacity crowd of 11,082 fans enjoyed the first professional hockey game played in Baltimore since 1997.

Every Washington Capitals full-season account holder will have the opportunity to purchase tickets for the Baltimore Hockey Classic presented by W.R. Grace beginning Friday, April 20, at 10 a.m. Details on ticket availability and pricing will be sent to full season-ticket holders when they become available. All other fans interested in attending the event are encouraged to purchase their tickets when they go on sale on Monday, April 23, at 10 a.m.

The Capitals clinched their fifth-straight playoff berth in 2011-12, marking the longest streak of playoff appearances in franchise history since their 14-straight postseason trips from the 1982-83 season through 1995-96. The streak of five straight playoff appearances is tied for the fourth-longest active playoff streak in the NHL. For the third consecutive year, the Capitals sold out all of their homes games and set a club record with 147 consecutive sellouts dating back to 2008-09 (including playoffs). Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin finished the 2011-12 season ranked fifth in the NHL with 38 goals and scored his 30th goal of the season on March 18 in Chicago to become the ninth player in NHL history to score 30 or more goals in each of his first seven seasons in the league.

The Washington Capitals called Landover, Md., home from 1974-1997. They played their home games at the Capital Centre before moving to downtown Washington, D.C., for the 1997-98 season.

From 1981-1993, Baltimore was home to the Skipjacks, a minor league affiliate that began in the Atlantic Coast Hockey League and then moved to the American Hockey League. The Jacks were affiliated with the Boston Bruins, Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals before moving to Portland, Maine, after the 1992-93 season. Former Capitals legends Don Beaupre and Olie Kolzig, to name a few, spent some of their minor league careers in Baltimore. The Baltimore Bandits, AHL affiliate of the Anaheim Ducks, played at 1^st Mariner Arena from 1995-97.

The 1st Mariner Arena, formerly the Baltimore Arena, is Baltimore’s largest indoor venue and entertainment facility and has long been considered an anchor that contributed to the growth and prosperity of Baltimore. The arena opened in 1962 and was the cornerstone of the Baltimore Inner Harbor redevelopment. It hosts an average of 130 events and more than a half million guests come through the turnstiles annually.

For more information on The Baltimore Classic presented by W.R. Grace or 1st Mariner Arena, please visit www.WashingtonCaps.com or www.1stMarinerArena.com.