These were selected by….Glenn Clark. Enjoy!

Honorable Mention: Orioles sign Miguel Tejada, Maryland names Kevin Anderson Athletic Director, Navy pounds Notre Dame at Meadowlands, Ravens beat Jets on Monday Night Football, Maryland field hockey wins National Championship, Shogun Fights II & III come to 1st Mariner Arena, John Tillman hired as Maryland lacrosse coach, Ravens sign T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Trice Capra reaches 3rd round of U.S. Open, Terrapins hold off Midshipmen in Labor Day thriller at M&T Bank Stadium, Cliff Tucker buries Georgia Tech with incredible buzzer beater

10. Danny O’Brien breaks out as Maryland tops NC State

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nz6qO2a5nRI[/youtube]

Maybe the “moment” should be O’Brien getting his first start against Florida International. Unfortunately, no one was at Byrd Stadium that day and even fewer were watching on ESPN3.com.

Maybe the “moment” should be Maryland’s battle against Florida State in College Park where O’Brien nearly beat the Seminoles and gave the Terrapins a chance to play in the ACC Championship Game. But the Terps lost that game.

So I’ll stick with the season closer. It was an epic breakout performance from a freshman quarterback that offered hope to Maryland fans that change had come.

Of course, change was really STILL to come.

9. Ravens trade for Anquan Boldin

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=itI56uxrbeU[/youtube]

If you actually go to the page for that YouTube video, you’ll find multiple Super Bowl related comments.

That was the immediate feeling when the Ravens traded two NFL Draft picks to the Arizona Cardinals for Boldin. Since that time, the Boldin deal has looked…well…not quite as overwhelming. But it doesn’t change the moment.

In that moment, the Ravens became the “Offseason Champs”, an honor the Washington Redskins had owned for years.

The difference? The Ravens till have a chance to be the REAL champs as well.

8. Baltimore Grand Prix officially announced

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ntu-FrV9ufY[/youtube]

Look, I’M not a fan of the IndyCar Series myself. Well, other than Danica Patrick anyway.

And I have NO IDEA how many folks in Baltimore could EVER tell you who Will Power or Dario Franchitti were.

But if the Baltimore Grand Prix raises as much money for the city as Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake and Governor Martin O’Malley say it will, this could be a MAJOR moment for this area.

7. The return of the Preakness infield

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHLL8YQmCoA[/youtube]

After the “miserable failure” (my own words, folks) that was the 2009 Preakness “Infieldfest” event, the Maryland Jockey Club hit a home run in 2010.

Pimlico’s infield was covered in people thanks to a $20 “All you can drink” ticket that replaced the previous BYOB experience and an awesome musical combination or O.A.R. and Zac Brown Band (which was LIGHT YEARS better than ZZ Top and Buckcherry the previous year).

It was an awesome event. Hopefully there will be another one.

By the way, does anyone remember who won the Preakness this year?

(Edit from GMC: It was Lookin at Lucky. I ALMOST had to go to Wikipedia to jog my memory.)

6. Duke beats Virginia in lacrosse Final Four

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3g2YHrYETk[/youtube]

Maybe Notre Dame’s improbable run to the National Championship Game or the Blue Devils’ thrilling Memorial Day win over the Fighting Irish were bigger stories; but the Saturday showdown between the Cavaliers and Devils was absolutely EPIC.

The impact of Yeardley Love’s murder added to the buildup surrounding the game, as Cavs coach Dom Starsia was reminded of George Huguely’s name throughout the NCAA Tournament. Also adding to the buildup was the presence of the final class of “Super Seniors” from Duke, as the NCAA granted all Duke players an extra year of eligibility following the scandal that rocked the Durham campus in 2006.

The game was even better than the incredible buildup. Max Quinzani’s game winner with 13 seconds left finished off what had been one of the more incredible quarters of lacrosse ever seen in Charm City.

This will be the only entry on the list that doesn’t involve a local team. It was good enough that it doesn’t matter.

5. Orioles hire Buck Showalter

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STRgnJzuHxc[/youtube]

When I gave my “Local Sports Person of the Year” vote to Buck Showalter, I said his hiring represented the first real “hope” Birds fans had experienced since the 2005 campaign, when the team reached the All-Star Game still leading the American League Wild Card race.

What happened with the O’s down the stretch (a 34-23 finish under Showalter) means little if the team does not build upon it. But the hope that came with the incredible finish was that the team COULD build upon it.

We’ll see.

But it certainly doesn’t change the level of excitement that came with Showalter’s hiring and incredible two month run. If things truly turn around for the Orioles, it will be marked as the actual moment of change.

4. Joe Flacco finds TJ Houshmandzadeh to beat Steelers in Pittsburgh

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJIHpJLRWog[/youtube]

I’m pretty sure my column that day said it all.

The Ravens were ABSOLUTELY on their way to another crushing loss at Heinz Field; and I wasn’t going to believe it wouldn’t end that way until the moment Houshmandzadeh hauled in the Flacco TD toss.

The Ravens QB had never lead his team from behind to win in the final two minutes of regulation.

That changed.

Had the Ravens held on to finish the sweep of the Steelers at M&T Bank Stadium; the win would have meant even more.

3. Maryland beats Duke to (essentially) clinch ACC regular season title

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wiIW27uR56s[/youtube]

As I stated when he was voted “Local Sports Person of the Year”, this was the defining moment for Greivis Vasquez.

Beating good teams at Comcast Center has been somewhat commonplace for the Terps in the Gary Williams era. In fact, Maryland had knocked off North Carolina in College Park just a season earlier. (Both the 2009 Tar Heels and this year’s Blue Devils would go on to win the NCAA Championship.)

Yet somehow, this particular win over a good team was more satisfying. It probably had a lot to do with the fact that it was Senior Night for Vasquez, Eric Hayes and Landon Milbourne. It probably had a lot to do with the fact that the win would ultimately prove to be the difference as the Terps would split the ACC regular season title.

More than anything, it probably had everything to do with the fact that it was Duke.

Wins ALWAYS feel better when they come against Duke.

2. Ravens go to Foxborough, beat New England Patriots in AFC playoffs

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MwFU4xYzV4[/youtube]

If it had been a round (or definitely two rounds) later, this would have been a slam dunk #1 on the list. Unfortunately, the flat performance in a divisional round loss to the Indianapolis Colts a week later took some of the excitement out of the win at Gillette Stadium.

That being said, the emotions of a dominant win over a Bill Belichick/Tom Brady lead team on the road won’t be forgotten for some time.

It was even more emotional when the story of Matthew Costello (son of WMAR anchor Jamie Costello) giving Cam Cameron the play call for Ray Rice’s opening play TD came out.

It was a huge win and an awesome feeling. It’s just a shame it didn’t extend towards the Super Bowl.

1. Reggie Holmes breaks Morgan State’s all-time scoring record in win over Coppin State

I was there for #2, #3 and #4. This was better.

The emotions inside Hill Field House were incredible.

It was Senior Night, the final home game for star guard Reggie Holmes.

Holmes was announced as MEAC Player of the Year. Kevin Thompson was announced as MEAC Defensive Player of the Year. Dewayne Jackson was announced as MEAC Freshman of the Year. Todd Bozeman was announced as MEAC Coach of the Year.

Holmes’ entire neighborhood (Cherry Hill) was in the stands…and actually rushed the floor PREGAME. The game started more than an hour late.

Holmes needed 33 points to break Marvin “The Eraser” Webster’s Bears career scoring record. He scored 36 in a blowout win.

It was incredible.

It represented everything that makes college basketball in Baltimore great. It represented everything that makes Baltimore sports great.

It was the best moment of the year.

Flexing my mic muscles since 1983…

-G

Ralph Friedgen and the Terps weren’t taking their latest trip to Charlottesville for granted, and how could they?

With their Atlantic Division title hopes still in their own hands and having lost eight of their last nine at Scott Stadium, Maryland used a 21-point fourth quarter to take care of business in a convincing 42-23 win over the Cavaliers Saturday night.

Freshman running back D.J. Adams scored three touchdowns and freshman quarterback Danny O’Brien tossed two scores and ran for one, as the Terps improved to 7-3 overall and 4-2 in the ACC, setting up a primetime battle against Florida State in College Park next week.

We’ve doubted the Terrapins all season, because of a soft schedule and the fresh memory of a 2-10 record in 2009, but it’s time to start giving credit where it’s due. Issues remain for the Maryland football program that won’t be resolved overnight — the future of the coaching staff at the top of the list — but Friedgen has this group playing efficient, opportunistic football.

Recent history made it easy to envision the Terps falling flat against the Cavaliers after a heartbreaking 26-20 loss at Miami last week, a game in which the freshman O’Brien played the worst game of his young career and the defense struggled throughout the afternoon and folded on the final drive.

Instead, O’Brien threw for 289 yards against a formidable Virginia pass defense, including fourth-quarter touchdown passes to Torrey Smith (7 catches for 157 yards) and Da’Rel Scott that transformed a two-point deficit through three quarters into a comfortable 19-point win. The Terps went 6-for-6 inside the red zone to account for their 42 points.

Don Brown’s defense struggled to pressure Virginia quarterback Marc Verica and surrendered 20 first-half points, but held the Cavaliers to just a field goal after intermission and picked off Verica twice in a stout second-half effort.

As they have throughout the season, the Terps limited their mistakes (no turnovers) unlike the Cavaliers who committed 16 penalties for 145 yards and two second-half turnovers.

In many ways, Saturday’s win was a microcosm of how improbable this season has been. Who would have guessed Adams — who totaled just two carries all season against teams not named Morgan State and Wake Forest — would cure Maryland’s struggles inside the red zone with three touchdown runs from inside the 10?

And who would have predicted this team would snap a three-game losing streak against Virginia and win for only the second time in Maryland’s last 10 trips to Charlottesville, a place of horrors for over a decade? As we saw two years ago when the Terps went there as a two-touchdown favorite and were lambasted 31-0, a win over the Cavaliers can never be taken for granted, even with Virginia’s 4-6 record in 2010.

Whether you’re a believer in Friedgen and the current staff, or one of the many shouting for drastic change to a program that’s fallen on difficult times over the last several years, it’s time to acknowledge this is a pretty good football team — at least how it relates to a soft ACC — and credit a group of players determined to put a disastrous 2009 season behind them.

Maryland will undoubtedly be a home underdog next Saturday when the Seminoles invade Byrd Stadium with the Atlantic Division up for grabs (N.C. State is also very much in the picture), but this Florida State team isn’t one of the unbeatable squads coached by Bobby Bowden in the mid-90s. If the Terps play mistake-free football as they have so often this year, it’s not impossible envisioning a victory at Byrd Stadium, which will hopefully be packed to support an unlikely success story.

Regardless of what happens in their final two games against Florida State and N.C. State, Friedgen and the Terps are playing with house money after reaching the seven-win plateau and assuring themselves of a bowl game in a season in which they were picked to finish last in the Atlantic Division.

Friedgen spoke two weeks ago about his team reaching its “minimum” goal of bowl eligibility after picking up its sixth win of the season against Wake Forest. With Saturday’s win at Virginia, the Terps kept themselves in position for their maximum goal of an ACC Championship.

While it still seems unlikely, it’s becoming more conceivable every week.

Honorable Mention: Auto Racing-NASCAR AAA Texas 500 (Sunday 3pm from Fort Worth live on ESPN); College Soccer: William & Mary @ Maryland (Tuesday 7:30pm Ludwig Field), Coastal Carolina @ Maryland (Friday 7:30pm Ludwig Field); Boxing-Jimmy Lange vs. Joe Wyatt (Saturday 7pm Patriot Center); ShoBox-Edwin Rodriguez vs. James McGirt, Jr. (Friday 11pm from Fargo, North Dakota live on Showtime), Juan Manuel Lopez vs. Rafael Marquez/Allan Green vs. Glen Johnson (Saturday 10pm from Las Vegas live on Showtime); Zab Judah vs. Lucas Matthysse (Saturday 11:15pm from Newark, NJ live on HBO); NHL: Toronto Maple Leafs @ Washington Capitals (Wednesday 7pm from Verizon Center live on NHL Network & Comcast SportsNet), Boston Bruins @ Washington Capitals (Friday 7pm from Verizon Center live on NHL Network & Comcast SportsNet), Philadelphia Flyers @ Washington Capitals (Sunday 5pm from Verizon Center live on NHL Network & Comcast SportsNet)

10. The Cult (Tuesday 7pm Rams Head Live), Little Big Town (Wednesday 7:30pm Rams Head Live), Wolf Parade (Friday 8pm Rams Head Live), Social Distortion (Saturday 7pm Rams Head Live), La Roux (Sunday 7pm Rams Head Live); All Mighty Senators (Saturday 8pm 8×10 Club); Phil Vassar (Sunday 7:30pm Rams Head On Stage); The Script (Tuesday 7pm 9:30 Club), Ra Ra Riot (Friday 6:30pm 9:30 Club), Umphrey’s McGee (Friday & Saturday 10pm 9:30 Club); Blue Man Group (Tuesday-Friday 8pm, Saturday 2pm & 8pm, Sunday 1pm & 6:30pm Hippodrome), Interpol (Wednesday 7pm D.A.R. Constitution Hall), Kevin Hart (Friday 8pm & 10:30pm D.A.R. Constitution Hall); Bedouin Soundclash (Thursday 8:30pm Rock N Roll Hotel); Jaron And The Long Road To Leave (Thursday 8:30pm State Theatre), Soulive (Friday 9pm State Theatre); Daniel Tosh (Friday 7:30pm & 10:30pm Warner Theatre), Vince Vaughn & Kevin James (Monday 8pm Warner Theatre); Don McLean (Sunday 7:30pm Birchmere); Good Charlotte “Cardiology” available in stores/on iTunes (Tuesday), “Toy Story 3″ available on DVD/Blu-Ray (Tuesday), “Megamind” opens in theaters (Friday)

Not everyone likes country music. But I like country music. At least country music when Little Big Town is playing it…

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-XfthjK-bk[/youtube]

Mike Ness is one of the toughest dudes on the face of the planet. I feel like not only could he play a gig with Social D in Charm City this weekend, but he could possibly play safety for the Ravens as well if Dawan Landry were to get hurt…

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oh8zcbC_Dcw[/youtube]

Some people think it isn’t very manly to be a fan of The Script. To those people I say, “why in the hell would you have thought I was manly otherwise?”

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gS9o1FAszdk[/youtube]

Drew Forrester and I are going to see Ra Ra Riot Friday night in DC. I’m planning on telling everyone that my grandfather actually does have fairly decent taste in music.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kKkxXaeAhzY[/youtube]

9. World Championship Punkin Chunkin (Friday-Sunday Nassau, Delaware)

This is certainly outside the radius of what I would usually consider “local”, but it’s also awesome enough that I’m going to be forced to let it slide.

Seriously, how in the hell can you argue with an event like THIS?

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpfGGWK46pc[/youtube]

8. Lingerie Football League: Orlando Fantasy @ Baltimore Charm (Friday 9pm 1st Mariner Arena)

I don’t consider myself an expert on the LFL by any stretch of the imagination, but I feel like it has to be somewhat disappointing that the Charm have been outscored 93-6 in their first two games of the year.

That being said, I still like it would be unfair to label the team as 0-2 for the season. Mostly because that would mean we’re labeling anyone involved with the LFL as losers…

7. Pro Wrestling: TNA “Turning Point” (Sunday 8pm from Orlando live on Pay-Per-View)

Mr. Anderson is facing Jeff Hardy at Turning Point for the strap. But that’s not what I’m most interested in. Instead, I’m much more interested in the match between the Motor City Machine Guns and Team 3D. Why? Because Team 3D is FREAKING AWESOME…

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vsWt_Gh-n9A[/youtube]

6. High School Football: Perry Hall @ Hereford (Friday 7pm), Glen Burnie @ Chesapeake-Anne Arundel County (Friday 6:30pm)

As always, my PHHS Gators are coming off a blowout win (56-15 over Milford Mill) and Forrester’s Gophers are coming off a blowout loss (44-6 to North County).

But Hereford is always a tricky trip for my Gators. Which bothers me, because there is no team I want to beat more than the Bulls every season.

Why’s that?

Picture a 14 year old Glenn Clark sitting in front of window at 6am…staring out at a thin layer of snow/ice and listening to Dave Durian on WBAL…

“Baltimore County Schools…two hours late…”

YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I DIDN’T DO ANY OF MY HOMEWORK LAST NIGHT AND I COULD REALLY USE ANOTHER 45 MINUTES OF SLEEP!!!!!!!

“…Hereford Zone only.”

WHAT?!?!?!?!? NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So to my Gators…I don’t ask for much. But PLEASE. Win this for all of us who ever had to have our hearts broken by hearing the words “Hereford Zone only.”

Love, G.

5. NBA: Philadelphia 76ers @ Washington Wizards (Tuesday 7pm from Verizon Center live on Comcast SportsNet), Washington Wizards @ New York Knicks (Friday 7:30pm from New York live on Comcast SportsNet PLUS), Cleveland Cavaliers @ Washington Wizards (Saturday 7pm from Verizon Center live on Comcast SportsNet)

Since the ‘Zards appear to stink again this year, thank God Ted Leonsis and company have a favorable schedule. I mean, not even two weeks into the season and they’re already getting a visit from LeBron James and the Cavs!

Oh. No? Well at least they have other good things going on in DC. For example…

Oh Thank God for Rex Grossman. He couldn’t happen to a better group of A-holes.

4. College Basketball: 2K Sports Classic-Seattle @ Maryland (Monday 8pm from Comcast Center live on Comcast SportsNet), Shepherd @ Loyola (Thursday 7pm Reitz Arena); Women’s College Basketball: Gallaudet @ Maryland (Tuesday 7pm Comcast Center), District of Columbia @ Maryland (Sunday 2pm Comcast Center)

Oh College Basketball how I love thee and how much I have missed thee.

Seriously-there are few things in life that I love HALF as much as I love College Basketball.

Off the top of my head, I’d say I love O.A.R., Chris Farley movies and Belgian Wheat beers as much as I love College Basketball. Nothing else.

Well….maybe this…

3. College Football: Maryland @ Miami (Saturday 12pm from Miami live on ESPNU), Navy @ East Carolina (Saturday 3:30pm from Greenville, NC live on MASN)

Okay, I REALLY don’t think the Terrapins are that good.

I know they’re 6-2. I know they’re now 3-1 in the ACC. I know they just hung 62 points on Wake Forest. I know there’s a chance Jacory Harris might not play for the Hurricanes Saturday, and the ‘Canes just lost a game to effing Virginia ANYWAY.

I’m just still not convinced Ralph Friedgen’s Terps are THAT good. But I’ve been wrong before.

For example, I was told recently that there were some new pictures of a gal named Jarah Mariano that deserved a gander. My response was “I bet they’re not that great.”

I was wrong. (Thanks Guyism!)

2. Horse Racing: Breeders’ Cup (Friday 4pm live on ESPN2, Saturday 1:30pm live on ABC, Saturday 3:30pm live on ESPN. All racing from Louisville, KY)

I can’t believe I’m missing this.

There is NOTHING better than a big racing weekend at Churchill Downs.

Of course, I’m not so sure it’ll be quite the same without the Prince of Kentucky…

1. NFL: Miami Dolphins @ Baltimore Ravens (Sunday 1pm from M&T Bank Stadium live on CBS)

It’s not that I’m NOT excited about the Ravens and Fins Sunday afternoon. Trust me, I’m PLENTY excited about it. It’s just that it’s hard to think about ANYTHING going on at “The Bank” right now as being even in the neighborhood of the importance of what will be going on there come June 22, 2011…

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ziOZCSBy4YE[/youtube]

FREAKING.YES.

Flexing my mic muscles since 1983…

-G

If I chime in on LeBron James, does that officially mean that EVERY columnist/blogger in the world of sports media would have dedicated print/type to the subject?

I will admit that I have much less moved by the LeBron James saga than the large majority of this country. I was unmoved by his free agent courting process, I was unmoved by ESPN’s “The Decision” special, I was unmoved by his decision to bolt Cleveland for Miami, and I was unmoved by Dan Gilbert losing his mind Thursday night.

I will also admit that rarely am I particularly moved in any way by a subject in sports that doesn’t garner any sort of emotional investment from me. With no offense to the Boston Celtics or Los Angeles Lakers, my level of involvement in the NBA Finals was minimal at best. If I was home and the games were on, I watched them. I certainly did not plan my month of June around making sure I was home to see Kobe Bryant go up against Paul Pierce.

I have no emotional investment when it comes to LeBron James. I have enjoyed watching him play at times (his masterpiece against the Detroit Pistons in the 2007 Eastern Conference Finals was special), but I have never been much too concerned about what he was doing on or off the floor.

Apparently I’m one of the few.

The most compelling thing about the LeBron saga for me has been the reaction-both in Cleveland and across the country. Be it fans burning LBJ jerseys in “The Comeback City” or Jesse Jackson forcing himself into the topic, I have been intrigued by all of the attention that has been placed on the subject.

Heck, even my partner on “The Morning Reaction” Drew Forrester has been inspired to talk about the NBA, a subject I couldn’t even ask him to discuss the other 11 months of the year.

Obviously the most irrational reaction has come from the shores of Lake Erie, where sports fans have not only burned jerseys; but have made much more dangerous threats and have compared the man they previously called “The King” to their other most despised sports figure-former Baltimore Ravens majority owner Art Modell.

Also amongst the reaction have been the inevitable comparisons to heartbreak-or potential heartbreak-in other cities. For example, Yahoo! Sports’ Les Carpenter (formerly of the Washington Post) wrote a column comparing James’ decision to depart Cleveland to the decision Cal Ripken made in 1988 to re-sign with the Baltimore Orioles.

It’s a fair comparison. Both were local products who achieved great success early in their career with their hometown team. There are also key differences.

Had Cal Ripken walked away from Charm City following the 1988 season, he would have been doing it in an era where fan reaction would have been much more difficult to gauge.

There were no sports talk radio stations in Baltimore in 1988. Blogging didn’t exist. Only the columnists at the Baltimore Sun and Washington Post would have REALLY had a chance to express the feelings about Ripken’s decision in a way that could have been knowledge to the man who would eventually become a Hall of Fame-caliber player.

There are also career differences-as Cal Ripken had helped lead the Birds to victory in the 1983 World Series, while LeBron James had never reached the mountaintop with the Cavs. Cleveland fans are starved for a championship at this point considering the many near misses of not only the Cavs, but also the near misses of the Cleveland Browns and Cleveland Indians over the last 25 years.

Part of the angst felt by Cleveland fans certainly has something to do with the fact that they had to be convinced James would be part of the solution to finally end the city’s title drought. In reality, it’s hard for fans in ANY city in the country to really understand the mental makeup of a fanbase that hasn’t claimed a major pro sports title since 1964. Heck, in Baltimore alone we’ve won 5 titles since then, despite having only two pro sports-one of which was missing for over a decade.

However, I don’t necessarily think it’s unfair to try to consider how we’d feel in the situation. It’s with that in mind that I offer this hypothetical, which may or may not have any real validity in the big picture.

Let’s imagine that the Baltimore Bullets never left town. Instead of moving the team to Washington, Abe Pollin was granted an expansion team in DC and sold the Bullets to local ownership. Let’s also consider that instead of the Bullets franchise winning the 1978 NBA Championship; the “Washington Wizards” expansion team won the title.

Stay with me.

Let’s continue with the hypothetical and say that the Baltimore Bullets franchise during the 80′s and 90′s had about the same success level as the team that ACTUALLY moved in the nation’s capital did. The Bullets/Wizards franchise made just one playoff appearance between 1988 and 2004-a 1st round sweep at the hands of Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls in 1997.

Now let’s consider that in the mid-1990′s, the team had moved out of the clearly defunct Baltimore Arena and into a new building, potentially where M&T Bank Stadium now sits. The building is now known as the “Under Armour Center”, but was previously known as “PSINet Arena.”

Still with me? I hope so. I’ve laid the groundwork for the “Baltimore Crabs” (the NBA still forced a name change due to the violent nature of the name “Bullets”); a team that has existed since 1963 without winning a NBA Championship and has at times struggled to survive given the organization’s struggles and the level of pro competition in both Baltimore and DC.

Now, let’s have that organization meet a significant player. Let’s say that Towson Catholic graduate Carmelo Anthony decided that instead of going to Syracuse, he would follow in the footsteps of fellow Catholic League star Juan Dixon and could commit to Maryland. During the ’02-’03 season; ‘Melo would join with Steve Blake and Drew Nicholas to lead Gary Williams’ Terrapins to a 2nd consecutive NCAA Championship and then bolt to the NBA.

Look, I said this was a hypothetical. I probably should have said “dream sequence.” But let’s not split hairs here. I know Carmelo was BORN in New York and has always been fascinated with The Big Apple, but let’s pretend he was MORE fascinated with staying home. It works better here.

Being one of the poorer teams in the ’02-’03 season, the Crabs obtained the #2 (or #3) overall pick in the NBA Draft; where they were able to select Carmelo after the Cavaliers selected LeBron James.

Suddenly, a franchise with no direction and no hope becomes a team with a local star player-a player that would quickly develop into a perennial All-Star and would lead his team to the playoffs year in and year out.

Games at the Under Armour Center are now sold out before the season after previously being attended at O’s-like rates. Businesses near the Inner Harbor boom 50+ nights a year when the Crabs are at home. Crabs jerseys with the Number 15 on them are as popular sellers as Ravens jerseys with the Number 52.

On top of all of that, the Crabs really put things together in 2010-2011, and Carmelo eventually leads the Crabs to the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history-where they unfortunately lose to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Did you stay with me?

It’s the summer of 2010. The Baltimore Crabs have acquired some solid players, but were fortunate to get past the Miami Heat in ’11 because Chris Bosh was hurt early in the season. With a healthy Bosh teaming with LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, the Heat are again viewed as the significant favorites to win the East. Amare Stoudemire had a stellar season for the Knicks, and rumors swirl that New Orleans Hornets point guard Chris Paul will join him at Madison Square Garden to try to make a run at the Heat.

Carmelo Anthony is now facing free agency. He’s beloved in Baltimore, where his family and friends have enjoyed watching him play night in and night out. The people of Baltimore view him as an icon, but he’s not sure he can get over the hump and win a championship given the commitment level from ownership.

With all of that in mind, Carmelo bolts. He signs a max deal to join Amare and Chris Paul in New York, where a welcome party is held in Times Square and he’s given a key to the city by Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

Now here’s the question.

How do you feel?

Are you burning a jersey in the street?

Are you calling Carmelo a “coward” or a “traitor” or “Benedict Anthony”?

Are you ready to picket outside the Carmelo Anthony Youth Center?

Or are you willing to say “he’s still a hometown guy, and I’ll always be grateful for what he did here”?

I don’t think there’s a right or wrong answer.

The reality is that I might be closer to “burning a jersey in the street” than I would be to “thanking him for the years he gave to the city.”

How would you react? How would Baltimore have felt if this were OUR star?

It’s worth considering.

-G

Honorable Mention-Soccer: NASL-Rochester Rhinos @ Crystal Palace Baltimore (Wednesday 7pm Maryland SoccerPlex), MLS-Seattle Sounders @ DC United (Thursday 8pm from RFK Stadium live on ESPN2), Los Angeles Galaxy @ DC United (Sunday 7:30pm from RFK Stadium live on Fox Soccer Channel), Team USA Women vs. Sweden (Tuesday 9pm from Omaha live on ESPN2, Saturday 7:30pm from Hartford, CT live on Fox Soccer Channel); Under-20 Women’s World Cup: Team USA vs. Ghana (Wednesday 12pm from Dresden, Germany live on ESPNU), Team USA vs. Switzerland (Saturday 12pm from Dresden, Germany live on ESPNU); Boxing: Friday Night Fights-Zab Judah vs. Jose Armando Santa Cruz (Friday 9pm from Newark, NJ live on ESPN2), ShoBox-Fernando Guerrero vs. Ishe Smith (Friday 11pm from Memphis live on Showtime), HBO Boxing After Dark-Timothy Bradley vs. Luis Carlos Abregu (Saturday 9:45pm from Rancho Mirage, CA live on HBO); WNBA-Chicago Sky @ Washington Mystics (Sunday 4pm from Verizon Center live on Comcast SportsNet); Auto Racing-NASCAR Nationwide Series Missouri-Illinois Dodge Dealers 250 (Saturday 7pm from St. Louis live on ESPN2), IndyCar Series Honda Indy Toronto (Sunday 12:30pm from Toronto live on ABC); Tennis: WTT-Kansas City Explorers @ Washington Kastles (Wednesday 7pm Kastles Stadium), Boston Lobsters @ Washington Kastles (Sunday 7pm Kastles Stadium)

10. Jack Johnson (Saturday 7pm Merriweather Post Pavilion); B.B. King (Thursday 6pm Pier Six Pavilion), Sublime with Rome (Sunday 5pm Pier Six Pavilion); 311 & The Offspring (Friday 6:30pm Jiffy Lube Live); Star Wars In Concert (Saturday 2pm & 7pm Verizon Center), B-52′s (Wednesday 8pm Wolf Trap), Big Head Todd and the Monsters (Wednesday 7pm Rams Head Live), Hammerjacks Reunion feat. The Ravyns & Funny Money (Saturday 7pm Recher Theatre), Dead Weather (Tuesday 7pm 9:30 Club), Vertical Horizon (Wednesday 8pm Rams Head On Stage), Blind Boys of Alabama (Saturday 8pm Rams Head On Stage); “Inception” out in theaters (Friday)

Gun to my head-favorite Jack Johnson song? I’ll say Banana Pancakes…

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_BoZ_Qdyl0[/youtube]

No shtick needed here. This is “Lucille” by BB King. I’ll be back shortly…

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Y8QxOjuYHg[/youtube]

I’m not really sure it’s fair to follow up BB King with 311, but I’m doing it anyway. 311 is just one of those bands that has always been solid even if not incredible. Sorta like Cesar Izturis…

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=amrE-hUmtPg[/youtube]

I like Vertical Horizon. So sue me…

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8s_q3IaglQ[/youtube]

Oh, and here are the Blind Boys of Alabama doing “Higher Ground.” Just thank me later…

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCfqS7HgAY0[/youtube]

9. AVP Volleyball: Hermosa Beach Open (Sunday 9:30pm live on Universal Sports, 11:59pm live on ESPN2. All action from Hermosa Beach, CA)

When you Google Image Search “Beach Volleyball”, this comes up…

What else am I supposed to say here?

8. NBA Summer League: Denver Nuggets vs. Chicago Bulls (Tuesday 4pm), Cleveland Cavaliers vs. NBA D-League (Tuesday 6pm), Milwaukee Bucks vs. Memphis Grizzlies (Tuesday 8pm), Portland Trailblazers vs. New Orleans Hornets (Tuesday 10pm), Denver Nuggets vs. Houston Rockets (Wednesday 4pm), New York Knicks vs. Toronto Raptors (Wednesday 6pm), Los Angeles Clippers vs. Chicago Bulls (Wednesday 8pm), Sacramento Kings vs. Minnesota Timberwolves (Wednesday 10pm), LA Lakers vs. San Antonio Spurs (Thursday 4pm), Golden State Warriors vs. Phoenix Suns (Thursday 6pm), Washington Wizards vs. Dallas Mavericks (Thursday 8pm), LA Clippers vs. Portland Trailblazers (Thursday 10pm), Detroit Pistons vs. New York Knicks (Friday 4pm), Toronto Raptors vs. Sacramento Kings (Friday 6pm), Washington Wizards vs. New Orleans Hornets (Friday 8pm), Memphis Grizzlies vs. Minnesota Timberwolves (Friday 10pm), New York Knicks vs. Washington Wizards (Saturday 4pm), Miami Heat vs. Cleveland Cavs (Saturday 6pm), LA Clippers vs. San Antonio Spurs (Saturday 8pm), Minnesota T-Wolves vs. Portland Blazers (Saturday 10pm), Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Memphis Grizzlies (Sunday 4pm), Chicago Bulls vs. Portland Trailblazers (Sunday 6pm), Dallas Mavs vs. Sacramento Kings (Sunday 8pm….all games from Las Vegas live on NBA TV, ‘Zards games also live on CSN)

Ruh-roh! The first showdown between the Miami Heat and the Cleveland Cavaliers since the “LeBron” issue?!?!? This should be good!!!!!!

In all fairness-I’ll be poking at the action in Vegas, at least if Greivis Vasquez or Landon Milbourne are on my TV. I hate to say that I’m “happy” that the Wiz released Eric Hayes-because I was hoping the former Terrapins guard would get the chance to show he could offer something to a NBA team. That being said, I’m glad I won’t be confused and accidentally root for the Wizards because Eric Hayes is on the floor.

You know, because I don’t like DC. Have I mentioned that in the past???

7. Cycling: Tour De France (Tuesday 7am, Wednesday 8am, Thursday-Saturday 8:30am, Sunday & Monday 7:30am from France live on VERSUS)

How long has this thing been going on??? A week? Feels like it’s been since St. Patrick’s Day….

Guy you’ve never heard of 1 is currently ahead of Guy you’ve never heard of 2-47. Lance Armstrong isn’t a factor, so no one in America will be paying attention any time soon.

Of course, can you blame us? We have so much going on over here! For example, “Revenge of the Bridesmaids” premieres on ABC Family this weekend. How could I possibly have time to pay attention to anything else?!?!?

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-74DnFeV9Ik[/youtube]

6. Pro Wrestling: WWE Money In The Bank (Sunday 8pm from Kansas City live on Pay-Per-View)

I’m a little bitter that the Bruno Sammartino dinner had to be postponed, mostly because I was confident I could get him to put me in a bearhug before the night was over. I’m still holding out hope that will happen.

In the meantime, blah blah blah Kelly Kelly works for WWE…

5. The ESPYs (Wednesday 9pm from Los Angeles live on ESPN)

Holy crap the ESPYs!!! You know, the event that none of us watch ever despite the fact that there’s LITERALLY no other sports happening on the same night!

Let’s be honest, this is really nothing more than an excuse for me to post my annual clip of Norm MacDonald’s ESPY monologue. He’s humorous…

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yC6TbH_Yzd4[/youtube]

4. EA Sports NCAA Football 2011 available on Playstation 3/XBox360 (Tuesday)

Which means DON’T BOTHER ME THE REST OF THE WEEK!

In fact, it you really love me (Edit from GMC: Mom?), I’d appreciate it if you’d respect me enough to simply drop off about 87 bags of these…

And about 234 cases of this…

Big week in the Glenn Clark household, folks.

3. Golf: British Open (Thursday-Sunday 5am from St. Andrews, Scotland live on ESPN); PGA Tour Reno-Tahoe Open (Thursday-Sunday 6:30pm from Reno, NV live on Golf Channel)

They of course call it the “Reno-Tahoe Open” because “Golf Tournament for guys who aren’t quite good enough to play in the real tournament this weekend” apparently wasn’t as attractive to sponsors.

Of course, my favorite part about The Open Championship is usually the incredible conditions. If it isn’t the rain, it’s the wind. Plus, it’s always beautiful looking at crappy courses with dead grass.

What, I’m supposed to be reverent? If Tiger Woods is in it Sunday, I’ll tune in. Otherwise, only something like this could possibly make it entertaining…

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1dR1pkCGY80[/youtube]

2. Artscape feat. Wale, Musiq Soulchild, Gov’t Mule, Cold War Kids, Jackie Greene (Friday-Sunday Mt. Royal District)

The best weekend we have to offer all year in Charm City.

And no pressure on Wale (who I am a HUGE fan of despite the fact that he likes the Redskins), but ummm…this is what you have to live up to from Robert Randolph & The Family Band last year…

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QkDH1wON7UU[/youtube]

Your turn Wale.

1. Curing Cancer…One Call At A Time (Saturday 12pm-Sunday 12pm live on AM1570 WNST & WNST.net)

I usually think Rex Snider is some sort of NASCAR-loving weirdo, but this week I think he’s a NASCAR-loving weirdo who’s doing a great thing for people who need it.

Please tune in and donate to the Cancer Center at Harbor Hospital. Hell, I ate 12 hot dogs for the cause!

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVqIvM8Wbas[/youtube]

Flexing my mic muscles since 1983…

-G

There’s been some mail, and a few on air discussions cut short that I’ve been meaning to catch up on. And since some of it at least is timely, there’s no time like the present, so here goes, the first edition of Thyrl’s Mail Bag. And if you have a question, comment or idea, send it to me at thyrl@wnst.net.  

With all of the NBA’s free agent buzz, a caller off air asked who the highest paid NBA players were in 2009-10.

It’s an interesting list, and leads you to wonder where some of the teams spending big might find themselves on the tail ends of these monster contracts, especially with a new collective bargaining agreement on the near horizon too.

Here’s the top 10, from hoopshype.com for 2009-10:

1. Kobe Bryant $24.8 mil

2. Rashard Lewis $20.5 mil

3. Kevin Garnett $18.8 mil

4. Tim Duncan $18.7 mil

5. Michael Redd $18.3 mil

6. Pau Gasol $17.8 mil

7. Andrei Kiralenko $17.8 mil

8. Yao Ming $17.6 mil

9. Gilbert Arenas $17.7 mil

10. Vince Carter $17.3 mil

For all of the grief baseball gets, there top 10 looks much better. Here are the MLB rankings from CBSSports.com for 2010:

1. Alex Rodriguez $33 mil

2. CC Sabathia $24.2 mil

3. Derek Jeter $22.6 mil

4. Mark Teixeira $20.6 mil

5. Johan Santana $20.1 mil

6. Miguel Cabrera $20 mil

7. Carlos Beltran $19.4 mil

8. Ryan Howard, Carlos Lee & Alfonso Soriano $19 mil

And USA Today’s top 10 NFL salaries for 2009:

1. Philip Rivers $25.5 mil

2. Jay Cutler $22 mil

3. Eli Manning $20.5 mil

4. Kurt Warner $19 mil

5. Kelvin Hayden $17.4 mil

6. Matt Schaub $17 mil

7. Julius Peppers $16.6 mil

8. Chris Long $16.5 mil

9. Greg Jennings $16.2 mil

10. Antonio Smith $15.5 mil

Jeff, who didn’t identify where he was from wanted to know who has the biggest potential among this year’s crop of free agents to be a bust?

For the money Jeff, Chris Bosh seems a bit too willing to concede the driver’s seat to another superstar. Although he’s a willing second fiddle, he doesn’t seem to be a willing #5 in the NBA, and therefore probably lacks the toughness a superstar would need in the paint. If winning the Eastern Conference means solving Dwight Howard, I like A’mare Stoudamire’s chances much better than the pick and pop game of Bosh. But the even easier answer is Darko, again.

Kevin in Fallston heard me say – in a moment of weakness perhaps – that the O’s might be close, and wants to know exactly how close.

Kevin, I’d say not quite as close as the ’06 Rays or even the ’03 Tigers, but still much closer than the ’46 Cubs. Or so I hope.

And Adrian in Essex wants to know what I expect LeBron will announce tomorrow at “The Decision”.

The Knicks fan in me wants him to go to New York, the closet Nets fan growing inside of me wants New Jersey, my humanitarian side wants him to stay in Cleveland, but more than anything, I want to see it drug out a little further. I’m hoping to see LeBron at a table, flanked by World Wide Wes on one side, Simon Cowell on the other, and a parade of teams auditioning to win the judges and America over. After that we’ll have a nationwide vote, and Shaq can emcee the results show. I’m almost afraid to see it all end, so are a lot of teams, I’ll bet.

Here’s Where I’m Playing Right Now.

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Everyone has an opinion on “The Decision,” whether you’re a LeBron James fan or you completely loathe the media colossus created over the last two years surrounding his free agency and where he’ll eventually be lacing up his Nikes this fall.

It’s taken on a life of its own that’s far greater than any feat the 25-year-old, two-time MVP has accomplished in his brief NBA career.

To be clear, James has every right to choose a new home without any regret over what he accomplished—or didn’t accomplish—in his seven professional seasons in Cleveland. The amount of money involved in this decision is far more than I can even comprehend, let alone hope to earn in my lifetime.

Yes, it’s about earning potential and Nike and an opportunity to become a billionaire, a moniker James has aspired to earn. But let’s not forget: James will earn an extra $30 million contractually should he choose to remain with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

In the world of professional sports, we know all too well that it’s always about the money, especially when an athlete says, “It’s not about the money.”

With James’ planned hour-long special on ESPN Thursday night, we’ve officially reached uncharted territory in terms of pomp and circumstance surrounding a professional athlete. It’s true James’ representation has generated funds for the Boys and Girls Clubs of America (how much?) by selling sponsorships, but we know this television event is far more about continuing to build the LeBron James empire. James’ website has been revamped, and the star has finally joined the Twitter universe, picking up 275,000 followers in a matter of 30 hours.

The only thing left is the actual decision.

All the tea leaves point to James signing with the New York Knicks. The special will take place at the Boys & Girls Club in Greenwich, Conn., a stone’s throw away from Gotham City. If James is remaining in Cleveland, why would he leave the state of Ohio after he forced NBA teams to come to him during his free-agent courtship of the last week?

Twitter king Chad Ochocinco and the Suns’ Jared Dudley—a former teammate of newly-signed Knicks forward Amare Stoudemire—have indicated King James will be moving his kingdom to Madison Square Garden.

If James is parting ways with the city of Cleveland and the state of Ohio, Thursday night’s nationally-televised spectacle reeks of insensitivity to his hometown. We’re not talking about a high school kid putting on a college cap in front of the ESPN cameras and a roomful of local supporters wishing the youngster well as he moves on to bigger and better things at the collegiate level.

Should James leave in this contrived manner, northeast Ohio will have deserved better, as superficial as that might sound coming from a native Baltimorean whose football team once played in Cleveland as the Browns.

Even though the Cavaliers and the city of Cleveland have benefited more from James than what he’s gained from playing there, the star has always prided himself in being the talented kid from Akron who became a star before the locals’ very eyes.

Announcing he’s leaving in such a manner sends a message that he’s not only leaving but turning his back vehemently on a community that so deeply idolizes him.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AtZ7ZdyhwiI[/youtube]
(Admit it, a similarly-themed video about Cal Ripken or one of Baltimore’s heroes would cause you to shed a tear or two.)

In short, James’ departure would be devastating, with only the Browns’ announced move to Baltimore in 1995 topping it on Cleveland’s list of sports disappointments.

It would be comparable to Cal Ripken, in the prime of his career, going on national television and donning a Yankees cap as he announced he was leaving his native Baltimore to play for the Bronx Bombers.

Perhaps it’s all about nothing. It’s conceivable that James is creating this media event to redefine his brand and create publicity for what would be an otherwise anticlimactic decision to remain in Cleveland.

Or maybe James will give a 20-minute heartfelt speech about his pain in leaving Cleveland and shed a few sincere tears while doing so.

If not, James will not just be leaving his hometown in the dust but completely destroying the feel-good, local-boy image he’s maintained while still earning millions from Nike, McDonald’s, and a plethora of other sponsors.

Perhaps the bright lights and dollar signs of New York City are worth it to James, but there will be no going back—ever.

We’ll finally learn his decision on Thursday night.

And for the sake of Cleveland and its dignity, I hope he decides to stay.

Happy Monday!

It’s a Happy Monday for me because even though I missed yesterday’s “Earth Day Climate Rally” on the National Mall, I heard about a new rave that’s sweeping the nation…

Sexy Na’vi Costumes!

I like EVERYTHING about this. This will be especially helpful at Halloween, as I was getting sick of only ever seeing sexy nurses and sexy cops and things of that nature. It was about time ladies stepped up their game.

Let’s see what everyone has to say…

1. The AP says Cla Meredith picked up first career save as Birds hung on to beat Red Sox

I know I’m not the first to make this joke-but when the Orioles couldn’t win on Sundays and everyone was getting pissed off-it wasn’t because we wanted the Orioles to ONLY win on Sundays!

The reaction to yesterday’s win has been a bit odd. The players (and manager) gave quotes akin to having won a World Series. Mostly-fans have been well aware that one win REALLY doesn’t mean that much.

But it feels good to get a win. Especially when 16 of the other 18 games the team has played have been losses.

The wins are almost more difficult to analyze than the losses, as it feels like it took a miracle to get it. Even the line drive at the end of the game appeared to be headed over Ty Wigginton’s head and into the territory of more heartbreak.

David Hernandez had a great start to his outing, but things started to come apart. The bullpen was up and down, but Cla Meredith (who had amazingly NEVER recorded a single save in his career) allowed the entire city to breathe a sigh of relief.

All over ONE WIN.

ONE WIN.

You know-if Dave Trembley HAD decided to puff on a cigar after the game during his MASN interview, I probably would have given him a pass.

2. The AP/WNST.net offer numerical evidence of win

No one will want to talk about this, but during the course of the game-the hitters in the O’s lineup combined to leave 26 men on base.

26.

That doesn’t mean 26 physical men were left on base, but that the batters in the lineup combined to leave 26 freaking men on base.

That almost seems impossible.

Some of those runs could have really mattered, too. When they went up 7-4 in the 10th inning; I personally assumed Jim Johnson would step back in and slam the door on the Sox. But had Julio Lugo actually been able to lay down a bunt and more the runners over, maybe the lead could have been extended to 9-4 and things would have never gotten interesting.

These runners ALWAYS matter. Julio Lugo was crucified by a number of people in town (starting with Jim Palmer) when he didn’t run out a ground ball. Where’s the accountability for failing to get runners over in the 10th?

Is it okay because the Orioles won?

Wasn’t okay by me.

3. WNST.net’s Drew Forrester says Orioles should step up to ‘challenge’

The challenge of winning 50 games this season?

What Drew is saying is very relevant. You can go to the Audio Vault this morning at WNST.net and hear from Eric DeCosta, who joined “The Morning Reaction” for a chat with Drew Forrester on AM1570 WNST to recap what the team did this weekend during the NFL Draft.

That’s right, the Ravens’ #2 decision maker when it comes to personnel joined Drew Forrester this morning, with the understanding that he had to hold himself accountable for the decisions the organization made-including trading out of the #25 spot, selecting Sergio Kindle at 43, adding Terrence Cody, and drafting two tight ends. He also answered questions about players they didn’t select-including Dez Bryant and Rob Gronkowski.

It IS important that all sports franchises make themselves available to be held accountable for their decisions. When you ask people in the city to invest their money in your franchise, you need to be accountable. Allowing 105.7 and MASN to say things like “that was a tough one today skip” isn’t accountability.

It’s a fair argument-which is strange considering Drew made it. Usually I only apperciate his arguments when they have to do with Denzel Washington, John Mayer or this subject…

4. Springfield Republican’s Dan Lamothe says despite taking 2 of 3 from Birds, still plenty of questions about Red Sox

You know, I really thought this was the biggest story line of the weekend. Despite the fact that Boston won 2 of the 3 games at Fenway Park, I think this weekend really proved that the Red Sox just aren’t that good.

Who is going to drive in runs for that team?

I understand that they’re playing with Jacoby Ellsbury and Mike Cameron. I understand that the Orioles’ starters threw some good innings this weekend. But the Red Sox-to me, don’t look like a team that can win the American League Wild Card (as I predicted they would do before the season) and CERTAINLY not the type of team that can compete against the Yankees and Rays in the AL East.

Unless of course they find a way to add a big run producer in the middle of their lineup. Which-given the fact that their ownership, decision makers and fans all want to WIN-I wouldn’t doubt them doing.

5. The Sun’s Dean Jones Jr. says Bergesen excelled, Hobgood & Spoone struggled on farm

Before we wrap up our portion of today’s news dedicated to the Orioles, a reminder that they are off tonight-and will return to action tomorrow night against the Yankees at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. If you’re heading to the game, be sure to say hello to the 15,000-25,000 fans from New York who will be joining you; as well as the 3,000-5,000 fans from Baltimore who will be in attendance.

Also, congratulations to “Camden Crazies”, whose musings on Twitter yesterday have earned “Apologist of the Morning” honors. His musings included comments about the Orioles being better than their record and that the relievers weren’t that bad because “sometimes hits fall in.”

They certainly do. Sadly, the fall in much more often against the Orioles.

6. National Football Post’s Aaron Wilson says Boston College LB Mike McLaughlin, Tennessee LS Morgan Cox amongst UFA’s Ravens have agreed to terms with

And McLaughlin (who is probably the best overall player of the group the Ravens have signed post-Draft) joined the great Glenn Clark Sunday during NFL Draft coverage on AM1570-you can also hear that interview in the BuyAToyota.com Audio Vault.

Morgan Cox may have the best chances of making the team of any player in the group. We all know how badly Matt Katula struggled a season ago; and if those struggles are still evident when the team reports to McDaniel College in July, Cox could steal the job.

Sorta similar to how NIKKI Cox once stole my heart…

7. Carroll County Times’ Haruki Nakamura believes Ravens’ NFL Draft was ‘tremendous success’

Well, I wouldn’t exactly expect Haruki to say that Ozzie Newsome failed the team during the Draft; but I certainly got the idea that Ravens players were happy with the moves the team made over the weekend.

Ravens LB Jameel McClain appears to be happy that the team added fellow Syracuse Orange defensive player Arthur Jones. And for the record, I’m happy Arthur Jones is a Raven too. Please pass that along to his brother Jon “Bones” Jones so that he doesn’t kick my ass…

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fyA6e2OJqC8[/youtube]

8. USA Today’s Jarrett Bell gives Ravens “B+” for Draft

And while Draft grades are totally silly, this appears to be about what most people think about the Draft.

My thoughts on the Draft? ESPN should really use Jenn Brown more often…

9. D1scourse’s Patrick Stevens says Terps fell to Virginia in ACC Championship Game without Will Yeatman

We know this much…the Cavs are the best team in the country-despite their setback at Duke.

It really is a shame that Maryland was forced to play without Yeatman, as the teams were separated by just a single goal the first time they met at Byrd Stadium, and things certainly had a chance to be just as interesting this time around.

Instead of getting off on one of their notorious slow starts, the Terrapins started the game well, but lost firepower down the stretch against Wahoos goalie Adam Ghitelman.

The one thing I’ll say about yesterday’s game is that it didn’t prove to me that they are incapable of beating UVa. Should the teams meet again at M&T Bank Stadium in the Final Four-I think they’ll have a chance…IF they have Will Yeatman.

10. Inside Lacrosse says Maryland 3rd, Loyola 6th, Towson 11th in Nike/Inside Lacrosse Top 20 poll

Loyola didn’t exactly throttle Hobart on Saturday, but they won comfortably to extend one of the more impressive hot streaks I can ever remember from the Greyhounds. Tony Seaman’s Tigers beat Penn State Saturday to extend a winning streak of their own.

Of course-the bad news for local lax fans came when Johns Hopkins fell to Navy; as it looks more and more like the Blue Jays may end up being left out of the NCAA Tournament altogether. A loss to Towson Wednesday night or to the Hounds at Ridley Athletic Complex on May 8 would shut the door completely.

11. WNST.net’s Gary Quill says likely Kentucky Derby favorite Eskendereya scratched

And with that, Lookin’ At Lucky will likely be the morning line favorite Saturday at Churchill Downs. I’ll be there, and I could REALLY use a cotton seersucker suit to take with me. If you’re a business owner (or just a guy) who would like to either donate/allow me to borrow/allow me to rent/or sell cheap something that looks like this…

…you’ll have a new best friend. I’ll buy you something from Louisville.

And finally, I leave you with this…

This is Kara Tointon. She’s from England. This picture was at Guyism.com. Enjoy how you will.

Flexing my mic muscles since 1983…

-G

Charlottesville, VA It was a scene nearly 6 years in the making.

Following Maryland’s 74-68 victory over Virginia Saturday, the Cavaliers held a “meet and greet” event on the floor of John Paul Jones Arena with new football coach Mike London. Fans were invited to come to the floor to meet the new chief of the Wahoos, and the rest of the coaches who will make up his staff.

And while hundreds of Virginia fans stuck around to take the school up on the opportunity, there was a side effect that certainly was not intended.

With a few thousand Maryland fans having made the journey from the Baltimore and Washington areas to Charlottesville, there were also hundreds of Terps fans on the floor, waiting to celebrate with their team.

Despite the fact that the Terps nearly let a double-digit second half lead COMPLETELY slip away against Virginia, those fans couldn’t wait to enjoy the first celebration of a conference championship (either regular season or ACC Tournament) since the Terps were able to cut down the nets in 2004 in Greensboro. The celebration lasted some 30 mintues until the players were escorted from the floor so they could return to College Park.

The six years it took to reach that celebration may well have been the most trying for Maryland fans and those inside the program alike since Gary Williams took over in 1989.

Entering the 2004-2005 season, the Maryland program was coming off 11 consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, and following a run to an ACC Tournament championship-there was a real feeling that the Terps were poised for a third run to the Final Four in five seasons. John Gilchrist was a preseason candidate to win both ACC Player of the Year and National Player of the Year.

It didn’t quite work out that way.

The 2004-2005 season was instead overshadowed by a troubling relationship between Gilchrist and Williams, one that would eventually end with a trip to the NIT Tournament and a departure from Gilchrist-who went unselected in the NBA Draft. The Terps lost 3 games to a dreadful Clemson team during the stretch, including an opening round loss in the ACC Tournament at Verizon Center.

The 2005-2006 season was even more troubling. Despite lowered expectations, the Terps showed signs of life early in the season, before losing Chris McCray for the second semester due to academic ineligibility. The season was also marked by great disappointment from junior Mike Jones, who failed to live up to the hype surrounding his McDonald’s All-American status. The season ended with a second straight trip to the NIT Tournament, where the Terps were eliminated at home in Round 1.

The 2006-2007 season included a return to the NCAA Tournament, but Maryland failed to advance past the first weekend of the Tournament for the 4th consecutive season. The season was highlighted by the tremendous development of guard DJ Strawberry and an upset win over North Carolina at Comcast Center, but ended when they were upset by an upstart Butler team.

The 2007-2008 season was expected to be a rebuilding campaign, but the Terps put themselves in position to return to the NCAA Tournament thanks to a stunning January win over North Carolina at the Dean Smith Center in Chapel Hill. Those dreams would again be dashed by the Clemson Tigers, who rallied from down 20 points in the 2nd half to win on a Terrence Oglesby 3 point jumper in the closing seconds. The Terps were forced to go on the road in the NIT Tournament, where they lost in Round 2. The season was also marked by very public signs of academic trouble, as a 0% graduation report and low academic progress report greeted the team as they reported for Midnight Madness.

The 2008-2009 season was served as a turning point for the program, but not before an unreal amount of tension and controversy surrounded Gary Williams and AD Debbie Yow. Debates over the recruitment of players like Bobby Maze, Tyree Evans, Gus Gilchrist and Lance Stephenson caused friction inside the athletic department, and lead to a number of fans calling for Gary Williams’ or Debbie Yow’s job. The troubles in the program were documented by high profile stories in the Washington Post, and forced Debbie Yow to give Gary an uncomfortable “vote of confidence” at a winter press conference.

But with everything swirling around the program, the team rallied late in the ACC season to defeat North Carolina again at Comcast Center. They defeated Wake Forest in the ACC Torunament, and were able to return to the NCAA Tournament. The season ended with a blowout loss to Memphis in the 2nd round of the Tournament, but the Terps laid the groundwork for a successful 2009-2010 campaign; and were given a boost when Greivis Vasquez decided to return for his final season of eligibility.

But as of Saturday afternoon, that troubling run ended. The trio of Vasquez, Eric Hayes and Landon Milbourne were not only finally able to win a game in Charlottesville, they also were able to finally call themselves champions; an honor that will be recognized with a banner that will hang in the rafters at Comcast Center for the entirety of Maryland basketball’s future.

The accomplishment wasn’t lost on Gary Williams following the game. “I thought about it, so I’m sure the players thought about it. It’s great for them, because we went through a lot of things to get to here. We had to survive some things last year, we did that.” He added “I was really pleased with the way the team came together, but I had a lot of help in terms of our seniors making that happen.”

Ultimately, that will be the mark of Greivis Vasquez, Eric Hayes and Landon Milbourne. Instead of being remembered like John Gilchrist, Nik Caner-Medley and Chris McCray who all fell short of expectations in their final season; this group willed their way to an ACC regular season title, with the chance to do even more than that.

But should this Maryland team not win another game this season, they’ll always be remembered as champions, which is exactly what they deserve to be remembered as.

-G

————————————————————————–

3:25-That’s it from Charlottesville. Maryland clinches at least a share of the ACC title with a 74-68 win over Virginia. Greivis Vasquez with a game high 23 to lead the way. I’ll be back with more shortly.

3:24-Really UNTHINKABLE for Tony Bennett to lose his cool like that. Maryland will take the gift. It’s an ACC title even if it isn’t pretty. Congratulations to Gary Williams and the Terps….

3:23-And just like that, this is a 2 possession game with 38.6 seconds to play. Talk about weathering the storm….

3:21-BOY the crowd in Charlottesville didn’t like that call. I’m on the opposite side of the arena and did NOT get a good look….

3:20-A GREAT play call, but an offensive foul, and Virginia has the chance to go ahead…

3:18-Boy, not what you’d expect from Vasquez in the games most important moments. Virginia cuts the Maryland lead to 66-65 with 1:36 to play, and Maryland has just one timeout remaining…

3:17-Williams makes just 1 of 2, but forces a big turnover with 2:36 to play. Time to work the clock I presume…

3:15-Virginia keeps it interesting by going to Meyinsse. Just…thank God for Greivis. Jordan Williams will be at the FT line in a big spot after the final media timeout of the first half.

3:13-He makes me eat my words quite a bit. Vasquez has come up huge here in the 2nd half….

3:12-The Virginia players are playing for pride, and have been gutty in doing so. A Will Sherrill 3 makes it 62-59 with 3:46 to play, and the Cavs call a timeout. Maryland is going to have to keep attacking, the Cavaliers are NOT going away.

3:11-Greivis Vasquez is just coming up HUGE in huge situations down the stretch. He has 16 now after that 3.

3:10-Eric Hayes can sure make a tough hoop. 59-54 Maryland with 5 minutes to play.

3:08-Jeff Jones (the former Maryland commit) with a BIG 3 to cut Maryland’s lead to 3, but Vasquez FINALLY breaks his scoring drought to answer with a 3.

Of course, there’s Jones again from outside. 57-54 Maryland. Gary Williams needs another timeout. Virginia playing with house money in the 2nd half, and Maryland has clearly gotten tense.

3:04-With 7:09 to play, this one is WAAAY too close. An Eric Hayes walk gives Virginia the ball back trailing just 53-48 in the second half. Maryland is going to have to go with their guys who are in foul trouble, as Virginia has gotten into a much too comfortable rhythm.

3:03-Yeah, I’m having Mamadi Diane flashbacks as I watch Jerome Meyinsse today. No doubt about that.

2:59-Gary Williams needs a timeout after a Will Sherrill hoop inside gets Virginia within 7 at 53-46. The crowd at JPJ Arena hasn’t been particularly spirited today, but they’re getting into it a bit right now.

2:58-3rd personal foul on Jordan Williams, 8th team foul on Maryland already here in the 2nd half. Cavs AGAIN cur the Maryland lead to 9, with under 9 minutes to play.

2:56-Greivis Vasquez isn’t exactly putting the ACC Player of the Year award on ice today….

2:48-8 points now for Sean Mosley, but he’s going to have to take a seat after picking up his 3rd personal foul. 5 team fouls after the most recent call against Adrian Bowie.

Maryland lead is back down to single digits after a 3 ball from Jeff Jones. Good defense from Jontel Evans on Vasquez, but ANOTHER big 3 from Bowie. Wow.

2:45-After Vasquez went off for 10 points to start today’s game, I said to our friend Patrick Stevens (@D1scourse on Twitter)…”he might go for 35 today.”

Wrong.

He hasn’t scored since then, and Virginia has clawed back within 10 of the Terps thanks to 11 from Zeglinski and 10 from Meyinsse.

2:42-Tonight’s North Carolina/Duke game will ultimately decide the OTHER half of the ACC regular season title picture (and the #1 seed for next week’s ACC Tournament in Greensboro), and there’s no doubt that the Terps will be pulling for North Carolina. That being said, even if Maryland and Duke win today, just the accomplishment of sharing a title is a remarkable accomplishment for this Maryland team. The Terps haven’t even shared a regular season title since their national championship year (2001-2002), and the ACC Tournament title in 2004 is their only significant championship since then.

2:37-Virginia showing a little bit of life in the 2nd half, they cut the lead down to 9 before a Hayes hoop re-extended the advantage to 11.

As Bob Haynie pointed out on Twitter (follow us @WNST), it didn’t appear to be a particularly inspired effort from Maryland in the first half. They were guilty of the same thing a season ago here, and it cost them as they lost their regular season finale.

First media timeout of the 2nd half: 44-31 Terps with 15:55 to play.

2:36-A putback for Jordan Williams to open the 2nd half, I’m surprised the ball hasn’t ended up in his hands more today. He already has as many boards in the 2nd half (2) as he did in the first.

2:33-Vasquez has a game high 10; Tucker, Bowie, Milbourne and Hayes all have 5 for the Terps. 6 each for Jerome Meyinsse and Sammy Zeglinski to lead the Hoos at the break. Terps hold a 22-10 rebounding edge.

2:25-Check out the Virginia student section in the endzone today….

It might not be easy to tell, but the bulk of the sections on the left and the right are empty, and there are a number of Maryland fans who have infiltrated the section directly behind the band. An 8 game losing streak will hurt basketball excitement, there’s just no doubt about that. I guess you have to credit the fans in the upper deck, as the bulk of that level is actually full. A number of empty seats in the big money areas however.

2:19-After the over and back that gave Virginia the ball back, they couldn’t find a wide open Jontel Evans, and the score remains 38-27 at the half. I’ll be back shortly with more.

2:14-Mustapha Farrakhan was the beneficiary of Sylven Landesberg’s spot in the starting rotation, he has 4 points thus far. Tony Bennett also started some of his seniors to help celebrate Senior Day.

I don’t really love Dino Gregory continuing to step back for jumpers as much as he does, but I’d rather he hit them for sure. 4 for him already, 5 for Cliff Tucker, Eric Hayes and Landon Milbourne.

Sammy Zeglinski cans a 3, and Maryland’s lead is 38-27. Gary Williams calls his first timeout with 38.9 seconds to play to set up what he hopes to be the final possession of the half.

2:12-32-20 Maryland at the final official timeout of the first half. After Maryland jumped out to a 14-1 rebounding edge, Virginia has toughened up, it’s now a 19-8 advantage on the glass.

Vasquez hasn’t scored since posting his early 10 points, but has been distributing the ball just fine.

2:07-After 3 points early, Landon Milbourne has gone silent again. The lack of a natural position has really hurt him offensively this season.

2:04-5 points already for Adrian Bowie, who has played REALLY well over the last couple of weeks. Maybe the fans who were panicked over the idea of him starting next season after Eric Hayes graduates were being a bit overdramatic. 28-20 Terps with 6:15 to play in the half.

2:02-Obviously, this game took a dramatically different turn when it was announced that Cavs leading scorer Sylven Landesberg was suspended (academics) for today and the rest of the season. Virginia has struggled offensively in their hope to snap an 8 game losing streak.

2:00-The ‘Hoos have already tried a number of different defenders on Greivis Vasquez, they’ve all had an equal amount of success…..little to none.

Jeff Jones has 5 points for the Cavaliers….think he ever wonders why he chose UVa over the Terrapins?

1:58-Thanks to the Virginia IT staff for getting me online….today. Maryland is up 23-16 with 8:39 to play in the first half here at John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville. Greivis Vasquez has 10, and the Terps are just killing the Wahoos on the glass.

-G

Happy Friday!

It was a Happy Friday for me because…

1-the Morgan State thing was AMAZING last night

and 2-With sentencing being oft-delayed for Lil’ Wayne (it looks like Monday now), I’m just gonna go ahead and give props to Weezy today, since I don’t want this to keep dragging out. Dude is getting the Plaxico Burress treatment in New York, which is unfortunate. But props to Weezy.

“One Way Trip” is my favorite track off of “Rebirth” (Language NSFW)….

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNlVQ8G5USI[/youtube]

Let’s see what everyone has to say….

1. The AP says Reggie Holmes’ 36 lead Morgan State in rout of Coppin State

I can’t say enough about what an incredible night it was at Hill Field House.

Was it like Senior Night and Maryland/Duke in College Park? Maybe not, but the raw emotion was very similar.

Reggie Holmes has staked his claim as one of the greatest college basketball players in Baltimore history, and last night was some form of coronation. With some of the greatest players in Charm City history present (including Sam Cassell, the reigning Dean of Baltimore Basketball), Holmes put on a show for the ages against an Eagles team-that even in a down year-remains the Bears’ biggest rival.

But the event was so much more than that. It was chilling. It came in front of a packed house, where fans would have waited hours for the chance to see Holmes’ night. A group of 30 or so fans rushed the floor BEFORE the game to help celebrate Holmes (who surpassed Marvin “The Eraser” Webster as the all-time leading scorer in MSU history in the win). Coach Todd Bozeman told us after the game that it was “Cherry Hill” that rushed the floor-and joked that the team had thought about playing the game in that particular Baltimore neighborhood.

It was just special. If you weren’t there, I’m sorry. Both the Bears and Eagles are now off until the MEAC Tournament. Coppin State is the 11 seed, they’ll face UMES in the Opening Round Wednesday. Morgan State is the 1 seed, they’ll face the Howard/North Carolina A&T winner Wednesday night.

2. D1scourse’s Patrick Stevens says Terps rolling towards Top 4 seed in NCAA Tournament

Of course, Patrick didn’t give me much better news than that. For travel reasons, I’m hoping the Terps end up in Providence or Buffalo, but neither seems likely. If it can’t be one of those locations, then I would hope it would be somewhere nice. For example, Jacksonville….

…but Patrick says San Jose is more likely…..

I’m hoping for New Orleans…..

….But Patrick says Spokane is much more likely….

3. Fredericksburg Free Lance Star’s Steve DeShazo says Terps can clinch at least share of ACC regular season title for first time since ’02 with win tomorrow at Virginia

I’ll be in Charlottesville tomorrow afternoon, live blogging at WNST.net. Luke Jones and I will chime in via Twitter, make sure you follow us (@WNST) during the game.

I can’t stand the Wahoos myself, I think “Auld Lang Syne” is a stupid fight song, and I think the only people who should wear ties to a game are coaches. At least it isn’t football, so I don’t have to see them do the stupid “arms around each other” thing after touchdowns.

The Cavs didn’t offer much when they came to Comcast Center, but I don’t imagine they’ll just roll over at John Paul Jones Arena. Sylven Landesberg played 36 minutes against Boston College despite a thigh injury, and should be good to go tomorrow. The good news is that Mamdi Diane graduated a season ago, meaning he can’t kill the Terps again.

If they can get the job done, they get a banner. That’s pretty special.

4. Washington Post’s Gene Wang says Maryland women topped North Carolina, will face Duke today in ACC Tournament quarterfinals

Congratulations to Brenda Frese and the Terps, who need to keep winning to have a shot at returning to the NCAA Tournament.

They played Duke tough for 40 minutes in College Park, and for 30-some minutes at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

Now, I have to pose a question that apparently someone told me was sexist. With no offense to the Terps-as I’ll watch any game they play, but as far as the rest of the ACC Women’s Tournament is concerned-I think I’ll choose cole slaw wrestling instead…

5. UNC Wilmington Official Site previews today’s CAA Tournament opener against Towson

This is a matchup that Pat Kennedy’s club SHOULD win, but that obviously doesn’t mean they will. Even if they do, a date with Old Dominion looms Saturday in Richmond, meaning this will likely be a short trip for the Tigers.

That being said, there will be a LOT of good basketball at the CAA Tournament this weekend, most of which will air live on the Comcast Network. Work taking a poke at-especially on Sunday when there really isn’t anything else on. (NASCAR?)

6. Loyola Official Site previews tonight’s MAAC Tournament opener against Manhattan

Much like Towson, this is a very winnable game for the Greyhounds up in Albany; but that certainly doesn’t mean they WILL win.

I don’t think new AD Jim Paquette was brought to Loyola to clean house or make drastic changes (most young AD’s aren’t brought in for that reason), but there’s clearly some heat on Jimmy Patsos. A couple of wins this weekend could really ease that.

7. Inside Lacrosse’s Terry Foy says Maryland’s Ryan Young, Hopkins’ Kyle Wharton, Loyola’s Collin Finnerty worth watching at M&T Bank Stadium tomorrow

If I were staying in Baltimore, TRUST ME I would be at the Konica Minolta Face-Off Classic tomorrow. It’s a great event (as is the Day of Rivals event IL does), and there’s a really cool atmosphere to it.

These are big games for these teams, too.

Maryland scored a ton of goals-but they really needed a minor miracle to beat Georgetown. Duke barely beat Bucknell and lost to Notre Dame, meaning this could be a clash of ACC rivals who have shown some signs of being “pretenders.”

Coaching changes always cause trouble, but Chris Bates is hoping to keep Princeton in the Top 10 nationally. They gave up 14 goals in a win over Hofstra to open the season. Hopkins is 3-0, but they’re coming off an 8-7 nailbiter over Siena.

Loyola is off to a hot start as well, but facing an Irish team that as I just mentioned has already topped the Blue Devils this season. The Hounds lost a close game to the Fighting Irish in Atlanta a season ago, this would be a real statement for Charley Toomey’s team before opening the Ridley Athletic Complex.

8. National Football Post’s Aaron Wilson says Mark Clayton, Marshal Yanda got 2nd round tenders, Adam Terry not tendered by Ravens

Going with the 2nd round tender instead of the 1st round tender means that while the Ravens want to bring both Clayton and Yanda back, but would be willing to accept solid compensation if another NFL team is REALLY interested in them.

Clayton would come back with a cheap price tag (the type of price tag that means he wouldn’t necessarily have to be guaranteed a roster spot), as I just don’t see teams being interested in offering a 2nd round pick for him. Yanda will be a bit intriguing, but I think will ultimately end up returning as well.

Adam Terry could also return, as teams are not likely to be banging down the door of an oft-injured OT.

9. The Sun’s Jamison Hensley says Anquan Boldin, Kevin Water most likely WR options for Ravens

Walter is the easy call. The Ravens could bring him by 1 Winning Drive this weekend and try to make sure he doesn’t leave. There’s no off the field concerns, even if he isn’t your typical #1 receiver. He’s still 6’3″, and the Ravens DESPERATELY need a taller receiver.

Boldin is attractive, as the Cardinals are rumored to be looking for no more than a 3rd round pick in return. But he’s got some question marks-including a few injury issues and some tangles with coaches in the past-including former offensive coordinator Todd Haley.

It always works that way. They’re attractive, but you’re just not 100% certain they’re a perfect fit. Sorta like Nicki Minaj….

10. ProFootballTalk.com/NBC Sports’ Gregg Rosenthal says Broncos pursuing Dwan Edwards, Justin Bannan

Sadly, this is the business of football. The Ravens don’t want to see either of these players walk away-but with money tied up elsewhere, a team like Denver could easily view these players with a higher value than the Ravens could match.

The Ravens love Bannan off the field, but they’re deep at DT-and a Kelly Talavou or Brandon McKinney could move into the D-Line rotation. Dwan Edwards found a real role for himself (despite making way for Trevor Pryce in obvious passing situations), and I get the feeling the Ravens will really try to get him back.

11. Carroll County Times’ Rich Dubroff says Matusz gave up 2 run homer in Orioles’ loss to Rays Thursday

Apparently it wasn’t exactly a ball that was crushed, but it was a home run nonetheless.

The Birds return to action tonight against the Pirates in Sarasota, Chris Tillman gets his first Grapefruit League start against Zach Duke.

12. ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark says Andy MacPhail had approached Tejada about moving to 3B before trading him to Houston

It’s a pretty good read about how both Tejada and Placido Polanco are making the move to third base this season.

You can read it…..or you could watch the video of Brittney Griner punching Jordan Barncastle again. Your call.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtaPtQnu370[/youtube]

And finally, I leave you with this.

Have you heard the story about…ahem….”actress” Samantha Ryan?

According to the Huffington Post, Ryan is a BIG Kansas Jayhawks fan, and Wednesday night’s game against Kansas State fell on her birthday, so she put out on Twitter than she was looking for tickets. She got them, apparently thanks to assistant coach Kurtis Townsend.

Please insert your own “Friends with Benefits” joke here.

Flexing my mic muscles since 1983….

-G