Aren’t they pretty? Don’t you just love the dreadlocks, Samoan manes and long hippie hair flowing out from the backs of helmets on the NFL and College players? Nice grooming habits, huh? It must be some Samsonian fad - my hair makes me stronger – especially when I’m on steroids. Maybe it’s the “Old School” coming out in me ……again, but the girly hair has got to go.
 

 What is with the hair, boys? I do not want to hear, “It’s an expression of my culture, religion or national origin.” There is a time and a place for that and it is not on the football field. How about the Lions Mane sported by the Samoans in the NFL?Proudly paraded by the NFL’s #1 Samoan –  Baltimores favorite Hair Boy, Troy “Mr. Head and Shoulders – $1 million dollar insured  mane” Polamalu. Supposedly it is an expression of masculinity grown by the warriors in the region…………….of Samoa! Not Pittsburgh, Pa. or Cincinnati, OH.

Then there are the dreadlocks. Nice expression of culture and religion. Yeah, I heard Chris Johnson Marion Barber, Larry Fitzgerald,etc. are all born-again Caribbeanites. Then there are the boys trying to feel like a woman – Tom Brady, Clay Matthews, Alex Wujciak (Terp linebacker), etc. I don’t get it. I guess they think it looks good? Maybe they think it’s a chick magnet? Let me tell you something boys…..I have never heard a female say…….”Oh yeah, I want that one, he has pretty hair.”  It must be a fascination with Samson.

I’m not that old and I’m not that insensitive to peoples personal grooming habits. But, in my opinion, there should be a presentable dress code of professionalism. Especially when you are representing an organization, university or a city. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but the NBA at least has a dress code. Have you ever gone checked out some of these boys/men and how they arrive at the stadium on gameday? Ray-Ray is a class act, three piece suit the whole ten yards. Then you have the thugs rolling in with slippers on, shirt and pants they had on from the night before, all hanging down on the ground…”Pants on the Ground, Pants on the Ground, what kinda fool goes around with their pants on the ground?” I think we may be asking to much. Let’s just stick with the “Hair” – (The Cowsills) – yes, from the musical.

How about if we kill 2 birds (have-to-go’s) with one stone (simple change). No more “Lead with the helmet hits”. Replace those illegal hits with legal, “Pull the Hair” and fling “Pretty Hair Boy” as far as possible. Holding is permitted (By the Hair Only), wide receivers may use defensive backs hair to propel themselves past coverage. And…. if you end up with some of the disgusting locks in your hand – automatically add 1 point to the score.

The NFL and NCAA has many more major issues to deal with, other than players personal hygiene and grooming. Here comes the Old School again………Should they even have to? Don’t these boys/men have parents or at least someone in upper management to say, “make yourself presentable” or “if you’re going to get paid like a professional, then at least during the season – look professional.” I know, I know, all US citizens have “Freewill” – (RUSH). Is it that much to ask for 6 months of respectable grooming habits? And before you even go there, yes, I did have hair down to my shoulders…..in the 70′s.

D.I.Y.

Fedman

The Ravens were not only happy to earn a 31-17 win at home against the Denver Broncos Sunday at M&T Bank Stadium, they were also content in how they did it.

One bright spot in the Ravens’ performance Sunday was their 233 yards rushing; highlighted by the play of running back Ray Rice, who got the ball from the start, rushing the ball 29 times for 133 yards and two scores.

The two touchdowns were not only his first two scores of the season-they were his first touchdowns since last December’s 48-3 victory over the Detroit Lions in Week 14 of the 2009 season.

Rice had been nursing a bruised knee that he suffered in the Ravens’ Week 3 victory over the Cleveland Browns and it had severely impacted his running style the last several weeks in game and in practice.

While Rice did suit up in last week’s 17-14 victory over the Steelers, running back Willis McGahee got the start over Rice and neither back really looked perfect, and Rice still seemed hobbled, crippled, and not 100 percent.

Not on Sunday. From the get-go, Rice appeared healthy as can be-making his signature cuts and moves with ease, and Rice said he felt as comfortable as he ever has been.

Rice’s longest run went for 18 yards, and he had two other runs of 12-yards, his second being the run with 11:45 remaining in the fourth that put him over the century mark for the first time this year.

And he got all the help he could ever need from an offensive line that opened lanes and a fullback in Le’Ron McClain who delivered several bone-crushing hits on Broncos MLB D.J. Williams, who did finish the game with 15 tackles, mostly on Rice downfield.

“That was all offensive line,” Rice said. “They got me to the safety.”

“I’ve never seen a group work harder,” Rice added. The stats haven’t shown the last few weeks, but today, if I was to give a game ball, I’d have to give it to them.”

The Broncos defense had actually came off a pretty good game in their Week 4 victory over the Tennessee Titans, in which the Denver defense held Chris Johnson to 53 yards rushing on 19 carries.

“I’m not sure what Tennessee tried to do against them last week, but we wanted to attack them up front,” Rice said. “We wanted to get them moving.”

“The littlest guy they have in their front seven is D.J. Williams, who is a great player. The rest of them were 270, 280 anchoring the front…I know our defense, when they have to play long drives, they get tired.”

The other surprising note about Rice’s scores were that they were both from one yard out-the first being his score with 2:30 left in the second quarter to put the Ravens up 14-0, and the later coming with 14:21 remaining in the final quarter that put Baltimore out of reach of Denver, 24-7.

Most of the time, the goal line duties are relegated to McGahee or fullback Le’Ron McClain, who are bigger backs, but after both showed indecisiveness near the goalline on the Ravens first two drives of the game(especially a turnover on downs on the first Ravens drive highlighted by not being able to score on the 1 yard line), Rice saw action near the end zone and made the most of the opportunities.

Rice said he being put in that situation meant that offensive coordinator Cam Cameron had all the faith in the world that Rice was going to show off his skills.

“That’s trust,” Rice said. “You trust that coordinator, whoever is calling the plays, is going to do what’s best for the team. I don’t consider them bad calls down there. It’s about execution…Cam’s just calling the plays. The players, we’ve got to execute them.”

Rice not only was a factor in the running game, but he also got his normal touches in the passing game from quarterback Joe Flacco.

Rice also caught four passes for 26 yards, and liked the balance he saw out of the game-plan Sunday.

“I like to call it a well-balanced attack,” he said. “When you define identity, last year we were a physical running team. The thing about this season so far is that when we needed to pass the ball, we passed it. Today, when we needed to run the ball, we ran it. There was no second-guessing what we were going to do.”

Gaining 233 yards on the ground, the Ravens’ offense looked as if it was from two years ago, when the three-headed monster of Ray Rice, Willis McGahee, and Le’Ron McClain got the Ravens to an 11-5 record and an appearance in the AFC Championship game.

“It’s back,” McGahee said of the three-headed attack. “We’ve been away from it for awhile, but we did a great job today.

“That’s our goal every week,” McClain said of the 233 yards rushing. “We set a high standard level. We want 250 a week. We take pride in that. We got Ray going today.”

And if the Ravens play defense the way they did against the Broncos today combined with the churning of the clock and the opposing defenders today, the Ravens feel like they can beat anybody, anytime.

“I think we can go all the way as long as we don’t hurt ourselves,” McGahee said. “That goes for everybody. The sky’s the limit for us.”

Tune into WNST and WNST.net as we continue to follow the Ravens through the 2010 season! WNST-We Never Stop Talking Baltimore Sports!

Week 4 is the first week that byes take place in the NFL, so this is a great time to take short stock of each of the clubs through three weeks. And by short, I mean one line on each team — some stats, some observations and some conjecture.

First up, the AFC teams by division. Records are through Week 3:

AFC East

New York Jets (2-1): Despite crippled Revis Island on defense, brash Jets are only team in AFC East with perfect division record (2-0).

New England Patriots (2-1): QB Tom Brady (8 TD, 109.1 passer rating) is back to form as Patriots have AFC’s highest point total (90) and highest TD total (12) so far.

Miami Dolphins (2-1): Even with deep threat WR Brandon Marshall and RB Ronnie Brown, Dolphins have same amount of TDs (5) as Buffalo, Cincinnati and Baltimore.

Buffalo Bills (0-3): Another lost year for Bills, which have scored fourth-least points (47) in AFC and have given up most points (87) on defense in the conference.

AFC North

Pittsburgh Steelers (3-0): The question for head coach Mike Tomlin is if the Steelers are 4-0 after a win over Baltimore in Week 4, why change QBs to Ben Roethlisberger?

Cincinnati Bengals (2-1): Bengals, despite record, have struggled on offense as QB Carson Palmer (12th rated AFC passer at 71.3) hasn’t found rhythm with T.O.cho Show.

Baltimore Ravens (2-1): Defense, led by MLB Ray Lewis, continues to carry a team expected to score much more in 2010 (44 points; 2nd-lowest in AFC), despite breakout game by WR Anquan Boldin (3 TDs) last week.

Cleveland Browns (0-3): Browns are led by Peyton … not Manning, but RB Hillis (220 yards, 3 TDs) as Browns gave popular AFC Super Bowl pick Ravens much trouble in Week 3.

AFC South

Houston Texans (2-1): Texans got over the hump of beating the Colts, but Houston is not the best team in state of Texas after bad loss to Cowboys.

Tennessee Titans (2-1): Titans defense has allowed fourth-fewest points in the AFC (42), and the Tennessee offense has RB Chris Johnson (4 TDs), but continuing issues at quarterback.

Indianapolis Colts (2-1): Despite loss to Houston, Colts still have potent passing attack with QB Peyton Manning and are arguably still best club in the AFC.

Jacksonville Jagaurs (1-2): Jaguars have worst scoring differential in AFC (-43), and Jack Del Rio could be the AFC’s first fired coach.

AFC West

Kansas City Chiefs (3-0): Most surprising number for unbeaten Chiefs is that defense has allowed least points in the AFC (38), and in weak AFC West, KC might have enough to win the division.

San Diego Chargers (1-2): Special teams burned for two scores at Seattle, and Chargers QB Philip Rivers (AFC-high 4 INTs) is missing a suddenly resurgent RB LaDainian Tomlinson, now with the Jets.

Denver Broncos (1-2): Broncos getting decent offensive production from QB Kyle Orton, but overall have a minus point differential (-4; 61 PF, 65 PA).

Oakland Raiders (1-2): High-priced K Sebastian Janikowski could have made Raiders a 2-1 team with made kicks at Arizona, but Raiders need more than 3s (4 TDs, tied for lowest in AFC with JAX) to be competitive in up-for-grabs division.

Now for the NFC:

NFC East

Philadelphia Eagles (2-1): The Eagles have gone from a transitional season with QB Kevin Kolb to division title hopes with QB Michael Vick, who might be a legit NFL MVP candidate down the road.

Washington Redskins (1-2): Opening victory over Dallas doesn’t look as good after defense was shredded in last two weeks and Cowboys’ struggles.

New York Giants (1-2): A minus-30 scoring differential (55 PF, 85 PA) is third-worst in NFC, and head coach Tom Coughlin is starting to feel the heat.

Dallas Cowboys (1-2): Cowboys avoided 0-3 start in Week 3 with big win over Houston, and Dallas has the personnel to rebound in a wide-open NFC East race.

NFC North

Chicago Bears (3-0): Most unlikely last remaining 3-0 team in NFC gives head coach Lovie Smith some breathing room as O-line tries to keep QB Jay Cutler upright in Mike Martz offensive system.

Green Bay Packers (2-1): Despite mental miscues in Week 3 loss at Chicago, popular Super Bowl XLV NFC pick has plenty of offensive weapons for QB Aaron Rodgers, but need run game to be re-established after Ryan Grant injury.

Minnesota Vikings (1-2): QB Brett Favre looks very old right now, and Vikings best chance to win is to get away from pass-first mindset to get the ball into Adrian Peterson’s hopefully sure hands more often.

Detroit Lions (0-3): Injury to QB Matthew Stafford put dent into head coach Jim Schwartz’s immediate rebuilding plans, and Lions don’t get a break in Week 4 against Packers.

NFC South

Atlanta Falcons (2-1): Falcons posted most-impressive win of Week 3 as they marched out of New Orleans with a OT win, and Atlanta has NFC best-tying +31 point differential.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-1): AFter 2-0 start, Bucs ran into Steelers’ buzzsaw in Week 3, and Tampa Bay is staring at possible 2-3 record with games vs. Cincinnati and New Orleans after bye week.

New Orleans Saints (2-1): Saints run defense was exposed in loss to Falcons, and defending Super Bowl champs need fast starts in order to avoid same fate against strong run teams going forward.

Carolina Panthers (0-3): Winless Panthers have least TDs in NFC (3), and head coach John Fox may be running out of rope with owner Jerry Richardson.

NFC West

Seattle Seahawks (2-1): Head coach Pete Carroll sidestepped Southern California mess and he has put Seattle in early position to make headway in weak NFC West.

Arizona Cardinals (2-1): Despite record, Cards have minus-29 point differential (48 PF, 77 PA) and would be 1-2 if Oakland made a field goal or two in Week 3.

St. Louis Rams (1-2): Rookie QB Sam Bradford will have to grow up in a hurry, but the shame is that the Rams can’t play Washington every week.

San Francisco 49ers (0-3): Head coach Mike Singletary used the next-to-last bullet in his gun after firing offensive coordinator Jimmy Raye, and the last one might be used by 49ers ownership at end of the season if disappointments continue.

For up-to-date Tweets on the NFL and the Ravens, please follow me on Twitter (@BlogAndTackle). For more national NFL stories, please visit my personal site at BlogAndTackle.net.

With the beginning of the 2010 NFL season only hours away, expectations have never been higher in Baltimore as the Ravens have their eyes fixed on their first Super Bowl title since the 2000 season.

Questions remain in the secondary and whether Joe Flacco can reach elite status with an abundance of new weapons in the Baltimore offense, but contenders and pretenders alike face some level of uncertainty on the eve of Week 1.

Easy schedules — and the unsophisticated attempts to predict a team’s fate week by week — in early September frequently transform into daunting slates in the unpredictable nature of the NFL. An injury to a key performer at the wrong position can derail even the strongest teams’ championship aspirations.

Inevitably, a sexy preseason contender or two will collapse under fatal flaws, and an anonymous outfit that no one is even pondering as a victor will find itself playing long into January.

We just never can tell.

And with that digression, I toss my hat into the futile, but enjoyable, pool of forecasting the 2010 season. If nothing else, predictions offer damning proof that most of us (all of us?) really don’t know what we’re talking about when the dust settles in early February.

AFC East
New England – The Jets will continue to steal the headlines, but the Patriots will happily take the division title.
New York – Rex Ryan speaks loudly and carries a big stick, but Mark Sanchez is not ready for the big stage yet.
Miami – No one is happier about Brandon Marshall’s arrival in South Beach than Chad Henne.
Buffalo - Did Chan Gailey really get another head coaching gig in the NFL?

AFC North
Baltimore – Can Joe Flacco keep three former Pro Bowl receivers happy in a potentially explosive passing game?
Cincinnati* – Coordinator Mike Zimmer and the defense will prove their No. 4 ranking in 2009 was no fluke.
Pittsburgh – An aging defense and a shaky offensive line will not be able to overcome Ben Roethlisberger’s four-game suspension and ensuing rust.
Cleveland - It’s rarely a good thing when all people want to talk about is the new front office.

AFC South
Indianapolis – Would the NFL have tweaked the umpire’s positioning if Peyton Manning had not been the one to complain the loudest?
Houston* – After being the chic pick for a couple seasons, Gary Kubiak and the Texans finally crack the postseason.
Tennessee – Does Chris Johnson hold up long enough to touch the ball over 400 times again?
Jacksonville - Three straight losing seasons could spell the end of Jack Del Rio’s eight-year stay with the Jaguars.

AFC West
San Diego – Ryan Mathews won’t make Chargers fans forget LaDainian Tomlinson, but the rookie back is poised for a dynamic rookie campaign.
Oakland – Picking the Raiders any place other than last seems foreign, but Tom Cable has some semblance of a football team if Al Davis doesn’t meddle too much. Good luck with that.
Denver – Kyle Orton is serviceable but not enough to make a difference in the Broncos’ fate.
Kansas City - Safety Eric Berry is a future star and one of several young players giving the Chiefs hope for the future.

NFC East
Dallas – No Cowboys coach has lasted longer than four seasons since Jimmy Johnson (1989-93), so Wade Phillips (entering his fourth year) needs a big season in Big D.
New York – The Giants’ Steve Smith (107 receptions in 2009) has officially turned the Carolina wideout into the “other” one.
Philadelphia – Kevin Kolb will seal Andy Reid’s fate as a genius or mark the beginning of the end for the coach in Philadelphia.
Washington - Donovan McNabb will limp through a hapless season without enough talent surrounding him.

NFC North
Green Bay – This might be the year that Aaron Rodgers exorcises the ghost of Favre by bringing the Lombardi Trophy back to Titletown.
Minnesota* – The absence of Sidney Rice will hurt more than Brett Favre’s ankle, taking the Vikings down a small notch.
Chicago – A fortune was spent for Jay Cutler a year ago and Julius Peppers this offseason, but a small return this season will mark the end for Lovie Smith.
Detroit - Rookies Ndamukong Suh and Jahvid Best give Lions fans two reasons to be excited for the future.

NFC South
New Orleans – Drew Brees might be the one quarterback in the league you wouldn’t grow tired of seeing in the Super Bowl.
Atlanta* – Though he took a step back in his sophomore year, far too many people are overlooking Matt Ryan and the Falcons this season.
Carolina – Whether the Panthers surprise or wilt with Matt Moore at the helm, it looks like this is the final act in Charlotte for John Fox, whose contract expires after the season.
Tampa Bay - At least they have those “creamsicle” throwbacks to look forward to at some point this season, right?

NFC West
San Francisco – Alex Smith is no Joe Montana or Steve Young — or even Jeff Garcia — but the 49ers are the strongest team in a pedestrian division.
Arizona – Cardinals fans wish Kurt Warner would be more like Brett Favre in his retirement practices.
Seattle – As if his first two go-rounds in the NFL weren’t bad enough, the shadow of the sanctions at USC makes Pete Carroll an easy guy to root against.
St. Louis - Sam Bradford has 50 million reasons to smile while he takes a beating in his rookie season.

* = Wild-card berth

Wild-Card Round
New England over Cincinnati
Houston over San Diego
Minnesota over San Francisco
Atlanta over Dallas

Divisional Round
Indianapolis over Houston
Baltimore over New England
New Orleans over Atlanta
Green Bay over Minnesota

AFC Championship
Baltimore over Indianapolis

NFC Championship
Green Bay over New Orleans

Super Bowl XLV
Baltimore over Green Bay

MVP: Aaron Rodgers
Offensive Player of the Year: Adrian Peterson
Defensive Player of the Year: Patrick Willis
Offensive Rookie of the Year: Ryan Mathews
Defensive Rookie of the Year: Ndamukong Suh
Coach of the Year: John Harbaugh

The exhilarating journey begins Thursday night.

Enjoy the ride.

Happy Friday!

It’s a Happy Friday for me because tonight is my annual Fantasy Football Draft; or as I like to call it-”August Christmas.” Thanks to my buddy Chris Appel for arranging the event at Mountain Branch for our “Full House League”, where I’m assuming these things will be on the menu…

I have the 6th pick in this year’s draft. I’m mortified. Clearly Chris Johnson and Maurice Jones-Drew will be gone; with Ray Rice and Adrian Peterson likely behind them. That will likely put me in an uncomfortable spot where the best options are Frank Gore, Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers and Michael Turner.

I have no idea what I’d do in that situation.

I guess Team “Jesse and the Rippers” probably end up having to take this guy…

And as a quick personal note; my condolences go out to Chris Appel (and former WNST.net blogger BJ Appel-the Commish in our league); whose grandfather “Big” Will Appel passed away last night. Big Will was an amazing dude who will be missed. Thoughts and prayers all around, it certainly weighs heavy on an otherwise glorious day.

Let’s see what everyone has to say…

1. WNST.net’s Glenn Clark says Terrence Cody (knee), Demetrius Williams (ankle) missed practice again Thursday ahead of Ravens-Giants game

Neither are major concerns, and neither have ruled themselves out for tomorrow night-although it would surprise me if either were on the field after missing practice for all (Williams) or the majority (Cody) of the week.

The Ravens will almost certainly be without O-Linemen Jared Gaither (back), Oniel Cousins (concussion), David Hale (tailbone) and Daniel Sanders (shoulder) tomorrow night; as well as CB Marcus Paschal (leg).

WR Eron Riley (back) and DT Brandon McKinney (knee) are question marks having missed a few practices this week; and I would be surprised if CB Lardarius Webb played on the turf at “The Bank” after returning from the PUP list just this Monday.

It sorta feels weird to talk about injuries before a game and not mention LJ Smith. I hope he’s doing well…

2. BaltimoreRavens.com’s Ryan Mink says ‘ball security’ very important for Cam Cameron, Ravens against New York

And after 8 fumbles in the first two preseason games against the Carolina Panthers and Washington Redskins, it seems like a pretty logical thing to work on.

You know what else seems pretty logical? Posting this picture of Ninel Conde from Don Chavez….

3. National Football Post’s Aaron Wilson says Ravens GM Ozzie Newsome to be inducted in Cleveland Browns Ring of Honor

I’m not sure if the Browns are planning on inviting guys to town to be honored the weekend of the induction, and it likely wouldn’t matter; as the Ravens visit the Cincinnati Bengals that day and I’m sure Ozzie will be in The Queen City, not The Comeback City.

But hypothetically, imagine the Browns holding an event on a day where Newsome had been able to attend. I am certain there would be at least a level of awkwardness at Cleveland Browns Stadium. I don’t think the majority of fans would be foolish enough to-say-boo the man whose Cleveland career made him a Hall of Fame TE. But I do think there would be a handful of fans (especially younger fans who might not remember Newsome on the field) who would be uncomfortable with honoring the GM of the team that abandoned Cleveland and now regular comes back to kick the Browns in the ass.

And there’s also the whole “he works for Art Modell” thing.

They’re doing the right thing. And it is probably best that it will happen on a day where they can avoid any level of awkwardness.

4. New York Daily News’ Ebenezer Samuel says G-Men center Shaun O’Hara to miss tomorrow night’s game

Before we move on from the Ravens, a couple of things…

-The Ravens are holding a walkthrough today that is CLOSED to the media out at 1 Winning Drive in Owings Mills. They’ll kickoff against the Giants at 7:30 tomorrow night at M&T Bank Stadium. The game can be seen live on WBAL11.

-Did you miss Ravens LB Jason Phillips with Drew Forrester today on “The Morning Reaction” on AM1570 WNST? Jason discussed his road to making the 53 man roster after missing last season. You can hear it in the BuyAToyota.com Audio Vault right here at WNST.net. Some other things you can hear in the Audio Vault include…

• Howard Cross (New York Giants sideline reporter/former TE)-who previewed tomorrow night’s preseason showdown with the Ravens
• Domonique Foxworth (Ravens CB)-who joined Drew to talk about his recovery and preview the Maryland-Navy get together at M&T Bank Stadium on Labor Day
• TJ Rives (Tampa Bay Buccaneers sideline reporter)-who previewed the Bucs with Drew as we continued to look at all of the Ravens’ 2010 opponents
• Roger Lodge (Host of “The Sports Lodge” on AM830 in Los Angeles and the former host of “Blind Date”)-who joined Drew to preview the Angels
• All sorts of audio from Owings Mills Thursday-including Cam Cameron, Greg Mattison, Jerry Rosburg and Ray Rice
• Steve Hauschka (former Ravens, now Detroit Lions kicker)-who joined Thyrl Nelson Thursday on “The Mobtown Sports Beat”
• Joe Maese (former Ravens Long Snapper)-who joined Rex Snider Thursday on “The Afternoon Drive” to talk about Matt Katula/Morgan Cox as well as his new career as a Howard County firefighter
• Len Pasquarelli (CBSSports.com)-who checked in live from the NFL Owners Meetings in Atlanta with Rex Thursday

Plus much much more. It’s all in the Audio Vault, so once again I’ve planned your day completely. I’m getting sick of carrying you like this.

5. The AP’s Jay Cohen says Edwin Jackson masterful as Orioles lost to Chicago White Sox at US Cellular Field

Not a whole heck of a lot more that can be said about this.

Jackson was TREMENDOUS last night. The type of tremendous that sorta makes you wonder how he can ever be bad.

I almost said “I’m glad Edwin Jackson doesn’t pitch for my team, because it would be frustrating to watch him.” But I don’t mean that. I’d take Edwin Jackson my team 10 times out of 10. He’s better than anyone we have.

Nights like these happen sometimes. They’re frustrating, but they happen. Hopefully there will be fewer and fewer of them in 2011.

Hopefully.

6. The AP/WNST.net provide numerical evidence of loss

Jackson’s line: 8 shutout innings, 3 hits, 10 strikeouts

Jake Arrieta’s line: 4 IP, 4 ER, 7 hits, 3BB, 2K

You REALLY don’t want to look at these numbers.

Instead, look at Olivia Wilde. She’s much more pleasant to look at. Thanks Guyism!

7. MLB.com’s Brittany Ghiroli says Armando Gabino optioned to Norfolk after loss, Jim Johnson expected before tonight’s game in Anaheim

And when it comes to Gabino, we’ll always have the memories. Like…

I’m happy for Jim Johnson to finally be getting back. I think there was a real chance of him having his spirits dampened after such a dreadful season thus far.

You know what tends to help me when my spirits are dampened? Robert Randolph…

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kABK_CDZal8[/youtube]

8. The Sun’s Dean Jones Jr. says Chris Tillman roughed up, but Norfolk Tides managed to beat Charlotte Knights on farm

And before we move on from the O’s, a couple of things…

-The Birds left the Windy City last night for Anaheim, where they’ll open a weekend series with the Angels tonight. First pitch between Brad Bergesen and Trevor Bell is at 10:05pm, and the game can be seen on MASN2. Kevin Millwood and Jeremy Guthrie face Scott Kazmir and Jered Weaver the rest of the weekend.

-Adam Jones missed another game last night, but was available in an emergency situation. Still not considered a longterm issue.

-While Tillman still seems to be a guy who will be headed to Charm City next week, it does not look like Buck Showalter and Andy MacPhail will be giving Zach Britton the call. Might be the right move, but still kinda disappointing.

9. D1scourse’s Patrick Stevens says LaQuan Williams, Justin Lewis, Matt Furstenburg now listed as starters for Terrapins

And yet somehow Shannon James STILL isn’t starting. WHERE IS THE JUSTICE IN COLLEGE PARK?!?!?!? (Thanks The Smoking Jacket!)

10. ESPN.com’s Wayne Drehs says Michael Phelps has rededicated himself to Swimming after visiting this year’s Vancouver Olympics

Thank God, as I can’t take seeing Michael Phelps lose anymore.

I mean, if Phelps is losing-I’m pretty sure THIS man defaults back to being the face of Baltimore sports…

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

And finally, I leave you with this.

The Maryland State Fair is underway in Timonium. It means plenty of wonderful things all around. Amongst them? DEEP FRIED POP TARTS! (Thanks Fox 45!)

Flexing my mic muscles since 1983…

-G

One of the reasons why the Baltimore Ravens signed Cary Williams off the Tennessee Titans‘ practice squad last season was because the Ravens had injury concerns with their corner backs.

Flash forward almost a year, and Cary Williams is still on this team because…the Ravens have injury concerns at the corner back position.

But Williams, if he continues to play like he has in first two Ravens preseason games-both Baltimore victories against the Panthers and the Redskins-, he might find himself a roster spot in the Ravens crowded secondary when the 2010 season starts on September 13th against the Jets.

Williams has recorded interceptions in the first two games of the season, intercepting Panthers second-round pick Jimmy Clausen in the Ravens opening round victory, and on Saturday, he did one better, intercepting Redskins starter Donovan McNabb on a pass intended for Santana Moss.

He returned the interception 37 yards.

Williams got both interceptions not seeing starting action.

“The ball was a little under-thrown,” Williams told the media after the game. ‘I guess Donovan was trying to give the guy an advantage on the ball because of my position on top of his outside shoulder, but I just came down and saw it and tried to run as fast as I could.”

Williams played well on special teams down the stretch last season as the Ravens made their way into the playoffs, and now going into the 2010 season, Williams is still trying to prove to the Ravens that he is worth a taking a flier on in a more active-role when it comes to being a part of this defense.

“I just relish any moment that I can go out there and show my abilities,” Williams told Drew Forrester Monday morning, fresh off the weekend victory over the Redskins.  “I really want to take advantage of the opportunity that Ozzie and the Baltimore Ravens have given me.”

Since Williams joined the Ravens last November after being signed off the Titans practice squad, Williams said he has taken each day as a way of improving his play as NFL corner, hopefully as a Raven.

“I just want to take it one day at a time really and just continue to get better each week. I want to show the guys that I’m a dependable corner and that I’m a guy who can really help this team out.”

Williams was originally a seventh-round pick by the Tennessee Titans in the 2008 Draft out of Washburn College in Topeka, Kansas. He became the fifth player in school history to be drafted into the NFL.

Listed at 6’1”, 185 lb, Williams is a bigger, physical corner who can leap and compete with bigger wide receivers.

In his senior season as a Ichabod, he nabbed seven interceptions, good for second in school history, while also recording two kickoff returns for touchdowns.

But that was Division-II football. He now is playing in the NFL, but through the ten career games that he has played in, not including the likes of the preseason game on Saturday, he says the game is slowing down for him a bit.

“To me, it really didn’t feel any different,” Williams told Forrester. “But I guess with the starters, McNabb came out on fire, completing passes left and right. I guess it felt like a regular season game with the tempo and things like that.

“But when I got out there, it didn’t feel like that. It felt like football. And you just try and play football at the best of your ability just like any other game, and try to perform and put your best foot forward.”

Williams is stepping forward as an option to help solidify the secondary when it comes to the corner back position. And he knows what he is capable of in this league.

“I feel like I’m capable to go out there and play against anybody. I just want to become a sponge this off-season and try and learn as much as possible from Coach [Chuck]Pagano and from the rest of the guys like [Lardarius] Webb. I want to try and get their perspective on things and try to soak in as much as possible…and learn the game, and each week get better and better gradually.”

Unfortunately, even if Williams does continue to progress week-by-week in the preseason, there will be a hiccup in that process as he will miss the first two games of the regular season after being suspended by the league for violating the NFL’s conduct policy.

It stems from an incident that occurred when he was with the Tennessee Titans last year, an issue that Ozzie Newsome and the Ravens staff knew all about before bringing him in.

Williams was suspended twice in his college career while at Fordham University before being kicked off the team, forcing Williams to play at Washburn.

And while Williams and the rest of the Ravens defense shut down the Skins offense Saturday to a total of three points, Williams-along with the rest of the Ravens defenders-will tell you that they were far from perfect.

“I think we have some things to work on,” Williams said. “Obviously today we’re going to go out and review the film, and do the corrections through practice. But as a unit, I think we did alright. I don’t think we did too bad at all.”

And Williams said he has been around one of the best game-film studiers of them all in linebacker Ray Lewis.

“You’re playing with one of the greatest in the game. In my opinion, he is the greatest field-general to ever play the game,” Williams told Forrester. “Ray is a great guy off the field, but he’s even better on the field. It’s almost as if he knows every position and every scheme that we have. He knows everyone’s responsbillites.”

“He can help you out in any aspect of the game, and it’s just a wonderful experience, and its the greatest experience of my life.”

But, since Williams has become a member of this organization, he has learned the importance of winning games to the Ravens coaching staff.

“Winning is a big part of this organization,” Williams replied.”It’s already known when you put on a Raven uniform what is expected of us, and we have to go out there with high intensity. And every week, we’re going out there trying to put our best foot forward trying to win games.”

Tune into WNST and WNST.net for more information regarding Cary Williams and his chances at making the Ravens 53-man roster. WNST-We Never Stop Talking Baltimore Sports!

There has been a lot of talk about what the Ravens have done in the offseason, as well as key personnel returning from injuries. The Ravens offense has been seriously upgraded due to the acquisition of wide receivers Anquan Boldin and Donte’ Stallworth as well as the drafting of tight ends Dennis Pitta and Ed Dickson. Many people, including myself, are interested to see how Lardarius Webb and Fabian Washington will progress with their knee injuries. These have been the hot topics leading up to the first preseason game of the season tomorrow night against the Carolina Panthers. Personally, I feel that there is a more important set of players who will dictate the Ravens success this season. That group of players is the Ravens offensive line.

Michael Oher. Ben Grubbs. Matt Birk. Marshal Yanda. Jared Gaither. These five guys are the most important pieces of this Ravens team. Throw in a few key back-ups in Oniel Cousins and Chris Chester, and you have a group of the most important guys on this Ravens roster.

When the likes of Mike Flynn, Jason Brown, Adam Terry, Edwin Mulitalo, and Jonathon Ogden departed a few season ago, I got nervous. Ravens fans got nervous. Baltimore was losing a core of guys who helped keep Kyle Boller alive. I remember hearing a lot of negative press about how the Ravens would be able to replace Pro Bowlers and Hall of Famers. But once again, Ozzie Newsome and the Ravens front office came through again.

Last season, Joe Flacco was sacked 36 times. That’s just over two sacks a game on our beloved quarterback. This was about average in the NFL last year. The team who got sacked the least was the Colts with 13 sacks, followed by the Titans, Patriots and Saints. There is an easy explanation for why the Titans sack total was so low, and that is because they ran the ball more than anyone else, which was a good idea since it got the ball in Chris Johnson’s hands. But look at the other three teams on this list. Now think of their quarterbacks. There is a reason that Peyton Manning, Drew Brees, and Tom Brady are considered the best quarterbacks in the NFL. And their offensive lines are keeping them for being hit.

Not to mention, the Colts and the Saints played one another in the Super Bowl. What I am trying to say is that if the Ravens can cut down on sacks on Joe Flacco, then they have a better chance of going further. I’ll say it right here. If the Ravens offensive line gives up less than 20 sacks this year, then the Ravens will make it to the Super Bowl. If Flacco is only sacked once a game, then there is an extremely good chance that he will be healthier, which he had a problem with at the end of last season. And if he is healthy, then our passing offense will be remarkable, which will consequently open up the running game as well.

I hope to see a lot of the Ravens offense selected to the Pro Bowl this year. Just be sure to watch the offensive line to gauge this year’s Ravens success.

Jamal Lewis has taken a ton of hits over the years as a between-the-tackles running back in the NFL for the last decade, and he feels like he is ready to move on to other more fortunate-and safer-endeavors in his life.

Lewis, the Ravens’ all-time leading rusher, spent the last three seasons with the Cleveland Browns after the Ravens released Lewis in February of 2007.

After being released by the Browns in February, Lewis and a business partner just recently invested in a hotel and water park in Columbus, Ohio called Fort Rapids Indoor WaterPark Resort.

Before tackling business propositions, Lewis was the anchor of Brian Billick’s offense from 2000-2007, in which Lewis ran for 7,801 yards in six seasons after Baltimore drafted Lewis out of the University of Tennessee with the fifth pick in the 2000 NFL draft.

In his rookie season, Lewis quickly usurped Priest Holmes as the starter, and was heavily leaned on in the Ravens’ Super Bowl run in 2000, as he recorded 1364 yards and 6 TDs in 13 starts.

His success forced the Ravens not to resign Holmes, who quickly left to have a great couple years in Kansas City. It was only after that decision to not resign Holmes that Lewis tore his knee in training camp, and the Ravens, with no running game in 2001, failed to defend their Super Bowl title as quarterback Elvis Grbac was asked to put the offense on his shoulders.

You all know how that worked out.

After coming back healthy, Lewis’ best year came in 2003, when Lewis was basically the Ravens’ offense. He became the fifth running back to reach 2000 yards rushing in a season, joining the likes of O.J Simpson, Terrell Davis, Eric Dickerson, and Barry Sanders.

He added fourteen touchdowns that year, and also set a then-single game rushing record, when he rushed for 295 yards against the Browns( recently broken by Adrian Peterson of the Vikings against the Chargers).

He earned the Offensive Player of the Year Award, as well as the NFL Writers Association MVP Award( the AP NFL MVP went to Peyton Manning and Steve McNair that year.)

And with Chris Johnson of Tennessee joining him in that elite company last year, Lewis said that Johnson would certainly be a guy he would build his team around based on his pure athletic ability.

“I’d take him just because of his speed,” Lewis told Thyrl Nelson of WNST Thursday. They’re giving him the ball, they’re throwing the ball to him on the outside, he can run with it. He can score probably from anywhere on the field due to his speed.

And he even threw a little respect to a current Raven running back as well as Johnson.

“Him and Ray Rice, those would be my two guys.”

No running back in NFL history has ever rushed for 2000 yards in consecutive seasons, but if Lewis feels like anyone can do it, Johnson can, but it’s not going to be easy, he said.

“To go through a 2000 yard season, it’s a lot of work first of all. It’s a lot of yards, but we call it miles. It’s a lot of miles on the body. It’s a lot of hits.”

“It is possible to go in and run for another 2000 yards, but it’s going to be way much harder than it was to go and try and do that. Guys are going to key on you, and defenses are not going to let you come in and just run over them. They already know what you’re capable of.”

And that’s what opposing defenses did to Lewis after 2003.  Lewis’ numbers, and his popularity in Baltimore, began to dip over his final years as a Raven.

The following year, he barely reached 1000 yards in 12 starts, and for the first time in his career, he missed a 1000 yard season in 2005 as ankle problems stopped the shifty, bruising running back’s ability to cut and hit the hole.

And despite reaching his potential in his final year as a Raven in 2006, getting back to 1132 yards rushing, the Ravens saw his 3.4 yards per carry as a concern and decided to go another route, releasing their franchise leader in rushing yards.

Lewis wore out his welcome in Baltimore fast despite his earlier success due to his contract concerns, his poor production and decline at times on the field in his later years, and a poor attitude.

Things got worse in 2004-2005 when he was cited for conspiring to distribute crack cocaine while he was in  Atlanta, and for that, Lewis served a four month sentence in a halfway house. It was incidents like that, along with him breaking down after 400 carries in 2003, that rushed him out of Baltimore and to division-rival Cleveland in 2007.

In his first year in Cleveland, Lewis had a chip on his shoulder, and with no competition around him, he saw a resurgence of the Lewis of old. He reached the 1,300 yard mark with Cleveland and for the second straight year in a row had nine rushing scores.

But again, as injuries, old age, and an attitude that sometimes got him in trouble, Cleveland soon grew tired of Lewis as well, and Lewis saw the last two years in Cleveland competing with the likes of Jerome Harrison and others.

Back in November after a concussion ended his season, Lewis announced his retirement from the NFL at the conclusion of the year. However, Lewis has yet to turn in his retirement papers to the NFL, and the only reason why he is out of football right now is due to the fact that Cleveland released him in February.

He finished his career-or his stats currently stand at-10,607 rushing yards, 62 total touchdowns, and a 4.2 yards-per-carry average.

With the injuries mounting up on him over the years, Lewis feels like he is done.

“Due to my injury, it’s been steering me away from putting the helmet back on.”

And now he has a chance to be a fan of the NFL, which he enjoys. And he has kept a big eye on what his original franchise in Baltimore has been doing this off-season in an attempt to get back to the Super Bowl, which Lewis helped carry them to a decade ago.

“The Ravens made some good good moves in Anquan Boldin, to come in and help balance the attack with Ray Rice,” Lewis said. “You still have Derrick Mason, who is a great great player. He’s an older guy, but he can still move the ball and catch and run with it.  All around, it’s really up to them how far they want to go, especially with the field cop in Ray Lewis leading the way.”

Lewis said he would have loved to have a team of this firepower years ago, but he did admit he would have definitely not achieved his 2,000 yard season with a Joe Flacco on this team, a record and distinciton of his that is very close to his heart.

“But with an Anquan Boldin and a Derrick Mason, and some guys over there like Joe Flacco throwing the ball down field, I don’t think I could have come out with a 2,000 yard season.”

But he said his time in Baltimore could have lasted a bit longer, as well as his career as a whole, if the team had this kind of balance when he was lining up in the backfield.

“It would have been a better situation than I think. We could have had a longer winning streak if we had that kind of talent and the kind of balance that they’re putting in place now.”

He has been paying attention to the buzz surrounding the team, and how many people think this team might go to the Super Bowl. But he warned this Ravens team not to buy into all that attention just yet, because that’s all it is.

No team knows where they’re going, but every team wants to go in a certain direction,” Lewis said.  “Whatever people say about what they’re going to do this season, or how far they’re going to go, I think its just hype.”

“But at the same time, due to free agency and the moves made around the league, the sorriest team could be the best team the next year.”

And now, as a hotel and water-park entrepenuer, Lewis and his business partners will be taking a lot of calls and reservations.

Lewis will just have to wait to see if there are reservations for him not only in the Ravens Ring of Honor, but maybe Canton as well.

Tune into WNST and WNST.net for more Ravens news as training camp starts next week! WNST-We Never Stop Talking about our Ravens-Past or Present!

I understand why the excitement isn’t what it was a season ago.

A season ago, the Baltimore Ravens began the season with a rookie QB, a first year head coach and no expectations; which made a return to the playoffs particularly sweet for fans throughout Charm City.

But entering this season, last year’s run to the AFC Championship Game lead many fans to adopt a “Super Bowl or bust” type motto. Amazingly, the Ravens will be one of just 12 teams who will be alive in the race for the Vince Lombardi Trophy come Monday morning-despite the “I’m not sure they even belong” attitude a number of fans have adopted.

There’s reason for the less than enthusiastic emotions that fans in town have adopted. This Ravens team has been less than overwhelming this season-beating just one playoff team (San Diego in Week 2) en route to clinching a Wild Card berth against the Raiders Sunday in Oakland. The Ravens finished the season with 6 straight losses against teams who qualified for postseason play, and mixed in a loss to the Steelers-who will miss the playoffs despite posting a record equal to the 9-7 mark the Ravens posted this season. Joe Flacco appeared to regress in his 2nd season, and John Harbaugh made the type of mental mistakes that coaches probably SHOULDN’T make in their second season. The Ravens’ Wide Receivers have been troubling, and their secondary has been terrible at times.

The remarkable thing about all of this is that all of the problems the Ravens have been forced to overcome have happened during a season in which they reached the playoffs for a 2nd straight year for only the 2nd time in franchise history.

There’s a slew of players and coaches around the NFL who aren’t going to be participating in a 2nd straight postseason. The list includes Matt Ryan, Mike Smith, Tony Sparano, Brett Favre, Mike Tomlin, Ben Roethlisberger, Carson Palmer, Marvin Lewis, Tony Romo, Wade Phillips, Tom Coughlin, Eli Manning, Jeff Fisher, Chris Johnson, Tom Brady, Bill Belichick, Drew Brees, Sean Payton and John Fox. (Others-like Matt Hasselbeck, Mike Singletary and more will fail to reach even a single postseason over the 24 month span.)

Get the point?

Reaching the postseason in back to back seasons is a MAJOR accomplishment. The Ravens will be able to make money, gain exposure and build on their franchise history over at least the next week if not the next month. It will be remarkably difficult for them to go to Foxborough and beat the Patriots, but they might. Whether or not they do, they will have had an outstanding season.

It doesn’t change the problems this team faces. They will still need to overhaul their receivers in the offseason-but they will be doing it in an offseason where they are coming off a 2nd straight trip to the playoffs. The Steelers can’t say the same thing about their secondary overhaul this offseason.

It’s a big deal.

It’ll be a bigger deal if they’re still alive in 7 days.

-G

(If you’d like to join us at Gillette Stadium next Saturday, click the “Trips” tab at WNST.net)

Ravens:
QB John Beck (3rd QB)
WR Justin Harper
CB Marcus Paschal
S Keith Fitzhugh
LB Tavares Gooden (groin)
OL David Hale
OL Tony Moll
DT Kelly Talavou

Raiders:
QB Bruce Gradkowski (knee)
WR Darrius Heyward-Bey (foot)
RB Justin Fargas (knee)
OT Langston Walker (ankle)
CB Chris Johnson (hamstring)
WR Javon Walker
DE Greyson Gunheim
QB JP Losman (3rd QB)

Charlie Frye will start at QB for Oakland.

-G