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New ACC Scheduling Means More Pitt, Less Duke for Maryland

Posted on 03 February 2012 by WNST Staff

Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. (theACC.com) - Atlantic Coast Conference Commissioner John Swofford announced today the future scheduling formats as approved by the ACC’s Faculty Athletic Representatives and Athletics Directors.

The announcement was made following the annual ACC Winter Meetings and will go in effect once Pittsburgh and Syracuse become playing members in the conference.

“We have been engaged in discussions on the various options for integrating Pitt and Syracuse since early fall,” said ACC Commissioner John Swofford. “It’s a tremendous tribute to the leadership at our schools that we will be able to seamlessly add Pitt and Syracuse at the appropriate time when they become full playing members.”

A breakdown of the future scheduling models include:

Football:
The Atlantic and Coastal divisions will remain the same with Syracuse joining the Atlantic and Pitt joining the Coastal. The current primary crossover partners will remain consistent with Syracuse and Pitt becoming primary crossover partners with each other.

When Pitt and Syracuse join the ACC, the league will play a nine-game conference schedule. The format will consist of each team playing all six in its division each year, plus its primary crossover partner each year and two rotating opponents from the opposite division. This six-year cycle allows each team to play each divisional opponent and its primary crossover partner six times (three home and three away) while also playing each rotating crossover opponent two times (one home and one away).

Men’s and Women’s Basketball:
As previously announced, the ACC will play an 18-game conference schedule beginning in 2012-13.

When Pitt and Syracuse join, each school will have one primary partner (Boston College and Syracuse; Clemson and Georgia Tech; Duke and North Carolina; Florida State and Miami; Maryland and Pitt; NC State and Wake Forest; Virginia and Virginia Tech).

The scheduling model will be based on a three-year cycle during which teams will play every league opponent at least once with the primary partners playing home and away annually while the other 12 rotate in groups of four: one year both home and away; one year at home only; and one year away only. Over the course of the three-year cycle primary partners play a total of six times and all other conference opponents play four times.

The format allows each program to see opponents with more regularity and creates an increase in competitive balance throughout the teams. It was determined that all 14 league members will continue to compete in the ACC Men’s and Women’s Tournaments and a decision on the Tournament formats will be announced at a later date.

Olympic Sports:
All team sports will continue to play each conference team at least once during the regular season. Baseball is the only exception as they currently don’t play all conference opponents.

The league will continue to sponsor an ACC Championship event in all sports. The only exception will be volleyball, which will continue to recognize its champion from regular-season play.

The conference will sponsor an ACC Championship in the sport of gymnastics. There are currently three institutions that sponsor gymnastics (Maryland, North Carolina and NC State) and with the addition of Pitt, the ACC will have four programs, the necessary number in the league’s bylaws to host a conference championship. The ACC previously sponsored a conference championship in gymnastics in 1984.

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Maryland Looks For First ACC Road Win Wednesday at Miami

Posted on 01 February 2012 by WNST Staff

Maryland (13-7, 3-3) at Miami (12-7, 3-3)
Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2012 | 8 p.m. | Miami, Fla.
ACC Network (WNUV 54 in Charm City) | Terrapin Sports Radio Network

  • Maryland begins a road-heavy February with a trip to south Florida to face Miami. The matchup features a pair of teams in a three-way tie for sixth place in the Atlantic Coast Conference with 3-3 records prior to Tuesday’s games (Clemson is the third team at 3-3). The Terrapins face six road games in the month of February against only three home contests, including a return match against the Hurricanes on Feb. 21.
  • The Terrapins snapped a three-game losing streak with a 73-69 victory last Saturday against Virginia Tech. Sophomore guard Terrell Stoglin scored 21 of his 28 points in the second half to lead the Terrapins and post his 14th 20-point game of the season. Maryland is 10-4 when Stoglin scores 20 points or more in a game. Stoglin is sixth in the nation in scoring through last Sunday’s games with a 21.3 ppg average. He is one of only 14 players who were averaging 20 points or better in the Division I statistics.
  • Senior guard Sean Mosley added 15 points against the Hokies on Saturday, including a 5-for-5 performance at the foul line. Mosley is now 19 points away from becoming the 50th Terrapin in history with 1,000 career points. He is in line to become only the eighth Terrapin in history to combine 1,000 points, 500 rebounds, 200 assists and 120 steals in a career. He hit the 3,000-minute plateau with his 32-minute effort on Saturday against Virginia Tech.
  • The schedule also stiffens in terms of competition for the Terrapins from this point on, as only three of Maryland’s final 10 games are against teams above 70 in the RPI. Five games are against nationally ranked teams down the stretch.

    Scouting the Hurricanes

  • After winning back-to-back conference road games, Miami is 12-7 this season with a 2-2 mark in the ACC… Under the direction of Jim Larranaga, who is in his first season at Miami after a 14-year stint at George Mason, the Hurricanes have an 8-2 home record.
  • Senior guard Malcolm Grant leads the team in scoring with 13.2 ppg and is one of four Hurricanes averaging double figures… Junior guard Durand Scott (12.6 ppg), junior forward/center Kenny Kadji (12.5 ppg) and junior center Reggie Johnson (10.1 ppg) are the others… Grant also ranks sixth in the ACC in 3-point FG percentage (.347) and as a team, the Hurricanes are second in the conference (.368).
  • Johnson, who earned All-ACC honorable mention accolades a year ago after averaging 11.9 points per game and 9.6 rebounds per game, leads the team in rebounding again with 6.7 rpg… Kadji, a 6-foot-11 native of Cameroon, has a team-high 35 blocks including 3.0 bpg in conference play.

    Upcoming

  • Following the trip to Miami on 2/1, the Terps then return home to face nationally ranked North Carolina on 2/4…

    The Terps will then play five of their next seven on the road… Maryland has only three home games and six road contests in February.

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Towson RB West Named Jerry Rice Award Winner

Posted on 05 January 2012 by WNST Staff

Frisco, TX (Sports Network) – It was a season that almost wasn’t for Towson freshman running back Terrance West, as he nearly redshirted and sat out the first game of the season.

But, after his redshirt was lifted, teams couldn’t keep the 5-foot-11, 222-pound freshman out of the end zone. West rushed for 27 touchdowns in the regular season, ranking No. 1 in the FCS.

West was honored with the inaugural Jerry Rice Award, which is awarded to the outstanding freshman in the FCS. The Sports Network presents and Fathead.com sponsors the award.

“It feels very good to be going to the Jerry Rice Award (presentation),” West said.

A Baltimore native, West didn’t earn a scholarship until halfway through his superb season and before that the talented freshman struggled to even find a place to play, at times nearly going to Clemson, Maryland and Morgan State.

“We got him in the door and all he wanted was an opportunity,” Towson coach Rob Ambrose said. “He wasn’t on scholarship, he was here all spring and most of this semester not on scholarship. I told him, ‘I’m going to give you the same deal I give everybody else, you’ll get what you earn.’”

West made his season debut the second week of the season and rushed for two touchdowns in a win against Villanova. It was the first of nine multi- touchdown games for West (he finished with 29 total scores after a playoff loss to Lehigh).

Setting the Towson record for touchdown runs in a season, West had three four-touchdown games and helped the Tigers to a CAA Football title, the first in program history.

The Jerry Rice Award is named after the NFL Hall of Famer, who had an All-America career at Mississippi Valley State.

West was a runaway winner of the award, receiving 89 of the 132 first- place votes, 74 more than Old Dominion quarterback Taylor Heinicke, who finished second in the balloting.

In addition to West winning the Jerry Rice Award, his head coach, Rob Ambrose, was honored as the Eddie Robinson Award winner, presented to the FCS Coach of The Year.

Jerry Rice Award Voting…………1st….2nd….3rd….4th….5th….Total

1. Terrance West, Towson………..89…..14……6……6……2…..533

2. Taylor Heinicke, Old Dominion…15…..51…..17…..11……7…..359

3. Austin Sumner, South Dakota St…8…..21…..16…..20……9…..221

4. David Johnson, Northern Iowa…..2……4…..23…..16…..13…..140

5. Chuck Diblio, Princeton……….3……5…..17…..13…..17…..129

6. Christian Bryan, Youngstown St…6……6…..10……8…..15…..115

7. Michael German, Tennessee St…..4……5……5…..10……7……82

8. D’Vonte Grant, No Carolina A&T…2……4……5…..14……3……72

9. Dillon Lucas, Villanova……….0……1…..10……6…..10……56

10T.Jordan Wells, SE Louisiana…….1……6……2……4……6……49

10T.Greg McGhee, Howard…………..1……5……4……2……8……49

12. Neal Stirling, Monmouth……….1……2……5……4…..11……47

13. Will Whitman, Harvard…………0……1……5……5……8……37

14. Mike Crutcher, Missouri State….0……3……0……4……4……24

15. R.J. Harris, New Hampshire…….0……2……1……2……3……18

16. Brady Measom, Southern Utah……0……1……2……1……1……13

17. Ross Scheuerman, Lafayette…….0……1……1……0……4……11

18. Brandon White, San Diego………0……0……1……2……1…….8

19. Julian Hayes, Monmouth………..0……0……0……2……3…….7

20. Jake Miller, Eastern Washington..0……0……1……1……0…….5

21. *Terrell Robinson, Chattanooga…0……0……1……0……0…….3

22. *Dominique Swope, Ga. Southern…0……0……0……1……0…….2

* – Write-in vote.

Voting points on 5-4-3-2-1 basis.

 

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Top 10 Baseball Distractions

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Top 10 Baseball Distractions

Posted on 03 January 2012 by Glenn Clark

Honorable Mention: Boxing-ShoBox Luis Ramos Jr. vs. Raymundo Beltran (Friday 11pm from Indio, CA live on Showtime), Friday Night Fights-Dyah Davis vs. Alfonso Lopez (Friday 9pm from Key West, FL live on ESPN2); Soccer: MISL Syracuse Silver Knights @ Baltimore Blast (Friday 7:35pm 1st Mariner Arena), Rochester Lancers @ Baltimore Blast (Saturday 7:35pm 1st Mariner Arena); Women’s College Basketball: Georgia Tech @ Maryland (Friday 8:30pm from Comcast Center live on Comcast SportsNet), Maryland @ North Carolina (Sunday 1pm from Chapel Hill, NC live on Comcast SportsNet)

10. Badfish (Friday 7pm Rams Head Live), Legwarmers (Saturday 7pm Rams Head Live); Pat McGee Band (Friday 7:30pm Birchmere); Carbon Leaf (Friday 7:30pm Saturday 8pm The Barns at Wolf Trap); Johnny Winter (Saturday 8pm Sunday 7pm Rams Head on Stage)

When I heard Badfish was coming to town, I started wondering what my favorite Sublime song of all time was. I’ll probably be killed for it, but how can it not be this?

The Legwarmers are one of those tremendous 80′s cover bands that if you go see you’re guaranteed to have a good time. They do a ton of songs, but none are as good as this song…

I freaking LOVE Pat McGee Band. Here’s Pat doing Crosby Stills  &Nash (although you may be more familiar with Jimmy Buffett’s take)…

I’ve been talking an awful lot about Carbon Leaf this week. Have you taken the hint?

9. Kevin Nealon (Thursday-Sunday DC Improv)

The good news is that if you get your wires crossed at a Kevin Nealon show, he has some experience getting them uncrossed…

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Three Terps Named Freshman All-America

Posted on 09 December 2011 by WNST Staff

Three Terps Nab Freshman All-America Honors

Bowers, Goree and Monroe chosen to College Football News team

COLLEGE PARK, Md. – Defensive linemen Keith Bowers and Andre Monroe, and linebacker Lorne Goree were all selected to the College Football News (CFN) Freshman All-America team on Friday.

Monroe, who ranks second in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) in sacks among freshmen (0.56 per game), earned a spot on the second team. Bowers and Goree were honorable mention choices.

Bowers played in all 12 games, starting the final 11 at defensive end. He posted 36 tackles, including six tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks. The native of West Palm Beach, Fla., ranks tied for seventh in the Atlantic Coast Conference among freshmen in tackles for loss (0.50 per game).

Goree started the season as a reserve linebacker, but stepped into a starting role due to injuries. He played in all 12 games and ranks second in the ACC in tackles among freshmen (5.0 per game). The native of Springdale, Md., ranked fifth on the team in tackles (60) and averaged 7.1 stops in his seven starts (five at Mike LB; two at Will LB).

Monroe played in just nine games due to injury, but was a playmaker while in the lineup. The Upper Marlboro, Md., product started four games at defensive tackle and leads the ACC in tackles for loss (0.83 per game) by a freshman. He is also sixth overall in the league in sacks per game.

Maryland ranked first in the ACC with three honorees to the CFN Freshman All-America team. Boston College, Clemson and Virginia each had two.

To view the team, go to: http://cfn.scout.com/2/1137275.html

– Terps –

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Navy Battles Army Saturday at FedEx Field

Posted on 09 December 2011 by WNST Staff

2011 Navy Football Game Specifics
Game 12 Army (3-8) vs. Navy (4-7) presented by USAA
Date and Kickoff Dec. 10, 2011 at 2:30 pm ET
Location Landover, Md. | FedExField (82,000)
Television CBS
TV Talent Verne Lundquist (play-by-play), Gary Danielson (analyst), Tracy Wolfson (sideline)
Army-Navy Rivalry Click here for more information

Setting the Stage
• Army and Navy will meet for the 112th time and for the first time inside the Capital Beltway when they square off on Saturday, Dec. 10 at FedExField (82,000) in the annual Army-Navy Game presented by USAA.  Kickoff is set for 2:40 pm (ET).
• CBS Sports will broadcast the game around the world on the American Forces Network with Verne Lundquist, Gary Danielson and Tracy Wolfson calling the action.
• CBS Radio/Westwood One will also broadcast the game around the world on American Forces Network with John Tautges on the play-by-play and Eddie George handling the color commentary.
• CBS Sports Network will provide complete coverage surrounding CBS Sports’ broadcast of The Army-Navy Game presented by USAA. The Network will air two special editions of INSIDE COLLEGE FOOTBALL on Saturday prior to the game, INSIDE COLLEGE FOOTBALL: ARMY-NAVY MARCH-ON SPECIAL (11:00 am-12:30 pm, ET) and INSIDE COLLEGE FOOTBALL: ARMY-NAVY TAILGATE (1:00–2:00 pm, ET).  Hosts Adam Zucker and Molly Qerim will be joined at FedExField by analysts Randy Cross and Brian Jones, as well as special guests from the academies.
• The MARCH-ON SPECIAL features the procession of the Brigade of Midshipmen and Corps of Cadets as they march onto FedExField, while the ARMY-NAVY TAILGATE previews the game with in-depth news and analysis.
• PRELUDE: THE MAKING OF A GAME OF HONOR, a behind-the-scenes look at the filming of the SHOWTIME documentary A GAME OF HONOR, airs at 12:30 pm, ET on Saturday.

Pregame
• Army’s Corps of Cadets will march-on at 11:24 am, followed by Navy’s Brigade of Midshipmen at 12:04 pm.
• The Navy Leap Frogs and the Army Golden Knights will jump at 2:19 pm.
• Navy’s fly-by will take place at 2:36 pm, followed by Army’s at 2:37 pm.  Navy’s fly-by will feature four F-18s from Naval Air Station in Oceana, Va.  Army’s fly-by will be four Apache helicopters from the Pennsylvania Air National Guard.

Army-Navy Storylines
• Navy enters the game having won 11 of the last 12 contests against the Black Knights, including each of the last nine. The nine-consecutive wins marks the longest streak in series history by either team.
• The Mids have won nine in a row in dominant fashion, outscoring the Black Knights, 322-91 (35.8-10.1).  The closest game was in 2006 when Navy defeated Army, 26-14, in Philadelphia.  The Mids have won the last two games by 14 points.
•    A win on Saturday would make Ken Niumatalolo just the fourth coach in school history to start his career 4-0 against Army. Paul Johnson went 6-0 against West Point (2002-07), Wayne Hardin won his first-five games (1959-63) against Army and George Welsh won his first-four contests (1973-76).
• Five of Navy’s seven losses this year have come by a combined total of 11 points. The Mids are just 1-5 in games decided by eight points or less. The five losses in close games are tied for the third most in the country.
•    Four of Navy’s 2011 opponents are either ranked (South Carolina and Southern Miss) or receiving votes (Notre Dame and Rutgers) in the top 25 polls.
•    The Mids have played the nations’ 29th-toughest schedule based on the cumulative records of their opponents to date (58-46, does not include Delaware or Army).
•    Eight of Navy’s 12 opponents have winning records and seven are bowl eligible.  Two of Navy’s four opponents that are not bowl eligible, East Carolina and San Jose State, finished with a 5-7 record.
• Navy is No. 1 in the country in fewest penalties per game (2.4) and penalty yards per game (20.9).  Army is tied for third in the country in fewest penalties (4.0).
• Navy has missed or fumbled the snap on at least one kick (PAT or field goal) in eight of its 11 games this year, including five-straight contests in the month of October.
•    Navy is just 16-15 (.516) away from the friendly confines of Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium under Niumatalolo, including a 2-4 (.333) mark this year.
• The Mids are 7-9 (.438) under Niumatalolo with more than one week to prepare, but 3-0 (1.000) against Army.
• Navy is 1-5 (.167) in games decided by eight points or less this year and 13-13 (.500) over the last four years.
• In Navy’s four wins this year, it has outscored the opposition 91-17 in the first half (36-0 in the first quarter, 55-17 in the second quarter).
• In the Mids’ seven losses this year, they have been outscored, 152-66, in the first half (59-10 in the first quarter, 93-56 in the second quarter).
• Navy is 4-2 (.667) in 2011 and 26-4 (.867) over the last four years when scoring first.  The Mids are 0-5 in 2011 and 5-17 (.227) over the last four years when the opponents score first.
• The Mids are 4-0 this season when leading after the first quarter and 0-7 when tied or trailing after the first quarter.  Under Niumatalolo, the Mids are 20-3 (.870) when leading after the first quarter and 11-18 (.379) when trailing or tied after the first stanza.
• Navy is 4-3 (.571) when leading after three quarters.  Entering this season, the Mids were 22-0 under Niumatalolo when taking a lead into the fourth quarter.
• Navy has made 43 trips inside the red zone in its 11 games this season, scoring 33 times (.767), including 27 touchdowns (.628).  The Mids are tied for 86th in the country in red zone offense  (Army is also tied for 86th).
• Navy has played five games this year where it has rushed for less than 300 yards and lost all five.  It is 4-2 (.667) when rushing for more than 300 yards.
• An opposing running back has rushed for over 100 yards in a game against the Mids in eight of 11 contests this year.  In the previous three years, Navy surrendered only nine 100-yard rushing games to opposing running backs.
• Senior defensive end Jabaree Tuani has produced 42-career tackles for a loss, which is tied with David Mahoney (2003-06) for the second most in school history.  He is just two behind record-holder Andy Person (1992-95).
• Tuani has recorded 16 sacks over his four-year career, which is tied with Tyler Tidwell (2004-06) for third on the Mids’ career list.

Close Games In The Army-Navy Series
• 53 of the 111 Army-Navy games (.477) have been decided by eight points or less.  Army has won 24 of those 53, while Navy has scored 22 victories and seven have ended in a tie.
• The last time an Army-Navy game was decided by eight points or less was in 2000 when the Mids defeated the Black Knights, 30-28.

Scouting Army
• Army is 3-8 on the year with victories over Northwestern (21-14), Tulane (45-6) and Fordham (55-0).
• The Black Knights have losses against Northern Illinois (49-26), San Diego State (23-20), Ball State (48-21), Miami of Ohio (35-28), Vanderbilt (44-21), Air Force (24-14), Rutgers (27-12) and Temple (42-14).
• Army comes to Landover with the nation’s top-ranked rushing offense (350.9 yds/gm).  The Black Knights last won the rushing title in 1998 (293.8).  Army’s average of 350.9 yards per game would be the most by a team since Nebraska in 1997 (392.6).
•    The Black Knights are 13th in the country in pass defense (178.1).

The Last Time … 
Navy 31, Army 17    Dec. 11, 2010 | Philadelphia, Pa.
• Senior safety Wyatt Middleton’s 98-yard fumble return for a touchdown with 1:03 remaining in the second quarter turned what was shaping up to be a close game into a rout as Navy rolled to its ninth win of the year and ninth-straight win over Army, 31-17, at a sold out (69,223) Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.  The 98-yard fumble return was the longest in school history and longest in an Army-Navy game.
• Navy had jumped out to a 17-0 lead as Joe Buckley nailed a 36-yard field goal and quarterback Ricky Dobbs threw touchdown passes of 77 yards to John Howell and 32 yards to Brandon Turner.  The touchdown pass to Howell was the longest pass play in series history.
• The Mids were in total control of the game midway through the second quarter until a pair of Dobbs turnovers gave Army life.
• Dobbs fumbled the ball on first down from his own 23 and it was recovered by Army’s Josh McNary.  Six plays later, Army quarterback Trent Steelman hit Malcolm Brown with a five-yard touchdown pass to cut the Navy lead to 17-7. It was Army’s first touchdown against the Midshipmen since the fourth quarter of the 2006 game.
• Three plays later, Dobbs gave the ball back to Army again as he was stripped by McNary and Stephen Anderson recovered the loose ball at the Army 48.
• The Black Knights methodically moved the ball down the field, taking it 49 yards in 11 plays.   On first and goal from the Navy three, Steelman tried to power his way into the end zone, but senior linebacker Tyler Simmons and senior outside linebacker Jerry Hauburger met Steelman at the two-yard line and Simmons’ knocked the ball from Steelman’s hands.  The ball popped up in the air and flew right to Middleton who raced 98 yards for the back-breaking touchdown.
• Army took the opening kickoff of the third quarter and drove 47 yards on 12 plays with Alex Carlton capping the drive with a 42-yard field goal to make the score 24-10.
• Navy put the game away with a 13-play, 87-yard, 9:03 scoring drive to start the fourth quarter with slot back Gee Gee Greene waltzing in from the 25 to make it 31-10.

Service Academy Dominance
• Navy has amassed a 74-40 (.649) overall record in the last nine years, while Air Force is 62-48 (.564) and Army is 30-77 (.280).

Dominant Era in Army-Navy History
• Navy’s 31-17 victory over Army was its ninth-consecutive win over the Black Knights, the longest streak in series history by either team.
• The Mids have won those nine in a row against Army in dominant fashion, outscoring the Black Knights, 322-91 (35.8-10.1).

Our Nation’s Future Leaders
• Navy’s 33 seniors received their service assignments on Nov. 30. Graduates of the Naval Academy serve a minimum of five years in the Navy or Marine Corps, while pilots serve eight years upon earning their wings.
•    25 seniors will be commissioned Ensigns in the United States Navy (11 Surface Warfare, five Naval Flight Officers, three Surface Warfare Nuclear,  two Intelligence, one Supply Corps, one Submarines, one Pilot and one Special Warfare), while eight will be commissioned 2nd Lieutenants in the Marine Corps (seven Marine Corps Ground and one Marine Corps Pilot)
• Graduation for the Class of 2012 is Tuesday, May 29.

Service Assignments For The Class of 2012
Player, Service Assignment
Brian Ackerman, Surface Warfare (Nuclear)
Bruce Andrews, Supply Corps
Ryan Basford, Surface Warfare
Thomas Batchelder, Surface Warfare
Brian Blick, Marine Corps Ground
Max Blue, Marine Corps Ground
Alex Boddiford, Surface Warfare
Hal Bowron, Surface Warfare
Brady DeMell, Surface Warfare
Delvin Diggs, Suface Warfare (Nuclear)
Neil Doogan, USMC Ground
Eric Douglass, Surface Warfare
John Dowd, Submarines
Zach Dryden, Surface Warfare
Doug Furman, Navy Pilot
Mason Graham, Marine Corps Ground
Hal Hunter, Intelligence
Caleb King, Naval Flight Officer
Jared Marks, Marine Corps Ground
John McCauley, Surface Warfare
Kwesi Mitchell, Naval Flight Officer
Gary Myers, Naval Flight Officer
Torri Preston, Marine Corps Ground
Kriss Proctor, Naval Flight Officer
Aaron Santiago, Surface Warfare (Nuclear)
Jarred Shannon, Surface Warfare
Eric Stein, Naval Flight Officer
Mike Stukel, Marine Corps Ground
David Sumrall, Intelligence
Jon Teague, Marine Corps Pilot
Alexander Teich, Special Warfare (SEAL)
Jabaree Tuani, Surface Warfare
David Wright, Surface Warfare

President At The Army-Navy Game
• With this year’s game being played in Washington, D.C., it is appropriate to look back at past Army-Navy games attended by the President of the United States.  It is expected that President Barack Obama will attend this year’s game.
• Eight different Presidents have attended the Army-Navy game a total of 18 times.  Harry S. Truman attended the most Army-Navy games, going to seven straight from 1945-1951.  Teddy Roosevelt was the first President to attend an Army-Navy game, as he attended the 1901 contest.
• Only once have both the President and Vice President attended the Army-Navy game.  In 1961, President John F. Kennedy and Vice President Lyndon Johnson were on hand in Philadelphia.
• Navy is 7-9-2 in games against Army in which the President attends and has won the last two.
• The last time the President attended the Army-Navy game, the Mids dealt Army a 34-0 loss in Philadelphia in 2008 with President George W. Bush looking on.

President Of The United States At The Army-Navy Game
Year    President    Result
1901    Theodore Roosevelt    Army, 11-5
1905    Theodore Roosevelt    Tie, 6-6
1913    Woodrow Wilson    Army, 22-9
1924    Calvin Coolidge    Army, 12-0
1945    Harry Truman    Army, 32-13
1946    Harry Truman    Army, 21-18
1947    Harry Truman    Army, 21-0
1948    Harry Truman    Tie, 21-21
1949    Harry Truman    Army, 38-0
1950    Harry Truman    Navy, 14-2
1951    Harry Truman    Navy, 42-7
1961    John Kennedy    Navy, 13-7
1962    John Kennedy    Navy, 34-14
1974    Gerald Ford    Navy, 19-0
1996    Bill Clinton    Army, 28-24
2001    George W. Bush    Army, 26-17
2004    George W. Bush    Navy, 42-13
2008    George W. Bush    Navy, 34-0

Future Army-Navy Sites Announced
• The city of Philadelphia has been synonymous with the Army-Navy football classic over the years, hosting 82 of the previous 111 service academy battles. Army and Navy will be building on that rich tradition in the years ahead with Philadelphia serving as the host of “America’s Game” for four of the next seven years at Lincoln Financial Field (2012, 2013, 2015, 2017).
•    It was also announced that for the first time in series history the game will be played on the doorstep of the nation’s capital as the 2011 Army-Navy game presented by USAA will be played at FedEx Field, while the 2014 and 2016 games will be played at Baltimore’s M&T Bank Stadium.
•    The process for securing a long-term home for future Army-Navy football games officially began in August of 2008 with the service academies distributing a formal “Request for Proposal.”
•    The first Army-Navy game was played in 1890 at West Point and the second in Annapolis one year later. In 1899, Philadelphia’s Franklin Field became the game site. The “City of Brotherly Love” has dominated as host city for the Army-Navy game since that time. There have been 14 different venues that have played host to the event, four of those located in Philadelphia and two in Baltimore.
•    Municipal Stadium, renamed John F. Kennedy Stadium in 1964, has housed the game the most times – 41 in all – that included 35 straight games between 1945 and 1979. It was first played there in 1936.
•    Franklin Field ranks second on the list of Army-Navy game sites with its total of 18, followed by Veterans Stadium with 17 and the Polo Grounds in New York City with nine. “The Vet” first hosted the game in 1980 and did so through 2001 with all but five exceptions.
•    Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia has hosted the game seven times (2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010).
•    Army has also battled Navy at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif., in 1983; at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., in 1989, 1993, 1997 and 2002; and at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore in 2000 and 2007.
•    For the 16th-straight year, CBS Sports will televise the Army-Navy classic to a national and worldwide (via American Forces Network) audience on Dec. 10. The Army-Navy game will be the only major college football game played the second Saturday in December.

Showtime And CBS Sports Team Up To Produce All-Access Docu-Drama On Navy And Army Football
• SHOWTIME Sports and CBS Sports are teaming up for A Game Of Honor, a two-hour exclusive docu-drama revealing an unprecedented look at America’s two oldest military academies – The United States Military Academy and The United States Naval Academy. As the midshipmen and cadets prepare to serve their country and participate in a rivalry unmatched by any other in sports, the Army-Navy football game presented by USAA, SHOWTIME will capture an all-access look at their unique season-long journey. The in-depth docu-drama will be co-produced and promoted by SHOWTIME Sports and CBS Sports in conjunction with CBSSports.com and will premiere Dec. 21 on SHOWTIME, 10 days after this year’s Army-Navy game on CBS, Dec. 10.
•    SHOWTIME will have behind-the-scenes access to both academies and their respective football teams for six months leading up to the Army-Navy game, as well as during the game and immediately following. With so many stories to tell, SHOWTIME will air exclusive content across multiple CBS platforms including a special preview show about the making of the documentary on Wednesday, November 23 on SHOWTIME; with a network television premiere of the preview show on CBS Sports on Dec. 3. In addition, CBSSports.com will air an exclusive 10-episode weekly original web series beginning Oct. 17.
•    The docu-drama and web series will capture the personal stories of this unique group of men who are rivals on the football field and brothers in arms on the battlefield. As the young men at Army and Navy endure a much different athletic experience than other Division I football players, A Game of Honor will capture the dedication, discipline and determination demanded of the cadets and midshipmen who are members of these storied football programs. A Game of Honor reveals their unique journey from summer training to the demands of an elite classroom education to the weekly preparations for the football field, all while training to serve their country in a time of war. This rigorous passage culminates with the playing of the annual Army-Navy game, this year from the nation’s capital in Washington, D.C.
•    CBS Sports’ Creative Director, Pete Radovich, who also serves as coordinating producer for the Emmy-Award winning SHOWTIME series Inside the NFL, will serve as director of the series. Radovich will co-produce with CBS Sports Coordinating Producer Steve Karasik.
•    ”We are honored to broadcast the Army-Navy football game every year on CBS Sports and thrilled to team with SHOWTIME, CBSSports.com and our long-standing partners at the Naval and Military academies on ‘A Game of Honor,’” said Sean McManus, Chairman, CBS Sports. “Using unparalleled access provided by the academies, this project allows us to go in-depth across multiple CBS platforms to tell inspiring, compelling and unique stories — both on and off the field — about the 2011 cadets and midshipmen.”
•    ”Teaming up with CBS on any production or project has always resulted in a big time and first class end result,” said Navy Director of Athletics Chet Gladchuk. “This venture could not be more well received by the Academy and the Athletic Department. The story to be told will be emotional, motivating, inspiring, and featured in a way that it will bring an even greater appreciation for some very special people who are some of our nation’s and intercollegiate athletics’ finest leaders.”

Navy Partners with Nike for Army-Navy Game Uniform
•    Before their fight songs ring throughout the stadiums and they storm the fields, nine of the top college football programs will lace their cleats and buckle their chin straps while donning uniquely designed, highly advanced Nike uniforms for at least one game during the 2011-12 season.
•    The fully integrated uniform system, which the University of Oregon debuted during the 2010 BCS National Championship Game, incorporates the latest in performance innovation and design from the world’s most renowned athletic outfitter.  The redesigned base layer facilitates the uniform’s overall innovation, delivering the ultimate in lightweight protection for maximum speed. Strategically placed seams, pads and cooling zones also help minimize distraction and optimize protective coverage.
•    The teams selected to sport the 2011 Nike Pro Combat system of dress uniforms include Army, Boise State, Georgia, LSU, Michigan State, Navy, Ohio State, Oregon, and Stanford.
•    While each school’s uniform delivers the same superior lightweight performance and protection, each will tell a different story through its design. Nike worked closely with each university to bring relevant elements of the school’s rich heritage into a distinguished, modern uniform design. The uniforms capture each team’s unique character.
•    ”The support and positive relationship that Navy athletics has enjoyed over the years with Nike is extraordinary.” Navy Athletic Director Chet Gladchuk said. “Being a part of this exciting initiative further illustrates the mutual respect that is so much a part of the way we present our product.  The Midshipmen are inspired by the technical innovations and appearance that Nike puts forth through the presentation of their equipment and apparel.  Nike continues to motivate all of our teams to compete at the highest level with great success.  This year, the Army-Navy Game will be a showcase for the direction that our partnership will be heading in the future.”
•    The integrated uniform system provides enhanced durability and innovation from the inside out.  Robust padding without the bulk offers optimal low-profile impact protection specifically throughout the crucial “hit zone” between the knees and shoulders. Nike Pro Combat Deflex padding has also been integrated in the hip and knee areas of the pant for crucial impact protection that stays in place. The base layer now features customizable protection, incorporating a thin, incredibly strong carbon fiber plate that can be placed on the thigh padding where needed.
•    The uniform system design also emphasizes improved thermoregulation, including the Nike Pro Combat Deflex padding layer, which is constructed with fabric selected for its ability to help keep the body cool and wick away sweat – making the uniform, and player, lighter and dryer. The jerseys are made of four-way stretch woven twill that sheds moisture. A Flywire collar eliminates two layers of fabric for improved breathability, providing a more stable anchor to keep the jersey in place.

Dowd A Finalist For The William V. Campbell Trophy
• Navy senior guard John Dowd is one of 16 college football players named to the 2011 National Football Foundation National Scholar-Athlete Class and is now a finalist for the 2011 William V. Campbell Trophy, which recognizes an individual as the nation’s premier scholar-athlete.
•    The NFF’s National Scholar-Athlete program, launched in 1959, is the first initiative in history to award scholar-athletes postgraduate scholarships for their combined athletic, academic and leadership abilities. This year’s class members find themselves in good company, as past National Scholar-Athletes include former NFL standout Derrick Brooks (Florida St.); actor Mark Harmon (UCLA); NASA astronaut Leland Melvin (Richmond); former Dateline NBC anchor Stone Phillips (Yale); chairman of Augusta National Golf Club, home of the Masters Tournament, Billy Payne (Georgia); famed NFL quarterback Steve Young (BYU); and Heisman Trophy winners Terry Baker (Oregon St.), Gary Beban (UCLA), Doug Flutie (Boston College) and Tim Tebow (Florida).
•    Each finalist will receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship at the 54th NFF Annual Awards Dinner on Dec. 6 at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York City, and one of the 16 will be announced as the 22nd recipient of the William V. Campbell Trophy. Named in honor of Bill Campbell, the chairman of Intuit, former player and head coach at Columbia and the 2004 recipient of the NFF’s Gold Medal, the award comes with a 25-pound bronze trophy and a $25,000 post-graduate scholarship.
•    Nominated by their schools, which are limited to one nominee each, candidates must be a senior or graduate student in their final year of eligibility, have a grade point average of at least 3.2 on a 4.0 scale, have outstanding football ability as a first-team player and have demonstrated strong leadership and citizenship. The 127 semifinalists for the award were announced on Sept. 29.

Dowd Named One Of 10 Finalists For The Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award
• Navy senior offensive guard John Dowd has been named one of 10 finalists for the 2011 Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award.  Dowd is a three-year letterwinner and two-year starter at offensive guard for the Mids and carries a 3.91 GPA in Mechanical Engineering.  He is a two-time Academic All-American and has a chance to become the first Navy football player in school history to be named a First-Team Academic All-American in consecutive years.
•    An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School®, the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities.
•    Fan votes, which were conducted through Dec. 5, will be combined with media and Div. I FBS head coaches’ votes to determine the winner.
•    Lowe’s, an official Corporate Partner of the NCAA, will announce the Senior CLASS Award® winner during the 2011 football bowl season. Navy quarterback Ricky Dobbs won the award last year.

Football Bowl Subdivision Finalists For The Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award
Emmanuel Acho, Linebacker, Texas
Jake Bequette, Defensive End, Arkansas
Drew Butler, Punter, Georgia
Kirk Cousins, Quarterback, Michigan State
Austin Davis, Quarterback, Southern Miss
John Dowd, Guard, Navy
Chase Minnifield, Cornerback, Virginia
Dan Persa, Quarterback, Northwestern
Nate Potter, Offensive Tackle, Boise State
Dawson Zimmerman, Punter, Clemson

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The 15-7-0 > The BCS

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The 15-7-0 > The BCS

Posted on 05 December 2011 by Glenn Clark

You know how it works. 15 positive football observations, 7 “not so” positive football observations and one “oh no” moment from outside the world of football.

(As a reminder, we don’t do Baltimore Ravens analysis here. We do PLENTY of that elsewhere. This is about the rest of the world of football.)

15 Positive Observations…

1. Oklahoma State looked REALLY good Saturday night. It’s a shame it didn’t really matter at all.

I tried explaining to everyone it wouldn’t matter if the Cowboys blew out Oklahoma Saturday night in Stillwater. Every time someone asked a question like “what if the Pokes win by a score of 50-0?” I responded with a simple “it won’t matter.”

I was right. Louisiana State will face Alabama again in the BCS Championship Game and OSU will get to watch after playing Stanford in the Fiesta Bowl.

It’s a shame, as Oklahoma State certainly looked like a team capable of making things interesting in New Orleans on Saturday night. The shame is that their Bedlam rivalry win was marred by 13 fans being injured when they rushed the Boone Pickens Stadium field. It’s also a shame the Big 12 Champs aren’t Bayou bound because we’d all like to see more of Mike Gundy dancing…

2. With that in mind, does anyone think LSU is losing in the BCS title game?

It’s not that I don’t think highly of Oklahoma State (or Alabama), it’s just that the Tigers have been pretty dominant. See Badger, Honey.

It appears as though Tyrann Mathieu’s punt return TD shouldn’t have counted, and he actually had another return later in the game that didn’t result in a TD that was more impressive. But this was still a lot of fun to watch him run all over the Georgia Dome field in the SEC Championship Game.

It’s awfully early, but I’ll go ahead and call a Tigers win over the Crimson Tide in the title game. Just going out on a limb without having to at all. All balls, that Glenn Clark. At least that’s what my 4th grade teacher always said.

3. Tim Tebow is in first place. Since he won’t say it, I will. “Suck it, haters.

I picked the Denver Broncos to beat the Minnesota Vikings on “The Friday Football Frenzy” this week; but I gave myself an out. “If Von Miller doesn’t play the Broncos lose” I said.

What I didn’t know is that the great Tim Tebow had the “throw a 41 yard touchdown to Demaryius Thomas while running out of bounds” in his repertoire…

Tim Tebow is better than you. And thanks to an Oakland Raiders loss we’ll get back to later in the game, he’s in first place in the AFC West.

Some Tim Tebow haters won’t give it up, including Merrill Hoge. He told the New York Post that Tim Tebow hasn’t proven anything because he hasn’t won a Super Bowl. Yep. That’s solid analysis. Well done sir.

Since we’re here, here’s this humorous picture of Matt Willis and Willis McGahee.

And also, this is apparently a photo of a fetus (or unborn child if you will) Tebowing. If you don’t want to look at it, don’t. I have no idea what I’m looking at myself.

4. Through one week, everyone who said “TJ Yates will be fine because he has Arian Foster” is right.

Of course, I was not in that camp so I feel like a bit of a silly goose.

The Atlanta Falcons had a great chance to make a move in the NFC Wild Card race, but they couldn’t contain Arian Foster in a loss to the Houston Texans.

I don’t have any (legitimate) highlights of the Texans’ win, but I DO have a video of Tommy Lasorda dropping a TON of F-Bombs in an old interview. Does that interest you???

5. I believe the pythagorean theorem somehow helped deliver West Virginia to the Orange Bowl. Clemson got there the old fashioned way.

The Mountaineers barely held on to beat South Florida Thursday night in Tampa Bay, claiming part of the Big East title-apparently the part that gets you to Miami.

Clemson on the other hand finished a season sweep of Virginia Tech (we’ll get back to them) in the ACC Championship Game. They totally earned their spot in the BCS. It’s a neat change of pace.

The Tigers and ‘Eers will get together in an Orange Bowl showdown that absolutely no one will be interested in. Except maybe this girl…

But I don’t really think of her as much of a sports expert when you think about it.

Oh-and apparently the appropriate way to celebrate a Clemson ACC title is to “fromble.” I had a lot of beers when I was in college. I didn’t know a damn thing about this…

6. Perhaps Chris Johnson really was worth a ton of money after all?

CJ2K has gone over 100 yards three times in his last four games, a feat he accomplished just once in in his first eight games.

That would be better if you were confused while playing along at home.

It was 153 yards and two TD’s Sunday as the Tennessee Titans topped the Buffalo Bills, a team I SWEAR had been good at some point during their existence…

Things get a BIT more difficult for the Titans next week, as they battle the Saints in Nashville. They find themselves still alive in the AFC South race but also still in the AFC Wild Card mix. AND they’re in the mix for the Cotton Bowl. Or something like that.

7. I don’t think much of the New York Jets, but I enjoy watching anyone beat the Washington Redskins.

The Jets scored 3 TD’s in the final five minutes of Sunday’s game at FedEx Field and got big plays from Aaron Maybin to avoid the upset.

A few things to giggle about here.

One-If the Skins manage to win two of their last four games this season, Mike Shanahan will manage to tie the great Jim Zorn’s record through the first two seasons! Big stuff!

Two-Washington’s Fred Davis and Trent Williams are suspended for the next four games for a violation of the league’s substance abuse policy. I don’t think the substance has been officially announced, but I think I have a guess…

(Continued on Page 2)

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MobTown Sports Blog

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MobTown Sports Blog

Posted on 05 December 2011 by Thyrl Nelson

Here’s a quick look ahead at the agenda for Monday on the MobTown Sports Beat:

 

Ravens Reaction

 

The Ravens are always on the table, especially on MSB Mondays. We’ll look back on the Ravens impressive and needed win over divisional rival Cleveland and have plenty of reaction.

 

A Nickel and a Nail

 

Five penny for your thought type topics of conversation and a nail for someone who deserves it.

 

#1 – BC-Mess or Oklahoma Statement

 

Despite an impressive thumping of the Oklahoma Sooners on Saturday, the Cowboys of Oklahoma State will be home watching the BCS title game like the rest of us. There’s little doubt that Alabama and LSU are the two best teams in the country, but do we really want to relive 9-6 snoozer that was the “game of the century” from just over a month ago? And how now can LSU lose a national title to Alabama after beating them on their own field in November and playing a much tougher out of conference schedule and the SEC title game? How much of this is due to the media’s inability to let go of their stated notion that Alabama was the best team in the country in the first place? Would LSU be getting this same opportunity if they had lost at home to Bama?

 

 

#2 – Tarheels are Baby Soft

 

They’re talented, there’s no doubt about that. The Tarheels are inordinately talented for a team in this the “one and done” era, the problem is that they seem to know it too. The juggernaut that Carolina looked to bring to the table after returning Harrison Barnes, Tyler Zellar and John Henson to fuse with the typical insurgence of Tarheel freshman talent so far has been anything but. After stumbling out of the gates last year only to turn it up for the stretch, Barnes looks to be making that his habit. Their talent will be enough to get them by on most nights, but when the real heat turns up, look for these Tarheels to wilt under the pressure like they did against Kentucky on Saturday. They appear poorly coached and at times altogether indifferent. Don’t believe the hype surrounding this Carolina team, as it appears that they themselves have already bought in too much.

 

#3 – NBA Free Agency to Begin on Monday?

 

Sort of at least…beginning on Monday it looks like teams will be free to at least make known their intentions and overtures to prospective free agents ahead of Friday’s projected final resolution in the lockout. Big men abound in free agency and no NBA team ever has enough of those. Greg Oden could be headed to the Heat, making him and them even more hated then each is already individually. Additionally, as “Big 3’s” are seemingly becoming en vogue, teams will be looking to fish or cut bait with a few marquee names that could quickly become trade fodder. Derron Williams, Chris Paul and Dwight Howard could all begin or end this season with new teams. And let’s not forget about Danny Ainge’s latest attempt to sabotage the Celtics. Something tells me we haven’t heard the last of the Rajon Rondo trade rumors or their impact.

 

#4 – A.F.Seeding

 

The top end of the AFC all managed to hold serve on Sunday. Along with the Ravens win, the Steelers beat the Bengals 35-7, the Patriots beat the hapless Colts 31-24 and the Texans rallied behind TJ Yates for a 17-10 win over the fading Falcons, so the logjam continues at 9-3 atop the AFC.

 

Houston survived a tough opponent behind TJ Yates first start after losing Andre Johnson again mid-game in a scene eerily similar to the one that preceded his last hamstring injury and kept him out of action for several weeks, and Brian Cushing left early too. If it weren’t for bad luck, these Texans wouldn’t have any yet they still refuse to lose in this their ordained playoff season given the absence of Peyton Manning in the division.

 

The Raiders were blasted by the suddenly resurgent Dolphins 34-14 and coupled with another heroic Tim Tebow comeback effort, surrendered the top spot in the AFC West (by virtue of a tiebreaker) to Denver.

 

The Titans and Jets both picked up wins to pull even with Cincinnati in the race for the final wild card spot with the Bengalis still enjoying the benefit of the tiebreaker…for now.

 

#5 – Packers on a Roll

 

Green Bay survived its first real test of the season on Sunday when the Giants punched in a 2-point conversion to tie them with less than a minute remaining and one timeout for the Packers. We should have known on the kickoff that the Pack was about to do something special. Randall Cobb, who’s having a fine year, took a knee on the kickoff just a yard or so deep in the end zone, essentially conceding that taking time away from Aaron Rodgers and the offense, even a few seconds, would be unacceptable even for a return man adept at taking them to the house. Two plays later the Packers were in field goal range and the rest as they say was history.

 

If you’re giving me the Packers or the field today, I’ll still take the field but it’s getting tougher to do each week. You could argue that now isn’t the time to be playing your best football, but the Packers have been doing it since week 1 and still look to be improving. They’re much deeper than last year’s injury riddled bunch and now can count themselves battle tested too.

 

You’d almost like to get an L out of the way before the playoffs start, but if it’s going to happen for these Packers it looks like it’ll happen naturally, as they don’t seem to be slowing at all. Maybe the cursed Colts season has taught a lesson to anyone willing to take note, “embrace the 0, or the 0 will come get you”.

 

And the nail goes to the Ravens and Steve Bisciotti for their announcement to take their ball and go home, or more specifically to cancel indefinitely the Westminster training camp that had become engrained in the traditions of many a Ravens’ fan who can’t get to the stadium for actual games.

 

The move has money written all over it, in this immediate aftermath of the NFL lockout where we as a public were forced to endure the tug of war over an unfathomably fat cache of cash that we were all made too well aware of, that seems to be bad form.  The team will surely try to make it up to the fans somehow, but attempts will be feeble at best compared to the rite of passage that was Ravens training camp.

 

(While not a regular attendee at Ravens training camp myself, I certainly understand the loss that some are feeling. As a 38-year old Baltimore native, my only “real” memories of the Baltimore Colts began and ended with training camps at Goucher college)

 

It’s not lost on us, Mr. Bisciotti, that you’re the same guy who encouraged us to offset the season ticket price increase of a few years ago by selling our Patriots, Steelers and/or Colts tickets as they were doing very well on the secondary market. Clearly the real plight and point of view of the average fan is lost on the occupants of the owner’s box.

 

What’s not lost on Mr. Bisciotti is the ability to pass the buck, or more aptly to allow crap to roll downhill, as he did by calling it a football decision. By stating that the Ravens were a better football team when they practice at their Owings Mills facility the owner laid blame right at the coach’s feet even without saying quite that much.

 

The truth is, it’s hard to say whether the Ravens are better or worse when they don’t have a camp, as this is the first year without one and also a year anomalous in the annals of NFL history due to the lockout. Using this season, as a barometer to measure anything is pointless at best and more likely irresponsible.

 

I’ll agree that life is easier for the Ravens when they don’t have to pack up and move operations from Owings Mills to Westminster and back, but easy isn’t the road to NFL glory. Eight times per season the Ravens will have to pack up and prepare, at least in part, away from the castle, usually in makeshift conditions not ideally suited or built for the purpose of readying a team for a football game. That the Ravens have struggled in doing it this season may speak to the “preparation” they’d have gotten in camp, under similar conditions.

 

 The road to a Super Bowl is a tough one, and one that the Ravens took once already while holding camp in Westminster, and the team enjoys lots of cushy handouts and civic backrubs from fans who’ll never have the chance to set foot in the stadium for a game, to lock them out using the fortress that they in part financed is just wrong.

 

 

@ Me Back

 

3 random questions. Hit me with your answers on Twitter @Thyrl or @WNST, by email thyrl@wnst.net, or at 410-481-1570. Whatever you do, get back @ me.

 

@-1: Who are the top 5 on your #NFL rookie of the year ballot?

 

I’ll go Andy Dalton, Cam Newton, AJ Green, Torrey Smith & DeMarco Murray

 

@-2: Who would you seed 1-8 in a college football playoff?

 

Give me- #1 LSU, #2 Bama, #3 OK St., #4 Boise, #5 Stanford, #6 Arkansas, #7 Wisconsin, #8 Clemson/WVU play-in or Oregon if I have to pick 1.

 

@-3: Who looks the like the best college hoops team so far?

 

For me – Kentucky, Ohio State, UConn, Syracuse, Missouri…but there’s a lot of teams I haven’t seen yet and a bunch more I can’t wait to see again.

 

 

 

 

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Top 10 Baseball Distractions

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Top 10 Baseball Distractions

Posted on 29 November 2011 by Glenn Clark

Honorable Mention: Auto Racing-NASCAR Awards Show (Friday 9pm from Las Vegas live on SPEED); Golf: PGA Tour Qualifying School (Saturday & Sunday 4pm, Monday 3:30pm from La Quinta, CA live on Golf Channel), PGA Tour Chevron World Challenge (Thursday & Friday 1pm live on Golf Channel Saturday & Sunday 12pm live on NBC. All golf from Thousand Oaks, CA); Women’s College Basketball: Big Ten/ACC Challenge-Michigan @ Maryland (Wednesday 7pm Comcast Center), Maryland @ American (Sunday 1pm Bender Arena); Tennis: ATP Tour Davis Cup Final (Friday 8am Saturday 10am Sunday 7am from Seville, Spain live on Tennis Channel)

10. Andrea Bocelli (Friday 8pm Verizon Center); Erykah Badu (Friday 7pm Rams Head Live); Dashboard Confessional (Saturday 7pm Recher Theatre); All Mighty Senators (Saturday 7pm 8×10 Club); Aaron Neville (Monday 8pm Rams Head On Stage); Robin Thicke (Wednesday 7pm 9:30 Club); String Cheese Incident (Wednesday 8pm Lyric Opera House), Ryan Adams (Sunday 7:30pm Lyric Opera House); J. Roddy Walston & The Business (Friday 9pm Ottobar); Mac Miller (Thursday 7pm Fillmore Silver Spring); Ra Ra Riot (Friday 7pm Ritchie Coliseum College Park); Tori Amos (Monday 8pm D.A.R. Constitution Hall); Adele Live at Royal Albert Hall available on CD/DVD/Blu-Ray/iTunes (Tuesday)

I really shouldn’t like Robin Thicke all that much. I just can’t help myself…

Dude, Ryan Adams has made so many great tunes but are any of them greater than this?

I feel like I should be a bigger J Roddy Walston fan than I am…http://wnst.net/wordpress/wp-admin/post.php?post=185164&action=edit

I don’t know if Adele sounds BETTER at Royal Albert Hall…but I know this much…no CHANCE she doesn’t sound amazing…

9. Washington Monument Lighting (Thursday 7pm from Mt. Vernon Place live on WBAL11), Mayor’s Christmas Parade (Sunday 2pm Hampden/Medfield); Gary Valentine (Thursday-Saturday Baltimore Comedy Factory); Steve-O (Thursday-Sunday DC Improv); Jim Norton (Thursday-Saturday Magooby’s Joke House)

Is there any chance that when Stephanie Rawlings-Blake flips on the lights at the monument the scene looks anything like this?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ar-__ub0rc

And since I’ve already invoked Christmas Vacation, I think it’s only appropriate that we do this…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mk74WprmZxY

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The 15-7-0 Is Feeling Rather Presidential This Week

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The 15-7-0 Is Feeling Rather Presidential This Week

Posted on 28 November 2011 by Glenn Clark

You know how it works. 15 positive football observations, 7 “not so” positive football observations and one “oh no” moment from outside the world of football.

(As a reminder, we don’t do Baltimore Ravens analysis here. We do PLENTY of that elsewhere. This is about the rest of the world of football.)

15 Positive Observations…

1. The Towson University football team didn’t play a game this weekend, but somehow it will likely go down as the greatest of their lives.

The scene at the Towson Center Saturday afternoon rivals some of the most incredible I’ve seen in Charm City sports history, but sports had very little to do with it.

The most special moment of the visit from President Barack Obama & First Lady Michelle Obama (Michelle’s brother Craig Robinson is the head coach of the Oregon State team that crushed the Tigers Saturday afternoon) came at halftime.

Athletic Director Mike Waddell introduced Head Coach Rob Ambrose & the CAA Champion football team, who were enjoying a week off as they prepared for their FCS playoff showdown with Lehigh next Saturday at Unitas Stadium. The President walked out to greet the team, then posed for a picture to the absolute delight of the young men.

It was the type of moment that induces chills. Wow.

2. I’m really jealous of the Cincinnati Bengals for having AJ Green on their roster.

Oh, and Jermaine Gresham too.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFByq1hpVGE

They duo (and Cincy QB Andy Dalton) were vital in the Bengals’ come from behind win over the Cleveland Browns Sunday in a game that judging by the attendance no one in the Queen City knew was happening…

Can’t help but notice a few empty seats in the background there, gang. This is a team fighting for AT LEAST an AFC Wild Card spot, not completely out of the AFC North race. This is the best you can do? Maybe “Los Angeles Bengals” has a nice ring?

Since we’re here, here’s a picture of Colt McCoy Tebowing…

3. Rob Gronkowski is not the only reason the Patriots are good, but something tells me there’s a correlation between 11 TD catches and a 6’6″ frame.

To be fair, the way New England was playing Sunday it’s possible a 4’6″ receiver could have caught a TD from Tom Brady Sunday at The Linc…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwO47-nf1lM

Vince Young threw for 400 yards in the defeat, basically because he had no choice but to throw the football every time the Philadelphia Eagles had the ball.

That SHOULD put the final nail in Philly’s “Dream Team” coffin. Andy Reid’s has been sitting open for awhile now outside the City of Brotherly Love. Will it be nailed down as well? We’ll see.

4. Robert Griffin III’s injury might be just enough to default the Heisman Trophy back to Andrew Luck somehow.

The other candidate in the mix (and perhaps the frontrunner) is Alabama RB Trent Richardson, but we’ll get back to him.

After an incredible performance a week earlier against Oklahoma, the Baylor QB might have been one more spectacular performance away from locking up the chance to hear his name called in New York in two weeks. Unfortunately, RG3 was taken out of the game in the second half (probably for a concussion) and had to watch the second of the Bears’ win over Texas Tech from the Cowboys Stadium sideline…

So…Stanford QB Andrew Luck (the preordained winner of the Heisman before the season) was back in the picture with the chance to lock the thing up. Luck was good but not great in the Cardinal’s win over Notre Dame and left the thing up for grabs again.

As I searched YouTube for a recap video of Luck’s final game at Stanford Stadium I believe a Fighting Irish fan summed it up well by channeling M*A*S*H…

I don’t even know what that means!

The (regular) season is over for Richardson so he won’t have another chance to make a statement. Luck’s Cardinal don’t get another chance either since Oregon won the Pac-12 North. Baylor will play host to Texas next week in Waco, but Griffin’s status is up in the air due to his injury.

If none play again, I think I’d vote Luck. Someone will yell at me for that. Go ahead.

5. Houston is a Conference USA Championship Game win over Southern Miss away from playing in a BCS Bowl.

Fourth on the list (of three) candidates to win the Heisman is Cougars QB Case Keenum, who shredded Tulsa Friday in a manner similar to the way he’s shredded everyone else he’s played this season.

If the Cougars top the Golden Eagles in next week’s C-USA title game, they’ll become the first ever team from the conference to make a BCS bowl. Teams from the WAC and Mountain West have played BCS buster, but never C-USA.

Someone will call the occasion “historic”. Those people won’t really know what the word historic means.

6. Another reason why I like Tim Tebow? Sabermetricians would hate him.

He effing did it again, huh?

You know what’s the ONLY THING IN THE WORLD that could make us not spend the entire week talking about the Denver Broncos’ QB? How about a picture of San Diego Chargers kicker Nick Novak peeing on the sidelines at Qualcomm Stadium?

Thanks CBS!

7. Mark Sanchez also really pissed off a lot of haters Sunday.

The New York Jets’ QB threw for four TD’s, including a game winner to Santonio Holmes in their win over the Buffalo Bills…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJtRuC19Ab8

We’ll of course remember the game as the time Bills WR Stevie Johnson insisted on making a complete ass out of himself…

…again.

Dan Marino was asked about what he thought of Sanchez Sunday, but he was too busy checking out Victoria’s Secret model Lily Aldridge’s boobs to respond…

And here’s my cue to post another VS picture of Aldridge…

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